Julian Price Campground Review

 

Julian Price Campground

Blue Ridge Pkwy, Blowing Rock, NC 28605  -  Lat 36.13918 Long, -81.73610

We picked Julian Price Campground to stay at because of its location along the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as its convenience to both Roan and Grandfather Mountain. Reservations were easily made on the Recreation.gov app and ran us $20 a night for a standard nonelectric tent spot. Our spot was easy to find and had already had our name on the site marker. It also would have been easy enough to leave cash at the check-in station if we had not planned ahead. We opted to stay on Row A for the lake views. Anywhere in the campground is an easy walk to the bathrooms, with showers and a dumpster just a few minutes over the parkway with the RVs. 

The campsites are fairly close together, but the heavy vegetation kept it from feeling like any of the neighbors were too close for comfort. Each site has a gravel tent pad, picnic table, lantern hook and fire ring. Unfortunately, firewood is NOT provided or offered by the park service. A privately run kayak rental / bait shop adjacent to the campground had signs advertising wood, but were sold out by the time we arrived. The Food Lion in nearby Blowing Rock, NC came in clutch with some (albeit overpriced) firewood. NPS rules dictate that any outside wood must be certified heat treated, meaning that using our home stash was a no-go. Harvesting downed wood inside the campground is allowed, but there was virtually none to pick from.

The restroom at Julian Price does have flushing toilets, however I have seen pit toilets that were cleaner. We were just happy to have facilities to use, so no major griping will be done. After all, if 5 star accommodations were the goal we would have stayed at the Marriott. The tent portion of the campground does not have showers or trash collection, but both can be found by walking or driving across the Parkway where the RV’s stay. Each shower room was private with access from the outside only. These are shower / bathroom combos, so you have a showerhead, bench, sink and toilet all to yourself. Major props for whoever designed that layout. The bad news is that the water heaters seemed to be having a hard time keeping up and showers were pretty lukewarm. This could have been because of the unseasonable cold, or the fact that it was a busy weekend. The concrete floors were FREEZING, which is par for the course with park showers, but worth mentioning for first timers. Always pack a pair of cheap flip-flops or sandals to help overcome chilly floors and stay clean.

The biggest variable with any established campground will always be the other people we share space with. Julian Price was crowded by our standards, but that is to be expected with anywhere easily accessible and close to activities. Over all the people surrounding us were well behaved and there were no issues with loud music/kids/generators. My advice on campgrounds will always be that they are the place you sleep, go out during the day and experience real nature. While our goal was never to vacation in the campground, the lakeside trail is pretty nice for an early morning walk. 

Factoring in its low cost and convenience, we give Julian Price Campground a 7/10 rating. For those exploring western North Carolina or Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway, Julian Price is a great place to spend a night and use the facilities. For further research, visit www.Recreation.Gov

~ Noah Winslow 

@The_Broke_Globetrotters on Instagram

https://thebrokeglobetrotter.blogspot.com/

Slave Falls Trail Review

 Trail Review 🗺️ 🥾 

Slave Falls is located on the Tennessee side of Big South Fork National National Forrest. The 60 foot free falling stream gets its name from a fascinating piece of oral history. Stories passed down through the generations say that locals guided runaway slaves to the area, who would then use the various rock outcroppings and caves to avoid detection. While I was unable to find any written accounts to corroborate this, it falls into that category of “a little too specific to be made up” and likely true. 

Looking for this one on a map was confusing at first. Parking for Slave Falls is located at the Sawmill Trailhead, just a short walk down the road. The trailhead has informational signs and bear proof trash cans, but no other amenities like pit toilets. While Slave Falls Loop is a 4.5 mile trail, the falls can be accessed by a 1.5 mile out and back hike. 

In the interest of seeing as many things as possible during our trip, we took the out and back hike, with a .2 mile addition at the end to see Needlepoint Arch. The trail itself is well marked with a difficulty level of easy. There are a few slick steps if you chose to go past the viewing area all the way to the base of the falls. 

