Wow what a great week! I left Boone on Wednesday and camped outside of Radford, VA. I spent the night talking with Mike at The River Brewing Company, he's the brewer of some real good beer. After sampling the brews, I rode out to my absolute least favorite campsite ever. It's not the cold that got me, I've been a winter camper since I was 13, running around the woods in Boy Scouts and building snow shelters. This site, more or less an out of season RV park, was right along the beautiful New River, and conveniently 100 feet from I-81. It was super loud all night, but the cold helped me crash out quick, knowing that I had a long drive the next day helped too.
I awoke to a 10 degree morning, which for Virginia seemed a little cold, and hit the highway towards Roanoke. After grabbing a cold one at Big Daddy's Brewery on the house, I jumped across Jefferson National Forest towards Fayetville, WV.
Fayetville is known as the coolest small town, according to someone somewhere...I went to Pies and Pints, a great pizza shop that serves local beer. The bartender was a seasonal worker like myself, and had done some river guiding around town in the summers. We talked for a couple of hours, and decided to camp out at Roger's campground. The camprground overlooked the New River Gorge, which I was lucky enough to check out earlier in the day from a lookout profiling the New River Bridge. A true masterpiece, and the perfect light, helped to highlight the areas natural and man made structures. Fayetville is know for climbing and rafting, but not this time of year, it's too damn cold!
Roger was kind-hearted, helped me get set up at my campsite, and was on his way. I payed five bucks, which was much better than in season prices(usually you pay $6 a person, and 50 cents a paw). I trucked down to the local bar, and had a few Bud's with the locals. We had a blast, talking about philosophizin' and Socrates and working with your hands. I feel confident that the more I travel, the more I see what it takes to be a modern Man in America. People are generally nice, and if you connect with them, they will open up to you. Treat others like you want to be treated mentality will take the common, or uncommon traveler, very far.
I'm big on Kharma too. I don't ever keep tabs on what I've done or what others have done for me, I just live by a few travelers' laws and know that if I do a good turn daily, it will come back and save me when I need it most.
So now I am with Alex, one of my best friends, in Fort Belvoir in Virginia. He and his friends, all in the Service, whether it be Marines or Army, have shown me a great time. Any preconceived notions you have about Military should be laid to rest when you meet any of these extraordinary Humans. I had conversations like I would with any twenty-something guy, but knowing that these soldiers have been on the front line literally fighting for my freedom, I had a new found admiration for all Service men and women. Alex and his buddies just finished a round of courses for the NGA, and were celebrating last night at the Base's bowling alley. We drank Yuengling pitchers, bowled terribly, and talked excessively. I heard stories that made me laugh, but more importantly, stories that made me think very hard about what is going on in the "war world." Not only am I impressed with the perceptiveness of these soldiers, thinking steps ahead, and all that stuff, but their ability to seperate a life of fighting for freedom, and a normal life with kids and dogs and mortgages. These thoughts are still very new in my mind, and I had to right them down immediately to have it fresh. I guess what I want to tell you in this blog post is that you cannot simply judge someone without giving them a chance. Whether it's a complete stranger that in another life leads squads of soldiers in and out of run down buildings tossing frag grenades to clear out the enemy in 115 degree weather while dehydrated and longing for his bi-weekly shower, or Roger helping you set your tent up in the woods, because the pine bedding is softer and if it snows my tent won't get snow on it. People are great, our souls all seek something superb. During this holiday season as we all get together, share a story with a stranger, let them into your life. And for the love of God, if you meet a red head with two huskies, offer him a place to stay for the night, he's been camping out for several nights and needs a break from the Campbell's Chunky and the cold hard ground!!
~Here is DC until next week, then heading up towards Maine~
JWP
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