Trip 2013: September 2013

Well we are on the final leg of our trip. Here are some stats, we traveled to this point 9356 miles, used 1339 gallons of diesel at a cost of $ 5072.27 and an average of 7 miles to the gallon and it has taken approximately 120 days. Oh I forgot to add in the campground fees for the trip and that was $ 2420.75 which equals about $ 20.00 a day, not bad for all those days. We still have 243 miles to go and another tank of diesel. Our friends used about the same amount of fuel but got a little better fuel milage. It has been a wonderful trip and we got to see lots of the sights but there are lots more to see in the country, we'll try to see more in the future.

When arriving in Norcross, GA we stay at Jones RV park, it is located on the northeastern side of Atlanta. While in Atlanta we saw one of my friends that I have known since I was in the army over 25 years. While in Atlanta we didn't do too much, too congested and it takes alot of planning to get around so that you miss all the traffic. After leaving Norcross we headed to Tom Johnson's Camping Center, Marion, NC for there annual BBQ. It is a major event in the week after Sept 4th and where we met up with the Morganton Mafia. Members of the Mafia are Richard, Helen, Lamar, Judy, Deniese, RT, Bruce & Maretta and of course Petie, and now we are part of the group too. While there we made a trip to Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States. It was the highest point in any state of the United States until Texas joined the union in 1845. It is 6683 feet above sea level it is on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Ashville. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles (755 km) through twenty-nine Virginia and North Carolina counties, mostly along the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Its southern terminus is on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, from which it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and offers access to the Skyline Drive. While the two roads join together end-to-end, they are separate and distinct entities, built as two different projects and managed by two different National Park Service units. The Blue Ridge Parkway was built to connect Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Parkway, while not a "National Park," has been the most visited unit of the National Park System every year since 1946 except one (1949). Land on either side of the road is owned and maintained by the National Park Service and, in many places, parkway land is bordered by United States Forest Service property. The Parkway will be depicted on North Carolina's version of the America the Beautiful quarter in 2015. Attached are some photo's of the trip.

Mount Mitchell

Linda

Wanda

the Group minus Jean who is taking the picture, we've known these folks since 1973

nice clouds

old next to new

Alabama's Bus in Ft Payne,AL

The country music group Alabama is based in Fort Payne. The city also houses the group's Fan Club and Museum.

During the 1830s prior to Indian removal, the US Army under command of Major John Payne built a fort here that was used to intern Cherokees until relocation to Oklahoma. Their forced exile became known as the Trail of Tears.