Date: 2004-05-01
From: Fontana Village Resort

To: Uncle Jim's near Sevierville, TN
Miles today: 0.0

The past few days have been very busy. I got some stuff out of my storage locker in Hendersonville, just in case I can't finish my hike. After I finished at my storage locker, I set out for Franklin again. Half an hour on my way I remembered that I forgot my pack cover at the motel and I needed to get one more thing from my locker. After I finished at my storage locker, I set out for Franklin again. I spent the night at the Carolina Motel outside of Franklin, and after taking care of laundry business and PO business and bill paying business and internet business and gas business and beer business and Coke business and chip and dip business, I set out for Fontana on Friday afternoon. Deciding to reverse the shortcut I learned on Wednesday from the shuttle driver, I crossed the bridge and promptly lost my way. I think I missed a turn right away and I eventually ended up (I think) on the gravel forest service road up to Tellico Gap. I went with it for a little while just out of curiosity but eventually I had to retrace my tracks back to the bridge over the Little Tennessee and put up with the curves on 28N.Samurai, Knuckles and JP were already at Fontana when I got there. Knuckles broke out the chips, salsa and avocado dip (somehow, even though it had avocado, it wasn't really guacamole (how does that work?) and we sat on the ground right outside the visitor center and ate and drank. JP's father showed up to take over guardianship of Mica (sp?) while JP was in the Smokies and he brought beer and soda and chocolate chip cookies. Too much trail magic for three people. We loaded up, took off for Fontana Village Resort and checked in for the night. I had never been there before and it's kind of a nice place. A lot of cottages, several motel type units, an outfitter, a PO, small store, laundromat, pool, rec room, restaurant. A little down at the heels, but overall sort of nice. The place was flooded with Mini Coopers. They were having their 2004 Dragon Run. Remember the earlier entry about my drive back to Franklin from Maryville? Well, I have since discovered that the section of highway 129 south of Fontana is called the Dragon's Tail and has 311 curves in 11 miles. It seems to be as popular with sports cars as it is with motorcycles. One of the workshop students at CMTF somehow ended up coming to CMTF from Texas via the tail and had to go so slow that motorcycles were passing him on all of the curves.Anyway, I stayed the night and Saturday did some shuttling. Trail Runner, Sardine and another guy to the store in Robbinsville, Stick up to his cabin, Samurai over to the Laundromat. Moxie and (The Evil Dr.) Whoa showed up about noon and I shuttled them around some too. I sadly left them about 2 and headed over Newfound Gap for my uncle's house in Sevierville, the other side of Gatlinburg. I checked out the hikers at Newfound Gap and ran into Aron. I had seen him in some shelter registers. He was having knee and money problems and was doing 20 mile days to get to his next maildrop. I offered, and he accepted, some of my extra food. I left him talking to some tourists about thru-hiking. Hope he makes it.I spent the night with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Darlene. We went out to dinner at The Captain's Table. This type of thing is where I have the greatest sense of culture shock. Let me explain. In New York, when I wanted to go out to eat, all I had to do was walk a few minutes to one of many good restaurants, each unique. If I wanted to go a little further away, I just hopped on the subway or caught a cab for a quick ride to another neighborhood. Down here, it seems that it's at least a 20 or 30 mile drive to get to a restaurant and, more often than not, it's a chain like Cracker Barrell, Long John Silver's, Perkins or The Captain's Table. Even if it's not a franchise, it feels like it. It's a little strange. But it's also cheaper. But the food's not as good. But they're ubiquitous. But the food's not as good. Did I say that before?I haven't really committed myself to driving all the way up to NY. I'm stopped for the night in a motel on I-81 just north of Roanoke, Virginia. I may cut over to the Blue Ridge Parkway tomorrow and drive up to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. My foot seems to be better, but I don't want to rush it. I will probably take my time getting up there.