Being the Vol fan that I am, little Smokey and I reveled in the 51-10 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina, last weekend. We were the unintentional companions of the Chapman, Wheeler and Grogan families who treated us to a fast-paced, fun-packed weekend.

The crew left for the 2024 Duke’s Mayo Classic game between UT and NC State on Friday in an unscripted caravan of orange and white, meeting with honks and waves all the way to Charlotte.

The morning of the game, the three couples attended the Duke’s Mayo Classic Fanfest located outside Bank of America Stadium where that first part of the day was spent listening to live music, sampling the variety of food and drinks while interacting with fans from both teams.

At midday, the couples ate lunch at the French Quarter Tavern on Church Street where The Monte Cristo sandwich, the Greek salad and jalapeno poppers made with the local peppers were a hit. (My friends the Dining Duo should have been there.)

After a day of play, the group finally got to the 7:30 game at The Bank of America Stadium which Denna Grogan said, “featured a great fan experience, including escalator bays, high-definition video boards above each end zone, vibrant ribbon boards encircling the entire bowl at the club and upper levels.” She also complimented how the stadium staff and volunteers were exceptionally friendly and inviting!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather with perfect temperatures and so many orange and white fans. While there was a good mix of both teams, the Vol fans were definitely the loudest because we had more to cheer about.

Smokey and I had a trip to remember on this one. Here’s hoping we can slide into the Oklahoma game: any “Volunteers?”

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