Category: Road Trip

Fall in the Smoky’s

Fall in the Smoky’s

Journeys with EileenDiane

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited of the National Parks and there is no better time to go than fall to witness the changing colors of the foliage. You can easily spend a week in the surrounding area including Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN and Asheville, NC.

My drive from Charleston to Gatlinburg, mostly via I-40, took about 6 hours. In addition to being the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg is the home to over 100 artists and craftsman on an eight mile loop located three miles from downtown. Shops range from an old-fashioned soda fountain to art galleries to candles to a year-round Christmas shop plus shops with marvelous delicacies and music of the area. Stop for lunch at The Wild Plum Tea Room (on the loop and more of a restaurant than a tea room), leaving room for a fabulous dessert (try the bread pudding).

For an exciting overview, take the aerial tramway at Ober Gatlinburg and enjoy browsing the shops, having lunch or dinner at the German Restaurant or continuing further up the mountain on a chairlift. Read more →

Cross Country with Shadow ~ A Cat Tale

Cross Country with Shadow ~ A Cat Tale

Journeys with EileenDiane

After ending the job-offer phone call, I enthusiastically screamed, “Hurrah” to Shadow. “I have a new job and we are moving.” Shadow looked at me as if she understood that our lives were about to drastically change. After a year of looking for work, we were about to move from the Pacific Northwest to Charleston, SC.

I immediately started “to do” lists with ”SHADOW” at the top. My intention was to drive, taking Shadow with me. When I brought Shadow to the vet and asked her what she thought, she immediately said “Shadow has to go with you!” She explained that Shadow would adjust to the car travel and spending nights in different hotels as she would be with me. However, if I left her with a neighbor, she would feel rejected and abandoned, especially since she was an older cat.

After I told my family and friends what the vet said, there was no more mention from them of Shadow not accompanying me. With my #1 priority worked out (more or less), I went about making plans for the move, finding an apartment on-line, working with a moving company and mapping out the trip.

Boxes began piling up and Shadow was an integral part of the adventure. She climbed on the boxes and seemed at times to be supervising the packing. Thanks to great neighbors, Shadow & I were able to leave the day prior to the moving company coming which made our departure less chaotic.  Read more →