billbauer

After saying goodbye to our friends, the Schaufflers, at the Staybridge in Chattanooga, we had an easy two hour drive to the Atlanta airport.  The departure time wasn't arranged.  It was just when finished breakfast, took group photos, packed up and said goodbye. Since we had nothing else on the agenda we simply headed for the airport knowing that we were going to be early. Those who know me will suspect that this is my normal airport arrival time.  Actually, this is early even for me. Since I sometimes take food pictures, here is my lunch from the Delta Skyclub.  Yummy. Our flight home was uneventful and I even found the car keys when the need arose. The Bauer travel blog is now going dark, probably until early December.  Thanks for following along.

Chattanooga has a great downtown electric bus shuttle, the Choo Choo (get it?), which we ride to get to the river district.  Boarding ...  riding ... and getting directions with Beverly in a perfect photo bomb. We take the pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River and end up eating lunch at Tony's Restaurant in the Bluff View Arts District. We also take the Incline Railway to the top of Lookout Mountain, the steepest incline railway in the USA with a view of seven states (Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia & Alabama) at the top. Now we are back at the Staybridge and about to go downstairs for the "free" chili bar.  Exciting! Well, indeed, it has been exciting.  We just returned to our room after the hotel was evacuated due to a small fire in the kitchen of a room on the second floor and the resultant VERY LOUD fire alarm.  This is a first for me.  I have never before had to actually evacuate a buildi

After passing the buffalo herd and stopping for another hearty breakfast at Sherrill's Pioneer Restaurant in downtown Clyde, we shun the freeway and head on very scenic (mostly) two-lane highways across the southern edge Smoky Mountain National Park stopping at a roadside stand to buy Georgia apples. We admire the views of the slightly colored forests.  The locals say the leaves are about two weeks behind schedule here as they are back in Wisconsin. After arriving at the Staybridge Hotel (alas, no more airBnBs on this trip) to visit our friends, Pam & Gary Schauffler, we minimize expenses by visiting the free, i.e., no additional charge, fajita bar and by having our somewhat usual snack table in our room.

Monday morning in Asheville is bright and cool ... mid-forties.  Nice.  Our breakfast spot after departing our wonderful apartment in Jeff's home is the highly acclaimed Over Easy restaurant in downtown Asheville where Bill had the standard American breakfast. Our destination tonight is Clyde, NC which is less than an hour away so we have ample time to do a little more shopping in Asheville.  Bill finds a comfortable spot in the sun on the deck to relax a bit while Beverly shops inside. We both find a deer that we would like to ship back to Wisconsin.  However, it turns out that shipping is three times the cost of the deer.  Do you think that it will fit in one of our suitcases? Bev pauses just outside of the Groveland Galleries by the very posh Groveland Inn. We can't start out on an almost one hour road trip without more fortification so we stop at Jeff's other Luella's BBQ restaurant on the south side of town where we pick up a pound of ribs on whi

In Asheville this weekend we are visiting Beverly's nephew, Jeff, and his family and Beverly's niece, Jenny, and her family.  Both families have been (and are!) extremely gracious and welcoming to us.  Bless them. Jeff owns two BBQ restaurants in Asheville, Luella's BBQ, named after his grandmother.  After a soccer game Saturday morning, most of the clan (sans Jeff who has a catering gig) gathers at Luella's for lunch.  The BBQ is wonderful.  Stop in when you are in town. On the wall of the restaurant hangs a vinyl LP record album from Beverly's childhood still bearing her signature (although I can't make it out). Later in the day, we visit Jenny's family in nearby Weaverville, NC and walk downtown to Well Bred, the "Best Small Town Bakery" according to Travel & Leisure. While there it takes a group of us to devour one of their famous Mountain Eclairs (pictured with Jeff's daughter, Olivia). Not much travel today.  Pro

Sunrise this morning provided a few clouds to assist in making for a more photogenic picture. By mid-morning the clouds were really beginning to roll in from the east, a harbinger that Hurricane Matthew is lurking somewhat nearby.  We are not in the hurricane's path.  However, we will see some clouds and rain from the periphery and gobs of evacuees.  Both of those. Today we drive back over Newfound Gap Road through Smoky Mountain National Park, first having to endure slow, bumper to bumper Gatlinburg traffic extending even miles into the park.  To fortify ourselves for the drive, we stopped at a pancake house. The colored leaf season is behind in Eastern Tennessee as it is back in Wisconsin.  However as we gain altitude heading toward Newfound Gap, the trees do pick up some color. The views are great from vistas along Newfound Gap Road high in the Smoky's. Before exiting the Park, we take the beginning section of the Blue Ridge Parkway before ending up in Ash

I am up this morning before dawn to catch the sunrise over the Smoky's.  Too bad we couldn't have some clouds. Today is hiking in the park.  We start off with breakfast at the Mountain House Cafe where your eggs come with either biscuits & gravy or grits.  B&G seemed like the obvious choice, We chose the Chimney Top hiking trail in part for the panoramic views at the top and the moderate distance.  It is only 4 miles in length but gains 1748 feet in altitude.  This was a tough hike for me.  It starts out reasonably enough.  It crosses the stream a few times on very nice bridges.  And then the UP and the stairs begin.  Beverly hiking up the trail. This is a glimpse of the end of the trail.  The rocky outcropping in the left third of the picture is the summit.  It is the only bare summit in Smoky Mountain National Park.  It is also extremely steep and narrow.  It requires literally crawling on ones hands and knees and scrambling up the slope.  With a cam