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Summer 2025 Roadtrip
  • Erica Cromwell
  • David Conklin

Summer 2025 Roadtrip

A 35-day adventure by Erica & David Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 24, 2025
    Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Rainbow River

    June 25 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    We started our trip by hanging with friends at their family’s retreat close to Rainbow River springs. The natural springs used to be privately owned so the headwaters had man made landscaping and waterfalls throughout the surrounding trails. Now that it’s a state park it’s protected again but they maintain the original landscaping which is nice. The river stays a constant 72 degrees throughout the year, is incredibly clear and refreshing. While here we enjoyed tubing down the river, watching the sawmill cut some great pieces, multiple beautiful fires, ziplining through gorges from old mining quarries, karaoke, and plenty of food and drinks with a heavy dose of laughter. We hope to visit here again soon!Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Hilton Head Island

    June 29 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    We enjoyed a week with family at Hilton Head Island including the 4th of July. Lots of relaxing on the beach, great food, ice cream, bike riding, and laughing with the best of friends made the week go by so quick. Our RV resort in Bluffton was the first time we felt it was an actual resort. Spacious spots, meticulous grounds, amazing amenities including great food and a lazy river in the pool. We couldn’t have asked for a better week.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Lake Norman State Park

    July 5 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    After an amazing week at HHI we drove 287 miles to Lake Norman State Park north of Charlotte, NC. We stayed here one night in our trip last year and it’s such a beautiful park. The lake is man made but the state park is peaceful and clean. During our several days here we relaxed at a friend’s house with a resort style pool, had amazing meals, caught up with friends, and enjoyed a short hike down to the lake front. The front half of our trip has been very relaxing but we’re excited to get into the mountains.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Getting into the mountains

    July 9 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We had a relaxing morning including an amazing breakfast at a local diner, Troutman Cafe. Then we packed up and drove 101 miles to Banner Elk, NC. We absolutely love this area and our campground is in an even better location than we thought. With views of Grandfather Mountain, our favorite local winery 5 minutes away, and cooler temps it is just perfect. The mountains have been calling our names for too long.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    First full day at Grandfather Mountain

    July 10 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Our first day in the Grandfather area. It’s our 4th visit to this area and it’s always been one of our favorite places. We drove some curvy roads to hike the Boone Fork trail. We did this 5.5 mile loop the first time we visited the area in early 2021 and were excited to return. We love that the rhododendrons are in full bloom and some parts of the trail were adventurous navigating large trees and boulders strewn about from Hurricane Helene. The evidence of the storm is still almost everywhere you look in this area but we are so thankful for the hard work put in to make these areas open and safe. We refueled with delicious grilled cheese in Blowing Rock, a small town we always have to visit when in the area. We tried to get reservations at a boutique restaurant on a mountain peak but they were fully booked the week we are here. Suddenly one popped open for tonight so we cleaned up and headed up the mountains to Gideon Ridge. We had an amazing dinner with an amazing view, and drove back to the campground in a cloud. First time trying escargot and it was actually quite tasty.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Hiking Grandfather Mountain

    July 11 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    What a day! We started out hiking at Grandfather Mountain State Park. This is our 3rd time hiking this trail from the mile high bridge and it’s always one of our favorites. This is the first time we’ve had the bridge to ourselves which was actually a little eery since it’s usually packed with people. The hike to Macrae peak includes boulder scrambling, ladders, and cables. But the effort is greatly rewarded with 360 degree views of the gorgeous blue ridge mountains.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Rough Ridge lookout for sunset

    July 11 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    After a wonderful lunch in Boone at our favorite place (Wild Craft Eatery) and time with the dogs we headed to Rough Ridge trail for sunset. 4 years ago (plus a month) we hiked the same trail for sunset and a few days later we started dating. It’s always a great time visiting some of the areas from our early days. While on rough ridge we met a photographer and storm chaser who taught us the names of different cloud formations and phenomena, our favorite being anticrepuscular rays. A storm cloud built around us on the mountain and Dave and I decided to head down before it let loose. Traversing the rocky trail in the dark is always an adventure but well worth it. These Florida legs aren’t made for these mountains but it’s always worth it.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

