When begin our journey in late October to cover the 2000+ miles between our MN home and our Florida Keys home, with stops in Kentucky and the Blue Ridge Mountains areas of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia and then 2 night stop in DeLand in central Florida.
The first leg was a days drive to overnight in Peoria IL. The next day we stopped to visit a friend in Bardstown Ky and overnighted in London, KY. It rained the entire 1st two days of driving. Day 3 started with a drive through the Cumberland Gap, with a 3 state overlook that was shrouded in fog. We continued on toward Asheville NC and entered the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fall Colors were near peak. We exited the Parkway on Hwy 276 for a spectacular drive down to Brevard NC to overnight at the Hampton Inn. Day 4 was a trip south of Brevard to DuPont State Park in SC for a nice hike to waterfalls, then back to the Blue Ridge Parkway, turning west an exiting on US 74 heading toward Sylva and then south through Cashiers to overnight at the Hampton in Sapphire NC. Very scenic drives. Day 5 we headed west back through Cashiers on a scenic drive through the Blue Ridge Mtns in north Georgia. We stopped for lunch in the Bavarian town of Helen Georgia, then on to Brasstown Bald, a mountaintop overlook near Blairsville Ge. Next stop was Vogel State Park and then on to Blue Ridge for an overnight at the Comfort Suites. Day 6 was driving down through Altanta and on to a 2 day stay at the Hontoon Landing Resort on the St. Johns river near DeLand Fl. Our 3rd year of stopping at this quiet resort where we rent a pontoon and explore the river. Day 8 we drive to our home in the Florida Keys.
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