NEW HIGHWAY – August 17, 2020

 

We woke up ready to get some exercise and hit the first trail we saw meandering for 5 miles before making it back to our site in time to wrap up business and get back on the road.  A hike is such a great way to start the day and I find that I can go for hours and hours on trails vs the limited average hour I can take from walking city streets.  We revel in the quiet and beauty around us and return invigorated for the next leg of our trip.

Rob always prefer to do all the driving – anyone who knows him understands (I need a good emoji here!)  With recent health concerns, though, he now allows me an hour or two each day to give him a break.  He starts out and takes us through the beautiful Smokey Mountains and I take over a couple hours in – just in time for an hour of city driving through Knoxville!  I’m getting more comfortable at the wheel but open highway is a far sight less challenging than hectic city traffic.  I feel more experienced every stretch though and am ever thankful that he likes driving as much as he does!

The travel plan has us knocking off another couple hundred miles for about 4 hours of driving.  The destination is Center Hill Dam in Tennessee, an Army Corp of Engineers project with a campground (and a half price discount with our national parks pass!)  With my driving slower and a couple traffic delays, we finally arrived after 5 hours on the road, longer than we normally like to go with the RV requiring vigilance of a different kind than in a car. 

The campground is definitely a more practical and basic style being meant for more utilitarian use than entertainment but it suits us just fine.  Our sight is next to a side stream with the sound of running water prevailing.  Camp set up is a clockwork project for us now and in no time we’re sitting by the water with a drink and apps and letting the driving melt away.

Matthew sent us out with 3 pieces of frozen fresh made pizza dough and we enjoyed the first one topped with his fresh grown tomatoes and banana peppers on top.  What a treat!  Feeling full and relaxed, we wander the campground after dinner.  The dam is large and looming with the resulting lake on the other side of its bulk. 

Our side boasts a meandering stream when the water’s held back and we find a path to the river’s edge as the evening fog rolls in and the sun sets.  Fireflies, heron and finally hawks come to life at the waters edge and we sit and watch and listen as the day winds to an end feeling thankful for safe travels and peaceful rest.