Day 8 (Unicoi and Knoxville, TN)

Packing was a breeze when you had slept 6 hours the night before. Everything fit in the trunk, it almost looked like Camry had gained some space in the rear (or because we left half the stuff at our hosts' house). We left the central North Carolina only 30 minutes behind the schedule. We had a great week back "home". Thank you McC:s! You may rest now...
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The first pit stop was scheduled in the NC mountain community of Boone. Home for the Appalachian State University, one of the places where I applied for a job last year. We had to make up for the lost time so we changed to a one pit stop strategy and to the medium soft tires (more grip) since it had stopped raining and the sun had come out. We took gasoline for another 2 hours and were on our way in 9.2 seconds due to a speedy pit crew (see picture).
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First stop, Unicoi, was just across the border in Tennessee. We drove through the grand and beautiful Appalachian mountain ranges on some pretty curvy roads. Timo and Laura looked like they had not aged at all, incredible! The secret was their own garden in the backyard, no steroid grown lettuce or additives other than chicken poop. We even ran some quality control on the lettuce and sweet peas that passed with high marks, along with a nice lunch that was timed perfectly for our hungry bellies. We also had a chance to meet the kids for the first time, Janey and Richard. Very loving and sweet siblings who would give you the best bear hugs on the western side of the Appalachians. Wilmer had another chance to get to know his new buddy, the trampoline. After his calf workout it was time to pose for a picture and say good-byes. Too bad we did not have more time allocated for Timo and Laura. Enjoy your vacation!
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Knoxville was quickly found through the interstate, although they closed it off in downtown and made us find our own rest of the way. The tires worked great but the downforce could have been a bit better in turns, I guess the same problem than what Ferrari has been struggling with all season in F1. Another great timing, Andrew and Emily were waiting with pots and pans full of food and table set. We could get used to this kind of service. Another Tennessee miracle, they hadn't aged a bit either. I am starting to question my eyesight or my memory... Andrew even proved his mad physique by dragging me to a tennis court in the middle of the night after all the 4 kids and 2 wives were tucked in their beds. It wasn't just a friendly slap or two on the ball and 45 minutes of heart to heart. It was rather a full blown practise session that produced a nice set of blisters in hands and feet to show to the skeptics!