Annie Lee the Argosy Update No. 065

 Happy Holiday Campground

Cherokee, North Carolina

This was a Vintage Trailer Rally

With friends from Smoky Mountain Vintage Campers - 

We enjoyed visiting together, 

just hanging out at the campground [in the creek],

around the campground, sharing meals [some provided!] 

and playing games together...

 

I also found a kiddo to share scooter rides with!

[A friend's grandson -]

 

We also just enjoyed relaxing outside our camper listening to the creek

during the cool part of the day...

 

Of course, it was VERY NICE to have a creek view as we enjoyed

the coolness of our new air conditioner

inside our camper!

 

We spent some time in Cherokee 

And we SO WANTED it to be the little town it was 30+ years ago, 

but alas, it's not - 

Still, we found one or two of those 

standard smoky mountain souvenir shops!

 

We took a morning to shop around the nearby town of Silva with friends,

had a wonderful Italian lunch together,

  then Craig and I headed over to Darnell Farms to get one of those strawberry or pineapple whips they advertised on the road so much - 

and, YUM - especially when it's pushing 100*.

But let's be clear - it's NOT a Disney Dole Whip.

[And these freezy desserts were HUGE so half went in the freezer in the camper - lol.]

 

Still, it was very nice to cool off a bit before this big mountain storm rolled in.

Which brings me to the highlight of our trip - 

THOSE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS.

We got up early one morning to see the sunrise at 

Waterrock Knob on The Blue Ridge Parkway.

And y'all.

SO BEAUTIFUL.

This is the view facing [north] east and we could also see the moon setting to the south east... [same tree...]

Omgoodness - I'll admit that I love these photos -- and while I know 

no one wants to see the hundred or so that I shot, 

I may have to put ten or twenty on a scrapbook page...

 

Afterwards we drove over to Maggie Valley and had

THE MOST DELICIOUS 

breakfast at Joey's Pancake House.

[It was just such a wonderful / beautiful drive over and back..]

So - Happy Holiday Campground - 

Very clean and neat.

Sites are shorter than we expected...

and the ones by the creek are gravel with no real pad...

Lots and lots of seasonal campers -

Bath houses were okay.

Internet / cell were good.

Side Note:

 

We actually stopped over at Parksville Lake Campground 

on our way to Cherokee - it helps break the trip up a bit... 

We have a go-to meal for this very rustic campground...

Since it's just a quick overnight to enjoy nature 

we don't like to get out everything to cook, 

so we usually buy a $5 [Little Caesar's] pizza and heat it on foil over an open fire.

It's always toasty and delicious!

And we can sit outside, listen to the creek,

and watch the fireflies light up the night sky.

[And despite the warnings EVERYWHERE - 

we've still not seen a bear...]