🏕️ Fireworks and Footprints

This marked our third year camping at Smoky Mountain Campground in Bryson City, North Carolina. This time, it was just Josh, our pup Levi, and me. We returned to our usual spot—site 23. One day, we hope to snag a creekside site, but those are hard to come by since many campers rebook the same one year after year.

Compared to last year, this trip felt quieter, more introspective. Last year, I severely dislocated my finger, which landed me in the ER and left us with a hefty medical bill. I'm still grateful it wasn't broken, but it means I can no longer wear my wedding rings—a small but constant reminder of that chaotic day.

We spent a full week at the campground, even though I had to work for three of those days. Working remotely from the site meant I could step outside during breaks to breathe in the cool mountain air and listen to the stream whispering through the trees. Josh and I went tubing on Deep Creek several times. The water was freezing, but the thrill of the rapids and the laughter we shared made it worth every shiver.

Last year, we were there for the Fourth of July, and my Aunt Kathy joined us. It was a big family trip with Josh's parents, his brother and sister-in-law, their two boys, and both dogs. Her absence this year was palpable.

One day while tubing down Deep Creek, we reached the "swimming hole"—a popular spot where people either get out to repeat the section or stop to swim. Just beyond it is a small drop in the rapids, so many choose to exit before the plunge. On one visit, Josh wanted to run that section again, so I stayed behind to swim and soak in the moment.

As I floated, something caught my eye—a white shape beneath the surface, like a trash bag. I swam over and kicked it up with my feet since the water was too cold to dive. It turned out to be a t-shirt. When I pulled it out and placed it on the bank, I saw a roadrunner printed on the front pocket.

My Aunt's favorite bird was the roadrunner. It felt like a whisper from the universe, a gentle nudge reminding me she was still with me. There have been other moments like this—small signs that feel too perfect to be coincidence. Seeing the roadrunner made me tear up. I named our RV "Roadrunner" and even got a personalized tag. A roadrunner ornament now hangs from the rearview mirror—tiny tokens that keep her memory close.

Our first big trip in the RV went smoothly, though we did get caught in a heavy rainstorm that knocked out power throughout the hollow. It was humid and warm while the power was out, but I was thankful for the USB ceiling fan and battery pack I had brought—they made things a bit more bearable.

\We attempted to go to town to watch the fireworks, but Levi wasn’t having it. On the way into town, we passed a house shooting off fireworks in their front yard. It scared Levi, and he jumped from the backseat into my lap, trembling like a leaf in the wind. When we got back to the campground, we found out that everyone was invited to grab a tube from the shed and head into the field across the street to watch the fireworks. We joined the crowd with Levi, and he did much better since the fireworks were a good distance away.

We decided to extend our stay by one day so we could participate in the campground’s annual Fourth of July cookout. When we planned the trip, we thought the cookout would be on the 4th (Friday), but it was actually on the 5th (Saturday). I baked a cake in the RV oven for the cookout, and it disappeared quickly. I had done a trial run before the trip to get familiar with the oven and make adjustments. One thing I did was place a pizza stone at the bottom to help radiate heat and prevent the usual burning that most people report when using RV ovens. I noticed some temperature fluctuations, but I was able to adjust and bake the cake beautifully. Since we spent most of our time outside the RV, using the oven wasn’t a huge issue.

My favorite part of the trip was sitting on the rocks by the stream with Levi. I called it "watching a live stream." It was so peaceful to watch the water dance over the stones and feel the cool breeze brush against my skin. I found several types of mosses and am pretty sure I saw a family of river otters run along the bank. The lighting wasn’t great, so I couldn’t see clearly, but the way they scampered made me think of otters.

Before we left, we booked our next trip to the same campground for next year. I already feel the pull of that place—the quiet, the memories, the magic. I can’t wait to return.