2023 DIXIE ADVENTURE - VISITING BUC-EE BEAVER

 

DAY #6-MAY 23, 2023 – COOKEVILLE, TN - HOME

327 MILES/1,529 TOTAL MILES

 

After yesterday’s ordeal with the Comfort Suites, I had an enjoyable stay at the Hampton Inn Next Door. Rather than having breakfast at the Hotel I decided to go ahead and check out and eat at the Cracker Barrel.

While I was at breakfast, I received a call from the Comfort Suites Franchisee who wanted to discuss the issues that I had with his hotel. I was having a hard time understanding him just like I did with the previous employee. 

I told him that I had ended up leaving his hotel and wanted my 12,000 points returned to my account.  He tried to give me some BS saying because I just left and never “officially” checked out he had no way of knowing if I stay in the room or not and he would not refund the points.

I told him that we had nothing more to talk about and that I would be lodging an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau and with the Choice Corporate Office. He started say something else, and I hung Up and finished my breakfast.

A short time later I received another call from the same number. Since I didn’t want it going to Voice Mail I just answered and immediately hung up. Then I blocked and reported the number as a scam call.

After finishing my breakfast, I jumped on Interstate 40 and headed east.  A few minutes later I noticed a large group of Motorcycles approaching from behind me. This being the Tuesday before the start of the Memorial Day weekend I realized that this was the Run for the Wall Riders on their way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D. C.

For several years while I was still working, I accompanied Captain Denney, Sergeant Dan Jesse, and Mike Bradley to Wytheville to welcome the Riders to Virginia and offer assistance on the last few legs of their trip.

This was the first year they resumed the ride following COVID.  This first group of riders were the Road Guards. The out riders were several miles in front of the main group.

About 30-miles east of Cookeville, I come to the New Buc-ee’s. I encountered my first Buc-ee’s way back in 2018 when I was on my month-long Texas Adventure. I must say Buc-ee’s are huge. Most have over 100 gas pumps and most stores are way over 50,000 square feet. They sell everything from T-shirts to Jerky and BBQ Brisket.

So I had to stop and spend a few minutes and a few dollars at the Crossville Buc-ee’s. They are building another new Buc-ee’s at the Sevierville Exit on Interstate 40. That one will get all the traffic going to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. It is scheduled to open in just a few weeks sometime around the end of June.

After my stop at Buc-ee’s I was back on Interstate 40 and continue my journey eastbound toward
Knoxville.  I clip off the miles and start dropping down the east side of the Cumberland Plateau.  An hour or so late the large smokestacks of the power plant on the banks of the Clinch River come into view.

When I pass these smokestacks, I always think of my daddy and the trips that we made to California to visit mom and my sister almost 40-years ago. Everything we crossed over the Clinch River here, Daddy would away say, “It’s a little bigger down here than it is out at 4-way.

The headwaters of the Clinch River are located out in the 4-way section of Tazewell. Out there you can step across it an never even think about getting your feet wet.

After crossing the Clinch, I peddled on past Oak Ridge and Interstate 75 south to Chattanooga. Last Thursday, I took I-75 south all the way to Chattanooga. Today I continued east on I-40 Toward Knoxville. 

It’s just a few Minutes after 12-noon when I bust through downtown Knoxville.  Traffic through downtown was heavy with there were no delays and I was for the most part able to maintain the speed limit.

The Next waypoint was the Intersection of Interstate 81 and Interstate 40. Here Interstate 40 bears off to the right and heads towards Asheville, North Carolina. This is the southern terminus of Interstate 81 and it bears off to the left and I take it and head toward Bristol.

A few Minute Later I pull off and get gas and coffee at the Love’s near Greenville, Tennessee. This is the first gas I have bought since I filled up on Sunday in Tupelo, Mississippi. This was a quick stop and less than an hour later I crossed the state line at Bristol. I am back in Virginia and just two hours later at 4:03 p.m. I pulled into my garage at home.

This little adventure covered a total of 1529 miles over 6 days. That’s an average of 254 miles. It was a good little tune up trip.

Now it’s time to start getting ready for my next adventure which will be a little different. I will be leaving on July 2, 2023, and taking a Sunshine Bus Tour out west through the New Mexico, Arizona, the National Parks of Utah, and the southern Colorado Rocky’s. I am looking forward to leaving the driving and planning to Sunshine.

This Adventure is over and the next one is just a few weeks away.