BLOG ON THE ROAD Day 1

ANDY, OPIE, BARNEY, AND AUNT BEA


Well, here are your favorite cruisers, cruising on dry land, heading for the Holy City – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and 3 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But first, it’s a road trip!

We are lodged at the Best Western in Mount Airy, NC – the home of Andy Griffith. And the password for the motel wireless is “auntbea”!

We left 233 at 10 a.m.  It just seemed wrong to be leaving so late, but as She Who Must Be Obeyed said, “We have no place to be until Sunday night in Pittsburgh.”  And she is right – our first scheduled event is the dinner cruise on the Gateway Clipper.

Until then it’s antique stores, antique stores, Luray Caverns, and antique stores.

First stop was The Sleep Poet Antique Mall in Charlotte.  Two hours later we left with two old Life Magazines and 8 glasses.  And one package, contents unknown to your humble scribe.

Hulkamania Brother!

It could have been at 117 Shenandoah Avenue. Moment of silence.

The Lifes were stories of the Apollo astronauts.  The first one – May 1967 – has Wally Schirra as the Commander of Apollo 11.  The second one – June 1968 – has Wally Schirra as the Commander of Apollo 7.  All you space historians know that the commander of Apollo 11 was Neil Armstrong, so some where NASA changed its mind (there was something wrong with the one they had?).  I hope the secret is revealed.

The glasses are decorated with royalty – Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks – to be filled Diet Dew and used at the card table.

We bought nothing at the second store, but did get a photograph of some interesting items.  Check the picture.

Can I lend you a hand?

We had dinner tonight at the truck stop where 30 years ago (the JAMM kids may remember) we stopped because the Grey Ghost wasn’t running right and a local mechanic fixed it so we could continue on to Skinny Granny and Pappy’s and then to Granny and Pappy Carter’s.  I am pretty sure that the baked potato Bonnie had tonight was on the buffet that day!

Now “American Picker” reruns are playing on the TV as we consume the evening’s ration of popcorn.

Tomorrow we head for Luray, Virginia and our first visit at the Luray Caverns since August, 1968.

So, TTFN!