Date: 2015-06-14
From: Mt. Holly Springs, PA, Holly Inn

To: Boiling Springs, PA, Allenberry Inn and Playhouse
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: few clouds

This little experiment with low mileage leaves me feeling there's very little to write...so...this may ramble a bit about not much of anything.I'm spoiled now, because instead of camping out, I've been inside. I can do a pro/con list of the three stays. Ironmaster's was great because I had the entire top floor to myself, I could spread out and not bother anyone. I could take away 2 mini whole wheat bagels for a future breakfast or lunch. I had both OJ and apple juice, plus coffee and a small bowl of fresh fruit for breakfast. It was right on tge Trail so no ride was needed, either coming or going. The hostel lady let me use her fabreze to de-funk my backpack a bit. It wasn't so great because I had all day to kill in a place that wasn't a town, with not much to do, until the hostel opened at 5pm, at which time I had only a few hours to do it all before bed. Also, upstairs was hot, except in the bunk room where the AC was, and I couldn't sit up to read or journal without hitting my head on the top bunk. The closest bathroom was three large rooms with creaky floors away, and the shower was weird, with a strange 6-jet spray head and the water temperature fluctuated wildly even if you didn't touch the dial. It had laundry, but it was very far away in the back corner of basement.The Holly Inn was great because it was on a main street in a small town, where I could walk. They had complimentary coffee in the lobby all the time, and a small fridge I could use to store OJ overnight. The shower was clean, strong, and had a tub, complete with integrated drain plug so I didn't have to stuff a washrag in to bathe/soak. The lady who runs it gave us a free ride back to the Trail this morning. It wasn't great because it didn't include breakfast. The stores nearby are not actual grocery stores, but rather convenience and dollar stores, where we buy mostly junk to eat. It wasn't easy getting to the Inn from the AT. It didn't have laundry facilities, which meant a laundromat visit. The ice machine was out of order, and the room had neither microwave nor fridge.Today we walked only 8.8 miles, up over 5 "bumps", the first of which had a "rock maze" at the top...large boulders to scramble over and around, but not difficult. The fourth bump had a shelter, but it was off trail and uphill, so we ate lunch on a log trailside instead. The last bump top was the original location of the AT halfway point. It changes each year now as the Trail is rerouted. Once the bumps were done we walked through cornfields, then into Boiling Springs, a quaint and neat town, where there's an ATC office, which we stopped at briefly for info, followed by a second lunch at Caff  101, where I totally enjoyed a beautiful plate of ham, cheese, zucchini and yellow squash quiche with balsamic side salad. Wonderful veggies!!!!! Plus a fantastic caramel/coffee frappe. After lunch we walked out of town and down the road to Allenberry Inn and Playhouse. It's hard to describe, but it's a large, old property, with multiple buildings and the feel of a country club that was in its glory 20 or 30 years ago, but still has a formerly posh aura to it. The Playhouse part of it is that they offer live theater. I was disappointed to find that we were too late for the show, as today is Sunday and there's only a matinee. But the pool was open. They require a real swim suit, not improvised hiker clothes, but have a stock of various sizes on hand that can be borrowed. Unfortunately just as I got changed it started to rain. No storm, though, so the pool stayed open and I had it to myself...the other guests ran for cover. I sat in the hot tub with rain falling, switched to the pool, then back again. They boast of a specialty here of "sticky buns" we can have at breakfast, along with cereal and coffee, with an extra $3 charge. There's no bathtub, but the shower has a deep soaking basin for a base. The coffee maker in the lounge and the lobby are both broken. The lounge has a pool table, but it's only 7 foot, the sticks are mostly busted, and there's no 8 ball. We improvised a bit with a spare 7 ball, but it didn't work too well. Meanwhile, I had discovered a washer and dryer next to the ice machine (which WAS working) and since our clothes were still wet from a sink-washing, we decided to dry them in the dryer while in the lower level lounge at the pool table. Not sure if we were allowed or not, since they weren't coin-op???? But since no one else was using them, and our 10 items dried quickly, I guess it was ok. Tomorrow it's back up the road an extra half mile (another for the con side) to the Trail for what will be more of a "regular" hike day (not sure what that means anymore, really), of either 15 or 21 miles, depending on feet (Trudge is fighting foot blisters), heat, other weather, and mood.