THE ROAD TRIP

So I know that Heather documented the very long drive back to Virginia but believe it or not I have my own version of how the trip unfolded.  It's funny how two people in the same car have such different perspectives on how things unfold. 

By now I'm sure that everyone knows how this trip was to begin.  With Heather working on the computer in the lobby I ventured out to bring the car around but as I was placing things in the back I dropped the keys, shut the door to get in the front, but the door magically locked (on it's own).  There were my keys on the

back seat and my very first thought was that this was a SIGN from above and in my mind the sign I read was, Tell her we can';t get in until Monday so you better get a ride to the airport.  Went back into the hotel and just informed her there is no hurry just keep doing your work.  Two hours
later and $260 poorer (I got a receipt to turn into someone😜)we finally got on the road.  The first disagreement went like this; Heather I don't need your phones GPS I'm going North and east and in case your not sure that means the sun is on our right and later it will be on our left.  Turn it off.

 No longer are we on the road when Heather spots a sign on the side road in involving horses and baby alligators and somehow Virginia seem to be getting further and further away.  Heather all of a sudden sees a sign "Horse Riding" what do you think.  So Heather I think it might be more important to see what the horses think when we show up.  After traveling around this small town we finally found the horse show who were in the middle of competition and I mentioned to Heather how if we started a horse team we would have a lot less drama.  On the way back to the car I told her to be careful walking because if you step in anything "your walking".   We did also find the baby gators but not for sale, thankfully I am sure we would have had one.

After that little side trip we finally get back onto the road and I’m thinking 🤔 wow we are moving now and we may make it out of Florida sometime today.  About an hour down the road Heather spots the chair and thinks that would make for a great photo shoot so of course we had to make that U-Turn  which is impossible on 275.  We travel 15 minutes to the next exit make our turn and head south (wrong direction) for about 20 minutes past the chair to the next exit, turn and head north again and while Heather looks for the chair I’m thinking this is going to be a long trip.  Of course when she spots the chair I become the villain again, and I can only imagine what all those people traveling on 275 that day were thinking.

As evening was falling the clouds started to gather and the temperature started to drop we finally exited Florida and enter Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean with real waves kids.  Our first stop was Jekyll Island and this is where we would meet the pelican and of course I wanted to see if I could go up to it.  Our conversation went on for a few minutes until Coach Heather approached when all of a sudden he took to flight without even saying

goodbye.  Apparently this pelican had better sense than I did he flew away as I got back into the car with Heather.  Our next islands were Sea Island and Little Simons Island and this is were we stated to get  turned around going over the same causeway more than once and going down one way streets the wrong way (I really am a good driver, It's Heather). We finally were able to get our sense of direction and get the car headed down into the right direction on the road  and we were on the way to Sapelo Island and than inland toward Savannah for the evening and finally Easter dinner.

The morning was spent walking the around Savannah along the river (the river walk) and checking out the quaint little shops.  I would say that the shops were like any shop you would find in any tourist town on the water, although I did find a puzzle game that I will share with you all this week.  Later we would take an adventure on the  Georgia Queen.  It was now on to South Carolina and Heather's quest to find Buc-ee's.  

 Huh, was that a question?  As we were meandering up the road I found myself in that awkward conversation were the other person just talks and you are just going along with it. a nod here and there.  The problem is that all of a sudden Heather pauses and stops talking and knowing I'm in trouble I ask, Was that a Question?  At that moment in time all I could say was "works for me", she could have been asking me anything. I had to ask her if she talks to herself a lot and explaned that sometimes I'm not sure when she is talking to meet or just thinking out loud.  I guess we all do it, but you better be ready for that question.

We finally reached But-ee's and let's just say this place was crazy.  It was Cosco on steroids, people everywhere and as Heather found out they even had a person in the restroom directing traffic.  Laid back job fore any retired swim coaches I guess.  We could use our stop watches and give out intervals.  We had our photo opportunity with the mascot got lunch which was excellent and now it was on to Pedro and South of the Border.  It was sad to see how South of the Border has declined over the decades.  For those  of us old enough this place used to be an icon but as Heather and I both said we can see this place being torn down and Buc-ee's taking it's place in the near future, sorry Pedro.

With Pedro and South of the Border in the rear view mirror it was on to North 

Carolina and shortly back towards the coast and the Atlantic Ocean on our way to Sandbridge.  We finally made it to our destination and would you believe it we both headed to the dining room table with our computers there was work to be done and the tour would have to wait.

We headed out early to explore and see the are and yes Charlotte we checked out your place which was nice.  WE  found this chair and I now have a sense of how our 10 and under’s see me that first day walking onto the pool deck.  Getting in and out out of that chair was pretty easy, but it made the whole trip worth it to see Coach Heather as she struggled. The thought did cross my mind to leave her in that chair and head home now, but her husband Chris would have made me go back to retrieve her.  Eventually she got down and we headed out on our final leg and eventually home.