The kids had a good time hanging out on the pull offs pretending to be Killboy. Their consumer grade cameras were unable to attain a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp image of the Tankster.
They got to see a truck work its way around the bends. This guy did not seem to have too much trouble getting through.
This one looks good enough to have been taken by a pro!
Thomas took this one and I thought it was also a good one.
It really is nice to just sit there and watch the world go by.
The forest fire was going all week at the overlook. It was interesting to see how some days it would be burning and smoking like crazy and other days it looked like it was just about to go out.
We got this picture one evening on the overlook while the fire was burning particularly bright.
The kids tried to find a Geocach that is hidden at the overlook, but they were unsuccessful. I think part of the reason was that it was so unbearably hot that it was really hard to put too much effort into it.
One of the best things to do when you get too hot is eat some ice cream! It is so nice that the restaurant is air conditioned now. It really gives you a nice break from the heat.
Another way to beat the heat is to swim! Here is Thomas overcoming his fear of the swinging bridge. He made it all the way across with no problem!
At night Dawn was like the official fire starter. She really wanted everyone to gather around her fires each night, but it was just too hot! Its been 100 degrees all day and it is still 87 degrees at 11PM and she wants us to sit around a fire? That girl is nuts.
We made the hike to see the Shaw grave. It is up a trail off of Deals Gap. The stone pretty much tells the story. If anyone feels adventurous and wants to make the hike I will let you know its secret location.
Here is one of the sharks at the Ripleys Aquarium.
The aquarium was really nice. It was kind of expensive, but I think it was worth the cost of admission.
There were many interesting animals on display. It was also nice to get out of the heat for a while.
The crabs were one of my favorites.
Barracudas.
It was so hot it made my nuts shrivel.
I finally saw Bald River Falls.
I spent Friday riding, while the rest of the bunch went to the Knoxville Zoo.
Friday night we met back up at the motel and went out for dinner at Bread of Heaven. This was by far the best barbeque I had ever eaten. It was a buffet, so I ate way more than I should have!