Adventures and Such

  Welcome back! Sorry it's taken me a while to get back at it. Well, after a PHENOMINAL dinner at Little Switzerland's restaurant at the end of day 1, (it wasn't weird, Bryce) we strolled back to our quarters to relax and prepare for the next day, which was our longest day. The walk back to the room showcased a beautiful night sky, with the nearly full moon illuminating the passing clouds and the large patio with a campfire that looked over the valley below.  On tap for day two was 142 miles and around 14,000' of climbing. I felt pretty good after the previous day's 135 miles and was hoping for a good day 2, so I did things I don't normally do, like stretch, drink a couple liters of water, apply someone else's electrolyte salve, etc. Unfortunately, their breakfast didn't start until 7:30am and we weren't about to wait and start an hour later (Justin had an illegitimate fear of the dark and had no desire to still be out after sundown). Because of this

  "The  Blue Ridge Parkway  is a National Parkway  and All-American road  in the United States , noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest  linear park ,  runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29  Virginia  and  North Carolina  counties, linking  Shenandoah National Park  to  Great Smoky Mountains National Park . It runs mostly along the spine of the  Blue Ridge , a major  mountain chain  that is part of the  Appalachian Mountains . Its southern terminus is at  U.S. 441  on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the  Cherokee Indian Reservation  in North Carolina, from which it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia." - Wikipedia Somehow, I have never been on the parkway itself. I have done races and weekend bike trips to the Pisgah/Brevard area, but, nope, never actually been on the parkway. Not in a car, not on a bike, not on foot. But that was about to change. Late one evening, while lounging and watching TV