Dunfey Alaska Journey

On Tuesday October 13th we dropped our camper off at the Trailmanor Factory in Lake City, Tennessee. We had an appointment to get maintenance and have certain repairs done. We went for a hike in state forest near the TVA’s Norris Dam and then did laundry. Trailmanor was done by 4 PM. We headed north on route 81. We stopped for the night at Walmart in Bristol, VA just across the Tennessee border.

In the morning, we drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway just east of Roanoke, VA and took the scenic drive north. The rain prevented us from seeing the complete beauty of the parkway drive. We continued onto Skyline Drive as we went into Shenandoah National Park. We camped overnight at Loft Mountain National Campground. The rain continued with a few snow flurries. The temperature dropped to 32 degrees as nightfall came. We kept out heater on all night for the 1st time on our trip!

In the morning a thick fog and rain greeted us. By the time we finished getting our camper ready for travel, we were soaked and cold.  We departed towards Harrisburg on our way to Rochester, NY to visit our Daughter, Colleen. It poured most of the day. At points, the rain changed to snow! We decided to stop overnight at a Walmart near Williamsport, PA. In the morning, we headed to northinto New York  with rainy and snowy weather.

As we approach the Rochester area, there is snow on the ground. We will most likely leave this area for Eastman Sunday morning.  We should be there by late Sunday night or Monday at the latest.

After Santa Fe we headed east on route 40 across New Mexico and part of Oklahoma. We stayed overnight in Elk City, OK. In the morning, it was raining. We proceeded to complete our trip across Oklahoma to Arkansas .

We set up camp in the Ozark National Forrest about 15 miles away from the highway. The national campground was called Lake Shores near Boston Mountain. Before dinner, we went for a hike in the Forrest and noticed that we could feel the humidity. That night, it poured and poured. The noise of rain pounding on the roof all night made it difficult to sleep.

We headed across Arkansas in the rain to Memphis, Tennessee and then down to Corinth, Mississipi where we visited the Civil War Interpretive Center. This civil war center focused on the battles at Shiloh and Corinth. The Center is part of the Shiloh National Park. The exhibits there and their movies were worth the trip there!. We stayed at the “primitive” Battle Ground Campground right outside the park in the village of Shiloh, Tennessee.

In the morning, we visited the National Shiloh Battlefield Park. The vistor center showed an old movie of the battle which was well done. We took the auto tour of the battlefield. This was manificent. It gave you a good feel of the battle and the horrible slaughter of men that took place there.

That evening we arrived in Nashville and went to the Grand Ole Opry to see and particpate in a 2 hour radio show. Our participation consisted of singing along when asked. This was the Opry’s 84th Birthday Bash. The show participants were mostly older Opry members with a sprinkling of younger entertainers. It was interesting and entertaining.

The next day, we went to Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage outside of Nashville. In the evening, we toured downtown Nashville Music places (Bars). We ate at the Wild Horse Saloon and watched the Tennessee Titans/Colts football game.

On Columbus Day, we travelled from Nashville to the Mountain Lake Marina & Campground in Lake City, TN just north of Knoxville, TN. We have an appointment at Trailmanor trailer factory to have a list of items repaired and adjusted. It may take a couple of days. Then, we head for our daughter Colleen’s home near Rochester, NY before going home to Eastman. We hope to be in Eastman by 10/21.