Moving on ... after all the fighting!!!

25 October was our last day in Virginia. It was a busy day. We found a truck wash ... but let's go back a bit.  We left Dixie Canyons RV Park about  9.30am. We were south of Roanoke. As we left the campground - which way - left or right?? Each time we leave a campground the GPS says  "drive to highlighted route." That's all very well but left or right out of the drive?? We follow the law of averages and get it wrong most times!! Shit! Shit! Where to turn around? Great!

Just outside Wytheville Trevor noticed a large sign for a truck wash; just right for us. We were in a queue and it took about an hour to get through, but do we look good!!! $35.00 + $12 wax. We then went over a certified truck scales.  We weigh 19,080 lbs - so now we know!

Looking at the photo now, I realise that the bikes also got a wash!

It was a beautiful warm day. We continue south on I-81. I think that the Appalachian Trail crosses the Interstate at Marion, Virginia. We go off I-81 onto Hwy 58 to Damascus. This is a trip back in time.
Damascus is a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the gateway to the Mt Rogers National Recreational Area. It is also the home of the annual Trail Days Festival in the middle of May each year - the largest gathering of Appalachian Trail hikers anywhere.
We were at Damascus for Trail Days in the early 90's. It was a great time for us. We had just completed our second 200 mile hike on the AT. We walked off the trail which passes through the town and spent 2/3 days camped in our tent along with hundreds of other hikers. We joined in the annual hikers parade through the town. Great memories!
Today we found it hard to recognize much of the town.  I guess it was at least 20 years ago.
But there were several landmarks that we did recognize.

I remember walking through this arch on Trail Days!

We realised our current means of travel - by RV - when we tried to turn around to get back to I-81; The streets were so narrow!!

Trevor didn't find the barber who had cut his hair all those years ago!

Damascus

And then we are back on I-81, over the state line into Tennessee and on to the Baileyton RV Park.