Since [Chris->] is getting married this summer in Merry Old England, we decided that a stateside bachelor party would be a good thing — both to send him off into matrimony with suitable well-wishing and to afford those friends who won’t be able to make it overseas an opportunity to be a part of the celebration.

We decided to stage a camping trip in North Carolina, at Davidson River Campground, nestled snugly in the Pisgah Forest. The site was lovely, separated from the river only by 50 feet of pine trees, and capacious enough to handle the dozen people descending on it handily. Most everyone rolled in Friday, set up tents, and then went to Hawg Wild BBQ for some dinner. (Here in Texas, BBQ is all about beef, with some sausage, chicken, and turkey sometimes thrown in for variety. In the deep south, BBQ is much more pork-intensive, and uses a tomato-based sauce for western style, and a vinegar-based sauce for eastern style. While I maintain that Texas’ version is the One True BBQ, the pork varieties are a nice change of pace.)

After a late night around the campfire, we took to the trails the next day, going for a hike around some nearby falls. We had lunch in the nearby city of Brevard, and then went back to the campground for a full afternoon of whiffle ball. (The rules of whiffle ball are very similar to those of baseball, with two exceptions: 1. you can get a runner out by hitting him with a thrown ball. 2. the field should be small enough to allow everyone to drive one over the fence at least one.)

We wrapped up the afternoon at Hawg Wild BBQ once again, and settled in around the campfire once more for visiting and quality male bonding (the details of which are probably best left to your imagination).

The trip was a super one, and seemed a very fitting way to send Chris off into married life. The less incriminating photos are available for perusal here.