Sandy is a Proud Grandma

Sandy is a very proud grandmother of all five of her wonderful grandchildren. Each of them contribute to the family by bringing their own unique talents and gifts to add to the family in a perfect way. More than anything, they’re all great people who contribute positively to their communities, schools, and families.

Today, though, we will specifically recognize one of her grandchildren for a highly anticipated achievement and for accomplishing something that will benefit her future and impact the lives of others. Before we do that, however, let’s get caught up on the last few travel days.

On Friday, May 10, we left Chattanooga, Tennessee, and headed east. Neither of us had ever been to Chattanooga and we decided that we should have that new experience. We stayed at a brand new Hampton Inn in the East Ridge portion of Chattanooga; in fact, the whole area is new. There are several new businesses being built all around the hotel, but, fortunately, the Chick-Fil-A next door was already built and open for business so we went there for dinner. We keep our meals pretty simple on the road.

Our drive that day took us into North Carolina, which was really the point of this whole trip. 

Sandy’s only granddaughter has lived in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina since she was about ten years old. Four years ago, Savannah (Sandy’s granddaughter), graduated from high school and we took a similar road trip then to go to the high school graduation. We traveled north and then east through North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin (Edie’s mission area), Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Washington DC (where we stayed for a week), Virginia, and into North Carolina for the graduation.

But we’ll write more about Savannah in a moment. We spent two nights (Friday and Saturday) in Morrisville, NC, which is by Raleigh/Durham. We met Sandy’s son and daughter-in-law and a few other friends and family for a luncheon on Saturday, May 11. Prior to the luncheon, we had some spare time to see sites; an online search provided us with a great place to visit just 15 minutes from our luncheon location.

Neither of us were familiar with this piece of history so we learned something new. Located in Alamance, NC, right next to the town of Burlington, NC (the location of our luncheon), is a pre-revolutionary war battlefield that we were able to tour. Instead of trying to repeat all the information from the tour guide, we’ll just share the following information found at https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/alamance-battleground

In 1771, an armed group of backcountry farmers calling themselves Regulators battled with royal governor William Tryon's militia on land now preserved at Alamance Battleground State Historic Site. Growing anger over expensive land, embezzlement of tax money, and collusion between creditors and public officials led small farmers in piedmont North Carolina to form associations, write petitions, and seek peaceful redress of their grievances. A lack of response from the royal government only deepened the Regulators' resolve, and rising frustration later gave way to violence. The Regulator movement ended with their defeat at Alamance, but their struggle sent shockwaves through North Carolina and Colonial America, creating tensions that would reignite during the American War for Independence.

Located on the grounds of the site is the Allen House, a log dwelling characteristic of those lived in by backcountry farmers on the western fringes of the colony in this period.  

The two buildings on the land along with their furnishings are authentic to the time. We were able to take the following pictures of the two structures and the battlefield around them.

There are STEEP stairs (no hand rails) to an upper bedroom behind that door.

The stairs lead to this bedroom.

This is a smoke house for their meats.

One of our favorite things to do is visit historic sites.👍

After that tour, we had a wonderful luncheon at a family-owned Italian restaurant where the two of us managed to find a healthy chicken salad. Most importantly, it was nice to spend time with family and friends.👪

Then it was time to go to the first of the two events that are the main reasons for this entire road trip. Four years have passed since Savannah graduate from high school and, once again, we are road tripping to see Savannah graduate – this time from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. The May 11^th evening commencement was for her specific department’s graduation; she’s a Biology major who will be teaching school in the fall. This graduation was held indoors at the Carmichael Arena, which was a major bonus since it was raining outside during the entire ceremony. After the ceremony, they had refreshments, covered by tents, thankfully, outside on the grounds. Never underestimate the power of a good umbrella or tent.

Savannah 😊

The continued forecast of rain threatened to cancel the school-wide graduation on the morning of May 12^th (yes, that was Mother’s Day – UNC’s spring commencement is always held on Mother’s Day) as it is held outdoors at Kenan Stadium. If the ceremony is canceled, it doesn’t get rescheduled. But the rains cooperated and allowed the graduation to proceed.

At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, we left North Carolina and headed to our next stop. Stay tuned for our next installment and find out where we are now. There may be more historical site pics in future blogs. 👌👍😀