A much needed vacation
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 2.07.08I think this is the first bit of time off I’ve taken this year. Much needed, but somehow just exhausting! Starting out in east Michigan, I headed over to my brother Mark’s camp in western Michigan, and we drove down to our parents place in north central Indiana.
(about 6 hours)
Spent some time with friends and family, then started on our way to meet up with Sarah Wilson, working with SWAP down in Harlan, Kentucky. She’s moving to South Korea soon, and we really wanted to get together before she left.
(3.5 hours)
Stopped in Florence, Kentucky, to have lunch with Jeremy Laughlin. Mark got me hooked on Panera Bread’s chicken salad. Just delicious!
(well over 4 hours)
Made it to Harlan without major complications, but man… slightly mountainous roads get interesting real quick! I was not aware that east and west both go south… while staying perpendicular to each other. Only in Kentucky, right?
Once we arrived in Harlan, Mark and I met up with Sarah and stopped by the lake where some of the other SWAP staff were meeting up for supper. After the lake, Sarah thought we should visit an overlook in Virginia, insisting it was just across the border, not more than 20 minutes. 50 minutes later, she was still sure it was “just around the next bend.” We stopped for gas and took some pictures, and thankfully made it to the overlook shortly after. It was definitely worth it, with a lovely vista overlooking the hills and mountains of west Virginia, just as the sun was beginning to set.
On the way back to Harlan, we stopped by a lovely little creek. The rocky stream bed was eroded smooth, into hills and valleys that provided endless footholds and slimy pools of algae and water. After a couple pictures, we went rock hopping down the stream. Probably some of the slipperiest terrain I’ve navigated, but amazing fun.
We made it back to Harlan without split skulls, so that’s good, and then drove up the mountain about 20 minutes to the SWAP camp for the night. It’s located along the top of the ridge, and the roads are absolutely terrifying. Sadly, no picture can truly capture the sudden drop off on both sides of a narrow road, and certainly not at night! Suffice to say, I’m incredibly thankful I live in a less treacherous locale.
As always, more pictures can be found on Flickr.com.
mediaboxAdvanced
You’re a very talented writer, and you did such a good job detailing this trip. Thanks again for visiting me! It still makes me feel special and loved that you did.