We’re On Our Way Home!

Our Arizona winter is over and we’re on our way home. Our route takes us from I-10 into New Mexico, up I-25 to I-40. The winds are howling at 40-50 mph which makes driving with a trailer a whole lot of fun. Once we got onto I-40, the winds were directly behind us making the driving a bit easier and boosting my gas mileage by quite a bit. We saw what we thought was dust, given the high winds, off to our left as we were approaching Santa Rosa. Turns out it was a grass fire in a field off in the distance. We saw the flames as we approached and watched them jump the westbound lane and start burning the grass in the median right next to the truck. I could feel the heat through the window. GULP! Fortunately, we got through unscathed before all this happened and the authorities shut down the highway. If we were just a few minutes later. . . . Disaster averted. The rest of our plan for the way home is to follow I-40 to North Carolina and then head north with a few stops thrown in to bide our time until the snow is gone at home.

Toad Suck

Our first such stop is Toad Suck Campground near Conway, Arkansas, right on the Arkansas River. The park was a stop along The Trail of Tears, the route taken during the forced displacement of Native Americans. There is an exhibit in the park acknowledging this dark period in American history. As for the name. . . . Here’s the official explanation: “The name Toad Suck actually spans back to the early 1800s when the water in the river would get very low and create a “suck.” A suck was a great place for toads and frogs to live in the shallow water.” There’s other stories about sailors sucking on bottles at the local tavern until they looked like toads. However it got its name, here it is and here we are for a few days of not driving.

The Lake Capitol of the South

Leaving Toad Suck, we continue east for a stop in Lenoir City, Tn., just south of Knoxville. This area is known as The Lake Capitol of the South or The Lakeway to the Smokies, which lie just 40 miles from here. Boating is the major activity here since The Tennessee Valley Authority created three lakes – Tellico, Fort Loudoun and Watts Bar. If we were ever to move from Central New York, we would take a serious look at this area. The cold weather doesn’t last very long and the best motorcycle roads in the US are just a stone’s throw away in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smokies. Something to ponder.

Yarberry Campground

We’re staying at Yarberry Campground which is located on the shores of Fort Loudoun Lake. There are stunning lake views from just about every site. They have a “Honey Wagon” service, which is something we’ve never come across in our travels. That’s a great feature if you are planning a long-term stay. Yarberry also has pontoon boats, paddleboards and kayaks to rent for a day on the water. There’s also a sandy beach and swimming area. We weren’t brave enough to test the water.

The Tennessee Valley Authority created Fort Loudon Lake in 1943. It is 14,600 acres in area and has 360 miles of shoreline. Bass fishing is the main attraction here with a huge largemouth, smallmouth and white bass population. I’m bringing my fishing gear next time. We didn’t end up exploring the area like we should have, mostly because it was hard to tear ourselves away from this view:

This campground and area require a return visit. The sunsets aren’t as spectacular here as they are out west but the sunrises. . . .

Options

One of the things we didn’t do but wished we did is explore the 28.8 mile East Lakeshore Trail. There are several trailheads along the trail’s length so you can break it up into manageable sections. According to the reading material, if you could only do just one quick hike, make it Mizell Bluff. There’s a great view overlooking Tellico Lake and may even see some daredevils (read: idiots) jumping into the water below.

One of the things we did do is visit the Tennessee Valley Winery. It’s one of the oldest family-operated wineries in Tennessee. The wines offered here a quite sweet because, as our wine pourer explained, “they like their sweet tea around here.” The winery is billed as a hilltop sanctuary for wine lovers and has a patio overlooking the mountains where you can enjoy some wine and cheese. It’s a very nice environment where all the guests are comfortable and well served. Kudos to the ad execs who came up with this because he drew us in. Our experience didn’t live up to the hype. The patio is an old, decaying gazebo with plastic chairs and the mountain views overlook a truck yard. There are much more satisfying options in the area. Live and learn.

It’s Springtime!

The sounds of Spring are in the air and the trees are turning green. The birds are singing and it’s the cardinals mating season when the males become quite territorial and aggressively defend their territory against any intruders. We had one spend hours every day persistently and tirelessly fight off an invader. After a few days, the interloper finally conceded and left, leaving the defender tired relieved.

Kerr Lake

We reluctantly leave Lenoir City and head further east to Henderson, NC and Kerr Lake Recreation Area. There are several camping areas around the reservoir but we keep returning to the J.C. Cooper/Satterwhite campgrounds. Not only is it a great home base to visit family, but its also a relaxing, quiet area with lots of room between sites. It’s been a few years since our first visit and we expect the grand kids to grow a little but they seem to shoot up at least a foot between visits. Man, we’re getting old!

The original plan was to stop at Sherando Lake Recreation Area in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest for a few days on our way home. However, a cold front is moving in so we decided to extend our stay here to avoid the freezing temperatures in the Virginia mountains. We’ll make that stop the next time through. Our nomadic wanderings for this winter conclude here at Kerr Lake. We head home from here to plan our summer adventures. Stay tuned. You never know where you’ll find us!