Day 8 Smoky Mountains Trip

And it rained the next day as we set out for Gatlinburg. By now, we don't even see it. If it were bright and sunny, THAT we'd notice. We had a lazy morning, doing laundry and reading. 

We got to town in time for our lunch/dinner and went to a Mexican restaurant that was surprisingly authentic. By the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped. We walked all over the city, shopping for last-minute gifts and vetoing tourist traps like the mysterious mansion, where kids were exiting in tears. 

I searched high and low for postcards, finding a variety in a store run by a Steelers fan. He turned out to be an asshole, robbing me of a couple of dollars by distracting me with football talk. I decided if he needed that five dollars that bad, I'd let him have it, but I bitched about it often.

I bet he was a closeted Bengals or Ravens fan. 

We walked along the river and started heading toward the swinging bridge, but the skies were darkening and rumbling, and they closed it before we made it halfway there.

It poured. We ducked into shops on the way back to the car, but we were still wet as we drove back to the resort. We dropped off Maggie and went to the winery down the street from our resort. We sampled wines, ordered glasses, bought bottles, found a bear, and sat outside in the cool weather until the rain returned. 

We agreed it was a nice end to our trip.