Mid-point: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
End Point: June 1, Alma, AR
Miles: 1,639
Saying goodbye to Chad and hello to road-tripping alone was an interesting transition... Before yesterday, I hadn't really spent a day alone on this trip. Heck, I hadn't spent more than a couple hours alone...
Well, come to find out... being alone ain't all that bad.
Don't get me wrong - spending 2 days (and a glorious night camping) alone doesn't make me want to say "screw you society I'm becoming a hermit!" Instead, it makes me very happy to be who I am. I am very comfortable with myself. I am very happy eating alone. Driving alone. Visiting cool places alone. Because, quite frankly, other than when I'm in the car, I'm rarely ever TRULY alone. Heck, I had a 20 minute conversation with the guy who served me bbq at lunch and spent another 20 minutes happily chatting away with the lady at the AR Visitors Center. Woah... I am getting ahead of myself.
Let's start with all the glory that is the Great Smokey Mountains National Forest! It was only a short 6.5 hour drive from Hopewell, which put me there a happy 3 hours before sunset. Plenty of time to set up my tent and get a good hike in! What I wasn't anticipating was the rain... ooooooohhhhh the RAIN! Luckily, it came in spurts. The first one ended JUST as I was pulling up to my site - so I easily set up my tent - and even had enough time to check out the area.
Then the rain. So much rain. So, I made my dinner and hung out in my tent for a couple hours. When I left to go to the bathroom, I realized it had stopped raining and totally cleared up! Sweet! Another hike it was!
I slept so well, I snoozed my alarm for over an hour. I love camping.
My next day was full of "oh! That's not far off the path, let me go there!" and RAIN!
Started off with wanting to get the GSMNP stamp in my National Parks Passport... well those are only at visitor centers... and I was on the butt end of the park... that was an hour plus detour.
Then there was a bunch of rain that kept me from going anywhere near the speed limit.
Then, I wanted to go see the Stones River National Battlefield. On the map it looked JUST south of Nashville... well... it was... as the crow flies... but as the car drives, it was more like 2 hours out of the way... oh well...
THENNNN... I wanted to experience Arkansas on some level! Hello! This is my first time here! So, I spent a half hour at the visitors center. Then another hour eating dinner at this most fabulous restaurant that served everything AK (cheese dip and fried pie anyone?!). Then, just to round out the day, I wanted to stay in AK.... so here I am... 11:30 at night, hopped up on sweet tea.
I only hope tomorrow is as wonderful as the last 48 hours.
Saying goodbye to Chad and hello to road-tripping alone was an interesting transition... Before yesterday, I hadn't really spent a day alone on this trip. Heck, I hadn't spent more than a couple hours alone...
Well, come to find out... being alone ain't all that bad.
Don't get me wrong - spending 2 days (and a glorious night camping) alone doesn't make me want to say "screw you society I'm becoming a hermit!" Instead, it makes me very happy to be who I am. I am very comfortable with myself. I am very happy eating alone. Driving alone. Visiting cool places alone. Because, quite frankly, other than when I'm in the car, I'm rarely ever TRULY alone. Heck, I had a 20 minute conversation with the guy who served me bbq at lunch and spent another 20 minutes happily chatting away with the lady at the AR Visitors Center. Woah... I am getting ahead of myself.
Let's start with all the glory that is the Great Smokey Mountains National Forest! It was only a short 6.5 hour drive from Hopewell, which put me there a happy 3 hours before sunset. Plenty of time to set up my tent and get a good hike in! What I wasn't anticipating was the rain... ooooooohhhhh the RAIN! Luckily, it came in spurts. The first one ended JUST as I was pulling up to my site - so I easily set up my tent - and even had enough time to check out the area.
Home sweet home!
Then the rain. So much rain. So, I made my dinner and hung out in my tent for a couple hours. When I left to go to the bathroom, I realized it had stopped raining and totally cleared up! Sweet! Another hike it was!
Dinner of champions - re-hydrated macaroni & cheese and pink wine!
My next day was full of "oh! That's not far off the path, let me go there!" and RAIN!
Started off with wanting to get the GSMNP stamp in my National Parks Passport... well those are only at visitor centers... and I was on the butt end of the park... that was an hour plus detour.
Then there was a bunch of rain that kept me from going anywhere near the speed limit.
Then, I wanted to go see the Stones River National Battlefield. On the map it looked JUST south of Nashville... well... it was... as the crow flies... but as the car drives, it was more like 2 hours out of the way... oh well...
THENNNN... I wanted to experience Arkansas on some level! Hello! This is my first time here! So, I spent a half hour at the visitors center. Then another hour eating dinner at this most fabulous restaurant that served everything AK (cheese dip and fried pie anyone?!). Then, just to round out the day, I wanted to stay in AK.... so here I am... 11:30 at night, hopped up on sweet tea.
I only hope tomorrow is as wonderful as the last 48 hours.
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