Final Destination….For Now
Dear Chewey,
Well, after our beach days in Pensacola, Avery and I hit the road again—and it’s been a wild ride (literally and figuratively). First stop: Chattanooga, Tennessee—such a lovely town, with riverfront walks that would’ve had your tail wagging nonstop.
From there, we made our way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which weren’t smoky at all because of the beautiful weather we were experiencing. But this allowed Avery and I to play in the Little River that runs through the park, which brought many references to the musical choices of Detective Allen Gamble in his Prius.
Next up was Gatlinburg, where apparently every single family on spring break east of the Mississippi decided to congregate. Wall-to-wall people. It was like Disneyland had a baby with Times Square—but with more fudge shops. Avery and I bravely waded through the crowds, though we both agreed one day in Gatlinburg was enough for a lifetime.
Along the way, we indulged in Avery’s flea market obsession. Every time we passed a hand-painted “Antiques/Fresh Eggs” sign, we resisted her urge to make a U-turn. I lost count of how many vintage teacups, dusty vinyl records, and “totally necessary” knickknacks we considered piling into our already packed car.
After that, we cruised through Knoxville, and drove past the Oak Ridge National Lab, which, as you know, is my sister lab to Los Alamos. I geeked out hard while Avery pretended to be interested and asked very polite questions…or at least that’s what I would hope for, but you know Avery….she slept.
We then rolled into Nashville, where we met up with my cousins, Alison and TJ, and their lovely families for lunch. It was so nice catching up—and I got some serious street cred for actually working “y’all” into our conversation.
Next stop: Mammoth Cave National Park. Chewey, this cave is no joke. It’s like Mother Nature’s underground mansion—twisty tunnels, vast caverns, and more bats than I’d care to meet in a dark alley. I still think Carlsbad is better, but it was still very cool, very creepy, and very dark.
We spent the night in Lexington, which was all horses and bourbon and bluegrass charm. A good place to catch our breath and remind ourselves what a normal pace of life feels like.
And then—cue the drama—we arrived at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. Super fancy, old-school elegant, and with a secret Cold War bunker buried underneath it. We did the bunker tour, which was fascinating; it felt like we were in a Bond movie, minus the silver suits.
Finally, we made it to Virginia, and I just about wept with joy at the thought of not driving for six hours a day. The scenery in Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia completely won me over—rolling hills, storybook towns, and just the right amount of weirdness.
Wish you were here, buddy. Pictures below.
More soon,
Love, Dad
The Smoky’s
Nashville Family
Mammoth Cave
The Greenbrier Hotel and Bunker
