Returned from A Sunny Place for Shady people…
A photo from the road and totally common site as one sails up 1-95 from South to North…
A yep. Pecans, fruit, boiled peanuts, topless cafes, and firework stands- things one is bound to see whilst traversing from North Va, through NC, SC, and GA on the way to FL and back again.
And no offense to the fine citizens of SC, but you know, I have been doing this trek a few times a year for almost 20 years and the stretch of 95 which runs through your state (and goes on forever and ever)…well…it sucks. And is under construction. Always. For the last 20 years it seems.
You do have a cool state flag though!
Real posts to come soon.
Renegade Evolution 
Welcome back from the land of jai alai and early bird specials. Does your family live in one of those Boca Mar Del Vista Phase III kind of places, or are they somewhere funkier, like near Calle Ocho or the Glades?
FL seems to have put the zap on your blogging, so I am glad to have you back. Even if you had to survive an I-95 hejira. Did you have the “South of the Border” experience? Like a bad acid trip, perhaps, but at least it is a trip…
thye live in the orlando area, where Mickey Mouse is Lord and King.
And I have seen South of the Border a billion times
Living among the Rat worshippers! The senior Evolutions msut be hard-pressed to maintain their sanity. I imagine the golf and the clear springs help.
Glad that your caravan proceedeth via “America’s favorite highway oasis.” Where “our attitude is our philosophy – take it easy on the road of life!” Deep, huh? Wonder how long they can get away with the Pedro mascot: a fat Mexican leaning against a cactus and taking a siesta under his sombrero.
Re: South Carolina. You can blame Republicans for that; they’ve been in charge. They resolutely fight all public works projects and infrastructure improvements.
but who do I thank for the flag?
Revolutionaries and secessionists. In 1775 the South Carolina Revolutionary Council charged Colonel William Moultrie with designing a flag for the troops, and he came up with the crescent motif. After seceding from the Union, the state legislature added the palmetto tree to the flag. Which does look great. Somewhat reminiscent of the battle flags that flew over Arab armies from Muhammad’s time onward. Maybe South Carolina should insert some Islamic calligraphy: what is “Damn Yankees!” in Arabic?
it is very middle eastern in feel, no?
I think it is an awesome flag.
Yes and yes. Other great state flags: Arizona (Rising Sun meets Jasper Johns), California (it has a brown bear and a separatist-sounding text), Hawai’i (Cool Britannia!), Louisiana (ya gotta love a pelican), Maryland (looks like hip-hop heraldry), New Mexico (the motif is taken from a water jar in Zia Pueblo), Rhode Island (anchors aweigh), and Vermont (a red cow under a pine tree – how sweetly pastoral and yet sort of trippy). DC really needs to improve its flag. I propose adopting the album cover from Parliament’s “Chocolate City” – it has Abe Lincoln’s statue, the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building. Might want to add Ben’s Chili Bowl and the House of Wig.
In Bathurst (a small-ish city in regional New South Wales) I once ran across a very peculiar store. They were a combined fishing/guns/fireworks/bicycles/pet store. I shit you not.
I guess regional Australians just like convenient shopping.
Those product lines make sense to me. You go to the store, then ride your new bicycle to a park, set off the fireworks to attract wildlife – in New South Wales I imagine that this would be herds of dingo along with the koala bears and kangaroos that prey upon them — shoot them with your recently purchased guns, get your new pet retrievers to pick up the pieces and use that for bait with the fishing tackle. Voila!
Throw in something poisonous and a hyperbolically laid back attitude, and you’re pretty much spot on 🙂