EagleMoon.net Journals

Journals: Week 1 (April 16-22, 2007)

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DAY 1: Monday, April 16, 2007 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Our first day on the big trip. We decided to take the Pennsylvania route to Baltimore, MD to stay with my aunt and uncle (Marsha and Elliot), and to pick up a Coleman stove for our camping adventures to come (only to find out that said stove was bought in the 60s and looked the part!). Though we bypassed the predictable New York City traffic and the equally predictable I-95 highway, we did run into a rough-and-tumble snow storm as we crossed New York into Pennsylvania from I-84 to I-81. We left my dad's place in Connecticut at about 11:30am in the rain (it had been raining non-stop for two day's straight-a storm affecting much of New England). It was about 42 degrees Fahrenheit. Minivan full of our stuff, bikes on the rack on the back, and a quarter tank of gas and we were on our way. After filling up the tank, we made our way to Baltimore - 400+ miles on the one tank (which is now empty). From 42 degrees, the temperature dropped to 31 at its lowest in about 30 minutes as we drove into Pennsylvania during the snow storm. By the time we reached southeastern PA, the temp has risen back to about 41, the snow had turned to rain which had begun to drizzle out, and the sun was making its cameo appearance for the day. All in all, a relatively uneventful ride, only stopping once for a quick bathroom break and snack. The plan for tomorrow is to see my cousin Scott in Columbia, MD, then head out to West Virginia, the specifics of which are escaping me right now. Until then... ~J

DAY 2: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (Elkins, West Virginia)

On the first night of our trip, we stayed with Jonathan’s Aunt Marsha and Uncle Elliot in Baltimore. They live on the inner harbor in a beautiful high rise apartment building. The view from their windows is amazing day or night, despite the cloudy weather (see pictures). They fed us and kept us warm and dry (and out of a tent!). Aunt Marsha took us to pick up a few items at Wal-Mart and Whole Foods and we were off to Columbia to visit Jonathan’s cousin Scott, whom he hasn’t seen in quite a while (and I met for the very first time!). Scott was kind enough to treat us to lunch at Sushi King and showed us around at his office where we met some more nice folks. Then it was off to West Virginia. We stopped to fill up the tank as well as to purchase our dollar scratch ticket for the day (thanks to Mike Fox’s suggestion that we buy one every time we stop for gas) and won three bucks! Thanks Mike! With our winnings, we drove south around D.C. and into Virginia, then West Virginia via routes 66 and 55. Route 55 West through VA and W VA is also known as the Canaan Valley Byway. It meanders through beautiful farm country that lasts for miles before it climbs high into the Allegheny Mountains. (Who knew West Virginia was known as “The Mountain State?” Not me!). West Virginia is home to Seneca Rocks (a lovely natural rock formation which we plan to explore tomorrow- perhaps on horseback if it’s not too pricey). The state is really scenic. The grass is that vibrant shade of Spring-is-finally-here green. The forsythia is already blooming, as are daffodils and some very pretty purple flowered trees. We had ample opportunity to take pictures of cows, sheep, the Potomac River, vultures, and the snow capped mountains. Since it’s still too cold to camp, we are “roughing it” at a Super 8. They have free high speed internet, HBO and a complimentary continental breakfast- not too shabby! Tomorrow, we’ll explore more of this area and then head south to Virginia taking the highly touted Skyline Drive- home to Shenandoah National Park. Then we’ll venture through the Blue Ridge Parkway into North Carolina. It will be Jonathan’s turn to write tomorrow, so you’ll hear more about that later. That’s all for now ~ hopefully everyone reading this is well. We really appreciate your supportive and encouraging emails ~ keep checking in when you get the chance! ~E

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DAY 3: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 (Elkins, West Virginia)

