Thank you, Kevin Citta
September 15th
I awoke to a light rain and packed up my stuff at the campsite. I backtracked a little bit to get to an observation tower with panoramic views of the Smokeys. During the short hike the rain let up and I was got a pretty nice view of the Smokey Mountains. I then got a nice downhill ride in some light rain and fog and passed several turkeys on the road. Within 2 hours I was in the town of Townsend, TN and found a place called the Back Porch Restaurant where I stopped for some lunch. The food was great and all of the staff very friendly. After lunch I hung out on the porch with a bunch of kind folks from the area for a couple of hours. Everyone was very friendly and fun! It was nice to chill and relax on the porch while the rain came down. After saying goodbye to some new friends in Townsend I headed further into town on a really nice bike trail. I stopped at the visitor center in town which had a really nice selection of books and gifts. I used the wifi and contacted the Weed Chamber of Commerce about staying in Townsend for the night. My original plan was to bike into the park and camp but the weather was pretty nasty and visibility was bad on the roads. Within minutes Erika at the Weed Chamber contacted me letting me know that the Highland Manor Inn had offered me a room for the evening. Thanks Highland Motor Inn!!! It was great to get out of the rain and into a nice cozy room. I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening working on my previous blog update, eating ice cream, and watched a little TV which I haven't done in quite some time.
http://www.highlandmanor.com/m/index.php
I awoke to a light rain and packed up my stuff at the campsite. I backtracked a little bit to get to an observation tower with panoramic views of the Smokeys. During the short hike the rain let up and I was got a pretty nice view of the Smokey Mountains. I then got a nice downhill ride in some light rain and fog and passed several turkeys on the road. Within 2 hours I was in the town of Townsend, TN and found a place called the Back Porch Restaurant where I stopped for some lunch. The food was great and all of the staff very friendly. After lunch I hung out on the porch with a bunch of kind folks from the area for a couple of hours. Everyone was very friendly and fun! It was nice to chill and relax on the porch while the rain came down. After saying goodbye to some new friends in Townsend I headed further into town on a really nice bike trail. I stopped at the visitor center in town which had a really nice selection of books and gifts. I used the wifi and contacted the Weed Chamber of Commerce about staying in Townsend for the night. My original plan was to bike into the park and camp but the weather was pretty nasty and visibility was bad on the roads. Within minutes Erika at the Weed Chamber contacted me letting me know that the Highland Manor Inn had offered me a room for the evening. Thanks Highland Motor Inn!!! It was great to get out of the rain and into a nice cozy room. I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening working on my previous blog update, eating ice cream, and watched a little TV which I haven't done in quite some time.
http://www.highlandmanor.com/m/index.php
Smokey Mountain observation tower
Turkey!
Great Food, Great People
Cory, Jack, Aaron, and Me - nice to meet you guys!!
Townsend, TN
Awesome visitor center
Yum! Thanks for the chocolate money Jefferson Backroads!
Thanks Highland Manor Inn!
Happy to be indoors!
September 16th
Today started with some delicious coffee and muffins at the Highland Manor Inn. The weather was much better than yesterday and I was excited to bike into the park. I put on some tunes, cleaned up my bike, and patched another tube before starting the days ride. After a stop at the dollar store and local coffee shop I biked into Smokey Mountain National Park. The road was pretty dangerous for bicycling but the ride was so scenic and beautiful! I followed the river all day taking many breaks to hike and take pictures. I had a short ride to the Elkmont campground and took my time getting there. I found many awesome spots to relax riverside with no other people. One of the benefits of bicycle touring is you can stop where the cars can't. Throughout the day I met all kinds of nice people who were interested in what I was doing. I gave away my 500th business card today advertising my blog! I arrived to the Elkmont campground in the evening and got a nice campsite. I met my neighbor who was getting ready to take a week long hike on the Appalachian Trail. After sunset I spent the rest of the night going through photos and went to sleep early.
