Zero

Really wanted to explore Roanoke today as it’s been in my list to check out since it’s a larger city, roughly 100k people and it’s a pretty large outdoor hub for people.

After powering through the continental breakfast at the hotel we walked about a mile to get to downtown Roanoke. The sun was out and it was a gorgeous day. The first we’ve had in a while. Today is Saturday so the town is lively with everyone out and about perusing shop, the farmers market, and eating out. There’s also a “festival in the park” going on today.

We take care of the essentials first. We visit the outfitters first and foremost to pick up some new shoes and other odds and end. Next is lunch. We visit a Japanese place for some sushi. We are trying to make the most of Roanoke culinary wise because it’s the biggest town closest to the trail for a very long time. Food was great and the beer even better. We wonder over to the park afterwards to check out what’s going on. We’ve gotten there too early and the whole thing doesn’t kick off for a few more hours. We hit up a coffee shop, two tone goes to get a massage, and I head to a cool burger/bar joint called Jacks, for another beer or two.

Leaving Jack’s we run into two people we’d met only once a few days prior at the Four Pines Hostel. Stryder and Grandmaster. Stryder is an older British gentleman and is ending his hike here in Roanoke for visa reasons. Grandmaster is a 24 year old good looking, Dutch guy. His grandfather has passed away just a few days earlier, and his girlfriend is pressuring him to come home so the combination of the two he’s getting off trail as well. We chat for a bit, decide to meet up later once the festival starts and we go in our way to meet up with a few other hikers for dinner and beers. Afterwards we rented Lime Scooters to get across town to meet up with Pocket Aces and Crazy Eyes at a bar they were at with Ace’s parents. He had just finished a five day stretch with his dad. We close down the brewery and scoot back across town to our hotel and call it a night.