Today was really a non-travel day. We went back to Seneca Rocks, about a half hour from our hotel in Elkins, back across the Allegheny Mountains (that reach about 3200 feet above sea level, enough to make our ears pop there and back). This particular stretch of highway is very scenic, enough to make it one of the highlights in National Geographic's Scenic Highways and Byways book. Without knowing the particulars of the area, we stopped in a local country store to get some info - we just missed a scheduled horseback ride up the mountain, but it was just as well; we were able to save some money, exercise a little by hiking up the mountain, and meet a fellow New Englander along the path to the top. It was still mostly cloudy, about 50 degrees, though the sun appeared at various times throughout the day. Just at the base of the mountain was a bridge from the parking lot to the mountain over the Potomac river. There were hardly any people around, and as we crossed the bridge, all we could hear was the river doing it's thing. Very calming. Listening to the sounds of streaming rivers on CD to help one relax is one thing, but this was the real deal. On the way up to the top, we met Vicki, who was on vacation with a friend of hers. Retired from being a work-a-holic attorney, she now enjoys the other side of life, one filled with adventures (like "Bike & Barge-ing" in Europe), kayaking, and climbing treacherous mountains like Seneca Rocks! Truly an inspiration to the likes of us, who would like more of these kinds of adventures in our lives. She also mentioned that she's got some friends who are doing a cross-country road trip for 2 years and are about 6 months into it. Now that's livin'! (Nice meeting you Vicki.) We got back to home base in Elkins where we ate at a local restaurant that you wouldn't think was vegetarian-friendly, but had a very fine salad bar for Elena (and plenty of meat and potatoes at the all-you-can-eat buffet for me!). And what would a trip to West Virginia be like if we didn't visit the local Wal-Mart?! (I don't know what kind of hold Wal-Mart has on me, but this has GOT to stop!). Anyway, that's all for today. Tomorrow, we're planning on the Skyline Drive through Virginia. Until then... ~J

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DAY 4: Thursday, April 19, 2007 (Harrisonburg, VA)

It has started happening: Jonathan and I keep asking each other what day it is. Isn’t that the beauty of traveling? Everything else just melts as you drift away from the “real world” and into the illusion of life on vacation. Today Jonathan and I drifted into Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park along the spectacular Skyline Drive (one of National Geographic’s top 200 U.S. scenic byways). Shenandoah means “daughter of the stars”. Skyline Drive is located in the upper west corner of Virginia and spans 105 miles from north to south. To the East and West you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance (they are delicious shades of deep velvety blue and smoky lavender). This road has only two lanes and winds through the entire national park. It takes four hours to drive straight through- and even longer if you stop to get out at the scenic overpasses, or to hike part of the Appalachian Trail (as we did), or to scout out waterfalls or the perfect picnic spot. Deer ABOUND on this route- they are everywhere, and not at all afraid of cars!! We also saw a wild turkey and other birds native to the area (red tail hawks, ravens and turkey vultures). We were not lucky enough to see the black bears or their cubs just yet- they are still waking up from their long winter hibernation, and won’t make it to this part of the park until later in the spring. We also apparently missed out on the vast variety of flowers and vegetation this area will offer once everything starts blooming in the mountains. But the lack of leaves on trees did give us a better view of the vistas overlooking the Blue Ridge. It was a beautiful drive, and tomorrow we might finish it (we got off about ¾ of the way down because it was getting late, we were hungry, and we didn’t want to hit any deer after dark). If we do go back tomorrow, we can check out Hawksbill Mountain which has trails leading up to a 4,050 foot summit and six waterfalls! If not, we may just keep heading south to North Carolina through the captivating Blue Ridge Mountains we saw from a distance today. There is so much beauty to see in every state. Hopefully those of you reading along at home can feel like you are a part of the journey, too. You are with us in spirit for sure, and we are thinking about you! Take care. ~E

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DAY 5: Friday, April 20, 2007 (Hillsville, VA)

So we get to the Best Western last night in Harrisonburg, VA, a city that apparently has everything a consumer might want (most major chains like Chili’s, Best Buy, Panera Breads, etc.). When registering, the very nice woman told us our room was on the other side of the building, the side facing the Wal-Mart! I can’t get away from this juggernaut! Needless to say (need I really say it?!), we did stop by the next morning to pick up some fruit and veggies for the trip… and I loved it!!! (There, I said it.)

