The Appalachian Trail

A long long time ago, this blog was created... and almost t the same time life went into a suck spiral...and the blog went into oblivion. Now not that life came out of the suck spiral...but the blog can atleast see a ray of hope.

So i decided to write on my travels so that the "Magnetic Compass" can finally show some direction. Today the Magnetic Compass pointed the north of Salem, a place called Bedford in Virginia, most famous for its Blue Ridge Parkway drive, and that is where we were headed today.

After a sumptuous meal at McD... i started to pack my travel bag, but this time around it just had a Sony Cybershot in it. Accompanying me was a SLR Camera with Dev in its travel bag...believe me the SLR did a much smarter job than did Dev. So we decided to greet the spring and hit the roads headed towards Blue Ridge Parkway, leaving the messy and smelly rooms, a dwindling career, memories of weekdays filled with redundant and predictable horror stories , discussions which seems to last a lifetime with no conclusion, and the unwashed clothes lying in my closet in the Marina's trench of our minds oblivion.

So with Rahman, Scorpions and Keisha blaring from the speakers of the Chevy Malibu (I have named it the Yardstick), with our Windshield down, at a speed limit more than the one put up on signboards and a TomTom acting as a Magnetic compass, pointing north this time, here we are with the rubber on fire to the Blue Ridge parkway. When the Cop nears us we reduce the volume , and also slow down a bit, definitely nobody wants a surcharge in their insurance premiums.

After thirty minutes came the small town of Buchanan, with the charm of a hill station city, beautiful and small with a speed limit of 25, it was right at the entrance into the Blueridge Parkway. After a right turn from Buchanan was Bedford and a few miles from there into the BR Parkway lay the beautiful camping and picnic spot more famously called the "Peak of Otter".

We stopped at the Visitor center, and Dev took off his famous SLR and started working out his Magic with the camera. Really this guy has got a lots of talent (I am sure you are reading this)... with the Camera...I am sure the photographs he took today deserved a place in photographic journals. So i decided to exploit Dev's photographic skills, and get a couple of good snaps of mine too..

After a small photographic session we set off on a trail called the "Elk Run trail" Hike... After half a mile into the woods filled with Oak trees, and small fresh water streams flowing, we took as many pictures as we could in the woods. A occasional rustling sound in the foliage would make us turn to see if we can get a sight of either a Raccoon or a Rabbit, but it was just the wind every time playing peek-a-boo with us. Spring is just setting in so the Oak trees are still to get into a blooming stage. But the sounds of the woods is music to the ears which has been tortured for a week...listening to you know what (If you still are wondering what...watch for my next post).

After returning from the Elk trail...we set off to the Abbott Lake which was nearby... Set next to the Abbott lake is the Lake view restaurant... yes yes it had a view of the lake and served wonderful food. The Lake was looked like it was out of a painting ...and Dev was quick to capture the beauty in his SLR...such a wonderful photograph...with three different types of blue...The Azure Sky, the Blue ridge peaks and the Blue waters of Abbott lake.

So after the pics of the Abbott lake...we set on another trail, this time a much tougher 1.5 mile trail up hill called the "Sharp Top trail". We climbed half a mile when the evening was setting in. We had to stop and get down at time for our much early dinner at 5:30 PM... So back to the Lake View Restaurant and there came a Country cooked Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Casserole with bread a coke for thirsty travellers... So tired wished i had a beer but the calorie consciousness got the better off me and settled for Pepsi.
So after some window shopping, where i collected some postcards as usual, with a fully satiated hunger, with a well spent day behind and wonderful photographs of Dev's magic in his SLR...we went back to the car.

So back in the car Dev calls me "Dude...I did a awesome stuff"... "What is it Dev?"
"By mistake i have deleted all the photographs in the cam"...
"You mean all of them"... and a beaming Dev replies ..."Yes ...ALL OF THEM".

PS- Check out the pics shot by the cybershot point and shoot in Facebook.