Time to Dust Off the Mess Kit

whats a mess kit?

hey y'all, its been a while since I've posted a real post so here we go.

recently i have been planning my very first camping trip of 2008! at first i wanted to go to the Linville Falls Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway. its been many many years since i have been to linville falls and i wanted to go back. i also knew that the surrounding area has awesome mountain vistas because of Linville Gorge (like Wiseman's View - highly recommended). i am a sucker for sweet views, especially if it faces west for the sunset. in trying to call the park ahead of time, i was not having much luck. i then called the blue ridge parkway people and they told me that the BRP no longer offers winter camping because of funding cuts. the campgrounds are open from May to October, a mere half of the year. its really pathetic that places like this cant be open year round.

so that option was out. but, deterred not, i kept on the search for a good place to camp. my father and i remembered Stone Mountain State Park (not the one in Georgia) in the northwest corner of the Tar Heel State and thought it might be a good place to start out.

stone mountain is essentially a mountain with a big bald spot. and by bald i mean stone. and by spot i mean face. the park is full of the mountain laurel (short name, short leaf) and the rhododendron (long name, long leaf)* as are many locations in the blue ridge region. i remember really enjoying this location in the past so i don't think i will be disappointed on my first trip out.

this is the fun part. you are most certainly invited to come with me. i would actually LOVE for you to come with me.

i don't care if you are in the triangle, the triad, the QC, the blue grass, the bean town, the grand strand, the black burg or the state in which everything is bigger, i want to go camping with you. shoot, i just want to see you, but camping with is much more fun than just seeing.

SPECIFICS

when: February 22-24 (ill probably take a half or quarter day Friday to go up and be there in plenty of time to set stuff up. you could come with or meet me up there)

where: Stone Mountain State Park

price: $15 per night per group (so it will be $30 split amongst all who go) plus money for food (which will depend on # of people going) and gas money. the more people come, the less you'll have to pay

accommodations: water and restrooms very close to campsite. there should not be many people there in late Feb so we should be able to get whichever site we want. each site has a fire pit and a picnic table.

campfire: the burn ban that was around in the fall has been lifted - fire away!

stuff to do: tons of it. i personally plan on hiking a good deal. maybe making a hot mid-hike lunch on top of the mountain or at the waterfall, depending on time. there are also some historic sites around that i wouldn't mind checking out, if only briefly. the blue ridge parkway is not far away either. i plan on taking a picture or two and generally enjoying the experience.

if you're thinking of going, i would suggest you check out the park's website. its got all the info.


again, i would love to go camping with you. don't make me go by myself.

until next time - holler


Junk of the Day: Welch's Apple Cranberry Juice

the vending machine at work has these (for some odd reason) and they are the perfect lunchtime beverage. i don't know if local grocery stores carry them or not, but talk about sweet nectar!

Nah Son of the Day: Vocal Heidi

Heidi is our cat that we have had for many years here at the Sechler residence and in the past few months she has learned that she can use her vocal cords often like we do. she has learned to meow incessantly when someone is in the kitchen cooking because it's meal time. she also will yell and scream (in felineese of course) for seemingly no reason when she gets worked up or excited about something. the funny part is that she has no sense of inflection when she gets vocal. for example, she could be all riled up because she hasn't gotten her food yet and will let out this long, low meow that sounds like excruciating sorrow. maybe its one of those things you have to be there for but its definitely interesting.

Blig of the Day: Chopping Wood

We have big transmission power lines running through our back yard and we had two trees that Duke Power had deemed to be in the Danger Zone (Kenny Loggins anyone?) or something like that and they needed to be cut down. so they came and cut them down but they would only chip up the branches. so we were left with two trees worth of trunk to do whatever we would like with. we do not use our fire place and i don't know of anyone around who does. IF YOU WANT SOME, LET ME KNOW. but i have had fun chopping it. its harder than it looks and it hurts the back but its so satisfying when you hit one just right. also, this will give me firewood that i don't have to pay for or scavenge for when i go camping. fun stuff.

* this is different than what i told one of you fairly recently. feel free to rag me about it because i was totally wrong. i am, in fact, an idiot.