As we started our day, we cut across I-81 to I-64 and headed to where the Skyline Drive ends and the Blue Ridge Parkway begins, a similarly scenic drive as yesterday, this time across the Blue Ridge Mountains. One difference, however, was that today was our first clear and sunny day since beginning our trip 5 days ago, with temperatures getting as high as 67(F) at some points of the day. Not quite as many deer along this drive as yesterday (we only saw one today), but plenty, if not more, spectacular views. The Blue Ridge Parkway spans most of the length of Virginia, then into North Carolina towards Ashville. When we planned our day, we thought, “Maybe we’ll make it to Ashville and spend the night there.” So naïve. Traveling at 45 mph on a two-lane winding road with overlooks to stop at every 10 minutes or so, we barely made it ½ way down the parkway before getting off at Route 8 at Floyd, VA, then driving south on Route 221 until we hit Hillsville, VA (which is where we decided to rest our heads).

Somehow, the universe seems to want to keep us connected with the New England area; this time, Connecticut. While parked at a stop (“The Old Logging Railroad,” that also had a nice waterfall) along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we happened to meet the only other people parked at this stop, a nice couple from Wallingford, CT. Go figure. Barbara is a teacher in New Haven; she and her husband have been doing an annual driving trip during her April vacation since their honeymoon 40 years ago! (I honestly would not have guessed they were old enough to have had their honeymoon 40 years ago. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask their permission to put their picture on our website, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.) They were driving from Memphis, TN (which they highly recommended for its music and food, specifically a band called Two Weeks Notis who play on Beale [sp?] Street) back to Connecticut, and seemed enthusiastic and supportive of our little jaunt across the country.

Hours later as we continued our drive along the parkway, we saw in the distance several police cars on both sides of the road, and police men in the middle. What I first thought was some sort of security check, turned out to be a DUI/sobriety check. At this point, Elena was driving; it’s a good thing we decided not to have our regular vodka lunch today! (Just kidding mom!) When we stopped, the policeman commented about our CT license plates and asked Elena a question or two. When they said we were all set, Elena steps on the gas, and nothing! Apparently, she had put it in park – good thing they already cleared us as sober!

When we made it to Hillsville, VA, we didn’t know where we would be staying, and had actually planned on picking up I-77 south into North Carolina, possibly into Mount Airy, which looked like a bigger city and likely had more amenities for us to choose from (our drive today saw mostly farm country with few choices for overnight stays). However, a few miles before I-77, we came across the Knob Hill Motor Lodge, a small but seemingly quaint motel we decided to check out (the AAA-approved sign out front didn’t hurt either). Inside we met C.H. (you’d never guess what they stand for), who, now in his 80’s, has owned the motel with his wife for about 30 years. (He made some reference about us “getting caught” in this part of the country, because why else would we, or anyone else for that matter, be in this neck of the woods, in Hillsville, VA!?) With lots of pictures and memorabilia adorning the walls of the office (which is part of their house that they tore down years ago and rebuilt to better suit their needs), C.H. pointed to his hat that read, “U.S.S. Cole” (for those who watch the news, which I rarely do anymore, this is the Navy ship that recently had a bombing incident overseas that killed about 40 men).

C.H. then asked us our opinion about the current war in Iraq and our involvement in it. He must have sensed my hesitation about answering an obviously controversial question with a complete stranger, a stranger who just happened to hold the key to our future success (in getting a good night’s sleep anyway). So after a little dancing on my part, more prompting by C.H. meant I couldn’t NOT speak my opinion. I told him I thought we should be bringing the troops home; he agreed without hesitation. After a brief continued discussion about it, C.H. commented that people don’t speak their mind anymore, that they’re afraid to. I asked him what he would have said or done had I told him we ought to be sending MORE troops over there. He nonchalantly said he simply would have disagreed. (So much for my naïve fantasy that, had our opinions differed, he would have brandished his shotgun, forcing us to run serpentine back to our minivan, and forever regret stopping at a local motel for the night.) Instead, he told us about his family, some of his history, good and bad, and gave us a key to our room (a room that might be considered to be from the 70s, but clean, comfortable, and quiet, not to mention cheaper than most other places we might have stayed).

