> After supper we continued on our way. We made it to Kentucky before dark, and I was glad, because one of my favorite things is the view of the Ohio River as you drive over the bridge on I-75 from Cincinnati into Covington, Kentucky. Traffic kept moving pretty well southbound, but we noticed a really long backup northbound going into Cincy
We had a good time chatting with them, and after lunch they gave us a quick driving tour of Knoxville. We saw the old town, the fairgrounds where the World Fair took place once, and the theater where one of the scenes in the movie "October Sky" was shot.
We made it back on time, but at 2:15, my aunt called the restaurant from their car phone. I-40 westbound was completely closed at the NC-TN border, and they were stuck in a tremendous traffic jam. We changed our plans to meet there at 4:00 instead.
The Applewoods Farm had more than just the restaurant. It is located in the middle of a large orchard, and they grow about 20 or 30 different kinds of apples there. They have a family-style restaurant (where we ate) and a grill, a gift shop, a winery, a creamery, a candy shop, and a "cider bar" where they serve hot and cold cider, hot apple pies, dumplings, etc.
We stopped in downtown Sevierville on our way back to our hotel to see the courthouse and the statue of Dolly Parton that Howard recommended we see. I took a picture of it, which I will scan and post eventually for everyone's viewing enjoyment. (Neither of us thought it really looked like her!)
I had originally planned on spending most of Monday at Dollywood, but because of our car trouble Saturday and my uncle's traffic fiasco on Sunday, we only had Monday to really go and do anything. We decided to go see several less expensive attractions rather than spend the majority of the day at one place that would cost us over $70 and leave no time to do anything else.
Our next stop was the Smoky Mountains National Park. I should say, our next SEVERAL stops. The park is huge! We took the park bypass around Gatlinburg, and stopped first at the Sugarland Visitor Center, where we got a map to the park and also purchased a few items from the ever-present gift shop. There were several places in the park that I wanted to see, all which were recommended by our in absentia tour guide Howard! Unfortunately, they were so far apart that we didn't have time to see them all. We chose to go south to Newfound Gap and from there to Clingman's Dome.
> Newfound Gap is impressive, with scenic views of the Smokies all around and a large monument that you can walk up on for an even better vantage point. It's also the starting point of several hiking trails, one of which either connects to or is part of the Appalachian Trail that goes all the way from Georgia to Maine. It's also right at the Tennessee -- North Carolina state border. Clingman's Dome is even more impressive.
We took Howard's advice and hiked the half-mile up to the tower at the top of the dome. We found out what bad shape we are in! We had to stop and rest at least five times on the way up, and once coming back down. That's the hardest half-mile I've ever walked in my life! But it was worth it. At the top of the mountain is a tower that looks like two flat disks stuck on top of a tall pole. A winding ramp climbs up to the top of the tower. At the top of the tower, you can walk 360 degrees around and see the mountains for miles and miles. They have photographs of the mountains mounted off the sides with various points of interest listed so you can get an idea of where you are and what you are looking at. It's very quiet at the top of the dome, or at least it would have been minus the hundreds of other tourists who were there. Even so, it seemed very peaceful at the top of the mountain. There isn't as much wildlife up there as in the foothills; there aren't as many species that can survive the harsher conditions. A lot of the trees were dead, and it had the effect of looking like a giant had pushed hundreds of toothpicks into the top of the mountain, especially from a distance.
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> We were incredibly tired and hungry by the time we got back to our car. Our lungs got a workout on the way up the mountain, and our knees were put to the test on the way back down. We gave Howie a break, putting him in neutral and letting him pretty much coast all the way back down to Gatlinburg. We drove through Gatlinburg this time, and stopped to eat there. After dinner, we went to the Ripley's Believe it Or Not Musuem.
. One thing that might interest a certain Forum Regular: they have a full-scale wooden model of a Vespa motorscooter in the museum, hand-crafted by an Italian artist. You know who the first person I thought of when I saw that was!
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> Gri"Aren't you glad Robert Ripley isn't a regular here? Imagine how long his 'Adventures with...' posts would be!"shny

Now wasn't that a learning experience! (old teacher talking)You learned to *never* go through Cincinnatti unless you have hours to spare. You learned that Knoxville is a great town, but you need a local guide. You learned that they grow great apples hereabouts. You learned that you are a little out of shape. I can still drag my ole bod to the top of the Dome and I've done it for 40 years. You learned that I-40 over the mountains is always iffy. You learned that the GSMNP is a big, big place. You can't see it in a couple of days, but you saw some of the best parts. Did you know that Franklin Roosevelt stood at the stone podium at Newfound Gap when he dedicated the park in 1936? He wasn't able to walk much, but on special occasions, he would stand to make a speech. I don't know how he got up those stone steps.
Next trip, see Cades Cove. Hmmmmmmm. I've been wondering who took my wooden Vespa.
Howard