Skip to main content

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

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Love to get your feedback on what you read!

Popular posts from this blog

25 years

  How do I put love into words? Especially after 25 years of marriage, two children, a few dogs, and various moves we have made both with jobs and homes. How do I explain how someone is in my daily thoughts, and every decision I make takes her into account? I have seen her grow into an exceptional mother, loving and understand wife, and beautiful human being. She is the reason I am still here on earth. Dearest Marcie, Twenty-five years. A quarter of a century. It feels like yesterday we stood at the altar, our hearts brimming with hope and anticipation. And yet, as I look back on these years, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and love. You have been my constant, my rock, my guiding star. Your love has been a beacon of light, illuminating my path even in the darkest of times. Our home is alive with the melody of your laughter, bringing boundless joy, while your kindness ignites a warmth within my very being. I cherish the memories we've made together - the adv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good Enough?

  This past week Dr. Erin and I discussed many things. She did, however spring a new term on me. Social Attribution Error. It is something I suffer from, without knowing the term and we dove a little deeper into it and what I could do to reverse it. Social Attribution Error has many aspects but a few I want to point out. Explaining behavior : It's the process of trying to understand why someone acted a certain way by assigning a cause to their behavior.  Internal vs. external attribution : You can attribute behavior to internal factors (like personality traits) or external factors (like situational circumstances). With a bit of conversation Erin and I discussed my strong and irrational internal attribution and how I always see myself as not good enough. Not a good enough father, husband, friend, employee, relative, writer, photographer, etc. Much of this started in my childhood when my mother would compare me to my classmates, friends and even cousins...
Post a Comment
Read more

A gift from a friend

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Recently I received a gift from a friend.  It was unexpected but it meant so much.  A simple gesture, an act of kindness, a show of love and friendship. I met Miranda via Instagram based on a recommendation from my buddy Mark.  Like most things, he recommends I seriously consider and highly respect his suggestions.  This was true to form.  I began following Miranda on Instagram, Facebook and even viewing her website.  I stuck up a few online conversations and got the nerve to ask her for an interview.  I wrote about that here . Eventually, text and online correspondence led to a few phone calls.  I admired her work and even discussed creating a book of my own and she admitted wanting to do one as well.  Specifically, I saw two pictures that I loved.  My passion for nature, especially trees is well known.  When I saw this photo (single tree) I was floored.  I even asked her if I could buy a copy.  Nothing really came of that.  I then saw another photo ...
Post a Comment
Read more