Welcome to Roanoke, Va!

Today was quite an ordeal. First I underestimated how difficult driving backroads through the Smokies would be. I averaged about 40mph for the better part of two hours. Included in this is a stretch of US19E which may be the twistiest road I've ever been on. I don't think I ever got about 40mph. Then at the end of this stretch where I should have turned right, I turned left and ended up in Tennessee. The Volunteer state was not on the internary. A fortunate by-product of this error was getting to see Bristol Motor Speedway. More about that later.

Then I made a huge tactical error. My original plan was drive to Roanoke but with my extra 50 miles of driving I decided to take the first hotel I found. Just outside Blacksburg. When I stopped in Bristol for gas and saw a young girl with a VW Beetle packed to the gills I should have foreseen my doom. This is the weekend the Virginia Tech students are moving in. Fortunately, Roanoke was only 35 miles further and there were rooms.

So I ended up at my original destination anyway. But now I've discovered I forget my USB for my camera. So no pictures unless I can find one tonight. Now time for some exploring. Back later with more. And hopefully pictures.

UPDATE: A few observations. Roanoke appears to be a town that has seen better times. Do not trust Google maps. Directions to the mall led me straight downtown which eerily like Atlanta seems to be a ghost town after 8:00pm. But I managed to find a Best Buy and paid an outrageous sum for a USB cable, so pictures are now up. See below.