The second morning at Casa Kozloff sees us off to a slow start. We get the last of our stuff into the car, say a final farewell to Charlene, and are on the road north and east of Charlotte at a quarter to noon.
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As we wind our way out of the suburbs, we see a gray ceiling slide into place. A cool front has finally arrived.
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Heading up through North Carolina, we notice the colorful plantings in the medians dividing the highways.
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Karen was amused by the name "Biscuitville" and asked me to take a picture as we passed. I scrambled to grab the camera and get it pointed as we zoomed by.
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As we approached the mid afternoon and Ashboro, NC, I used a Coffee Shop Finder app to find us some espresso. The silly app lists anything with "cafe" in the name. But among the detritus, there was one that had to be a real coffee house. I knew as soon as we pulled onto this street that we were in the right place.
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A nice place to stop for a cappuccino and a couple of sandwiches, if you happen to be in the middle of North Carolina
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Even the walls wake you up at The Coffee X Change
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While waiting for our sandwiches, I waled around the side of the building toward the county courthouse. This wall used up my time; Karen called to say the food had arrived before I got to the courthouse.
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We arrived in Raleigh at 4:00, giving us just an hour to see everything before the town closed for the night.
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Of course, a bike rack in the shape of the state is worth a picture.
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And Jackson examining Jackson, at another state capitol.
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Who is this barely clad Roman lad? Believe it or not, this is George the First of America himself. It was thought scandalous when it was first made.Meanwhile, note the rotunda above.
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This original capitol building is no longer the active legislature. So they decorated a few spots as they probably looked back when.
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I noticed these light fixtures, and mentally compare them to the ones that I saw in Atlanta.
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Note the rigid seating in the visitors gallery. They don't encourage casual hangers-around.
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I do like vertiginous views. This is only one story, but quite a steep staircase.
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Remember the rail of the rotunda over young Roman George Washington? Well I noticed that it has been much abused, and patched in many places. But the patches are in a slightly different color. My guess is to facilitate the distinction between original and reproduction work.Whence the damage? Remember where we are. In the 1860's, battles were fought here, and conquering forces inflict both casual damage and souvenir hunting.
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A small room on the second floor captivated Karen, so I snapped a shot of the exhibit sign.
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We had a half hour left after a quick Capitol tour, so we jogged across the street to the North Carolina History Museum. This is a very modern glass, steel, and granite slab building, that in itself exemplifies the point that history is a process, not a recollection.
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And where did we choose to spend our few minutes? Karen was fascinated by the Carbine Williams section, and the military arts wing.
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Karen picks the ones she'd like to carry
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In among the weapons, they have sonic disrupters, a.k.a Flugelhorns.
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Karen puts a face on history. I don't think it was designed for full size people.
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Karen identifies with her native ancestry. Although she really comes from a Delaware tribe, a bit farther north.
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Reading a sandwich board that is actually about food, next to the History Museum. The Capitol is straight back there.
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Here is a more traditional portrayal of G.W. that we found as we walked all around the Capitol looking for its Liberty Bell. I try to get a picture of each one. The one for North Carolina has eluded me.
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After a gray and periodically drizzly day, the sun peaked out under the clouds just before sunset. I was driving, so all I could get was some blurry snapshots of the truly impressive moments of light and contrast.
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As the sun sets and the trees begin to blush, the combination glows electric.
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Then an odd stripe of red light appeared. We watched it for a while. Suddenly it became clear: A Sunset Rainbow!
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It was now dark as we crossed into Virginia. And the welcome center has these kiosks with hotel coupons. We found one for a "Q" just a dozen miles up in South Hill. We went through town once. Twice. And finally found it hidden behind a gas station at the highway intersection. But they had no rooms! The town is full of construction crews. The kind desk clerk called around, and found a room at a pricier place that is even harder to find (next slide, please).
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So we spent the night at a Fairfield Inn for a nominal $90 (plus tax etc). But Karen got to use a nice hot whirlpool, and the free breakfast is supposed to be above average. I spent two hours writing up today, and now it is time for bed.
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