Road Trip -- July 9th - 11th

I had barely settled in, when I was repacking for a Road Trip with friends. We were off to Southern Pines, North Carolina to visit Nancy’s mother-in-law. Nancy, of course, had been there many times and Jeanne had visited Grace, too. But, though I’d been invited regularly, I’d never worked up the courage to go. Oh, not because of Grace, but because of the trip. As most of you know, I don’t drive, so I’d have had to go by train – a trip about as long as my door-to-door trip from Paris to Charlottesville.
The train leaves Charlottesville at 7:20 in the morning—for Washington D.C. (For those whose geography is shaky, that’s north of here and Southern Pines is south.) After a 5 hour wait, I’d take another train back down south, arriving in Southern Pines nearly 8 hours after leaving Washington – assuming the train was on time. And, in this land that trains forgot, that is the only connection for the day. By car we made it in an easy five hours.
Grace’s house looks like it’s in the middle of a forest.

She welcomed us royally and had made many plans for our visit, including time just to relax and talk – something we all do well!
Southern Pines is a small town of about 11,500 people. It was incorporated in 1887 – about 20 years after my neighborhood in Paris – and was first settled by Highland Scots. The railroad arrived soon afterwards. (The train station dates from 1898.) Trains transported harvested pine trees out and visitors to the resort hotels in. The station is still in use but, alas, only once or twice a day.

Just a freight train passing through.

On Friday we visited a beautiful garden near Grace’s home and then the small downtown area not far away. Our vote for the most interesting place was the Creation Museum. Situated in the Christian Bookstore, it did have some displays relating to the creation and some quotes from the Bible. But mostly we saw old tools and examples of the taxidermist’s art. We all decided it was an ideal place to send husbands (even non-Christian ones) while their wives shopped.



On Saturday morning, Grace took us to visit nearby Pinehurst, developed by a Boston soda fountain magnate in 1895 as a health resort.


Biggest hotel in Pinehurst

Apparently Mr Tufts believed that golf was essential for health as he created 7 golf courses in his village which only became a public town in 1980. All golfers will have heard of Pinehurst as the Ryder Cup was held here in 1951 and the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2005. Grace and her late husband Bob loved to golf. They must have felt they’d come to paradise when they moved here over 30 years ago.
All too soon, it was time to get back in the car and head back to Charlottesville. But what a great way to start my American summer.Thanks, Grace for inviting me and thanks Nancy and Jeanne for getting me there and back so pleasantly and comfortably.


Grace and I say goodbye