Boone to Troy to Dayton

Troy, North Carolina 3-30-2006
At long last I have commenced my journey. I have talked of this trip for over a year and now I cannot believe I am doing it. For months I had visions of the road as it appears over my handlebars and now my mind is filled not with desired scenes from the future but now relished scenes from my first day of travel.

On my way out of town I stopped to see if my concealed carry permit had arrived at the SheriffÌs office. Although, as I found out, it had been issued on the 23rd it still hadn’t arrived and I was forced to leave town packing heat that was hindered by a cable lock and stored not on my hip but in my bag. Pride slightly marred.

I was therefore on my way at last leaving town around 12:15 and beginning my descent off the mountain via 421. Not wanting to attract the blue lights I kept it nice and easy and hovered comfortably at 65-70mph. I stopped in Wilkesboro to pick up my new boots from the HD store and bought some gloves while I was at it. Roughly four hours later I rolled into Troy, the adopted home of Boone Berlin, student of Montgomery Community College and aspiring gunsmith. Boone and I go back as long as I’ve lived in the town of Boone (no relation) and I was pleased to make my first stop at his humble abode.

We enjoyed each other’s company, the local food scene (pretty pathetic) and the free access gun range available within the confines of the Uwharrie National Park. We duly heated the barrels of his .22 pistol and .22 Mag rifle and made the other shooters jealous wielding my recently acquired .40 caliber Walther P99, James Bond’s and Jack Bauer’s handgun of choice. Drake, Jonathan Drake.

As I write I prepare to bed down and will be leaving BooneÌs house in the morning. My destination is Dayton, TN. Justin Lonas, my buddy from Boone and co-highschool graduate is currently enrolled at Bryan College there as a senior. I’ll be staying with him for the weekend. Then, if my permit has arrived on Monday I will drive back to Boone to pick it up. From there it will be off to Missouri and so on.

Dayton, Tennessee 4-1-2006
I arrived in the town of Dayton on Saturday. My trip was without incident and was for the first time faced with an almost all day travel. I must say that I was indeed wiped out and do not know how I survived the buffeting and rush of the wind. However I do enjoy it. The freedom of the road is exhilarating.

My purpose for coming to Dayton, and you must have a purpose as there isn’t anything here to attract your average traveler, is that my good friend Justin Lonas has dwelt here for just under four years as a student of Bryan College. Bryan was founded in honor of William Jennings Bryan, a statesman, multiple timed presidential candidate and the famous lawyer who stood in defense of the law restricting the teaching of evolution in the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial.

During this stay Justin showed to me the courtroom in which the trial took place and drove by the unassuming house that served as the stage for Bryan’s death within a week following the completion of the trial. Very interesting. I personally enjoy being in places of great historical significance.

Saturday night we headed off to some local wilderness and with two of Justin’s school buddies went camping. It was a glorious evening and we enjoyed each other’s company and conversation into the wee hours of the night. Good guys.

I was aroused the next morning by a light tapping sound that I initially took for the crackling of the fire that Justin had promised to create. Of course it wasn’t and dodging the now realized dropping rain we ate a quick breakfast and rolled up our wet things and hurried out of there. It continued to rain for most of the day laughing, as it were, in the face of the previous day’s forecast of light clouds and sunshine.

Justin and I sought out his future mate (previously decided on), a certain Rachel Gentry, and spent the rest of the afternoon talking to her and relaxing. Justin and Rachel became engaged in the early part of this year and have set their wedding date for October 7. Justin is the first of our tight group of friends to forsake singleness but he does so with a smile on his face and a song on his lips.

Our evening was spent in the sweat and cussing that usually accompanies a good game of bowling. My best score for the evening was a measly 133. For shame.