By Samuel Strait – November 5, 2022 It is with some regret that we are leaving the New Bern area, but new adventures await as we head West towards Tennessee, Kentucky, and Western Virginia. We continue to enjoy $3.00 gasoline and Crispy Creme Donuts as we travel. This morning we are headed for Raleigh, the State capitol, also home to three of North Carolina's major Universities. Raleigh itself, named after a 16th century English explorer, who left the first English Colony at Roanoke that mysteriously disappeared in the intervening year between landing and the return of new colonist the following year. There are plenty of museums and entertainment in Raleigh, but we elect to give it a pass and head for Cumberland Gap, Kentucky/Virginia/Tennessee. The place must be schizophrenic to be in all three states at once. Cumberland Gap, is a narrow path through the Appalachia Mountains, and the gateway to what was then considered "The West" in colonial America. Kentucky, then was part of North Carolina, and the goal for many new immigrants for the freedom offered by the barrier of the mountains from the coastal colonies and the British government. Immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and other Countries of Western Europe flooded through the port cities of the Carolina's to face the hardships of starting from scratch with often little to sustain them. And we think we have it tough in twenty first America. Try out being one of the more than 100,000 souls that braved the wilderness to start a new life in the raw wildness of eighteen century America. We ended the day after traveling through the "new" tunnel of nearly a mile in length into the Kentucky town of Middlesboro, at the base of the mountains and the entrance to the Gap. Previously it was a booming town in the eighteenth century that enjoyed mining the vast resources found in the mountains when coal and iron were the building blocks of Northern industry before the turn of the century. Recent years, environmental obsession has made the town look to a new economy based largely on the parade of vacationers from the cold northern states on their way to the sunny shores of Florida. Ideally situated about halfway to Florida, a burgeoning industry of of tourist related entertainment and shopping opportunities sprang up on both sides of the mountains to resurrect every place in the surrounding area. While interstate highways have made travel to Florida much faster, the lure of "something to do" to break the monotony of the lengthy trip has stood the area great favor and continues to be a mecca for the travel break. More for the Del Norte County leadership to learn from. You don't become a "Travel Mecca or a Destination Resort" without lots to do. The end of Day Seventeen. Day eighteen begins with a trip up to the overlook above Cumberland Gap and the grassy plains of Kentucky spread out before us. The day commences with the landscape cloaked in mist which quickly burns off. The look out above the Gap seems impossibly high, yet only clocks in at 2600 feet. I guess when most "mountains" in the East are rarely more than large hills in the West, 2600 feet in the East seems respectable for a mountain. Cumberland Gap was a strategic point during the Civil War and during many of the conflicts with Native tribes,; hence, the obligatory cannons placed around the area. Cumberland Gap in the rear view mirror, and Pidgeon Forge in front of us. Yes, that's right Pidgeon Forge, where there is a continuous stream of tourist related activities and places to spend those tourist dollars. That's a continuous stream of economic activity which lures in many a tourist. A knife palace, similar to a Cabela's, something most folks in virtuous climate change California, Oregon, and Washington would be horrified by. Plastic Straws and single use shopping bags on every counter. Guns and ammunition in piles, plus knives in every configuration possible. But we are here for the historical artifacts that can be purchased on the lower floor, plus a rubber ducky for our canine traveling companion. On to Tennessee's aviation museum before our 3:00 pm scheduled boarding of a full sized reconstruction of the RMS Titanic. Yes, we both go down with the ship, but hey, third class wasn't so bad for the three and a half days we are on the ship. By the way, first class passengers didn't fare much better. Those that fared the best were women and children. Sometimes it pays to be young and the fairer sex. We had planned for a couple of stops West of Knoxville for Saturday, and were warned that the Tennessee/Georgia football game was on tap for Saturday afternoon. Best get West before the fanatics descend on the town. Looked like the fan were coming in early, as the stretch on the highway towards Farragut and Oak Ridge had all the entertainment of urban chaos. Cars in a parking lot made more headway. Admiral Farragut's home and the Manhattan Project are on for the morning. We are safely tucked up for the evening and a change of plan puts heading north to Michigan off for another couple of days. Day Nineteen and Twenty coming up.