Naturally, everyone else in the car wanted AC or heat so the windows stayed up. I would beg for just some fresh air. All I needed was a little. BTW, there was usually one heavy smoker in the group.
I have heard of a 4WD/Jeep rally that happens up there and want to go one day. I would also like to actually visit the gorge, not just drive through. My grandparents are still in the Murphy area so I would have a place to crash. I also have an aunt up there that makes a top flight pizza.
When we hunted elk we stayed with a sister-in-law of one of my uncles. They were wonderful hosts, but since they were Mormon they did not drink coffee and we were all Lutherans who lived around the coffee pot. She wanted to be a good hostess so she provided the coffee. It was the first attempts at making it and I like strong coffee, but what she made would stand up and bark at you. Funny, that was 45 or so years ago and I remember it like yesterday.
Many, many years ago, my family vacationed at the Lake of the Ozarks. Dad was so proud of the new-fangled air conditioning unit in the car that any time it got above 65 degrees, the windows went up and the air conditioning on. He also chain smoked. Well, the roads were barely paved, and in places only one lane. Up, down, curve, up, curve, down, up.....when we arrived at the resort I bolted from the car and spewed hurl horizontally for 5 feet. Mother was horrified because the owners of the resort were there to greet us. But, I feel your pain. :)