    July 12 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    One of our favorite weekends of the year: grandfather mountain Highland Games. This was our first year flying solo but it turned out *almost* as magical. The parking situation was funky due to lack of volunteers so we arrived to the top of the mountain later than planned. Our main goal was to see our favorite singer perform, Ed Miller. He was set to play at 1pm and at 12:15 we finally arrived….only to have a storm roll in. As the rain pounded down (good time to realize my “rain jacket” is not waterproof at all) and we huddled under a tree then a jewelry tent, we pondered if this year was a bust. At 12:45 the rain lightened and we headed to the grove to see if Ed may still play without the lightening. We ended up finding him and other musicians under a tent jamming to classic and contemporary tunes. It was magical. After that we listened to other musicians, appreciated the athleticism of the Scottish athletes, and even found a spot to drive up to in order to enjoy the Celtic jam that evening. What an amazing day, and we hope to enjoy it every year moving forward.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Hiking at Carvers Gap

    July 13 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We drove an hour northwest to the NC/TN border around Roan Mountain state park. We came here in 2021 before we were dating and loved the easy effort-amazing reward aspect of this area. Parking at Carvers Gap is sometimes difficult to find but worth the effort. We started up the Appalachian Trail the opposite direction of grassy knoll (which we did before) and summited the Roan High Knob which boasts the highest shelter on the AT. It’s currently closed and we thought there would be a view (there wasn’t) but it was a nice hike through peaceful woods. Then we turned around and went back up Round Bald to grassy knoll. It was just under 5 miles and 360 degree views. Then we had a nice campfire and made new mountain friends over lovely scotch.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Damascus & Grayson Highlands state park

    July 14 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    We ventured to some new places and ones that hold some of our favorite memories. First we drove north to Damascus, VA and had a great lunch at Wilson’s cafe which was uniquely decorated and had an eclectic menu that was hard to narrow down. Absolutely delicious.

    After finding some souvenirs next door we drove up Whitetop mountain to the east. We thought the parking at the top had a great view based on the map but alas it was gated off to keep people away from the structures on top. It was a beautiful drive up with wildflowers and extensive views along with some rocky navigating in the truck.

    Then we headed to Grayson Highlands SP further to the east. This was a highlight of our camping trip in early 2021 where you can stumble upon wild ponies, hike on the Appalachian Trail, and enjoy the beautiful Mountain Views. Last time we were here it was below freezing and lucked out with almost immediately finding ponies. This time it was hot, humid, and no ponies in sight. We asked several people if they found them and only one said she did but it was over an hour ago so not sure if they would still be there. We hiked up to the area described but no ponies. We were hiking back down on a different trail when I saw a bush move out of the corner of my eye, likely from the wind. However, upon closer inspection, just a few feet past the bush was a pony with a friend!! We carefully picked our way along a small game trail to respectively view them off to the side. Then a surprise came running down the mountain, 2 other ponies came around the corner and were shocked to see us. These two were braver than the initial ones and came quite close (we did move off trail to give them space to come through). What a magical experience. Then we headed back to Boone, NC for our farewell meal of pot pie and mashed potato enchiladas (two of our favorites from Wild Craft Eatery). We love this area so much and can’t wait until next time.    Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Heading to Travelers Rest

    July 15 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    We drove 150 miles south to Travelers Rest, SC aka home. The trip through the mountains was fairly uneventful but the amount of landslides from Helene was staggering. Since Remington and Mickey were still recovering from their scuffle Remington travelled in my footwell for this short drive and he absolutely loved it. It’s always good to arrive where friends and family just make your heart swell with happiness. A relaxing time at Community Tap was highlighted by pizza from Coastal Crust and playing some trivia. Although we didn’t win we had a lot of fun.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    First few days in Greenville area

    July 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Our main goal during our stay in the Greenville area was to spend as much time with friends and family as possible and we had a great time doing so. We enjoyed a variety of dinners, time with the pups, revisiting where we got married, and walking around the farmers market in downtown Greenville.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Jeter Mountain Farm

    July 20 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    One of our favorite traditions in this area is to visit Jeter Mountain Farm in Hendersonville, NC. It’s not open all year round and we’ve been really lucky the last several visits that they have different reasons to be open. They have started doing other crops than apples and now do you pick for several of them. We decided to spend our time enjoying the best apple cider donuts in the entire world (we bought 4 dozen since they freeze well), a large bag of peaches, and walking around the market. A great day with great friends.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Asheville day trip

    July 21 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We are so lucky to have friends that are up to adventuring with us. We had a perfect day driving up to the Asheville area with Neal and Christie. We started with lunch at Sierra Nevada Brewing which is a platinum Leed rated building and beautifully uses the lumber they cut to clear the land in so many unique ways throughout the campus. The food is amazing, the service is impeccable. It’s really impressive.

