Dismeet in the Smokies 2021! Y'all Come!

[tigger92662]

Left the campground around 5:45pm.
Traffic was a breeze. Stopped for fuel and to get some rest a little south of Lexington KY. Will finish the journey home tomorrow.
I believe @JETS70 is the last man standing, safe travels to you guys.
It was truly spectacular that we were able to put together another large DISmeet.
Dinner was fabulous and yet even more new faces matched with DIS names.
A tentative idea for next year is Hershey PA.
Stay tuned for further details

 

[Teamubr]

I didn't post much during the week. Late nights with good friends and waking up too early had me too tired to post when we had a few minutes of down time. I'll get some pics up tomorrow.

We made it home about 5:15pm CDT. Left Pine Mountain this morning right after Garneska about 8:30 EDT. When we left, the GPS said it was 7 hours and 52 minutes and we should arrive home at 3:22 local time. That was before the wreck (we never saw) on I-24 in Kentucky that had us sit for over an hour and then the expected 45 minutes to get across the Ohio River bridge between KY and IL. Uneventful trip other than the 2 traffic stalls.

j

 

[garneska]

@Teamubr don’t forget the internet and cell service sucked so another reason not to post. Those pictures took a long time to load.

 

[bama_ed]

I believe @JETS70 is the last man standing, safe travels to you guys.

I know himandher818/Dave was hanging in there a little longer because his older son and wife were coming into PF this weekend. But I can't recall if he was going to move to another RV resort or stay put at Pine Mountain.

Would the last one of us to leave please turn out the lights?

Bama Ed

 

[Bishoparc]

Going Home
Well the trip home would of course not go without incident.

We started this morning, while preparing to leave, locking ourselves out of the camper. Called Good Sam, girl on the phone had no idea what a camper even was. Sent DW walking around the campground to ask to borrow keys from others. Finally someone else’s worked and we got in. I called good Sam to cancel the service, 2 hours later we got a call that they still hadn’t found anyone (even though I canceled the service) so I’m glad we took care of it ourselves.

Then about 120 miles from home, guess what…. The spare tire (which is the same as the factory tires) blew. It had even less miles on it than the rest of them obviously. I’m so glad we at least got to replace the other 3 but hate we couldn’t find one in TN. Sadly, this incident ended up claiming the fender as well. We weren’t as lucky as last weekend.


Ended up having to do this one on the side of the interstate as we just weren’t close enough to an exit.

Morales of this trip:

• Replace non-name brand camper tires the moment you buy the camper.
• Always be prepared to fix what you can yourself because none of the roadside assistance can be counted on.

We finally pulled into the house at 1:45 central time (having left Pelham, AL around 9.

Thanks for all the memories and fun times this trip. We will miss you all. Until next time, see ya real soon.

 

[himandher818]

We left Pine Mountain this morning at about 10:45, and got home about 3:30. Mostly uneventful trip. The only problem we had was that the jack stand came down part way all by itself. (I'm sticking to that story since I know it could not have been that I didn't raise it all the way).

I post about the last half our PF trip tonight. I have to get ready for another trip tonight. The company I'm working with want everyone on site now. It's about a two hour drive from home so I have a camp site reserved for the next month near the company location.

This trip was a lot fun. And I enjoyed seeing every again and the new faces.

Thoughts and prayers to Chris.

 

[JETS70]

Teresa and I also arrived home around 3:30. Camper unloaded and at the storage facility and everything is put away at home along with a load of laundry started. Uneventful trip home. @himandher818 did the owner come by and talk to you about the traffic. He told me that the county sheriff along with the local police were preparing for 2 hour traffic backups from Gatlinburg thru Pigeon Forge up to I40. Anticipated the traffic to start around 11:00. Gatlinburg changed their checkout times from noon to 11 am because of the lack of help (workers). We didn't have any problems.

Teresa and I followed the past Dismeets at GS and the Fort and were excited to finally meet everyone in person. Michael said it best at dinner Monday evening, "there is just something different about campers". We care about each other and this Dismeet proved that in a lot of different ways from a lot of different people. And hey......throw in the fact that they all like Disney and Fort Wilderness a little........ok, a lot, how can you go wrong.

It was good to see Disers that we had met before and the many that we met for the first time. We look forward to the next Dismeet.

As many have said already, we are praying for Chris and Jen.

Not sure who left last but the Dis has left the building.........(campground)

Steve and Teresa

 

[PaHunter]

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers.
This Discamping group is second to none. I mean after all, look at how everyone came to my and DW's aid, putting their own vacation on hold to help us out.
I am sorry I missed the dinner on monday, but apparently even Superman has a breaking point.
I am grateful to all of our camping family. And well if things head up this way, maybe I will be in good enough shape to attend.
Again, thanks to everyone for everything, as I can never repay all the kindness that you all have shown me and all that you have done for me.

 

[tigger92662]

We did our part on the way home to eliminate as many cicadas as we could in Kentucky

 

[JETS70]

We did our part on the way home to eliminate as many cicadas as we could in Kentucky
View attachment 581960

Thanks Joe!!

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

@PaHunter, anytime my friend. You focus on getting well. We might be camping up your way next time, heard their building The Yard up in Harrisburg, they gotta do better than the one down here!

