Into the Tennessee hills

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John's Journal

Day Fourteen

Mileage - 281

Route- I 75 North, I 24 West (@ Chattanooga, TN), Hwy 27 North (in Chatt.), Hwy 127 North (just outside Chatt.), Hwy 154 (in Jamestown), to Pickett State Park

I got on the road about 10:30am this morning, after saying goodbye to my cousin Nancy. She was so nice, made me feel right at home. It is once again good to spend time with family before taking off with my friends. Family, at least mine, always gives me a sense of unconditional love and security that if I ever needed anything, they would do all they could and then some to help.

The highway was like any other leaving Atlanta, a fair amount of traffic, but not stop and go, at least. I must say, though, that people drive much faster here than anywhere else I have been, so far. Especially as we got out of the city and the speed limit went up to 70, people were whizzing past me at 90 or 95! And I like to keep up with the faster part of the traffic, but that was ridiculous.

More road signs I saw along the way today and others:

• "Hill Limits View" (I was waiting for "It's Dark At Night")
• "Microsurgical Vasectomy Reversal, Call 1-800-REVERSE" (really, I am not making this up, I saw about 10 of these through Texas up until Atlanta)
• "Speed Checked By Detection Devices" (as opposed to "Speed Checked By Tarot Cards")

I had asked the woman at the Pickett State Park Office which is the best way to come and she said Hwy 127, so here I am.. It is one of Tennessee's Scenic Highways and is really nice. Very smoothly paved, great big, sweeping corners and then some smaller twisty ones. It opened up to one spot with a beautiful field, cows munching on the tall grass, a church steeple sticking straight upward with a small cemetery adjacent to it and some lovely yellow wildflowers visible in the distance. All against a backdrop of rolling hills covered with trees. Wow! I had to stop to take some pictures and write a little.

I stopped for lunch at Tony's Restaurant in Dunlap, TN. You gotta try the Mac 'n Beef with a side of their slaw and the corn bread. It was tasty, greasy, but tasty. Actually I have had better, but it came in about 2 seconds, so I got that going for me.

Wow, what a beautiful ride up to the state park. Great road, still, beautiful trees lining both sides of the smooth, winding road. I am not sure what kind of trees they all were, but it seemed that there were at least 20 different kinds of trees with each glance. And not a cloud in the sky. I kinda missed having some clouds to look at.

I pulled into the park office and get the key at 3:15pm. Still plenty of time left to take a shower, explore what this place has to offer and go back into Jamestown for dinner. I knew my friends wouldn't be here until around midnight at best, so I had oodles of time.

Amazingly enough, I decided to make dinner tonight. It would only be the fourth night since I left that I would be alone. Not that significant unless you live alone and then you realize that you look forward to some of those moments. Not that I haven't enjoyed the wonderful company and friendship I have shared so far, just that, well, you know.

So, I ask for some help from Pam in the Food Lion and end up giving her my www address so she can check it out. It would be great for several of the people I have met would follow along!

Dinner was lovely; simple, plain, hot and fresh (just how I like my . . . uh never mind). And you know, Miller Beer tastes better in the middle of America, really. After dinner I step outside and BAM, there they are. I can't believe it, so many of them, I had forgotten. The stars, that is, including that old comet, too. I have been in too many cities lately to see this many stars and they are outstanding. I really want to learn the constellations someday.

And then, after a helping of Ben and Jerry?s (I am on vacation, all right?!), I light the best fire ever. Well, it's pretty good and I didn't even use the white gas (Coleman-type) that I have with me. Now, off to write and read a bit. I am very happy.