Last few days in Virginia: Trip Summary

After three months in Raleigh, I needed a reset. Even hiking couldn’t shake the feeling that I was cut off from nature. Maybe city life just isn’t for me. To be fair, I was there during peak summer and mostly hid indoors.

Virginia was a last-minute leap that landed. I searched Furnished Finder for anything within five hours and found a cabin in Willis, VA. The landlord already had Labor Day booked but offered me a month—through August 28. I hesitated (it meant a short Airbnb gap later), then booked it. He was kind—no deposit. The place wasn’t spotless, but I’ve stayed in worse. The view outside was spectacular.

From my window

Willis sits high on the Blue Ridge Plateau, a wide-open sweep of hills and hayfields where mornings feel cooler and the sky seems closer. It’s an unincorporated spot along U.S. 221, a ribbon of road that climbs and curls past farmsteads; the tiny community even has its own post office. Long before the GPS pin said “Willis,” the area’s mail stop was called Greasy Creek, later Hylton—small names, slower times. Floyd County itself dates to 1831, named for Governor John Floyd. Blue Ridge Parkway was just 20 minutes away with amazing views along the way.

Days fell into a gentle rhythm. I’d wake to a wall of birdsong—one morning Merlin ID counted 15 species—and make coffee while the mist burned off the pasture. Weekdays were busy with work, but I recharged on a shaded bench, doing nothing but listening. No traffic. No human noise. Just wind in the trees and that old fridge kicking on and off. When evenings turned cool, I fed a small fire in the stove and traded the TV fireplace for a real crackle. This is how life should sound.

On cold days there was a wood burning stove

Something bit my eyelid the first night—ominous start—but bugs were surprisingly chill after that. Even mosquitos were rare. A little stream ran a tenth of a mile down the road; maybe balance keeps the biters in check when the food web is intact.

I did miss a gym and restaurants. I’m not sure I could live this remote year-round, but a three-month retreat each year? That feels right.

Weekends were for wandering. Buffalo Mountain’s short, steep trail popped me onto a rounded summit with 360° views and tough little plants clinging to magnesium-rich soils—an alpine-ish island at nearly 4,000 feet. On the way down, the air smelled like sun-warmed pine and crushed mint.

Another day when my friend was visiting me I followed the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mabry Mill, where water still turns the wheel of one of Appalachia’s most photographed mills. Ed and Lizzy Mabry once ground corn, sawed lumber, and did blacksmithing here—a tidy, practical world powered by a creek. If you time it right, old-time music drifts across the lawn on Sunday afternoons. 

Practicalities were simple. The cabin had what I needed; having stocked up in Raleigh, I grabbed groceries in Christiansburg or at the farmer’s market on weekends. The most unpleasant task was hauling trash to the dumpster 6 miles away - there was no curbside pick up. Most days I walked or ran the “neighborhood,” which meant acres between houses—my kind of spacing.

Least favorite part: loose dogs. Two big ones barked hard near a trailhead; others just sounded the alarm as I passed. I like dogs, but after a Grand Canyon bite, I’m cautious around unleashed ones.

The cat loved it. Open windows, sun puddles, a quiet room with a bed he immediately claimed. I watched twenty minutes of YouTube or Kanopy at night (the only TV was in the bedroom), then listened to the night for a while.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were just the right size for him

Our evening routine

That is how yoga should be done...

Trying to fit in the area of the sun.

That month in Willis reminded me what actually restores me: space, silence, a sky busy with birds—and the feeling that life can be both slower and fuller at the same time.

My last day was supposed to be Thursday, but I ended up leaving on Tuesday early morning as around 11 PM on Monday my cat found a mouse in the cabin and was trying to attack it. I saw the little mouse's scared eyes and could not let it die, so I locked my cat in the bathroom - the only room with a door in the cabin - and blocked the room with boxes that I already packed. Let's just say that night I slept for an hour before packing my car at 5 AM and heading out at 6.30 to my friend's house in Knoxville where I was going to stay regardless for several days. While my trip ended with a bit of a negative note, the overall stay at the cabin was very refreshing. 

Hiking in Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC

I wrapped up my Virginia trip with a hop over the border to North Carolina for a Monday-morning hike at Hanging Rock State Park. I’d done one trail here years ago and wanted a redo—this time linking the waterfalls with the park’s namesake summit.

I started with Hidden Falls and Window Falls—pretty mellow when flow is low, but still a fun warm-up through rhododendron (not currently in bloom) and rock. From the same area I headed up the Hanging Rock Trail for those big Sauratown Mountain views. Reaching the top before 10 a.m. meant I had the overlook almost to myself; by the time I was descending, the crowds were just arriving. Peace secured. I’d absolutely recommend this park.

