PROLOGUE
Its been quite a long time since i have written a blog. I haven't even completed the two series blog i started namely "the wilderness trip" and "books that shaped" me which is so typical of me as i start things with a lot of exuberance but i fail to keep it up all the way through. Well my life has been in quite a turmoil most of the previous month(details are too personal to mention in here).
One of the major reason for this delay is because previously i haven't written down the day to day happenings during my travel on the same day and have waited for to get all the pictures and videos sorted out. But this time around i have written my blog before turning in to sleep after a day of travel(and i think i like it and intend to do it all the time from now on).
Anyway i did promise myself to finish both the series of blogs before 2008 ends(giving myself lot of time and keeping it real, that's the new me these days(don't know yet whether it for good or worse).
I decided to visit my sister in St. Louis on Friday (October 24th) evening before driving to the Smokies on Saturday. My plan was to leave early morning on Saturday and reach by afternoon and visit the Ripley's Aquarium before setting up tent in the evening. But Friday not being a very lucky/happy day for me because of the cancellation of a very nice job offer due to government cut backs on funding for their space programs(this reminds me i have to check up the details of Chandrayaan I, the Indian moon rocket after i get back).
"I am overjoyed at the successful launch and progress of the Moon orbiter and am really looking forward to Chandrayaan II to launch a Russian made rover on moon surface and then to have an Indian astronaut sent to moon. Its good to see that the space mission in India is going so good , which makes the third party design work given by NASA to small companies makes a very distinct and realistic possibility of similar thing happening in INDIA."
So i spent an evening with my sister and Nirvik dining at a very nice restaurant close to their house. As my visits to their place each time ends up experimenting with different kind of foods that they haven't tried so this time we ordered some prosciutto covered figs in cheese as appetizers and a big bowl of lobster bisque (which was good but still quite naturally the best one i ever had was in Nova Scotia ). We tried the Riesling 2007 wine which was really good (little bit pricey though for $29 , but it was in a restaurant so ..kind OK) even though it was a screw cap wine :D. My sister and Nirvik really liked the semi sweet and fruity flavor of the wine and i think that wine with bits of smoked ham,green apple and Gruyere cheese tit bits will be a great meal starter.
As an entree we ordered BBQ ribs (St Louis style :D), trout with white beans in garlic butter sauce (its one of the best fish i ever had )and chicken pot roast.I have always liked the western kind of fish rather than the indian variety which i can't withstand.
The drive from St Louis to Elkmont campground in Smokey Mountains(Tennessee) was 442 miles. I drove at about 10 MPH above the sped limit over the entire length was able to make quite good time, stopping for only gas and at Walmart to get some propane tanks for my cooking stove and steel tent pegs (the southern accent of the people over there always makes me laugh, don't know why-no disrespect to anyone though). The day drive was a trip full of nostalgic moments. During the drive from St. Louis to Smokies i passed through Nashville and i crossed the Hotel Preston where me and Miss CM spent a night(actually 4-5 hrs) because of the flight fiasco from Florida to Chicago during our spring break trip to Miami. While driving from Nashville to Smokies i passed the hotel we stayed at on my 2005 spring break trip there (Smokies was just a day halt in a week long road trip, my first ever in US). Before entering the Elkmont campground i drove around the little river road, which brought back (and i think i stopped over at the right place, approximately) where me and Victor Broto jumped off in the below zero spring mountain river water on our own accord :D (i didn't knew swimming then as well). I think all my roaming around in the Smokies will keep reminding me of the 2005 trip.
Anyway i reached my camping site by 8:30 PM and set up the tent within 30 minutes ( with everything done almost properly this time). I am getting good at this . This time around i have brought lots of comforters/blankets to make my bed as comfortable as possible. Didn't cook at night but will start off the morning with some heated up soup or tea and cake:D. The camera bag has become really heavy with my new addition of 105mm Macro lens and a 70-300mm lens along with the rest of the lot. I need 3 more lens,another camera body and a nice sturdy tripod/mono pod to be almost happy with my equipment (of course there are small attachments you keep needing as you progress :D). After setting up the bed i looked over all my previously printed out details and maps of the Smokies(these days i like to do my home work before...do you see my nature changing? do you? :D) and decide to go to Oconaluftee.
Somebody said that they have seen some bears on the camp ground entrance. I hope i am able to get a picture of one of them(not a 400 lb ,10 feet near me kind of thing though). Last time i saw a black bear was in Apostle Island campground,Wisconsin but couldn't take a picture then (it was past dusk, so was pretty dark as well). That trip is memorable for another reason than that though, and boy was it a funny one in retrospect...heheheh :D.
BTW i found out now for sure that even the less visited state parks in Canada have better facilities than the best and most visited National Parks in US( don't know whether it's the people or the government..hehehe).
