The next leg of our trip began in northern North Carolina near the border with Virginia. I was intrigued by being there because my Grandpa William Little had often told me that he was born in North Carolina near the Virginia border. His mother died from childbirth complications so his overwhelmed father took him into Virginia to ask William’s grandmother to accept the job of raising the infant. William would spend the next thirteen years of his life under the loving guidance of Sarah Reynolds. Somehow I imagined that we were somewhere near the place where my grandfather spent his boyhood. He had always described the mountains that loomed over the farm from a distance. While I will probably never find the exact spot, I now have a very good idea of how the land must have looked. 

The area just north of the Carolinas is lush and green and filled with manicured farms. Corn is often the crop of choice and fields of it are growing as far as the eye can see. Farms are nestled in a valley with views of the far away mountains making the panorama quite lovely. 

Before long we were passing near Lexington, Virginia which is the home of Washington and Lee University, one of the oldest and most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country. Of course we had to take a look because we enjoy both history and education. The town itself was also home to Andrew Jackson at one time so the there is much to see and contemplate. All in one small area so much happened, often with individuals with very controversial views and ways of living. Nonetheless, everything about Lexington is fascinating.

We were on a fairly tight schedule so we took a walk around the campus of Washington and Lee University which is built on high ground surrounded by ancient trees and lush lawns. In the center is a chapel where Robert E. Lee is buried. Outside of the church is the grave of his horse. The buildings date back centuries and great care has been taken to keep them preserved for posterity. 

While the campus was quite still because the students and faculty had not yet returned from summer break, it had the feel of a place of great learning and seriousness dating back centuries. It appeared to be a lovely place to study history, government or even computer science. George Washington would have been an advocate of a liberal arts education that introduces students to the great ideas and ways of thinking critically, attributes that are necessary beyond just learning a trade if we are to continue to progress as humans.

The town itself is a treasure trove of old homes and edifices that bear the mark of times past. Tourists take guided tours in horse drawn carriages. Shops and quaint restaurants line the streets. Next door to Washington and Lee University is the campus of the Virginia Military Institute which is a sprawling complex of very no nonsense buildings. 

After spending time in Lexington we spent time driving in the countryside that was stunningly beautiful. We briefly crossed into West Virginia where more farms and horse ranches abounded. In the little towns there were roadside fruit and vegetable stands offering fresh produce picked right from the fields. 

From Virginia we drove through a small section of Baltimore near the sprawling port. I could not help thinking of episodes from The Wire, an extraordinary televisions series about the interplay between police and citizens heavily involved in the drug trade. While I know that the show is mostly fiction my understanding is that the story itself derived from real incidents within the city’s police department. It was enlightening to see the gritty side of Baltimore in person because my only other visit there had been in a nice area. The view from my car reminded me of a young man that I had met at a Georgetown University graduation who was planning to teach high school students in the rough part of Baltimore where he had grown up. He was determined to give back his own good fortune to people who are sometimes forgotten. I could see evidence of their plight as we sped by.

We belatedly learned that our Houston Astros were playing the Baltimore Orioles that very day. If we had known perhaps we would have decided to stay for the game. Luckily the Astros won and we got to celebrate later that evening. For the time being we drove along Maryland highways until we were ultimately in Delaware. 

Our final destination of the day was Wilmington where President Biden has a home. I joked that we should drop by to say hello, but remembered that he was out of town on a three state tour so we just kept going until we reached our hotel. It was conveniently located across a small road from several restaurants all of which were national chains.

We were as American as apple pay in staying at a Holiday Inn and eating at an Olive Garden. I thought about how I had worked for Holiday Inn one summer making reservations. I felt that I had to work extra hard because the woman who hired me mentioned that she had never before chosen a student from the University of Houston. She had felt the Rice University and The University of St. Thomas would have better candidates for summer work. I was happy to prove her wrong by winning a sales contest that she created. Over the prize of lunch with her she happily announced that she had learned that Houston Cougars were better than okay. 

Anyway we we pleasantly tired from another five hundred mile journey with a few side trips so we enjoyed fine Olive Garden dining at its best. We chowed down on the traditional salad and breadsticks along with spaghetti and wine. We fell into a lovely slumber dreaming of reaching our final destination on the morrow. I felt content that I knew just a bit more about how my grandfather had lived as well. We had made many wonderful discoveries and more were to come.