Travelogue, Part I
Dec. 1st, 2003 01:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rscI've been thinking I ought to do (or, maybe, I just feel like doing) some sort of trip report, and I guess I'd better start now before I forget everything.
The quick summary: Flew to Atlanta Friday, stayed the weekend with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bratman and Tony. Monday and Tuesday, drove around in the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge of North Carolina (with an overnight in Asheville). Wednesday, went by train from Charlotte, NC to Philadelphia to spend Thanksgiving with my biological family. Saturday, returned to Boston by train.
We had a great time. If you're interested in details, look behind the cuts.
The flight from Atlanta was uneventful. We didn't even get pulled out of the line for extra inspection, as I thought we might because we had one-way tickets. I guess they've figured out that there are lots of reasons why one might fly one way other than to save money on a return trip that one will never take because of having blown up the plane.
MARTA, the Atlanta subway system, is marvellously simple, possibly because it doesn't go very many places. Fortunately, one of the places it does go is pretty near where Will and Tony live. Somewhat less fortunately, they had lost power between a couple of stations, and we had to get off two stations earlier than we were supposed to. Thanks to cell phones, this was not a major problem, and Will was able to come get us in a timely fashion.
Will and Tony are perfect hosts, and they have a very nice house in Stone Mountain (east of Atlanta) with an acre of lawn and woods, and a bird feeder that the squirrels have so far been unable to destroy, thereby leaving room for lots of tufted titmice, chickadees, and the occasional red-bellied woodpecker. (I imagine it's spectacularly busy in spring and summer.) The weather was gorgeous -- sunny and 70s throughout. And we got to meet Blue and Sue (I assume this is coincidence, although I suppose it's remotely possible that Will and Tony got together because their dogs' names rhyme), who were occasionally allowed out of their dungeon to socialize with the humans.
Oh, and we got these nice "Get Fuzzy" T-shirts appropriate for Red Sox fans. (Note tolcohen: we'll have to arrange for all three of us to wear our almost-matching T-shirts at once when you're here.) And I trust the book of various tribal tattoos will inspire Will, hopefully not too much.
I've already written some about Saturday's hike up Stone Mountain and the evening party. One interesting bit that I forgot to mention is that when we went out on the south balcony of the visitors' center at the summit we were -- well, not attacked, but at least surrounded -- by ladybugs. Very pretty creatures, and not shy.jwg took pictures, but I don't know if any of them came out.
Most of Sunday was taken up by (a) eating breakfast at Crescent Moon (have I got the name right?), (b) visiting an enormous mostly-used-book store -- somehow I resisted actually buying anything, but the rather chatty lady who presided over the place provided entertainment, and (c) picking up the rental car so we could get going at a reasonable hour on Monday.
[To be continued]
The quick summary: Flew to Atlanta Friday, stayed the weekend with
bratman and Tony. Monday and Tuesday, drove around in the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge of North Carolina (with an overnight in Asheville). Wednesday, went by train from Charlotte, NC to Philadelphia to spend Thanksgiving with my biological family. Saturday, returned to Boston by train.We had a great time. If you're interested in details, look behind the cuts.
The flight from Atlanta was uneventful. We didn't even get pulled out of the line for extra inspection, as I thought we might because we had one-way tickets. I guess they've figured out that there are lots of reasons why one might fly one way other than to save money on a return trip that one will never take because of having blown up the plane.
MARTA, the Atlanta subway system, is marvellously simple, possibly because it doesn't go very many places. Fortunately, one of the places it does go is pretty near where Will and Tony live. Somewhat less fortunately, they had lost power between a couple of stations, and we had to get off two stations earlier than we were supposed to. Thanks to cell phones, this was not a major problem, and Will was able to come get us in a timely fashion.
Will and Tony are perfect hosts, and they have a very nice house in Stone Mountain (east of Atlanta) with an acre of lawn and woods, and a bird feeder that the squirrels have so far been unable to destroy, thereby leaving room for lots of tufted titmice, chickadees, and the occasional red-bellied woodpecker. (I imagine it's spectacularly busy in spring and summer.) The weather was gorgeous -- sunny and 70s throughout. And we got to meet Blue and Sue (I assume this is coincidence, although I suppose it's remotely possible that Will and Tony got together because their dogs' names rhyme), who were occasionally allowed out of their dungeon to socialize with the humans.
Oh, and we got these nice "Get Fuzzy" T-shirts appropriate for Red Sox fans. (Note to
lcohen: we'll have to arrange for all three of us to wear our almost-matching T-shirts at once when you're here.) And I trust the book of various tribal tattoos will inspire Will, hopefully not too much.I've already written some about Saturday's hike up Stone Mountain and the evening party. One interesting bit that I forgot to mention is that when we went out on the south balcony of the visitors' center at the summit we were -- well, not attacked, but at least surrounded -- by ladybugs. Very pretty creatures, and not shy.
jwg took pictures, but I don't know if any of them came out.Most of Sunday was taken up by (a) eating breakfast at Crescent Moon (have I got the name right?), (b) visiting an enormous mostly-used-book store -- somehow I resisted actually buying anything, but the rather chatty lady who presided over the place provided entertainment, and (c) picking up the rental car so we could get going at a reasonable hour on Monday.
[To be continued]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-12-02 03:23 am (UTC)Souliers Blanc is "white shoes" in french. Since Tony loves shoes and she has white on all four paws, it seemed like a fitting name.
I've got some fun pictures of you guys on the top of Stone Mountain that I plan on putting up on a web page soon. I'll let you know when I do.
My favorite part of the whole weekend was the cocktail party on Saturday night. I was glad that you guys had the chance to meet some of our friends and vice-versa.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-02 03:38 am (UTC)Well, if we'd been properly introduced I would have known her full name, and the spelling thereof.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 04:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 04:28 pm (UTC)he's a total sweetie, but don't tell him i said so.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-03 05:34 pm (UTC)he's a total sweetie, but don't tell him i said so.
Your secret is safe with me.