Day 31 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Sunday June 1st, day 31 of our 2025 summer adventure. Tim & Debbie offered to cook us a pancake breakfast this morning. We all contributed something and it all was delicious! Especially the blueberry pancakes!

We all booked the Redneck Comedy Bus Tour in Pigeon Forge for our adventure today. We left the campground and headed to where we were meeting the bus. We were told that this ain’t your average bus tour! This camouflage school bus, proudly adorned with bull horns, now a comedy club on wheels, is almost entertainment enough. 

We learned the difference between a hillbilly and a redneck? As well as the difference between Mountain Dew, White Lightning and Moonshine? 

Maybe it’s the mullets, could be the moonshine or maybe these folks just have a genuine knack for making people laugh!

We did hoot n’ holler. But we never did bust-a-gut. 

After, we enjoyed a 30-minute rest stop at the Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler and our complimentary VIP moonshine tasting to whet our whistle at the distillery, we were happier than a tornado in a trailer park.

We did stop at the overlook and dependin’ on your eyesight, some real purdy scenery, historical landmarks, and maybe some famous or infamous folks hiding in them there hills.

We came back to the campground and relaxed for a bit before dinner. We got reservations for 10 at Harpoon Harry's at 5:30 pm on a Sunday night! Score! It is Gaby & Milt's last night with the group. Tomorrow they head back into NC to see the Biltmore and then onto Gaby's Dad's place.

The restaurant was quiet, but our conversation was lively and the food was good. Fletcher was our waiter and he did a great job, once he got the fans turned off!

Let me tell you a bit of history about Harpoon Harry's. It opened in April 2015, just over 10 years ago. It's located in the former Mandarin House which closed in 2011. Transforming the old Chinese restaurant into a world class seafood restaurant was no easy undertaking and an expensive venture. By the time they remodeled the restaurant and build on the addition, they had more than $3 million invested. The wood used on the interior is cut from the owner, Ron Evans’, property on Walden’s Creek Road in Pigeon Forge.  I did not get any pictures, but a professional carver, Randy Boni, has crafted out more than 60 wood carvings that adorn the interior of the restaurant. The custom made tables are thick planks joined them together to create a table top that sits atop wooden logs in keeping with the local mountain theme.

The restaurant seats 650 diners. The restaurant will has more than 26,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining space. The location for this restaurant has had a history of failure for other restaurateurs. 

Since 2007, four restaurants have failed at the same location. Evans, a Vietnam War veteran, has 35 years of success in the restaurant business and is confident of success. Since the have been here for 10-years, I think they broke that curse!

We ended the night as we have done many nights before, sitting around enjoying each others company. 

We all paid $1 on recreation.gov to try and win a car pass into the Annual Firefly Viewing Lottery in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. None of us were successful, so one made an appearance at the campsite tonight! Fireflies, often referred to as lightning bugs, are fascinating beetles with many having the unique ability to light up their abdomens. The enchanting flash of a firefly serves a vital purpose: attracting a mate. Each species of firefly possesses a unique flash pattern that plays a crucial role in their mating display. These distinct light patterns help male and female fireflies of the same species identify one another. Most species emit a greenish-yellow light, but some species showcase more of a blue or white hue. Typically, males flash while in flight, while females—often perched on the forest floor—respond from below.

Gary, Sheryl, Tim, Debbie, Charlie and I have a big move tomorrow too! We move 1.2 miles to another campground. It's a left, right and left. We are hoping that no one gets lost! Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!