Category: Travel Tales

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 8: the thing the happened after

August 8, 2022

“Honey, I need you to open your eyes,” the PA said.

“Can’t… spinning…” I gasped. Gasping was the only way I could communicate at the moment.

“But I really need you to. Just for a second.”

I did my very best, but my eyes were twitching around in their sockets, refusing to stay still for even a second. I tried to toss cookies I’d run out of long, long ago. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 8: the thing the happened after

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 7: we arrive unscathed in Damascus!

August 7, 2022

“When I ask if you’d want to do this with us again,” I told Hobz, “what you should do is say, ‘of course I would! you guys are great hiking buddies!’, but then you should feel free to invent an excuse to be unable to meet us when it actually comes up next time. That way we can all stay friends.” … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 7: we arrive unscathed in Damascus!

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 4: rain, moonlight, and sharing pants

August 4, 2022

“Are there rules?” I asked Hobz, imagining how this would have played out if we had arrived to find six people already in residence.

“No pitching your tent inside the shelter,” he said. “That’s about it.” Stories he told us over the next few days would help me understand that, if we had turned up to find the shelter already full, we would have just asked everyone to scoot over and wedged ourselves in, sad little sardines on a wooden shelf. You get real cozy with strangers on the Appalachian Trail. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 4: rain, moonlight, and sharing pants

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 3: my hummingbird heart gets me there

August 3, 2022

With my watch registering 7.2 miles hiked (thank gods!! only another mile to go!!) we called a break for lunch.

Hobz reviewed our progress on the trail map. “Three miles left,” he said, squinting doubtfully at the clock and then at my stupid backpack.

“Three…. whole… miles?” I whimpered. My watch is a vile traitor. I know it gives me more credit than I deserve, but this was ridiculous. I somehow managed to keep my weeping on the inside. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 3: my hummingbird heart gets me there

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 2: less wet, more raccoons

August 2, 2022

Hobz was already out on the AT, and he would be arriving here at the end of a 16-mile day. I sent him a nervous text message, encouraging him to walk JUST A LITTLE FASTER because we didn’t know what to do in this rather creepy neck of the Tennessee forest. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 2: less wet, more raccoons

Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 1: there should be an ark around here somewhere?

August 1, 2022

We promptly stripped off every piece of clothing we were wearing, wrung five or six cups of water out into the trash can, then hung them up to dry. I then pulled my even-wetter backup outfit out of my backpack, poured about two inches of water out of the bottom of the backpack, and decided to go to dinner wrapped in a bedsheet. … More Seven Days on the Appalachian Trail, Day 1: there should be an ark around here somewhere?

Laura’s Journals: Alcatraz, of course

May 5, 2022

Transcriptions of the journal pages in the photographs below can be found at the bottom of the page. I’ve stopped believing I’ll ever turn this into a proper blog post, so I’ve included photos here. The gulls do not care. Transcription: Thursday, May 5, 2022 GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION: ALCATRAZ ISLAND Welcome to San Francisco! … More Laura’s Journals: Alcatraz, of course