CLOSING OUT 2019 - WELCOME 2020

HAPPY NEW YEARS.....2020 IS HERE

Well, it has been a while since I last posted anything and there are a couple of reason for that. (1) December is always a busy time for me because I am getting all my year end appointments taken care of. Things like Doctors, Dentist appointment along with year in financial reviews all are scheduled for December and early January.  (2) Also the Holidays are a really busy time here in the New River Valley. The malls are impossible, Interstate 81 turns into a parking lot just about every day so traveling is difficult at best. (3) I have spent some time with family and friends and just enjoyed some social time.

So, with that being said, I did manage to end 2019 with a couple of little unscheduled and spur of the moment trip.  First I took off and spent a weekend in the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg Area.  This was really a spur of the moment trip as I got up one morning and decided to hit the road and ended up making my hotel reservations using the app on my phone during my lunch stop. So absolutely no plans.

On the way I did stop at Dandridge, Tennessee where I visited the Bush Baked Beans Museum. It was an interesting stop and really a lot of fun. The staff are all so friendly and make you feel welcome and go out of their way to make your visit fun. \

Then it was just a short drive from Dandridge over to Pigeon Forge. A lot of people told me that the Holidays Traffic in the Pigeon Forge Area is horrible.  I found that NOT to be the case. I was actually surprised at how light the traffic was.

I was here a few years ago just prior to the big fire and traffic was much worse. So I don't know if people are staying away because they think that the area hasn't recovered. While there is still some evidence of the fires, most of the businesses have recovered and the tourist attractions are opened.

When I was here a few years back, I spent almost all of my time doing the tourist thing in Pigeon Forge. I visited several of the Museums and other attractions, so this time I spent my time in Gatlinburg.

The one thing that I wanted to do was see the new Skybridge that opened in May. In order to get to the Skybridge you have to pay and ride the skylift to the top of the mountain. While the price may be a little over $20, the good thing is, it is good for the entire day and you can go up and down a many times as you want. This is a good deal because the view during the day is completely different at night.  I really enjoyed it, so don't let the $20+ price deter you. Spend the money and enjoy the view.

Anther thing that I really enjoyed in Gatlinburg was the Moonshine Tastings. There are two main distilleries right in the heart of Gatlinburg; Old Smokey and Sugarland and both offer tastings.  The staff really make the tastings fun and light-hearted and off you a variety of really good flavors.

View from My Econo Lodge Room

After a few days in the Smokey's I returned home for a few days to repack before heading off on another little weekend adventure to Virginia Beach.  I ended up staying at the Econo Lodge On the Ocean. I know what you are saying, an Econo Lodge, really.  This Econo Lodge is right on the ocean and each room has a ocean view and is located right on the Boardwalk.  It is an economy hotel, but the rooms are clean and well maintained. It's a great value if all you are looking for is a clean room to with a great view.  This hotel does not have an elevator and is really is just a basic accommodation but I enjoyed my stay.

I like coming to the Beach in the winter. There are really no crowds and traffic is not a problem. While a lot of the restaurants are seasonal, there is still plenty to choose from.  During my visit the weather was sunny and warm which made for an enjoyable stay.

While in the area I made a visit to the MacArthur Memorial, which is the final resting place of General Douglas Mac Arthur and his wife.  The Memorial also contain a large number of artifacts from the career of one of our nations most famous military soldiers. I spend much of the morning visiting the MacArthur Memorial then after lunch I spent the afternoon touring the Nauticus Museum and the U.S.S. Wisconsin Battleship.The tours of both the Battleship and the Museum was an excellent way to spend the afternoon.

My trip to Virginia Beach, ended my travels for 2019. From totaling my Car in Oklahoma City in March, to my very enjoyable bus trip to New England in July to my visit to Savannah, Georgia and Anna Maria Island, Florida in August, 2019 was an interesting and at times trying year. But as with all thing, you have to take the good with the bad.

As I begin 2020, I have already started planning some interesting adventures. I am looking at several options and in the next few weeks will be finalizing the first of what I hope to be a year of very ambitious adventures. Stay tuned to see whats around the bend.