Nearest Airport?

[avdavidw]

Still trying to find a way for me to attend the Nationals.

What's the nearest airport to Pigeon Forge. Knoxville?

David

[funk_drum]

If you can get to Nashville by Friday morning-ish, I'll give you a ride.

[avdavidw]

Only option is a flight leaving Newark after ~7:30pm Friday.

David

[funk_drum]

They yes, knoxville is closer.  Maybe someone from Atlanta is driving up Friday?

[avdavidw]

Knoxville airport is only 30 miles, even closer than I realized.

I may not be out yet.

David

[Z66 BUTCH]

We hope that you can make it David!

[maverick1974]

David,  According to the hotel book, the closest two are Gatlinberg - Pigeon Forge (probably puddle jumpers) and McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville.  Let someone know if you are flying in, I am sure we can get a couple of AVs out there to meet you in style.

[trAVelingman]

The closest airport with commercial passenger service would be Knoxville, TN.  I will be picking a member up there Friday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. 

If we need to make arrangements to get you picked up David, just let us know.  Getting you back to the airport on Sunday is not a problem for me.  I am taking a member back to the airport on Sunday on my way back to Nashville.

[avdavidw]

Unfortunately, it didn't work out.

I weighed a few options for air travel and timewise by the time I got to the airport, to got on the plane, to flew there, to got off the plane to got to the hotel was only going to end up saving about 2 hours over driving.

Getting to the airport was the biggest issue for me. Driving up the NJ Turnpike on a Friday afternoon to the Newark Airport isn't something I'd wish on anyone. The ideal method would have been to take the train from work right to the airport, but then my AV would have been left in the work parking deck, which doesn't allow overnight parking. Getting it home was a problem because the wife is stuck at work because they are expecting to deliver a horse sometime in the next 24 hours.

In the end, the only real sensible option was driving, and I had to weigh the quality of my trip. Leaving after work I'd probably arrive in Pigeon Forge around 2am your time, sleep most of the day Saturday, hang out for a few hours Saturday night and then drive back.

As much as I wanted to come, it just didn't seem worth it for that little amount of quality time.

So hopefully we'll do this again at some point someday.

And some good is coming out of all of this. I'm taking the money from Mr. Smith's wheels that I bought and sold and the money I would have spent on this trip, and have ordered myself some brand new TIS 06 - 22's, which I've wanted since I had my 02 AV.

David