May 23 - Day 38: Beautiful Falls and Relaxing at the Castle

May 23, 2013

Day 38 – Moreland Gap to US 321 (Hampton, TN)

Braemar Castle Hostel

14.6 miles, 425.1 total miles

Today’s hike was quite enjoyable.  It went by Laurel Falls, a waterfall  about 50 feet high and pretty cool.  Even more cool was the trail after the falls.   I understand the flat part of the trail is near an old railroad bed.  For about 20 yards, though, the trail hugged a rock face on one side, and the river was on the other side.  And the river was so high that it was spilling onto the rocks and flowing pretty rapidly.

After that, the trail kind of mellowed out, went up a big hill (naturally), down another big hill (of course), and then I hiked 2.5 miles down US 321 because I couldn’t get a ride.  Oh well…

I checked into a really nice hostel, Braemar Castle Hostel, which in the 1900’s was the headquarters for a logging company, before becoming a boarding house, and now a hostel.  It had a nice little kitchen area and a bunkroom, and is really clean, which is impressive for a hostel.  Then I did some laundry.  (And watched “How I Met Your Mother” on the free computer.  Crazy!)

I then bought some dinner (frozen TGIF Mozzarella Sticks, a can of Beefaroni, and a bag of chips).  And I capped my night off by talking to the always wonderful Lauren Roepken and reading one of the books at the hostel, The Giver.  ( http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636.The_Giver )

All in all, a pretty good day, I think.