Fall is a great time to see the Smokies! The crowds at Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg were on the increase but because we were a couple of weeks early we also missed the lines of people who show up later in October.
The last time we were in the Gatlinburg area was a year before Dollywood opened and frankly we had never been drawn back to see it since. We were pleasantly surprised to find it an entertaining two days. We went in after 3:00PM which gave us readmission the following day and used both days to see several musical shows that ranged from popular music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s to very good country music as various live groups showcased everything from Texas to the east Tennessee hills.
We also attended two evening shows while in Pigeon Forge including a delightful evening at the Fiddler's Feast.
Leaving the Gatlinburg area we drove through the Smokey Mountain National Park to Cherokee NC and down the spine of the Smokies to Seneca, SC where old friends from Illinois John and Martha Steele live on Lake Keowee.
We spent a wonderful 4 days enjoying the Steeles, playing golf, and sightseeing before Jeff left for Gaffney SC to attend an owner's maintenance class and have service completed on our motorhome chassis at Freightliner. Sue spent the extra three days with the Steele's before meeting up to continue on to North Carolina We stopped in the Charlotte area to see Kyle and Nichole Kelley and their month old baby. Kyle was our son Drew's high school football teammate and college roommate.
From North Carolina we traveled to Summerville SC and spent 5 days visiting Sue's sister-in-law Darlene Taylor and her niece Julia while spending several days playing tourists in Charleston, SC.
Charleston is a fascinating city from its days as the first English settlement in the Carolinas through its role in the Civil War including Ft Sumter. The city is truly an American jewel and we enjoyed learning more about it.
A short ride down the coast finds us in Savannah, Georgia for a week. We are at the Skidaway Island State Park just southeast of Savannah parked under large Oaks with moss hanging to the ground, it doesn't get any more "Southern" than this! We are here for the SE Fall Rally of the RV Forum which lasts for four days and we will take the opportunity to prowl around Savannah and Hilton Head before continuing on to Florida.
