Flat Tire in Tennesee

We left the Mammoth Cave area this morning and were driving south on I-65 when we saw a Camping World sign. That's kind of like a magnet for RVers like us, so we turned off the interstate to get a couple of things on our shopping list. Somewhere north of $100 later we emerged with a new aluminum folding step to replace the wooden one that has served us well but has been deteriorating. We also got a new silicone lube disk for the king pin and an atlas cover to protect our truckers atlas (essential for finding truck routes and low clearances) and a couple of other things.

At Nashville we turned onto I-40 west and headed for Jackson, TN, where we had reservations, but a few miles down the road a car pulling a travel trailer honked, flashed lights, and pointed, making it obvious that we had a problem. We pulled off at the next exit, about 1/4 mile up the road and came to a stop on the edge of the ramp. The problem was immediately obvious: we had a flat tire on the curb side, so we called our emergency road service

They contacted a facility in Nashville and told us to expect help in about 1 hour 15 minutes. A lady from the repair facility called us to discuss our options. She didn't want to send her husband out on a long trip unnecessarily, and she told us that right at the end of the ramp we were on was a truck tire shop. We walked down and talked with the folks there and came to the conclusion that it would be better to pay for the work ourselves and get back on the road quicker.

An hour after our first phone call, we were back on the road, with our spare mounted in place of the ruined tire and a good looking used tire for a spare, all for under $50, so all in all we are considering ourselves lucky.

By the time we arrived at our campsite at 6 p.m., it was beginning to get dark and we were ready to be home. We were fortunate to be able to set up before the forecast rainfall. It's nice to be snug and cozy inside when it's raining outside (only, heck, just remembered I have to take Sweetie out.)

Sweetie looks rather skeptical about her raincoat

We plan to come back to Kentucky and Tennessee another time when we have more time to stop. Our friends Jack and Jill recommended a tour of the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, KY, and we'd like to explore the Land Between the Lakes and check out the country music scene in Tennessee..... So much to see and do--so little time.

We have a long travel day tomorrow, nearly 300 miles to Arkadelphia. That's more than we usually like to travel, but we need to get to the State Inspection Station in Texarkana before noon on Saturday. We've been out of Texas since mid-February, and our stickers expired the end of March, so we have to get them renewed as soon as possible after crossing the Texas state line.