Day 3 - Great Smoky Mountains

On Day 3, we left our hotel after stuffing our faces with carbs and made our way to the Great Smoky Mountains. It was a mess getting inside the park -- so many tacky things in one place, the traffic was annoying, and the weather was not our friend. But, after much debate, we decided to camp anyway! It ended up being the right choice. We drove around the outskirts of the park and got some great views. Then we did a scenic loop in Cades Cove where we also set up camp!

Welcoming sign

Look Rock Observation Tower. Easy and worthwhile hike!

Another shot.

View from the top

Smokin' Smoky Mountains. Taken along Cades Cove loop

Cabin in Cades Cove

A church in Cades Cove

Our modest campsite

We were hit with an extensive rainstorm in the evening and decided to wait it out in the car before running into our tent. We spent a good amount of time playing cards in the front seat. Fun!

Day 3 Rating: Smoky Mountains are nice 10/10

Day 2 - Shenandoah, Blue Ridge, and Bristol

On the second day of our trip, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and hit the road to finish driving through Shenandoah! Unfortunately there was a fire in the park which closed parts of the park, but I think it has been contained by now! The drive was still beautiful, and the weather was much, much better than Day 1. After Shenandoah, we drove a small part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia before heading over to Bristol, VA to rest our heads.

An overlook in Shenandoah! Much better weather this day!

Pulling up those pants.

The fog came back in time for our hike.

Dark Hollows Falls

This hike kicked our butts! It shouldn't have!

On the road again.

Foggy fog fog on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Just enough for the job.

A nice Mexican place in Bristol, VA.

Day 2 Rating: Overall it was a good day! We actually didn't eat at Taco Bell, but we did have a picnic on Blue Ridge Parkway. 10/10

Day 1 - Shenandoah

Hi, it's Greg and Amy. Welcome to our road trip journal, where we plan to document some of the pictures and events from our upcoming 10 week adventure -- including national parks, state parks, ball parks, theme parks, and... car... parked?

Our first day didn't go exactly as planned -- we intended to do a short overnight hike in Shenandoah National Park, but, because of the crappy weather, we ended up in a cabin at "Skyland Resort." Oh well. That's the way the road goes.

First picture of the trip. Saying "bye" to Greg's high school.

Snagged this one from Google Images for the professional quality.

So foggy!

Driving Skyline Drive. And Greg's actually driving!

Tunnel was creepy with the fog. Low visibility!

Our cabin! We decided to avoid camping in the fog and intermittent downpours.

I think it was a good decision!