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 click
on the photos to enlarge them
| "Is it
my fault that nobody had the sense to build a road here?" Last of the Summer Wine
more quotations |
May 26, 2005 - Day One - 4:52 a.m.
My eyes popped open, lists danced through my brain. Trip day arrived
with a whimper. Aaargh.
Six in an Explorer® is fine for city
driving, but when four of the passengers were high school and college girls,
their luggage, pillows, snacks and entertainment materials almost squashed
the tires flat. Still, I packed more than anyone because I had to
take a massive project I was editing, Teddy O™, gifts for birthdays and a baptism, and other
important stuff like a small, hideous (frou-frou) quilt in pretty colors I
knew Jane Marie would find enchanting. (Bingo!)
On the day of departure, we went first
to the dog jail, telling the dogs it was "camp," and then drove, covered in canine fur, to Norman (Oklahoma)
to pick up Jill, our sixth passenger.
She required a suitcase from home for packing her necessities, left
conveniently in a pile on the floor for me to cram in while the dear child
brushed her teeth and washed off the remains off the previous evening's
We-Don't-Need-An-Excuse-Because-We're-In-College-But-Jill-Is-Leaving-Town-Tomorrow-So-Let's-Celebrate-Party.
That night, I would learn I had failed
to pack Jill's essential hair straightener and thus had ruined the trip,
but for the moment we were off down Interstate 35 past miles of Indian
Paintbrush, the state flower of Oklahoma.
There should be a photo here,
but Cary, our DF, drives like he's
fleeing a mob enforcer in a faster car, so I'll try to remember to take one
when this lovely flower blooms next year - if I can get him to pull over
for just a second.
First stop, breakfast in Gainesville
(Texas) at McDonalds: It's hot. It's filling. It tastes
like sweetened paper.
We drove on by the "Fighting Farmers" of
Lewisville (Texas) water tower and a billboard that said, "Pickups rock.
They also roll. Buckle up."
As we drove east out of Dallas on Interstate 20 and on through the piney woods of east Texas, I was
reminded of the violent adventure/mystery novels of Joe R. Lansdale. I think the guy's a twisted
genius, but those books are dark - just like those trees and swamps
and, well, let's just say I was glad to be passing through instead of
living there as a detective/chicken processing plant guard.
more about Joe's books on Quotations Ret
through Rez
We passed a church constructed with many
geometric shapes, and wondered what they worshiped to inspire such a
design. Someone suggested geometry. Perhaps it was called the
Church of St. Euclid.
Day One - 4:58 p.m. Nice
people at the Louisiana Welcome Center between Shreveport and
Alexandria stayed open a few minutes extra just for us. Their
facility contained a 200+ year old tree, a Civilian Conservation Corp
commemorative statue and my favorite wild flower.
200 year old tree
in the
Louisiana Welcome Center |
tree plaque
close up
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 CCC volunteer plaque close up -
no photo of the CCC volunteer
survived the trip |
 wonderfully-scented pink road poppies |
We soon (time is relative and I wasn't
driving) crossed what can only be described as a long-ass bridge and found
rooms at the Days Inn of Hammond (Louisiana). The staff was
nice and supplied a tooth brush for Jill - no free hair straightener though
- but the complimentary breakfast mostly consisted of white bread and
over-watered orange juice.
giant palm thingy at
the Day's Inn - Jane Marie says it's a male sago palm
Before we left the motel parking lot, Cary, our Caryn, and guest Ashlee placed three rocks on the car bumper to see how long they,
the rocks, would stay in position.
May 27, 2005 - Day Two - 10:45 a. m. Sam called it first. The Florida Welcome Center smelled
like "dirty pants." They did have a real Blue Angels plane on exhibit
though.
 Blue Angels plane
And the very nice manager at the Oklaloosa (Florida) Whataburger allowed me to deposit my
outgoing mail in her mailbox.
3:35 p.m. We drove over the
"historic Swannee River."
Tons of gorgeous wild flowers appeared by the side of the road along with
Spanish moss and the kudzu we'd been tracking for a while.
Dinner time brought us to Amelia Island for homemade lasagna. We checked into the
Sadler Road Hampton Inn, walked the beach and settled into the warm
embrace of family.
Days 3 through 6 Our time
on the island flew by in a stream of talking, eating and memory moments:
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Baby Ava might be the best infant ever -
very sweet and happy.
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Her dad, Mark, is an excellent father
and a good match for our Barbra.
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Our
dad, Leo, was/is very proud of his family.
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Our friends, Sam, Ashlee and Steph, who
arrived from Orlando, are great girls and guests.
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Kate can really sing. Wow.
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Ashlee can, too, and her rendition of
the national anthem outside in the dark facing the lighted flagpole (instead of us) was
incredible.
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Cary and I picked up so many sharks'
teeth on our beach walks, I ought to make jewelry with them. (I
won't.)
 Amelia Island beach, no dolphins visible
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Frolicking dolphins added spice to our
beach picnic.
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Firehouse Subs, a chain, and the Ice
Cream Club, owned by a retired teacher from Ada (Oklahoma), are
fantastically delicious franchises.
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KP, a local restaurant favorite,
is just ok. But Fernandina Beach is a lovely little town.
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Cary's Kohl's sandals broke the first
day. My Target sandals made my feet bleed.
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Jane Marie and Bruce were excellent hosts. So were Maggie [Next Door Maggie of Martha Bear®
story fame - story links] and Bob, who took in our three
college girls. Also Debbie, who let us park in her driveway.
angel trumpet in Maggie's garden - Jane
Marie says it came from a cutting in her own garden
Day 7 - June 1, 2005 8:53 a.m. On the road again. Without Caryn and Ashlee. They flew
home a few days later, leaving space, glorious space in the car.
We passed a truck with a cat lying on
the dashboard. The driver looked like a pseudo French count with one
hand on the wheel and the other holding his smelly Gauloise cigarette.
Road signage in Mobile (Alabama) was extremely confusing as we attempted to head to Hattiesburg
(Mississippi). The chamber of commerce should be beaten and deposed.
The bad roads of Mississippi jolted the last of our Louisiana rocks from
the bumper.
Eventually, we made it to Vicksburg and
had a tourist experience.
bridge over the
Mississippi River
That night's stay in the Fairfield
Inn of West Monroe (Louisiana) was not memorable except for the very
nice
Corey Richards and the fact that
the "Library" was actually a meeting room. We had a
not so good dinner at a nearby steakhouse - the receipt is missing so
don't hold your breath for the name.
Day 8 - June 2, 2005 Home.
Texas rest stop
restroom mosaic
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