July 2006
For our summer vacation we decided to make a whirlwind tour around the area visiting family and friends. Since we live at a minimum several hours away from anyone we grew up with, these trips come not nearly often enough.
First Stop: Roanoke, Virginia
We stayed with Jaime's grandma who lives in a very nice retirement community in Roanoke. We also got to see Jaime' aunt and uncle while we were there. We checked out a couple of Roanoke's restaurants and had a good time. I also got to visit my friend Jamey from college. He is a TV meteorologist at one of the Roanoke stations and gave us a tour of their facilities. Watching weather from the "other side" is very interesting and gives me an appreciation of the job they do. Handling the stress of not only the weather but of a synchronized broadcast schedule has got to be something!
Next Stop: Hickory, North Carolina
It was off to my hometown next, Hickory. Traveling south on I-77 from southwestern Virginia we enjoyed the beautiful sights of the Appalachian mountains. The drop off the edge of the mountains soon after entering North Carolina is unforgettable. After arriving in Hickory we spent time with much of my mom's side of the family at my Aunt's house in Cherryville. We had a cookout and got to mingle with aunts, uncles, and cousins that I don't get to see nearly enough. I got to spend some time with my childhood best friend Brent. We drove down to Charlotte and toured some race shops for a few hours - always fun! I also got to go to downtown Hickory and see how much (or how little) it has changed over the years. I honestly hate seeing all the sprawl extending out around the edges of Hickory when there's this very nice downtown shopping district just sitting there.
Last Stop: Hoschton, Georgia
Our last stop was with Jaime's parents in northeast Georgia. Hoschton is a small, quaint town 45 minutes or so northeast of Atlanta. Other small towns in the area include Braselton and Winder. Jaime's parents live in a very nice neighborhood just a few minutes away from the interstate. We enjoyed some wonderful home cooking, a fun and energetic church service at Zion Baptist, and some good time spent with family.
After nine days on the road it was time to return home. The cats were dying to see us, but I'm not sure who missed who more? It was good to be home.