The way home from NOC

Well, the girls kept begging me to turn the car around and head back to NOC.  Some girls were even putting on their Snapchats and Instagrams "I don't want to go home"!  I am glad they had a great time.  

Sue and I laughed at the thought that we would take a half dozen 15-16 year old girls away for a week and call it a vacation.  It was, though. The girls grow so much every year, and this year's trip can never be recreated. The girls have other things going on as they approach high school graduation; early college, jobs, internships, etc.  Sue and I hope that they will bring their own families and troops here one day to cross this bridge.  

  

We stayed at a nice Marriott SpringHill Suites in Alpharetta on the way home thanks to my co-leader Sue Hughes who donated her Marriott points so we could break up the drive into two chunks. I could not have done this trip without Sue, who put so much effort into all the details, before, during, and after the trip. I also have to thank Lisa Watkins of NOC who put together this adventure for us. Thank you, Sue and Lisa!  You both deserve cookies too!

The hotel breakfast on our way home did not hold a candle to the ones made by Jeremiah Smith and the rest of the kitchen staff at NOC. At least we did not have to get out of our super high top bunks without being killed or climb the 52 steps from our cabin to the bathrooms (I counted) this morning.  Wait...I would RATHER do that than be back in the city.  

We did stop for Georgia Peaches on the way home at a new place for us.  I recently read a reflection on detours and this one was worth it. We went to "Lanes Southern Orchards" at Exit 142 off of I-75 in Georgia; south of Macon and just north of Perry.  It's about 4 miles off the interstate and well worth it!  The fresh fruit and vegetables were delicious!  The girls all had instructions to bring Georgia Peaches home and we obliged.  

Kelly and I loved the Peach Milkshakes (this was lunch)!  They did not make it out of the parking lot.  

It's also strange to get back to the land of TV and news.  Kelly was surprised to hear Pandora Radio run an advertisement for NOC as she was listening to it on the way home; someone is doing a great job at mining social media for marketing!  

As for me, I am happy to be home, but sad to leave a place where everyone is friendly, people actually talk to you, and the outdoors is king.  What better place to spend a week playing outside.  Thank you, NOC!  National Geographic was right when called you "One of the Best Outfitters on Earth."