[Key: Memoir in Times New Roman, Travel Journal in Arial]
6/20-26/2000
6-20-2000 Pensacola- Brentwood, Tenn.
We had good driving weather in our usual Montgomery - Birmingham - Nashville route, leaving home at 7 am, arriving here at Mainstay Suites at 2:45 to spend the night. This is an attractive motel + our room is furnished nicely – kitchen with frig, stove, microwave + desk for the lap top.
We did our usual exercises in the pool, then had some appetizers in the lounge before going to dinner at a nearby Ruby Tuesdays.
I forgot to pack all our medicines so we made s trip to CVS for our vitamins + my glucosamine/chondroitin.
We made a reservation in Springfield at the Ramada Inn for the next three days.
Bert checked mail on the computer + we retired early.
Lovely day.
6-21-2000 Brentwood – Springfield
We lucked out on the weather today + reached S’fld mid afternoon without a hitch.
The Ramada Limited in South Springfield is our residence for 3 nights so we unpacked the van, took a swim in the indoor pool, showered + went to dinner at Macorra’s. What good Italian food. We’d been here years before + Bert luckily remembered where it was.
We drove around the old neighborhood where we once lived in ’49-51 + noted all the changes. Our old address 836-1/2 S. Limestone St. Rear is now the athletic field for South High.
I talked with Mary Jane B + we made plans to go to lunch tomorrow.
This was a fun day + we’re so thankful we made it through Nashville traffic with no problems in spite of all the traffic from 7:40-8:30 a.m.
Our mileage is 814 mi. from Pensacola.
We spent some time visiting Mary Jane B + friend.
6/22-6/223 2000 Springfield
These two days at the Ramada Limited have been fun.
Thurs. Mary Jane Ballentine + friend, Bob, came over + took us to the Country Club for lunch + a tour of the area.
We had dinner at a winery with Wanda + Ry G, then went to their home afterward where we enjoyed Dairy Queen sundaes on their patio + caught up on all our news.
After breakfast at the motel Fri. we toured the U.D. [University of Dayton] campus, then stopped at the Air Force Museum at Wright/Patterson AF Base + what a magnificent restoration of planes from the Wright Brothers to the latest aircraft. “Be Still My Heart” Bert cried as we passed the famous C-47.
Our lunch at the Officers Club was relaxing + delicious in the basement Wings room. From there we checked the BX + filled the tank with gas at $1.82 gal. Later that afternoon, the price dropped all over town to $1.77. (sad face!!)
Dinner with Lou + George G at the club was reminiscing time from the 50’s – Great people!!
6/24-6/25 Springfield – Rocky River
We checked out of the Ramada at 9:30 + were in Hilliard to see the Us an hour later. Edith took us to lunch at their beautiful dining room at the Heritage. The Arbors is where we visited Ron who’s in bad shape.
We arrived at the McNs in Rocky River after driving through a drizzle, then heavy rain into Cleveland, Had time for a shower/shampoo before going to Sue L’s beautiful new home in Avon for cocktails. Sue, Warren S, Ray + Marie McN + we went to Fratello’s for a delicious dinner where we “dined” for a delightful evening.
On Sun. we went to church + what fun seeing all the old friends, too many to mention. The children performed for us, all 165 children, from St. Christopher’s + Rocky River Presby. As a culmination of their Bible School.
We had brunch with Shirley + Bob S + got caught up with their news.
The Es entertained us with dinner + cocktails + it was great seeing Helen Sm, Tom’s mother Dorothy, as well as Anne + Tom E all doing so well.
6/26/2000 Rocky River
This was a catch-up day. After breakfast we took a nice walk in metropolitan Park, then checked out all the local area + ended up at Westgate Mall shopping for a pair of white slacks. Found a pr of Liz’s at Dillards, then had a bite to eat + went back to McNs to freshen up.
At 5 pm we went out to Ks, Phyllis + Dan + from there to the White Oaks for a really good meal with orange roughy being our entrée. (We ate too much, so I had to pass on the dessert Phyllis made.) They celebrated their 50th last week + we shared albums.
McNs were still up but their darling 6 yr old granddaughter had gone home. What a cutie. She promised to be a pen pal! We’ll see.
6/27/2000 Rocky River - Bath
We had to bid adieu to Marie + Ray after breakfast, and head South. We didn’t have far to go far – just down to I-71 to Strongsville to see Ardath + John Sanders – Bert’s cousin.
They took us to Don’s Pomeroy House for lunch – a beautiful restored home which Ardath + the Historical Society saved from being destroyed. Had a very nice lunch + visit with them, and left mid afternoon on the next leg of our trip to Jim + Dottie G’s in Bath, our Marco Island friends.
We had a lot of catching up to do since many events have taken place since we left Marco Island mid-March + they didn’t head home until May.
We’d all decided it was time to cut calories, wo we feasted on lean thick skinless, boneless pork chops which did on the grill, pot. au gratin, salad + Dottie’s delicious home made berry pie. We talked for hours; they told us about their recent trip to Italy + Stevan’s wedding in Conn. Lovely day.
