The Lazy Faire

We’ve been slackers! Haven’t been keeping this piece up to date. I apologize.

Since May 27, we’ve been to Florida and back. On our way down we took Skyline Drive out of Front Royal, VA down to the Blue Ridge Parkway with a little detour onto 81 in between to make up time.

We stopped at Boone, NC the first night. Boone is home to Appalachian State University. It appears to be a quaint town with a lot of art and coffee and the usual college town stuff. Unfortunately we didn’t have the opportunity to really experience Boone. Perhaps we will check it out another time.

The second night we stopped over in Athens, GA, home of University of Georgia, or the Georgia Bulldogs. We arrived late on a Sunday night and found the only thing open for eats was The Grille, so that’s where we ate. It’s a 24 hour diner that has great diner fare,  friendly staff, and quaint, “old-timey” decor. After we left The Grille we took the daughter over to Ben & Jerry’s for a scoop of yummy ice cream.

Was disappointed to discover that the Telulah Gorge (GA) overlook was closed. 

Along the way on our last leg to FL we stopped and had fresh peaches and boiled peanuts from roadside stands. What a treat!

Our stay in Florida was hot. Mid to upper 90s the whole time with humidity approaching the same numbers. There are good reasons for my not living in Florida anymore, this is one of them. And despite what my parents insist, that it gets “just as hot or hotter ‘up there’ as it does down here,” we returned to upper 60s to mid 70s weather, cool breezes, and though rainy, not oppressive.

We had a few days at  the beach where we introduced Kashti to the thing I was so obsessed with while pregnant with him. I’m still not crazy about the sand, but I am coming to terms with the salt water. All the same, I prefer the mountains!

I was able to visit a few friends, as well as a few old haunts. I missed some other friends due to snafus or bad timing. Hopefully we’ll get to try visiting with them “next time”.

The trip back was the usual, boring, uneventful trek up I-95 with a couple nice stops the first day to visit some friends on the way out.

Recommended hotels: Comfort Suites, in Athens especially. Comfortable rooms, fold out couch, decent complimentary breakfast, good rates. Broyhill Inn and Conference Center on campus at the Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Again, comfortable rooms, although no fold out couch like at the Comfort Suites, and a decent breakfast if not complimentary.

Now, forgive us our lapse. We shall endeavor to keep up…