Hot Springs NC

Rolled into Hot Springs about 9:30am yesterday, small town but its nice with a few things to do. Stayed at Elmer's Hostel. Its a really cool place. The hostel is actually an old Victorian style house, very neat. And all the meals are vegetarian....so i might or might not have had to go out last night for a burger. but the food was extremely good regardless.
We got out of the Smoky Mountains about 5 days ago. We had beautiful weather the whole way through. Did get some rain on the last day......and it didn't just rain, it RAINED. guess its what i get for a previous 10 days of nothing but sun. so i rolled up to the shelter that night wet head to toe. but i did have some dry clothes to changed into which is nice and key.
the following day we decided to go only 3 miles and stop/stay at Standing Bear Farms. Its this hostel pretty much on farm land in the middle of the woods. Another very cool place. Whats interesting about it though is that its run completely on the honor system. so you keep track of you expenses and pay when you leave. i just thought it was a very unique way of running a place.
The night after Standing Bear we went 13 miles and camped up on Max Patch Bald. Its basically a top of a mountain that's nothing but a grass field. so you basically have a 360 degree view, it was amazing. there were about 20 thru-hikers up there camping that night so it was a good time. we all ended up cowboy camping up there, so while laying there you had a view of the lit up towns below and the stars above. totally a high point of the trip so far. only down side was there was no tree cover up there so with the elevation and the wind it got pretty chilly that night but i bundled up and slept well and got to wake up to a 360 view and a sunrise.
Yesterday at Hot Springs was really layed back. Got a shower, did laundry and hung out at the hostel for a bit. Then a few of us went to the Hot Springs Spa were you can actually take a dip in the natural hot springs. very nice and very relaxing. then after dinner we went out and had some fun on the town.
Today i plan on hiking out and staying at the next shelter 11 miles away. everyone else i've been hiking with for the past month is taking a zero. its a bit sad to be leaving them all behind but it was going to happen sooner or later. I'm sure I'll see some of them at some point down the road. but its been an amazing time hiking with them and have made some life long memories with them.
Hope everyone is well!