North Carolina and into Virginia

Packed up the tent this morning and took the the road through the Smokies over into North Carolina. Ironically many of the roads through this area were forged by Auto-clubs in the '20's who wanted somewhere nice to take their new cars and was why the park was created – to protect it from commercialisation, just now it's full of cars! At the state line at the summit of the pass is a car park with lookouts to both states. The think I noticed was the sign at the side announcing that this was a place where people hard the right to carry out their 1st Amendment – the right to free speech – as long as you stood next to the sign you could say anything! The road dropped down the hill through a series of sweeping long downhill runs to eventually open out into the Indian Reservation town of Cherokee, which again was a similar idea to Gatlinburg but with casinos as well. I follwoed a road out not really knowing where I was going stopping for some fuel on the way and eventually picked up the freeway northwards. I pulled off at Johnson City for a coffee and internet at a McDonald's and then carried on the now fairly boring freeway landscape for about another hour or so. I pulled off again for a drink and rest again just over the border into Virginia and as I got out searched in vain for my wallet. I knew I had it at the McDonald's but could not find it at all. So back in the car to retrace my steps back to the McDonald's at Johnson City with that horrible sinking feeling in my stomach; what if it's not there? What would I do now? I only had $5 in my pocket and now with going back wouldn't have enough fuel to get to Washington. Luckily when I got back there, one of the staff had cleaned the tables just after I had left and found it on the floor next to where I was sat. She had remembered my accent and finding the UK driving licence in it put 2 and 2 together had put it in the office. When I got back there looking slightly worried she just smiled and went and got it and said 'is this what your looking for?' Phew! So back onto the road again for the drive north again and I drove back up to Virginia before finding a cheep motel to crash in.