We returned from vacation on Sunday and it actually felt good to go back to work. I hear that makes me different from a lot of people. I am fortunate indeed to have found work that pays the bills and satisfies me on a day-to-day basis. It also affords me enough time to do a few other things I enjoy. Basically, I am insanely lucky.
North Carolina was awesome! On our way from the gusty east, we stopped in Raleigh to view the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum. Amazing that articles can survive for so long. Looking at writings and pottery over 2000 years old, is something I can barely wrap my head around. We stayed in Winston Salem that night, noting how inexpensive cigarettes are in that part of the country.
I have to add at this point, that the south-east has a very different definition of what a cafe is than we do up here. First of all, they are almost impossible to locate. It also appears (near as I could tell) that a cafe is an eatery that neither serves breakfast, or indeed is even open before noon. Then closes again around 3, only to reopen around 6. Breakfast seems to not be important to people in NC. We ended up eating pastries we purchased on Sunday from a coffee shop (which was fantastic!), every morning until Wednesday.
We camped a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First night was car camping after the drive there, but we then did a few days hiking and camping in the park itself. For some reason, my "bearanoia" was in high gear. Them park rangers do a good job at making sure you know that bears are rampant in the park. Never did see one. We hiked a sliver of the Appalachian Trail, did a small loop of some side trails, and headed out Friday afternoon. Back country camping is a close second to a bike ride, in my "fun things to do" list.
From there, we drove to St. Louis for the night (I am still a little mad I didn't take a picture of the arch) where we had to do a little impromptu navigating as there was an accident that closed down the interstate. 11 at night, after a 7 mile hike and a few hundred miles of driving, trying to find your way through an unfamiliar city with an outdated, poor map is one of the best tests in married life. (I have to brag that we passed with flying colors)
The next morning (I still am surprised how chipper my wife was for waking up so early each day), we drove to my in laws to help them with a small house project. Carrie's siblings came down and we had a nice family dinner. Then Sunday was the drive home with a lunch stop in Des Moines to show off some pictures of the vacation to the grandparents. A great thing to do, making us realise we had to whittle them down some more. Too many vistas.
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