I spent 2 days in the lovely town of Hickory North Carolina with family, celebrated Octoberfest Downtown, ate too much, drank too much, but I sure had a good time. I decided to take a little detour to Myrtle beach and hit up Ashville, a very unique little town that has turned into a booming tourist destination. Very interesting graffiti everywhere, I guess it’s a way of expressing art these days.
Of course, I get distracted along the way near the Brown Mountains (click here for fun fact about the Brown mountains) and pull off to the side of the road to read a sign, a sign that has a very faded photo of an outlook. I better drive 15 miles backwards and check it out! Would you blame me? I’m aware of my ADHD and that I am just setting myself further and further back but just look at it. Worth it.
Turbo and I soaked up the scenery at Wisemans View and continued our way south. Sometimes it really is the unplanned destinations that turn out to be your favorite.
Finding Camp > Finding Hotels
Few long hours later… Finally, Myrtle Beach. I discovered I’m much better at setting up camp in the backwoods than trying to find a hotel in the city but we made the best of it (I had to agree that Turbo was only 25 pounds after being denied 3 different hotels. I felt sick to my stomach for lying but desperate times call for desperate measures. It was fun walking him up 9 flights of stairs trying to hide him from the main lobby elevators) The noises and people are a bit much. BUT! We have an ocean view, Turbo got his first Uber ride and his first SkyWheel ride. What a trooper!
I enjoyed some night life downtown, watched a really big car cruise, walked way too many miles back and fourth from hotel to downtown, and received a notification on my phone. Oh, I start a new job next week. I am supposed to take a drug test and a physical before starting, I better worry about that.
Future Stephanie will worry about that tomorrow.
The Next Day..
Just like that, tomorrow is now today. I have never watched the sun rise over the ocean, just west coast sun sets. Much like west coast sun sets, east coast sun rises are very similar, except instead of going to bed now I get to spend the rest of my day exhausted.
It’s time to hit the road back home, I apparently have adult responsibilities. For those wondering how I have funded this trip, I have saved up enough credit card points to pay for majority of it. Between my Discover Card and Chase Credit Card, I use those points to pay for quite a bit of travel. I learned this little trick from following a travel blog by Kara and Nate. They offer some really great reads! Unfortunately now, all those points are gone after this trip. Back to saving.
South Carolina to Wisconsin, Let’s Go
Time to make the drive from South Carolina to Wisconsin as fast as possible. Let’s throw a little twist in here, lets find an awesome spot to stay the night for free.
Bingo. You can’t go wrong off the Blue Ridge Parkway! About 8 hours of driving, we scored a pretty sweet spot to spend the night. Granted, it is still quite a way from Wisconsin but again, I will worry about that tomorrow. Enjoy the moment now.
The next morning, here is the fun part.
By fun, I mean it would be fun if this were opposite day but now I have one day to make it back home, 16 hours away. Thank you caffeine and ambition.
What Did I Learn This Round?
Each trip I learn new things. This one was an important one about packing only things needed, I saved a ton of space in my vehicle this trip by packing light. This was convenient to sleep in the car vs trying to find camp for a tent set up. Not to mention, quite cozy and secure.
Always check the local laws ahead of time. I did have to pay a backcountry fee to park over night in Kentucky. This fee was $5 and I found out by chatting with the local gas station clerk, who just so happened to sell these permits as well. Google and locals are great resources.
The eastern states are far more busy than the western states, even the “off grid” locations I went to had some people. Which gave me an opportunity to meet some really cool individuals so I really can’t complain. Plus, cell phone service was plentiful in most locations, which gave me the opportunity to book my NV/CA trip in a month 😉 I wish I had more time, I wanted to see more of North Carolina and Tennessee but there will be a next time.
2,448 miles, through 6 states in 7 days. Thanks again Toyota
