Bryson City, North Carolina
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Well, we drove through the night and got to Gatlinburg, TN around 7:30 am. We made good time and got to the GSM visitor center outside of Gatlinburg just before it opened at 8 am. Most of the sites were booked, but we tried three first -come, first-serve campsites until we found a nice spot. It was completely full within an hour after that. We're on the NC side of the Smokies and didn't get done setting up camp until 11:30 am. You will be glad to know that the Vanagon is driving GREAT! (knock on wood). It's a real pleasure to drive. Cruising around the Smoky's in it is very relaxing. It handles well and the motor has good power; although, going up inclines it maintains somewhere between 35-40 mph. The good news is that it didin't overheat!!!! So, I'm feeling quite confident in our ride up to this point.
