We rode to Athens, stopping at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I ordered two biscuits with sausage and fried apples. Hubby ordered pancakes and fried eggs. We both ordered iced tea.
I gave Hubby one of my biscuits and a piece of sausage.
We rode to Gabe's in Scottsboro, and everyone had loaded onto the bus except 5 more people and us.
We left Scottsboro around 10 A.M. on bus 3006 with driver Kathy.
Our first rest stop was at Pilot in Cleveland, TN. Our bus air conditioner wasn't working, so when we got to Delano, TN, the driver dropped us off and called the bus company, which sent another bus, 3006.
We boarded the Hiwassee Train, where we were given green wristbands, a train ticket, and a snackbox.
Snackbox contained candy, nuts, Little Debbie, hand wipes, and water.
Our guide had purchased Premium seating for cars 4 & 5. It included a boxed lunch: ham on a croissant, lettuce, tomato, pickle, a chocolate chip cookie, and a bag of chips. We also had a cooler full of different sodas.
After the train had begun, a young conductor came calling, "Tickets, please," and he punched them.
We began our journey by eating lunch as we traveled a scenic 50-mile round-trip on the Hiwassee River Gorge Railroad.
Outside our windows, we could see people tubing, canoeing, and kayaking as we traveled through the forest up the mountain slopes. We crossed the famous Hiwassee Loop at Delano and Forner. We stopped at the top and began our trip back.
We rode past the TVA Apalachi Powerhouse, which comprises two generators and generated 103.8 GWh during Sep-Dec. It is located in Polk County, TN. During the day, people can enjoy fishing, tubing, kayaking, and canoeing, but at night, the generators are turned off, so the river becomes a creek.
https://www.tva.com/energy/our-power-system/hydroelectric/apalachia
Everyone swapped sides so the people on the right could sit on the left to see the Hiwassee River.
I walked through the train, stopping to visit other passengers. The trip took 4 1/2 hours. We loaded onto our new bus and began our journey to Scottsboro.
On our way home, we stopped at Krystal in Scottsboro, where I ordered 3 double Krystals, fries, and Cokes.
We arrived home around 10 P.M. Another wonderful trip with friends.
The Louisville & Nashville train car with the words " Memory of PW Jones" in the Blue Car and the Chesapeake and Ohio on the Gray Car.
