Hello, open road

We are off on another epic adventure. The plan was for Debye & Jody, our traveling partners in crime, would come to the cabin on Monday, March 31, we’d load up the camper, then leave on Tuesday, April 1. Saturday I called Debye & asked if they could come a day early. They did. We hit the road on Monday driving through some fairly significant storms.

First stop was the Charles Hall Museum in Tellico Plains, TN. What a cool, free, museum! Charles Hall built the first private telephone exchange for these hollers and the museum showcases “all things phone” related. Additionally, he had an extensive gun collection. Greg really enjoyed perusing  that. On to Knoxville to the Sunsphere which was built for the 1982 World’s Fair. On a gray day we were underwhelmed and decided to eat lunch in the parking lot and call it good.

We drove on less traveled roads to the Abington, VA area. Windy roads to our overnight stop—the trailhead to The Channels, a maze of sandstone boulders and crevices in SW Virginia. It is remote. The hike was 7 miles of steep, challenging terrain. But would we recommend? A thousand times, yes. 

Drove on to Natural Bridge, VA & spent the night at a Jellystone Park RV park. Was it kitschy? Of course it was. Did they have hot showers (the reason we stayed in an RV park instead of boondocking?) Unfortunately, no…more lukewarm; meh. Got up and headed to Natural Bridge State Park. Quite impressive 200 foot tall natural bridge—another fine example of the persistence & power of water carving a masterpiece from limestone. Had to stop at Halcyon Days Cider Co to get a picture of the Aldermans with a Johnny Appleseed statue. If you know, you know.

More backroads to Warm Springs, VA where we soaked in crystal clear mineral waters in a structure, the Gentleman’s Bathhouse, whose base dates back to 1761. It prides itself as the first spa structure in America. Of course there is archeological evidence that the waters have been used by humans for 9,000 years. The Ladies’ Bathhouse was added in the mid 1870s. Very pleasant way to spend an hour before a haul to Washington, DC.

Have there been hiccups? Always. First night I caught something on fire on the stove. No more distracted cooking. Rory likes the hikes but the riding in a moving apartment has been fairly disconcerting to her. Four old farts can make a cacophony of nighttime noises. The lucky ones are the first to sleep. I may’ve planned too much…but the beautiful thing is that we have ditched several ‘to do’s’ with impunity.

Another beautiful thing is that early April is affording us a fine example of spring rolling out her palette of colors. Wildflowers are everywhere. Farms & pastures are verdant green. Redbuds are so prolific I had to check to see if it were Virginia’s state tree. It is native but the state tree is the flowering dogwood which is just beginning to bud. Fingers crossed for cherry blossoms in DC. 

Pictures!