Hidden Falls

Window Falls

Quick trail beta

• Hidden Falls: ~0.4 mi each way from the Visitor Center area. Gentle, tiered cascade. 

• Window Falls: ~0.6 mi each way; short, rocky steps near the end. Often paired with Hidden Falls.

• Hanging Rock Trail: ~1.3 mi each way, steady climb on pavement/gravel/stone steps to a cliff-top panorama. Figure ~4–5 total miles to combine both falls out-and-backs with the summit, depending on connectors and wandering.

Good-to-know

• Day-use is free. Fees apply only to camping, boat rentals, swim passes, etc.

• When to go: Weekdays are best; weekends get packed, especially around the falls and summit. Early starts help.

Short, satisfying miles, big payoff views, and easy logistics—that combo is hard to beat. If you can swing a Monday morning, you might just get the summit to yourself.

New River Trail, Stiles Falls and Blacksburg, VA

The New River Trail had been on my “must-do” list during my stay in Virginia. Stretching for over 57 miles along an old railroad line, it’s one of the state’s most popular trails, especially for cyclists. Since I didn’t have a bike with me, I opted to hike a section of it—Store Hill Road to Fort Chiswell Road—partly because it offered a convenient large parking area at the trailhead.

Parking was $7, payable by cash or through an app. I came prepared with cash, dropped my envelope in the pay slot, and set off down the trail. Like much of the New River Trail, this stretch is wide, flat, and easygoing, making it perfect for both casual walkers and long-distance hikers. Elevation gain is minimal, so you can cover a lot of ground without much strain.

Although the trail runs right alongside the New River, the thick summer foliage blocked most of the views. Still, the constant sound of rushing water was soothing, and every so often I caught glimpses of the river through clearings in the trees. The hike itself was peaceful—I passed only a handful of people on a Saturday morning—and the most memorable wildlife I saw were a few bright butterflies drifting across the path.

One highlight was walking through an old railroad tunnel, dark and cool, with a pitch-black stretch in the middle that felt like a small adventure. I snapped a couple of photos where the trees opened up enough to reveal the river, then around the five-mile mark I stopped for a muffin break before turning back. The return walk felt lighter, with a few more people out on the trail by late morning, but it still held that same sense of calm.

Overall, this section of the New River Trail is easy, quiet, and peaceful—perfect if you want a long, flat walk with the steady backdrop of the river. Next time, I’d love to bring a bike and see how far I could go.

Another hike I made sure to check out was Stiles Falls, a short but rewarding trail located on the grounds of Camp Alta Mons, a United Methodist Church camp near Shawsville, Virginia. The trail is open to the public year-round for a $5 access fee, which helps maintain the property.

The hike itself is about 3.5 miles round trip with under 300 feet of elevation gain—easy enough for beginners or anyone looking for a quick outing. The path is well-marked and well-maintained, making it hard to get lost. Most of the hike winds through shaded forest, which is especially nice on a warm day. The only stretch without much cover is at the very beginning as you leave the parking lot.

One of the highlights is walking alongside a lively creek for a good portion of the hike. There are a few wooden footbridges to cross, which add to the charm. The trail stays fairly flat until the last stretch, where a short but steady climb brings you up to the falls.

The waterfall itself—Stiles Falls—is about 40 feet high. It’s not the most dramatic waterfall in Virginia, but for such a short hike, it feels like an easy and satisfying reward. The pool at the base of the falls is shallow and rocky, a nice spot to pause, cool off, and enjoy the sound of the water before heading back.

All in all, Stiles Falls makes for a pleasant half-day hike. It’s family-friendly, close to Roanoke and Blacksburg, and perfect if you’re looking for a peaceful walk in the woods with a pretty waterfall as your payoff.

Speaking of Blacksburg—I really enjoyed this town. Best known as the home of Virginia Tech, it has that classic college-town energy: walkable streets, lots of restaurants and cafés, and a lively atmosphere. At the same time, it’s surrounded by mountains and farmland, which gives it a laid-back, outdoorsy feel. It’s the kind of place where you can spend a morning hiking and an afternoon sipping coffee or wine downtown.

Another Blacksburg loop I liked: Poverty Creek, Jacob's Ladder, Snakeroot, and May Apple Trail Loop. Go counterclockwise to front-load the steep Jacob’s Ladder climb; after that it’s mellow grade and smooth cruising on Snakeroot and May Apple back to Poverty Creek. I saw only a few bikers and no wildlife—probably the bear bell doing its job—though it’s a busy multi-use network, so yield to bikes and horses, and wear bright colors in hunting season. Expect a couple shallow creek crossings and some roots/rocks after rain; the route is well signed, shaded, and feels “easy” once the first punch is over.

