What a delightful day! Traveling through the National Forest, we met a high school friend in Franklin, TN for lunch. She recommended a little cafe by the name of Caffe Rell, located at the HotSpot gas station. Now, my experience with gas station food is well, adequate at most. But she said, don’t pay attention to the outside. What’s on the inside is a nice surprise! And she was right. When we stepped into this quaint little cafe, it was as pretty as any European cafe I have seen a picture of (because in reality, I have never been to Europe). It had a delightful ambiance, and one could see from the patron’s faces, that they liked this restaurant. It was small so there was a wait. But it was well worth the wait. Everything was made fresh on the premises, and the owner/chef met us at the door, showing great pride in his cafe. My friend, Judy, suggested the Shrimp Grits. Now I have never had Shrimp Grits, and am not a huge fan of grits, but I love to try new things and I took her word for it. After all, she was right about the cafe. Let me tell you, I would drive to Franklin, TN again just for the Shrimp Grits. They were delectable! And the conversation was even better. I have not seen Judy since high school (you can do the math!) and we actually connected on Facebook. Judy, unlike the cafe, is beautiful both on the inside and the outside. We had a fantastic conversation, and my my husband chuckled as he listened to us tell about the last 40 years of our lives. It was kind of amazing that God had us on similar paths. I was so glad we took the time to sit and talk with one another and share our journeys. And I am sure it will not be 40 years before we cross paths again! Thanks Judy for a beautiful afternoon.
After leaving Franklin, we ran into the first rain of our trip ….. and reduced temperatures. By the time we arrived in Gatlinburg, I was looking for my sweater.
Then we made a connection with our dear friends, Steve and Christy, who drove down to Pigeon Forge for dinner. Of course, it was the Old Mill, an old favorite. Unfortunately, our picture did not turn out, but the memory of the company of there. Here is a picture of me with their very sweet, very pretty 12 year old Kaylyn.
So, on Day 7 of our trip, I say THANK YOU GOD for old friends and new friends. THANK YOU for delectable food to eat, and most of all, THANK YOU for my dear husband who got us here safely through the rain in the forest.
Looking forward to some fun in Pigeon Forge tomorrow.