DAY 6 – TRAVEL DAY IS UPON US

HE was upon us again. Our peaceful slumber came to a quick and resolute halt as the piercing call of the Sleep Destroying Night Intruder arrived on schedule at 5:00 a.m. Yes, the Nefarious Neutralizer of Sweet Travel Dreams was making his presence known again. I felt the Navigator vibrating beside me as she tried to crawl further under the covers to escape the ear shattering call of our dreaded early morning visitor. (Turns out she was just laughing at the ongoing visit of our “friend”) Was he on the table outside my window? Surely, he had not infiltrated the confines of the Hobbi itself. Lord knows it seemed like it. Fortunately, after some 15 minutes of revelry, he must have felt satisfied and went in search of other sleeping campers, perhaps some late sleepers down by the lake.

After managing a few more winks of sleep, we arose to enjoy the morning coffee. I had a quick conversation with Neighbor Ken, who remarked “Man, that is a persistent Whip-poor-will!” Ken, too, was impressed by our early morning visitor’s amazing consistency at showing up at 5:00 a.m.

Packing up and heading out…

Post coffee, the ritual of packing up and getting things ready for travel commenced. The Navigator and I have become pretty efficient at this as we both gravitate to our separate duties. She handles more of the inside and I handle more of the outside activities. The day was pretty again and we hated to leave but there was no more room in the Park.

(Zeke prepares to connect the Hobbi to the F150) 

Our travel plans took us to yet another Virginia State Park – Fairy Stone near Ferrum, VA. After a brief stop in Clifton Forge, we headed down US 220 through Iron Gate, VA, which must own some kind of record for number of churches in a straight line. We counted 7 separate churches within a 2 mile length of highway. Numerous denominations were present, some of which I didn’t recognize (Church of the Bretheren?).

Our route took us through yet more beautiful Virginia and the city of Roanoke. We arrived in Fairy Stone around 3:30 p.m. and quickly discovered that this park campground is a series of back-ins that have been carved into the mountainside. We did locate an isolated pull through with water and power. No other campers were in sight. We thought we had landed in a great place for peace and quiet.

(The Navigator catches her breath after Fairy Stone setup) 

We enjoyed a nice hike around the Lake Shore Trail and got a quick peek at the lake that exists within this park. We were greeted by the welcoming committee near the cabin section.

(A quacking good time appeared to await us at this point!) 

The Family that travels together…

…makes life miserable for those around them. I should know by now that when in search of peace and quiet, state parks are not generally good choices on weekends. This lesson was relearned when a family of 500 (actually 15) and 3 yapping dogs moved in beside us as dusk fell. Suffice it to say that it was a long night spent inside the Hobbi. Even the camp host had no luck quieting this group down.

Fortunately, this morning’s rain (Day 7), sent them packing. I guess being inside a wet tent with 20 of your closest family members isn’t as much fun as it might first appear. I did note that the yapping Poodle wasn’t welcomed into the family’s waiting arms…

So, on this mid-trip day, I sit in a laundromat in Stuart, VA writing this entry and somewhat helping the Navigator with washing and drying clothes. I’m contemplating how to fix our electric jack, where to head to next, and rejoicing in 3G speed!

Until later,

- Zeke