6/28/2000 Bath, Ohio
Our entertainment at breakfast was watching the doe polish off just about all of Dottie's hollyhocks! Then we took a leisurely mile + a half walk in their lovely neighborhood
After lunch we were visited by a wild turkey wandering through the yard followed by her eleven lively babies. We watched them until they were out of sight, but they’ll be back tomorrow so we may see them again before we leave for the reunion in Wellsville.
While I was napping, the local doe + her babies came into the yard but I missed them. Maybe they’ll return tomorrow before we leave for Wellsville!
In the evening we went over to Beverly + Woody Ws for a great “picnic” on their deck. Not only was it a delicacy eating all her specially prepared foods fresh from their garden, but beautifully served. They are one interesting couple we enjoy during the winter months at Marco + a delight to be entertain.
6/29/2000 Bath – Wellsville
The deer returned + I got a close-up view. We can almost forgive them for eating Dottie’s hollyhox – they’re so cute. We left the G's after a very hearty breakfast of pancakes + bacon – delicious!
After leaving Bath, we got on Rts 77 + 76 before coming down Rt. 45 into Salem + Lisbon.
Mary + Gene were waiting for us + we had a few hours of "catching up" before leaving for dinner at the Fire House which we celebrated with the classes of ’44 + ’45. We had a nice meal of roast chicken/dressing, salad, pot. + gr. beans plus coconut cream pie for dessert.
It was nice visiting afterwards with Jeanne Ann + Bill R at Mary C’s. We didn’t stay long as we wanted to have more time visiting with Mary + Gene.
Mary + I talked for hours “catching up” before retiring past midnight.
6/30/2000 Wellsville
This was a relaxing morning with a late breakfast. We left for the reunion at 2:00 and spent most of the afternoon at the River Museum and Alumni Center.
The museum is over 100 years old and beautifully maintained. It houses Civil War relics, pictures that date back to the turn of the century. Pictures of Grandpa Alton, my dad, Uncle Paul + Gene Jarvis were especially interesting.
Rather than drive back to Mary + Gene’s, we stayed in town for the parade. What fun. I was drafted to ride in the parade in Vivian B’s convertible to represent the class of ’43 along with others: Pinky H P, Fitzy (marching ahead with Richard C) + Vince C. We picked up Vic McI + rode to 5th St. Ended up at the Alumni River Hotel.
We walked up town to the gazebo + saw lots of people.
The sunset was magnificent!
7/1/2000 Wellsville
We started the day’s activities at the Alumni Hall. They had a lovely brunch + and saw lots of friends; the Rs – Ann + Bill + spouses – looking great! At our table were Milly + the McIs. We honored all the scholarship recipients + they were so grateful for their scholarships made possible by our generous donors.
In the evening we met in the high school gym for our all class reunion. We had a small group from our class but there were 731 total graduates in all from ’57-’27 in the gym + the rest + younger ones in MacDonald gym.
7/2/2000: Wellsville - Bristol, Va.
We left Mary + Gene’s after a hearty breakfast at 8 am + drove rt. 7 to Wheeling, then Rt. 250 to Fairmont, W. Va. We stopped at a pretty town, Mannington, at MacDonald’s for coffee. Great stop! We didn’t make good time, but the rolling hills provided beautiful scenery. I-79 was an interesting route winding through hilly farming + mining country + follows a course of the West Fork + Elk Rivers. We crossed the Kanawha R. on Rt. 19 + took Rt. 77, the W. Va. Turnpike, to Wytheville where we made a reservation for tonight at a Comfort Inn in Bristol, Va. We’d planned to drive farther, but after a long day and lots of partying at the reunion, we decided to turn in after 420 miles + get a good night’s rest. On the last lap of our drive today on I-81, we traveled over sharply rolling to hilly, partially wooded highlands devoted to agriculture + livestock production.
We saw a deer along our route today as well as a fawn, and a flock of wild turkeys.
Dinner at a nearby restaurant, Fishtales, was fair – just too much fried food.
7/3/2000 Bristol, V. - Pensacola
We were up early, packed, breakfasted + on our way by 8:00 am. Gas was cheap so we filled the tank at $1.47. I drove the first leg of the trip, then Bert took the wheel through Knoxville. It really wasn’t bad for a holiday weekend. I took my turn through Chattanooga + was surprised + delighted that there really wasn’t too much traffic or construction. Most of the drivers were courteous even in Ala. We took turns driving.
In Birmingham we stopped at a Cracker Barrel + had our main meal mid afternoon, and drove on through Montgomery + were home about 7:00 pm.
I forgot to mention that we stopped in Ga. + got gas at $1.39 as it’s always cheaper there.
When we unloaded the van, we checked the mileage and our total trip read 2,444 miles.
We unpacked, watched a little of the Braves game + when they lost 17-1 to Montreal, it was time to go to bed + thank God for a wonderful, safe trip!
