Date: 2005-04-15
From: Deer Park Mtn. Shelter

To: Duckett House Inn
Miles today: 3.2

Day 27: April 15,2005After a crummy nights sleep; mice, large animals & slippery thermarests we woke up early so we could hustle into Hot Springs for breakfast. We were out of camp by 7:30 feeling pretty sore after our previous 23 mile push. With only 3.2 miles to go we sucked it up & tried not to complain about our injuries. The hike was mostly downhill & we walked into Hot Springs @ 8:45. We immediatley went to Elmer's "Sunnybank" Inn to see if there was an opening for the evening. We walked into the enormous Victorian House & were informed that we could put our names on a waiting list & we could stop back in @ 11 to see if there was an opening. With our names down we headed to the Smoky Mountain Diner for breakfast. We had a feast each ordering 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, hash browns,bacon & biscuits for me & and Engish muffin for Dave, not to mention OJ & all the cups of coffee that we drank. We rolled out of there @10:45 & checked on Elmer's. We were told that most people were staying but we could get reservations for tomorrow night. We did so & headed out to find a place to stay.We ran into Domino, who we have been hiking with, and he told us about The Duckett House Inn. He said it was beautiful & quiet & also that the owners were very nice. Leaving Elmer's I went to the pay phone & gave them a call. A very friendly gentleman informed me they had a room & it would be ready in 45 minutes. We decided to walk up there & wait until our room was ready since it was a little bit out of town. The Inn was just beautiful, a large Victorian house w/ a porch that wrapped around the whole house with rocking chairs & swings. We went in & said Hello to the owner & then relaxed on the porch & played w/ the dog, Jack, until our room was ready. A bit out of town, it was very quiet & peaceful on five acres of land. I have never stayed in a B&B and it was definitely posh for our hiker world. Hardwood floors & antiques everywhere you turn. I recommend the Inn if you are ever in Hot Springs. We were lucky & one of the bathrooms was right off our room & it may just be the best shower I have ever had! A huge silver shower head just ran water down on you, with shampoo, conditoner & all the fixen's (including Q-tips)!Oh the things I miss! We showered & got settled in. I went outside & sat @ a picnic table in the sun & wrote my journal. Every 5 minutes I would stare off & admire the beautiful spot we had found. Dave came out & we decided to head into town. The rest of our day would be spent in town catching up with friends who we had started the hike with and had last seen @ Neels Gap;Tom,Leah & Josh. It was so good to see them! We went to the outfitters & checked out the resupply. The Bluff Mtn. Outfitters is the best outfitter we have come across on the trail. My mom bought me a pair of shorts(Black Mountain Hardwear) that I haven't taken off since I bought them. We hit the Paddler's Pub after & that was basically the end of our day. We sat down w/a lot of friends & chatted over pitchers of Oatmeal Porter & for dinner we grabbed 12" subs from the campground store. We gorged on meatball & roastbeef subs,chips, chocolate milk & chocolate donuts...very healthy. We walked around & looked for our friend Nate & then ran into some more people & ended up @ the pub again. We also spent some time @ the Cody House Hostel w/Tiny Dancer, Leah, Tom,Josh & Stilts. Hot Springs is the best town that we have visited yer. There are hikers everywhere & the environment is very laid back. We headed back to the peaceful environment of the Inn @ about 8 o'clock. It was totally empty there & Dave & I made all of our calls home, took showers & jumped in our comfy bed w/our new books to relax. We felt like we were @ home which I think is what they are going for at this spot. What a wonderful day in Hot Springs. We wish we could stay here forever but then we would never make it to Maine. Hell Yeah we love Hot Springs!