Cape Karen
As the rest of the world (with the exception of the three ravaged southern states) enjoys a vacation and/or cooks out on this Labor Day weekend, we are staying home, doing nothing fun or exciting. It's just another traffic-jammed weekend in good ol' Pigeon Forge. The Parkway (our main road leading out) is now bumper-to-bumper traffic with vacationer's heading home. It looks like the evacuation. And, in a way, it is!
This begins a quieter time of year in an area where 15 million people every year come to enjoy the mountains. I'm looking forward to being able to get to Kroger's to food shop in the normal 15 minutes, instead of it taking me 45 minutes through traffic-clogged roads; and to just take some time to enjoy riding around this pretty area, as a resident.
Oh, we will still have those up-coming busy weekends to contend with, and the huge crowds at the old-car shows that come to town every fall. Our busiest season, surprisingly, is made up of the pre-Christmas crowds. But, at least for a little while, we will be able to move around here more easily.
With the gas prices going through the roof, I am guessing it might be our quietest year yet. When it costs $60.00+ per gas tank, and more to fill up those SUV's and campers, I'm guessing that many will choose to stay closer to home.
I'm hoping it will slow people down a bit on our highways. Speed uses up more gas. In the 70 mph areas, if you do go 70 mph, you feel like you are standing still. Everyone is in such a big hurry today. There are increasing numbers of cars all zooming past each other in a frantic attempt to beat the next guy and get somewhere faster. Why? It's becoming really insane!
We all have stories of the car that we saw weaving in and out of traffic, going around 90 mph, and not a fire in sight. And, there never seems to be any cruisers around at those times either. (If I were doing it, there would be a cruiser on my tail for sure!)
Perhaps this crisis, in spite of its horrific aspects, will have some redeeming qualities - not the least of which might be our goverment learning from their slow-response mistakes in time for the next unexpected event. Maybe, it will even slow us all down long enough to think things through.
When we wanted speed, we couldn't find it - and when we want to slow down on the highways, we feel like fools.
What a strange world!
Posted by Karen at September 5, 2005 12:45 PM