Experiencing America > Trip Year 2022 > Mountains, the Carolinas, and the Colonel > Day 4
Day FOUR...
Thursday, March 31st, 2022
Day Four was the start of a travel day back north. Unlike the first day where we transverse the entire length from home base to East Tennessee. Today we will be going from East Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky. Just like virtually everyone of our journey's, we are not planning on taking the most direct course between Point A and Point B. The path for this day was to go through the Cumberland Gap. Between Kodak, Tennessee and the Cumberland Gap, we came across the Veterans Overlook. This is along U.S. 25E/Tennessee 32, on the northside of the Cherokee Reservoir. Just a bit north of the Veterans Overlook, in the town of Tazewell, we came across and old Gulf service station set-up on an old alignment of U.S. 25E. This is reminiscent of what is found up and down U.S. 66.
Looking at the memorial.
Looking south from the overlook.
An old Gulf service station in Tazewell.
The drive from Interstate 81 to Cumberland Gap, along U.S. 25E as a gentle winding highway built for convenient transportation of passengers and goods in the area. Most of the sections have been upgraded over the years, and provide a great drive through the mountain side. Once at Cumberland Gap, the amount of the times crossing between Tennessee, and Kentucky, Kentucky and Virginia, and Virginia and Tennessee were to many to count. This is since all three states meet at the gap. The first stop was the visitors center of the Cumberland Gap National Park, which is in Kentucky.
Back to State #4!!....Kentucky...
NB U.S. 25E at the Kentucky Welcome Sign.
From the visitors center, it was up to the top of the gap to over look it. In walking from the parking lot at the top of the mountain, to the overlook, we crosses into and out of Virginia from Kentucky.
The sign for the national park.
Looking south-southeast into Tennessee from the top of the gap.
Looking straight down at the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.
Looking west at Middlesboro, Kentucky.
Looking straight south into Tennessee from the top of the gap.
After being at the top of the gap, we headed back down and through the tunnel into Tennessee.
Back to State #5!!...Tennessee...
SB U.S. 25E/TN 32 at the Tennessee Welcome Sign.
Just after we cleared the ramps of the U.S. 25E/58 interchange at Cumberland Gap, TN we were instructed by a trip advisor to pull off the road to the shoulder and look to the west-northwest. This view gave us a clear view of the gap from ground level.
Now to State #8!!...Virginia...
EB U.S. 58 at the Virginia Welcome Sign.
Our time in the Commonwealth of Virginia was short. It was more-or-less just to say we also went to Virginia on this trip. When we are that close to another state, history shows we are crossing. One stop we made was to go into Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. Just like described above there were many crossing between Virginia and Tennessee, as the road from U.S. 58, and the town curves back and forth across the state line.
Back to State #5!!...Tennessee...
WB U.S. 58 at the Tennessee Welcome Sign.
This visit into Tennessee was brief as just after the state line crossing on U.S. 58, is the interchange with U.S. 25E, which feeds directly into the Cumberland Gap Tunnel that exits you into Kentucky.
Back to State #4!!...Kentucky...
Leaving Cumberland Gap we got into Middlesboro, Kentucky. This small little town does provide us with one of the road-trip requirements. This one was requirement is an easy one to cross off while in Kentucky; a Kentucky Fried Chicken sign with a bucket.
A KFC in Middlesboro, KY.
Just like on the Tennessee side, U.S. 25E is a gentle drive after years of being upgraded for better transportation through the Cumberland Valley. This drive took us into Corbin. Corbin being the said birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thus, we found the sights and the to be seen within Corbin. The museum at the "original" KFC was closed unfortunately at the time we passed through.
A banner on a light pole in Corbin.
A statue in Downtown Corbin of Col. Sanders.
The original KFC.
The sign at the original KFC.
The building of the site.
A gas pump display at the site.
A sign at the entrance to the parking lot.
A sign at the street corner.
A painting on the building at the site.
Just across the street from the original KFC site is a used car lot that checked off another road-trip requirement. That being cartoon character/comic book figure. This used car lot gave us "Mater" from the Cars movie franchisee, and Ecto 1 from the Ghostbuster movie franchisee.
The cars in Corbin.
After a drive around Corbin, and seeing some of what there is to see, we head onto Interstate 75, and work north to Interstate 64, and to Louisville. This is the stopping point for the night. The last leg of the trip, for the next day.
Day FIVE