The best trip in NC
These are the memories of my most recent trip to North Coralina.
April 30
Ali, Bobby, Dan Caffrey, Dave, Ravyn and myself left Gainesville at 11am. After 9 hours with a few stops, even a green Wal-Mart, we arrived at our destination of Almond, North Carolina. Having nothing to eat except a bag of chips, Bobby and Dan made their way into Bryson City, the closest real, though small, town. Unfortunately for our stomachs the entire town closes down by 10pm. They returned empty handed after acquiring directions to a Super Wal-Mart and realizing they both forgot their wallets. I went with them this time back into town to find the Wal-Mart next to the hospital. In one of many misdirections we had to stop by the Chinese restaurant, Yummi Yummi and ask again. This took us 20 miles away to the good hospital and the Wal-Mart. Finally two hours later we come home to Dave playing dress-up. Now have a stocked refrigerator and we had pasta for dinner. Early to bed tonight, for the adventure begins tomorrow. Sleeping arrangements are as follows: Bobby and Ali - queen bed, Ravyn - top bunk, Dan - futon, Dave - bottom bunk, Me - couch (Dave and I alternate each night).
May 1
After my shower, I began cooking eggs but Bobby soon took over as he was the Designated Chef. We all left for the Nantahala River, which was only a few miles away, for our first rafting trip. We all got wetsuits and our equipment and after a short instructional video we headed out on the bus to the launch area. We paired up in our two-person kayaks. Dave and Dan who immediately raced out of sight. Bobby and Ali then Ravyn and me. We were always last since I liked floating down the river and relaxing except when steering was required and sometimes not even then. All of us took a break at a nice park area and tried to work feeling back into our feet. The water was 52 degrees and Dave was the only one with foresight enough to get booties.
Just before the most exciting part of the river we got stopped and had to wait for the canoe races to end. Dan and Dave, once again in the lead went off the main path around a big rock and consequently got the best pictures. Ravyn and I went right down the middle and right under water. Bobby and Ali got stuck. On the exit Dan and Dave were pulling their kayak up onto shore when we collided with it almost sending Dave to the ground. After the rocky walk to the car and the drive home we had a nice barbeque with fat hamburgers and a game of Cranium in which Bobby and I triumphed. Naps followed.
We went exploring in the woods behind the cabin and soon split up. Bobby, Dan, and I crossed a road and found a few other cabins and turned around at the top of the hill for it was getting late. A couple dogs heard us and came running up but they were friendly. We met back up with the girls at the cabin, they found some balls and brought them back. After an hour of Full House we all went to sleep. I woke up twice in the night, once to Ravyn talking in her sleep and the second time to my penis in my hand (I still don’t know how it got there).
May 2
I am lying in bed listening to everyone in the living room when Bobby comes in banging a pot telling us to wake up. I vow to punch him in the face next time he does it and lucky for him he didn’t give me the reason to. We left for Tennessee to travel the mighty Ocoee River. We got there a little early so we checked out pictures of previous rafters. Once fitted into our wetsuits, we got our equipment and took the bus 10 miles to the launch point. Our guide Jason practiced paddling with us then we went out. Bobby and Dan were the leaders. Patrick, another guide, was in a kayak with a rope for our protection since we were the only rafters that day. The weather was dreary at first but refreshing and the water was 64 degrees which felt like a hot tub compared the Nantahala. We practice some moves and did a trick called surfing with the raft where it sits on the turbulence caused by the rocks. Jason later told us he was afraid we were going to flip then. We were like professionals which was good since we went through the same spot as they did at the 1996 Olympics.
We met a guy with two cups, knee pads and the whole works on just floating in the river on his belly. There was a calm spot where we could get out and swim. We had lunch that they prepared for us halfway through on the heated bus. This time Dave and I were in the front. We tried surfing once after a 5 foot drop and the raft was held completely underwater and I thought we were going to drown. We tried holding the raft in another hole just by leaning and spinning in circles. We turned around and to our surprise Jason is standing on a rock outside the raft. We went swimming again and now Ali and Ravyn got their chance to experience the waves close up.
We got some dirty looks from other guides because Jason did all the fun stuff with us while they were stuck with some Frenchies who couldn’t paddle in sync if it meant their country would keep its sovereignty. We spun around as fast as we could over one rapid and Bobby got thrown out. Then at Guide’s Revenge as we went down sideways (on purpose) all of us got thrown except Ravyn.
Once we got back to the rafting lodge we warmed up in the hot top and showered off. Dan, Ravyn and I made it back to the cabin an hour before Ali, Bobby and Dave because the were secretly buying birthday stuff for Ravyn. The three of us hung out in the laundry room with the dryer on for some warmth and played with the light switch string like cats. We played another game of Cranium and played the story game where everyone writes pieces of each other’s stories. More Full House and more sleep.
