A little more than a year after the start of my epic AT hike, I decided to take on an adventure of a different sort: tackling the challenge of travel therapy once again and doing some trail magic to support this year's batch of hiker trash! So now I'm here in Roanoke, Virginia.
Lucky for me, almost halfway between Plymouth, MA and Roanoke, VA is the town of Chatham, NJ -- home to my college roommate, Isa. Perfect for an overnight stop! As we so often do, Isa and I decided to go out for food and drinks that Saturday. Delicious Heights, a fantabulous restaurant near her place, really lives up to its name. I was taken to whole new heights of deliciousness. (I spent a bit of time searching the internet for mango slaw recipes, thanks to ol' Delicious Heights. I have yet to make it, but I'm looking forward to it) And then Isa introduced me to her new favorite after dinner drink: sambuca with coffee beans. Somehow, the coffee beans, which you crunch up with your teeth whilst sipping the sabuca, end up tasting like little candy pieces. It's super good. But super strong! After dinner, I went to an entirely other height of deliciousness.
In the morning, we went to the Broadway Diner, home of "the world's best pancakes", or so the sign says. I've seen that sign before! Except that in this instance, I believe the sign is actually true. Broadway Diner has if not THE best pancakes in the world, then at least in the top 10. They are light and fluffy and golden and tasty. I generally go with the blueberry pancakes, but on this particular Sunday morning, the smell of cinnamon buns so overwhelmed my olfactory sensibilities, that I went with cinnamon pancakes. YUMMY!
Lucky for me, almost halfway between Plymouth, MA and Roanoke, VA is the town of Chatham, NJ -- home to my college roommate, Isa. Perfect for an overnight stop! As we so often do, Isa and I decided to go out for food and drinks that Saturday. Delicious Heights, a fantabulous restaurant near her place, really lives up to its name. I was taken to whole new heights of deliciousness. (I spent a bit of time searching the internet for mango slaw recipes, thanks to ol' Delicious Heights. I have yet to make it, but I'm looking forward to it) And then Isa introduced me to her new favorite after dinner drink: sambuca with coffee beans. Somehow, the coffee beans, which you crunch up with your teeth whilst sipping the sabuca, end up tasting like little candy pieces. It's super good. But super strong! After dinner, I went to an entirely other height of deliciousness.
In the morning, we went to the Broadway Diner, home of "the world's best pancakes", or so the sign says. I've seen that sign before! Except that in this instance, I believe the sign is actually true. Broadway Diner has if not THE best pancakes in the world, then at least in the top 10. They are light and fluffy and golden and tasty. I generally go with the blueberry pancakes, but on this particular Sunday morning, the smell of cinnamon buns so overwhelmed my olfactory sensibilities, that I went with cinnamon pancakes. YUMMY!
Sunday's drive was a bit longer than Saturday's, possibly because I was still reeling from the effects of sambuca with coffee beans -- something that even a stack of the world's best pancakes couldn't completely eradicate. However, my drive west on 78 and south on 81 pretty much paralleled the trail, which made the drive like a trip down memory lane.
As I drove along passing signs for Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Hamburg (with that gigantic but essentially useless Cabella's), Maryland State Line, Front Royal, Luray, Shenandoah State Park, Waynesboro, Troutsville, memories came flooding back. Its funny how precisely I can remember certain sections of trail, down to what foods I was craving! Also of note: those cheap-o car phone chargers they sell in Ocean State Job Lot? Totally do not work. Take note of it.
I ended up getting into Roanoke around 6:30 pm on Sunday. Because of a missed turn, I ended up finding my place of employment for the next three months before I found my house. Nice facility and only 2 miles away from the house. Once I got turned around, it was pretty easy finding the house.
In the past I had always gone with the corporate housing option, but now with the advent of Craig's List, its much easier to find short term rental options, which is a better option financially. In any case, I'm renting a furnished room in a house in a nice residential neighborhood. Me and 5 other roomies. All guys. So, much like the AT hike, I am --as Violet Beauregard so eloquently put it:-- "a badass in a sea of testosterone."
As I drove along passing signs for Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Hamburg (with that gigantic but essentially useless Cabella's), Maryland State Line, Front Royal, Luray, Shenandoah State Park, Waynesboro, Troutsville, memories came flooding back. Its funny how precisely I can remember certain sections of trail, down to what foods I was craving! Also of note: those cheap-o car phone chargers they sell in Ocean State Job Lot? Totally do not work. Take note of it.
I ended up getting into Roanoke around 6:30 pm on Sunday. Because of a missed turn, I ended up finding my place of employment for the next three months before I found my house. Nice facility and only 2 miles away from the house. Once I got turned around, it was pretty easy finding the house.
In the past I had always gone with the corporate housing option, but now with the advent of Craig's List, its much easier to find short term rental options, which is a better option financially. In any case, I'm renting a furnished room in a house in a nice residential neighborhood. Me and 5 other roomies. All guys. So, much like the AT hike, I am --as Violet Beauregard so eloquently put it:-- "a badass in a sea of testosterone."
The bedroom is very nice -- airy with nice light, lots of storage, a desk, a TV, and a plethora of decorative bed pillows.
The kitchen and living room (or, as I call it, that room that I walk through between the kitchen and the staircase) are spotless. I live in a sea of clean-freak testosterone.
Since I live only 2 miles from work, I can ride my bike there and back each day to give Cherry Valence (the Jeep) a much needed rest. It's been good, except for Wednesday morning, when the temperature dropped. It kind of felt like my face was going to fall off during that ride!
I also discovered a nice bike path that runs from a couple blocks away from the house to the downtown area.
I also discovered a nice bike path that runs from a couple blocks away from the house to the downtown area.
So things are going well, I'm settling in, and ready to do some exploring of the Roanoke area!
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