P.S. that 400 Cummins in your coach does pretty good

 

[friendofeeyore]

Bishoparc, So Sorry for your tire problem. Yes, we dropped our roadside assistance for the same reason. We only use On Star & have great results. Hope Chris is getting better & on his way home. Prayers still happening.

 

[PaHunter]

Bishoparc, So Sorry for your tire problem. Yes, we dropped our roadside assistance for the same reason. We only use On Star & have great results. Hope Chris is getting better & on his way home. Prayers still happening.

Well I am in the hospital closer to home anyway. All the tests have been completed and now just waiting on results and a plan of treatment.
Arc had the worst luck with tires, but looks like they had a great rest of their trip besides that.

 

[Bishoparc]

Arc had the worst luck with tires, but looks like they had a great rest of their trip besides that.

We sure did, Harrison Bay State Park and the train was worth all the trouble for sure as well as spending time with everyone in PF.

Continuing to pray for you and DW!

 

[FtW Mike]

Well we got home yesterday after a truely great trip. Before I go any further I need to salute Michael for the job he did putting this get together and hosting the Official DisMeet.
The work he did for that however pales with all he and his family, Randy and his Bride Ashley, and Bert did to help Pa Hunter and his lovely wife Jenn during the emergency that befell them.
I personally am of the opinion each of them should receive the SILVER PEANUT with a Squirrel Tail Cluster for valor

 

[tripleb]

Finally !!! ... got some WiFi so I can catch up. My last report was of the campground in Bryson City ... that campground is not worth the time and effort to give any sort of review. Suffice it to say, we won't EVER stay there again ... period. The only reason we were there is to visit friends that are across the creek from the campground and to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

Sunday was the day for our train ride. Just like bama_ed, the steam locomotive was broke so we got a diesel engine ... 2 of them, one pulling and the other pushing. About 1/2 mile out of the station, the "pusher" broke. No big deal as the front engine just carried on. Once at our destination, the Nantahala Gorge Outpost, the front engine decoupled and drove around the train cars on a switch track, recoupled and back to the station at Bryson City. This train ride is really nothing special but would have been somewhat nostalgic had it been pulled with the steam engine. Been there, done that, didn't buy a t-shirt.

Monday and Tuesday were spent visiting with our friends and shopping in town. Today Wednesday the 16th we loaded up and headed towards home. I despise traveling through Atlanta, especially pulling a RV so, we headed West on Hwy 74/19 along side of the Nantahala Gorge and through through the Cherokee National Forest ended up at Chatanooga, turned South and stopped for the night at the Cove RV Park in Gadsden, Al.

We will head home tomorrow where I can get on a real internet connection and catch up with all the posts I have missed for the last couple of days.

 

[tiggerdad]

Well we got home yesterday after a truely great trip. Before I go any further I need to salute Michael for the job he did putting this get together and hosting the Official DisMeet.
The work he did for that however pales with all he and his family, Randy and his Bride Ashley, and Bert did to help Pa Hunter and his lovely wife Jenn during the emergency that befell them.
I personally am of the opinion each of them should receive the SILVER PEANUT with a Squirrel Tail Cluster for valor

Thanks Mike. Randy and Bert didn't even hesitate.

Do it again in heartbeat if needed.

 

[tiggerdad]

Finally !!! ... got some WiFi so I can catch up. My last report was of the campground in Bryson City ... that campground is not worth the time and effort to give any sort of review. Suffice it to say, we won't EVER stay there again ... period. The only reason we were there is to visit friends that are across the creek from the campground and to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

Sunday was the day for our train ride. Just like bama_ed, the steam locomotive was broke so we got a diesel engine ... 2 of them, one pulling and the other pushing. About 1/2 mile out of the station, the "pusher" broke. No big deal as the front engine just carried on. Once at our destination, the Nantahala Gorge Outpost, the front engine decoupled and drove around the train cars on a switch track, recoupled and back to the station at Bryson City. This train ride is really nothing special but would have been somewhat nostalgic had it been pulled with the steam engine. Been there, done that, didn't buy a t-shirt.

Monday and Tuesday were spent visiting with our friends and shopping in town. Today Wednesday the 16th we loaded up and headed towards home. I despise traveling through Atlanta, especially pulling a RV so, we headed West on Hwy 74/19 along side of the Nantahala Gorge and through through the Cherokee National Forest ended up at Chatanooga, turned South and stopped for the night at the Cove RV Park in Gadsden, Al.

We will head home tomorrow where I can get being a real internet connection and catch up with all the posts I have missed for the last couple of days.

Thanks Burt, was wondering about that campground. You settled that for me.

 

[tripleb]

Thanks Burt, was wondering about that campground. You settled that for me.

Thought about you today tiggerdad, while traveling the Gorge road this morning, we past a covered bridge named "Granny Squirrel"

 

[Teamubr]

I still haven't had a chance to go through all the pics (DW, DS, and mine) and post anything, but I did put the video together of our little run on the dragon. The RS handled (and stopped) much better than I expected with 5 adults on board. I suspect this was a little more fun for me than everyone else in the car, but there was no screaming, limited cursing and some laughs along the 318 turns in 11 miles.

US Rt 129- The Tail of the Dragon

j