Pilot's Log

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Does the local TV news count? All the anchors must have gotten their journalism degrees from Murphy Brown.

Zach Wamp Now Says The Afgan Campaign Is Unwinnable.

The Fahrvergnügen From Chattanooga.

Hope this fares better than Saturn did.

Figured out how to use my cell phone, with the help of a woman whose life depends on hers. (She interprets for the deaf and is called rather frequently.) Seems that the messages and missed calls are evidence that my cell's number used to belong to somebody else...a someone who is now evidently out of circulation. So everything I've received so far can be defined as "wrong numbers". I've only given the number to a select group of my friends and family--nearly all of whom are on Facebook. It's actually more reliable to reach me on Facebook, as I don't as yet carry my cell everywhere I go and because I go on-line as often as I can.

Besides, I don't particularly like the sound of my own voice, and there is a multitude of circumstantial proof that other people don't care for it either.

But this other fellow I've inherited my cell number from?--He's a piece of work. I'm relieved that I'm myself and not himself. Really, it's a non-starter. A deal-breaker.

Today we pick up the trail where we left off: 25E at White Pine's Main Street. North on 25E, past the Expo Center, over the overpass for I-81, (now into Hamblen County) over the Airport loop overpass, past Walters State College and College Square Mall, then cross Cherokee Lake out of Morristown and Hamblen County into Bean Station and Grainger County. Going Northwest, it merges with Highway 11W (which goes east to Rogersville) and then splits off of it again (11W going west to Rutledge). Bringing us to the Clinch Mountain Hill Climb. Cross the Clinch River after that...the highway here is still under construction but will likely be finished by Autumn by the look of it...when it happens it will be four lanes from Hamblen County to the State Line.

After the construction zone we're in Claibourne County and going through Tazewell. I wanted to stop at the Tazewell Flea Market, but today it was too busy and there was no parking anywhere. So I continued on to Harrogate and made a flypast of Lincoln Memorial University.

Since we're practically on the Kentucky State Line, I'd thought about crossing the line and visiting Middlesboro, but decided that the weather was too good to waste the opportunity to haul the backstretch of the Trail lap. So from Harrogate, we took Steiner Highway West through Speedwell, La Follette, and Jacksboro. This is pretty country and an okay road; it's likely even better in the Autumn with the leaves changing color because of the good visibility.

I wanted to stop in La Follette or Jacksboro for a photo opportunity but there didn't seem to be a good place handy. Just after Jacksboro, the Trail merges with I-75 South and that takes us to US 441 South at Lake City...the road through Norris Dam Park.

The View From Above Norris Dam:


( More Views Behind THIS )

Moonshine takes a well-deserved breather:


From Norris Dam, the Trail passes the Museum of Appalacia when it connects with State Road 61. I decided to refuel here (because of the proximity of I-75 and its various facilities) and take the "spur" to Clinton, where I made an official "break" in the lap. Distance: 112.5 Miles. Total Distance So Far: 147.5 miles.

The Comics store in Clinton:


It needs a "tidy" desperately but has a multi-million-dollar inventory!

Haven't decided when Stage Ⅲ will happen. This week, and possibly next, may be too busy for another maraud. Watch This Space.
FP

Big Honkin' Map Of The Tennessee White Lightning Trail!

Yes, in the coming days I'll get a hardcopy and then take Moonshine round all the bends. Watch This Space.

Under the hood:





Until just a few hours ago it was the last car in Tennessee to have a Freon-based air conditioning system. Now it has the updated, more environmentally-friendly internal climate control hardware.

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Don't know if I'll watch all of it...but probably a good part of it. I'm not rooting for either side this year. Many of the people here are rooting for the Colts because of Peyton Manning (the former star of the Vols); my brother-in-law is from New Orleans so the Asheville gang is supporting the Saints. Me? I just hope it goes the distance and delivers some spectacular plays on the field.

...Is suddenly becoming aware that you've already made a deal with him--and had no choice about it.