Our Fall Trip South
September 1998


We started out early in the morning from our home in Rhode Island to be able to make it through the New Haven/New York City area and over the Tappan Zee Bridge before the rest of the world woke up. By 8:30 we were on our way through New Jersey and heading for the open road in PA. We wanted to make good time the first day in order to arrive in Stone Mountain on Sunday afternoon to see the evening Laser Show. We stopped for the night in Christiansburg, VA over 600 miles into out trip. The next day started with breakfast at one of our southern favorites The Waffle House. They greet you with a big "Good Morning" as you come thought the door and served the best grits these notherners had seen in a long time.


The carving on Stone Mountain

We traveled thought the beautiful mountains of southern VA, NC, SC and into the town of Tucker, just outside of Atlanta by mid afternoon. Enough time to settle into our hotel and then head over to Stone Mountain Park to have a wonderful southern buffet at the Stone Mountain Inn before finding a spot on the lawn for the laser show. It turned out to be a spectacular show of moving light, fireworks and music on that mammoth carved mountain.



Andy and his daughter Heather

The second day we spent with Andy's daughter Heather, she now lives in the Atlanta area, she surprised her father with a chocolate cake for this birthday. We spent the day at Stone Mountain and toured the recreated colonial village, antique car museum, and took the 5 mile train ride around the mountain.

Tuesday we were on the road again. This time out of Atlanta early in the morning heading for the hills of NC to visit some Internet friends at their home in the Smoky Mountains. An unbelievable ride out of Cherokee up Rt 19 and over the hill into Maggie Valley, To our Internet chat line friends Suds and Bonnie. The view from his spot at the computer was a spectacular as he told us it was. They made us monsterous burgers and the most wonderful mac salad. We sat on the deck and marvaled at the view while we ate. What a way to retire. They gave us a bottle of their homebrewed Goat Scrotum Ale (Bonzi Bruski Ale 1998 Made in Maddie Valley) labeled just for us. We wished we could have stayed longer but back onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and down into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

We met up with our friends from Florida and took the 25 cent trolley tour of Pigeon Forge that evening. The next morning we arrived at Dollywood for a full day of musical shows, shopping and a steam train ride thought the mountains. The evening was spent checking out the local restaurants and shops and finally a stop at the Earnest Tubb Record Shop to listen to the Bluegrass Band outside in the parking lot and watch the dancers. It was one of those bring your pickup truck, sit on the tailgate, foot stompin' good times.

The second day our friends had to head back to FL and we spent the day exploring the roadside stands and gift shops of the surrounding hills. We did make a stop at Lee Roberson's Gallery "Artist Laureate" of the Smokies, in Townsend, TN. We bought a print of one of his beautiful paintings of the Great Smoky Mountains. We will always look at it and remember our wonderful trip.

Friday was another traveling day. We spent the day going north on Rt 81 throught Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation is planting wildflowers along the highways and the results are spectacular. All day long we marvaled at hues of red, yellow and orange in the medians as we traveled. Operation Wildflower, a cooperative effort between VDOT and the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, launched VA's planting program in 1976 with 25 flower beds. By 1993, VDOT has planted nearly 200 acres of wildflowers statewide. If you ever travel I-81 through VA between early spring and late fall you will see this beautiful highway of flowers.

By late afternoon we were in Martinsburg, West Virginia. A nice quiet stopover and dinner at the OutBack to officially celebrate Andy's 50th Birthday, he was so glad when I DIDN'T have the servers sing Happy Birthday to him.

Saturday morning we made the short drive into Gettysburg, PA. We took the 2 hours double decker bus tour of the Battlefield. At Gettysburg one of the most decisive battles of American history took place. Here two mighty armies locked in mortal combat over the fate of a Nation, a Nation we call our own. Gettysburg is a beautiful place of rolling green hills, marble monuments and the sadness of the lives lost there.

We vowed to return and spend a couple days and see it all next time. We moved on to Allentown that evening and headed homeward in the morning. Very glad to feel the comfort of our own bed and thoughts of a wonderful trip, always to be remembered.

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