Next, we headed to the Hillsville Family Fish House (one of the places C.H. told us about). We decided on this place because Elena wanted to eat healthier than she thought she could at the next-door Mexican place or the local Pizza Hut down the street. Despite her good intentions, she decided to overlook the broiled fish section of the menu and order the deep dried shrimp plate (which she eventually traded half with me for my broiled red snapper, which was very peppery, but good). We were also introduced to the appetizer they bring right when you sit down (not unlike chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant). Anyone guess what it was? You guessed it – hush puppies! Deep fried cornmeal, with small containers of Country Crock spread to go with it. Delicious, if not exactly the top choice for a healthy diet (you probably can’t consider the corn part of this food your vegetable serving for the day).

Our server, a charming young man named Remington Cole (first and middle name), said most people who visit from up north don’t really know about hush puppies. Guess we weren’t any different. Turns out Remington (whose parents tell him he was either named for the gun or for the steel company), is a first-year student at Virginia Tech and was in class from 9-10a.m. this past Monday, the morning of the shootings. (V.T. is about an hour and a half away in Blacksburg; Remington comes home to Hillsville for the weekends.) He was able to get out safely that day, and he didn’t know anyone who was killed. He was one of the last few people to get into the basketball arena the next day when President Bush came to speak. Remington was a most personable person who had quite a positive disposition and seemed to really be enjoying his life. He told us he’s even going to Greece in the near future as part of a school’s agricultural program. Not bad!

At this point, we still haven’t decided what we’re doing tomorrow. Guess you’ll know when we know (okay, maybe you’ll know a little after we know, you know?). Until then… ~J

PS: C.H. stands for Custis Harmon, his first and middle name. Did you guess it?

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DAY 6: Saturday, April 21, 2007 (Waynesville, NC)

Although today was the most beautiful and temperate day of our trip so far (77 degrees, sunny and gorgeous!!) we spent most of the day driving, driving and more driving. We thought there really wouldn’t be much to write today, but this turned out to be one of the most fun and interesting days of the trip yet! We decided to keep heading south into North Carolina this morning- with no clear idea of where we would stay or what we would do. Jonathan found a little place called Waynesville on the Atlas and decided we should stop there, basically because it would put us closer to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (where we’ll be exploring tomorrow) and also because he found a great rate at The Lodge of Waynesville. That’s my navigatin’ man!! We settled in and decided to check out a local restaurant called Bogart’s based on the hotel staff’s suggestion. Bogart’s was reasonably priced and had delicious “sweet tea”, which Jonathan and I gulped down happily. Our waitress was as nice as can be- all the folks down here seem to be super friendly ~ as you have undoubtedly heard about Southerners. Well, apparently it’s true.

Bogart’s was located on Main Street- a really quaint street with lots of art galleries and shops. We decided to step into a local book store, Osondu Booksellers, and were delighted to find that the owners (Scott and Margaret Osondu) are (you guessed it!) New Englanders!! They “transplanted” here from Massachusetts to open their book store on a lark. They told us there would be a tea tasting party later this evening, so of course we decided to attend. We sampled many flavors of organic loose leaf teas from Japan, delicious home made truffles infused with the teas, and other goodies. I even won a raffle prize- a bag of loose leaf “Iron Goddess” oolong tea. We mingled with two couples (Linda and Roger, and Mike and Janet) at the next table who offered some great suggestions for local places to eat, hike and explore. Tomorrow we’ll take them up on their recommendations to visit Water Rock Knob after we hike through the Smoky Mountains. Monday, we’ll likely visit Joey’s Pancake House and Highland, which offers huge waterfalls and great hiking trails. Thanks for your advice!!

We’re looking forward to heading further south, as the weather continues to get nicer and the trees greener. Soon enough we’ll be camping, too! Peace and blessings to all our family and friends! ~E

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DAY 7: Sunday, April 22, 2007 (Waynesville, NC)

I swear I’m not trying to seek them out, but Wal-Mart’s powerful magnetic draw is apparently undeniable. (I might need help.)

