Friday, May 11
We woke up to a typical North Carolina spring morning…cloudy and hazy with a hint of rain all around us. We decided we didn’t need to be in any great rush for the day, since James and Susie were busy with their business and Paul and Jean would be flying in shortly after noon. We just piddled around, had a leisurely breakfast downstairs, and worked at the computers.
Just as a side note, I have now found out that when I inquire about wireless internet service at a hotel or motel, there are two questions that must be asked – 1) “Do you have wireless internet service?” (as opposed to just high speed internet access), and 2) “Do you have wireless internet service in ALL rooms?”
What we found after checking in, hauling everything from the car up to the third floor, unpacking and putting it all away for the three-day stay, was that only the first floor rooms had wireless service…all others had to use a modem cable to connect to the internet. Since we each have our own laptop and work very differently, this meant that we either had to share time with the cable, or one of us had to go downstairs to the lobby area to work. Oh well…live and learn.
Around noon we decided to get cleaned up and head to Durham, about 30 miles south, to scout out the campus and find where we were supposed to be for the weekend’s activities. Getting to Durham was easy…just a straight shot down I-85. Getting to where we wanted to be on the Duke campus was a little more challenging. But, after a little trial and error (and visiting areas around the perimeter of the campus that most people have never seen), we finally found some familiar sounding street names and with a little help from one of the campus police officers (I have to admit…I did stop and ask for directions), we located the Bryan Student Center, where we picked up a campus map.
After wandering around the student center for a while and finally connecting with Karen on the cell phone, we decided that we probably should drive back into Durham to find the restaurant where we would join the whole crew for an evening meal at 8:00. Karen had given us the name of the place and some general directions, but we still thought it would be a lot less hectic finding it in the evening traffic if we knew exactly where we were supposed to be.
Getting to the downtown area was less challenging than we thought it might be, and we soon 
located Brightleaf Square, a series of renovated turn-of-the-century red brick tobacco warehouses that now contain a variety of restaurants and shops. We wandered around the place for a few minutes…checked out a bookstore that had 
a large collection of used books for resale, and then decided to have lunch on the patio of a Mexican restaurant.
located Brightleaf Square, a series of renovated turn-of-the-century red brick tobacco warehouses that now contain a variety of restaurants and shops. We wandered around the place for a few minutes…checked out a bookstore that had 
a large collection of used books for resale, and then decided to have lunch on the patio of a Mexican restaurant. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, I went back to the car to pick up the camera…it was clear to us that we would need some pictures of this area. Back in place, we enjoyed a nice meal, read our books, and watched the people walking around…what a nice way to spend an hour or so!
Knowing that we would have a late evening ahead of us, we decided to return to our motel in Oxford and take an afternoon nap before getting dressed to come back to Durham for our evening meal with the family.
At 6:00 we decided we’d better head back to town to join the throngs that were bound to be there. We knew that finding a parking place would be a challenge, and Barbara wanted to take some more pictures. Sure enough, the handy-dandy parking lot that we had found in the afternoon was jam-packed with parked cars and people looking for the next available parking space. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, we drove on up the street past a couple of lots with the “Lot Full” signs posted until we found an almost empty parking area. I checked to be sure that it was a legal parking lot…found that it was, and pulled the Vibe into a very handy spot. It was an easy walk of just a couple of blocks back down to where we wanted to be, so we still felt blessed to be where we were.
Words cannot describe the atmosphere of Brightleaf (named for a type of tobacco grown in the area), so we got lots of pictures (not that that will stop me from usin
g lots of words, but those of you who know me already know that). It was almost a carnival atmosphere, with folks of all ages wandering around the spacious mall area, nearly every outdoor dining spot filled with people enjoying luscious-smelling foods, and an absolutely wonderful live band playing in the center of the mall. The sights, sounds, and smells combined to provide sensory overload in just a few minutes. We were lucky enough to find a couple of chairs just 
outside the Brazilian steakhouse where Karen had made reservations for the family for 8:00, so we sat, listened to the band, people-watched, and took pictures until the others arrived.
g lots of words, but those of you who know me already know that). It was almost a carnival atmosphere, with folks of all ages wandering around the spacious mall area, nearly every outdoor dining spot filled with people enjoying luscious-smelling foods, and an absolutely wonderful live band playing in the center of the mall. The sights, sounds, and smells combined to provide sensory overload in just a few minutes. We were lucky enough to find a couple of chairs just 
outside the Brazilian steakhouse where Karen had made reservations for the family for 8:00, so we sat, listened to the band, people-watched, and took pictures until the others arrived.We had never even heard of a Brazilian steakhouse, let alone eaten at one, so once again, words will fail to adequately describe the experience. First, there is no menu (except the wine list)…
it is an upscale “all you can eat of everything there is” type of place (or as Barbara’s dad used to call it, “pitch ‘til you win.”) There was a large soup and salad bar that could provide a complete meal in itself.
