HEADED SOUTH...THEN SOUTH EAST

Where has the summer gone. Yes, it has been good but truth be told, summer is winding down. Now I know that a comment like that may strike terror into the minds of children every where but not at our house. Everyone is getting psyched up for a good 'ol family vacation (at least that's what my calender says). This year, we are doing something that we have not done for some time. We are going to the "Redneck Riviera" (aka North Myrtle Beach). Sounds like fun eh? It should be. The whole family loves the beach and our plan is to simply to enjoy the sand, surf, and sun. Family time is always good. A man once told me that the things kids remember most from their childhood are family vacations and Christmas. I guess I would agree to that at some extent although I remember less and less about my childhood (and everything else) as the years go by. Things tend to run together for me, but I digress. The fact of the matter is that Thursday, we are loading into the family truckster and heading in the general direction of S. Carolina. I say general direction because we are taking a side trip to our old homestead in Elizabethton, Tennessee. We are actually making a stop in Gatlinburg first to watch them pull taffy (very Yankee thing to do) and cut out those black silhouette things you dress up and put out in your yard. But our stopping at Gatlinburg is not just entertainment related, we are also doing something very educational for the boys while there (don't tell them, it's a surprise). We're taking them to Cooter's Place. Kind of like a history lesson without the book. We will only be in Gatlinburg for one day so we thought that we would just hit the highlights. Friday, we will drive on to Elizabethton (Julie and I used to live there). It will be fun to take a walk down memory lane but our real reason for the side trip (at least mine) is to eat at all of our (at least my) favorite restaurants. I plan on hitting them all. First and foremost, I'm going to PAL's Sudden Service for a "Sauce Burger". It's one of the finest eateries in the country. Strictly high class. I also plan on going to Pizza Inn and as many other places that I can fit in. As you can see, this leg of the trip is my favorite. After that, (if I'm not too sick) "Redneck Riviera" here we come.