My birthday came and went like any other birthday, but this year mom and dad were here in Virginia to help celebrate. I spent the bulk of my birthday at work, putting some finishing touches on a project I’ve been working on for the past few months, but after work we spent Friday evening together as a family, starting with dinner at Olive Garden and ending with a Netflix movie.
Saturday morning Donna and I got packed up for a weekend at Peaks of Otter and hit the road.
I thought I had been a pretty good husband over the past year, but I guess I was wrong. I say that because for my birthday, Donna dragged me up and down two different mountains, starting with Flat Top on Saturday, then Sharp Top on Sunday. Maybe she thought gasping for air and searing all leg muscles would be ‘fun.’
After hiking up and down Flat Top, it was time to head to the Peaks of Otter Lodge. My favorite feature was the air conditioning, given the hot weather, but the lake and mountain views weren’t bad, either.
Sunday morning we got somewhat of an early start and decided to tackle Sharp Top. We had read that it would be a two-hour hike to the top. After 45 minutes of climbing, I was doubting my ability to put in another hour+ to get to the top. Just about that time we saw a sign indicating that we were only about 15 minutes (1900 feet) from the summit. We were both incredibly relieved.
