cross country drive Los Angeles to Raleigh NC...in July

I-70 is a more scenic drive, but if you take I-40 you can take a short detour through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After reading the following review from RoadsideAmerica.com, I felt like I had to take the side trip to drive through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge:

Pigeon Forge and sister tourist-trap-town Gatlinburg sparkle like junk jewels on a necklace choking Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Mini-mecca Cherokee applies torque from the North Carolina side). Sheer statistical density hampers any attempt to assess this mecca cluster (as with super-stuffed Wisconsin Dells and Branson). A hundred attractions crush your sense of proportion and dignity.

I love touristy kitsch, so it was worth it to take pictures of my car in front of Dollywood after admiring the more tasteful views of the National Park to the south.