Arrived
exhausted in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Went directly to a tourist
information center looking to see if they knew where there was a
hostel or campground. The
woman told me she could get me a free motel room for the
night. I was all for it. After almost 1000 miles of
driving and 2 nights camping I was ready for a stay in a motel.What did
I have to do to get a free night in a motel? I had to look at
a timeshare. A place called "Westgate". She said it
would only take an hour or so and all I had to do was attend.
No strings attached. Free room no matter what. That sounded
easy enough.Well, not
for me. I could be pursuaded to buy "London Bridge" if Lake
Havasu hadn't already bought it! Anyway, I went to the
Westgate timeshare meeting and tour. Convinced it was "a good
deal" I put the $2,000 downpayment on my credit card.I was
invited, along with the other new timeshare buyers, to a sort of
"welcome breakfast".To make a
long story short, when I got home 2 days later, I came to my senses
and cancelled the deal. Westgate credited my credit card for
the amount of the deposit, but charged me for my "free" one night at
the motel and they even charged for paperwork, and the "welcome
breakfast"! |
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Back to
the trip....had a relaxing night in the motel. Camping is OK,
but a nice, soft bed and a room with a shower is really
appreciated. It gave me time to sort through all my garbage
and clean out the car a little bit.Before I
went to bed, I took a walk around Gatlinburg. It seemed like a
safe, little tourist town. The next
day, after my Westgate Resort tour, I drove through the Smoky
mountains. Then found a hostel to spend the night.
