19 May 2023 - Almost Did Not Arrive at Corbin/Laurel Lake KOA KY

 

We came within about a 1/4" of not arriving at Corbin / Laurel Lake KOA in Corbin KY today.  This is the closest serious incident we've had in a very long time.  So here is how it unfolded:

We departed the Holiday Travel Park in Chattanooga TN this morning at 0914 hrs.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning and after pausing in the exit lane of the campground to wash the bugs off the windshield, we headed for I-75, which would be our road for the entire trip today.  Our travels would take us up to Knoxville where we would bypass the city on I-75/I-640 and then continue on north to Corbin KY on I-75.  The entire trip was projected at just 190 miles - a welcome, relatively short day.  

But it does not matter if it is a 50 mile day or a 350 mile day, you have to be 100% focused - all the time.  There is no relaxing.  You are towing a 15,000 lb trailer that is right at 35 ft long, 101 in wide and 13 ft 4 in tall with an 8000 lb truck that is almost 22 ft long.  You have to be constantly scanning - the drivers side mirror, the passenger side mirror, the windshield, the tire pressure monitor system, the GPS, the vehicle speed, the engine temp, the oil pressure, the transmission temp, and on and on.  Then you are watching in the peripheral and you are watching for idiots out front.  Then you are watching the roadway for hazards, pieces of truck tire, pieces of wood, for potholes, not to mention navigating, looking for exits, making sure your tail swing does not impact anything, that your turns are wide enough to clear the tires.  When we get to our destination, I am shot - D.U.N. done.  That is why we never schedule any external events for the travel days.  All I want is to get to our destination safely, with no divorce proceedings, to get checked in and parked, to get set-up and hooked up.  Then I relax with typically a cold beer. That is how we roll.  

So today was not unlike any other travel day.  We motored on up I-75 and we were projecting a stop about half way which would have been just short of Knoxville TN.  We crossed the Highway 321 interchange at Lenoir City TN, 19-1/2 miles southwest of Knoxville on I-75.  At 10:37:37 I was in the righthand lane traveling exactly 58mph, which is near my target of 60mph.  and this is what happened.  My Garmin Dezlcam GPS has a built in dash camera which records all the time.  Watch the silver truck passing me on the left. Would you have expected this, or have been watching for this?   The video plays twice.  Once unedited, and once zoomed in a bit.  Expand this to full screen to watch it:

As you watch the video it appears in slow motion, but it happened so quickly in real life. The driver of that pickup had not secured his load and a 6 ft step ladder came flying out of his truck bed into our travel path.  He was doing approximately 65 mph and I was doing exactly 58 mph as recorded on the bottom of my GPS.  Keep in mind as the ladder departed the bed of his truck it finally struck the ground and then proceeded into our lane of travel.  Friction slowed the ladder slightly but there were literally milliseconds to react.  Do I try to straddle it?  Do I swerve to the left to avoid it as it continues to the right?  Is there a vehicle to my left - can I even swerve to the left?  Even if I do will I even miss it?  Can I swerve to the right quicker than it is travelling to the right and avoid it?  Do I have enough room on the right to miss it without taking the ditch?  So I had very little time to react.  My decision was to swerve right and then watching my left rearview mirror and try to keep the trailer from hitting it.  

Any impact would have likely been catastrophic.  It we had struck the ladder, the truck and the trailer would have likely been severely damaged.  It would have undoubtedly pierced the oil pan, the fuel tank, the DEF tank, or any of the various wiring and hoses beneath. Then it would have tore up the underbelly of the trailer likely destroying the plumbing, electrical, hydraulics, etc.  Luckily we made the right decision swerving to the right and I caught a glimpse in the left rearview mirror as we missed that ladder by a fraction of an inch with the left trailer tires.  I have no idea how I reacted in time. I know I had some help from above on this one.   You don't think about it - you don't have time to think about it, you react with instinct and you pray you make the right decision.

Lastly, damn it, YOU are responsible for your load.  OK, the dude lost a 6 ft Fiberglas step ladder.   Big deal.  You can buy them all day long for $75 bucks at any home store.  But not taking the time to secure your load, that damn step ladder could, at a very minimum, have caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to our truck and trailer, not to mention trashing the remainder of our trip.  Now, what if we would have been on a motorcycle?   That stupid mistake on his part could have killed us.  It would have taken him no more than a minute or so to secure that ladder in the bed of his truck.  People, smarten up!  

The drive overall was really beautiful.  It was clear and sunny and we were fortunate today that we will be able to travel again in a couple days. 

We crossed into Kentucky shortly after noon and headed north just 28 miles to our destination.  

 At 1245 hrs we rolled into Corbin/Laurel Lake KOA after 190 miles and a short 3-1/2 hrs on the road with just one stop to change my shorts LOL - just kidding.  This is top #14 of 42 on our journey.  

This is a nice campground with friendly staff.  They checked me in quickly and escorted us to our site.  There are a lot of trees here but I believe we got one of the only satellite friendly sites they have.  It is pull-through, full hookup.  Water pressure is good.  We are just a stone's throw of the swimming pool which we were warned is not heated!  We have a paved patio with chairs, a table and a fire pit.  

After a late lunch and a break we headed into town to restock on groceries a bit and then we drove down to our REAL reason for stopping here - the Harland Sanders Café and Museum!  Yep, you got it.  Good old Col Sanders!  His original gas station and café where he developed and perfected his "secret recipe" of 11 herbs and spices using a pressure cooker method of preparing his famous chicken.  So on our travels we visited Mount Airey, home of Andy Griffith.  We stopped at Walton Mountain, home of the Waltons of course.  And now Col Sanders.  All American icons!

The site includes his café and gas station, but the motel is gone.  It was quite the complex back in the day.  Harland Sanders was born in Indiana in 1890 and then after serving a stint in the Army, he operated a service station in Kentucky and markets "free air".  In 1930 he moved to Corbin KY and opened his first restaurant, located in front of his Shell gas station.  In 1940 he developed pressure-fried chicken and his secret recipe.  In 1952 Pete Harman became the first franchisee of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  By 1960 there were over 400 restaurants selling his Kentucky Fried Chicken.  He sold the franchise in 1964 and in 1980 he passed away. In 1990 Harland Sander's Café and Museum opened for the centennial of the Colonels birth, September 9th.   

So the café is a KFC plus the museum.  We ordered take-out supper and then strolled through the museum.  It was really awesome!  Some pictures:

You order your food here and then either carry it out, or sit in the museum

The iconic red and white striped KFC uniform from the 1960's-1970's

A weather vane

The café seating area is in the middle of the museum!

Col Sander's kitchen where he developed the process and the secret ingredients

A motel room display - he was OCD on cleanliness and neatness

Memorabilia on display 

Col Sanders' actual suit complete with pins

The vault that contains his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices!

The pressure cooker he used to perfect his chicken

KFC packaging over the years

KFC international

So glad we were able to visit this iconic location and learn about the famous Col Sanders.  Tomorrow is yet to be determined.  We will likely investigate the local water falls.