Based on the recommendation of Linda, Roger, Mike, and Janet from the tea party last night, we found our way to Joey’s Pancake House. The place was packed and ran like a well-oiled machine, yet not at the expense of hospitality and kindness. If anyone has ever seen the movie “Defending Your Life” (with Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep), you may remember the scene in the restaurant (in the “holding place” before going to heaven), where they ordered elaborate meals, then received their meals in less than 10 seconds. The experience at Joey’s was similar – I’m not exaggerating when I say our meals where in front of us within 5 minutes of ordering. A well-oiled machine indeed! And the food was good too! Thumbs up for Joey’s Pancake House in Waynesville, NC.

We then headed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a hike or two. We started at Clingmans Dome. We were told it was a steep ½ mile hike to a lookout tower that was to have tremendous 360-degree panoramic views of the mountains, especially on clear days, such as it was today (60s, cool, sunny, breezy – just about as perfect a day as we could have for our hikes). They key word in this previous sentence is “steep.”

The lookout tower is 6,643 feet above sea level, the highest point in the park. For those who know me, you know that my exercise regimen in recent months (okay, years) has been inconsistent at best, and negligent at worst. As such, my hike to the top of Clingmans Dome – only a half-mile, mind you – was peppered with multiple rests as my breathing turned into wheezing turned into gasping turned into begging for rest. Elena, kind soul that she is, always obliged. (I didn’t feel so bad as there were plenty of other wheezers and gaspers parked along the sides of the path – most of them in their 80’s, but still!) We made it to the top, and my efforts were rewarded with spectacular views and a sense of accomplishment (it doesn’t take much for me to pat myself on my own back). I’m not sure the pictures will do the views justice, but Elena and I did the best we could when we took them.

Little did we know that this little jaunt at Clingmans Dome was just that: little. Our next hike, Chimney Tops, was the real behemoth that challenged our hearts, not to mention our feet! This was a 2-mile hike up a 1,700 foot high mountain (from the start of the trail) – anyone with a knowledge of simple math can figure out what this means: it was hard! It seemed about the same steepness as the path at Clingmans Dome, except 4 times as long and a great deal rockier. Again, I required many rests and water breaks. We were much closer to the nature around us; our views from this path consisted of several small waterfalls, lots of trees (whose leaves sparkled extra-green from the rays of the sun), and a few flying creatures, such as butterflies, birds, and bees. Once we got to the top, we thought we heard a rattlesnake in the distance, but this could not be confirmed. (Not surprisingly, we decided not to pursue confirmation!)

At the top of this mountain was a rock – the “chimney” – that could be climbed another 100 feet or so to the actual summit for an even more spectacular view. However, this was a hand-over-hand climb at a good 50+ degree angle on a mostly sheer surface that seemed to have few places to plant one’s feet for good leverage up. I humbly accepted my place at the base of this rock while Elena forged ahead, making it about ¾ of the way up before her legs started shaking from fear; though knowing she shouldn’t look down, she did, and couldn’t help picturing imminent disaster. (In one of the pictures, you can just make out a figure at the top of the rock – this is a shirtless teenage boy who apparently made it up and back twice! Spider-man’s cousin, maybe?)

We made it back down the mountain, both of us exhausted and dehydrated (two bottles of water didn’t quite cut it as we nearly finished both by the time we got to the top). Now we literally know exactly what it must be like to climb Mt. Everest! (Okay, not literally, and in no way shape or form can we possibly imagine it, except when climbers of Everest get hungry, because we too were hungry!) After a seemingly long drive back to the motel through Cherokee (a seemingly commercialized town that we imagine most native Cherokees would not appreciate), some trail mix to tide us over, and showers, we made our way back to Main Street in Waynesville to eat at Nick & Nate’s Hand-Tossed Brick Oven Pizzeria, to which we both give a thumbs up. And that closed out our day. Tomorrow we’re off to South Carolina. Until then… ~J

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