Phase One Wrap-up

Our trip is really broken into four phases.

Phase 1: Mountains (NYC to Atlanta)
Phase 2: Get to Orlando (Atlanta to Orlando via Mobile)
Phase 3: Universal Studios (Orlando)
Phase 4: Atlantic Coast (Orlando to NYC via Key West)

We finished up the first phase yesterday, which was really my phase.  Erin is the sun goddess, so the beach portion of the trip is more for her.  Additionally, she is the driving force behind Universal Studios so she can visit the new Diagon Alley (Harry Potter) attraction which opened two days ago.

I wanted to go to the mountains because I find myself in large cities all the time for work, conferences, and visiting friends and family.  I also wanted to see the small towns along the way because they are the places you won't ever visit unless you do so purposely.

After finishing up my portion of the trip, I'm glad we did it.  It was a nice change of pace from what we're used to.

My personal opinions are below, but I think Erin probably agrees with most of them.  (She's asleep or I would confirm.)

Best Meal - Mert's Heart and Soul - Charlotte, NC
Best Activity - Friday Night Jamboree - Floyd, VA
Best Hotel - Townplace Suites - Frederick, MD
Biggest Surprise - Kutztown Folk Festival - Kutztown, PA
Best Drive - Blue Ridge Parkway from Floyd, VA to Asheville, NC
Best City - Asheville, NC

Worst Meal - Chalet Restaurant - Little Switzerland, NC (not counting free hotel breakfasts)
Worst Activity - Fontana Dam - Fontana, NC
Worst Hotel - Cavalier Inn - Charlottesville, VA
Biggest Disappointment - Skyline Drive (mainly because of the rain and fog, but didn't live up to the hype)
Worst Drive - Knoxville, TN to Commerce, GA (Too long, bad roads, poor sights.)
Worst City - Allentown, PA

Overall, the first phase of the trip was incredible.  Every single day was packed with interesting activities different from the previous days.  I would have liked to spend at least one day doing a "real hike" of 10 miles or so, but Erin doesn't have hiking boots and the drive time would have made it tough to do.

One thing to note is that we rarely had cell phone signals during the day.  It's peaceful, but also humbling to remember what it's like to be further than a phone call away from help.  In the city, you become accustomed to being able to make a call in any situation to get help.  It makes you be better prepared with food, water, and an awareness of what your car shouldn't drive over.  On the bright side, it was nice to get away from all the emails, texts, and calls for entire days at a time.

Finally, the Appalachians are different than the Rockies.  The Rockies are without a doubt more majestic.  They are simply bigger and provide more stunning scenery.  However, the Appalachians are greener and provide a different type of hiking and driving experience.  Additionally, the Rockies don't have anything that compares to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It's worth a visit to both, but I think I prefer the Rockies as a vacation site.  That said, the Appalachians probably make more sense as a place to live because of the immediate proximity of many larger cities such as Asheville and Roanoke.  (I suppose the necessity of a larger city depends on your career, but mine requires an airport.)  Denver isn't too far, but being right in the middle of the mountains is different than having an hour drive.

Phase Two is underway, although it isn't expected to have the highlights of the others.  I'm not sure what to expect in Phase Three in Orlando.  Let's hope Erin's portion of the trip is as exciting and fun-filled as mine was!