My urge for travels lead me to return to South Carolina for the weekend on a solo journey. As I made my plan for the route, I planned to continue my "detours" through the Smoky Mountains and intersect the Blue Ridge Parkway at Cherokee, NC which I will then take east to the interstate to head south.

I was uncertain if the mountain pass would even be open, but took a chance as coursed through Knoxville and set my face to Townsend where I would intersect the road leading across the north side of the Smokies. Delightfully, I found the gate open so I turned the little car toward my desired goal. The road was not as traveled this time of year as earlier and I would guess that the colder temperatures and the few trees having yet to shed their remaining red, yellow, and brown leaves are not enough to draw the typical crowds...but my heart found a solace in the lonely road.

The sound of the hum of the engine and the crackle of the leaves as they passed under the care lulled me into a state of semi-enchantment where my mind would wonder with my eyes through the forest exploring every nook and and hollow they they could acquire from within a moving vehicle.

The road leads along the Little River as it passes through Tennessee towards the adjoining stretch that heads south toward Cherokee, NC. This river is pleasant to view no matter what the water level as I daydream of the fun it would be to paddle it punching through wave trains and boofing over ledges. On one spot along the river the forest service has developed an overlook to view what is known as "the sinks". I have read the writeup on a whitewater paddling page that I often visit about this rapid and it matches the danger sign posted at the overlook. Even this, though, peaks my interest.

After resting for a time, I continued on the way stopping in Gatlinburg at the NOC Outpost for my usual break and to see if any gear was on an absolutely irresistible sale...which it wasn't and I expected it...so I continued back onto the woodland road.

I passed a lighted highway sign stating that the road to Clingman's Dome was closed due to snow and this brought some great excitement. As I ascended the mountain, the tree line changed from the trees with the dangling colored leaves to a heavier concentration of evergreens. As I neared the peak and came into a clearing it caught my eye: the white topped trees. They were only dusted, but it was a pleasant site to see none the less. After another stop to exit the car and intake the chilled air, I continued on down the curvy mountain pass.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was not by any means heavily traveled on this day and it was very much to my liking. It's not that I did not want other people around, but the solitude provides a respite from interruptions of others and a time to reflect on the condition of the soul. Needless to say, there were many places to stop and view the beauty around me. About thirty miles outside of Asheville, the Parkway was closed so I took a detour through Brevard and Hendersonville to get back onto the interstate heading into South Carolina. This took me past a site that I had longed to return to again. My parents had taken us to Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls as children, but those days were nearly faded. The Sliding Rock area was closed for the season, but I was given the opportunity to stop at the Falls just before a couple of vans filled with people pulled up.

Until I arrived in the small town in which lie my destination, the road was all high speed interstate traffic. Once inside the town, I made a stop to visit the cemetery where my father's body is buried. As usual, it was very still and peaceful, which provided a very ample place to meditate on life and how one is to assimilate into the Divine plan now and beyond "the grave". The Autumn leaves and the slight chill in the air called me to meditate on the coming winter and the dieing of all things. I had arrived there late in the evening so the setting sun spoke a reminder that night is approaching when all things that we are able to see will fade and all that will stand is faith in the God who is beyond the darkness and brings the morning. Before leaving, I walked around the familiar family grave-sites to take in the signs of the ages that have passed and to let my curious imagination wonder who the people were and who gathered to mourn the loss of their loved ones as a body was laid into the ground to return to the earth from whence it came and the soul lived on to come before its Source.

The time with my family was very fulfilling and left me longing to stay longer. I enjoyed the opportunity to share several meals with my mother, which of course included fried fish and the tasty sweets of cookies & cream ice cream and homemade pound cake. It was good to be around the house, to wander in the yard with my mother picking up pecans, and seeing my brother and sister and most of their families. Leaving there only left me with a want to return.

The travel back to the hills of Kentucky was nearly as pleasant as the time going down. As night fell over I-40, it even had somewhat of a "lonely road" feeling even amidst the other travelers. This allowed for reflection over what I had experienced the few previous days and to feel the longing for all my loved ones.