History in the Making. A new Tourist heads to College
It’s always enjoyable to watch hard work pay off. On this trip, I was fortunate enough to be there as my son Glenn Jr. began his collegiate journey at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. This trip was difficult though, as my time with him would be limited (putting it nicely) but worth it.
Leaving Houston
Flying out from Hobby Airport in Houston has always been a breeze for the most part. I’ve used the FastPark lot for several recent trips and have enjoyed the service they provided. After being dropped off at the terminal, I quickly printed my boarding pass and headed to the TSA-Pre area for screening. But recent luck held true, with someone there ALWAYS carrying a gallon of water and/or perfume wondering why they had to throw it away. Age has been the theme here, and I’ll leave it at that. On this trip, I would be flying in and out of Atlanta, and driving to Greensboro. $59 dollars each way compared to $218 each way into Greensboro was the deciding factor. Flying into Raleigh or Charlotte required a limb, so I stuck with the ATL. Boarding the Southwest Airlines flight was a breeze and I think I was asleep before the aircraft was wheels up at Hobby. Landing in Atlanta 2 hours later was also without issue. Negotiating Atlanta-Hartsfield International is almost like trying to find your way through downtown Tokyo at rush hour. If you’re not paying attention, you will be lost. Follow the crowd I told myself, and I was ok. Now, getting through the rental car experience was a different story. Going through that area was like trying to find that one store at the mall you’ve never been to. Spotting the well known places like Hertz, was like looking for Macy’s. Payless on the other hand was like trying to find the “boot barn and shoe repair shop” with the store lights burned out. You get what you pay for. Can’t blame them, only the person in the mirror trying to save $18.41. After talking to the folks behind the counter, and being pitched every extra feature (which I didn’t need) they gestured to a hallway to my left and said “the car is down there.” Walking towards the cars, I get to the Hertz area and notice everything from Fiats to exotic cars. When I asked for Payless, the attendant said, “that’s on the other side” and giggled. This area was a far cry from what I’d just experienced. I picked up my car and got out of there, quickly. Now to the hotel.
Sleep tight, but park for a Price
I was staying at a Courtyard by Marriott near the airport. Here, they charge you to park your car on property. I’m guessing that’s because it’s near the airport and drivers in the past may have tried to park here for free and then shuttle to the airport. So, they punish the regular folks instead. Arriving just after the kitchenette/grill closed, the very nice people behind the front desk said nearby J.W. Marriott served food until midnight and they shuttled me over there so I could grab a bite to eat. There, I met a wide range of people, ate and then returned to my hotel.
On to Greensboro
The next morning, my GPS let me know I had a 5.75 hour drive to Greensboro. Why did my computer back in Texas say it was a 4 hour drive? And mostly, why did I believe it? Within 45 minutes on the road, I was in traffic. And, so it began. The death drive from Atlanta was on, with seeing Glenn and Maddie being the pot of gold at the end of I-85 north. Not boring anyone with the details, but it was a methodical and eventful ride! Crossing the border into North Carolina was a trip down memory lane. Both of children were born here. My thoughts drifted to their early years as I drove past familiar signs and eventually Charlotte. Here, the traffic began to thicken and my anticipation of seeing the kids were bolstered. I was less than 90 minutes away now.
Reaching Greensboro and the college campus was easy enough. The signs pointing to North Carolina A&T were numerous, matching my GPS directions turn for turn. Upon reaching campus I sent texts to the kids trying to locate them. Maddie, with her usual clarity said they were “in a big building” attending a meeting. Of course that helped me narrow things down, said no one. I parked and roamed around campus for a bit. I had a conference call to make and this beautiful campus made for a nice backdrop. Seeing a group of students exiting a building, I sat down, hoping to see a glimpse of Glenn & Maddie. After about :45 minutes, Glenn sent a text telling me they were in the building directly behind me! Soon, hugs were exchanged with Maddie and a firm handshake from Glenn. There’s no way he was going to hug his dad in front of this group, and I didn’t blame him! Glenn was in an early program for college freshman and he was on a tight schedule. I met his new roommate and few of his newest friends. At the same time, his mom was reliving her college years, proudly dressed in crisp NC A&T apparel, and deeply engaged in conversation with other parents.
We walked back to Glenn’s dorm (Alex Haley Hall) with a group of students, as they were dropping off many of the documents and forms collected throughout the day before heading to a late afternoon social. I chatted up the kids, giving Maddie a hard time that she might actually miss her brother. This of course was heavily denied, at least on the surface. Glenn on the other hand was very serious. Tonja & Perry (with a little help from dad) had been preparing him for this moment. In the weeks leading up to this “day of days,” Glenn called multiple times, wanting to talk about life, decisions and expectations of what’s to come. He’d been very philosophical since his high school graduation. I got to know him a lot over the summer. He’d faced a few challenges during that stretch and came through it quite well. At least on the surface.
