On a rainy morning at Topsail Beach, we decided to drive forty-five minutes south to tour the USS North Carolina. The battleship served the US before, during and after WWII, and for decades has been docked in Wilmington, NC. The ship is massive by my standards, though probably not by military standards when compared to […]
Camping in Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee Valley
We spent a few wonderful days camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, mostly in the remote Cataloochee Valley. The dirt road leading over a mountain and then down to the Cataloochee Valley is pretty daunting, especially pulling a 21’ travel trailer. The road is only three miles long, but the average speed is […]
Giving Out Trail Magic on the Appalachian Trail – Waterville Road in Smoky Mountain National Park
In 2006, I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, 2,176 miles from Maine to Georgia over about five and a half months. On the journey, I had a lot of ups and downs, and I met a lot of great people in up times and down. When I met great people in down times, they always seemed […]
Walk the North Carolina Museum of Art Park – Raleigh, NC
The North Carolina Museum of Art on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, NC has a 160 acre park that combines nature and art, giving visitors an opportunity to walk through fields and forests while enjoying numerous commissioned works of art. The park combines paved paths for walking and cycling, and it also has some scenic […]
Day hike in Umstead State Park – Raleigh, NC
Umstead State Park has about 20 miles of walking and hiking trails, and on busy weekends you’re likely to see many casual walkers, trail runners, and even a few folks loaded with heavy backpacks (some training for longer backpacking adventures.) The walking trails tend to criss cross one another, but if you hiked every mile […]
Carvers Gap to 19E Appalachian Trail Weekend Hike – A Great North Carolina Weekend Hike
A splendid weekend hiking along an open ridge in the Roan Mountain, TN area of the Appalachian Mountains. We hiked 14 miles hike along the Appalachian Trail from Carvers Gap to Highway 19E, and here are the trip details so you can too. By the way, if you’re looking for a great weekend coastal kayak […]
Kayak Fishing and Camping Lea Island – Coastal NC near Wilmington
Kayaking and fishing around Lea Island, NC is a weekend kayak trip well worth it. Lea Island is a small island, about 3 miles long, and it is uninhabited. On weekends it can get a little crowded on the south and northern ends, but the middle of the island is visited more rarely and allows […]