202 miles via US 441 and I-40. Cumulative distance: 1,552 miles.
GTW Hop 11: Pigeon Forge TN to Hermitage TN
Two incidents today, but thankfully no permanent dings.
Incident #1: The truck would not start again. We were all prepared to leave the campsite and I tried to start the truck to hitch up. Barely turned over. This time I asked the campground for assistance and they sent a guy over. We got the truck started in a few minutes. But something is draining the battery. Not every day, but once in a while. I need to figure this out.
Incident #2: While traveling down I-40 about halfway between Knoxville and Memphis, we came upon a tractor in the breakdown lane, mowing grass. An 18-wheeler was to my left and another vehicle was behind me, so I just had to thread my way through. There was enough room, so there was no problem there. The problem was that the tractor kicked something up as we approached. It was large – maybe a couple of inches. I didn’t have time to react and I couldn’t have done much anyway. The thing banged against the top of the windshield and it flashed into my head that the windshield was going to shatter. It banged off of the truck very loudly, like a gunshot. But no broken windshield. Not a crack. Not even a pit. We drove on to the next rest area and got out to look. I figured it must have hit above the windshield, which saved the glass, but I expected to see a ding somewhere. Nothing.
Lucky.
I-40 is very hilly, but the slopes are more gentle than the ones we had in VA, PA or NY. The traffic was not heavy, so mostly I ran on cruise control. There are long stretches through dense forest and a couple of places that are elevated, with scenic views to the south. Except for the near-disaster, I enjoyed driving this hop.
Our destination was the Nashville Shores RV Park in Hermitage, TN, just east of Nashville. It is an interesting park in that it is on a lake (we could have had a lakeside site, but we opted for a pull-through) and is adjacent to a (closed for the season) amusement park. It is scenic, quiet and almost empty.
And very cold. The low temperature last night was just above freezing – around 35 degrees. I am surprised at how chilly it gets in Tennessee in October. The Knoxville weather report yesterday commented on the possibility of frost and said that it was just a little early – the normal date of first frost in the Knoxville area was mid-October. I know around Boston it is late October. Must be the elevation and lack of an ocean.
We were thinking of going to the Grand Ole Opry, but discovered that live shows are limited to weekends. That is not an option. But we will do something in Nashville tonight. We can’t come to Music City without hearing some music.