DAY 2: SKYLINE DRIVE

First scenic overlook, aprox. 1/2 mile into the park. We would soon learn not to stop so often. But for now, two nice pictures.






Our first wildlife sighting! There would later be other, cuter deer. You always remember your first, though, and this one seemed a little fat to me. And it had big black flies on its side.



Skyline Drive got spooooky. The fog rolled in. Or we rolled into a cloud, not sure which. Johanna decided very quickly, though, that this was still not as scary as Rocky Road.



The sun came out, and we stopped and took a hike. Johanna raced down the trail with Artie.



Kamran is very proud of the picture below. It reminds him of Miller's Crossing.



Artie found some water to splash around in and wouldn't sit still.



We left the drive, four hours after entering it, starving--and then headed for our first pre-planned food destination of the trip, Wright's Dairy in Staunton (pronounced "Stanton"), VA. They serve you in your car! Here was the menu.



And here's what we made of it. So good.



Then it was on to Pigeon Forge--but not before making a few unplanned stops along the way. Our first tries wouldn't take Artie (Natural Bridge, Dino Land), but then we found one that would--FOAMHENGE.



Look!





Kamran worried that Artie would knock over the foam stones, a la the Griswolds in European Vacation. Johanna found it very buggy. But she found the time to give one last, very fetching pose.