Journey to the Trailhead - 2025

July 12, 2025 - Journey to the Trailhead

Our journey started at 5:30 am CST from San Antonio, Texas flying to Albany, New York … whoa, wait a minute … it actually started  more like 2:45 am when we got picked up and shuttled to the airport by Lorrie the owner of “Your Smile is our Destination.”   She was prompt, pleasant and positive, which did cause us to smile when we finally did reach our destination.  I bet being a “Lorrie” had a lot to do with having such great service! Must be the name!

My sister is a TSA agent and informed me that new regulation is to keep shoes on while going through the body scanner at the airport.   Normally we would wear slip on shoes to make life easier on us for quick on and off.  This time we decided to go full out and wear sneakers, not the slip on or Velcro kind, the tie ‘em up kind.  My sis was right (she’s so smart!), we could keep our shoes on.  She’s a wealth of information when it comes to informing us what we can and cannot do but she failed to remind me about wearing belts.  (She’s my sister, I have to blame her for something!)  FROG wore his hiking pants that has a belt that is hard to get off, the buckle gets stuck at every loop.  He’s struggling and getting frustrated so what is a wife to do? Undress her husband in the middle of security checkpoint, that’s what she does!  Oolala!  Oh sorry, this is family friendly. So, after undressing, we think we’re good and on our way until we hear the agent say to both of us, “Please remove your shoes.”  Wait, what??!! We’re supposed to be able to keep them on!  We think it but don’t say it and bend down awkwardly to untie and remove our non-slip on, tie ‘em up shoes.   It seems an eternity as we’re standing there in our bare feet, looking like felons, waiting for those tie ‘em up shoes to finally make their way through security.  We were so stressed and the journey had only just begun.  Who knew this was going to set the tone for how things were going to go for us.  (You’ll read more of that in my next post on Days 1-5 on the trail.)

A long layover in Chicago afforded us the luxury of getting breakfast at the airport while waiting for our connecting flight to NY.  Two breakfast sandwiches, an orange juice and an iced tea - ok, guess how much that was??!!  It about knocked our socks off, oh that’s right, we didn’t have any on, just those darn tie ‘em up shoes.  Good thing those were snug on our feet, slip on shoes would have gone flying at paying $61.63 for what is supposed to be the cheapest meal of the day!  Good golly, glad we weren’t there for their dinner prices!

Just because you get a free drink coupon on Southwest Airlines, alcohol that is, doesn’t mean you should always indulge.  FROG says, “Let’s get a drink to celebrate our upcoming adventure.”  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  For someone who occasionally drinks wine or a mixed drink, how was I to know the fruity strawberry and lemonade drink I picked out was equivalent to 2 shots, and had 7% alcohol?? After enjoying several sips of my fruity drink, FROG reads me the can.  Oh my goodness!  I start sweating, legs go weak, I start feeling queasy … not really, but you can convince yourself.  I stopped drinking, that’s all I needed was to arrive in Albany drunk, passed out and being carried by my husband to our waiting trail angel!

What a relief to finally arrive safely (and not drunk) in Albany and be met by our trail angel Denise, who I will refer to as “Charity” in the future and her sweet service dog, Hope.   Faith, Hope and Charity … get it?  After getting our 8 bags stuffed into her van with all her bags and Hope’s things (she’s good at puzzles and making it all fit!) we headed out to find the trailhead so we knew where we were going the next morning.  It took all three of us to figure it out, but after driving all around with not much info to go on, we found it!!  Tomorrow starts our continued journey on the Appalachian Trail!  We are both excited and apprehensive all at once.  What awaits us this year?!

Words from Charity after dropping us off at the trailhead, Sunday, July 13:  “They are off!! Their first day back on the Appalachian Trail. I felt like I was sending my kids off to kindergarten—be safe and have fun!!

Stay turned for Days 1-5 to soon come …