Currently sitting in the hotel room...
Why did the Rooster cross the road? Because Taco Bell was on the other side of that I-81 overpass, duh. Rewind that a little bit. I slept in, but only slightly less than yesterday. Plenty of time to eat breakfast and hang out around the picnic table before heading out of camp. Lost'n'Found joined us for breakfast before packing up to enjoy her nero in Daleville. We followed along soon, appreciative that she had cleared the cobwebs for us. My dad and I continued our switched-pack configuration from yesterday, and it still worked well, even though my dad's knee was still bugging him. I felt his pain as we made a few downhill miles before leveling out in the valley. I was glad my dad got to enjoy some cow patties in a field before we crossed the road into town.
The trail popped out within 200 yards from the hotel in which we stayed three nights prior. Thinking of food, we headed towards Kroger. I ran in to Lost'n'Found, going through the same grocery store motions as I was. I want food to snack on now, food to eat later today, and food for the trail in the future. We were a little overwhelmed. This isn't uncommon in a big grocery store. I did my best, going on my supermarket sweep. We checked out, then my dad and I headed to the overcrowded Wendy's for a little post-snack lunch activity. We then went to the road, hoping to hitch the two miles up to CVS for a knee brace for dad and a new ace wrap for my shin. We didn't get a ride from the road, but from a woman who had just gotten her dog washed and was walking to her car. She was very nice, even though her car was spotless. We made short work of CVS before sticking our thumbs out at the relatively barren intersection. After a while of having no luck and doubting our chances, a couple of girls came from a nearby coffee shop came out with Clif Bars and water bottles, then offered to give us a ride back to town. What? This is an unparalleled level of trail magic.
After mucho relaxation and a shower. I got stir-crazy and went down the road to Taco Bell. That meant navigating a tricky I-81 overpass over US 220, but I was feeling nimble, and the ends justified the means. Especially when you consider me getting an extra burrito by mistake. Oh yeah. On to more adventures tomorrow, but not until we hit that continental breakfast. Also, I apparently forget to take pictures when I'm with company. Woops!