Early this week, I had to make a trip back home to Sevierville, TN for a court appearance. Due to my being unemployed for the past several months, I had requested a reduction in child support. I used to love to travel long distances but it seems that lately, I dread every time I have to make a road trip of any length. In order to help reduce the stress that I was already under, as well as to avoid heavy truck traffic that seems to be the norm along I-81, I chose to travel US Route 11 for a majority of the trip. The backroads, although slower and thus more time consuming, always seem to be more scenic.
I left Sunday morning and drove 100 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Waynesboro to Roanoke. The weather was fantastic and afforded the opportunity to take a few pictures from several of the overlooks. This was a stretch of the Parkway that I had not visited very often, and although less scenic than portions further south, it nonetheless provided for a pleasant drive. Once in Roanoke, I picked up Rt. 11 South and aside from a stop for fuel in Wytheville, drove straight through to Damascus. I had hoped to spend the night there, but there were no places available so after visiting with a couple of friends, I drove to Kincora Hostel near Hampton, TN where I spent the night.
The following day I drove to Sevierville and rented a hotel room for the evening. That evening,I had dinner with my Dad, whom I hadn't seen in about 18 months. Following my court appearance on Tuesday, I spent some time driving around different parts of the Smokies including the Greenbriar area. That night, I stayed with a friend near Hartford, TN and drove back home on Wednesday. It was a relief to be done with the driving, but overall I had a good time.
