Date: 2005-06-26
To: Long Way Dungan
Miles today: 0.0

NO PAIN...NO RAIN...NO MAINEGreetings family, friends and readers. I bring glad tidings from Dream Catcher. She is alive and well, and back on the trail in North Carolina. As the caption states, she still has some pain, when I dropped her off it was starting to rain...but without going through all this, there would be no Maine. So let me begin at the beginning....Friday, June 24th...Trail Dog and I picked up Dream Catcher at the Paddlers Pub in Hot Springs, North Carolina. A quaint little town that seems to exist becuase of the AT and white water rafting. Everyone was very nice. Dream Catcher also showed me where she had stayed in Hot Springs, and she highly recommends this place to other hikers (or anyone else who finds a desire to go to Hot Springs) - Elmer's Bunkhouse. What a great place. When we got there Elmer was in the kitchen starting dinner (all organinc vegiterian meals) and it smelled fabulous. All the rooms are decorated in a variety of antiques like you would see at your grandma's house. It was cozy, unpretentious, and very comfortable. Elmer's been in business since 1977. The house itself is an old boarding home that is about 160 years old.We couldn't stay in Hot Springs because there was a Harley Davidson motorcycle rally there this weekend (I'm not kidding). We stayed in Newport Tennessee instead. As it turns out this worked well...they had room service, a clothes dryer, a pool, and a hot tub. Dream Catcher was feeling fine, but her legs were hurting. I think it was good timing to have a weekend off from hiking, and to be pampered a bit. Her blisters are not near as bad as the pictures she showed me of her feet from a few weekes ago. She was in good spirits, and wanted me to make sure to say Hello for her to all her friends and family.Another bit of wisdom Dream Catcher shared with me was to always ask about where you would be going to eat when invited by locals. As it turns out, when she first got to Mountain Mama's in Waterville, NC, she was the only hiker there at the time. She befiended the owner and her husband and they invited her to go out to dinner with them. Well, Dream Catcher of course accepted, not wanting to refuse their hospitality, even though she was exhausted. As it tunrned out, they ended up traveling about 60 miles (one way) for dinner. First they stopped at a friend's house in Newport to listen to the children sing their gospel songs, pick up the friends, and then headed off to a car show. After the car show (which she described as cars like the ones in Dukes of Hazard) they went up to Morristown, TN to Buddy's BBQ. She had a good time and has more info about this trip - so next time you talk to her, ask about it!!We spent Saturday in Ashville, NC. It reminded both Dream Catcher and I of Boulder, Colorado. We went to the outfitters there, and a few other stores. On the way back we missed a turn, and asked for directions ...now for another bit of trail wisdom - never, under any circumstances, ask a woman in a Haiwian print mumu in North Carolina for directions. We were going to stop and ask this one lady for directions when we realized she was raking the dirt driveway (not the dirt in the driveway...her drive way WAS dirt), a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, curlers, and a mumu. Needless to day we didn't get a great vibe from her, so we opted for a gas station a little further up the road.Wel, that's it for tonight folks. Let's make sure I hit all the things I was supposed to mention - Thank you's to: Dawn for the presents from Scotland, and for letting your "Auntie" from Scotland visist; Kellie for the trail mix; Trail Dog for keeping us both up Friday Night while she barked at all the noises in the hotel; and to all her friends and family. I will be putting some mail drop info in within the next day ro so. She would love a card or letter sent to her.Well, that's all for now. Long Way and Trail Dog are safe at home, and Dream Catcher is back on the trail tonight, getting ready to battle more showers tomorrow. "And the boots go on again tomorrow...."