Herb's Choice of the Rocking Chairs

Days 2 and 3                                    Sunday, July 28, to Monday, July 29, 2019

We wake to a July temperature of 77 degrees, even though our hotel is on a hill and I would think it should be cooler.    Chattanooga is a picturesque city, nestled in a green valley of the Cumberland Plateau and along side the light blue waters of the winding Tennessee River.  It would be fun to hang around a while to walk some trails to Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain, but Boston is still far ahead.

Lunchtime finds us hungry in Morristown TN at a conveniently located restaurant with a wide choice of entrees. While waiting for our food to be served,  Herb choses a rocking chair on the front porch to use his laptop, taking care of some business, he tells me, but I bet he checks his eMail and maybe Facebook (smiley face). 

There's plenty of decor to enjoy while we dine on down-home food; I think I had a pork chop with mustard greens and cornbread!  The waiter offered us lots of butter for the piping hot bread.

After lunch I spend a bit of time visiting with some children on the front porch, who are also  looking at the decor.  Herb meets their  grandfather, who is taking them to visit Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  When he learns we are from Texas, he tells Herb he is from Elizabethon TN, as is Jason Witten, #82 playing for the Dallas Cowboys.  Yep, it can be a small world sometimes.

Soon back on the road we continue on through Tennessee to the town of Bristol, which is billed as The Birthplace of County Music.  A lovely city and the twin city  of Bristol VA.  The state line is right down the middle of its main street, appropriately named "State Line."    We stop for fuel and enjoy the travel brochures available in the store.  One poster catches Herb's attention -- it a reminder of when we rode his motorcycle on the "Back of the Dragon" road.         

Virginia Rte. 16 is a limited access, designated motorcycle route featuring a 32 mile strip with over 300 curves and crossing three mountain ranges.  It has switchbacks, slaloms, hairpins and awesome views.  We called it a 'twisty windey' road.  The driver leans into the curve, because at high speed you can't steer around the curve and the bike will find its groove.  The foot peg on that side may scrape the pavement.  Oh, and sometimes even the sole of your boot scrapes.  What a thrill.  Herb  points to the Back of the Dragon road on the poster.

                                                          Back of the Dragon road is the vertical line.

Willie of Sweet Caroline,

     and of Walldog, Willie and Hank

     Sunday, July 28 - Monday, July 29, 2019

To Boston -- I need to see Patrice and Neel!

(I have neglected for a year to keep up with my blog, but now am back to writing.)

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Day 1

Herb and I dearly love going to the Pacific Northwest every summer to spend time on our 31 foot boat, Willie's Tug, and to visit with special friends, but as I wrote previously, we tearfully sold her. We could charter a boat or rent a B&B in the Pacific Northwest,  but this year in 2019 we feel a need to see the smiling faces of daughter Patrice and our son-in-law, Neel, who live in Boston.  The distance from Houston prevents us from visiting often. 

I call Patrice and ask if she would be available sometime in August for a short visit, and she replies, "Absolutely!  I will definitely make time."  She takes a week of vacation from work to show us the sights.

My Pittman family reunion was set for July 27, at Vera's Place in Splendora TX.  Being curious, I ask my cousins Dorothy and Charlie, "Who is Vera and why is the gathering to be held at her house instead of a family member's home?"  They reply that Vera's Place is a venue for holding meetings, wedding receptions and what have you.

When our GPS leads us to the address, I think surely this is not where we should be, as the building looks like an old beer joint that I clearly would not be caught near.  So Herb drives past it on a dead end road, and we have no choice but to turn around and go back toward that building. Suddenly I see Charlie running out, waving us to stop.  We have arrived.  

The building is pretty cool inside, with a kitchen, dining area, and plenty of seating for visiting.  Oh, yeah!  Beer signs and other decor just like in a real bar!

Vera's Place

We have a great time catching up on the news with our cousins, and as soon as we pose for everyone to take photos, we head east on US Hwy 10, making it to Alabama by noon the next day. We like to stop at the Welcome Centers in each state to pick up brochures and learn about points of interest that we might visit. The volunteers love to talk about their state and always offer coffee or lemonade. 

I find this particular sign to have an interesting background, which is their building featuring a stone wall.

Continuing to drive through Alabama, when we come to Collinsville, we see evidence of our getting into the hills.  No longer the flat land of Houston.  Already I am enjoying the change of scenery.  

I'm also enjoying the car trip, rather than flying there, so we get to go through many cities, towns, and villages and a few states in which I have never been.

Like plotting a route for Willie's Tug, where Herb placed waypoints on the chart plotter for the auto pilot to follow,  he plots our car trip so we could make hotel reservations.   The first night on the road finds us in Chattanooga TN, with a nice view from our hotel window.

                                      Chattanooga - High on a Hill

Willie of Sweet Caroline,

  and of Walldog, Willie and Hank

  Saturday, July 27, 2019