Paul and I made what started out to be a short day trip on Saturday after getting the front end re-aligned and a new tire on the Toyota. (I haven't named her yet. Not to jinx us, but she seems to be dependable and, so far, an absolute JOY to drive so SHE shall have a beautiful name. The Aspires name was Jessie or Jezebel, depending on how she was acting on any given day.
Bella comes to mind for the Toyota. Don't MOST people have nicknames for their cars? I always have.)
Anyway, we started out going to buy a lottery ticket in a little town about an hour away....and on the way there, we saw a sign that said "Clayton-27 miles". That's in Georgia, in case you're wondering.
So we decided to go there instead. And when we got there- I erroneously thought we were about halfway to Gatlinburg, Tennessee- one of my favorite places ever. (Hey- I haven't been there in over 12 years!!! How was I to remember exactly how far it was....???) I only remembered it was a beautiful drive up there so Paul programed it into the GPS and off we went.
I got thinking about it tho after a few minutes, and thought, "We should go here for our anniversary instead...it's not the type place you want to drive to and then just ride thru ." So I voiced that opinion to Paul and suggested that we go to Pigeon Forge instead. That way we were in a state he hadn't visited yet, but we would save Gatlinburg for our trip when we were more prepared for it. After all- Buddy was home inside and we had no one to go let him out, besides the fact that we're on a budget that definately didn't include an overnight stay in a hotel overnight.....so Paul agreed that was a great idea and he re-programmed the GPS for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
So off we go, enjoying all the lovely scenery as we rode further and further into the Great Smokies Parkway. And there were some spectacular sights to be seen. The mist in the valleys and hollows of the mountains looked almost otherwordly and we lamented we hadn't thought to bring the camera.
Well, it didn't occur to either of us, so distracted were we with the views, that we were heading straight up INTO that beautiful "mist" in the mountains....until we ran into the fogbank on a road that didn't allow for room to turn around and head back the way we came.
I have never been so happy as I was that night about buying anyone a gift as I was with having bought Paul that GPS for his birthday.
I couldn't see ten feet in front of me and so Paul acted as my co-pilot by watching the GPS and giving me instructions on the direction of the upcoming curves and turns. We went about 10 miles an hour for about an hour and a half or two hours in that deadly fog....catching the occasiona terrifying glimpses of the ice covered granite cliffs beside us as we drove along in the fog, in the dark, in the drizzle that towards the end became the occasion snowflake....
But Finally we came out of the fogbank. Just like THAT we were in it one second- and out of it the next. We could see a signal light about a thousand yards ahead and as we drove closer, my mind registared exactly WHERE we were.
Sure enough, I pulled up to the light and stopped and looked to the right. And I began laughing. Poor Paul thought I had finally snapped. I just pointed to the right and when he looked over he saw the reason for my laughter.........The GPS was taking us to Pigeon Forge, alright.....via GATLINBURG.
Yep, we were in Gatlinburg Proper, so we drove thru slowly, letting us get a glimpse of all the fun things we could be doing if we were staying.
And then, regrettably, we drove on thru to Pigeon Forge where we stopped, re-fueled, and ate dinner at Shoneys.
Oh My Gosh- I MISS having a Shoneys in South Carloina.
Anyway, after a wonderful dinner and bit of a stretch, we got back in the car and traveled thru P.F. and plotted a few stops we want to make when we go back in May for our Fifth Anniversary.
(I can't believe we have been married for FIVE years already!! My how time flies when you're having a wonderful married life!!!!!!)
And the drive home after we left P.F. was joyously uneventful. And after all was said and done- we spent about $20 TOTAL on fuel for the car and about the same for dinner. Not bad for a wonderful day/night of spontanious fun and relaxation, because even tho we ran into that fogbank, I was more relaxed than I have been in the past five years...since our honeymoon.
But, like Paul, I wonder....why is it every time we do something spontanious we almost die?
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We FINALLY got a few inches of JUST snow here on Sunday. Yay!!
It was pretty and didn't make too much of a mess. I would be over the moon if we could get one like that late Christmas Eve night or early Christmas Day.
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Due to recent events with a few of my girlfriends, I have begun to wonder.....is flirting a lost art???? I'll think on that one and go into that more later.....but for now- it's time for me to dress and go to work.
2 comments:
At least those trips are never boring!!!
Sea
Day trips are fun. I know what you mean about driving through fog on the mountains. We did that in GA New Year's weekend. I was so happy to be taking those scary mountainous turns at 10 mph and praying no one was gonna come up behind us doing 50.
Nice to see more than five sentences. :)
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