Anyway will go to sleep now , but have to remember to pick up some firewood, soap and hand sanitizer.
good night!!
bunes noches!!
good nuit!!
to me!
and hope the bears don't come knocking on my tent .. :D
One of the major reason for this delay is because previously i haven't written down the day to day happenings during my travel on the same day and have waited for to get all the pictures and videos sorted out. But this time around i have written my blog before turning in to sleep after a day of travel(and i think i like it and intend to do it all the time from now on).
Anyway i did promise myself to finish both the series of blogs before 2008 ends(giving myself lot of time and keeping it real, that's the new me these days(don't know yet whether it for good or worse).
SMOKIES DAY 0
I decided to visit my sister in St. Louis on Friday (October 24th) evening before driving to the Smokies on Saturday. My plan was to leave early morning on Saturday and reach by afternoon and visit the Ripley's Aquarium before setting up tent in the evening. But Friday not being a very lucky/happy day for me because of the cancellation of a very nice job offer due to government cut backs on funding for their space programs(this reminds me i have to check up the details of Chandrayaan I, the Indian moon rocket after i get back).
"I am overjoyed at the successful launch and progress of the Moon orbiter and am really looking forward to Chandrayaan II to launch a Russian made rover on moon surface and then to have an Indian astronaut sent to moon. Its good to see that the space mission in India is going so good , which makes the third party design work given by NASA to small companies makes a very distinct and realistic possibility of similar thing happening in INDIA."
So i spent an evening with my sister and Nirvik dining at a very nice restaurant close to their house. As my visits to their place each time ends up experimenting with different kind of foods that they haven't tried so this time we ordered some prosciutto covered figs in cheese as appetizers and a big bowl of lobster bisque (which was good but still quite naturally the best one i ever had was in Nova Scotia ). We tried the Riesling 2007 wine which was really good (little bit pricey though for $29 , but it was in a restaurant so ..kind OK) even though it was a screw cap wine :D. My sister and Nirvik really liked the semi sweet and fruity flavor of the wine and i think that wine with bits of smoked ham,green apple and Gruyere cheese tit bits will be a great meal starter.
As an entree we ordered BBQ ribs (St Louis style :D), trout with white beans in garlic butter sauce (its one of the best fish i ever had )and chicken pot roast.I have always liked the western kind of fish rather than the indian variety which i can't withstand.
The drive from St Louis to Elkmont campground in Smokey Mountains(Tennessee) was 442 miles. I drove at about 10 MPH above the sped limit over the entire length was able to make quite good time, stopping for only gas and at Walmart to get some propane tanks for my cooking stove and steel tent pegs (the southern accent of the people over there always makes me laugh, don't know why-no disrespect to anyone though). The day drive was a trip full of nostalgic moments. During the drive from St. Louis to Smokies i passed through Nashville and i crossed the Hotel Preston where me and Miss CM spent a night(actually 4-5 hrs) because of the flight fiasco from Florida to Chicago during our spring break trip to Miami. While driving from Nashville to Smokies i passed the hotel we stayed at on my 2005 spring break trip there (Smokies was just a day halt in a week long road trip, my first ever in US). Before entering the Elkmont campground i drove around the little river road, which brought back (and i think i stopped over at the right place, approximately) where me and Victor Broto jumped off in the below zero spring mountain river water on our own accord :D (i didn't knew swimming then as well). I think all my roaming around in the Smokies will keep reminding me of the 2005 trip.
Anyway i reached my camping site by 8:30 PM and set up the tent within 30 minutes ( with everything done almost properly this time). I am getting good at this . This time around i have brought lots of comforters/blankets to make my bed as comfortable as possible. Didn't cook at night but will start off the morning with some heated up soup or tea and cake:D. The camera bag has become really heavy with my new addition of 105mm Macro lens and a 70-300mm lens along with the rest of the lot. I need 3 more lens,another camera body and a nice sturdy tripod/mono pod to be almost happy with my equipment (of course there are small attachments you keep needing as you progress :D). After setting up the bed i looked over all my previously printed out details and maps of the Smokies(these days i like to do my home work before...do you see my nature changing? do you? :D) and decide to go to Oconaluftee.
Somebody said that they have seen some bears on the camp ground entrance. I hope i am able to get a picture of one of them(not a 400 lb ,10 feet near me kind of thing though). Last time i saw a black bear was in Apostle Island campground,Wisconsin but couldn't take a picture then (it was past dusk, so was pretty dark as well). That trip is memorable for another reason than that though, and boy was it a funny one in retrospect...heheheh :D.
BTW i found out now for sure that even the less visited state parks in Canada have better facilities than the best and most visited National Parks in US( don't know whether it's the people or the government..hehehe).
Anyway will go to sleep now , but have to remember to pick up some firewood, soap and hand sanitizer.
good night!!
bunes noches!!
good nuit!!
to me!
and hope the bears don't come knocking on my tent .. :D
setting up tent at Elkmont Campground (Smokies)-took me about 30 mins
inside my tent talking arranging things and talking to myself i guess..heheheeh
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