Interesting mushrooms along the trail

I ended up in Blacksburg for a few different reasons—including the less glamorous task of patching yet another hole in my tire (not my year for tires!). But with some extra time, I was glad to explore a bit.

For lunch, I stopped at Kuma Moon, an Asian-fusion spot right in the heart of town. Their menu has a mix of Japanese and Korean-inspired dishes, and I tried the Vegetarian Miso—hearty, flavorful, and surprisingly filling. I couldn’t resist adding a side of mochi ice cream, which was the perfect light and sweet finish. The atmosphere was casual and friendly, making it a great spot for either a quick bite or a relaxed sit-down meal.

Later, I headed to the Blacksburg Wine Lab, a cozy wine bar and tasting room that feels both modern and welcoming. They offer rotating flights, so you can sample wines from Virginia and beyond. I found the selection to be excellent—high-quality and thoughtfully curated—though definitely on the pricier side. The space itself is warm and stylish, with knowledgeable staff who are happy to walk you through the tasting. It’s a great spot to linger, whether you’re a wine enthusiast or just looking for a relaxing evening out.

Blacksburg may be small, but between its vibrant food scene, Virginia Tech culture, and easy access to nature, it’s a town with a lot of character. I left thinking it’s the kind of place I could happily come back to—preferably without another flat tire.

Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina

I returned to Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina to actually hike it this time—after once driving to the overlook during my digital nomad stint and barely remembering it.

I took the Pilot Mountain route via the Grindstone, Little Pinnacle, and Pilot Knob trails (yes, a mouthful). It’s a 7.5-mile hike with about 1,400 feet of elevation gain, starting at the visitor center and climbing toward the same upper parking area I visited years ago. Driving is an option, but I wanted the challenge.

On a Sunday morning the parking lot wasn’t packed. The trail begins gently, passes a campground about a mile in, and then steadily gains elevation. I saw a few groups, but there were long, quiet stretches to enjoy. Eventually, I reached the familiar overlooks I’d once driven to. But seeing them after the climb made the views feel so much richer this time around. It’s funny how a little extra effort can turn the same scenery into a whole new experience.

The descent from Pilot Mountain State Park was a breeze - mostly downhill and quick. I considered the 25-minute drive to Winston-Salem for groceries, but I was wiped and headed back to the cabin instead. Honestly, these are my favorite days: stay active for half the day, then unwind at home for a quiet evening.

Buffalo Mountain Peak in Virginia

I love when a hike is so close to where you live, albeit temporarily. Buffalo Mountain Peak trail is a unique find that offers amazing views with little efforts of hiking - just 2 miles round trip with about 500 ft elevation gain gets you this.

On my way to the trailhead, I was a bit anxious about bears. They are frequent in the area, very very frequent...

I wanted to get there early in the morning because of the parking lot being small (only 10 cars can fit there). About a mile from the trailhead, I saw a small bear crossing the road. Did I mention that bears were frequent here? Yeah, and this one was in the forest I was hiking in.

I was the first one at the parking lot... Peaceful? You bet! But that bear stayed in my mind the whole trip up as a jiggled my loud bear bell attached to the backpack. I could not hear any birds or the peaceful sounds of nature, just the darn bell. I also decided to listen to a podcast, you know, so that I don't feel so alone (except the bear, of course).

The views at the top were stunning. I was breezy and peaceful. A few clouds were passing by, everything was so green. But now I was thinking of the way back. There was another trail that I could take back, around 0.5 miles but steep. I decided to go for it. The way back was quick, and as I got to the parking lot two more cars appeared with folks hiking up. I am glad I had the peak all to myself...

My 3-Month Stay in Raleigh, NC

This year has been a disaster. From living in the house with neighbor's dog who yaps non-stop to a car accident and nails in tires, and several other "I can't believe this is happening" situations, I felt the need to get away. I rented an apartment in Raleigh about 20 min walking distance from the downtown. I left the house in "ready to rent" condition, but have not found a tenant by the time I had to leave.

I arrived at the apartment in late April, of course, passing by Augustino Gusto Bakery, one of my favorite bakeries in the area. The apartment was located above the garage, so it took me a little while to bring the boxes in. It looked clean, but very "bare bones" with minimal supplies (even the toilet paper was missing!). The landlord was away and didn't think he was supposed to provide any supplies. I was a bit disappointed but liked the apartment in general.

Main area

Living Room

Entryway

Kitchen

Bed

Bathroom

I did find a cockroach in the dishwasher, a live one too...

