April 15, 2006

April 15, 2006

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina, through Tennessee to Wytheville, Virginia

YEAR 2 DAY 302

 

Today was sunny, very warm, and quite humid.

This morning I walked Bo, then stomped over to the campground Ranger's office to discuss my dissatisfaction with yesterday's events. The Park Ranger listened attentively, and was sympathetic. I was to return later to get the names, addresses, and phone numbers I requested.

I was feeling a bit better today than last night. Joanne wasn't. I showered, and about 10:30 A.M. the Park Ranger was knocking on the trailer door. Cherokee Tire had just called, and my truck was ready. Wow ... that was pretty fast work. The Park Ranger offered to drive me to Cherokee to pick up my truck. I accepted his kind offer. On the way to Cherokee, he provided me with the names, addresses, and phone numbers I had requested. The National Park Service hasn't heard the last of me yet ! He also returned our campground fee for last night. It was his peace offering, a small consolation offer. His kindness and consideration soothed my wounds a bit.

Cherokee Tire had replaced the broken tie rod, and presented me with a fairly reasonable bill. The truck had not been entered while it sat in front of their shop overnight, unlocked, and with the keys in it. They advised me to get a front end alignment as soon as possible. Replacement of a tie rod results in a need for a front end alignment, but their shop's alignment machine wasn't large enough for a dually.

I drove back to the Oconaluftee Visitor Centre and asked to speak to the Park Ranger in charge. I got three Park Rangers. They all listened to my tale of woe, were sheepish and apologetic, and agreed that their procedures and communications need to be improved. Yeah , great, but I'm still out $145 ! They gave me a complaint form to send back to the Park Superintendent. You bet !

I drove back to where the accident happened. I got out of the truck and looked around. Skid marks on the pavement starting from where the tie rod end broke, and the wheel turned inward. Ripped up sod and muddy skid marks through the ditch. Broken tree branches. Now it was finally my opportunity to reflect ... and tremble.

I drove back to the campground, and we prepared for departure. I went to the campground office to thank the campground Ranger once again. We drove to the dump station, emptied the holding tanks, and refilled the fresh water. We headed south towards Cherokee, North Carolina. In Cherokee, we turned west on Hwy. 19. We wanted to head back to the Interstate. Immediately after Cherokee, Hwy. 19 began to ascend towards Soco Gap, the steepest and most difficult ascent we've encountered. The grade was 9 %, and it took us about an hour, driving at 10 miles per hour, which was the maximum Dee-Dee could achieve. Accelerator flat to the floor, engine groaning, low gear, transmission whining, I was convinced that we wouldn't make it. My paranoia and anxiety are understandably very high right now. Miraculously, Dee-Dee made it over the top without either the engine or transmission exploding. Thank you, Dee-Dee, I promise that's the last hard hill for you. You are within a couple of weeks of being put out to pasture.

We drove hard today, over 500 km. / 300 miles. Once over Soco Gap, we passed the turn off to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Sorry, maybe another time. We turned north on Hwy. 276, and followed it back to Interstate 40. We drove north on Interstate 40 back into Tennessee, then turned northeast on Interstate 81. I-81 will take us all the way back to the Canadian border, south of Ottawa.

We stopped at Newport, Tennessee to fill up with diesel and have lunch. We stopped to change drivers at the Tennessee / Virginia border. Joanne drove for an hour or so. We switched drivers again, and I drove to the Flying J at Wytheville, Virginia, where we're spending the night in Flying J's parking lot. We filled up with diesel again, refilled an empty propane tank, then parked in Flying J's RV parking area. I went inside to work on the laptop in their drivers' lounge area. The laptop battery was dead, and I needed to plug in the laptop to work on it. I did yesterday's journal entry and accounting before heading back to the trailer for supper. We had supper, then I worked on the laptop in the trailer, preparing some e-mails, and starting work on today's journal. I'm going to return to Flying J's drivers' lounge shortly to get online, send and retrieve e-mail, update my blog, and retrieve investment data.

DSK