Date: September 3 – 6, 2024.
The Virginia Creeper trail is a popular trail that runs through southwest Virginia, extending 34.3 miles from Abingdon to Whitetop Station, near the North Carolina border. Originally a railroad line, the trail was converted in the 1980s into a scenic route for hiking, biking and horse back riding. The trail is named after Virginia Creeper vine, which grows abundantly in the region and also the after the nickname of the original steam engines that “crept” up the mountains.

Abingdon to Damascus
This section of the trail is gentler, spanning about 15 miles and featuring rolling hills and farmland. Its a great spot for a more leisurely bike ride with plenty of scenic views, wildlife and historic markers.

Damascus to Whitetop Station
This is a more challenging but also more popular section, spanning 17 miles and leading up to the highest point on the trail at Whitetop Mountain. The route involves a gradual ascent and passes through lush forests, creeks and bridges.

I brought my RV and stayed at the Creeper Trail Campground a popular campground located on Whitetop mountain near the Virginia Creeper Trail head. I was distracted by a women, Esther, that I had just started dating and did not take the time to look at the directions on the campground website but followed Google Maps instead. Google maps had me high in the mountains on a gravel, one lane road with hair pin curves – hundred foot cliffs on one side and sheer rock on the other side. Was so glad I didn’t meet anyone driving the other way because I didn’t know what I would do.

Camping at the Creeper Trail Campground allows visitors to full immerse themselves in the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains while having easy access to both the trail and nearby attractions in Damascus.

July 7 – 10, 2024

The Uranium Mind Trail near Steamboat Springs is a moderately challenging hike that offers scenic views and historic significance Here are some of the key information about the trail;

Length: approximately 3.2 miles long round trip
Elevation Gain: Around 850 feet.
Difficulty: Moderate
The trail leads to an old Uranium mine that was operational in the 1950’s

OUR VRBO home for our time in Steamboat Springs

Restaurants –

Weather: it was cool upper 50’s in the morning – then low 90’s in the afternoon.

Strawberry Park Natural Springs

Strawberry Park Hot Springs blends the pure natural beauty of the environment with the unique stone masonry of there thermal pools.

We went back to Denver after 3 nights in Steamboat Springs where the temperature reached the low 100’s so we canceled our hiking trips and found some cooler local activities. One day we walked two of the parks that had big shady trees, went to a movie, saw Fly me to the Moon, it was entertaining but the theater wasn’t that cool, another day we went to a museum. We made best of the extreme heat’

Sela flew back home to Portland on Saturday, the next day, Sunday, Greta, Isle and I stopped by the Garden of the Gods on our way to Monument Co. to see Chris, Cristy’s and Donna’s new house – it was great day.

Greta moved her flight home up by 3 days to Monday June 3, from her original date of June 6th because of my accident. I picked Greta up at the Georgia Ctr shuttle location at 6:30PM on Monday evening. I had mad a pasta salad which we had for dinner. I was starting to feel better but we still took it easy – here is a summary of her stay.

Tuesday, June 4 – we stayed around the house, rested and Greta swam in the lake. We had dinner at Kiques in Watkinsvile.

Wednesday, June 5 – we hung around the house in the morning then after Greta’s conference call with her book collaborators (Erin and Christine) we went to the farmer’s market at Creature Comfort. We bought some veggies, had a beer, listened to some live music before going to the Last Resort for dinner.

Thursday June 7 – we had lunch at Cali N Tito’s and did some grocery shopping because we wanted something we could cook on the Himalayan Salt tile that was regifted to me.

Friday, June 8 – we went downtown shopping at several of Greta’s favorite stores and had lunch at Big City Bread on their nice shady patio. Greta invited Haley over for dinner and we fixed chicken breast with piccata sauce – it was a fun evening even if Haley forgot and ended up an hour late.

Saturday, June 9 – Robin and Andrea came up Saturday afternoon and Greta made a lentil, salad with chick peas and grated beets for dinner – very good.

Sunday, June 10 – Sunday morning we had a waffles, eggs and bacon for breakfast then we spread Pam’s ashes on the property in some gardens. Sunday night we had a small bon voyage dinner party for Jen and Andy as they were off to Scotland on Tuesday – it was also a thank you for all their help after my accident. Greta and Andrea made a great taco feast and we had Pam’s easy blueberry cobbler for dessert – there were 7 for dinner Judy was also invited.

Monday, June 11 – we all went shopping at Costco, where Rob found a good deal on a Lego set, and then lunch at Marti’s at Midday. Robin and Andrea left for home around 2PM

Tuesday, June 12 – Greta and I went to Target where Greta helped me pick out a new pair of eye glasses. Then we drove over to Prince Ave where Greta had an 11AM appointment to get her nails done – we had lunch afterwards at the Farm Burger – it was very good.

At 4PM I took Jen and Andy to the airport shuttle at the GA Ctr for their flight to Scotland..

Wednesday, June 13 – took Greta to the shuttle at 8:15AM for her flight to New York where she was meeting Nick, who was flying in from Denver.

Friday morning, February 16 we drove about 2 hours and twenty minutes to Las Lajas on the Pacific coast to a house Kirt and his family had rented for the night.It was a lot hotter there compared to Boquete and hardly any breeze. the house was not air conditioned but the four bedrooms were.

Everyone disappeared into their air conditioned rooms except for Sela, Ariana and myself – we became Ariana’s gymnastic students and she was teaching us the balance beam as Sela shows below – basically Ariana tortured us for hours.

Arjelis’s friend Carolina, her son, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend joined us at the beach. They were a lot of fun to talk to and be around. Her daughter and daughter’s boyfriend were doing their residence at a hospital in Boquete. Carolina is also a doctor, but because she came from Columbia she can not practice in Panama.

It’s Saturday morning and we head back to Boquete soon – it was a good, fun trip.

Thursday, February 15
1.7 miles up and back – 1,062ft elevation gain.

After we got home from the bakery and shopping Cristhian, a distant cousin of Arjelis, with his girl friend, Rocio, and his brother Denzell stopped by the house for a visit, (They hadn’t been by in years). After talking for a while they asked Sela and I if we wanted to join them on a hike – and of course we said yes. We met them at 2PM and loaded into the back of Cristhian’s rustic Toyota Land Cruiser. After putting the vehicle into 4 wheel drive we managed to get up a very steep part of the road to the beginning of the trail – is was only going to get steeper from here.

It took Cristhian only a few minute to cut and shape trekking poles for Sela and I with his very sharp mascette – which helped a lot. There were however, certain points along the trail so steep we needed ropes to help us up – it was fun and exhilarating – and our 3 guides were very kind and patient.

The hiking trail was so beautiful – at times I felt like we were walking through an enchanted forest.