Hello Atlantic Ocean!

After our hike up McAfee Knob in the fog, we sat near our car at the trailhead parking area, waited a few minutes, and sure enough more northbound thru-hikers came along to enjoy some of our Trail Majic of cold drinks and chocolate!  Among them was Barbara "Mawmaw B" Allen, who Pigeon and I met last year at the Spence Field Shelter in the Smokey Mountains.  Wow!  What great timing!  Barbara has done a lot of backpacking in her lifetime, but she tells others that I was her inspiration to attempt a Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail!  I feel honored and really hope she sticks with it and makes it all the way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine!

On Tuesday morning, May 8th, we drove over to Wilson, N.Carolina, and stopped in for a brief visit with Brenda T., my sister-in-law, while she was at work.  My neice, Christy, stopped by to chat while we were there.  It was really nice to see them again, and I hope they can make a trip to Texas soon to visit all of us!

We then headed south to Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.  "Skid", who was part of my "Trail Family", and his wife Pat welcomed us into their beautiful island home.  What a tropical paradise!  I loved it!  While we were there, "Skid" took us on a bicycle tour of their island, and we walked along the beach, wetting my toes in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, all the way up to the north/east tip of their island.  Their darling little 4yr. old granddaughter, Sarah, walked with us on the beach.  The weather was spectacular while we were there, and "Skid" and Pat treated us with such awesome hospitality in their lovely home!

 We were pleased to meet their daughter, Andrea, and also their son Nate, while we there.  Nate was actually getting married in a beach wedding ceremony on Thursday, the day we left. 

On Thursday morning, May 10, we left the beautiful, tropical paradise of Ocean Isle Beach, and headed west, thru the lush farmlands of South Carolina, and on over to the mountains of northern Georgia.  More later about our "3,000 mile road trip"!