Well folks, no photos today - you'll have to use your imagination (a certain member of our traveling group - male, so that let's out me & the mesquitos - forgot the power cord to our computer. Yesterday was the last we could use it to upload photos until the power cord arrives in the mail). Anyway... today was a beautiful drive as we continued south through Virginia and into the mountains of North Carolina. We decided to give Tillie a break and take back roads including going to Cripple Creek from a song out of Tillie's youth. The trees are turning color down here too and we were up and over the eastern Continental Divide before we knew what happened.

We knew we were in North Carolina as soon as we saw the sign stating it was a state law to "burn headlights" while wipers are on or riding a motorcycle. We think they drive the same vehicles in NC as those of us in the north, but perhaps their headlights are different. Anyway, Hickory was today's destination as our friends George & Vicki just "retired" here. Vicki is VERY happy to be back in her hometown with family & friends. This evening was spent with some of them at the local German restaurant for their Octoberfest. GREAT food, live music, Octoberfest beer in liter steins, even a man dressed in lederhosen at the next table, and, of course, the chicken dance - lots of fun. No wonder Tillie was so anxious to go south since she's almost all German with maybe a touch of Mexican (some of her replacement parts, we must admit, were NOT made in Germany).