I haven't been to see my family since Christmas 2006. They live in the mountains of North Carolina. It's a safe-haven of peacefulness in Avery County. No matter how far I travel I always look forward to going home. Today I finally made it back. I'm with family again.
The trip started with an early morning flight out of Providence. The plane lifted off at 0630 on its way to Charlotte. One of the flight attendants had a very unusual hairdo. It looked like an old-fashioned "beehive". However, it obviously wasn't her hair. At first I thought it was extensions. The more I looked (it was impossible to not notice) I thought it was something else. I'm convinced she was wearing a beehive hairdo hat. As the flight wore on the hair was unwinding from the nest. The hat was in complete disarray by the time we landed in Charlotte.
There was about a two hour layover in Charlotte. Seeking a sit-down breakfast, I was swayed by the allure of a sign that said "now serving breakfast". It was a Mexican restaurant. Uh... big mistake. Eggs scrambled with peppers, jalepeno bacon, and sticky tortillas were not really what I had in mind. Although it was 0900, the bar was full of people drinking beer and margaritas. The waitress was impatient and very unfriendly. Montel Williams was on the TV. Very sappy love music was blaring on the stereo. I guess Burger King wouldn't have been a bad choice after all.
The connection flight took us to Tri-Cities Airport in Bristol, TN. It was a spectacular day for flying. Our small plane flew directly over Grandfather Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Watauga Lake. It was an air-preview of home. I was very excited to get home. As soon as the plane landed I picked up the rental car and headed off for a scenic drive home. I took a route I hadn't driven in some time. I turned on Hwy 321 south at Hampton, TN and drove the winding road past Watauga Lake. Then I headed down Hwy 194 through Valle Crucis, NC. This meant making an obligatory stop at Mast General Store to have a peach NEHI. Next the drive continued up 194 to Banner Elk, NC. This may be one of the curviest, narrow mountain roads in the area. It is such a beautiful drive. After passing through Banner Elk I made a stop in Invershell for beer and wine. Then I passed through Linville and Newland (highest elevation government seat east of the Mississippi River). I crossed the Eastern Continental Divide a few times. Next came country roads with names like Spanish Oak, Squirrel Creek, and Licklog. Finally I made the turn on the tiny road where my parents reside. Like most roads here, it follows the course of a stream as it winds through a valley. There were "Welcome Home" balloons on the mailbox at the end of the drive. I pulled up the drive and slowly came around the barn. The house came into view. There were my parents, my nephews, and my uncle. They were out on the porch cheering and clapping. A big sign read "Welcome Home Sam". American flags dangled everywhere. My nephews fired off bottle rockets.
Next came the feast - fried chicken, barbecue ribs, cornbread, cabbage, soup beans, and on and on and on..... If there is a place of more concentrated love than this anywhere in the world I'll demand proof. I'm home again. Although exhausted, I stayed up late. We enjoyed NCAA basketball tournament games, beer, and the company of one another. Before the night ended my sister and brother-in-law arrived from Atlanta. It's going to be an awesome Easter weekend.
The trip started with an early morning flight out of Providence. The plane lifted off at 0630 on its way to Charlotte. One of the flight attendants had a very unusual hairdo. It looked like an old-fashioned "beehive". However, it obviously wasn't her hair. At first I thought it was extensions. The more I looked (it was impossible to not notice) I thought it was something else. I'm convinced she was wearing a beehive hairdo hat. As the flight wore on the hair was unwinding from the nest. The hat was in complete disarray by the time we landed in Charlotte.
There was about a two hour layover in Charlotte. Seeking a sit-down breakfast, I was swayed by the allure of a sign that said "now serving breakfast". It was a Mexican restaurant. Uh... big mistake. Eggs scrambled with peppers, jalepeno bacon, and sticky tortillas were not really what I had in mind. Although it was 0900, the bar was full of people drinking beer and margaritas. The waitress was impatient and very unfriendly. Montel Williams was on the TV. Very sappy love music was blaring on the stereo. I guess Burger King wouldn't have been a bad choice after all.
The connection flight took us to Tri-Cities Airport in Bristol, TN. It was a spectacular day for flying. Our small plane flew directly over Grandfather Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Watauga Lake. It was an air-preview of home. I was very excited to get home. As soon as the plane landed I picked up the rental car and headed off for a scenic drive home. I took a route I hadn't driven in some time. I turned on Hwy 321 south at Hampton, TN and drove the winding road past Watauga Lake. Then I headed down Hwy 194 through Valle Crucis, NC. This meant making an obligatory stop at Mast General Store to have a peach NEHI. Next the drive continued up 194 to Banner Elk, NC. This may be one of the curviest, narrow mountain roads in the area. It is such a beautiful drive. After passing through Banner Elk I made a stop in Invershell for beer and wine. Then I passed through Linville and Newland (highest elevation government seat east of the Mississippi River). I crossed the Eastern Continental Divide a few times. Next came country roads with names like Spanish Oak, Squirrel Creek, and Licklog. Finally I made the turn on the tiny road where my parents reside. Like most roads here, it follows the course of a stream as it winds through a valley. There were "Welcome Home" balloons on the mailbox at the end of the drive. I pulled up the drive and slowly came around the barn. The house came into view. There were my parents, my nephews, and my uncle. They were out on the porch cheering and clapping. A big sign read "Welcome Home Sam". American flags dangled everywhere. My nephews fired off bottle rockets.
Next came the feast - fried chicken, barbecue ribs, cornbread, cabbage, soup beans, and on and on and on..... If there is a place of more concentrated love than this anywhere in the world I'll demand proof. I'm home again. Although exhausted, I stayed up late. We enjoyed NCAA basketball tournament games, beer, and the company of one another. Before the night ended my sister and brother-in-law arrived from Atlanta. It's going to be an awesome Easter weekend.
2 comments:
I am so jealous! You drove right by my Daddy's and uncle's houses on Spanish Oak. Have fun!
This is a true Soldier's Homecoming. Welcome home Son. Thank you for all you have done for our Country!
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