On the Road Again...

As a child I remember taking road trips at least twice a year from central Florida where we lived to Knoxville, Tennessee to visit Mamaw Kirkland and all of Momma’s sisters and brothers. Momma had eight brothers and sisters and one half sister. Those aunts and uncles produced 33 cousins and I-don’t-know-how-many half cousins.

The early trips were made before a spade of dirt was turned for what is now I-75. The route was Hwy. 441 to Hwy 411 somewhere in north Georgia. That took us over the mountains (Smokys) to Sevierville where we hung a left to Knoxville. Twelve hours in a car with no air conditioning. Five of us: Momma and Daddy and three kids.

Once we were there we settled into whichever Aunt was housing Mamaw for bedding down. Pallets on the floor was the usual bill of fare for all the kids so the grown-ups could have the beds. Day trips were made to visit the other aunts and uncles and cousins.

We were double cousins to Aunt Bonnie’s kids. Momma’s eldest sister married Daddy’s cousin Wiley. I especially loved visiting Aunt Bonnie as she had a swing on her porch. Aunt Bonnie lost Uncle Wiley when she had four children, the oldest was six, and two of those were in diapers.

I liked all my kinfolk. But my favorite Aunt was Pauline, married to Momma’s brother Fred. Aunt Pauline used only Palmolive soap for bathing—had something to do with a skin problem or allergy. Her house smelled wonderful to a little girl. She and Uncle Fred didn’t have children of their own until they adopted two great infant boys when I was about 8 or 9 years old.

Fond memories fill my heart of those early trips. As I-75 was being built, we had some harrowing times with Momma in the car. She didn’t like to drive—didn’t drive most of her life as it was—but loved to tell Daddy what he was doing wrong. Most of the time he was driving too fast to suit her. And she hated it when people passed us on two-lane sections. And don’t you dare talk as he drove through construction areas!

We kids still laugh uproariously when we remember the day Daddy was driving through Atlanta near the airport. The path of landing planes was straight in front of us heading south where we were coming from. Momma saw a plane coming at us. It got lower and lower. All she could do was point and yell “Oooh, Oooh, Oooh!” We understood how afraid she was thinking we were about to be struck by the plane. But we couldn’t help ourselves. I was more afraid of Daddy driving off the road from laughing at Momma!

Those trips were swapped for drives by Clyde and the kids and me from South Carolina to Florida to visit grandparents. There were two routes to choose from. One took us on the Woodpecker Trail through central eastern Georgia to I-95. Statesboro and Claxton were along that path. Later we settled on a course through the Savanna River Site to Hardeeville to pick up I-95. Only one or two towns to go through that way. Lots of farm land and forested areas.

Today my trips are north to Milledgeville, Georgia to visit Lois Ann and Craig and the boys. It takes me about an hour to meander through the Ocala National Forest to reach I-75. Then only about 30 to 45 minutes from I-75 in Macon to Milledgeville. Today there are only about two stretches of I-75 in Georgia that aren’t six-lane. I set the cruise control, air conditioning and either radio or cd to music or talk and relax. Traffic around Gainesville and then Macon have me slowing down and going manual.

This morning I gave out kisses and good-byes to Lois Ann and Craig and the boys for their trip home. Over spring break for Craig, they made the trek to visit me. What a joy having them here. Two days were spent doing the tourist thing: Kennedy Space Center and St. Augustine. We got to visit with Joanna and Justin over dinner in St. Augustine. Saturday we stayed home and people came to visit with us. Craig made a delicious pot of gumbo to share. Ann brought Sangria and Grace and Donny saw we had cookies. There were 20 of us talking, sharing, eating, drinking, reminiscing and enjoying each other’s company. Andy and Donny and the kids stayed later so the cousins could have an extended visit. Besides, Andy loves playing with Liam.

Elliot and Liam got to eat on the porch, take walks to the lake and feed the animals, listen to the vast number of songbirds and get loved on by their Mamaw. It is time for a new family to gather fond memories of excursions to far away family.