Well, I officially ate at every restaurant in town. In fact, I think I even ate food from nearly every place that sells food. The amazing breakfast sandwich and the 16 oz burger were awesome, but my favorite restaurant ended up being Iron Horse Station, right on the way out of town this afternoon. It was a classy environment with good food and welcome toward hikers. I came in, smelly and requesting an outlet, and they tolerated me without flinching.

Needless to say, I stayed in town slightly longer than anticipated. Some familiar hikers came into town, and my errands took up a good portion of time. I ended up switching to a tent setup, albeit a simple setup. I sent some clothing home, despite people worrying about the looming cold weather. Most of what I sent home I had only worn once.

Finally getting out of town, just a little ways, I was able to set up my hammock before the rain really hit. It hasn’t yet, so we will see just how wet it actually gets.

I am excited about the new gear I picked up. I will try to show more of it tomorrow.

For now, I plan to listen to the sounds of Hot Springs and of the trail, as I drift toward sleep.