We Are Back At It Again!
Monday, October 24, 2016
We have survived (& thrived) two months of participating in Festivals with my Sweet Tea’s Soaps & Stuff business & it’s time to camp again! We love doing festivals but sure do miss camping during that time. Our intention was to unload the truck when we got home Sunday in preparation of a swift morning departure. But we were exhausted & put off the task until the following day. It was a dusty festival so all our equipment & product we brought home would have to be cleaned up so the crates of goods were literally left on the workbenches & will be dealt with upon our return. The equipment, while put away neatly, will have to be taken back out & washed thoroughly. All’s good though. We had five of the best festivals ever & had fun doing them.
We hit the road at about 11 on our way to Ashville KOA East where we met up with Perry’s brother Paul & his wife Cyndi. Seeing the change of color in the trees as we headed north was spectacular! Even the woman who nearly ran us off the road at one place didn’t dampen the good feelings. Bless her heart!
The campground people arranged for our trailers to be side-by-side & we were set up in no time. Paul & Cyndi have three Pomeranians (Gino, Posh & Kita) who get along well with our girls (Sugar & Spice) so we have MANY fur babies in camp. I made dinner the first evening – grilled steak, camp taters, asparagus & salad – yumm! Then we were all ready for an early night – even the short drive for us was tiring. Paul & Cyndi came from Jacksonville so they were beyond pooped out.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
I had broiled up a big package of bacon & froze it before we left home so we just heated up a few pieces for breakfast & fried some eggs. Cyndi brought some awesome cinnamon rolls over from her camper so we had a breakfast feast.
After cleaning up the dishes & ourselves we ventured out to The Hungry Bear Café in Asheville for a nice lunch with the locals. Then we made the obligatory trip to WalMart for supplies we forgot. Well, not really forgot but wanted anyway. I don’t much care for shopping at WalMart regularly but am always game when on “vacation.” Unfortunately (or fortunately?), we didn’t spot any “WalMart People” that make the adventure so memorable.
We got a bit lost on the way back to camp – GPS was not being our friend – so we declared it “an adventure” & enjoyed the scenery of the mountains in what turned out to be a wee bit long ride. Giggles & “Opps” were heard in abundance. The shouts of “Look, there’s a bear!” from Cyndi while on the Blue Ridge Parkway consistently made me jump. There were no bears – she’s a joker.
My RING doorbell at home showed a delivery guy dropping off a large box so I called our neighbors, Chris & Suzy Humble, & asked them to stop by to pick it up. It turned out to be some BEAUTIFUL flowers from our friends, Charles & Rhyse Potts. The sweetness of this thoughtful act is beyond appreciated & I love them all the more for it. I told Suzy to enjoy them & she sent me a beautiful picture so I could enjoy them, too.
Back at camp, Cyndi made a delicious chicken stir fry & all the veggies. With full tummies & a day full of fresh air we “retired” early, yet again.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
After breakfast we headed out to spend the day in Biltmore Village, wandering through the multitude of shops & art museums. Perry bought me a sweet little Lady Bug jewel for my charm bracelet & we took lots of pictures of things we want to consider making ourselves in the future. We had lunch at an adorable little Bakery/Café but I can’t remember the name of it. OPPS!
We cooked Maple Pork Steaks on the grill along with zucchini & yellow squash. Then we topped it off with little peach pies we picked up at WalMart the day before. Later we sat around the fire for stories & laughter. It was a great day!
Thursday, October. 27, 2016
We have come to the DEFINATE conclusion State & National Parks are for us. This KOA, although clean, is way too crowded & noisy. Not only is the highway noise off the chart, we have a camper in the next spot over who gets up at 5:30 EVERY morning & starts his big diesel truck, letting it run for 20 minutes or so to warm up while he & his wife (assumption here) get ready to go. They are probably camping while working somewhere nearby. Bless their hearts.
