July 2nd - Cumberland Gap

We got up early to start a day of hiking at this amazing, historical spot. The Cumberland Gap was the passage through the Allegheny Mountains, first blazed by buffalo seeking salt and grazing, then by Indians for hunting and trading, later by long hunters like Daniel Boone, who finally blazed a trail that would become the Wilderness Road, connecting North Carolina through Virginia to Kentucky.

We drove up to a Pinnacle Overlook at 2,440 feet elevation. We hiked north a bit on the Ridge Trail before backtracking to the parking lot where we found a trailhead to the Cumberland Gap historical marker some 800 feet below. From there we saw the Daniel Boone Trail monument a few feet away and signs to the Tri State Marker where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia all meet at one point. It's a 1.6-mile up and back trail, climbing 400 feet. Our cumulative walking distance was about 7 miles and about 2,000 feet of elevation. It started raining about 20 minutes before we finished. 

It was really pouring by the time we returned to the trailer. We put the dogs inside and headed down to the quaint town of Cumberland Gap, TN, founded in 1890. A ranger had recommended an excellent restaurant called "Nineteen 19", where we enjoyed tasty IPAs and street tacos, followed by espresso drinks.

We had a rude surprise upon returning to the trailer - our front window had sprung a leak and soaked on edge of our queen-sized bed. We had a few hours of sun following the shower, which allowed us to dry out the linens. Angie used a hair dryer to dry the mattress. We used ever handy duct tape to temporarily seal the outside of the window. When we have a stretch of dry weather, Hank can run a bead of silicon sealant over the top of the window.