12 March 2021
It seems like I’m more tired today than I have been all trip. Part of it was the stress of not being able to make a reservation for a campsite at New River Gorge. I’ve visited several national parks that don’t take reservations and I usually am late to the scene and all the campsites are taken.
It wasn’t the case yesterday – I just didn’t like the campsite. Then I had the fiasco with the tent and couldn’t camp at Claudine’s place. It would have been perfect.
Today started in the same vein. I decided to drive to the Grandview overlook by following the park map. Bad decision. Either I have totally forgotten how to read a map or new road construction has rendered the map outdated. I kept looking for route 9 which leads directly to the overlook. I found route 9 but not the overlook. I will admit to 9 being a scenic drive to nowhere.
I then headed to Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina. My cousin Jimmie and her husband Stephen told me about it two years ago and it’s always been a goal since I heard about it from them. I made it there around noon. The park was very crowded. Later, I confirmed with the host at the visitors center that Saturday and Sunday would be worse as far as crowds.
I drove to the top of the first “peak” which overlooks the actual “pilot” part of the mountain. It’s a winding, steep road with narrow lanes and hikers and bikers sharing the road with you.
At the top you have an overview of Pilot Mountain that is spectacular. It was a good day for it – no fog and puffy clouds. Unless you plan to technical climb the mountain, all you can do is hike around the base of the peak.
If I have enough time on Sunday and if it is not raining, I may try to start at the visitors center and hike to the summit (3.5 miles one way) and then hike around the peak. Right now, conditions call for rain on Sunday.
Once I made it to Greensboro, I checked into the hotel and relaxed a bit – almost to the point of nodding off. I then called Jimmie and asked if they were ready for a visit. I made it over to their house around 3:30. We sat out on the patio, had banana crumb cake and caught up. We haven’t seen each other in two years.
Later, they made me a vegetarian dinner of black beans and rice with different vegetable toppings. The surprise of the night was she made me her version of Waldorf salad. Instead of mayo she uses vanilla flavored yogurt and adds some sweetened shredded coconut. I’ve become addicted to it and told her to feel free to make it for any visit. I even make it at home on occasion but somehow hers seems better.
Tomorrow is jeep verdict day, another reason for my stress level being so high. I take it in to Crown Chrysler/Jeep at 7:45 am. They’ll be able to tell me if it’s a computer problem or not. I also need them to see about the air conditioner. It quick working about the same time the battery died. Any way you slice it, I’m sure I’m due for a large bill at the end of the day. The jeep is worth it. It’s never let me down (although I let it down on one trip) and it keeps on ticking. As I mentioned before the original battery was in the jeep six years later.
Stephen will pick me up at the dealership and take me back to his place and Jimmie and I will get to visit some more and maybe get in a walk or two.
This trip has not turned out anything like I anticipated. I intended to camp 2 nights at Olena, 2 at Amicalola, 2 at New River Gorge, and 2 and Hanging Rock and only one night in a B and B at Amelia Island. I’ve now only spent two nights in the tent and all the other nights will be in a hotel.
I didn’t anticipate the problems with the jeep nor the tent. I am not too upset because I’ve driven through some beautiful country, got to zip line for the first time in my life, and I actually get to spend more time with Jimmie and Stephen than I had planned.
Stay tuned for the next update on the jeep story.