After breakfast, we piled into the truck for an adventure. Cyndi navigated &, this time, we actually got to our destination without going 100 miles out of the way (just kidding – last time it was only 25 miles or so). We decided to check out the National Forest & Lake Powhatan Campground. STUNNING! The campsites are roomy & most have full hook-ups which is a rarity in a National Park. There’s a gorgeous lake at the park & wonderful nature trails. And the fall foliage was breathtaking. So, we will make plans to meet up again & stay at this park next year. Blissfully peaceful!
We stopped at a great seafood restaurant (Harbor Inn Seafood) for lunch & then wandered around a Field & Stream store. It’s always good to goof off while on vacation, right? Back at the campsite in the early part of the afternoon, we napped & played with the puppies. Much needed down time. Then Cyndi made dinner – grilled flank steak (cooked JUST right), green beans & rice & I made the obligatory salad. We finished it off with little blueberry pies. Camp cooking is so tasty!
The guys sat outside for a bit, enjoying a shot or two of fine bourbon & the lovely sounds of the interstate. A fellow camper stopped by & chatted for a bit – one of the pleasures of a community campground. You meet all sorts of fun folks. Another great day of family time.
Friday, October 28, 2016
I made bacon, eggs & toast so we could enjoy some of the homemade jams & jellies I had brought on our trip. Peach (by my gal pals in our epic adventure), & Blackberry & Fig by Tiffany White of Lazy Goat Farm. ALL are winners! Fun to taste & compare!
After getting ourselves all purdied up, we drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for some more fall color gazing. We stopped at the Visitors Center & bought a souvenir pin for the camper & an adorable Junior Ranger Vest for Lily – all sorts of pockets & zippered places for her to store treasures & it’s mesh so it will be cool. I hope she likes it as much as I did because it was a tad too small for me. We also stopped at the Folk Art Museum. One of the artists was there making GORGEOUS pictures out of cloth & buttons & various other textured materials. I loved watching her for a bit. A wander through the gift shop & museum was fun, too. Mayhaps we got a few ideas to incorporate into future projects.
We had lunch at Cracker Barrel & then got back to the herd of pups we left at the campsite. I dabbled in my essential oil box a little more (came up with an athlete’s foot treatment) while the guys fueled up their trucks in preparation of the following day’s departure. Although we haven’t done any epic adventures, this whole week has been fun – laid back family time.
I made Chipotle Chicken, roasted potatoes & squash stir fry, & a salad, of course because that’s how we roll when camping. We tend to eat much better while camping when than we do at home. We did go out to lunch daily, which is not the case when Perry & I camp alone, but all dinners where spectacular & pretty healthy. One of my fun activities while camping is cooking. I wish I wasn’t so busy at home so I’d cook more there. Something to contemplate.
The pups & I crawled into bed early & I read for a bit. Perry & Paul sat outside & enjoyed each other’s company & I think Cyndi was doing some prep for departure the following day. Love the slow pace.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
We were up at 7 & Perry went over to help Paul & Cyndi get their trailer ready to roll. I stayed in the cozy Wilbur & sipped my coffee. The Florida Barton’s were finally ready to go at 8:30 & we hugged them goodbye. Perry & I then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before we packed up. Just 30 minutes to clean up, secure everything, hook up Wilbur & we hit the road.
The drive was smooth out of the mountains with one “interesting” encounter. A woman was merging onto the highway & apparently having a bad day. Just my opinion but I think when you merge onto a highway, YOU have to either speed up or slow down to do so. It is not the responsibility of the drivers already on said highway to determine your preference. We would have moved over but there was a car in the lane next to us. Honking your horn & making obscene gestures will, indeed, make me laugh & wildly wave at you as if you are a long lost friend. Laughter is so much better than spiking blood pressure. I hoped her day improved.
We arrived back home before 3 & got Wilbur parked, set up & emptied out in no time. Another successful trip!
Not all who wander are lost!