Summer summary

Climbing at Pilot Mountain (end of May/ beginning of June)

Over the last two years, Cody and I have cautiously dabbled in outdoor climbing. Initially, we hired climbing guides on our trips for half-day excursions, then we got certified to lead climb at our local gym, and more recently, we took an 8-hour class in West Virginia (New River Gorge) to learn how to set up top rope anchors among other basic skills. There’s so much to learn!

This summer, Cody, M, and I climbed for the first time at Pilot Mountain. We camped for a night, and started our climbing day around 7:30am. We drove to the summit, and from there, it was a short approach down Three Gulleys trail to the climbing crag. Cody and M set up top ropes, while I waited down below eating tasty snacks. Climbing outside is a fun change from gym climbing. The quartzite rock is a bit rougher on the hands, and it’s always a mystery what critters you’ll meet on your way up to the top (spiders, ew). I escaped, mostly unscathed, just a few bruises on my knees, but nothing too bad. I am looking forward to going again soon. 

Wilmington, NC (mid-June)

Usually Cody and I like to spend time in the mountains, but this time we decided to head toward the beach! Cody wanted to camp, but I quickly vetoed that since it was so humid out! In the morning, we went on a short hike along Carolina Beach. We also visited a carnivorous plant reserve. We saw many varieties of pitcher plants. Once we completed the trail, we realized that we did not see a single venous fly trap! We walked back around examining our surroundings more closely, and saw a bunch dotting the trail. I didn’t know they were so small, reaching a height of around 3-6 inches (compared to pitcher plants that were 1-2 feet tall). The only location in the world where venous fly traps natively grow is a 100 km radius around Wilmington! 

For lunch, I asked Cody if he liked crepes. His initial response was “No, I don’t like crepes,” and then after a brief moment of pondering, he stated “Actually, what’s a crepe again?” So of course, we needed to go to the crepe restaurant. It turns out he likes crepes! There were so many options, but we settled on savory, breakfast style crepes. 

Later, we went on a self-guided tour of the Battleship North Carolina. This 35,000-ton battleship was one of 10 fast battleships used during World War II. It was very cramped and hot. I bumped my head trying to navigate around, sustaining a scalp hematoma that lasted for  several days. Some may be impressed by the huge gun turrets, but my favorite rooms to visit were the kitchen and medical bay. 

Wright family visiting NC (July 4th weekend)

It was a whirlwind of a visit, with all of our activities packed into one late afternoon/ evening. Cody’s sister’s family rolled in after an already long, jam packed summer vacation with their other family and friends. I was working on Saturday, but I was able to get home around the time they were arriving. Our niece and nephew excitedly told us about their summer adventures and showed us their rock collection! We went climbing with B, and he made so much progress over the last few months. He actually looked like he was having fun and climbed to the top of most of the routes. 

Cody convinced his family to go to Alpaca Peruvian Chicken, describing their chicken as “life changing.” We all enjoyed it! After dinner, we went to the “bird park” in the words of B. We also took a short walk downtown for ice cream.  T’s new game was playing “red light, green light.” Cody and I got a workout carrying her and running along the sidewalk as she yelled “Green light!” at us. We really made the most of the time we had together.

Washington, DC (mid-July)

We spent a few days in DC visiting my sister’s family. It’s so exciting to see how much C has grown with each visit. He’s walking, saying “mama” and “dada.” He’s a bit bossy, wanting everyone to be involved in his activities. Cody was his favorite person to play with this time around. He really enjoyed it when Cody bounced balls off the door into funneled cups. He also liked having Cody follow him, as he was pushing his toy bus around the house. When we picked him up from daycare, he always looked around the corner for Cody.

Since C was in daycare most of the day, Cody and I expanded our DC bubble a bit more. We’re perfectly content spending our day going to the local coffee shop and climbing; however, on this trip we also went swimming at the city pool, explored the Georgetown area and walked around the National Mall, visiting some of the Smithsonian museums. 

South Florida (end of July)

We went to Florida to celebrate my dad’s birthday! Whenever we visit, Cody and I also have a routine of going for a morning swim and then treating ourselves to Cuban pastries and coffee at Vicky’s Bakery (papa rellenas, croquetas, pan de bono!) My dad also bought a shed; so Cody and I spent many humid days putting it together. Luckily, our marriage survived this endeavour. 

