One thing that angers me though is how freakin slow people drive. The speed limit was 10mph and they literally were going 3 miles an hour. I drive a manual and it really hurts my leg to keep my foot constantly on the clutch. I got them all to pull over though. I just can’t maintain that slow of a speed. The first cabin I went to there was a loop trail around through the forest and I grabbed my biggest umbrella and set off in the rain. It went by an old mill that still had the troughs set up which was cool. 
After that, the rain let up and the sun started peeking through which I was grateful for. I headed back to Great Smoky Mountains and drove the Newfound Gap road. It’s the main road through the park. The Appalachian trail mostly parallels this road and at the TN/NC state line you can hike a bit of it. I went about 500 feet but it was too muddy so I turned around but at least I can say hiked it. 
I drove a spur road up to Clingman’s Dome and then hiked ½ mile straight up to an observation tower. This is the highest point of the parkway and it was just surrounded by clouds. I did spot a nice pair of redneck boys however. 
My next stop was the Mingus Mill. When I saw it I was convinced that it’s the mill in all the puzzles I did as a kid. It has a water trough leading to it and there’s an overflow section and the water pours down and it was really pretty. It’s still in operation.
I went to a Mountain Farm Museum which had a bunch of different farm buildings like the house, barn, apple shed, meat shed, ash hopper, etc as well as an orchard and a garden. It was really cute. They even had 2 hogs and one rooster.
After that I went to my campground and when I checked in I told them I’d camped previously at the other campground so I knew all the rules. Well they didn’t give me a map of the campground and just told me my site and it took me 20 minutes to find the damn thing! It was D33 and at the end of the road was D32 and I drove all over (sometimes the wrong way on a one way road) and I could not locate it. I finally parked and stomped around looking for it and wouldn’t you know it was right behind where I parked my car. It was very frustrating. 
The next day I started on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It runs 469 miles connecting Great Smoky Mountains NP and Shenandoah NP and I started it right at the very end. It is a gorgeous road. There are so many overlooks but I had a guidebook and only went to the listed ones. I wasn’t a half hour into in when my check engine light came on. I panicked. I had made it 6000 miles and now a problem occurs. Luckily I was right by a turnoff so I headed into a town a few miles away and found a garage. They diagnosed it as some sensor malfunctioning (apparently it looks like an oxygen sensor but isn’t). It has something to do with emissions and the guy has apparently replaced a bunch of them in the past few weeks. He said he could get the part in Tuesday and I said, no I will be a few hundred miles away by that point. I tried to ascertain whether or not I could still drive when he told me that if I let it go it would melt my catalytic converter. I decided to head out anyway and as soon as I turned my car on and hit the road it went off. Ugh!
The Parkway was started in 1937 but wasn’t completed until 1987. My plan was to stick to the Parkway with a few exceptions. Sliding Rock was my first exception. I don’t know where I found out about this but it’s a huge rock with a stream running down it and it ends in a big pool and people just line up and slide right on down. The line was very long so I waited a half hour and only went once. It was so much fun even though the water was freezing! I think it was only in the 50’s. 
The next diversion was Asheville, NC and I did not enjoy it. First of all, Jack let me down again and could not locate the Biltmore no matter what I typed in and there was no good signage. I finally stopped at a Sheraton and asked for directions. I had planned to splurge at the Biltmore because my park pass got me in free everywhere but I thought it was $20 and I heard it was worth it. Well, I got there and asked the lady what the cheapest way to see the Biltmore is and it’s freakin $55 for basic admission!! I was astounded. I would like a personal guided tour with a 5 course meal and souvenir wineglasses for that price. I guess I’ll go home and do the virtual tour because there is no way I would pay $55 to see some old house even if it is the largest in America. Ugh! I got back on the Parkway and went to the Folk Art Museum. I noticed my eyes were starting to hurt so I put my sunglasses on and when I did I hit my eye and it hurt like hell. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and I looked like a coke addict on a bender. My eyes were bloodshot and swollen and bright red and had ick in them. I thought when in the heck did I develop pinkeye!? I concluded it must have been from that cesspool I’d gone sliding into. I was a mess and did not want to be seen in public so I went to a few more overlooks and then went to find a campground. Ugh! What a freakin mess of a day.
I was worried I would wake up the next day with my eyes crusted shut but they were only a little irritated. 12 hour pinkeye I guess.
I hiked to Crabtree Falls and it was beautiful! The trail was a little scary because it was still very cloudy and misty and it was right in the thick of the forest. I felt like I should have a rifle and a coonskin cap. The falls were amazing and I’m glad I hiked out there. I mostly stopped at overlooks and did a few short hiking trails today. I did go into Linville to a shop called Everything Scottish but it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. It was the same old stuff they sell at celtic festivals. I’m surprised at how slow the Parkway is. Granted it’s been raining off and on but I thought it would be a lot busier for a weekend. Good for me though. I went to an old mansion that now sells crafts and it was nice to see the rich side of life since usually it’s just old log cabins. I did stop by the Brinegar Cabin and the lady lived in it after the Parkway was built but she moved in the 1940’s because it got too noisy. 
I also stopped at the Puckett Cabin and the lady who lived there was a midwife and delivered over 1000 babies, all the way up until she was 102! What I love about this section of America is the music. I listened to bluegrass and celtic music most of the way (with one exceptional rock out to the Black Eyed Peas). It’s funny how you can tell where you are based on the music. Out west it’s all Spanish and Indian chant but out here they love the bluegrass. I stopped at the Mabry Mill which is the most photographed mill (I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a puzzle with this as the subject too). 
In fact it’s so famous, Iowa and Vermont have put it on postcards advertising their states! I thought that was really funny. I’m loving this part of the trip because I haven’t planned anything out. I don’t know how many miles I’ll go or where I’ll camp and it’s kind of nice. I just hope I make it to Amy’s on time next Saturday!
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