Friday-Saturday, July 15-16 - We left our little creekside camp this morning and headed to Chattanooga. I kept looking for salmon swimming upstream in the creek, but did not see any. We talked to a little boy in the campground here this morning, but we couldn't understand a word he said -- these Tennessee folks speak a language of their own. We were in bear country too, but all I saw was a squirrel. We drove 240 miles yesterday through the crooks and hills (long day), but today we have a short drive. It was 72 degrees when I got up this morning. We got to Dana's about noon -- 39 miles -- and parked the RV in the lot next to her house. Free camping for a couple of nights - yeah!
They have a nice brick house on the northeast side of town. They were both at work, so we drove out to the main street and found a Krystal hamburger place for lunch, then got haircuts and vacuumed the Florida sand out of the car. Dana had a great home-cooked meal fixed for dinner and we had a relaxing evening catching up with them.
Saturday morning, after the full course breakfast she cooked for us, we headed into the city and drove around, then stopped at the Chattanooga Railroad Museum.
They have converted some of these passenger cars into hotel rooms. Next we drove over to the TVA Railroad Museum, and took a train ride (3 miles each way).
The train ride took us over Chickamauga Creek and through the pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge tunnel.
Joe's past caught up with him here, and he's finally behind bars.
Back at the museum, we watched a demonstration of the working turntable as the conductor turned the engine around, and we walked over to the restoration shop.
After Joe and Michael finished their inspection of the turntable and we concluded this tour, we headed back to the house to get ready to go to a cook-out at friends of Dana and Michael's. This was something of a roadtrip, but it was a very pleasant evening with good food and nice people. But we were all tired and ready to call it a day.
Sunday morning, we said our goodbyes and sent Dana and Michael off to church, while we got ready to de-camp.
Of course, we had to say goodbye to their dog, Kendall, too.
Their neighbor was trying to get the grass cut and was having trouble with the lawnmower, so Joe had a little consulting to do here.
We had a great visit with Dana and Michael and look forward to coming back again. Maybe next time we can get a little fishing worked in.
