Road Trip

I've returned from my trip. It was not exactly the vacation my friend and I had planned. At this point I won't go into details about the problems, but let me say this we put 4,000 miles on the car in about 9 days. I'm now autophobic. PLEASE don't ask me to get into a car and drive more than 30 minutes. However since the trip ended up the way it did I am glad that this friend and I could endure it together.

Originally we had planned to see Vicksburg, drive the Natchez Trace, see Chicamauga, the Biltmore Mansion, go to the Great Smokey Mountains, visit Breaks Interstate Park, and of course visit with a few friends along the way. Well that didn't quite happen. The Sunday morning Margarita Prairie-Rose flew into town was complicated by a few things.

We had planned to pick my #2 son up at the airport when Margarita flew in, but there was a change in plans, (the first of many). Before I left to pick up Margarita Prairie-Rose, my son called to say the friends who had picked him up the day before, where throwing a party for him and they would bring him home. Meanwhile, MPR's parents had called to say they would not be taking the trip after all. This made for massive amounts of frustration on both our parts. MPR and I were both starting this "adventure" out, but not with the best of circumstances.

MPR has a saying "things usually work out if you let them", and as usual she was right, mostly. First MPR"s dad called to say that his doctor did not think it was a good idea for him to tramping around in the mountains of Kentucky and Virginia meeting with other distant members of the family, to lay a wreath on great great, great (I don't know how many greats) grandfather's grave. See back in the early 1800's this particular grandpa had been murdered and buried way up in the hills. I've seen and now driven those hills & I would not have carried him back . So MPR had everything dumped in her lap to take over at virtually the last minute.

My #2 son made a brief appearance at the house. He came in about midnight, we forced him to take us to breakfast, after he arose the next morning, and then he was off with his buds and we didn't see him until just before we pulled out early the following morning. If I'd known he wasn't going to stick around, I'd have left earlier.

We drove ALL day and barely stopped, but made it to Alabama to visit a friend of MPR's. We had fun, went out to eat great Mexican food. Who knew the Mexican food in Alabama would be so good?? The next morning I had to buy new sandal's as mine had broken. I was only in the shoe store 30 minutes, which is very quick for me!

Then it was off to the mountains of Virginia. Now I have been on mountain roads before and these were quite the roads. 10% grades, 30 miles an hour, and the whole time the Dueling Banjo's song from Deliverance was running through my head! I notice many mobile homes in the area and pondered how those were brought up the mountains? When that happens they close the road down.

I could just imagine asking Johnny why he hadn't been to school only to find out that everyday a new mobile home had come up the mountain. Great excuse right. "Um the road was closed 'cuz Cousin Bertha Bob got her new mobile home, and the next day Uncle Jerry Ray got his, put in. Then my granny got hers, after that the people that bought Granny's old trailer had to move it over to their place. It could go on for weeks!"

Eventually we made it to Breaks Interstate Park, got out room literally two minutes before the front desk closed.

Maragrita Prairie Rose had breakfast with the extend family members and I slept! The we loaded up in vehicles to visit the gravesite. It was up in the hills, and was a unique experience to see all these distant relatives. Flowers were placed on the grave and Margarita spent lots of time with her extended family as they showed her many local family tie ins.

Eventually we left and drove to Asheville NC where we stayed and the next day toured the Biltmore Mansion. WOW! I want a summer house like that! We went and spent the night with more old friends and then began the long trek to be home by Father's Day. We made it! But I whimpered every time I got in the car. Eventually we drove back south to my place. And then I drove back to the BIG city so MPR could catch her plane. Due to road work it an hour to go the first 15 miles! But after that it was smooth sailing.

Since we spent most of the time in the car we had lots of time to talk and talk we did. First Margarita would talk about a problem I listened and gave advice, then I would talk, she would listen and give advice. It went back and forth like that the whole trip. I think either one of us could driven other people nuts, but our friendship has always been very give and take and we seem to naturally take turns when dealing with the frustrations of life and dealing with adult children, their spouses and our husbands.

So if you ever need to make a trip and know it will be harried call Margarita Prairie Rose she is the best! She gives sage and sound advice!