2020 Trip to the Mountains of North Carolina

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

I feel like a young child on Christmas morning.  The anticipation is killing me, but I know the reward/present will be worth it.

At the time of this posting I will be leaving with my buddy Mark and his nephew Kory on a road trip through Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky then back home to Indiana.  For Mark and me this is our second trip together, for Kory his first.  We are leaving on Tuesday mid-day and returning Saturday, but the sights I will see and stories I hope to share will be numerous. My previous adventure from 2019 can be read below by clicking on the links:

Part 1                    Part 2                    Part 3                    Part 4

Last year’s trip, in my mind, was almost perfect.  The weather was great. I experienced rain, sun, fog, hail, light breezes, heavy wind gusts, and light snow.  Sometimes all of these in one day.  The temps range from 44 – 68 degrees and I had a wonderful tour guide, friend, and chauffeur in Mark. This year I am driving.

Mark has a basic itinerary planned out, but ultimately the weather will decide our plans and destinations.  Much of our trip will be on or slightly off the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), but if there is snow, parts of the BRP may be closed.  Don’t worry, Mark has alternate destinations if, perchance, the snow blocks some of our intended destinations.

I know many people who plan vacations to an exotic or popular destination like Mexico, the beaches of Florida, Disney, Las Vegas, California, New York City, and many others.  I am a simple man and want to experience simple things without direction. Having guides on where to go at any destination drives me crazy.  Being told what to do is something I experience at work daily.  Vacations should be for exploration and discovery (a rant for another post). Even though the Blue Ridge Parkway is indeed a very popular place. In winter, the months of March this year and April like last year seeing other people is a rarity.  For me, that is a good thing.  Mark provided no pressure to go here/do this last year and that made the trip even that much more special.  He and I discovered beauty on our own without anyone telling us where to go, what to do or see.

Our plan is simple.  Hit what destinations we want, stay as long as we want, skip what we want, and move on when we want. The only lines I will follow will be the paths or trail cut through the mountains.  No herds of people aimlessly guided from one spot to another and being told what to do and see.  My only plans are to live in those moments and to hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT).  I will walk on the AT again this year.  I will stop and look around, take some deep breaths, stand or sit in silence, or may let out a shout on the AT.  I never know how nature will impact me when I’m in it.  Most people see dirt, rocks, trees, and bushes on the AT (or any trail in the woods for that matter).  If they see anything at all.  I see something else, and more importantly, FEEL something else when I am on the AT. The AT is a truly special place for me.

Our travels will incorporate many of the destinations I wrote about in the posts above, with a few new ones sprinkled in. I am going this time with the eye of a photographer and the mind of a writer.  I am average at both skills, but I am challenging myself to put into words and pictures my adventures of this trip.  I will again summarize my trip upon my return knowing that my words and even pictures will not do the sights I see, any justice.

Until next time,

Tim