A Road Trip, for the Ages

In 2024, we took a Road Trip for the Ages. The idea, as with our 2022 Camino for the Ages, was to plan short days getting from place to place, and long, rejuvenating afternoons and evenings in interesting accommodations.

Sadly, we spent our first weekend of our Road Trip in Williamsburg for the funeral of our brother-in-law Otis Haislip. As funerals do, it allowed us to meet up with relatives we seldom see including nephew Alex Haislip and his family. Pam and James were there, and we had some extended time with Russ' sister Phyllis. It was good to be together, like Phyllis and her grands in the photo below, and share our thankfulness for Otis' life.

From there, we were on to Fredericksburg, to Pam and James' home for a short visit.

Heading north, our first day was a bit long . . . 7 hours to Ithaca. We stayed at the Key Cottage near Taughannock Falls State Park. The Cottage fit the unique-lodgings bill. The grounds were amazingly landscaped with flowers everywhere, swings on porches, little cabins for each "room", unusual decorations, and the only place we have ever stayed where the front door leads into a shower and toilet room! It even had a container of water to use for flushing if the power went out. Totally charming lodging. 

From Ithaca, we drove about 4 hours to Star Lake, stopping in Watertown for groceries since the only place to get food in Star Lake is Dollar General. We stayed 10 days in our favorite camp, The Stone House. It had undergone stellar renovations without loosing its charming Adirondack ambiance. 

Stela swam in the lake, digging and diving for rocks. 

Friends came for dinner and the evening. We watched the Star Lake rafts go by. We went to wonderful Wanakena, where we bought fresh food at Otto's Abode, walked the pedestrian bridge, marveled again at the Oswegatchie River, and enjoyed the Historical Society Museum and walking tour.

We spent one day in Watertown for Cousin Charlene's internment ceremony. It was touching and beautiful. We were reunited with some of her caregivers. Robin, who brought her to visit in Cedar Key years ago and Lauren who came back from a maternity leave to have Charlene greet her with "Where's the baby! I have been waiting to hold her!"came. Robin's husband, who also was Charlene's friend and Natalie, another caregiver friend, were there. Three childhood friends who played cards with Charlene in the afternoons came. Russ, Pam, Robin, and Lauren all told tales of Charlene's life, wit, and humor.

From Star Lake, we drove a few hours to Vanderkamp on Lake Oneida where we had two special activities planned. The first crashed when Boyd broke his ankle and ended up in surgery instead of him and Linda having dinner with us at the camp. Bummer for all, mostly Boyd who now has 6 weeks of no walking.

The event that did happen was super special. Through genealogy and DNA research, Russ had found a new cousin and she lives in the Lake Oneida area. Lori came to visit and shared lots of photos and tales of their family, all new to Russ. Her great uncle is Russ' grandfather. We hadn't known who his grandfather was previously and her family didn't know the great uncle had an unknown son, Russ' dad. We had a grand conversation in our quaint, camp . . . a restored one-room log cabin.

We visited Meg and Steve in Lexington for a day, with lots of good conversation, mezé, cheese, and great foodie items to bring home.

Then, for four days and three nights, we cruised the Blue Ridge Parkway, driving a few hours a day, stopping at the overlooks and Visitors Centers to our hearts' delight, and staying in unique lodgings each evening. In Roanoke, we had another restored log cabin in the woods, with a large fenced yard that Stela loved. It also had several decks and outdoor sitting areas, with few bugs. We sat out until sundown.

Each day we stopped at a picnic area for lunch, snacking on cheeses from Meg.

 

 

In Blowing Rock, we celebrated our 58th Anniversary staying at the Hellbender Bed and Beverage. We rented their dog-friendly cabin and spent much of the afternoon and evening, Stela in tow, at their outdoor restaurant. Their cocktails were curated on site and delightful.

Driving at a maximum speed of 45, around curves and over hills, is a welcome change from interstates. Pulling off at overlooks is a benefit.

In Waynesville, we rented a small, restored bungalow within waking distance of the old downtown and a short drive from the new downtown. It also had a fenced yard, making Stela happy. It was comfortable, cozy, and had a great kitchen. However, we did think that perhaps the toilet should be taller than a hanger.

We drove to the end of the Parkway, at Cherokee, which is also the entrance to the Smokey Mountain National Park. Suddenly traffic and honky-tonk was everywhere. It required a purchased parking permit to enter the Visitors Center. We will surely visit the Parkway again, but the National Park looked a bit crowded for our taste. 

Our last stop was in Athens where we stayed in a guest cottage on a 25-acre farm that had been in the owner's family for generations. Instead of a guest book, we were asked to sign in on the walls of the bunk-bed room. Cute!

 All in all, a wonderful trip. And, as always, it is good to be home. Our plants were well cared for our our neighbor Zoe, who also left in our refrigerator for us to discover when we returned, a bag of oranges from their family tree. And, we harvested a cucumber from the garden for our homecoming salad. All is well.