Off we go – Western, NC State Parks – Day 1

On Saturday morning, July 21 we set off on our two-week Western, NC State Parks camping trip. We woke quite early, took the dogs on a quick walk, gave them lots of belly rubs and ear scratches, and wished Lilly a very spectacular 10th birthday before setting off from my parent’s home in Broadway, NC.

Haw River State Park was the very first stop. This park is very small and actually functions more as a conference/retreat center in addition to being a state park. The woman we spoke with at the visitor’s center was very friendly and shared a ton of information with us not only about this park, but others as well. She encouraged us to walk down to the mighty Haw River, which she also informed us was only about eight feet wide and not quite deep at all. Actually, this portion of the river is the headwaters of what eventually turns into the Haw. We did end up walking down to the river and she was quite right of course, it was more of a deep, wide stream. But we did very much enjoy the walk and saw a beautiful deer, lots of otter tracks in the mud along the boardwalk, and a ton of magnificent wildflowers.

Mayo River State Park, our second stop, was also a very tiny park but we were able to get in a nice walk here too. We met some more friendly people and walked one of the two trails they offer before heading off again.

Hanging Rock State Park was our next and final stop of the day. We checked in at the visitor’s center and were able to access our campsite quite early in the day because our site was already open. With all of our food so readily available in the back of the teardrop, we were able to make a quick lunch before setting off on an afternoon hike. Will had spoken with a very nice woman who worked at the visitor’s center who encouraged us to hike the Cook’s Wall trail rather than hiking up to the top of hanging rock and we are very glad we took her advice. On the way up, the trail was very secluded with thick rhododendron bushes hugging both sides of a very narrow dirt path. This trail took us so deep into the park that we were very quickly away from all sounds of normal, 2018 life. Living in Greenville, we are constantly surrounded by the sounds of air conditioners (even throughout the winter), college students speeding down our drag-strip type road, music that is way too loud, people fighting in their backyard. Out on this trail, we heard absolutely none of that. Not even any planes flying overhead. Instead, we heard nothing more than the soft rustling of a gentle summer breeze blowing through the trees, the delicate singing of birds exploring in their own way, the tiny trickle of a clear stream running over smooth, worn rocks, and our own footsteps matching in sync to our breathing. This was only the first day of our trip. Only the first afternoon, really. And already we were in our element. The trail itself on the way up from the campground was quite intense. After walking through quite a bit of the heavy rhododendrons we had to climb up, up, up over very step rocks and steps. I’m not quite sure how long it took us to reach the top as neither of us took our phones. I’m sure someone is thinking that one of us should have taken a phone, but honestly, we had zilch for cell-phone service so they wouldn’t have been much help in an emergency anyways. When we did finally make it to the top we sat at the overlook for quite some time, staring down to all the wonders below of the foothills of NC, looking out towards the start of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From this overlook we could see Hanging Rock in one direction and Pilot Mountain in the other. It was quite astounding and I felt such a huge weight lift off of my shoulders just sitting and taking it all in. I’m not one to talk much about my faith, but for all those who care, this is where I feel closest to God. Not in Church. Not in Bible groups. Not in singing hymns. I feel my closest connection to God sitting at 2,393 ft, looking at all there is to see, and marveling in the spectacular world and everything in it that was created all for us to enjoy. This is where I feel peace and if you’ve not had a chance to experience this yourself, this is my encouragement to you to take the hard trail to the top, marvel at the earth beneath you, and fill yourself with the peace that comes from immersing yourself in nature.

It was only the afternoon of our very first day and I’d already fallen in love with this part of the state all over again.

The remainder of our day consisted of hiking back down from the top of this trail, crossing back over to the visitor’s center with the idea of checking out a waterfall, and instead having to walk all the way back up the road from the visitor’s center to the campground. Hint: the visitor’s center is NOT close to the campsites. Even though it took near bout forever to get back to our site, we were able to use our hot water system and dishwashing table for the first time. If any of you have ever been camping during the colder season then you know how miserable it is to attempt to wash dishes in freezing cold water while the air outside freezes around you. Thus, our hot water system saves the day and allows us to fill the sink on our table with nice, hot, bubbly water to wash our dishes with. Hopefully, when we get back we can write up a more descriptive post about it and add a few pictures so you can see what it’s all about.

We ended this day with our bellies full and our souls happy. We were already loving life in the drop.

Life in the right lane,

Rachel