On my shoulder is my Canon DSLR with an amazing lens that wouldn’t have been out of focus with the blown-out sunlight over the left of my head, but I was feeling lazy and decided to shoot this entire trip with the camera in my phone that while it was okay for Facebook is shit for my blog. Oh well, some blurry reminders are better than none at all.

I’m posting this two years after we made this momentous trip that would have serious implications regarding a change in direction in my life, more of that as the blog entry progresses.

This was our second visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but our first visit to the absolute southern end of the park. These chickens had southern drawls and tasted like pork; it was the weirdest thing.

Guess what we had for dinner? BBQ, that’s what we had! By the time we got back to Arizona, we likely were emanating smoke from this meat indulgence themed around the smoker. Tonight’s meal was at Luella’s BBQ in Asheville, North Carolina, where we will stay and call home for the next few days.

Amazingly smart bookstore and coffee shop here in Asheville called Firestorm. By the time we were done shopping here during our stay, we’d leave with at least half a dozen books and a sticker for the computer slung over my shoulder. It’s great to be on vacation, and it’s our first in six months, which is nearly a lifetime measured in John and Caroline years.