Route 40 West

                   

In the early summer of 1986, we hit the road. The destination? California. The decision was made and one week later I found myself in a van, towing a small pickup truck full of my possessions, driving on Rt 40 west. The van was an old work van with no windows on the side.This was also the beginning of my list of "major highways driven". We set off early enough but by the time we got out of Hickory, it had started to get dark. The road dramatically changes from flat and straight to basically uphill and curving. You could just make out the Blue Ridge Mountains with Mt. Mitchell off in the distance, thanks to the setting sun. We stopped at a rest stop in the Smokey Mountains where I picked up this rock. It was too dark to see any views but when I look at this rock, I know I was there. We drove all night and into the next day to our first stop over, Memphis.

Somewhere near Henderson , NC

 One woman I remember being friends with while stationed at Cherry Point, Kathy Hudson. She was the epitome of a southern belle with her y'alls and honey childs, so perfectly poised and prim, just like her mama taught her. But don't let them fool you, they have their wild sides when the mood dictates. Southern woman are in a category of their own.

Kathy chose Cherry Point because it was close to where she grew up. One weekend, she invited me to go home with her. The thing I remember about the drive was the song "I love Rock and Roll" by Joan Jett being played over and over again, cruising some back country roads on a warm day.  The house she grew up in was so charming. It sat back in the woods, on top of a hill. It was quiet and welcoming. There was a small barn with a couple of cows, pigs and a lot of goats. Her parents were charming, generous and loved having us to dote over.

Another vivid memory of that weekend was how her mom woke us up for breakfast. I opened my eyes to a tiny baby goat sniffing my face. His coat was soft and his cries were sweet. 

I found this rock, a Henderson Gneiss, somewhere in Henderson. It's usually not found in this part of North Carolina. There is an Henderson Mountain, a little further west where it's very prominent. But I thought it was a good find for my trip to Henderson.

MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina

My next and last duty station and destined to become home for a few years after. Cherry Point was very different from Puerto Rico. The Navy provided support for the Marines at the hospital and supply. We were a very small number, basically Marines in Navy uniforms. My first assignment was in stores, working in a big warehouse with a place for everyone to come get supplies from tape to toilet paper.

Coastal Carolina was a rural area with an upcoming tourist industry by the beaches. The restaurants in Morehead City and Beaufort offer the freshest seafood. The views, looking out to the Pamlico Sound are serene and breathtaking. One of the first things I remember doing is going out Deep Sea Fishing with two of my friends, Mike and Terry. Mike had a 25 ft, center console boat and Terry had a custom fishing pole business. Needless to say, they loved to fish. Even better, they showed me how to fish.

We would let out the boat very early in the morning near the Beaufort Bridge. Terry and Mike would work in silence, just as the sun was coming up, loading the boat. Each knew what the other one was doing. Right under the bridge, they would have their light poles hooked up with six gold hooks. Put it out i the water, shake it, and come up with 3 or 4 fish hooked on. Each would swing the pole to the center of the boat, where I was standing with a 55 gallon plastic trash can, full of water. I would unhook the fish and drop them in. No less than an hour and we would be on our way out to sea, looking for Marlin, maybe some King Mackerel...just about anything that would put up a good fight. The boat would slowly troll, with 2 heavy poles, set up in the back of the boat with the live bait caught earlier dragging behind in the water. All of the sudden, these lines in these poles would take off. It would take up to 45 minutes sometimes to reel these big fish in.

My first fish that I caught was a 55 lb King Mackerel. It took a long time and a little help.

Over by the Beaufort Bridge, lies an active shipping port with a long history, dating back to early days. I found this barnacle near where we would unload the boat.

The broken conch shell has a funny story. Being a woman, it is not always convenient to relieve oneself on a boat in the middle of the ocean with two men. Terry suggested that I go for a swim when we were out pretty far. He jumped overboard and showed me how safe it was. He came back up just as one of the poles took off. On the other end, came up a shark. Needless to say, I lost my courage to take a swim. On the way home, we passed by the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Mike pulled close enough to the shore where I could wade in the water for a bit. I found this shell sitting just underneath the water.