Knoxville, TN: Explore

Four years ago, three girlfriends and I enjoyed a weekend at Autumn Olive Camping. None of us had been camping in years (or ever) and it was quite the adventure. From Vicky scaring us so badly no one except her could sleep in the tent the first night, to shooting guns, drinking moonshine, and just generally acting a fool. None of us had been to Knoxville before so we planned to spend the last night of our weekend there. The majority of our time was spent on Gay Street and we had an absolute blast! We saw the sites, met many locals, danced to Gangnam Style in the square, and gained superhero powers after dark. This time around, I got to explore Knoxville with my family. No superpowers came to light, but we did have fun. 

LaFollette, TN: Family

When I was a child most of my family lived within 20 minutes of each other. There was a time when I was visiting Aunt Joyce’s house and I heard a scary voice coming from behind her couch, but couldn’t see who it belonged to. She explained to me that it was Aunt Tilly, a mean old lady who hated children. I can't remember how long I thought this was true, but over time she would tell me, “no, you can’t go in there, Aunt Tilly is in there” or “you better be good, Aunt Tilly is watching” and things along those lines. Needless to say, I was terrified of this woman that I had never met, and never would meet because she didn’t exist. Aunt Joyce claims that she never knew I really believed in Aunt Tilly.. I don’t know if I believe her. Fast forward about 20 years, I fostered a mastiff mix who was just a unique dog with a creep stare that had a high prey drive. She needed a name and was gifted with ‘Tilly’. Aunt Joyce loved it and the name fit my girl so well. She didn’t last long as a foster dog before she became my forever furbaby. I’ll come back to Aunt Tilly.

R.I.P. Tilly

LaFollette, TN: Autumn Olive Camping

Nestled in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains is a rustic, fun, and best yet- inexpensive campsite. There are four cabins varying in size that are set up with comfortable beds, electricity, and heat/AC. There is space for tent camping as well, either bring your own or rent one. A clubhouse is available with a large satellite TV, pool table, dart board, hottub, wifi, outdoor games, and indoor plumbing. The owners provide you with the option of having them cook for you; I recommend it, the food is delicious... the got-to-have-it speciality is the biscuits and gravy. The name of the campsite comes from the numerous Autumn Olive trees on the land. A variety of products are made by the owners using the Autumn Olive leaves, such as chapstick, sunscreen, bug spray, soap, face cream, and the list goes on. Within an hours drive are fishing spots, hiking trails, ATV tours, and Norris Lake. The property is located about an hour north of Knoxville in LaFollette, Tennessee. All of that being said, the highlight of your visit will be the company. 

Cleveland, OH: Trails

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Over 125 miles of hiking trails are available for your hiking pleasure. These trails range from nearly level to challenging, and pass through various habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and old fields. Some trails require you to cross streams with stepping stones or log bridges, while others are nearly level and are accessible to all visitors. 

In the morning, Dave, the pups, and I piled into his truck and set off toward CVNP again. We started off at the Plateau Trail and did some mix of that and Oak Hill. Steep inclines are not for me. Thankfully, there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of them, because I don’t know if I would make it. I do love these trails though, full of towering trees and a canopy of leaves. There used to be some kind of lake along the way, but as we passed it there was some kind of bulldozers and other big machinery out there. Booooo. Our beasts are lead the way, venturing off the trail every now and then to chase some scent or creature, but they always come back. The weather is perfect, the dogs are happy, and I am too. 

Cleveland, OH: Getting Aquainted

The scenery from West Virginia crossing into Ohio changed quickly. There were still hills and trees, but not to the same extent. Ohio also didn’t have a welcome center, only one sign a few exits in, but West Virginia has a last stop rest area to say goodbye. Strange. Also, on the sides of the highway in Ohio, many signs warning about drugs were posted. All throughout the state- ‘Don’t drive impaired’ and ‘report suspicious behavior’ and ‘suspect something illegal’ signs littered the road. I’ve never seen that before and assume that Ohio must really like to party. I don’t really know what to expect from Cleveland; basically, I’ve heard mixed reviews and I know it’s a big sports town (that I don’t follow). When Mom was still with me we were talking with one of my sisters (hi Jennine!) about visiting Ohio and she asked us something about the sports going on now. I’m like, ‘yeah it’s baseball’, Mom’s like ‘no it’s football’, and Jenny is like ‘really? it’s basketball’. Yeah, that one. 

Fayetteville, West Virginia: Stopover

About 10 years ago I met a guy named Dave through a mutual friend and we got along famously. Dancing, baseball, tie dye, drinks, and lots of laughs that weekend. We’ve kept in touch since then and when I was planning out my route for this trip, I wanted to visit some new states, like Ohio. That’s where Dave is from so I reached out to him to see if he would be around this summer when I come through. He tells me that it depends on the dates, because he and his wife bought an RV and are driving out west. Are you serious?! What are the chances! That’s my plan! We nerded out so hard the next few days about length, weight, route, cars, plans, family, life, etc. It’s refreshing having a connection to this lifestyle with a friend that won’t get sick of hearing you talk about it. As I narrowed the dates down, Dave confirmed that they will be in town when I come through. Yay! Off to Cleveland I go, but that’s a long drive from Asheville, so I plan to stop over in Fayettville, West Virginia.

Asheville, NC: Solo

The last few days in North Carolina were an adjustment since it was my first time by myself. And while it is always nice to have alone time, I missed having Mom’s company. I started the day off with some yoga and went on to feed the chickens with the help of one of the kids staying at the farm. He was quite the conversationalist, telling me about wildlife encounters and what he thinks about camping in a tent on this land with his sister. I told him about the last time I officially went camping with friends in Cape Hatteras and how the adventure went from a fun and lighthearted experience, bombing our neighbors with waterballoons and having a blast, to waking up in what now looked like Lake Hatteras, with a collapsed tent and personal items floating away. And then Jen jumped in Jenn's pee puddle. What a trip! But I digress.