In Search of the Sun - Part 2

Thursday - 2/28/2010

After a somewhat interesting night we had a relaxed breakfast in the trailer and didn't hurry to get started as we had only about seven hours of driving time to get to our destination of Belmont, NC where our friend Jean lives.  Leaving Marietta and heading to Charleston, WV it was overcast and the roadway somewhat wet but no snow.  The trip down the West Virginia turnpike went well and the mountains were not a problem.  We hadn't been down I77 with the fifth wheel before and I was wondering how it would go.  We have found the fifth wheel to be much more stable than the pull trailer that we had years ago.

The weather really improved as we got into Virginia with blue skies and the temperature up to around 55.  It almost seemed like summer to us after the sub-freezing temperatures in Ohio.  We were really glad that the weather co-operated as the mountains through West Virginia and Virginia are not something that I would want to do on slippery roads with the trailer.  We really like the panoramic views coming down the mountain into North Carolina from Fancy Gap.  It's hard to keep your eyes on the highway when there is such beautiful scenery, almost like being in an airplane looking down.  To the south you see Pilot Mountain with it's dome pointing up from the level surroundings on the beginning of the Piedmont area around it.

From there it was a relatively easy drive on down to Charlotte with beautiful weather.  As usual we had to make a phone call to Jean for the last couple miles of instructions.  I have got to download the most recent maps into our GPS as the version that came with it over a year ago doesn't have her street address in it and I can never remember the last couple of turns.

Jean has a beautiful home in Belmont and makes us feel at home there.  Jean and I have known each other since grade school and our families have traveled together a lot over the years and in fact Joan and my first camping trip as a couple was with Jean's family down to Mohican State Park in Ohio.  That was back in the days when you primitive camped down along the river before the state turned the park into a resort type park with a lodge and pool, etc.  Since then memorable times have included camping in Yellowstone Nat'l Park, a hike down into the Grand Canyon and staying overnight at the Phantom Ranch, and the hike in the Swiss Alps.  All great times.

We parked the trailer on the street in front of her house and decided to let Inky have the trailer all to himself and Joan and I accepted Jean's invitation to stay in the house.

Another good day of travels.