April 6, 2006

April 6, 2006

Knoxville to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & return

YEAR 2 DAY 293

 

Today was cloudy and mild, with intermittent light rain.

We left Raccoon Valley Escapees RV Park this morning, drove about 65 miles to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then returned because of a transmission breakdown.

We heard a radio commercial this morning that we both had to listen to for quite awhile to figure out what they were saying. They kept talking about a "buy ink". Finally, we figured out they were talking about a financial institution. HA HA HA ! This morning we prepared for departure, and left Raccoon Valley, first heading south on Interstate 75, then east and south around Knoxville on I-640, the Knoxville bypass, then east on I-40. We turned south on Hw. 441 through Sevierville ( pronounced "severe vill" ), Pigeon Forge, where we stopped to buy diesel, and Gatlinburg, to the north entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We stopped at the Sugarlands Visitor Information Centre. We picked up a park map, got some information, walked around their museum, then had lunch in the parking lot.

We drove to the Elkmont campground, and drove around looking around for a big rig suitable site. We attempted unsuccessfully to back into 3 or 4 sites. Finally, while backing into a site, reverse gear failed. Just like a year ago, in Tillamook, Oregon. Or to be more precise, one day less than one year ago.

!+@_#)$(%*^&

The ongoing mechanical problems with Dee-Dee leave me feeling defeated, and demoralized. I want to get back to Manitoba and buy a new truck as quickly as is humanly possible.

We drove back to Raccoon Valley Escapees RV Park, to have the truck fixed in Knoxville. We knew that Raccoon Valley had pull through sites, so I wouldn’t have to use reverse to back into a site, and Knoxville is a large enough city to have a selection of transmission shops. Joanne wanted to avoid returning via the same route we had taken to get to the national park, to avoid the congested traffic. From the national park we drove west on Hwy. 321 through Townsend, north through Walland, then west to Maryville. North on Hwy. 33, west on Hwy. 162, northwest on I-140, east on I-40, around Knoxville on I-640, then back to Raccoon Valley on I-75. We checked back into the campground, then got set up in our new site. We travelled for a whole day, to get nowhere ! And once again, we have a transmission that needs repairing.

Joanne took Bo for an obedience session. I phoned the transmission shop in Oregon to see if they had any recommendation for where I should take the truck here in Knoxville. I am slightly beyond their warranty for the transmission rebuild they did, but I still wanted to get their recommendation. While I waited for the owner of Mechtronics in Tillamook, Oregon to return my call, I started researching the transmission shop listings in the Yellow Pages. I needed to figure out which shops were located on the north side of the city, where we are. Mechtronics phoned, we had a discussion, and I made a decision which local shop to use, based on Mechtronics' recommendation.

Joanne made me a comfort food supper, to soothe my stress. We watched Survivor. I did today's accounting, then today's journal entry.

DSK