I thought the road to Gatlinburg would be boring because road construction is never pretty. Last time I drove this road, I was in May on the way to a race. I do believe the same stretch of road is still under construction…with the same one-lane-only.
However, as I was trying not to doze off, I came upon this little piece of rolling dream. The University of Alabama football team equipment truck. 
I may have squealed a little bit. Quietly.
The rest of the interstate ride was non-eventful. The usual discussion over politics, religion, and Alabama football. And discussion about lunch. Part of the fun of traveling is deciding where and what eat. I hate going to the same chain places that we have at home. I want to explore the local favorites. But now I have very strict dietary needs. The very last thing I need while on a trip is to get accidentally glutened. I’m super careful to monitor every bite and wash my hands often. I have found myself getting extremely frustrated by the time I get to a restaurant and nobody wants to be around me. I can usually depend on a plain baked potato, steamed veggies, and a protein with no sauce. Captain D’s has all 3 and we were in a hurry, so we went with what works.
The last 4 hours included traffic, a TON of stores selling items “As Seen on TV”, numerous vehicles proclaiming their allegience to Alabama (Sassy included), more traffic, and the most beautiful variety of colors. As much as I love Colorado, we can only see it in the summer. I have never seen fall colors in elevation like this. I have a ton of pictures to share after I get them all downloaded. For now, it’s time to bundle up and enjoy the night mountain air. 🙂