Medoc Mountain St Pk II

Medoc Mountain State Park, NC

Friday, 23 March 2018

So of course I was hoping to see a mountain when I came here but, too bad. According to park literature, the “mountain” peak is 325’ above sea level, and since we’re nowhere near the sea, that means it’s not very high. Turns out to be a relic of the Paleozoic Age (350 million years ago) and is all that’s left of an eroded mountain range. It’s on land that was used to grow grapes in the early 1800s and was named Medoc after the grape-growing region in Bordeaux. In the early 1900s, the timber was cut, and then molybdenum was mined. The state is now reforesting the land and restoring it as much as possible.

Who knew so much could go on in one small section of the US?

The wind died down enough this morning for me to see the news and weather on TV, so I decided not to bother to go find a wi-fi signal. Besides, for some reason, I started feeling kind of punk yesterday, and even more so today, so it seemed best to stay in one spot and act like a semi-invalid for a day, i.e. chicken noodle soup and hot chocolate for lunch.

The weather forecast shows the storm system that’s dumping snow in the mid-west right now will bring snow to this exact area late Saturday or Sunday. Saturday is tomorrow, so I need to make tracks. Oddly, it looks like where the storm isn’t going to go is up north, so that’s where I’m going to head. I’m planning to stop in Roanoke Rapids (next town up the road) in the morning and spend some time on the internet checking out available places to stay and weather forecasts there.

I decided to not worry about not having an advance reservation somewhere for the next few nights, even though it’s a weekend. The weather’s been so crummy none of the places I’ve been staying lately has been even half full, so I figure I’ll be able to find something somewhere to tide me over. This time with a wi-fi signal. KOA can provide one, Virginia state parks are seriously expensive – more than double other states – but there’ll be something.

I don’t mind the cold so much – the propane heater for the RV works fairly well, the critters seem to be able to stay warm enough, and I’ve got plenty of warm clothes and blankets. And hot chocolate. I just don’t want to be dealing with snow, which is what I’m trying to dodge by moving north.

But the sun’s been out since mid-morning and I’ve had the dogs on long leashes outside all day so they’re okay. I looked out several times and saw them basking in the sun. I stayed inside and watched “Die Hard.” Except for the hair styles (clearly 1980s), it never grows old. I’m sorry Alan Rickman died, what a talent.