Vacation - day 5 (myrtle beach, sc to bryson city, nc)

This morning we left Myrtle Beach around 9:30 am and headed to Bryson City, North Carolina to attend Jane's niece Allison's wedding. It is at the Land's Creek Resort in the Smoky Mountains. We rented a cabin - the Owl's Roost - as did Jane's brothers Terry, John, Mark, and Allison's sister and brother (and everyone's families) and some of her husband-to-be's family and friends. Our cabin is up the hill and adjacent to Jane's brother Marks. This is a pic of it with our Focus parked outside.

It took us about 6 hours and 45 minutes to get here (372 miles). Google said it would only be 6:15. Traffic was pretty heavy the whole way, and it rained for a little bit just as we got to the Smoky Mountain Expressway. I think we took route 501 from Myrtle Beach, to rt. 76, to I-20, to I-26, to I-40, to the Smoky Mountain Expressway, to exit 67 into Bryson City. Once we neared the mountains it was up and down and around and around. I do not like driving in the mountains.

But nothing quite prepared me for the cabin. I guess I am more of a city person than I thought, because I am freaking out a bit. We got off the highway and took these dinky winding roads with 10 mph corners, going up and down hills I wasn't sure our little car could even climb. And that was the highway! Then we turned into the resort and it was even worse!

We arrived at the lodge and couldn't find anybody to check us in. Finally somebody pointed out the guy we needed to talk to. He was a full-of-energy fast-talker, and everything was "cool." He takes us to our cabin, and I literally didn't think our car would make the inclined corner up to it. Mark's car wouldn't make the corner without him stopping and backing up and starting again. And we couldn't get from our parking spot back down without doing the same.

I suppose the cabin is nice, as you can see from this pic, but it smells like a lumber yard; and I just can't handle the smell of wood real well. I hope I can breathe through the night. Anyway, then the guy says, "Well, you're surrounded by however many acres of natural forest, so there are snakes, bears and other wild animals all around. We've only seen a couple bears lately. If you need anything, just give me a call," and he leaves. Wow. That didn't make me feel any better. Out our window is nothing but trees and the side of a mountain. Where the heck is civilization!?! The sky is merely a lid on this cup of blanket green earth. There is no horizon, and no way for me to tell where the heck I am.

It's 5:05 pm, and I'm just trying not to freak out. We have the wedding rehearsal in a half hour or so. Lord, help us.

Tomorrow evening is the wedding, and Sunday we have to be gone by 10 am.