Day 3-01 Jan 08-Salem Virg to Chattanooga, Tennesee

Odometer reading this morning: 121,521 Weather: Sunny and cool
Happy New Year!!
Well, we are two, wild and crazy party people...we were in bed by 9 pm and asleep by 9:30. I like to think the stress of planning this trip is catching up to us which is why we sleep in the van and fall into bed exhausted after supper. It HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR AGE!!
A non-descript day except for the wind which made for a day-long experience of white knuckle driving. Because the van is higher than a car or SUV, when the wind really blows, the van travels around the road and it can be very disconcerting for the first 15 minutes until you realize you are the boss of this rig and can handle it. When those big 18 wheelers speed by, it creates an additional draft and Wayne got woken out of a sound sleep more than once when I was blown to the right and drove along those 'thingers' that are supposed to alert you that you are driving onto the shoulder. They work! It sounds worse than it is...it's just a matter of staying alert and two hands on the wheel.
Because this is our first trip, we don't want to stop to sightsee but I'll tell you, when I saw the sign for Davey Crockett's Birthplace State Park...I wanted to go in.....BAD. My brother Scott and I each had a Davey Crockett jacket when we were 3 and 8 yrs old but he had the coon skin cap and muskett...it was the only time I remember having gender-envy. Anyway, a few more miles down the road was another sign for the 'historic' Davey Crockett Tavern. It must be a little known fact that at some point in his life, he owned/ran a tavern.
We are in the Smokey Mountains and much more heavily wooded than yesterday's rolling hills of Virginia. Not much to see and because you can't stop on the Interstate, not much chance to get out and take photos of anything. One thing that has been evident is the State Police. We've seen more of them, lights flashing and stopping speeders during the last 3 days than we've seen at home in 3 years. One little BMW went by me doing about 120 MPH and 10 miles up the road, he had been stopped and was being handcuffed and loaded into a State Troopers car.
There are lots, and lots, of hotels, restaurants and other conveniences right off the road so it's nice not to have to travel too far for that. Once again, a coupon got us into the Ramada for $44...with breakfast.
Now, if we could just find an abandoned fuel truck every day to siphon off some gas, this trip would be very reasonable.