Road Trip

Pedro Sez 75,000 Crappy Trinkets Available Here

The Emperor passed through the 75,000 mile mark just east of Columbia on I-20.

After breakfast this morning we hopped on the interstate and headed east not getting off until somewhere north of Florence on I-95. We then spent the rest of the day traveling the back roads of rural northeast South Carolina nabbing photos of Post Offices. We ended up the day with 14 captured. We even had to stop at a library in a city along the way to find a PO we had a map for (we were looking north of town instead of south)and one that we didn’t (even though I have an image of it on the thumbdrive.)

The rude employees at a Subway in Lake City did us a favor. After we walked out in disgust, we ended up at a Mexican place, La Bamba, that was terrific. Their Carnitas were scrumptious and the ice cold Dos Equis was much better than any fountain drink available at the other place.

Tomorrow morning — Cinnamon Bun.

Started up, went down, back up, back down, went up, went down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 117

What Next?

The Home Shopping Network is going to start showing movies? First MTV, AKA Music Television, stopped playing music. Then CNN Headline News started doing stuff besides continual 1/2 hour news shows. The Weather Channel has stopped doing the weather 24/7. And now, tonight, the Cartoon Network is showing Jurassic Park 3. That’s not a cartoon. Although I guess some argument could be made that the CGI dinosaurs are and Bill Macy has a face that only a cartoonist could love…

We went for a nice walk in Hitchcock Woods this morning. It has only been a little over a week since our last visit and the woods have been transformed, all the dogwoods and the wild azaleas are flowering, plus all the other trees are budding and turning green. I took a couple dozen photos on our walk and I learned two things: 1) I suck at photographing flowers and 2) the add an image thing isn’t working in WP 2.5. Fixed.

Totally forgot about the FRS playing on TV this afternoon. Stumbled on the game in the top of the ninth inning and watched them go down in a ball of flames to the Jays for the 3rd straight day. Plus it just seemed so wrong to hear voices I associate with Braves baseball on a channel that used to do every Braves baseball game calling an American League game. Their record now stands at 3 wins and 4 loses, not a great start. At least the MFY are only 3 & 3 and we can blame the rocky start on the whole 3 country, 12 time zone road trip. Tuesday is the home opener where the players will get their World Series rings and the 0-5 Tigers are in town. Time to wake up and start looking like you want to repeat as WS Champs.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 100

Missed It The First Time

SardiniaWe got the 7 Post Offices we planned for on the return trip, just not in the order we planned. Blew right by the Sardinia PO at first. We knew we missed it when we spotted the sign for the next town south on US301, Gable. After taking Gable’s portrait we made a u-turn and headed back north. We actually drive by it again, but not too far as we were really looking for it this time. It is an easy Post Office to miss as there was no “blue box” out front, the flag pole didn’t taper like a normal pole and Old Glory wasn’t flying from it either. Plus this is the only sign and it was parallel to the road and not noticeable at 65MPH.

The building looks old enough to be the original, but if it was, I would have expected some sort of bronze plaque the be nearby, so I don’t know if that is true. Another interesting tidbit about the town is how it got it’s name. “When the Government was ready to open a post office in the community that is now Sardinia, the residents could not agree on a name. Since they were meeting in the school house, somebody, seeing the globe, suggested that they spin it and let someone close his eyes and put his finger on a spot which would be the name. This happened to be Sardinia.” I found that on the internet, so I don’t know how true that is either.

When we got home I washed the Miata off. It is starting to be spring here as there was quite a smattering of dead insects on the nose. Of course because spring is starting the car won’t stay clean very long as it about time for pine pollen to start blowing in the wind.

Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 60

Lake City, Where? Part II

Lake City, SCWe are staying in the Holiday Inn Express in Lake City, SC, just a couple years later than our first attempt. After a long layoff it was good to get back in the Post Office saddle again – Paxville, Davis Station, Greeleyville, Lane, Salters, Kingstree, Cades, Lake City, Scranton, Coward, Effingham, Pamplico and Johnsonville.

Thirteen POs today and we have 7 lined up for tomorrow’s return trip. This was a second trip to Paxville because the first time we couldn’t find the Post Office, through no fault of our own I might add. Couple of interesting town names today. When you say Johnsonville all I think of is Brats, but my favorite has to be Effingham because if it is pronounced the way I hear it in my head, it sounds like someone is cussing about a ham.

Started up, went down, back up, down again, back up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 57

Young Old Hickory

Young Old HickoryIn another Postal Safari serendipitous history lesson, we visited a state park that is located near Lancaster and is dedicated to the 7th President of the United States. The park encompasses the property that belonged to James Crawford, the brother-in-law to Andrew Jackson’s mother and is where Old Hickory grew up.

