Day 1: Oct 21,
Traveled from hwy 43 to hwy 64, taking 207Al, turning into 11TN through Minor Hill to 31A through Pulaski to I-65. From I-65, we took I840 to I-40, stopping in Crossville to eat lunch. We stopped at Cracker Barrel, which was closed until 10:30 that morning. We stopped at I-Hop, but they were short-handed and had a long wait.
So we walked next door to Stake and Shake. They did not have a waiter or waitress. We had to order and pay for our food at a kiosk and then pick it up at the counter.
It's not much fun traveling when you cannot find a place to stop and eat.
I ordered chicken fingers, fries, and a Diet Coke. I bought gas at the Shell Station and put $45.16 on my credit card.
Once everyone finished eating, we got back on I-40 and headed east into Knoxville. We took the I-40 through Smokey Mountain into North Carolina. We arrived at our destination around supper. Paula had baked a shepherd's pie, and we enjoyed a couple of mixed margaritas.
After supper, we sat, talked, and decided who would sleep where. Becky and I slept on the sofa. Teresa slept on the mattress on the floor, and Emmalee slept in the bed.
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| Childers Vineyard |
Day 2:Oct 22,
Everyone got ready and walked upstairs for breakfast and breakfast, which Tonya had prepared.
Today, we are taking a tour of Childers Vineyard at 12 P.M. We arrived a little early (11:30 A.M.), so we walked around in the gift shop until it was time to take the tour. It was a huge group. When the tour ended, everyone was given a sample of wine. We each decided to buy a bottle of wine instead of paying $20 to sample five different flavors.
We ended up with four bottles of wine, which was cheaper than doing the sampling. I bought a bottle of Muscadine Sweet wine for $11.99 and two chocolates for seventy-nine cents.
At 5:30 P.M., we rode to Lake Norman to take a dinner cruise on the Queens Landing Catawba Queen from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.
It was a three-course meal with a salad, Chicken Marsala (a lightly coated chicken breast based on Marsala), mushrooms, green beans, a roll, and creamed potatoes.
Our dessert was cheesecake. We also ordered a bottle of wine.
Our boat had an upper and lower level and was full. When we finished eating, we walked outside and watched the darkness fall onto the lake.
We began the cruise as the sun was setting.
Another eventful day
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| Emmalee, Barney, and Me |
Day 3: Oct 23,
Today, we are going to Mount Airy, the birth home of Andy Griffin.
By the time we arrived, everyone was hungry, so we walked to Barney's Cafe. But before we went to eat, we stopped at the public restrooms. It was a good hour's ride to Mount Airy.
It was lunchtime, so we had to wait in line for several minutes.
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| Mount Airy History Museum |
Finally, I was seated in the back of the restaurant. I ordered a BLT with onion rings and Diet Coke and paid for everyone's lunch.
When we finished eating, we walked to the History Museum. We spent the remainder of the time shopping in the gift shops. We looked for the jail but kept going in circles. We were worn out from all the walking, so we returned home.
Later that night, Tonya lit the fire pit, and we had Weiner and marshmallow roasts and made smores.
Another eventful day
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| Open-pit Weiner and Smores night |
Day 4:Oct 24,
Today, we had planned to go to the Renaissance Fair but decided it would be too crowded, so we decided to go to Goodwill.
Everyone bought something.
Paula, Amber, and I had lunch at McAlister's and then took it to Lake Norman. I ordered a half Reuben and Southwest salad.
Reuben corn beef, sauerkraut Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing, and marble rye bread.
Southwest salad with chicken, avocado, roasted corn, black beans, mixed greens, tomatoes, cheddar, jack, blue, and corn tortilla strips with chili.
Teresa, Becky, and Emmalee went somewhere else, but they ate there.
We meet them at the park later. The kids enjoyed wading in Lake Norman.
When we returned home, Teresa spent the rest of the evening washing clothes, and we helped Paula clean.
Day 5:Oct 25,
Today, we went to Publix Grocery, where I bought some banana bread and a drink. We each had an appointment to get a one-hour massage at Hand & Stone Massage. When we finished, we rode to Cracker Barrel for lunch. I ordered grilled chicken and pinto beans with cornbread and Diet Coke. Becky paid for everyone's meal.
Kendall and I watched movies while everyone else was upstairs talking. We watched Hocus Pocus and Nightmare Before Christmas. They all ate leftovers, but I ate nothing because I was too full from lunch.
Packed for the trip home tomorrow.
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| Lake Norman |
Day 6: Oct 26,
Travel home.
For breakfast, I got biscuits from McDonald's in Lenior City, TN. We were home before dark. Becky and Emmalee slept most of the way home, and Teresa and I talked as she drove.
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| Traveling I-40 through the Smoky Mountains |