While likelihood of encountering a 🐻 here is low, follow all safety protocols and use common sense, namely proper carrying and disposal of food. Bear sightings are rare, and the NPS asks that any sightings be reported to rangers. 

We were both impressed with the condition of the trail and the almost non existence of litter along it. Please pack your trash out and follow all the principals of #leavenotrace while hiking. We only encountered a few other hikers on a beautiful weekend, a nice contrast to some of the more popular trails we have done. 

All in all this was a 10/10 hike that we highly recommend for hikers of almost any skill level. 

Saving $$$ in the meat department

​Eating cheap AND healthy feels like a total oxymoron sometimes, especially if you are like us and don’t have a great selection of local stores. I feel like a piece of salmon and some fruit costs as much as an entire cart full of breaded chicken tenders, ranch dressing and Mac n cheese. I try to combat this by shopping @aldiusa as much as possible; but after an incredibly long week driving 40 mins for groceries was not happening. Enter small town Walmart store 😕

We actually did pretty well here, $98 worth of groceries and it should get us through the weekend. One of the ways we kept it affordable was by being creative in the meat department. 

It’s no secret that whole chickens are usually a little bit cheaper and buying individual cuts of meat. I spent $10.73 for two broilers, which comes out to $1.14 per pound. Cutting the birds apart into breasts, thighs, drumsticks & etc would take far more time than the savings warrant. Roasting whole chickens however is a straightforward process. 

For $5 of chicken and about  15 mins of prep time, we now have 2 or 3 meals worth of protein. Now add a side of frozen broccoli or potato chunks and bam 👨‍🍳

Hermitage “Sundial” Park

​Municipal parks usually don’t end up on our radar aside from just taking a short walk. Hermitage park or “Sundial park” is worth writing about for two reasons, one cool and the other not so cool. 

Hermitage park was constructed in 1999 and is located between a public library and community center. Its most recognizable feature is an airplane tail sundial constructed shortly after 9/11 as memorial; more specifically as a tribute to the passengers of flight 93 who fought back against the hijackers. 

The cool thing about this unimposing city park is that I remember visiting it at about 5 years old. The airplane tail felt inconceivably large at the time. I also remember numerous visits to the library in front of the park. I can distinctly remember getting my first library card here, as well as the pay phone that used to sit in the lobby. 

Despite the nostalgia from a few years of my childhood being here, there is not much love lost between myself and Metro Nashville. And that brings up the not so cool part, Metro’s persistent refusal to invest in any public infrastructure that could benefit middle class and low income families. Of which, Hermitage park was a textbook example. 

The old boardwalk / treehouse has been allowed to fall into disrepair, and has subsequently been permanently gated. It’s really not in that bad of a shape and could be re-opened with even basic maintenance. The deck boards are already a composite material that will never rot. The posts look a little suspect and should probably be reinforced or replaced. Oh, and somebody could move the literal tree that has fallen down on it. 

I could give metro parks the benefit of the doubt and say that this is a short term closure to make repairs. The metal gates, affixed with padlocks at each corner, appear to have been in place for years and are also falling apart. The water fountain is turned off. This is simple stuff that one of the fastest growing cities in the United States could definitely fix, if it was a priority. 

But herein lies my beef with Metro Nashville; they don’t care. They have proven time and time again over the last 20 years that improving the city for those who live in it already is not a priority. They have found money for major league soccer, for Oracle, and now for the Titans to build a new home. Meanwhile parks and rec, as well as the library system, have actually regressed while the city prospers. 

Public transportation consists of the same bus system of the early 2000’s, rendered nearly useless by the cities growing homeless problem. As housing prices and tax revenue increase, public schools have found a new rock bottom with low test scores, drugs, violence and short staffing. Bellevue/Belle Meade/Green Hills may not notice it, but the entirety of East Nashville is hell for normal working people. The city where my family once owned a home and raised children on a single retail salary is and has been dead for quite some time. 

