July 2, 2020

Like many other full time travelers, we took a break from the road during the Covid-19 quarantine. What we imagined might be a several-week hiatus turned into three months. We are very fortunate and grateful that we had kind family members willing to host us and a lovely place to stay during this time.

By mid-June, campgrounds were reopening, with the sort of safety precautions one would expect. We knew that traveling would be different, but we decided it was time to venture out, staying close enough to Charlotte to beat a quick retreat if the pandemic worsened. On June 22, we hit the reset button on traveling and started out.

Our first stop was Fort Hamby Park, an Army Corps of Engineers’ site on the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir. The Dam is on the Yadkin River in western North Carolina, only a few hours from Charlotte. The reservoir lake is nearly 1,500 acres with 56 miles of shoreline. The campground is nestled into the forest, with mature hardwoods all around. Hiking and biking trails wind through the woods along the lake.

Like most of the COE parks we’ve visited, we found the atmosphere to be quiet and easy-going. The bathhouses are tidy and regularly cleaned. Park attendants are friendly and helpful with directions to trails and points of interest.

Our post-quarantine travels did hold some surprises. We drove over to Wilkesboro and were disappointed that some things we thought might be open were still shuttered. Visitor, welcome, education, and environmental interpretation centers were all closed. Museums and gardens – even the petite, walk-through sensory garden named for Merle Watson – were a no-go. Wilkesboro is normally a good place to find blue grass music, but not this time around. Next time, we hope.

We’ve always looked forward to exploring, but current circumstances have limited certain opportunities. So, we opted for some biking and hiking – always interesting and good for getting back into shape.

Our camping neighbors at Fort Hamby reminded us that the best parts of travel are often the folks you encounter along the way. Next door to us was a family of seven living in a “schoolie.” They are Americans who currently live abroad and work in a hospital. They were on a brief trip back in the US, but their plans to return to work were canceled by Covid travel shut downs. So, they bought and quickly converted the schoolie for their family to wait out the travel restrictions.

We toured each others’ vehicles and had fun chatting. Really nice family. We still have some tiny handprints in the dust on our van doors, a reminder of friendly neighbors with curious, well-behaved kids.

So, what’s a “schoolie” ? Take a retired school bus, pull out the seats, and then turn it into a home. There’s room for living and dining seating, a kitchen, bath, sleeping areas, and lots of storage.

Schoolies have a loyal following, especially among young people who can work from the road. The buses do make great tiny houses. On the flip side, the trade-offs for having a larger vehicle can include heavy duty maintenance bills, low gas mileage and the challenges of maneuvering a big, lumbering school bus. It’s not so easy to take a bus into town for dinner or to drive twisty mountain roads. Still, it’s interesting to see what can be made of what we rode to school every day!

Our first few days of camping quickly put us back in the travel groove. The waters are good. On to West Virginia!