Day eleven, driving the long haul

Thank heavens for this blog! It’s the only way I have of keeping track of the days. Got up this morning and drove the few minutes from Gastonia to Belmont. In retrospect, I should have taken photos of Belmont. What an amazing historic little town. Right down on Main Street, in the old part of the city, I found School Resources Inc, Dick Cromlish’s store.

School Resources Inc. has been in Belmont for the past 55 years. I think that Dick said he’s been with the store for the last 30 or 35 years. This 7,000 foot store is bright and airy. Lots of sunshine comes through the front windows and rocking chairs adorn the sidewalk in front of the store.

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The front of School Resources Inc [top left]. Inside I met Dick Cromlish [top right]. The inside of the store [bottom] is very bright and welcoming.

Dick loves to fish and the walls of his office sport photographs of the 150lb halibut he caught with his wife in Alaska. He told me all about the history of Belmont and then asked me about the similarities and differences I noticed while visiting all of these parent-teacher stores. Come to think of it, I notice a lot of differences. For the most part, I find that each store reflects the personality of its staff. Congenial staff and great lighting are of utmost importance.

The trek to my next stop was quite far. Four hours! I was not even sure I’d make it before closing time. Just in the ‘nick of time’ I swung into the parking lot of Teachers ‘R Special and Parents Too in Whiteville, NC. I was greeted by Barbara at the front counter. She was busy searching for pictures of President Bush. After all, Presidents’ Day is coming up. I surprised her by going out to the van and bringing in a copy of our "Presidents’ Rap" songs, celebrating the lives of all of the presidents.

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The beautiful exterior of Teachers ‘R Special and Parents Too [top left]. Inside I got to meet Barbara [top right] and have a look around the inside of the store [bottom].

After a long day on the road, you can’t imagine how I looked forward to my next stop at the home B&B of Lee and Jacquie of Wilmington, NC. Jacquie and Lee are avid travelers and just returned from visiting their daughter in New Zealand for five weeks. Since my son, Ben, just left for New Zealand a day earlier, to go para-gliding, Jacquie and I sat in the livingroom and had lots to talk about. Later on, her husband, Lee bounced in the door. Lee, a retired history teacher, loves to play tennis. He plays softball too. His days from morning to night, it seems, are filled with the excitement of games and practicing. He has twice the energy of many men half his age.

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My hosts for the evening, Jacquie and Lee.

Well. It’s off to some new destinations on a new day. As I sit here in yet another Starbucks café I’m glad that I like coffee! So long for now.