Date: 2023-05-12
From: Tentsite

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 6.6

Mood: °Today was a wonderful day!! We had such a great day today spending it with a ton of other hikers!! AND WE ARE IN VIRGINIA NOW!! Woohoo!!! 470 miles down! It was a miracle that the Professor, LILO, Trip Wire, Moose Jaw, and I were out of camp by 10:00 in the morning! We were so proud of ourselves! And then, we made it to Damascus, VA in only an hour and 45 minutes! We were cookin¢. I felt so much better today compared to yesterday. My pack was much lighter since we ate some food, and I was feeling good (despite my Achilles tendinitis,¢¦ that has been rough the past three weeks). Once we made it into town we stopped at the Library/Visitor¢s Center. There we caught up with Big Tex and Gray Mare, and we got directions from the Librarians along with the best places to get food. So of course, we go to get food first. We stopped at the Main Street Cafe and got sugary coffee drinks, a giant chocolate chip cookie, and an amazing delicious sandwich. We saw Fizz and TT at the cafe and met a section hiker named Shaman. He was hiking a large section with his dog, ADT. TT had to work some, and he wishes he could take a break and dial it back from his job. I can¢t blame him. Him and his wife are hiking the trail together. They always make us laugh because they bicker just like us! In fun and full of love! Toaster walked into the cafe and hung out with us for awhile. From there we went to the outfitter. Because of course we always have to go to the outfitter to see what they have! I got myself a pair of new shoes, since my others were on their last leg. We also got some soap and other basic necessities. From the outfitter, we (LILO, Trip Wire, Moose Jaw, and I) walked to our bed & breakfast, Lady Di¢s. We are all sharing a room, and it feels like a sleepover! After dropping our items off, Grams, Big Tex, and Gray Mare join us for dinner at the Twisted Chicken. Of course we got chicken wings with ranch. Ranch is superior to blue cheese!! Big Tex and Gray Mare are wonderfully kind and soft spoken couple. It¢s encouraging to see couples who have been married for 20+ years hiking the trail together. They shared why they were hiking the trail with us over dinner. People have many reasons for hiking, and it¢s a wonderful to hear everyone¢s stories as to why they are taking this journey. As we were nearing the end of our meal, the Professor joined us at dinner and got some wings for himself. After dinner we walked back to the bed & breakfast and hung outside. Truffle, Cow, I¢ll Be, Chow Town, Timber, and Sticks joined us outside for two hours to chat about life, religion, the trail, our feet, and our aches. It was a wonderful time sharing stories together and just laughing! They are a wonderful Tramily (Trail Family) that we like to spend time with. We have met so many great people, and I hope that we get to continue to spend time with all of them!! I want to get to know everyone better! Around 11:30, LILO, Nicholas, Trip Wire and I finally crawled into bed! Today was a wonderful day! I wish I could capture every small moment into a film so I can re-watch it. Every time we see another hiker we get so excited. We absolutely love Town days!!