Tuesday, May 19, 2026: Today was a travel day, which meant packing up, breaking down the site, fueling up, and getting ready to move to our next stop.
Beth left the campground first for one final visit with her mom, while Kevin stayed behind to finish breaking down the campsite and refuel. Since our new car was not ready to flat tow yet, Beth had to drive separately. The plan was for us to meet in Elizabethton and continue on from there.
Of course, no travel day would be complete without at least one small adventure.
On the way to get fuel, Kevin discovered that the refrigerator door had not been locked. Somewhere along the way, it came open, and we ended up with spilled milk all over the camper floor.
Yes, actual spilled milk.
There are plenty of things you expect on travel days. A little stress. A little traffic. Maybe a missed turn or two. But mopping up milk from the camper floor before we had even really gotten started was not exactly on the dream itinerary.
Our stop in Elizabethton gave us a chance to do a quick cleanup, at least enough to get us back on the road. A deeper cleaning could wait until we were settled.
From there, the ride took us through Mountain City, Tennessee, and on toward West Jefferson, North Carolina. It was a pretty mountain drive, and before long, Greenfield Campground was our home for the next few days.
Tuesday night, we met the kids for dinner at Monte D Ray in West Jefferson. It was certainly good to see them, and the food was very good. We started with chips and salsa, then Kevin had the ACP steak, and Beth had the ACP shrimp.
After a travel day, a good meal and familiar faces were exactly what we needed.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026: Tonight, we visited Kevin’s family at their house and spent some time catching up. It was one of those easy visits where the conversation just moved from one thing to the next. We also made plans to meet Kevin’s mom and dad for dinner the next night.
The more time we spend on the road, the more we appreciate those chances to sit face-to-face with family. Phone calls and messages are great, but there is still something different about being in the same room together.
Thursday, May 21, 2026: This afternoon we heard a knock on the side of the camper.
When we arrived at the campground, Beth had gone into the office and saw an old friend, Vicki. Vicki let the family know we were in town, and before long, Lindsay stopped by to see us. She stayed for about two hours, and we had a good visit. We also made plans for a Friday night dinner get-together.
That kind of surprise visit is one of the best parts about coming back through familiar places. You never know who you might get to see, and sometimes a simple knock on the camper turns into one of the best parts of the week.
Thursday night, we ate with Kevin’s mom and dad at New River Brewing in West Jefferson. It had a great pub-style atmosphere and good food all around.
Kevin had the pulled pork with Cheerwine BBQ sauce, which was good and sweet. Beth had the BLT with pimento cheese. Dad had the salmon, and Mom had the chicken tenders.
Everyone was pleased, and it made for another nice evening of food and family. There is something about sharing a meal that slows everything down for a while. No travel schedule. No campsite checklist. No figuring out what needs to be hooked up, unhooked, packed, cleaned, or fixed. Just food, conversation, and time together.
Friday, May 22, 2026: We took Kevin’s dad, Benny, to lunch at The Coffee House in West Jefferson. The time together was good, and the conversation covered a little bit of everything: life on the road, our travels, family updates, and all the things that come up when you finally get to sit down face-to-face for a while.
After lunch, we visited Olivia’s workplace and got the grand tour of the leather distribution warehouse. Olivia and Nate basically run the whole place, and they handle a lot of rolls and pieces of leather. It was fun to see where they work and get a better picture of what they do day to day.
Next, we visited McB’s in downtown West Jefferson. They have recently expanded and now offer candy, fudge, shaved ice, funnel cakes, and much more. This expansion added to the original store, where you can find ice cream and gifts.
Of course, we did not leave without taking a little over a dozen chocolate-covered peanut butter balls with us. Very good!
Friday night, we all met the Younts for dinner at Boondocks in West Jefferson.
There were 14 of us, and somehow we managed to carry on about five different conversations at once for nearly three hours (actually a short night for us with the Younts :)). The group talked about everything under the sun.
