Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
~ On The Road Again by Willie Nelson
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
~ On The Road Again by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson wrote this classic song in 1980 for the movie Honeysuckle Rose. In his first leading role, Nelson starred as an aging musician who traveled the country to play at different venues. He was a vagabond, of sorts – no permanent home and little money, as fame had escaped him.
Well, David wasn’t a vagabond, but with five moves in the past 10 years – Tucson to Atlanta (2011), Atlanta to Tucson (2012), Tucson to Las Vegas (2014), Las Vegas to Tucson (2015), and Tucson to Scottsdale (2018) – Debra and I knew that our son was a bit of a rolling stone! So, we were not surprised when, a couple of months back, he told us he was moving to Charlotte.
“Why Charlotte?” we asked.
“Two reasons,” he replied in his quiet way.
“First, you know that I’ve been an avid fan of stock car racing for more than 30 years, ever since Dad bought that model car kit of Ernie Irvin’s #2 Kroger Chevrolet for me. Dad built the car, and I added the decals.”
This memory, which came flooding back, put a big smile on my face!
“Charlotte is home to 90% of stock car race teams,” he continued. “I’d like to find an opportunity to work in NASCAR again, so this Charlotte is THE best place for me to be.”
David first scratched this itch in 2011, when he worked part-time for a NASCAR truck team. Mainly, he was the spotter – positioned high atop the grandstand as the ‘eyes in the sky’ who relayed important track information to the driver. David lived his dream, and all these years later, his dream lived on!
“The second reason,” he said, “is that many of my friends live in and around Charlotte – people I met when I worked for the truck team and many more through my years of sim racing.”
His reasons made good sense, but still...
Then David laid down the clincher: He had secured a full-time accounting position in Charlotte, with an October 1st start date.
“Well, I guess there’s no turning back!” Debra said to me. Not that he needed it, but we gave David our blessing.
I let a week go by before I asked David, “How about another cross-country trip like the one we took when you moved from Atlanta? This way, I can help you settle in when your furniture and furnishings arrive.”
“I’d love to,” he began, “but I am anxious to get to Charlotte. We won’t have as much time for sightseeing on this trip as we did then.”
“Probably not,” I acknowledged, “but let’s see what we can fit in.”
Well, David wasn’t a vagabond, but with five moves in the past 10 years – Tucson to Atlanta (2011), Atlanta to Tucson (2012), Tucson to Las Vegas (2014), Las Vegas to Tucson (2015), and Tucson to Scottsdale (2018) – Debra and I knew that our son was a bit of a rolling stone! So, we were not surprised when, a couple of months back, he told us he was moving to Charlotte.
“Why Charlotte?” we asked.
“Two reasons,” he replied in his quiet way.
“First, you know that I’ve been an avid fan of stock car racing for more than 30 years, ever since Dad bought that model car kit of Ernie Irvin’s #2 Kroger Chevrolet for me. Dad built the car, and I added the decals.”
This memory, which came flooding back, put a big smile on my face!
“Charlotte is home to 90% of stock car race teams,” he continued. “I’d like to find an opportunity to work in NASCAR again, so this Charlotte is THE best place for me to be.”
David first scratched this itch in 2011, when he worked part-time for a NASCAR truck team. Mainly, he was the spotter – positioned high atop the grandstand as the ‘eyes in the sky’ who relayed important track information to the driver. David lived his dream, and all these years later, his dream lived on!
“The second reason,” he said, “is that many of my friends live in and around Charlotte – people I met when I worked for the truck team and many more through my years of sim racing.”
His reasons made good sense, but still...
Then David laid down the clincher: He had secured a full-time accounting position in Charlotte, with an October 1st start date.
“Well, I guess there’s no turning back!” Debra said to me. Not that he needed it, but we gave David our blessing.
I let a week go by before I asked David, “How about another cross-country trip like the one we took when you moved from Atlanta? This way, I can help you settle in when your furniture and furnishings arrive.”
“I’d love to,” he began, “but I am anxious to get to Charlotte. We won’t have as much time for sightseeing on this trip as we did then.”
“Probably not,” I acknowledged, “but let’s see what we can fit in.”
A day later, I sent a four-night, five-day itinerary to David – hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The route followed Interstate 40, which ran through the south-central states, for much of the 1,900-mile drive. I suggested we knock out most of the miles in the first couple of days to allow time for leisurely sightseeing when we got to Tennessee – a state that neither of us had been to before. This proved to be a great strategy!
David scanned the itinerary and gave me a thumbs-up. Two weeks later, we were on the road to Charlotte!
Our father-son adventure was a special experience – one that strengthened our bond and created lasting memories.
Please join David and me as we go on the road again.
David scanned the itinerary and gave me a thumbs-up. Two weeks later, we were on the road to Charlotte!
Our father-son adventure was a special experience – one that strengthened our bond and created lasting memories.
Please join David and me as we go on the road again.
My Stories, One Day at a Time
I will post stories from each leg of our road trip, with a new story every month or so.
I will post stories from each leg of our road trip, with a new story every month or so.
On the Road to Amarillo
On the Road to Conway
Five Memories from My Road Trip with David
