A trip to Chimney Rock

I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

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I am reporting to you from beautiful North Carolina, where I have been enjoying a nice respite since Tuesday. I don’t mind trading in the high 90s (F)/ 35 (C) for the high 60s (F)/ 19 (C) and occasional rain. I like to see the lush greenery transition to the variegated fall colors. Away from the light pollution of a major city, I am dazzled by the clear night sky and the possibilities of what exists beyond our world.

Flying across the country isn’t a big deal if you know how to biohack your travel, which I wrote about in a previous newsletter. Fasting, proper hydration, compression garments, grounding, and natural light exposure all contribute to a successful transition. After all, you want to be in tip-top shape to enjoy the vacation instead of wasting it by being out of sorts.

Some people like to plan every minute of a vacation. If that works for you, great. My style is more laid-back. A vacation is downtime and a break from routine for me. I want to focus on spending time with important people in my life. It’s also a time to unplug from the artificial world and reconnect with the actual world. Fortunately, there are many unique spots to visit in North Carolina. On this trip, I chose to travel to Chimney Rock State Park.

A view of Chimney Rock from the parking area

Chimney Rock—how about the zoom on that iPhone 15 Pro!?

It’s rather daunting to see Chimney Rock from the parking area, knowing we’d be going to the top. We took a shuttle from the parking lot to the base of the mountain with the trailheads. Once there, we had two options: 1) Take an elevator to Chimney Rock or 2) Climb the winding 499 stairs. Years ago, I would have opted for the elevator. It’s quick and easy, with minimal effort for the reward. But I wanted to challenge myself, and the group agreed to climb our way to the top.