GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

Lee and Andrei came down to camp with us for the weekend. We stayed in a very small RV park and we had the tent area to ourselves. We found that the price of food and particularly alcohol was so much cheaper than Canada. Lee bought the bottle of 50% proof Southern Comfort, pictured on the table above, for $20.



We did not have much idea about the area, apart from the great motorcycle ride, until we spoke to some permanent campers at the park. They recommended kayaking on the Tuckaseegee River which has Grade 1 and 2 rapids which are very friendly for beginners and families with young children. The whole area is a very popular place for rafting and kayaking and the picture of the bus above is of just one of the dozens that go up and down the rivers.


The Tuckaseegee River was very tame compared to the Nanatahala River which we did the next day. It has grade 3 and 4 rapids and the pace is fairly constant. Wayne, Lee and Andrei took single, inflatable kayaks and had a wonderful time. Most people went down in rafts which also looked like fun.


The young boy above had not kayaked before and got stuck in this hole near the end. That should give you some idea how forgiving these inflatable kayaks are. Andrei had never kayaked before but he took to it like a duck to water and was very keen to do the bigger river on the second day.


While there we also ate out and realised just how large US meals can be. We had breakfast at a diner and had grits for the first time. They are made from corn and if you put lots of butter and/or sugar with them they could be palatable, however, none of us liked them.


Above is a photo of Lee and Andrei on the Tuckaseegee River and below is one of Wayne and I on the same river. It was extremely relaxing and easy paddling. Another beautiful day weatherwise as well.


We found that our time in the States was made so much better by the people. Many of the permanent residents in the park, ie those who leave a trailer there year round, invited us to share their fire and came to join us at night for drinks and chats. They were interested to learn all about Australia and our culture. Below is a group photo of us with some of them. Bob and Joan were the first to befriend us and when they returned to Florida they emailed to see that we arrived home safely.


Another food that we encountered while we were there that we had never tasted before was boiled peanuts. We all sampled them but I think it is an acquired taste as it is extremely different from roasted peanuts. We had a great weekend and left from Greensboro on Monday 8th August to drive home to Woodstock.