    Then we headed to one of the Hi-Wire brewing locations and enjoyed a flight to taste different options. It’s always a good time at their locations and so close to amazing other businesses.

    From there it was a short drive to Gingers Revenge which was the main purpose of coming to Asheville. It was everything we hoped it would be. We enjoyed a flight there and then took some growlers home to enjoy in Florida. We grabbed some goods from the next door French Broad Chocolates and enjoyed a second visit to a Whits Frozen Custard. They make their custard fresh each morning and you can taste the difference. One thing we love about being home is how close you are to other amazing areas.    Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Brevard day trip

    July 22 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Our favorite “bang for your buck” hike is in Brevard, NC at DuPont state forest. This area was used for much of the filming for Hunger Games and never disappoints in beauty. In under 3 miles you see 3 amazing waterfalls: Hooker, Triple, and High. We usually then tack on another 5 miles to see Lake Julia and Bridal falls but this was a quick trip. We did stop at Caesar Head state park in SC on the way which has an easily accessible walkway to a gorgeous overlook including the trail end of Table Rock. After hiking in DuPont we stopped by Ecusta Brewing and even though our favorite Mexican place was closed the burger food truck sufficed. We ended the night with great dinner in Greer with Sue and Nanci followed by checking out a newly opened spot with Kevin and Katy before heading home for the night. It’s always so nice to catch up and laugh until your abs hurt.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Failed sunrise at Black Balsam Knob

    July 23 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    After checking several weather apps which stated there was a 30,000 ft cloud ceiling and 10 miles of visibility we woke up at 3am to drive an hour and 40 minutes (which turned into over 2 hours) to Black Balsam Knob trailhead. The last 30-40 miles was in such thick fog/clouds that it was very tough to see the road. The video I posted is before conditions worsened even more. At that point I was giving Dave feedback on where the road was turning, how many degrees, which direction, etc based off of gps because the road was so hidden. Definitely a challenge when on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a very scenic road, when you can see. We still had slim hope that the summit would be above the clouds or that the sun would break through as it does in that area most mornings. Neither of those things happened so we enjoyed a wet morning with no views but all the misty feels. We relished having goosebumps since we knew we’d soon be heading back to the Florida swamp.

    Then we had a relaxing day before making campfire nachos and having a great time catching up with Michelle and John.    Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Tryon Wineries

    July 24 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We took a day trip with Lisa and Jon to show them some of our favorite wineries in Tryon, NC. This area has similar elevation and soil pH as the Willamette valley in Oregon which is very different than the composition just south where we lived. This allows wineries to grow high quality grapes on sight instead of having to ship them in from California or Oregon. We love coming up here with the mountain views and friendly people.Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    Downtown Greenville

    July 25 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We had a relaxing morning walking around downtown Greenville including enjoying brews at Coffee Coffee, grabbing breakfast at Sully’s Steamers (creative breakfast bagel sandwiches that they steam so everything melts together), then walking along the Reedy River and across the Liberty Bridge.

    Later that evening we met up with AJ and Kelly to experience the Library inside the Rabbit Hole restaurant. After a failed happy hour at the Matador we headed to Rabbit Hole where they have a speakeasy called the Library. This includes a roped off hidden hallway and a secret door that leads you inside this beautiful and quaint space. Everything was perfect from the ambiance to the food and the beverages were top notch. Definitely one of our new favorites in this area. Turn your volume up on the video to enjoy the unique bathroom from the Rabbit Hole, it’s an experience in itself!    Read more

  • Summer 2025 Roadtrip

    End of the trip

    July 26 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    We knew this trip would go by way too fast and it certainly did. Our last day included enjoying the Travelers Rest farmers market which featured the tomato sandwich cookoff. We always miss the ticket announcement and it sells out quick, this year being no exception. But we still enjoyed picking up some sweets like this tomato jam macaron.

    Then we drove up to Highland Brewing in Asheville, NC to meet up with Reed and Tab. They are our friends who we normally go to the Highland Games with but this year Covid interrupted that plan. We are so thankful they made the drive to meet us halfway at this great location. We enjoyed some brews and then went outside to their meadow area where our favorite local singer, Hope Griffin was playing. The night flew by and the next day we made the drive to Dunnellon to Adams parents house. After a relaxing night chatting with them we finished the drive back to Port Charlotte to conclude the trip.

    We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Carolinas and can’t wait to return soon. So much beauty, great food, and amazing people.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 28, 2025
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