Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

I got an honest-to-god campfire tonight, and on my very first try. I think I have it down now. I also think it doesn't help that the first two nights I didn't have very good wood. First night it was all big thick logs and second night, skinny little sticks. I guess I know now what camp axes are for. Probably more all-around useful than a camp saw anyway.

So I discovered today that I hate the Great Smoky Mountains. I got myself stuck on a scenic loop and good god! are there a lot of cars. Everyone driving five fucking miles an hour in a great long line. Who knew I could get road rage in the middle of nature like that? Oh but I did. And then the ranger lady was so stern and unpleasant, and the camp sites are stacked one on top of the next with no grass and just skinny sticks of trees scattered around in between. Lucky enough I got a campsite that, although it's right next to the parking lot and so besot with car traffic, I have no neighbors. All of the campsites adjacent and even caddy-corner to mine are vacant for the night. For now, anyway, though it's already after eight and I can't imagine too many people are yet to come.

And then this morning. I went to the reenactment, though I didn't stay for the actual battle. But I'll let the pictures of that speak for themselves.