I don’t have an overarching goal in writing this, nor can I say anything that isn’t being screamed from rooftops already by those trying to make a living and raise families in East Nashville. But revisiting the park and library made me feel a certain way, and writing is one of the more productive ways to work through that. Hope everyone is having a great Monday! If anyone would like to comment or drop a DM about your city’s parks / lack thereof I would love to get more perspective on the issue. 

Spending less & Traveling More - Part I, Coffee

 Spending Less & Traveling More

Part I, Coffee

Does every piece of financial advice start with cutting your coffee budget now? Seriously, every "finance guru" acts like making coffee at home will make the down payment for a $300,000 home sprout from your pile of used coffee grounds.

 

Since both of us are huge coffee drinkers, I am going to share some real life things that we are doing to reduce our coffee expenditures instead of rattling off statistics about what the average American spends at Starbucks annually.

#1  - Planning our trips to the coffee shop

 

We love visiting different coffee shops and supporting small businesses. Sometimes you just crave something a little too complicated to be made at home. We also use coffee shops as a place to catch up on work, planning, or just spend some time inside when the weather is bad. 

Because of all this, we have no intention of completely axing coffee shops entirely from our budget. That said, we have been trying to space our visits out a bit more. I look at it as "making them count." Instead of running into the coffee shop for a few minutes after work, I try to go on days we are actually planning to spend some time there, whether to catch up on work or because we just need to get out of the house for a bit. 

 

#2  - Making *Good* Coffee at home

 

We didn't buy a Drunken Donuts level espresso machine / milk frother and 62 syrups to sit on the kitchen counter. While I have seen people create elaborate home coffee shops, I question whether this actually eliminates pre-made coffee purchases since convenience and atmosphere are also factors. What we did do is invest in some high quality coffee and creamer. It can be mentally tough to spend $15 on a bag of coffee in the store, but remember that the whole idea is to keep from spending $5 on a single cup of coffee. 

We have also upped our coffee mug and travel cup game because yes, it DOES matter what you drink out of! Treat yourself to an insulated cup with a cool design and a straw (if that’s your thing). Not only will it encourage you to actually make coffee at home, but you can opt for refills and help the environment when you do go to the coffee shop. 

 

#3  -  Spending less when we do buy coffee

Since we still buy coffee on a semi-regular basis, it is worth mentioning that there are a few ways we save on our order (without aggressively smashing the “no tip” button after paying $14 for two lattes).

While rarely advertised, most coffee shops offer a discounted rate for bringing your own cup. I learned this several years back when working at a big name coffee and donuts franchise where most people have no idea they offer "refill" pricing. If you decide to go this route, help your barista out by only handing them a clean, empty cup.

Simplifying our orders is one of the least surprising ways we have cut down on the tab. Opting for a non espresso drink usually saves 40 to 50 percent. As an added bonus, your body will thank you for not starting the day with a latte induced sugar rush. Don’t feel like stepping all the way down to basic coffee? Cold brew is my happy in-between, with the smoothness of espresso at significantly lower cost. 

The biggest savings for us has been our coffee subscription service. We are not sponsored by anyone who is trying to sell coffee (yet?). Many small coffee shops are starting to offer deals where you buy their cup and get free or discounted refills. We opted to keep our Panera subscription even beyond the free trial period. It costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $22 a month for both of us, and we can get free hot or iced coffee, tea and charged lemonades for free as often as every two hours. This one has been huge, because it allows us to get coffee on the go without breaking the bank. Panera is also generally a pretty nice place inside (as I write from inside of Panera).

So there you go, it’s not earth shattering, but our coffee spending has gone down pretty significantly in 2023 without having to sacrifice any of the sacred bean juice!

