Lana writes...

This will be my first time writing a trip journal for Chan’s website, so beware it may not be quite as entertaining as his usually are. I’m sure he will critique it when I’m finished which I’m absolutely fine with, as long as he lets you know what parts HE has added (my comments will be in italics--Chan). You have to watch him you know…so here we go.

Wednesday May 23, 2007.

We left Lynn Haven around 6:45, which for us is very early, usually we can’t seem to get out of town before 9:00 a.m.

I had asked Mom if she would mind fixing us breakfast, (I knew she wouldn’t), so we were in Chipley just before 8:00 eating a home cooked country breakfast. You know moms, especially southern ones, they know how to cook; eggs, sausage, hash browns and of course grits! After getting our bellies full, we were on the road at exactly 9:00 a.m.

We had an uneventful drive to our final destination, which Chan had kept a secret from me (more about that in a minute).  I just want to mention the one thing that happened on that drive up that stands out in my mind.  We were somewhere between Columbus & Atlanta on I-85 when we see, in the median, sand boiling up like crazy!  Then out of the blue a guy on a street bike is hauling a…. going south, on the edge of the median, beside the north bound traffic. We looked for someone chasing him, but never saw anything to lead us to believe he was being chased, guess he was out for a joy ride. After he passed us, he angled through the grass, down through the ditch, and back up the other side to merge with southbound traffic, running probably 60 through the deep grass. 

Back to our final destination for the day.  When I decided that I wanted to go to NC for the weekend, Chan told me to tell him the dates and he would pick somewhere for us to stay the first two nights. We had already planned to camp in our new tent when we got to Pleasant Garden, where my brother and his family live, for the Memorial Day Weekend. He first mentioned this little motorcycle camp that he and Richard, his friend from Savannah, had stayed a couple of summers ago.  It had what Chan called a “tool shed” for sleeping facilities. I told him that would be fine, the surroundings looked beautiful. So I really thought that is where we were going, but to my surprise he had chosen a gorgeous B&B,  Baird House, just down the road from where we had stayed on our first anniversary in Valle Crucis.

Chan says:

Am I a great husband or what?

On our first visit here nearly 2 years ago we fell in love with this beautiful area! We were just minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, a motorcycle riders heaven, which makes Chan a very happy boy and photo opportunities are everywhere makes me a very happy girl! We arrived at the B&B around 7:00 EST and checked in. Innkeeper Tom met us and gave us a brief history of the Baird House, and directions to one of his favorite restaurants for dinner. I was anxious to hurry up and go, not so much because I was hungry, but because the finale to “American Idol” was coming on. Yes, I’m one of those crazy addicts of idol, it’s the ONLY show that I watch religiously, just ask my friend Gina; if we’re out somewhere on the night it’s coming on she is watching her watch saying we better hurry and eat so Lana can go watch Idol.

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