Dollywood & Great
Smoky Mountains
October 19 - 22
Rick Shelton and I were classmates and best friends
all through school.  Our lives and careers took us in
different directions after high school, and we lost
contact for almost 30 years.  We are trying to make
up for a lot of lost time, and this weekend camping
trip to the Smoky Mountains is going to be the first
of many to come.
We set up at Riverside
Campground in
Sevierville.
It's a bad sign when
the line starts
folding back.  This
line was to see the
McKamey's perform
at Dollywood.
After the show
Martha, Rick's wife,
Sissie, and her
mother Lou Ann found
a jewelry vendor.  
They were happy.
Dollywood was different
than I expected.  This
was really a fun place
for us old farts too.
Martha, Sissie (Vickie),
Lou Ann, and Rick.
We were here for the
fall festival event,
and we all enjoyed
that.
Making molasses is
a scene we were
all familiar with
while growing up.
Our great-nephew,
Kaleb, would have
loved this steam
train.  All aboard!
We were fascinated
by the beautiful
quiltwork on display
in the primitive
country church.
There was lots of
good music to be
heard all over the
park.
This was really a
nice display until I
got in front of it.
Martha was
having a good
time.
Rick got a large ice
cream.  He says that he
can't seem to maintain
his body weight on diet
food.
After Dollywood, it
was off to the outlet
malls!
This was one of many
lovely fall displays
through Wears Valley.
We decided to go
leaf-looking in the
Smoky Park.
The leaves were at
their color peak this
weekend.
Unfortunately, someone
let out the secret about
the leaf color, so other
people came too.
I asked Rick to drive
his truck so Martha
could see how good a
ton dually diesel rides
- hint, hint.
The leaves along
Little River Road
were fantastic.
The weather was
perfect and the sky
made a fantastic
background for the
fall colors.
The colors were great,
but the traffic was so bad
coming into Gatlinburg,
that we turned around
and came back through
Wears Valley.
Now this has to be the
ultimate self-portrait
as we are driving
down the highway!
Martha and Sissie
shoot each other!
Old and new friends!
Thanks to Sissie Shelton for sharing
her photos for this page.  Martha and I
have met our match in being a
shoot-first and ask questions later
photographer!
Terry and Rick on their class
trip to Florida in April, 1973.  
Still crazy after all these years!