~ Noah Winslow 

@The_Broke_Globetrotters on Instagram

https://thebrokeglobetrotter.blogspot.com/

Wednesday

 Wednesday - hump day - half-way there. "Living for the weekend" is a familiar phrase to most of corporate america. Maybe it's a case of self-bias, but I have always felt the mid-week doldrums are more painful for the weekend warrior types than the average Joe/Jane. Sitting in front of the computer at work doesn't sound nearly as bad for the guy whose weekend plans are sitting in front of the TV at home. Sitting at my desk, glancing at the sunshine through glass doors and daydreaming about the next trip we are going to take just feels like a different kind of drain. Still, Wednesday afternoon is when most of us plan our next adventure.   

    Despite what it may look like on the internet, the majority of us can't spend every day on the road. Most of us still have day jobs and family obligations to attend to. Some of us have illnesses and disabilities that limit the time we spend doing what we love. Many of us have ideas and destinations that far exceed what our bank accounts can deliver. Those of us with less financial constrains often have more time constraints, and vice versa. I am one of the lucky ones, short of a purely remote career. I can pick the days I want to work and can get shifts in a handful of different cities. Still, as long as bills exist, we will have to travel within certain limitations.

    Instead of lamenting what can't be done, I chose to embrace what we can and will do. The price of plane tickets to Yosemite isn't going to keep us from hiking trails at the State Park this weekend. Work in the morning won't stop us from fishing at the creek tonight. Not having the coolest gear can't keep us from throwing kayaks in the water all summer. The idea isn't to give up on the big dreams, but to keep the flame of adventure alive however necessary. Some day soon we hope to hit the road full time and not look back. In the meantime, Wednesdays are when we look at the weekend straight in front of us and come up with a plan to make it great.

Cane Creek Park (Cookevile, TN) (City Parks)

 

While State and National Parks are the bread and butter of our travels, city parks are great for filling in the gaps between the bigger destinations. Cane Creek Park is just minutes from downtown Cookeville Tennessee and is BY FAR the coolest city park we've been to. Plus at 40 mins from home base, it is a great way to scratch the itch and get outside without going too far. 

    Our favorite things to do at Cane Creek all involve the water. All along the 2 mile lakeside loop are places to stop and fish. Cane Creek Lake has a healthy population of bass, bluegill and brem. I would assume there are also catfish, but have yet to pull one out myself. If fishing isn't your thing, kayaks and paddle boats can also be rented on the weekends. I've never seen a city park with rentals, especially in a medium sized town like Cookeville. But before you rent anything, checkout some of the concessions they offer as well. Sometimes a dollar hot dog just hits different. 

    I'm not sure if the city does anything to encourage the duck population, or if word just spread that people come here with bread. Either way, there are a ton of ducks that are not afraid of anyone. I'm not a duck expert, but I recognized some as Mallard and some as "regular white ones."

    

    If you are incredibly talented and patient, you might like the disc golf course that seems to wrap around most of the park. My Frisbee skills are majorly lacking and I have never been interested in trying disc golf. To be completely honest, it looks equal parts boring and impossible. But I'm sure Cane Creek is a blast if you are into that. There also seems to be a mountain biking trail and some sort of crossfit running course. I have yet to get into either of those things, but they seem to be pretty popular.

    Just a few miles off of I40 and close to everything that Cookeville has to offer, Cane Creek is definitely worth a visit for anyone living in the area or just passing through. Major props to the City of Cookeville for investing in natural resources like this. They have done a remarkable job of keeping this gem clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.

Location : 201 C C Camp Rd, Cookeville, TN 38501

Amenities : 

Concessions (In season, weekends)

Kayak and Paddle boat rentals (In season, weekends)

Water fountains

Restrooms

Disk Golf

Fishing Docks

Covered pavilions

Charcoal grills

Tags

    #ExploreTennessee #CookevilleTennessee #Fishing #CityParks #GetOutside #Daytrip #931 #CityOfCookeville