Las Montanas

What a fabulous weekend!!!

We finally arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina.  We picked up our car at the Hertz Counter where WSM Noah was told to "please remain calm" (reminded us of the scene from Anger Management).  Tee hee!!! We took a deep breath, let go of being tired and late and enjoyed the moment.  We were blessed with a Red Mustang with SIRIUS satellite radio.  We drove eight miles into town and to the  Proximity Hotel.  

I always book a special evening for us before engaging with family.  This place was AWEsome. A boutique hotel in every sense of the word - our King Loft Room was divine.  The bathtub was big, inviting and fabulous.  And the fantastic windows and the IPOD hookup into a stereo system so I could mellow out to my tunes.  And the big beautiful bed with yummy linens.  And flat screen TV. Tee hee!!!  WSM Noah and I were happy campers.

For those of you who don't know, I have no bathtub in my house.  One of the criteria for hotels and homes I visit is a bathtub.  It's important after an airplane ride to be able to detox and change my water.    This faucet let the water gush down like a waterfall into the tub and it had two mirror doors to look at or to open onto the rest of the room.  Tres cool!!!

We even left our room to check out the attached restaurant, PrintWorks Bistro, and am I glad we did.  We were the only ones in the dining room and we ate heirloom tomatoes garnished with basil, sea salt and a splash of EVO, and a bowl of roasted corn chowder and a fruit tart of local peaches and blueberries with a smashing design of raspberry coulis and vanilla bean sauce.  Yummy!!!

The next morning after bathing and donning bathrobes provided by the hotel, I checked my email and did some yoga and we packed and hit the road.  We stopped at Cafe Carolina to fill up our bellies with the most scrumptious confections.  They have a great bakery with all sorts of wraps and sandwiches and salads.  And the coolest and comfortable booth seating.

We filled up some gas, bought some water and hit the road.  2+ hours on the road, in the car, on our way to Soul Mama.

I had forgotten how important ROAD TRIPs are in a relationship.  I mean, two people, in a moving box traveling about the country.  I had forgotten how much Noah enjoys driving - and how much I enjoy driving through nature, albeit in a box called the car.

Road trips, for me, are about being in PROXIMITY - to another being, to other boxes traveling the road with you, to nature - the trees, the mountains, the clouds - the open expanse.  It's about communicating well.  When we roadtrip, WSM Noah is the pilot and I am the co-pilot.  I read the maps and guide the way, he drives the road.  It's a precise art we have mastered together to get us from Point A to Point B.

Once we are settled in for the drive, I started flipping through the Sirius Radio channels.  And this is when the fun began.  We found a '60s, '70s and an '80s channel with limited commercial interruptions.  Woo-hoo!!!  We sang and danced our way from Winston-Salem to Boone.

There is something about being in the mountains - the energy, the wisdom, the grounding.  The higher elevation and the air, the smell of pine trees and firs.    I am looking forward to a little hiking.  Very good.  Very good.  Yay!!!