Reach for the Sky!

Friday began with misty conditions and even mistier prospects for the England team. Fortunately our day turned out better than the latter's! We left the Doubletree and on our third attempt, located a functioning Starbucks ... the busiest ever! Fuelled with bagels and coffee we set off for the Skyline Drive, supposedly one of the most scenic routes in the US. We entered the southern entrance via I64 and were soon travelling at 35mmph along the-tree lined, 100+ mile-long, byway. At first we feared the worst as everywhere was shrouded in mist and the greyness suggested that rain might be on its way ..... but not so. Within the hour, greyness vanished, being replaced by blue sky and sunshine, revealing the most amazing vistas.

Its inevitable during any US road-trip that, somewhere, some seemingly endless views with the widest horizons will be encountered. Today was such a day. The local wild-life was obligingly evident too. We saw several, crossing our path at various times and then we half-spotted a bear in some trees. Just after passing the half-way point on our route and having pulled into yet another pull-off, we noticed some people trying to photograph a bear in the forest. After a while they left, but we waited. Just ahead of us, a Black Bear climbed over a wall, crossed the road and began to picnic on berries!

As we neared Fort Royal, we noted similarities between the today's drive and that undertaken previously along the West Coast ..... except that we were viewing a 'sea of green', rather than 'blue'. Stopping at the next pull-off, the similarity was underlined as a fleet of Corvettes (rather than the Prowlers we'd previously encountered in Cannon Beach) pulled-in. A great bunch of people from New Jersey who were making their way to Tennessee, to discover how their favourite cars are made.

And does 'Skyline' deserve its favourable reputation ..... definitely, unmissable! As we listened to 'Sixties' music today and encountered som Jersey Boys, I guess something from the Four Seasons is appropriate!