Escape to the Blue Ridge Mountains
This past weekend, we went on a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. We stayed in a small lodge in Banner Elk. The lodge was located in a quiet suburb west of Boone. A river was visible from the back porch, and we often saw folks get out of their cars to fish. Tree saplings were growing on the roof, where at one time acorns had fallen into the gutters and taken root. The inside of the lodge was charmingly decorated with paintings and ceramic figures of black bears - it's the reason we chose this lodge in the first place.
My partner and I arrived with our dog on Wednesday afternoon. We spent the first evening indoors eating mac & cheese and watching One Piece on my partner's laptop. Thursday morning, we set out early for Boone Fork Trail. The forecast called for rain later that morning. The 5-mile hike was estimated to take 2.5 hours. We hoped to miss the rain, but after a mile into the hike it started to rain. Rather than take a chance and get caught in a downpour, we decided to make our way back to the car. As soon as we turned around, the rain stopped. Our first hike was a bit of a let-down, if only for the unpredictable weather.
Photo of my partner and our dog (Fig) on a bridge at Boone Fork TrailAfter an early lunch and a quick shower, we drove into Boone. Like any college town, there was a main street littered with souvenir shops, boutiques, book stores, cafés, bars, and restaurants. I got myself an iced latte from one of the many coffee shops nearby. It was already late in the day and I hadn't had any coffee. The iced latte was bad, and I sipped it reluctantly as we walked. We didn't do much shopping in Boone, which was fine by me - I simply wanted an excuse to walk. I did stop into a small book store, where I bought Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq.
We were expecting company on Friday. Our friends were going to be joining us. They wouldn't get there until later in the day, so, we had some time to kill. Early that morning, we hiked Otter Falls Trail. The trail wound through the forest and down into a river basin where there was a small waterfall. It was a short out-and-back hike; less than a mile long. We reached the lookout in no time. Once there, we lingered, taking in the view. The hike back to the car was steep. We had to stop to catch our breaths.
Photo of Otter Falls from the lookoutBack at the lodge, my partner made us scrambled eggs with toast for breakfast. We ate curled up side by side on the love seat with our dog sandwiched between us. When we had finished eating, we left once more, this time to Blowing Rock. Blowing Rock, like Boone, had a main street with all sorts of shops. Unlike Boone, Blowing Rock felt like a small town, although it was very clearly a tourist destination. Like before, I got myself an iced latte and sipped it as we walked. This time, the coffee was much better, and I finished it quickly. We walked up and down the main street, stopping into different shops along the way. I bought a hummingbird feeder for our yard, and before we left, we each got ice cream cones.
Photo of Fig taken on our way to Blowing RockOur friends arrived at the lodge around 6pm that evening. My partner made dinner for everyone. We lounged around and caught up before turning in for the night. Saturday, was spent in the dimly lit cabin. We left only briefly, early that morning, to pick up coffee and pastries to take home with us. We sat on the porch for a long time talking, sipping our drinks and nibbling on sweets. Later, my friend and I read silently while the others prepared decks and played a game of Arkham Horror. That evening, we went for a dip in the hot tub - it was so nice.
Then it was Sunday and our trip had come to an end. I was glad to be back home and reunited with our cat at long last! When I went into work the next morning, I felt well rested, despite a rough night's sleep. I've known for sometime that I could use a break from the humdrum of my 9-to-5, but time is money and my PTO is limited. I'm glad I finally took time off work. It felt good to disconnect and take things slow.