Crossville, Tennessee to Sapphire Valley, North Carolina 11/01/2013

NOVEMBER 1, 2013 (Friday)

 

Moving day. I’m trying to be a kinder and gentler mover and I think the day went pretty well. We got up around 8:00 AM in order to take showers and get ready to leave. This resort also asks that you empty out all the garbage, take off your sheets and put all the dirty towels in a pile in the dining room area. There is also a 10:00 AM check out deadline. We were out around 10:00 AM and went to a Subway for breakfast. The drive was supposed to be around 3 ½ hours (but took longer because of our little detour).

Edie's impulse stop for Lex.  Turned out to be huge with all kinds of merchandise.
Edie’s impulse stop for Lex. Turned out to be huge with all kinds of merchandise.
This was a great Nascar Store.  He had a huge inventory.
This was a great Nascar store. He had a huge inventory.
Huge inventory.
Huge inventory.
A nice Tennessee rest stop on I-40.
A nice Tennessee rest stop on I-40.

 

Several beautiful lakes along the way.
Several beautiful lakes along the way.
Pretty car, great tree.
Pretty car, great tree.
Water wheel on a mill from the 1800's.
Water wheel on a mill from the 1800’s.

Michael and I had emailed about some tickets to the Biltmore in Ashville, North Carolina. Tickets for the home are normally around $65.00 but there were three on Craigslist for $40.00. We were a little hesitant to buy on Craigslist but we did and they wrote back saying they were still available. We tried calling again on the ride when we got to around Knoxville, Tennessee, but didn’t get an answer. Since we weren’t sure if we were going to get an answer about the tickets today or not, we decided to go ahead and take the route to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We looked on the map and saw that we could reach Sapphire, North Carolina by driving through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 

Fall colors in the Great Smokey Mountains.
Fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Fall Colors in the Smokey Mountains.
Fall colors in the Smoky Mountains.
Fall colors.
Fall colors.
Great drive with great beauty everywhere.
Great drive with great beauty everywhere.

 

Fall colors in the Great Smokey Mountains.
Fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains.

We were so glad we decided to go this way. What a beautiful – no, SPECTACULAR drive this time of year. All the amazing colors were in full “bloom” and just gorgeous. Also, the views were unbelievably beautiful. We also decided we’re going to go back to Gatlinburg because it just looks like such a fun town with lots of things to do and see.

Gatlinburg has really nice Christmas decorations.
Gatlinburg has really nice Christmas decorations.
Light poles decorated throughout the entire main street.
Light poles decorated throughout the entire main street.
Lots of nice houses on the hill side.
Lots of nice houses on the hill side.
Gatlinburg has all the usual wonderful tourist trap type places.
Gatlinburg has all the usual wonderful tourist trap type places.
This ski lift was running and taking folks up the hill.
This ski lift was running and taking folks up the hill.
One of Lex's favorite burger joints.
One of Lex’s favorite burger joints.
Just a gorgeous day all around.
Just a gorgeous day all around.

During the ride through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we received a call from Tony about the Biltmore tickets. We told him we wouldn’t get getting them today but wanted to pick them up on Tuesday. We told him we would call him on Monday night and arrange a place and time to do that. We figured we could do a tour on Tuesday afternoon, right after we got the tickets.

Pretty views.
Pretty views.
Colors
Colors
Very pretty.
Very pretty.

We are now three hours ahead of California time. We got to our new resort, Fairfield Forest at Sapphire Valley. It’s lovely. Right on a National Golf Course. Beautiful and new looking unit with INTERNET and a WASHER AND DRYER. I’m loving it. Lexi isn’t, though, because she has to sleep on an uncomfortable couch once again – but it’s only for another month or so. I keep telling her it’s better than being homeless under a bridge.

Colors.
Colors.
The road to our new place.
The road to our new place.
Leaves on the ground, colors.
Leaves on the ground, colors.
Our entrance.
Our entrance.
Living room, bath.
Living room, bath.
Master
Master
Bath
Bath
Dining/kitchen
Dining/kitchen
Okay chairs.
Okay chairs.
Fireplace.
Fireplace.

We left, once we unpacked and settled in, to go to the nearby restaurant, Sapphire Brewery. We were told they would have music and such. The music was being set up and wasn’t due to start until around 7:30 PM so we missed it. Our server, Jake, did an excellent job of selling us all a beer. Michael got a Caesar salad with chicken for dinner, Lexi got a salmon dish, and I got some chili in a bread bowl. It was all really good.

Edie's $7.00 Raspberry beer!
Edie’s $7.00 raspberry beer!
Lex's light beer.
Lex’s light beer.
My Red Ale.  It was quite good, very smooth.
My red ale. It was quite good, very smooth.
Lex's garden salad.
Lex’s garden salad.
Lex's main course: Atlantic Salmon, wild rice and sauteed vegetables.
Lex’s main course: Atlantic salmon, wild rice and sauteed vegetables.
My Caesar salad with grilled chicken.
My Caesar salad with grilled chicken.
Edie's chili bread bowl.  She preferred the sour dough to the chili.  The chili was more stew like.
Edie’s chili bread bowl. She preferred the sour dough to the chili. The chili was more stew like.

After dinner, we went to the grocery store, around 2 miles down the road. It’s very similar to a Safeway in layout and what they offer (Starbucks, etc.). Did a little grocery shopping and then headed “home.”

Our grocery store about 5 miles away.  Looks like a Safeway.
Our grocery store about 5 miles away. Looks like a Safeway.

That was our day. Hope yours was great!