On the way into the park we had to stop and wait for a couple of white tailed deer to cross the road in front of us. There are a couple short hikes in the park and we decided to walk the one mile nature trail. I’m not too sure about the hunting regulations on state park land, so after about a half mile I took off my bright white Hilton Head Island ball cap and tucked into my waistband under my jacket.

We attempted to get a bagel for breakfast this morning after discovering that Rock Hill’s Durango Bagel had kettle boiled and oven baked, real bagels. We found their web site which let us know they moved, but no mention of hours. I called their phone last night, but there was no mention of hours on their answering machine. Mainly because there was no answering machine. Up and out early we pulled up outside the place a little after 7:00 AM. We could see someone in the back, probably cooking bagels judging by the smell outside. There were no hours posted on the doors, but there was a 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper with the text, “Since moving to our new location we have tried various closing times on weekends and have discovered that 4 PM works best for us, so we will be closing at 4 until further notice.” No mention of opening times though. We went out and shot photos of the other 2 Rock Hill Post Offices and came back 45 minutes later they still weren’t open. We ended up at Hardee’s. I really wanted a bagel too.

The USPS giveth and the USPS taketh away. Yesterday we found an extra Post Office in Clover and today we found one missing in Lancaster. After several passes along Memorial Park Drive looking for number 1979 and the Post Office that was supposed to be there we pulled into a likely strip shopping center, not there, but the building next door with only two small shops in it had the right number over the door to Hidden Treasures, a lingerie store with no sign of ever being a Post Office. When we got home I rechecked the USPS locater page and now there is only one PO listed as being in Lancaster.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 492

Not A Corvette In Sight

Bowling Green, SC 29703Bowling Green was one of 10 Post Offices we photographed today. The others included a going ghost town with a bunch of interesting buildings in the downtown (Great Falls), one that should have been open but wasn’t (Lando), one with a quite friendly Postmaster who made fun of me because I misspelled Edinburgh (Edgemoor), one where we had to bob and weave around the town’s Christmas parade to get to (Fort Mill) and one that was right where it was supposed to be, but turned out it was a CPU with a much larger one that wasn’t on my list closer to town (Clover.)

We are spending the night at a Courtyard by Marriott in Rock Hill and Donna summed up our experience so far by saying, “Maybe we should stay in Super 8 Motels, that way we won’t be disappointed because of our lowered expectations.” The first room we were put in the bathroom tile was missing grout over a large section and the floor underneath felt spongy. The second room was better, but the water pressure is weak and the wireless internet is lame, the connection is good, but the speed is hovering around only 5.5 Mbps, so I can’t even stream RP. Plus breakfast isn’t free here. Unfortunately there wasn’t a HIE anywhere near here.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 491

70,000 Sunrises

Sunrise Which is over 191 years worth, neither I nor the condo balcony I was standing on when I took this photo will ever see that total, the Emperor won’t make that many either, but it had traveled over that number in miles by late this afternoon.

Donna and I went to bed around 9:30 last night so we were up at the crack of dawn, literally. After breakfast we postponed our usual walk on the beach because it was quite chilly and windy. Instead we hopped in the car and drove to Bluffton, Hardeeville and Ridgeland to take Post Office Portraits. Our little loop brought us back to HHI where we ponied up the $5 for a day pass to nab the missing Harbortown branch PO on the Sea Pines Plantation.

Along the way we made several stops, ostensively to shop for the few remaining folks on our Christmas list, but I think Donna and I made out better than anyone. Our last stop was a used book store near the entrance to Sea Pines where we both got a couple of hardcovers to read. One of the ones I got was the latest Robert B. Parker Spenser novel which some one had just brought in today.

Right next door to the shopping center the bookstore was in was a Sticky Fingers restaurant. The one in Augusta had catered a lunch at ASCO when we had some visitors in and those who had the food said it was good. Being lunchtime Donna and I, let the car sit and walked the 100 feet over. It was 12:30 on a Saturday and there were two cars in the parking lot. Both in the back. One cook and one waitress? I was a little hesitant to eat at a place were we were the only customers, but it was a chain, so it couldn’t possibly be awful. It wasn’t. We split a lunch combo plate which consisted of 2 big ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, some beans and some slaw. Everything was tasty except for the slaw which was bland which means we would, if the opportunity strikes again, eat at a Sticky Fingers again.

Late afternoon found us at Donna Horsman’s house for some grilled chicken, roasted new potatoes, green beans and salad. We hadn’t seen Donna since attending Jerry’s memorial service back in May. She, with the help of her daughter, has continued to manage the 18 condos at the Beach & Tennis Resort and will for at least one more year. I think it helps keep her busy and mind off the loss of Jerry the Condo King. I guess I’ll have to start referring to Donna as the Condo Queen and Lisa can get the “title” of Condo Princess.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 481