Private Idaho: From Here to Pigeon F$&k

Left Memphis early Thursday headed for Pigeon Forge, TN to visit Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was less than 450 miles but took me over 3 hours longer than planned because well....TN drivers are NUTS!! Have they NEVER heard of cruise control? Ever? Most freeways are 70 mph here but you can't do that not because the traffic is heavy, it's not. It's because the drivers seem to be unclear about what SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT means. Seriously, YOU in the Red F-150 limping along in the left lane like you are a soccer mom driving a mini van full of kids to school. Learn to drive it right or get a Chevy PLEASE! They come screaming up on your tail pipes, pass you then SLOW DOWN!!! Unbelievable and totally annoying. Needless to say, I was not all that amused when I finally reached Pigeon Forge. All day long I'd been trying to recall why that town was so familiar to me and finally remembered: Dolly Parton (The Grand Tetons of Tennessee!!!) located her amusement park Dollywood there. I was completely unprepared for what a nightmare of a crap tourist place it was. Dolly didn't do that town any favors. On the way there though, I found Wears Valley which is about 10 miles away from Pigeon F$&k. After I went driving through the Great Smoky Mountains, I stopped in Wears Valley and attended their 4th Annual Pumpkin Festival and Ockoberfest. Now the pictures. Again, Mother Nature does a better job of this part than I ever could:

Great Smoky Mountains:

After visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, I went back to Wears Valley for lunch and a walk around their little Oktoberfest gathering. Wears Valley is what I pictured towns in Tennessee mountains to be like (unlike that horrifying mess in Pigeon F$&k) and I ended up spending about 4 hours wandering around the town.

First pictures are of the pumpkin festival. It's held at a Farmers Market with a small BBQ place called The Smoking Pig. Excellent bbq - had a pulled pork sandwich and fried green tomatoes.

I didn't but only because I had a pound and a half of fudge in the car

These are from the Oktoberfest festival going on up the street. It was more like an Arts and Crafts festival. Just some fun pictures of the crafts available. You could get homemade baskets, quilts, soaps, cider, furniture, lawn decorations and even a pet bunny:

Nice rooster for the front yard

I fully expect these to be the last words I hear from a friend of mine

Homemade baskets

Holiday decorations

This is Jerry. Jerry asked me if I would take his picture.
I did. Later he stopped me, gave me his name
and number and invited me to visit him in Florida.
Oh yeah, Jerry. I got yer number....