it is an upscale “all you can eat of everything there is” type of place (or as Barbara’s dad used to call it, “pitch ‘til you win.”) There was a large soup and salad bar that could provide a complete meal in itself. Items included everything from basic lettuce to smoked salmon, and a wide variety of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and several kinds of 
soups. As we sat around the table eating, waiters brought out large chunks of meat and carved slices right there at the table.
soups. As we sat around the table eating, waiters brought out large chunks of meat and carved slices right there at the table. One of the pieces of silverware was a small set of tongs for grabbing the slice of meat as it was
cut. We enjoyed sirloin steak, garlic rubbed steak, leg of lamb, chicken, shish kabobs, sausages, and pork ribs…all this along with the food that we had picked up at the salad bar and dishes of fried plantains sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. And then came the dessert tray…talk about total gluttonary overload! Anyone who walked out of that restaurant still hungry had only himself to blame.
cut. We enjoyed sirloin steak, garlic rubbed steak, leg of lamb, chicken, shish kabobs, sausages, and pork ribs…all this along with the food that we had picked up at the salad bar and dishes of fried plantains sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. And then came the dessert tray…talk about total gluttonary overload! Anyone who walked out of that restaurant still hungry had only himself to blame. 
The wait staff was wonderful to us, and with seven of us willing to sample every kind of meat that came around, we kept them hopping for a couple of hours. The young man who was the area supervisor checked on us several times to make sure that everything was ok and that we were enjoying ourselves, although in retrospect, I think he was far more interested in Karen than he was in whether we were having a good time. For a recent UNC grad, he was polite, helpful, intelligent, and well-spoken…proof that sometimes the apple does roll away from the tree.
By 10:00 pm we had done all the damage we could do, so we staggered out of our chairs and waddled out the door to an absolutely gorgeous night, where we said our
goodbyes and everyone headed back to their places for the night, more than satisfied with the total experience…good food and good company - what a great way to end the day! (Karen posed for us holding the college graduation card we gave her. Who knows, maybe one day it will come in handy!)After yesterday’s adventures, it was good to sleep in this morning. Breakfast was not a high priority, but we did eventually wander downstairs to grab a bagel and sweet rolls to munch on before they closed the breakfast bar. Then we sat in the lobby area and did some work on the computers while our room was being cleaned.
During the afternoon Barbara did a load of wash and then we repacked everything that we didn’t need for the evening or for Sunday. Our original plans were to spend Sunday night and then head back west on Monday, but we decided that if we were going to be back in Artesia by Wednesday, we needed to leave Durham right after graduation exercises and get in as many miles as we could that day.
Since we had told Karen that we would help her folks haul some things back to New Mexico, we needed to rearrange everything in the car, and this afternoon was the perfect time to do that. Fortunately, we were able to do everything that needed to be done before a storm system moved in and started dumping rain on us.
Karen had made reservations for everyone at a French restaurant in Durham for 5:00, so we 
cleaned up, got dressed, and made the drive back down I-85. We weren’t sure where the restaurant was located, but we had the general directions, and found it easily enough. There was even a large covered parking garage right across the street and it had free parking during the weekends…talk about a great deal!
cleaned up, got dressed, and made the drive back down I-85. We weren’t sure where the restaurant was located, but we had the general directions, and found it easily enough. There was even a large covered parking garage right across the street and it had free parking during the weekends…talk about a great deal! Since we had a few minutes before the others were to arrive, we decided to walk around the area to see the sights (which, it turned out weren’t all that wonderful---the whole area is under construction). We hadn’t gone more than a block when the storm system that had hit us in Oxford rolled into Durham and it started sprinkling.
As we walked (quickly) back down to the restaurant to wait inside, Barbara realized that she didn’t have her cell phone with her, so I volunteered to run over to the parking garage and pick it up. Just as I started back out of the garage, the skies opened up and the bottom fell out. There we were, on opposite sides of the street, with no idea of how long the downpour would last.
Finally, one of the waiters who had just arrived to start his evening shift noticed our predicament. He went out to his car, got an umbrella, and came across the street to escort me back to the restaurant…what a nice gesture.
The others arrived at 5:00 and we all sat down to another wonderful gourmet feast. The food was wonderful and the company was superb…a great ending to another great day.
