Highway 1

Gashwin, whose 5 things meme tag I'll try & do tomorrow, posted today about a celebration in Cheraw of the 75th anniversary of the completion of Highway 1 (also called "Number 1" around here.

I cannot imagine that the 2006 festivities will better those of 1931, when FDR showed up (as governor of New York), SC & NC governors opened the road, and which included a high school football game, beauty queens, four boxing cards and a street dance.

Thought I'd share a Number 1 story:

Back in August of 1992, Izzy and I arrived in NC for graduate school. Having driven for two days from Texas in an un-air-conditioned U-Haul, we were hot and tired. As we walked into our basement apartment, we realized that the AC was not on. Probably (and this is just a guess), because Duke Power had failed to supply us with any (power, that is.) Took a while on the phone to get it straightened out--I think the main reason we got power was because I told them my 61-year-old father was going to have a stroke while helping us unpack.

Dad had driven his truck up from SC to help us get settled. He was a trooper, and we were so grateful for his help. It had taken 16 people four hours to load the truck--for most of the day there were just the three of us unloading--he never complained.

So, at the end of a long day, despite our offer for a place to bunk for the night, Dad decided to head home. He called Mom to say when he was leaving. About 4 1/2 hours later, she started calling us to say Dad had not yet arrived home. The calls continued (few folks had cell phones then.) We were really scared that he had fallen asleep from exhaustion or been in an accident.

The 250 mile trip ended up taking over seven hours! When Mom, relieved but exasperated, asked "where have you been?!?", Dad shared that he had decided to try an alternate route. He'd noticed that US 1 wasn't far away from us (around 20 miles), and thought he'd take that route back to Columbia. Small towns, speed traps, road construction & detours--none of it worried him. He announced "you know, you can get there on Number 1."

Dad loved finding alternate routes, discovering out of the way places, looking at maps for new possibilities. Why just go somewhere, when you could "get there"? He'd take forever to get somewhere, never in a hurry. And why not?--not much to see on the highway.

I wrote the next posting for Dad & Mom's 42nd anniversary. SC natives will note that not all of the landmarks are on Number 1, but they are on a metaphorical Highway 1--things you won't see unless you get off the main highway.