Whenever I see the kids, I try to bring them something from my travels. Maddie likes the sweatshirts she can wear over dance clothes before and after practice. Glenn, likes t-shirts. I expect he’ll want sweatshirts as fall and winter approaches in the Carolinas. This trip,apparel from Belize. After opening gifts, I asked him when he might have some free time. His response was classic. “Dad, I think I’ll have some time tomorrow after 6pm.” Keep in mind that was roughly the time I was due to catch my return flight to Texas from Atlanta. No regrets here, as seconds with them are precious to this Accidental Tourist. Soon the group began to head to their destination. Glenn gave me a brief hug and said “I love you dad.” And, then he was off with his group. I walked Maddie to her Mom’s car and gave her a long hug. They pulled off and for a moment I just sat there. 18 years, gone in an instant. He was prematurely born, finishing high school as a scholar and accomplished athlete. I didn’t want to be the parent who hovered around his kid in college, so I took off. Driving to my hotel, I had the urge to turn around multiple times but I kept driving all the way to Asheville.
In Asheville, I drove around for a bit before ending up at a rooftop bar. There I had an iced tea, while looking out over the mountains. I miss my kids. It’s the pain that never goes away. Still though, I continue my journey.
Five years earlier, I ventured to a small part of North Carolina called Highlands. A friend (my little sister Sonia) was attending a wedding and several of us went along to keep her company. On this day, I left Asheville to revisit this place and perhaps capture a picture or two of the beautiful terrain along the way. Starting out, mother nature would have none of this as low clouds and drizzle were the order of the day. Looking back at Asheville, I decided this was a place I need to revisit. It’s been often described as an older sibling to Austin, quirky and eclectic.
Highlands Bound
The first part of the drive was fairly uneventful. Clouds and drizzle can be beautiful. Not so much on this day. Things began to change when I got to the Nantahala National Forest. It was off to my right. My fear of bears kept me from going too far off my path (there’s a story behind this), but I did find one small creek (which felt a bit like the movie: Deliverance). Venturing out, I could see the morning mist rising off the water, while a father and daughter fished along the shoreline. I took several pictures here before my inner GPS said “get your butt back on the road.” Driving through the towns of Brevard and Rosman along route 64 was like driving through 1959 America. Slowly the road began to become curvy and slow. I was now firmly in the mountains, and a 25 mph speed limit means “obey the law” or become close friends with a big tree! Several openings allowed drivers to pull over and admire the scenery. This was a challenge as I’m afraid of heights.
After 30-40 minutes I drove through Cashiers, a beautiful town with a lot of old money here. 20 minutes later I was in Highlands. This was the peak tourist season here and the town was packed with people and cars. My main reason for coming here though, were the magnificent waterfalls that often were just a few steps away from the road. It was 1pm, My time was short here as I had to be in Atlanta for a 6:30pm flight. I stopped at the Bridal Falls and the Dry Falls. The were both of course amazing in very different ways. Pulling out my Nikon D610 with my Nikkor 24-120 F4 lens, the Bridal Falls looked like a veil coming off a mountain. The Dry Falls were massive with a dull roar you could hear from the main road! Here, several photographers were doing cool things with their tripods and neutral density filters. Me? No tripod on this trip. I’m still kicking myself over that one. It was now time to get back on the road for Atlanta. This was a Friday, and the “ATL” can have bad traffic for no reason at 3am.
The trip back was uneventful between Highlands and Atlanta. I even got to see the “Piggly Wiggly” grocery store at the foot of the mountains. Atlanta though was a whole different story, both in the city and at the airport.
On most Fridays in a major city traffic is usually worse heading out of town. Why was there a 20 mile backup heading into the city? Yeah, this would be a cutting it close adventure. Still the Atlanta skyline is a beautiful display of American architecture. The fact that this downtown isn’t clumped together also makes it unique. Atlanta also has a great jazz radio station, WCLK-FM, which didn’t hurt either.
Arriving at the Airport at 5:05 signaled a victory after the chaos of driving through Atlanta. I dropped off the rental car and quickly made it to the terminal. Shortly after getting through security, the first of several emails began to change my mood. My flight was delayed. Getting to the gate, my flight was now due depart at 7:15, then 7:55, 8:30, 9:30, 10:15, 10:55 & 11:15. We boarded at 10:57 and then for some reason sat on the tarmac until 11:40. I’m a fairly patient traveler, but not seeing more of the Highlands because of time issues was the only frustrating part of this return trip. Considering everything, it was still a blessing as Southwest Airlines gave affected passengers a $200.00 voucher towards a future flight.
Arriving back in Texas, I was tired but thankful. It was still a very worthwhile trip for this Accidental Tourist. The FastPark people were kind and fair after realizing my ticket for parking was back in the Asheville hotel. Still, I was out of the lot and on the way home within 20 minutes. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Don’t forget to tell someone you love them. It might make their day.
Love to my little “Topper Girl” Madison, who begins school this fall as an 8th grader in Silver Spring, Maryland.
~Glenn, the “Accidental Tourist”
https://www.exploreasheville.com
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48634
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