Sunday, May 13
Happy anniversary to Big V and us! It’s hard to believe it, but we’ve had our “home on wheels” for a year now…picked her up at Jack Sizemore Traveland in Amarillo on May 13, 2006…what a year it has been!
Today was a B-I-G day…Karen’s graduation from Duke University. We got up early and ginned around the place to get ready to check out of the motel and head back south to the university. With the main exercises scheduled to begin at 10:00 am in Wallace Wade Stadium for the 4,000 graduates, we knew we would have to be in place by 8:00 if we wanted good seats.
The drive back down I-85 was uneventful and we didn’t have any problems locating a good parking place near the stadium. In fact, we found a spot just a couple of minutes away from one of the main gates, and on the side of the stadium that gave us the best view of the activities. 
There were a few folks there ahead of us, and people began streaming in at a regular pace over the next two hours.
There were a few folks there ahead of us, and people began streaming in at a regular pace over the next two hours. We first decided to sit in one of the front row seats, almost at field level, but then decided that one of the top row seats would give us just as good a view and allow us a relatively easy exit to leave the stadium and walk over to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the departmental graduation exercises when the outdoor ceremonies were completed.
I was fortunate enough to be allowed down on the field long enough to be able to take pictures of Karen and her friends during a sound check. Karen and four of her friends
had formed a quintet and entered a competition to see who would sing the alma mater at the conclusion of the main ceremony. With rescored harmonies and a beautiful blending of female voices, they won the competition hands down, a feat that allowed them to enter the 
stadium with the faculty and distinguished guests and be seated on the stage throughout the exercises. They did a beautiful presentation of the alma mater, a most fitting conclusion to a very dignified and meaningful graduation ceremony.
had formed a quintet and entered a competition to see who would sing the alma mater at the conclusion of the main ceremony. With rescored harmonies and a beautiful blending of female voices, they won the competition hands down, a feat that allowed them to enter the 
stadium with the faculty and distinguished guests and be seated on the stage throughout the exercises. They did a beautiful presentation of the alma mater, a most fitting conclusion to a very dignified and meaningful graduation ceremony. Following the main ceremony for all graduates, we walked over to Cameron where we joined the rest of the family for the ceremonies for graduates of the Economics Department. As a very thoughtful (and much appreciated) gesture, the department provided catered box lunches for the graduates and their families. Since most of us had been at the campus since 8:00 am and there was no chance for lunch or a snack between ceremonies, we were all happy with these arrangements.
Economics ceremonies started shortly after noon and provided a very fitting conclusion to the time that Karen and the others had spent at Duke. Karen graduated
Magna Cum Laude and was also recognized as a distinguished research assistant, proof that she had certainly applied herself to the tasks at hand during her four years in Durham.
Magna Cum Laude and was also recognized as a distinguished research assistant, proof that she had certainly applied herself to the tasks at hand during her four years in Durham. When the graduates were dismissed, we got directions to Karen’s dorm and drove over to load a couple of boxes of things that needed to be brought back to New Mexico. After repeated congratulations and goodbyes, it was time to get back on the road and put in as many miles as possible before sunset.
Our travels took us south on I-85 toward Atlanta, which we hoped to reach tonight. The plan worked well until we got to Charlotte, North Carolina, and hit a huge traffic snag. The four lanes of southbound traffic came to a screeching halt for what we later found out was an accident a few miles ahead of us. It took us nearly 45 minutes to drive three miles before the accident site was finally cleared and traffic could start moving normally.
After stopping for a “necessary” break in South Carolina, we decided that reaching Atlanta would not be in the realm of possibility, so we settled on getting out of South Carolina and reaching a stopping point somewhere in Georgia.
We reached Lavonia, Georgia as the sun was starting to go down and found a very nice Super 8 motel where I remembered to ask the very important questions about internet. Basically, “Do you have wireless,” and do you have it in every room?” With the answers to both questions a resounding yes, we checked in, took in what was necessary for the night and the next day’s travel, and hooked up our computers, ready to make contact with the rest of the world. That was when we discovered that we would, in the future, have to ask a third question, “Does the internet service in every room actually work?”
Obviously, dear reader, you have reasoned by now that there was a problem here, and there was. We could receive a signal from the motel’s router, but the return signal from the computers was too weak to make a connection…we were in a room at the back of the motel…just too far away and with too many obstructions between us and the main signal. Barbara was finally able to make a connection for a short time, but I had to go up to the office area to check my mail…oh well…live and learn (I think I already said that above, but it’s become a standard phrase for us).
After a long day of activities and travel, we called it a night, hoping to get some sleep in preparation for an endurance drive on Monday.
On the road again,
Jim & Barbara
"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey."...Pat Conroy
