Trip Report: Drinkfest XI

This past weekend I drove 6.5 hours with my dog to Fleetwood, NC.

That doesn't look so bad does it?

A more accurate map rendering.

After spending 4 years at a college that was a 7 hour drive from home, I am now the biggest baby about driving distances more than 4 hours on my own. Particularly when 2.5 hours of the drive are not on the interstate but winding through podunkass towns on 2 lane highways. UGH.

It was worth it though (well, I guess) because it meant that I got to spend time with my college besties. This is the 11th year in a row that we've gotten together for a long weekend. This year we rented a house on a Christmas Tree Farm just outside of Boone, NC. Home of Appalachian State University and cheap beer prices:

I may have brought home 3 12 packs of Beast Ice.

We spent most of the weekend in the car, but when we weren't driving to and from places we were doing some hiking:

The view from Mt. Jefferson.

The trail at Mt Jefferson Park was one of the nicest state park trails

I've ever been on.

Leo Photobomb.

Crazy ass lizard we saw on the trail.

We also went kayaking down the Watauga River. Which was SO FREAKING FUN. I've never kayaked before but now I'm obsessed with buying a kayak.

The scenery was gorgeous..

We had to go under this tight bridge. 

I wish this picture had audio. Just imagine

my friend Dustin yelling FUUUUUCCCCK. 

And then the rest of us laughing hysterically.

 It was a gorgeous day, too.

Next up, was badminton, of course.

See the Christmas Trees growing in the background?

And for the 11th year in a row, my team lost.

The last activity of the trip was building a fire.

This process of building the fire went on for approximately 3 hours.

And we enjoyed it for about 10 minutes before it went out.

It was a fun weekend, but like always... it went too fast.

There was one more highlight... on the drive I saw an exit for The State of Franklin Road.

Hahahahaha.