Getting in the Groove…from GA to MS

Today marked the first true day of our Merry Texas Honeymoon Ramble!

For those of you who are just joining us, John and I married back in September.  Due to pressing work projects, we deferred our honeymoon to the holidays, when we would have enough time to really RAMBLE!

John hasn't been to Texas, and well, I miss Austin really badly, so we've set our eyes on the Lone Start State.  Of course, as with any great road trip, the journey IS the destination…

Preface aside, here's what transpired on Day 1 of the Merry Texas Honeymoon Ramble.

10:00 AM - Left Grandma Evelyn's place in Gainesville, aiming for a westernly route across GA to Alabama.  Neither of us had been to Rome, GA, so we headed there first.

Looking for a good place to eat on a Sunday morning in northwest GA is a challenge.  We settled for mediocre fare at Shane's Rib Shack, Rome GA. From the corporate website, we learned, "What started in a tiny restaurant outside Atlanta in McDonough, Georgia has grown to become the fastest growing BBQ restaurant concept in the nation."

It was really quite underwhelming, but we were hungry and hadn't planned ahead on meals.

Despite disappointment in lunch, Rome GA was a delight to drive through.  It has a really large downtown, with quite a bit of what looks to be resurgent vibrancy.  Just across the river was the most amazing, quite literally breath-taking, cemetery.  Myrtle Hill Cemetery, with its terraced plots, towers over the city.  Apparently it has quite a history, too, as this was once in the heart of Cherokee territory.

From Rome, we continued to head westward, leaving GA and entering into Alabama.  Along the way, we saw a water treatment plant that was quite striking.  We then entered the town of Cullman, AL.  It was a strange experience, as what should have been the historic district had many barren lots.  It reminded us of Waveland, MS, where Hurricane Katrina made landfall.  There was evidence that there had been buildings, but they were no longer.  A quick Google search revealed this was also due to natural disaster…a tornado which struck in 2011. 

It had been a gray sky for us all day, and as we continued westward, puzzling over a large, official but weathered sign, "Road Closed -- Two Miles"  We continued, believing the sign must be in error, though unbeknownst to us, we had missed a turn a few miles back.  Fortunately we heeded a vitally important sign which read, "Road Closed -- Under Water" in time to turn ourselves around without having to back up too far (a challenge when hauling a trailer).  It seems at some point, the road was flooded out with the creation of a lake.

By the time we arrived at Lake Lowndes State Park on the border of AL and MS, we had been on the road for about 8 hours, traveling 312 miles.  The campsite was really great, as we discovered the next morning when we awoke to the sunrise on the lake.

Asheville Skies

We thoroughly enjoyed our campsite at Campfire Lodgings…just outside Asheville, NC.  Super convenient to town.

As Fast As You Can

Took a break from writing a work proposal to get in a little Christmas shopping in downtown Asheville.  While there, we spotted this Christmas icon....

And So It Begins

Trying to get ahead of the impending ice storm, we are heading to Asheville a day early.  Although tomorrow begins a week-long project work session with my colleagues in Asheville, I can't help but think our Merry Texas Honeymoon Ramble has begun.

Yee-haw!

First stop...dinner in Graham, NC.  Most excellent Mexican tacos.

In My Mind....

I'm Going to Carolina. On the road back, folks. The Airstream has a new blackwater tank, toilet, and vent (that's a whole other story which we'll share later).

For now, here's what you need to know.

We have to be in Minneapolis by Aug 16 for a flight to Charlotte. We'll be in Cackalacka for a week before returning to Minnesota to continue the drive back.

Somewhere in there we'll fly back to Seattle for my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, returning to Charlotte with Airstream in tow in time for the Farm Tour.

So while you await the wonderful photos and stories we are working on...go check out the farm tour website.

We've been working on this while on the road...it's going to be a FANTASTIC event. Sept 15-16 45 farms are holding open houses for the Charlotte community. We'll be in 11 counties...and expect over 7500 farm visits over those 12 hours.

Yay!

Christy Doing Homework. Seriously.

Yes folks, it's true. Christy is taking the last class needed to complete her masters degree. Here's a shot of her on a conference call with some of her classmates. They're working on a group assignment, and they've been on the phone for one and a half hours.

The Blog Ate My Homework

So.  Many of you know that the real reason we're out on the west coast is that I have One. Last. Class. to finish my masters.  And I, like any rational person would, chose a program on the opposite coast from my home.  For two years I spent a week in Seattle every month at Antioch University.

The Center for Creative Change has been a great program, and now I'm taking my last class.  Due to the low-residency format, I have to be in Seattle the first Friday of July, August, and September.

And now, the whining and excuses set in.

The reason I haven't been able to get as much blogging done is that I now have HOMEWORK.

I promise.  There are more blog posts coming.  John swears he is going to do some too, "when he feels inspired."

I guess, really, I should have titled this post, "The Homework Ate My Blog."

Now you know.

Back to the homework grind....but check back for more blog posts in the next week.  Promise.