Most of us spent many days and evenings together several years ago, and every time we see each other, it feels like we just pick right back up where we left off. Those are special kinds of friendships.
For a brief moment, it was one of those times that made us second guess being away and traveling full-time. We felt that both here in West Jefferson and during our stops in Tennessee. Being full-time on the road gives us so many opportunities to see new places and experience new things, but it also means being away from people we love.
Nights like this are a reminder that “home” is not always just one place. Sometimes it is a table full of people, five conversations happening at once, and the feeling that no time has passed at all.
Saturday, May 23, 2026: The day was supposed to start with a 9 a.m. soccer semifinal game, but the rain forced the event to be postponed.
Instead, we headed to Olivia’s place mid-morning and started getting ready for a family cookout. Our friend Deborah from Green Mountain Park was also invited, which made the day even better.
Even though the day did not go exactly as planned, it still turned into a good one. Sometimes rain changes the schedule, but it also gives you more time to sit, visit, eat, and enjoy being together.
And honestly, that was probably just what we needed.
Sunday, May 24, 2026: We started the day by visiting Bald Mountain Baptist Church with Kevin’s parents. This church was our home for many years. The church has changed, but we did see a lot of old friends and spent some time catching up.
It is funny how familiar a place can feel, even after many years have passed. Some faces were easy to remember right away. Others took a little longer. Time has a way of making that a challenge, but it also makes those reunions feel even more meaningful.
After church, we headed to Don’s Seafood for lunch. The meal was good, and we got to spend some time just hanging out with Kevin’s mom and dad.
After lunch, we headed to Olivia’s to hang out for the afternoon and, of course, another meal. This time we had a family favorite, Slaw Chicken (Olivia’s favorite and much better than it sounds). The meal was great, and the time spent with Olivia, Nate, Gracie, and their friend Brandon was very entertaining.
It was another one of those afternoons that did not need anything fancy to make it special. Good food. Good conversation. Good people.
That was enough.
Monday, May 25, 2026: Monday was mostly a work day, so we spent much of the time at the camper waiting.
We were waiting on the tow kit to be installed on our new car. We had dropped the car off Friday, but nothing was done to it until midday Monday. That meant we had to wait until Tuesday to see if everything was going to work correctly.
We were definitely nervous about the last-minute timing. When you are trying to get ready for a travel day, the last thing you want is uncertainty about whether the car will be ready to tow.
Monday night, we stopped back by Kevin’s parents’ house and looked through old church directories, trying to match names to some of the faces we had seen at church but could not fully remember. Those directories lead to some very old directories from Kevin’s past. Can you spot him?
Funny how time does that. You know you know someone, but the name does not always come as quickly as it once did.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026: At noon, our car was ready, and we picked it up. Once connected, we found that some of the taillights were not working correctly, but they were close enough for the travel day ahead on Wednesday.
Not perfect, but workable. Sometimes that is the best you get on the road.
That evening, we attended Gracie’s semifinal soccer game. The weather had delayed the original Saturday game, but tonight it was finally a go. Thankfully, the rain held off until the end of the game, and it turned out to be a fun match to watch.
Even better, Gracie’s team won and earned their spot in the finals later in the week.
It was a great way to wrap up our time in West Jefferson. Between the last-minute tow setup, a little travel-day nervousness, and then getting to watch Gracie play and win, Tuesday ended up being a full day in the best kind of way.
It turned into another great time together, filled with conversation, family, friends, and the kind of visit that makes you grateful for the chance to be back in the area.
Our stay in West Jefferson ended up being full: meals together, surprise visits, old friends, family time, good food, and plenty of reminders of what matters most.
Travel days get us from one place to the next, but stops like this are what make the journey feel meaningful.
The road gives us new places to explore, new campgrounds to try, and new views out the windshield. But sometimes the best stops are the familiar ones. The ones where people know your name. The ones where old friends knock on the camper. The ones where dinner turns into three hours of conversation.
And yes, even the ones that start with spilled milk.
Because in the end, that is part of the story too.
Leave a Reply