Tallahassee, Florida—Although we have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated having a GPS on our travels, we have also learned that "her" directions are only as good as her database. After all, she's reading off a chip and can't "see" what the roads look like. So being sent down the occasional dirt road isn't a huge surprise. However, we got a good laugh when the GPS sent us to a road heading into someone's pasture.
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| We should turn down this road? |
We arrived in Tallahassee and began our search for locations for the 2010 Wood family reunion. One place we really liked was
Alfred Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee. We found a fantastic large pavilion located on Lake Hall. Also on the grounds near the magnificient gardens is a gardener's cottage we can rent for the day.
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| Maclay Gardens pavilion |
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| Lake Hall at Maclay Garden |
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| Gardener's cottage offers indoor space at Maclay |
On the other hand, the Hampton Inn had some really nice spaces we could use also.
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| Hampton Inn patio |
After a day of searching for reunion spaces, we arrived at Bruce and June's house just after a big rainstorm. Wearing slick-bottom flip flops and not paying attention to where she was walking, Dianne slipped and landed on her left knee as we were walking from the car to the house. Before we even got in the door we were off for an x-ray.
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| A short stay before heading off for medical care |
A trip to the urgent care center confirmed what she suspected. Her kneecap was fractured.
Meanwhile Bruce and June had planned a wonderful celebration for our one year letterboxing anniversary the previous day, on which we found our 700th letterbox. And there we were hanging out at the urgent care center. Fortunately we did get to visit with everyone that evening but headed home the following day.
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| Our welcoming committee |
Even though our scouting mission we cut short by the need to get home and see the orthopedist, we did get a bit of letterboxing done on the way home.
Westview Cemetery in Moultrie has produced a fascinating audio tour relating stories of some of the people interred there. A local letterboxer took advantage of the opportunity and planted a fabulous series of letterboxes in the cemetery. Since they didn't involve hikes, they were perfect candidates. Ken retrieved the boxes and brought them to the car, where we worked together to stamp in.
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| Statue of Charlie Etta Burney and her infant |
The story goes that Charlie Etta Burney was a very cultured, beautiful and well educated young lady. She hailed from a well respected family. Imagine the shock when she slipped away and married a traveling salesman! Sadly, it was a short lived romance. Charlie Etta and her baby died in childbirth just ten months after the couple married. A statue of the two of them was carved by Italian sculptors using a post-death photograph of mother and child as a guide.
SATURDAY, 31 AUGUST—SUNDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2009