We also spent some time with my friend, S. His “farm” has really grown - so many chickens, birds (with an aviary project in the works), and a new chihuahua, Roo! We also went to see my other friend S and her family. Her kids have soo much energy! The moment we entered her house, we were pulled in two different directions immediately - I played with dolls (one of which “pooped”) and Cody was fighting for his life armed with a pirate ship and golden shark, against a flying dragon. 

For my dad’s birthday, we continued the tradition of going to a sushi buffet. We were joined by some of my aunts and uncle, that I haven’t seen in many years. After dinner, we sang Happy Birthday at home, and my dad blew out imaginary candles on his key lime pie. 

Juniper Level Gardens (August 1st)

We waited in line for an hour to see the corpse flower that smells like rotting flesh. These plants take up to 10 years to mature and bloom for the first time. Thereafter, it can take cultivated plants 2 to 3 years to bloom again. The bloom only lasts for about three days (and is the stinkiest within the first 12 to 24 hours). 

Old Rag, Shenandoah National Park (mid August)

Late on Saturday afternoon, we started our drive to Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park. Cody reserved our campsite, as other people had cancelled their reservations last minute. On the way, we stopped in Richmond, eating dinner at Lotte Plaza Market (Korean grocery store), sharing galbi (Korean beef short ribs) and sushi. We also explored a cute Asian toy/homegoods/novelty store in the same plaza. It was sensory overload, with the shelves covered in brightly colored items adorned with Sanrio, Disney and Pokemon characters! By the time we made it to our campsite, it was a little after 10pm. 

On Sunday morning, we got an early start to our hike. Although I enjoy hiking, I was a bit discouraged by my slow speed, as we were frequently getting passed by other hikers. Cody reminds me that it is not a race. The first three miles is a mostly uphill trek, until you arrive at the main attraction, a fun rock scrambling area that continues on for about a mile. Cody and I felt very comfortable here, and we were able to navigate this area pretty easily. On the last part of the hike, along a fire road, we were able to jog small sections of it. This is the third time Cody and I have hiked this together, and although it’s challenging, it has felt a little easier each year! 

We went to Blue Quartz Winery after the hike and sat outside, eating lunch and enjoying ciders. It was a beautiful day, and it was very peaceful looking out over the apple orchards on the property and Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. 

On Monday, Cody and I did small hikes at Dark Hollow Falls and Stony Man Mountain. We stopped at Skyland Lodge to refuel with coffee and hot tea before driving back home. I complimented the barista on her cute mushroom earrings. We then excitedly talked about mushrooms and shared pictures of mushrooms we had seen on our hikes!

Asheville, NC and Atlanta, GA (end of August)

Cody and I ventured out to Atlanta to visit some of my friends from residency. On the way there (and back), we stopped in Asheville, NC. We hadn’t ventured toward Western NC since Hurricane Helene. It seems like much of the city has been rebuilt. We ate a delicious barbeque lunch at Iron and Oak. Cody and I both thought this was the best bbq that we had ever had! We shared plates of pulled pork and ribs. We explored downtown Asheville, browsing the antique shops, outdoor gear stores, and touristy boutiques. We ended up purchasing a few prints from local artists to decorate our home. The next morning, we went to a local climbing gym (Fiddlehead) to top rope. The routes were really interesting and the grading system was similar to what we’re used to back home. 

Our time in Atlanta was brief, but I enjoyed seeing A and M and meeting their one-year old daughter! She is so cute and curious about the world. She is starting to walk. She was pointing at everything, exclaiming “Bee!” “Beebee!” We also met up with T and A for dinner, and we had delicious Persian kebabs at Rumi’s. Also during our visit, we walked around Piedmont Park and along the beltline to Ponce City Market. Last year when we visited Atlanta, we ate at a Chinese restaurant called La Mei Zi. Since then, we hadn’t stopped talking about their San Bei Gei (three cup chicken). We made sure to get this for lunch before we left the city. Once we returned to Asheville, we were pretty tired. We did a short hike in the town of Montreat (Rainbow Road, Toll Road, Lookout Mountain) - it was a peaceful wooded hike with a nice lookout at the end. We saw so many mushrooms! 

We had a great summer! We are grateful for the time we spent with family and friends!