One reason that I think of education as critical to our lives is that without it we might be prone to beliefs built on hearsay or our own flawed opinions. Knowledge truly is power, even when truths are difficult to hear. It is important that we get unsanitized versions of the history of humanity so that we will have the opportunity to grow as people. Most universities, though not all, are bastions of information and learning that is important for our progress. I have learned over time through formal classes, continuing education, reading and real time experiences that depending on hearsay is never a good idea. The second day of driving through the south made me more certain than ever that I need to do research before drawing conclusions about people and places. 

I had already learned that Meridian, Mississippi had more to offer than I would have thought. The people there were proud of their history and the were friendly and helpful beyond the ordinary levels of welcoming. We enjoyed our brief sojourn there and began the next leg of our journey feeling upbeat and rested in spite of having traveled five hundred miles.

We continued along Mississippi highways for a time and were impressed by the well maintained roads that were magnificently landscaped. The drive was relaxing and filled with wonderful sights. I almost dreaded inching toward the Alabama border, but once again knew not to be too quick to judge a place without evidence. 

Alabama was just as beautiful as Mississippi and appeared to be thriving in the Birmingham area. As we barreled toward Tuscaloosa we decided that we needed to visit the campus of the University of Alabama, a tradition of checking out colleges that we never fail to continue. I have to admit that we were absolutely stunned by the beauty of the campus. It was very obviously well planned with the same brick on virtually every building. Set on rolling hills, great care has been taken to create a stunning and purposeful landscape. Mike and I both agreed that the overall effect had resulted in one of the most beautiful college campuses that we had ever seen. 

We laughed as we drove around the football stadium with our Aggie Grandma and Grandpa stickers from Texas A&M. We hoped that the rivalry between the two schools would not bother anyone who saw us checking things out. We could not tarry long because we had scheduled this day to be another five hundred miler. Soon enough we were heading in the direction of Georgia which would also prove to be a mostly beautiful drive.

We were stunned and delighted when we saw a Buccees beckoning us to stop for gasoline and refreshment. The Buccees chain began in Texas not far from where we live. Over time it has grown into a phenomenon for travelers. Undoubtedly it has the cleanest bathrooms on the road, but the selection of food, drink and nicknacks is also incredible. There is not vey much that a traveler cannot find in a Buccees and the one we found in Alabama just before crossing into Georgia was no exception. We did have to laugh because it had to be the least crowded Buccees we had ever visited. A clerk told us that the locals were slowly beginning to understand what a wonder they now have. 

While we loved the beauty of Georgia’s highways, as usual driving through Atlanta, Georgia proved to be a nightmare made even worse by a multi car wreck that forced us to sit in over an hour of heavy traffic. By the time we exited the tie up our arrival at the hotel had been moved farther and farther back by both the time change from standard to eastern time zones and the extra time spent in Atlanta.

I have always loved South Carolina from my visits to Charleston, a city with so much history and and culture that I doubt I will ever actually see it all. I suppose that I imagined that all of the state would be as lovely, but that was surely not the case as we headed toward Greenville. It was a long long endurance test that hindered our forward progress with miles and miles of road repairs. Our movement was slow and tedious at a time when we were already quite tired. It did not help that the sights along our way were ugly and depressing. It felt as though the people living in the area had just given up on any efforts to make things more presentable. Mostly it resembled a giant flea market of cars and trailers and lot overgrown with weeds. Eventually we were barely creeping forward as we hit the afternoon rush hour in Greenville. There was no way out of our dilemma but to endure.

I suppose my negative impressions of South Carolina were intensified by displays of Confederate flags and offensive political paraphernalia dotting the landscape . Somehow I felt as though the people there were angry and tired. I’ll never be able to prove my assessment, but I was certainly relieved when we crossed the state line into North Carolina and the environment immediately changed. it was like being released from limbo into heaven.

We limped into Charlotte with mixed feelings about the day’s travels. We had truly enjoyed Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. My guess is that we simply found a dull part of South Carolina so I am not ready to write if off as a place to avoid, but we decided immediately that we would not be returning home on that route. With great relief we checked into another wonderful hotel and blocked out the negativity with sweet dreams of the good places we had seen. Tomorrow would be another day.