Errands and hikes!

Day 15 – (Saturday, 10-20-12) Errands and hikes!

Our day started very chilly and windy. Kurt decided quickly that kayaking would not be a great idea with this weather. He discovered that one of the brand new RV tires had a slow leak, so we had to take the it off and take it to a tire shop to patch the leak. The nearest tire shop that could fix it today and do it while we wait was in Boone. On our way to Boone, on Highway 105, the opposite direction (west bound) was backed up from Banner Elk almost to Boone. We were amazed at such a HUGE traffic jam in a mountain town! We couldn’t believe the traffic! We felt like we were on PGA Blvd at Christmas time! We have decided that Boone is not our kind of mountain town…

After getting the tire fixed, we moved on to Plan B. There is a lake on the south side of Grandfather Mountain, Price Lake and Park that we had found out about. Earlier, we had planned to take our kayaks there and paddle for awhile. But, with our unexpected change in plans, we decided to take the boys on a hike at the lake. The park is right on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a great drive through the mountains. When we arrived there, we were shocked by the number of people there! We were able to find a parking space and tailgate in the grass. Kurt, the boys and I enjoyed a sunny, but chilly picnic. Afterwards, we went on a hike in the park that ran along a creek, with rapids and small waterfalls. We hiked with the boys for about 1.5 miles and turned around before going too far. Some of the people we spoke with mentioned that most of the traffic there were people just driving through the mountains to enjoy the fall foliage. It was truly amazing! The day at the park turned out to be quite enjoyable!

We also had friends that live near our community at home, Sharon & Mike, who have a family home outside of Boone. They arrived at the house yesterday and asked us to stop by for a visit. They live near Valle Crucis, which is only about 4 miles from our campground. On our way out of Boone, we stopped by their house to see them and their home. We stayed for about an hour and had some drinks and conversation. They have a really nice, remote home that the whole family uses. We headed back to the RV to get the heater on and have some dinner. Tonight was another “clean out the fridge” night. We watched an old movie on TV and went to bed early, so we can pack up and head to my sister’s house near Winston-Salem.