Opportunity Knox

Knoxville, Tennessee — 2642.2 miles

Well, maybe not so much: the Professor is still unaware of my existence, and the lovely Tamara K. is otherwise occupied. (I think, though, I caught a glimpse of her about 3:35 Eastern on I-40 westbound, and if she really looks that good, maybe it's better I keep my distance.)

A lot of driving today, but not much actual distance. I spent the morning at the Biltmore, about which more later, and there was a nasty wreck on I-40 west of Asheville which closed the eastbound lanes for about three hours. I was westbound, but I decided I didn't want to deal with it anyway, and dropped down 23 to 74, taking a side trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway, where 45 mph is more than just the law: it's a survival mechanism.

I came back to I-40 about mile 20 and discovered that inasmuch as the trucks can't hold to 50, what with gravity and all, it's pointless to try to keep it at 55. Not that it's any less scary at 70, and if you're in the fast lane, those concrete barriers in the median seem a whole lot closer.

Mixed bag here at the hotel. The chair is too, too short; on the other hand, there's a hot tub. Let's see if I can be inventive after a seven-day slog.

Posted at 3:19 PM to World Tour '07