Tags
Baltimore, Cafe Hon, Cheerwine, family, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, gratefulness, Hampden, Harpers Ferry, Massanutten, Shenandoah, travel, Yorkshire Gold
Sunrise silently paints the clouds above the Shenandoah Mountains as I sit on a balcony sipping Yorkshire Gold tea. Each celestial layer is suffused in turn with pale iridescent rose-gold. Muted bird calls and ratcheting cicadas compete with air-conditioners to disturb the early morning quiet.
A few days ago, unexpected tears prickled my eyes as I glimpsed the sunlit dome of the US Capitol building shortly after my arrival in Washington, DC. I am unashamedly proud to be an American! Our first dinner in Baltimore included 
Chesapeake Bay crab cakes and Old Bay wings from the iconic Café Hon in Ben & Rebecca’s Hampden neighborhood. We’ve tried fried okra at Cracker Barrel and Cheerwine, a soft drink I first read about in the Mitford books. (It tastes like diluted, carbonated cherry cough syrup.)
On the 3-hour drive from Baltimore to Massanutten, Virginia, our eyes feasted on views of centuries-old stone barns and lush tasseled corn fields. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, gave us a quick dip into Civil War history.
Wandering grocery store aisles in remote towns is a particular delight. I love trying unfamiliar products; our new favorite sweet treat is Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, small rectangles of nutty caramel in dark chocolate. Regional manners are also intriguing. In response to my question about the toy department, the young clerk at Dollar General replied, “Aisle Seven, Sweetie.” Rebecca commented, “You know you’re in the South when the clerk calls you ‘Sweetie’.”
I love seeing new places, meeting new people, tasting new flavors, and savoring hugs from small grandchildren. The moments of stress and uncertainty in this trip have served to heighten the joy in our annual visit with our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. Travel is a privilege that floods my heart with gratefulness. God is so good!
…God…richly provides everything for our enjoyment. I Timothy 6:17
Scrolling down the Travel section of the WP Reader just now, I stumbled across your blog. It was the mention of Yorkshire Gold Tea in the first line that did it! I lived in Yorkshire for many years so am well aquainted with this delicious beverage 🙂
I’m glad I stopped by, I really enjoyed this post and hearing about your travels and the people/places and things that you appreciate, and describe so beautifully. Thank you. Lottie
Glad you found the blog, Lottie. We visited Yorkshire 18 years ago and have wonderful memories. Stop by again! Carolyn
So glad you and Larry had a vacation! You look great in the picture!
Debbie
Thanks, Debbie. It was a great connection with our kids and grandkids!
HI Carolyn, this is Julie. I’m really enjoying reading snippets of your life through your blogs. Love how you see and appreciate the little things in life. And such a great pic of you and Larry!
I have a world map that once hung in Larry’s CCLI Sydney office, which he gave me when you were packing up to return to the US. You might have noticed it in a recent FB pic I posted. In the 13 or so yrs since then, we have lived in 4 different homes, and I have always found a wall to hang it on! I often think of you two when I look at it.
It now hangs at children’s eye- level, so my grandchildren can appreciate the breadth of this wonderful world and consider their place in it. Zion (6yrs) is particularly fascinated with the flags and proudly points out the ones he knows. I have cut out a small picture of Zion and occasionlly blue-tack it onto some country and wait until he finds himself there and we talk about that place! Thank you Larry!
Julie