Interstate 75 was busy but fast, as we hammered south enjoying fabulous travelling weather. After a few slowdowns in Dayton and Cincinnati, we crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. The scenery improved, particularly the stretch from Lexington south to Knoxville, Tennessee.
We made a short detour into Knoxville, to get take out at the Pizza Palace, whose culinary delights were espoused by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. From there, we would jump back on the Interstate and be in Pigeon Forge in mere minutes.
Except that we though Pigeon Forge would be a quaint Appalachian mountain town....when in reality the entire Strip from Sevierville to Pigeon Forge was bumper to bumper traffic and light after light of kitschy glitz. Interesting, but slow moving.
We finally reached out hotel, the lovely Creekstone Inn at the far end of the Strip - painful to get to at the end of a long day, but at least it placed us past the madness for the remainder of our stay. We enjoyed our delicious takeout on the balcony, surprisingly peaceful overlooking a river.
The next day, we walked the local Strip, visited Gatlinburg and some rustic valley villages. More importantly, we drove the twisty and scenic parkway through the Great Smoky Mountains.
Crossing the Ohio River at Cincinnati
Delicious food in Knoxville!
Ravioli and Spaghetti - to go!
The Strip in Pigeon Forge
The view from our balcony and some solitude amid the chaos!
Gatlinburg at Dawn
Newfound Gap
Down in the Valley
The mill at Cades Cove....
...and the smithy!
The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge - time for dinner!
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1 comment:
Great photos and you are out my doghouse on food photos...for the time being :) Gatlinburg looks like my kind of town! That iron smith...how cool... :)
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