What will we do all summer if we are not traveling said no home owner of a vintage house ever. Especially if that said house has a decent size garden.
After a thorough cleaning, The Wanderer went into summer hibernation while we cut dead wood from the fig trees, pruned dead canes from Peggy Martin, tackled the weeds,
replaced rotting landscape ties
and rebuilt a damaged shed door.
Painting the other door will just have to wait.
Whew, time for a break! We are on our way to Texas (Wonder what Mom has on our “to-do” lists?)
Did we return from Tennessee? Yes, of course we did, about 2 weeks ago. Do you really want our excuses as to why it took so long to post? No, we didn’t think so. However we are happy to say The Wanderer has been cleaned, serviced and is now in storage (for a brief time.) And the garden is weed free (okay, about as weed free as it gets.)
If you know us, then you know we love East Tennessee, especially Townsend and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Twenty five years ago Captain first visited Townsend and said he immediately felt at home. With frequent visits over the years, that feeling has never left. Of course the mountains, the hiking trails,
the sound of rushing water
and the wildlife were the initial attractions.
Over the years we have discovered it is a fantastic place to ride our bike. We have so many fond memories of the rides with the Tennessee Tandem Rally. That event no longer exists but we continue to ride in the Tour de Blountas often as we can.
We never miss the chance to ride in Cades Cove if we are there on Saturday or Wednesday mornings. On those days the scenic route is closed to motorized vehicles until 10:00 a.m. From our campground in Townsend, it was an 8 mile climb of about 1000 feet to the 11 mile loop around Cades Cove. The 8 mile descent was sweet!
The area around Townsend is very bicycle friendly. Whether on the bike paths, the country roads, Lamar Alexander Parkway or in the park there are lots of bicyclists.
If this is not enough to draw us to East Tennessee, our friends are. Tipsy Tuesday with Tim and Debbie at Smoky Mountain Brewery,
dinner with cousins Sulynne and Don at Dancing Bear Lodge and an evening at the home of Oscar and Lucy were definite highlights.
One Sunday we wandered over the mountains
(No we did not take The Wanderer.)
to Marble, NC where we found one of our favorite nieces, Sue and husband, Dave hanging out at The Moose Lodge (that’s their beautiful mountain home.) Why did I not think to take photos!!! Driving down the road to Andrews for pizza, ABN discovered what is now her favorite craft beer at the Happy Trout Brewing Company. Dr. S’mores, isa delicious chocolate porter complete with a toasted marshmallow and chocolate rimmed glass.
On the way home from Tennessee we stopped in Georgetown, KY (yes, we know it is not the most direct route.) parked The Wanderer in a parking lot at Georgetown College for three nights and rode our tandem through the beautiful horse country.
The Horsy Hundred Bike Ride is one of our all time favorites. Together we have ridden it many times in the past 22 years (ABN rode in it before she knew Captain.) Most of those years we stayed in the dorms at Georgetown College; The Wanderer is certainly an upgrade!
We are back home filling our days with weeding, bicycling, yoga, home maintenance and hanging out with friends on the porch. Oh, remember that limping computer we told you about? It has been replaced! Whoopee!