America's most visited National Park
First river break
Leaves under the crystal clear water
Fall is approaching
Reflections
September 17th
Today I didn't wake up until 10:30, I slept around 13 hours in my tent without waking up once! I guess I needed the sleep. After getting my food out of the bear box I stopped at the campground vending machines for a vanilla late. Nice luxury for a campground! Todays ride was in the National Park and was quite short and mostly downhill. I made a stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center where I met more nice folks. From there I biked into the city of Gatlinburg, TN. Gatlinburg is a major city for tourism and has all kinds of fun things to do for all ages. The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce arranged a room for me at the Hilton Garden Inn and dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company! When I arrived to the very awesome Hilton Garden Inn I was given a gift bag from the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce. Inside was a really nice Great Smoky Mountains t-shirt, a keychain, chapstick, water bottle, and a VIP gift certificate for Ober Gatlinburg! Thank you so much Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce!!! I checked into my awesome room with a fireplace and super comfy bed! The photography in the room was really good and the room was very cozy. Thank you Hilton Garden Inn!!! After a shower I was off to Ober Gatlinburg to use my VIP pass! It was just a short walk and I then boarded the Aerial Tramway which took us 2 miles up to the resort. The view of the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg was awesome as we went up! At the resort there is all kinds of fun things to do and places to eat and drink. There is ice skating, water slides, mini golf, a maze, alpine slide, and more. I took the chairlift up to the alpine slide and cruised down the mountain, so much fun!! Next I took the chairlift to the top of Mt, Harrison where I was treated to some excellent live Bluegrass! The band was really good and they invited a little boy up to the stage to sing a song. Everybody was cracking up as the kid sang over and over again "tonights going to be a good night, a really really good night, ooooh ohhhh ohhhh" haha, it was too funny! He was right though, it was really good night! I took the chairlift back down to the resort and visited the black bear habitat. The bears were born in captivity and could not survive in the wild and were placed here by the University of Tennessee to assure there health and wellbeing. I walked around for a bit observing the animals before taking the aerial tram back to Gatlinburg. Thanks Ober Gatlinburg, I had a blast!!! When I got back I was getting pretty hungry and headed over to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for dinner. I was given a table on the balcony overlooking the packed streets of Gatlinburg. My fish and chips dinner was delicious and all of the staff was very friendly. Thanks Bubba Gump Shrimp Company!!! After dinner I walked across the street to Tennessee's first legal Moonshine Distillery, Ole Smoky Moonshine. There was another good bluegrass band playing outside the distillery and I joined the thirsty tourists for free moonshine samples. All of it was really good and I think my favorite was either the White Lighnin' or the Peach. Next door was free wine samplings by Bootleggers Wine. Most of the wine was pretty sweet but they were all tasty! After listening to the band for a bit I headed back to the room to get some sleep. What a fun filled day/night! Thanks again to Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, Hilton Garden Inn, Ober Gatlinburg, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company!!!
http://www.gatlinburg.com
http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=GATGIGI
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/
http://www.bubbagump.com/locations/gatlinburg/
Today I didn't wake up until 10:30, I slept around 13 hours in my tent without waking up once! I guess I needed the sleep. After getting my food out of the bear box I stopped at the campground vending machines for a vanilla late. Nice luxury for a campground! Todays ride was in the National Park and was quite short and mostly downhill. I made a stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center where I met more nice folks. From there I biked into the city of Gatlinburg, TN. Gatlinburg is a major city for tourism and has all kinds of fun things to do for all ages. The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce arranged a room for me at the Hilton Garden Inn and dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company! When I arrived to the very awesome Hilton Garden Inn I was given a gift bag from the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce. Inside was a really nice Great Smoky Mountains t-shirt, a keychain, chapstick, water bottle, and a VIP gift certificate for Ober Gatlinburg! Thank you so much Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce!!! I checked into my awesome room with a fireplace and super comfy bed! The photography in the room was really good and the room was very cozy. Thank you Hilton Garden Inn!!! After a shower I was off to Ober Gatlinburg to use my VIP pass! It was just a short walk and I then boarded the Aerial Tramway which took us 2 miles up to the resort. The view of the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg was awesome as we went up! At the resort there is all kinds of fun things to do and places to eat and drink. There is ice skating, water slides, mini golf, a maze, alpine slide, and more. I took the chairlift up to the alpine slide and cruised down the mountain, so much fun!! Next I took the chairlift to the top of Mt, Harrison where I was treated to some excellent live Bluegrass! The band was really good and they invited a little boy up to the stage to sing a song. Everybody was cracking up as the kid sang over and over again "tonights going to be a good night, a really really good night, ooooh ohhhh ohhhh" haha, it was too funny! He was right though, it was really good night! I took the chairlift back down to the resort and visited the black bear habitat. The bears were born in captivity and could not survive in the wild and were placed here by the University of Tennessee to assure there health and wellbeing. I walked around for a bit observing the animals before taking the aerial tram back to Gatlinburg. Thanks Ober Gatlinburg, I had a blast!!! When I got back I was getting pretty hungry and headed over to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for dinner. I was given a table on the balcony overlooking the packed streets of Gatlinburg. My fish and chips dinner was delicious and all of the staff was very friendly. Thanks Bubba Gump Shrimp Company!!! After dinner I walked across the street to Tennessee's first legal Moonshine Distillery, Ole Smoky Moonshine. There was another good bluegrass band playing outside the distillery and I joined the thirsty tourists for free moonshine samples. All of it was really good and I think my favorite was either the White Lighnin' or the Peach. Next door was free wine samplings by Bootleggers Wine. Most of the wine was pretty sweet but they were all tasty! After listening to the band for a bit I headed back to the room to get some sleep. What a fun filled day/night! Thanks again to Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, Hilton Garden Inn, Ober Gatlinburg, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company!!!
http://www.gatlinburg.com
http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=GATGIGI
http://www.obergatlinburg.com/
http://www.bubbagump.com/locations/gatlinburg/
Not too late to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation!
( every dollar helps! )
Bicycling through Gatlinburg
( I was looking back at a red light, not in the wrong lane, haha )
The very awesome Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg
Thanks Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg!
Very cozy room!
Thanks for the awesome gifts Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce!
The river just outside the Hilton Garden Inn
Thanks Ober Gatlinburg!
The Aeriel Tram
View from the tram
1/2 way up to the resort
Taking the chairlift up
Alpine Slide - so much fun!
High up on the chairlift
View from Mt. Harrison
Some great Bluegrass on top of the moutain
Black Bear Habitat
Snapping Turtle
Thanks Bubba Gump Shrimp Company!
I get compared to Forrest Gump often on the road!
Ice cold beer to go with my delicious fish n' chips
Free samples!
Fermenting moonshine
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