Date: 2013-04-13
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up about 8 am after a difficult night caused by the snoring ¢buzz saws¢ at the hostel! It was off to breakfast with Master Chief (aka Hey Everybody) and what a great breakfast it was! Then back to the Laughing Heart to check out around 10 am.I headed on over to Elmer¢s Sunnybank Inn¢¦a gorgeous 1840s built house where I would be spending tonight...and the cost was only $20 per night. The owner, Elmer Hall, is not an immediately accessible man. He's not brusque, as some who've only spoken with him by phone sometimes say. But neither is he the garrulous grandpa kind of host one might expect, given the many stories of his kindnesses, his gentleness and, most particularly, his hospitality.Now in his 75th year, Hall has owned and operated the inn as a refuge for Appalachian Trail hikers and a second home to select others since 1978. Sunnybank (more commonly known simply as "Elmer's") has "a grand history," It's probably the oldest surviving house in the town of Hot Springs, built in the 1840s when the little mountain town (about an hour north of Asheville) consisted of just natural thermal springs and a few farms. Around 1912, the Gentry family bought the house; matriarch Jane Gentry -- piano teacher, folk-music historian, weaver -- was an inspiration for the movie Songcatcher. Hall altered the rambling, two-story structure as little as possible in crafting a home not just for himself but for those who -- for an evening, a weekend, a welcome respite -- seek sanctuary here.Postman and I are sharing a room at Elmer¢s. It is a large bedroom with a king size four-poster bed and then a smaller bed in the same room. The house has very high ceilings on both floors with many beautiful antiques. Rules of the house include no shoes inside, no cell phones, and you enter/exit only through certain doors. Two-Socks and DBCooper are also staying here (we finally caught up with them!)¢¦in fact, I met up with many old hiking companions ¢ Quaker (a college professor), Karma and Turtle Tracks.You may remember my battle from the other night with the air mattress and having to reinflate it every few hours or so. With the help of a local outfitter, I tried diligently to find the leak and fix it. Even after submerging the air mattress in the creek, there was no success in locating the problem. So, I bought a new one¢¦different brand¢¦and shipped the leaking air mattress back to my wife in Idaho to return to REI. That is one of the great things about REI¢¦you have problems with equipment you purchase from them? Just return for a full refund¢¦no questions asked! I had called to make sure that there would be no problem returning the air mattress¢¦Boise REI was extremely helpful! Oh, yeah¢¦.I also purchased a lighter pair of hiking shoes ¢ I was tired of shuffling up hills in my very heavy Vasque hiking boots!Now I have to give a shout out to my friend Jay Fagel! Jay and I served on the DD938 USS Jonas Ingram while in the Navy ¢ both of us radiomen. Jay has been very good at tracking down and keeping up with the radiomen and other crew members from shipboard days. He organized and arranged 2 previous USS Jonas Ingram reunions, the last one in Jacksonville, Florida (I could not attend being so far out in Idaho). There will be another reunion in 2 years. Jay and his wife drove over from Ashville, NC today just to spend time with me ¢ a 2 12 hour drive one way! Jay and I had not seen each other since February 1969 when I got out of the Navy. We ate lunch at the Silver Creek Tavern and Jay shared with me various photos he had brought from that long ago time¢¦.photos of shipmates¢¦me in front of the Parthenon in Greece¢¦ah, what wonderful reminiscing! They stayed about 3 hours in Hot Springs before heading back to Ashville. It was a great feeling getting to see Jay again and meeting his wife!I met up with a large group of hikers for supper at the Spring Creek Tavern (yes, again in the same day!) where we sat on a porch along the river. Then it was back to the Sunnybank Inn. As evening fell, I sat on a second story porch outside my room and talked with Two-Socks and DBCooper. They are headed out in the morning. I, however, am staying one more day along with Postman (to let the snorer get ahead). I am looking forward to a good night¢s rest!