Meeting up with the wife along the trail

[marty1983]

Hello everyone
I will be attempting a Thru hike this spring and was wondering if you could enlighten me as to where some good meeting spots would be for my wife along or near the trail. I'm from Iowa so I am not very familiar with the towns along the trail. I have looked at the companion book and found a few good spots but would like your input as well. I am looking for areas that are accessible to her via car or bus and areas that would be fun to spend a few zero days in. I will be stopping and taking a few days off around the bear mountain bridge because my grandma lives in Pearl River just south of there and I will certainly be stopping by Nanuet Hotel for some Pizza! Thanks for your help.
Marty

[Megapixel]

I"m not sure how many stops you and your wife can plan coming all the way from IA; my wife and I plan on doing the same thing though. We are conveniently located along the trail in SNP in VA, so the southern half she can easily make it to most locations, and likewise with the northern half until you get towards the Green Mtns. and above.
Hot Springs, NC is a cool town, as is of course Damascus, VA. Damascus is 30 minutes off of I-81, Hot Springs likewise at about 40 miles. We have those planned as definite, hopefully Damascus will be during trail days. Last year my wife drove to Rangeley, ME to meet me, and while it's a nice town it was a bit of a haul and not very easily accessed from the interstate.

[atmilkman]

For starters pick towns that the trail runs right through. For example Hot Springs, NC. Since you said you're starting in the spring I'm assuming you'll be NOBO from Springer and Hot Springs will be about 3 weeks into your hike. I don't know how often you want to meet up or the flexibility of your wifes schedule. This may be too soon. But, at this time of year Hot Springs will be fun.

[atmilkman]

I"m not sure how many stops you and your wife can plan coming all the way from IA; my wife and I plan on doing the same thing though. We are conveniently located along the trail in SNP in VA, so the southern half she can easily make it to most locations, and likewise with the northern half until you get towards the Green Mtns. and above.
Hot Springs, NC is a cool town, as is of course Damascus, VA. Damascus is 30 minutes off of I-81, Hot Springs likewise at about 40 miles. We have those planned as definite, hopefully Damascus will be during trail days. Last year my wife drove to Rangeley, ME to meet me, and while it's a nice town it was a bit of a haul and not very easily accessed from the interstate.
2 votes for Hot Springs (lol)

[lunatic]

On my thru, my wife met me at Harpers Ferry which was a nice time and place for a little break. After that long on the trail I didn't really care much about what there was to do in town....ummm...just wanted to spend time with her. :) I also took off a couple days to spend with her in NYC, but that's where we live so it was an easy decision!

[max patch]

My wife met me several times during the hike, living in GA made it an easy drive while in the south. The last trip she made was to the Shenandoah Nat'l Park where we hiked for a few days and then went to DC for the rest of the week. Coming from IA thats what I would suggest to you. Fly in to DC or Baltimore, rent a car and meet you in the SNP, and then R&R in DC. Easy hiking in the SNP, and the location is pretty close to the half way point.

[d.o.c]

make her come to roanoke VA or daleville but it be cool for your wife to see mcafee knob :)

[SCRUB HIKER]

A third vote for Hot Springs--it's a charming, very small town, and there's lots of stuff to do around there. You can go rafting or you two can drive back into the Smokies. The timing works out, too: it's 3-4 weeks in, and I know by that point I was fully entrenched in the whole thru-hiking business. Visiting any earlier might be too much of a distraction.

I don't know about it being accessible by bus, but it's easy to find by car from either Asheville or the Tri-Cities airport.

I don't know what your budgets are, but if you've got money to spend, I think a late-spring retreat around Shenendoah--like say Sperryville, Washington, and Culpeper--would be pretty dashed romantic. Getting picked up in Waynseboro and spending some time in Charlottesville, a very pretty city, could be n.

[SCRUB HIKER]

I meant to say "nice, too." A third suggestion is for MA2 (the Williamstown/North Adams, Mass. road crossing) being a good taking-off point for exploring some of the nicer parts of New England.

[Marta]

Just a caution... It is hard to predict ahead of time where you will be on any given date. Does your wife work? And how much per-planning do you need to put into the travel arrangements? My suggestion is that she go with you to the start. It's not far from Atlanta so transportation logistics aren't too hard. Beyond that, unless she is free as a bird and money is no object, I'd recommend meeting up in Harpers Ferry, in the Whites (stay at the Highland Center), and at the end in Maine. It's best not to set dates for the meetings until you're a couple of weeks away. If she works, and has to sign up for vacation way ahead of time, it's best to set dates and then arrange the places when you're a couple of weeks out. The truth of the matter is that the AT travels astoundingly close to a number of major transportation hubs, so it won't be too hard for her to drive to meet you just about anywhere along the Trail.

PS--Wishing you the best of luck on your hike!

[Kerosene]

As several have mentioned, Hot Springs is a good place. You could drive her back to the base of Max Patch and hike the quarter-mile to the summit from the parking lot...something that my mom, wife, and now daughter really, really liked.

The suggestion of Roanoke and McAfee Knob (a relatively easy 8 mile roundtrip hike with an incredible view) is a good one. She could also go up to Blackburg for a day to enjoy the boutique shops.

Harpers Ferry is a nice place for visitors, especially if you like history. The two of you could catch the train to D.C. for a night also.

I vote for Manchester Center, Vermont, especially after July. Hanover, NH is a treat, with a lot of day trips of various types.

[Tinker]

http://www.dollywood.com/

This came to mind - if it's your kind of thing. Not too far from the Trail, and I've been thinking that I'd like to visit it myself if I ever get the chance to thruhike. Might be a bit over the top, though. :p

[Mountain Mike]

If she has to plan vacation time I would shoot for SNP. If you are early or late still numerous easy access to meet you on Skline Drive, Blue Ridge parkway, or Harpers Ferry to the north. Lots to offer in the area. Lurray Caverns is a nice stop. Harpers Ferry, DC, Etc.

[Blissful]

I have seen many hike with family in Shenandoah.

[wornoutboots]

I say Damascus, since it's less than two week from Hot Springs, even though I LOVE Hot Springs, it just make more sense. You can book a B&B now, spend some quality time with your wife in beautiful Damascus, introduce her to your fellow hiker trash + there will be a ton of hiker trash shuttling back to Damascus from wherever they are on the trail & if your within 50+ miles you can easily grab a ride, then you can give back by having your wife shuttle some other hiker trash with you on her way shuttling you back. 2nd meet up cld be Harpers Ferry or DC then go from there after seeing how the journeys progressing.

[johnnybgood]

I might be partial here , but there's plenty things to do along the AT in Virginia . Luray Caverns is 9 miles from Thornton Gap /SNP . There are also boutique shops in the downtown area .
Charlottesville is a college town 20 miles away with the Bent Improv Comedy Theatre and of course Monticello nearby.
If you like wine tasting the Appalachians of Virginia are brimming with wineries within an hours drive from the trail. The Peaks of Otter Winery and Orchard is actually only a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. www.peaksofotterwinery.com (http://www.peaksofotterwinery.com)
You could get a reservation for the Peaks of Otter Resort when you hit the Blue Ridge .

Almost forgot :
Rafting, Kayaking or Canoeing the Shenandoah River for a day if you're interested in outdoor adventure . Contact Shenandoah River Outfitters, [email protected] in Luray .