I love spending time in the mountains and I’ve always wanted to try fly fishing. It was time to head out there on my own and tow LJ without Andy. I decided that this adventure would be really worthwhile and I’d fly fish in the mountains. I was able to find a great Thousand Trails campground in the mountains of N.C. that was close to Boone, N.C. I planned ahead and booked a fishing guide to teach me the proper techniques in Boone, N.C. I booked through Boone’s Fly Shop in downtown Boone. It was only about a half hour drive from my campground and was really fun! It was catch and release and I caught a very tiny trout but you have to start somewhere right?
Part of this trip involved me leaving home and traveling across the state. Since it was so far, I planned a night at a Harvest Host to keep me from getting too tired on my first solo tow. Staying at the Harvest Host was a great confidence builder in this trip because it added another facet of something I had not experienced before. I actually held a team meeting while there and left in time to arrive at the campsite by 3 pm, which I’ve learned is the best time to arrive and set up so you aren’t doing so in the dark. When I arrived at the Thousand Trails Green Mountain, the time had come for me to back up LJ. I wasn’t very good at backing up and this task gave me a little anxiety. Thankfully, campgrounds are full of really nice people who were quick to jump in and guide me through it all. I was so impressed with how close I was to the deck!
Since I was alone, I had planned some hikes right from the campground. There were several trails to tackle so each morning I was able to get in a great hike with Goose before work. On the day I went fishing, Goose stayed at a doggie day care in Lenoir so he wasn’t cooped up all day.
Later that week, Andy flew into Charlotte and I picked him up. It was close to our anniversary so we planned to spend the days hiking and exploring in Boone. I enjoy taking in the fall color and that week it was peak so everything was packed. We drove some of the Blueridge Parkway and stopped by Julian Price Memorial Park to do a nice long hike taking in the beautiful scenery. While there we got to see a young man propose to his girlfriend, and even snapped a picture for them so they’ll remember that moment forever.
Boone and the Blowing Rock area of North Carolina are some of our favorite places to travel and it holds such dear memories for me. I am excited to travel there more that I have my LJ, the Airstream, to take me whenever I want.
