Do I need to talk about breakfast again today? Yup. sure do! Today we have someone serving us hand and foot. The hotel has been really nice (at least by the standards of this trip) and they even go the extra mile at breakfast. You’d think that might be a step up but in this case, it is not. The lady, and I mean a real southern lady with a great accent and all, hovers over us. She cooks us waffles (VERY toasted, although Rudy seems to love the rock hard offerings). Rudy’s coffee is just slightly warmed. But all in all it is better than usual. I have some delicious chocolate milk (I used to hate the stuff) and a couple of tangerines. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s breakfast report.
After breakfast we rush off to downtown Mt. Airy to the much talked about Fall Festival. It seems like many towns in this neck of the woods have a fall festival. And so they should. Fall days seem to linger on and on and the temperature of 25 degrees is certainly nothing to complain about. We park our van and head down the miles and miles of street vendors. The people watching is good. It is amazing how many old folks are buying their fall and Christmas wreaths and decorations. Rudy and I pass on those. The food offering are all what you might expect: roast corn, funnel cakes (a type of donut thing), hot dogs, corn dogs, deep fried apple pies, candy apples, and more. There is bluegrass music and even a hell fire and brimstone street preacher. People have their dogs out in the doggy walkers and the snippets of conversation that we overhear are worth repeating.
Hell Fire Preacher: “The Lawrd Jeesus don wanna see yawr cheeks when yaw bend ova….”
Middle Aged Southern Lady: (referring to the three pug dogs in the doggy stroller) “Eye naymed them Lavender, Buddercup, and Huneysuckle. My little baybies”
Her Husband: “Yeaass, she naymed them after her fayvorite perfume..”
Dad: (to the teenage daughter) Hey Sweethaart, we movin'”
Middle Age Man: (to a friend) Years ago we done had a good agriculture minister. Ya know, not one that went to jail….”
we get real hot and tired and so we wander away from the crowds and end up at the Mayberry jail, courthouse, etc. that was used in the Andy Griffith Show years ago. I dimly remember it so we snap some pictures.
As usual I marvel at the old houses we pass and take some pictures of these homes probably owned originally by the wealthy Virginian tobacco farm owners.
Then off we go to our new hotel for the night. Because things are packed out in town we have to stay where we can get a place. Ug! It is terrible. Not sure whether this is a place they rent by the hour or by the night. We have no option so must stay here. We have a sandwich at the picnic table in front of the motel and head back into town for an evening concert and walk around.