Date: 2007-04-24
From: Hot Springs 

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

April 24, Movin' on UpAnother day in Hot Springs today. I woke up at 9:29 a.m. and it was 69.8 degrees in my cabin. Perfect. I got everything all packed up and then headed to breakfast with the whole crew - Scribe, Gadget, Sailor, and Not Guilty. I still feel tired today and my voice actually sounds worse. I might lose it. Breakfast was, again, delicious. Two amazing pancakes with syrup, bacon, scrambled eggs, hot tea, and a tomato biscuit. The tomato biscuit was definitely the cherry on top. Certain pulled in just as we were all finishing so we all ordered another round of breakfast beverages while she ate. Great company, great jokes. Not Guilty is living off of Little Debbie fudge rounds for breakfast and lunch and cooking a hot dinner. How great is that. Light. Cheap. Easy. I tried to rename him something to that end. I wish I could pull that off.Certain and I are leaving the Creekside Cabins today and moving to Springbrook Cottages. It ends up being cheaper and they are actually a little nicer too. Hot Springs is a pretty cool trail town. I like it for the simplicity. You only have two options for restaurants and one of the options has been closed for most of our visit. Everything you need is on the same street and is all within two blocks. The outfitter is directly across the street from our cabins. And the best part is that the trail runs THROUGH the town so you don't have to worry about getting a shuttle back! Woohoo.My pack is so heavy now. We are planning on taking six and a half days to Erwin and that is definitely more food than I've carried yet. Not to mention I've been more hungry lately so I'm carrying like two meals per every actual meal. I can't imagine what it's going to feel like when I add water to the mix. Bricks....Umm...we just checked into Springbrook Cottages and...good luck getting me to leave town tomorrow. They are amazing! Kitchenettes, air conditioning (yes, I was complaining about not having heat a week ago), dishes, pots and pans, TV, dressers, and, to top it all off, we have a deck out back where we can relax and look at the creek. Corian countertops, Pergo flooring, stone tiles in the bathroom. This place is nicer than my apartment back in Michigan! Are they serious? I wonder if the Hillbilly Market down the road has crab legs I can steam tonight. I don't think I'll be able to leave tomorrow. If you need me, I'll be in Hot Springs, NC....Did a bit of lying around for the rest of the day. Watched bad TV and just tried to relax. I'm still not 100% so I've been sipping lots of Emergen-C powder drinks with vitamin C. I'm hoping I feel at least 90% in the morning.Certain and I had dinner with Not Guilty and Sailor. I like this little routine we've established. I had a delicious pizza with spinach, artichoke, and tomatoes. Finally, vegetables that aren't deep fried! If there's one reason I want to get out of the South, that's it. Anyway, topped off that meal with blackberry pie a la mode. Mmm. Love that Smoky Mountain Diner.We also had a good chat with Not Guilty tonight about the trail since he's done it once before. He definitely had some good insight about timing and mileage. Good chat. Now I'm back at our cottage listening to the sounds of Hot Springs - roosters, birds, and a couple of cars here and there.- Sound of roosters, birds, a couple of cars here and there, shower running. Another rooster.Post Trail Thoughts:This stint in Hot Springs was pretty fun with everyone around. I enjoyed it even though I was ready to back on the trail.