Filed under: Virginia | Tags: green, motel, road mission, self portrait, wytheville
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A few weeks ago Jeff and I hit the road on our annual pilgrimage to Florida to visit Jeff’s parents, covering six states in nine days. We thought at some point over the years that it would be awesome to drive there instead of flying – we’d make stops at oddball museums, look at crazy junk that nobody wants, eat at ma and pop diners along the way. But the glamour of tripping faded as we zipped from Pennsylvania all the way down to the Sunshine State on I-95. It was hot (upper 90s) and it felt like most of the places we visited before closed, an unfortunate sign of the times. So we focused on the missions at hand: visiting our family and for the grand finale – getting to Gettysburg to scatter my mother’s ashes. I took a lot of motel photos (I’m a little obsessed, bear with me). Found a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes tucked in the Maryland mountains. And through it all was my mother, wrapped carefully in a vintage microphone case and nestled among my books like a little secret.
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Filed under: South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia | Tags: flatwoods, giant elephants, papa joe's fireworks, summer vacation, wytheville
Jeff and I took off for 10 days to visit his parents in Florida. This is the trip we tried to do in December, but never made it because of the snow. We did two days’ worth of driving, stopping in Virginia on our first night and Georgia the second. I’m proud to say that after thousands of miles of being in the car, I think I’m getting over my fears of highway travel – at least as a passenger.
The beginning of a journey is much like the beginning of dating – every little thing is exciting. The first junk shop in West Virginia where the two of you find a Flatwoods monster statue for your living room desk. Lunch in Bulk Foods, sharing a bottle of ramp wine. The green, crisp smell of Wytheville’s mountain air as you lounge Motel 6-pool side, thinking about all the awesome sex you’ll have with your loved one when you go back to your room, and holy shit – cable TV!
This was the first two days. Even the idea of living out of our car for the next twenty years held romantic possibilities.
road out of Flatwoods, WV
car hood = tripod substitution
kicking it in South Carolina
Counts Drugs - Wytheville, VA
ephelants
we were looking for breakfast, but nothing was yet open
just like Christmas during 4th of July weekend
doggie in the motel 6 window
contemplating the long drive south
can I have it?
we waited for the green monster. no dice.
