Day 1
Finally made it to trip start time! Day 1 was mostly about getting across the state, so we drove straight to Asheville then stopped for lunch at a yummy vegan place.
After some browsing around local stores and ice cream for the girls, we headed over to a very short visit to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Even though it was a quick trip, we saw several elk and got to cool off wading in the river.
We made it to the campground by dinner time, then Bill & I set up camp while the girls swam. We all needed the cooldown time - hot day! Sushi bowl dinner at the campground with food Bill prepped at home the day before, delicious. Thank goodness it cooled down at night so we could sleep comfortably. We’re in hotels from now on until we reach Colorado.
Day 2
Packed up camp and stopped by Mingo Falls before we left for Tennessee.
Loved the scenic drive along the Ocoee River where we saw tons of rafters and kayakers in the whitewater. We stopped for a picnic lunch along the side the road at a pretty spot.
Once we reached Chattanooga, we toured a sculpture park downtown that was lovely but way too hot to enjoy for long. With the heat wave, it was in the mid-90s today with a “feels like” temp over 100. We didn’t spend much time in the sun there. Drove around downtown a bit by the river then checked into our hotel.
Next, we headed to Rock City, an attraction at the top of Lookout Mountain that has winding paths through the forest and caves, decorated with lots of plants, glass, lights, and even little figurines (gnomes and an entire underground fairy tale area). Zadie braved it over a rope bridge (not a fan of heights!) and through some tight squeezes through rocks (also not a fan of tight spaces). This area turned out to be much more comfortable temp-wise due to all the shade and caves.
Afterward, we ditched our plan to head back downtown for the city’s early 4th of July celebration and instead cooled down in the hotel pool. Next up, Alabama.