rofl   oh geez    c'mon guys    the 20-somethings will be reading this later so control yourselves eh?   ;)

going over the maps and everyone's suggestions, we'll decide today whether to do the north end of the PKY (Skyline Dr and the caverns) + Grandfather Mountain/Blowing Rock, or the south end (Asheville ie Biltmore wow! looks amazing! ... and Cherokee too) + Grandfather Mntn/Blowing Rock. I don't want to rush this road trip at all, I want to sit back and enjoy so I figured we won't have time for both.   

Either way, we will be near Roanoke at some point so thanks, Ranger Steve for the headsup re traffic there. And for all the pointers about road conditions too - good to know these things in advance. My son has never driven in the mountains before, this'll be a learning experience. He's driving a Nissan Altima, nice sized little car, easy to handle on those roads i bet. Hoping it has a sunroof and REALLY hoping it has a/c (I'm sure it has!)

Mrzzy, if we end up near Charlottesville and time permitting, I"ll pm you (we'll have a laptop if there's internet to be found anywhere!) also Bobert and Janie too when I'm back in Raleigh. Thank you so much .. I luv American friendliness and hospitality!

Hoping its the same at the airport, actually. This is the first time I'll ever need to show my passport to go the US, and I've heard the customs/security people won't cut you any slack whatsoever nowadays. Which is a very good thing, actually. Not complaining!

SRS, good to know that about the weather. So it is like Miami/Ft Lauderdale in July/Aug, with the afternoon thunderstorms and sauna-like conditions. I wondered about that. Apparently Raleigh is different, just hot and humid and lots of rain, but no tropical storms. Must be because the hot wet air masses from the ocean are forced up over the mountains and cool, unloading the excess moisture ... but i'm just guessing ...

anyway I'm leaving tomorrow, today will be a bit hectic as I finish with my students and get this house as well as myself ready but I will, hopefully, have time to check in here again first. Oh I am really looking forward to this!!   Woke up this morning with an old song playin in my head

The niiiighhht .... they drove ole Dixie down   ....

but i said to myself, Self - that's probably geographically incorrect! So I changed it, now I'm hearin

Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morrrrrrning ....

Whoo-hooo!   take me home country roads .... thanks again everyone you're wunnerful! will bbl

daylia