Somehow the very first evening (on the day of my arrival) I decided to have bought tickets to a play. Lo and behold, it would be the only play I would attend in the 3 months in Raleigh.

The first night was really uncomfortable as the bed was very very soft. I ended up removing the mattress topper which made it okay. BUT... there was no barking dogs and I felt at ease for the first time in months. And I was in the middle of a large city... That tells you something.

The landlord told me that he had to change the siding to the garage, and it might be noisy during the first week. Indeed, it was more than just noisy!

Luckily, it was only a week. Overall, the neighborhood was very quiet. I took walks almost every day either walking downtown or just to the cemetery. That's right, the cemetery was just across the street and had a lovely trail in a peaceful environment. I also did some running in the mornings when it was not too hot. Sadly, most of the days were hot and humid.

One of the things I was hoping to accomplish in Raleigh is to get Videri chocolate. I tried it for the first time back in 2022 when it was on sale at a grocery store and absolutely loved it. This time the price was quadruple at $12.99! I got two bars but that was a luxurious purchase...

I thought I would go to restaurants frequently but I ended up enjoying good food at home. After renewing my Costco membership, now that I had a warehouse 10 minutes away from my apartment, I bought a ton of delicious items including tofu and mushrooms and experimented with new recipes.

I did go to meetups at least once a week to socialize and meet new people. One of the places I went to was Namu Korean Eats where I tried Gimbap for the first time. It's like sushi but larger in size and with lots of veggies.

Gimbap from Namu

I did some local hiking as well. One of my favorite places was Umstead Park. It was about 20 minutes away and had great trails. Frequently, it was packed with people, especially on weekends when some would line up to enter the park prior to its opening to get a parking spot.

In May, I also visited a birding workshop at the Walnut Creek Wetlands Center organized by Wake Audubon, a local non-profit with a grand mission to "foster knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of nature; to encourage responsible environmental stewardship; to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity."

The workshop was very educational as I have never really paid much attention to birds around me. They showed a few useful apps to recognize birds by their song and even offered to borrow binoculars to use in the hand-on part of the workshop where we went outside to spot the birds. I've been using that app ever since!

I signed up for a month of yoga not realizing that it was warm yoga at 80F! I hate hot yoga, but I also hate warm yoga. Needless to say that I didn't continue my membership after the initial trial.

At the end of May, I ended up renting my house for 3 months to someone. In the first week of June, the tenant already broke the dishwasher by using too much detergent. A stressful situation like this prompted me to drive back home to make sure that the water did not cause any damage. I would end up replacing the dishwasher in another nightmare of events lasting through June.

June was not as active of a month. I still went out to meetups but life in Raleigh was becoming a routine consisting of gym sessions, running, cooking, TV and occasional outings to local parks. I did decide to bring my car in to yet another dealership to address the mirror and the engine noise. This time I was taken seriously. They investigated the issue and completed carbon cleaning which minimized the noise. My car was in for almost 2 weeks, and in that timeframe I had a loaner. All of that was done on the warranty and I am forever grateful to Johnson Subaru of Cary. While I was told that the issue is most likely would return given the direct fuel injection, at least for now I have a semi-brand new car. If I realized how frequently I would have to bring this car to the dealership, I would never have bought a new car.

I also took advantage of the healthcare system that appeared to be much better than in Tennessee and got a bunch of tests done.

I started attending Yelp events as it's been a few years since I was able to go to any. It was refreshing to try new businesses this way.

The restaurant of June for me was Sushioki located in Durham that offered sushi in a burrito! It was incredibly delicious, and the size was way above what I expected.

Burrito from Sushioki with Tuna and Avocado

July was a very hot month. Even mornings were not feasible for walking at times, although I was getting used to my morning runs. I would rarely go outside during the day, and even the evenings were intolerable with both heat and humidity.

The trend of "nail in the tire" continued though, and I had to bring my car to the dealership to get this handled. Luckily, this time it was a quick fix and under the warranty that I got separately when I bought the car. Heck, that warranty that I got free of charge already has been worth it! 2 dents and a nail in the tire repaired!

I went to a few Yelp events and even got a free facial, something that I haven't done in years. One of the events was on a rooftop of a hotel at a restaurant. Very nice set up, albeit in a very hot weather.

Charcuterie board from the facial place

Sample food from a rooftop restaurant

View to DT Raleigh

And I did a lot of neighborhood exploration. Where could I see myself living? Where could I afford to live? What can I afford? All these questions resulted in multiple house viewings and sadly, resulted in nothing but pure exhaustion. Perhaps it's not the time and the place? Maybe... I had an option to either stay in Raleigh in August or do something else as my tenant still had another month on his lease. More to come where I decided to go!