Another work trip to Greensboro. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Friday morning I check out of the Embassy Suites and, when the meetings end on Friday afternoon, I head west to the mountains. 

I have booked a room at the Kana’ti Lodge north west of Asheville with David and Jeanette Kendall. By the time I get to Asheville and the foothills the sun has set and it’s dark. It’s an adventure to be on the winding mountain roads in the dark. The traffic along the I-40 was intense, but up here I am all alone.

David greets me at the lodge and I immediately feel expected and welcome. I settle in and wind down in my room with a good book.

Eggs, bacon and pancakes, all produced locally, for breakfast and a good chat with David and a couple of campers who are into organic foods and educating children about nature. David suggests I explore the southern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway starting from the historic town of Waynesville. It’s foggy and wet when I leave but the day quickly clears. There is a street festival in Waynesville and the town is packed. I wander around to take it in but too many people for my liking. I head to the Parkway. The clearing clouds and fog reveal magnificent autumn colors. It’s stunning. 

Back at the lodge at the end of the day I decide to head up to Max Patch to watch the sun go down. Despite the cold and the intense wind the place is full of campers! I take Luna, the dog, for company. The views are stunning but the hard wind chills us to the bone so decide to head back before the sun has actually set.

The temperature dropped to around freezing and the wind was very intense. It’s cosy inside until all of a sudden the power is cut off. Only thing to do is go to bed and creep in under the covers to keep warm. I sleep like a log but wake up at 3 am to turn the lights off when the power comes back on. 

Another great breakfast and a long chat and then I head back down to Waynesville and a bit of the Parkway I didn’t see yesterday before heading back t Greensboro.