On the Road Again

Greetings from the Denver airport! Camp wrapped up about 2 weeks ago, and I'm just getting back to the blog as it's been a busy 2 weeks with a big wedding (don't worry, not my own) and a weeklong trip to Idaho (story for another blog post and the reason I am currently in the Denver airport).

After camp ended, I made my way back north to the place where it all began: the tropical paradise and thriving metropolis of Cleveland, Ohio. Why did I head back to Cleveland you ask - aren't I supposed to be visiting new states? Well, first, there was an important wedding to attend (as previously mentioned) and secondly, if you haven't been to Cleveland in the summer, you're really missing out (some have gone so far as to say it has coastal summer town vibes). Rest assured though, I won't be in Cleveland long - I plan to spend a few days recovering from Idaho before tackling the Great Lakes and the Dakotas in 

I've got a bunch to share from my time at camp (I've got the rough outline of 4 posts planned to make up for the long silence), but am still working on getting them out of my head and onto paper (erm, I mean the Google blog editor interface). In the meantime though, here are some brief notes from my journey back up into the old north. 

A 4 State Day

I decided to get ambitious on the journey home and hit 4 states on my first day back on the road (NC, TN, VA, and WV) and camp near New River Gorge National Park with some friends from camp (you already met Justin & Miles in previous posts, we were also joined by Pax, Austin, and Sean). 

Pax, Austin, and Sean all grew up in Louisiana, but have taken very different paths back to camp since then. 

Pax graduated from LSU about a year ago and has spent the past year traveling (road tripped Western US climbing hotspots, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Ireland, England, and Germany, among other places). Camp this summer was an opportunity to return to his roots (he came to Rockmont when he was a kid) and to ease back into the working world to start saving up for his next adventure. He enjoys playing the banjo in his free time.

Birthday boy Pax: We celebrated with some brisket at 11 pm at the campsite

Austin worked as a theology teacher at a high school in New Orleans for a number of years before quitting his job at age 29 and working a river guide out west for a few years. He returned to the eastern seaboard about 4 years ago and was planning to buy the camp he attended as a kid before the agreement fell apart at the 11th hour. After this, Rockmont's new board of directors came calling and asked him to take over as Camp Director. Many of the staff at camp were drawn to working there after having Austin as religion teacher back when they were in high school.

Big Man in Charge Austin: Another Photo Ripped from Camp Website

Sean has spent the past could years in Portugal pursuing graduate studies in business, but each summer has returned to help out in leadership roles at camp. He recently completed his course of studies and is deciding whether to return to Europe or pursue a job stateside.

Sean contemplates the mysteries of the universe

The day got off to a slow start, as it took me about an hour to get Bridger (Justin & Elizabeth's dog) back in the house before I left (treats didn't work, but frisbee did), but after that, things went pretty smoothly. On the way back, I spent a lot of time listening to the playlist I put together for opening day of the final session of camp.

The drive was scenic, particularly the brief period spent cutting through the NW corner of Tennessee. 

Speaking of Tennessee, the prevalence of Taco Bells (it felt like there was one almost every exit) made me decide it was high time to hit my 5th Taco Bell of the trip. Taco Bell Kingsport was the lucky winner, and it did not disappoint. 

Taco Bell Kingsport, TN nearly has it all together

Facilities: Cleanliness was mid. Some straw wrappers lying about, but someone did come out to sweep while I was there. Mens bathroom was also mid - not particularly dirty but not particularly clean either, devoid of decoration. 

Ambiance: The lounge vibe was executed better here than at other Taco Bell's I've been to (minus the non-existent bathroom decor). 

Food: I ordered a chicken cantina taco (my control item for comparison), a crunch wrap with pico instead of dairy (sour cream and cheese sauce), a $3 steak burrito, and a strawberry passion fruit Refresca. The chicken cantina taco and crunch wrap were among the best I've had. The $3 steak burrito gave me that unique acid reflux sensation that only classic Taco Bell food can - $3 well spent. 

At camp site I met some other Northeast Ohioans who also ride motorcycles, including Steve, Luke, and Katie (alas the rest of their names have slipped my mind in the past 2 weeks). They were kind enough to offer me a cold drink, dinner, and breakfast. A great reminder that Ohio people are everywhere and among the friendliest anywhere. Steve gave me his email and a route he's planning to ride through Michigan soon, so they might end up making a return appearance in this blog if I'm able to link up with them when I pass through Michigan.

After camping in WV, I returned to Cleveland by way of Pittsburgh (which was the same route I took on the way down to NC). What really stuck out to me was how different the same route can look when traveled in the opposite direction. Even though I'm heading down roads I've driven many times, I'm finding there's always something new to see. 

If you're in a Great Lakes/Midwest state and would like to catch up (or give me a place to crash) as I pass through, let me know!

More to come real soon.

- KevBot