Highway Tunnel

 Good morning,

Here we go again through tunnels in the Great Smoky Mountains.

 We have been through here in all types of weather, but this time it was clear and dry as we entered the tunnel.

 The tunnels now have "finished" sides and are lighted.  Tunnels in this area when I was a child had rock walls and light was provided by vehicle headlights.

 Ah, yes....

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

:),

Lois

Rock Slide Area

 Good morning,

As you can see from the rock "wall" at the right side of the highway, rock slides happen often here so drivers have to be aware of the possibility of obstructions in the roadway.  This is part of the Great Smoky Mountains.

 A few years ago there was a huge rock slide here that closed the Interstate for weeks.

 It's hard to see in this image, but there is fencing "holding" the hillside in place.

Several years ago when the big slide happened, we needed to return to work in Florida before the repairs were complete.  We took a different route from Cincinnati to Port Canaveral and enjoyed a change of scenery.  The trip was longer, but we allowed for extra time and enjoyed the ride.

Stay tuned.  We're still working our way North.

;),

Lois

Great Smoky Mountains

 Good morning,

The Great Smoky Mountains exit was another one hard to pass this time.  We have enjoyed our visits here so many times.

 All of this makes us want to take a couple of weeks and return to enjoy this area again.  Fall is always a lovely time here. 

Hmmmm....

Lois

Adding:  If you'd like to take a look, here are many images from our past visits to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

 Good morning,

Here we are in a tunnel in the Smoky Mountains.

 I remember going through tunnels in this area with my parents (more years than I want to say ago) when the tunnels were still somewhat primitive.  There were no lights except headlights on cars and the tunnel sides were rock, not concrete.

 Ah, yes...

 ...there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

:),

Lois

Foothills of the Smoky Mountains

 Good morning,

The weather remained beautiful throughout our trip South to Florida.

Here we are entering the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. 

We traveled this route for many years before our retirement in 2016.  It is so much fun to be seeing these sights again!

Stay tuned. 

All the best,

Lois

Rain in the Smoky Mountains

Good morning,

We are continuing our journey North from Florida to Ohio. 

We experienced about every kind of weather except snow on our way home.  ;)

The most impressive thing we liked about this heavy, but quick rain was the wonderful smell in the air. 

Marvelous!

Lois

Driving "Through" the Mountains - Literally

Good morning,

We literally drove through the Smoky Mountains.

The tunnels are long enough that we can't see the other end when we go in...

...but it doesn't take long...

...to go "through" the mountain and find the light at the end of the tunnel.

:),
 Lois

Winter in the Smoky Mountains

Good morning,

The Smoky Mountains are beautiful at any time of the year.

In the winter I enjoy the lacy look of the brown trees interspersed with the evergreens.

It was sunny and dry when we made this trip.

We are traveling through North Carolina.

 Ah, yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  ;)

 The roads weren't too busy this day.

 This is the location of a huge rock slide a few years ago.  We were detoured around the site for about two years.

 Tennessee!  When we get here, we know we will soon be home.  Only Tennessee and Kentucky to go, then into Ohio.

 And, there she is, Cincinnati, the Queen City, at the bottom of the hill on the other side of the Ohio River.

Travel is wonderful, but there is no place like home!

Happy travels,
Lois

Land Slide in the Smoky Mountains

Good morning,

While we were behind the wide load truck and escort vehicle in the Smoky Mountains we passed an area where there had been another land slide.  As you can see there are barriers on both sides of the road, yet there was a car trying to pass the wide load.  What were they thinking?

Road workers were present clearing the mess.

We travel this highway every ten weeks...

...and always see something different.

I hope you're enjoying our trip with us this time.

Lois

Linking to Friday Fences

Wide Load on Mountain Roads

Good morning,

Today's series of pictures was taken as we were driving through the Smoky Mountains.

The road was narrow and there were barriers at the sides of the road in many places.

In the above image you can see how the wide load extended into the left lane.

Both the truck driver and the escort truck were cautious and drove safely.

Sure enough, there were drivers who passed the oversize load. 

 The truck driver tried to give them as much room as possible, but on these curvy roads we never knew when the next time we would encounter barriers on both sides.

 We chose to stay behind until we could see a straight stretch.

 The truck and escort vehicle very wisely moved to the center of the tunnel...

 ...and (wisely!) no one tried to pass.

 We followed a little further before we got a straight stretch of road and were able to pass.

Lois