Next we stopped in Tifton to see a berry farm. They didn’t have any fruit this time of year but we saw the chickens, goats, turkeys and the muscadine grapes getting ripe.

1pm stopped for lunch at Cook Out in Cordele GA. \240Lots of good and good burgers. Then checked out couple of stores. Saw ducklings and baby chicks. On way again at 3.

Then we visited historic downtown Franklin. Most shops were closed but we found a beautiful public garden.

Next we went to the Sheffield mine. It was featured on the travel channel 10 years ago. Found a few small rubies and sapphires. Also got lots of big crystals from buckets that the mine salts for people who want to find stuff.

Got lunch in Georgia then wandered around an old fashioned shopping center.

Went back to the hotel to relax for a few hours. Got dinner then went to bed.

Ate lunch at a KFC buffet in Cherokee. After we went tubing on Deep Creek. Lots of fun but I kept getting stuck and I got dunked in the river THREE times!!

Went back to the hotel after tubing for a couple of hours.

Stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitors center. Saw the working settler farm.

Stopped by the grist mill.

Drove over the Newfound Gap and saw the Appalachian Trail.

Got in to Gatlinburg and checked into a VERY nice hotel on top of a hill. Our room was on the 13th floor with a view of the mountains. Took the trolley into Gatlinburg for lunch.

Waited for the trolley outside Ober Gatlinburg. There was a restaurant with an amazing lily pond that overflowed into a stream and a lower pond.

Drove into Pigeon Forge to see the Christmas Store. Back to Fatlinburg for dinner and to ride the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg and back.

There was a very large area with tons of fish and sharks. Saw the divers cleaning the area. They even had a tunnel through the tank you could walk in. Saw sawfish resting on the tunnel.

Saw penguins. One was falling asleep.

They had a shipwreck exhibit.

Saw mermaids in one of the tanks.

After lunch we took the Anakeesta ski lift to the top of Anakeesta mountain. Very beautiful but could see signs of the 2016 fire.

Went back to the hotel to rest then took the trolley into town for dinner. Still had our wristbands so we went back up Anakeesta mountain to see the lights.

Went back through the Park to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Saw Cataract Falls.

Drove the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few hours before we had to go back to the main highways.

Got to Mt Airy by 5 and had dinner at a local diner - Olympia Diner. Pretty good.

Ate lunch at Snappy Lunch. Explored Main Street and the stores. Went down the street to Wally’s Service.

Left Mt Airy and went to Greensboro. Went to the farmers market and got some wonderful blackberries and apples. Stopped by a pond builder and saw some great ideas - also bought some iris.

After we went to a working mill and bought some flour and cornmeal they milled.

Had dinner at Arigato Japanese Hibatchi - a place Lewis liked when he worked for Amex and had to go to Greensboro.