May 3
Today we got to sleep in and eat bacon for breakfast. We decided to see Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies. The drive through the winding roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was fun but it was about to get better. It was foggy and tiny rain droplets began to hit the windshield. Then Ravyn noticed something sticking to the trees and the ground. It wasn’t rain droplets, it was snowing! We drove on in amazement, it was so beautiful. We parked the cars next to some others which had been there for a while as they had icicles growing on them.
We began our 350 foot ascent up to the observatory. Once we got to the top it was very cold and windy but enough snow had accumulated there to make a few good snowballs. Since it was foggy we couldn’t see much from up there so we began walking the trails. The sound of intermittent wind through the trees reminded us of the beaches of our home state. The girls were getting tired and decided to turn back and get some food from the cars. Bobby, Dan, and I continued down the trail into the forest. Bobby got ahead and Dan and I were about to turn around a leave him but being the good friends we are we kept going until we saw him coming back. When we turned around we realized our folly. We had been going downhill for 2 ½ miles. The trek back up the mountain side was tiring in the thin air but we were refreshed by a few breaks and some delicious fresh mountain water. Eventually we made it back to the car to a beautiful sight of the clouds parting over a valley.
At the cabin we completed our daily ritual of Cranium and Full House. I got the bed again but neither Ravyn nor I could sleep so we played card games into the wee hours of the night. When that got boring we read each other Crack the Case cards until we fell asleep.
May 4
The plan for today was to get fishing licenses and fish at the Fontana Dam. Ravyn, Dave, and I followed Bobby, Ali, and Dan through Bryson City to get the licenses. At the third stop to ask for directions we were talking and when we thought we had been waiting for quite a while. We got out of the car and looked around and, alas, they were long gone. I asked the cashier which direction she pointed them and we went that way. We saw a crazy witch lady and had to lock the doors and roll up the windows so she wouldn’t cast spells on us. We ended up passing our cabin with the idea that we would meet up with them at the lake. We passed the lake and turned around in the parking lot to an old Baptist church with a cemetery on a hill in the front yard. On the way back we saw the other car and followed them. At a gas station we saw a motorcycle group from Pensacola.
We made it to the dam but there was no fishing. It was neat to see though, very big and we walked through the guest center for a little while. After only about a half hour we turned back and went to the Devil’s Falls. After a quick change of clothes Dan and I took some pictures in the waterfall then Bobby and Dan climbed up it. We followed a trail through the forest until we cam to the main walking path which runs along a river. Ravyn and Dave continued up the path, Dan walked to the middle of the river and perched on a rock for a Golem picture, and Bobby and Ali explored the botany. After Dan’s picture Bobby and Ali left to go fishing by the cabin.
Dan and I caught up to Dave and Ravyn then went across the river and climbed way up a waterfall while they sat on the bank continuing a deep conversation. On the way back down Dan and I transformed into hideous mud monsters and all four of us traveled up the trail across a bridge in repair. It was getting dark so we washed the caked mud off each others bodies with the freezing river water in a way reminiscent of Jesus’ torture in The Passion. We then turned around, took a break on a big rock in the middle of the river then went back to the car. A couple old ladies decided it was there place to chastise us on the dangers of waterfall climbing but we shunned them.
We went to meet Bobby and Ali at the lake only to find out they were getting dinner at Yummi Yummi. We sped over there since we had wanted to eat there since the first day of the trip. It was almost closing time but the Chinese folk were very accommodating and the food was delicious. Back at the cabin we attempted to make a bonfire but since it rained the past few day the logs were wet and we ended up burning all our lighter fluid instead. Bored, we went back inside and had a few drinks.
We went to bed with Dan and Dave in the bedroom and Ravyn and I in the living room. A little while after lights out Dave came out carrying a Wal-mart bag. It contained his own fresh feces and was starting to stink up the room. Once that was properly disposed of we all continued our nightly activities.
May 5
Today was our last day in the cabin and we had to check out by 11am. We cleaned, packed our stuff and found Dave’s piss bottle remnants of the night before. Dan wrote about our adventure in the guest book with memories of the past 5 days still fresh in our minds. Bobby, Ali, and Dan took Ali’s car and Dave and I went with Ravyn. We quickly got separated and we ended up taking the scenic route. It was nice scenery and fun driving. We went through a storybook town with horse-drawn carriages and houses made out of candy.
We finally got back to where we were supposed to be, only ½ hour behind the other car. Unfortunately for us a trailer flipped on the highway and we had to go around through Atlanta. Of course we got lost and wound up in the most ghetto place I have ever been with windows up and doors locked. We stopped at a gas station for directions and a crazy guy gave them to me perfectly. 5 times. Finally easy driving from here on out. A decent dinner at Cracker Barrel and a few hours later we just made it home in time for South Park only to find out it was a rerun.
This was the best trip I’ve ever been on. I hope I will never forget it, especially with these memoirs. We did so much stuff in the short time we were there. The last day had its fair share of bad moments but even those made for good memories. Thanks to Ali, Bobby, Dan, Dave, and Ravyn for making this trip the best!