In the morning we visited the cemetary and the old farm, marveling at the new developments in town. Then got back on the road toward Atlanta. Ruth and I slept through South Carolina, but vowed to make a brief return later. Ellen’s family welcomed us with open arms and full plates, as usual. This is the part of Christmas that I can really appreciate.
Category: March to the Sea
Christmas roadtrip across the South
Drove through PA, around DC, stopping in the heart of the condfederacy for lunch. The beer bar at the Capital Ale House was extensive, but I was a little hung over from the festivities last night. Ruth showed her sleeping skills with the help of “extra drowsy” dramamine. Ended up in Smithfield NC, home of such luminaires as Ava Gardner, the KKK and the Powell clan. Tried to get the famous White Swan BBQ for dinner, but they were closed at 5. Smithfield Chicken-N-BBQ was an acceptable substitute.
Stopped for lunch and the first oysters of many at the Black Rock Oyster Bar in Connecticut. Then back into the car, spending the night at Ken’s. Rock band, Raymans Raving Rabbits and an open bar awaited.
I awoke at 4 to shovel my car out from a foot of snow pick up Ruth at the airport. Back to the house for a quick nap, and then to the commuter rail for Littleton. Janet wanted to avoid driving into the city, and I was initially happy to oblige. But when we got off the train, there wasn’t an actual station, only a parking lot. So we trudged a mile toward town, eventually getting cold and asking for a ride from a family who were also outside shoveling. Janet and Lou showed up eventually, frazzled from their week without power, so our complaints were mild. We fortified ourselves with coffee and pastries at a cute shop and then slumped into the car for the beginning of our journey.