Day 1 - Wyndham Smoky Mountains Resort

It was when we went to make travel arrangements for our summer trip that we realized flying wasn't the best option for Kim or Steph. Steph's idea was to fly from Pittsburgh, where she was attending a graduation, but the closest airport was Knoxville, and the expense wasn't worth it. Kim and Steph both decided to drive while I flew. For me, it was easy. Allegiant flies from our local airport directly into Knoxville. I agreed to fly to Knoxville, go home with Steph, and return to Florida from Hersey. That way, she'd have an extra driver.

Kim picked me up in Knoxville, and we drove to Pigeon Forge. The GPS took us to the Wyndham sales building first, and after using their bathrooms and snatching complimentary snacks, we found the resort just as Maggie and Steph pulled up. 

Check-in was crazy and loud. I went first to get our keys and then to another station to get parking passes. There, we chatted with two employees about the area, and when Steph showed an interest in learning about Wyndham, I shut that down immediately. I told him we'd call him later.

The resort sits on either side of a busy road with no crosswalk. They sent us across the street, up a steep hill, and around the corner to our rustic mountaintop building. Our two-bedroom unit was downstairs, accessible by stairs, and outdated.  

The only updates I could see were the kitchen countertops and the mattresses. Upon further investigation, there was a lot of dust--on the headboards, the fans, and the curtain rods above the windows. I should've marched back across the road right then and there, but having just attended the Wyndham owner's meeting, I knew this was a resort scheduled for a remodel. I assumed they all were like this, although the pictures on the website are nothing like this. I did not put two and two together until several days later.

Kim was in charge of restaurants, and we chose one off her list and headed there immediately because we were all hungry. 

Apparently, Maggie is always hungry. 

Pigeon Forge reminded me of Orlando or the Wisconsin Dells. There was a  strip, and along that strip was anything and everything from restaurants to tourist traps to souvenir shops to kitschy entertainment centers--all a downgrade from the places mentioned above. 

Or maybe that was because it was bleak and raining.

Dinner at Harpoon Harry's was delicious. We had good food and decent service, and afterward, we headed to an entertainment area to scope out activities for the week. 

From there, we got some groceries at the Walmart and headed back to the unit, where we finished out the night playing games that Steph and Maggie had brought. 

We put Steph in the master bedroom. Kim and I took the room with two beds because we snore, and Maggie brought a blow-up mattress that we put on top of the pull-out sofa bed. 

The plan is to hike the Smoky Mountains tomorrow. We do not have a time set. After all, we are on vacation.

This past weekend, Tom, Darcy, Oleg, and I headed south. Oleg will be working in south Florida after graduation, and Darcy had to take a certification exam in Ft. Lauderdale, so we killed two birds with one stone. Apartment hunting for Oleg and Darcy's test.

Before we left, I experienced a week of anxiety--more than my normal worrying before a trip. I told a few people I thought I had developed arachnophobia during this whole COVID pandemic, what with barely leaving my house and all.

Darcy: "Because leaving the house means you'll encounter spiders?

Oops. Agoraphobia! The anxiety built to such a level I had heart palpitations, extreme crying fits, and some very tense moments. My peeps talked me off the ledge enough that by the time we left, I was stable.

Getting away was the best thing! It's not that I've avoided places. I shop for groceries. I go into my library. I've had numerous doctor appointments. But leaving home and traveling gave me the confidence I've lost in this whole ordeal.

It was a four-hour drive, and we stopped at Publix grocery stores for bathroom breaks, except for the time Tom stopped at a sketchy gas station. It was one of those places where the restrooms are outside, and one has to procure a key from the proprietor inside. It was smelly, a bit worn, but there was soap! Oleg and I were the only ones who used it, while Tom got gas. 

Tom: "My debit card was denied twice until finally, the bank texted me, asking if this was me using the card."

Me: "I'm not surprised. Could you not have found a better station?"

Darcy: "And why are you using your debit card? Why wouldn't you use our Discover?"

Tom: (a bit angrily) "Because my debit card has never been hacked while the Discover is compromised practically every month!"

We stayed at one of my Wyndham's in Pompano Beach. I've been there four times, and knowing what to expect was also a plus. We figured it was halfway between the city where Oleg would eventually call home and where Darcy had to take her test. Tom, who rarely drives my van, but who seems to always rub my back tire when making a right-hand turn, kept parking too close to the concrete bumper in lots. When he did this at our arrival at the Wyndham, we knew it wasn't good from the sound. Oleg ducked down and discovered something had torn loose from under the van. Tom was not concerned.

Thursday, we shopped for apartments. Only one complex was COVID serious, although the others did wear masks. The apartments were nice sizes and had friendly staff. The outsides of all of them were worthy of entrants in a gardening competition. They were, however, EXPENSIVE. This town is tourist central and BIG MONEY. 

At lunchtime, Darcy asked to be dropped off somewhere to study. Since Oleg had a lunch appointment with a realtor, Darcy and I stayed outside at a Panera Bread restaurant. Tom took Oleg to meet with the lady who'd given us the apartment suggestions, and then he had the van fixed.

By the time we slogged back to our Wyndham in rush hour traffic, we were all tired. I hit the Wyndham bar where masked karaoke was just getting started and ordered a rum runner to go. We got take-out and ended the night reading and talking.

Friday, Darcy and I walked. She practiced for her test while I wrote in my head. Our walk around the lake veered off before we made it halfway around the lake, and we ended up walking around all sorts of various waterways and sidewalks until we gave up and turned back the way we had come. 

Best news? We discovered that the exam site was three miles from our Wyndham. We did a trial run, got lunch, and then took Darcy back to take her test. That night we purchased a bottle of liquor and made our own drinks.

Sunday, we stopped on our way home to visit a house where a woman was looking for a tenant. She gave us her first name, took us through her home upstairs to the room, gave some details, and shooed us out because she had to get to work. An hour later, with our keen observations and superior investigative skills, we knew everything there was to know about this woman, including viewing her mug shots. Oleg will not be living there.

We returned home to a happy dog and an even happier Madison who'd been chored with taking care of said dog. We unloaded, told our stories, and sat down to relax. Madison left to pick up food. She called us ten minutes later to tell us something was wrong with her car. Ten minutes after that, Darcy called to tell us something was wrong with her car. Ten minutes after that? Tom discovered his debit card had been hacked.

See, why I have anxiety?