We left Huntsville and made a quick stop in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee to visit the Lodge store – because we all need a little more cast iron in our lives. The next stop was in Hot Springs, North Carolina.
I’ve been obsessed with Hot Springs since I first started reading about the Appalachian Trail. The trail runs smack dab through the middle of town and the place was chock full of thru hikers.I tried to contain my hero worship of the hikers. I mean, did I take pictures with them and ask questions and gaze at them adoringly? Yes. Yes, I did.
Look! Backpacks! Real honest to goodness thru hiker backpacks! I wanted to try one on but figured it would have been totally gauche to ask. True story: I’m only sixty percent sure of what the word gauche means. Just googled it. I’m good.
Met Pebbles, Crawdaddy and one hiker that has yet to pick up a name. Straight up for real, my heart sings when I think about what these people go through. They walk – WALK – from Georgia to Maine. Or from Maine to Georgia. It’s just the coolest.
The next day we made it to Charlottesville, Virginia where we had the best UVA tour guide ever – who just happens to be my nephew Tucker but I’m not biased at all – give us the official tour.
Isn’t he just the cutest? Seriously, if you ever find yourself in Charlottesville – take the tour.
Here’s what wasn’t the cutest:
The art work in the bathroom at Floozie’s Pie Shop in Louisa, Virginia. Yea art and freedom of expression and all that but…it’s a little crazy. Maybe a lot of crazy.
Another thing that was crazy but in a good way was the food at Tavola in Charlotesville. Ahem, just between me and you and our entire party at the restaurant the drinks at Tavola were also crazy good. On a side note I should not be allowed to drink alcohol ever again because my tolerance is so low. Alas, rum tastes good when you pour super sugary fruit juice in it. And Tucker may be cute but he will totally rat you out to your big brother if you have two drinks too many.
It was quite the road trip.
Ya know what though, I like my road trips just like I like my family – with a little side of crazy.