Becky and I took a short trip to Pigeon Forge, TN yesterday and today. I could only leave Miss Murphy for one night, so that explained our single-night stay. Our primary destination was the Chuckwagon Cookoff at Claybough's Campground. The Cookoff is in its 11th year and this is my third trip there.
Because we weren't pulling a camper like we usually do through this area, Bec and I got off on the Foothills Parkway and took the scenic route over to Gatlinburg, then into Pigeon Forge. It was a beautiful day to be in the Smoky Mountains!
We went straight to the campground, got Splish parked, and commenced our stroll among the chuckwagons. We both noticed that there were more in attendance than two years ago. The breeze was pretty stiff, so campfire and cooking smoke was in the air. But it was sunny and in the 50s, so there was no complaining from us.
We stopped briefly at the first wagon belonging to a blacksmith where we admired his pieces and watched him work. I considered getting one of his small shovels for moving coals around on my Lodge cooking table, but in the end, didn't buy one.
Chicken fried steak, pinto beans, cornbread or biscuit, mashed potatoes, and peach cobbler filled our plates! Becky and I both agreed that the chicken fried steak was much better than what we had in 2016. We had to pick it up to eat it though, because those plastic knives and forks just couldn't handle it.
We don't know who won the competition, but our lunch was worthy of consideration.