But before I continue to post I need to express gratitude to our great friends, Andrew and Erica, for tending to Hannah during our vacation. We missed her greatly, but we enjoyed the time to ourselves for the week. Thank you Andrew and Erica!!!
September 18, 2011--Day 1
Stop #1: Spartanburg, South Carolina
My mom was born in Spartanburg so we drove by the spot where the hospital was. Unfortunately, the hospital has been torn down and a FedEx has been erected in its place. I told my mom that she needed to take a picture outside where the hospital once stood so here she is posing in front of the FedEx.
Our next stop in Spartanburg was my Great-Grandmother Deaton's home. She is deceased and obviously no longer lives there but the owner kindly let us take some pictures outside her home. This is where my Grandmother grew up.
During our first few stops in Spartanburg, my Great Aunt Irene and her daughter Jan were able to spend some time with us. It was so great and wonderful to see them. My Great Aunt Irene looks, sounds, and smells like my Grandmother (as she should because they are sisters). This woman is hilarious. She is all up-to-date on the latest Hollywood gossip. She loves to watch Dancing with the Stars and knows that Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough are "going together." So funny! Here is Aunt Irene standing in front of her childhood home.
The Deaton offspring.
Our next stop in Spartanburg was to go to the site of Deaton's Grocer. This was the business of my Great Grandparents. The store has been torn down and a home has been built in its place, but we took a picture regardless.
After Deaton's Grocer my mom took us to Beacon Drive-in for lunch. She used to eat here a lot when she was a kid and wanted to treat us to a meal.
After lunch we headed out a ways to go visit the grave site of one of our ancestors: Thomas Howard. He was a soldier in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.
After visiting the charming cemetery of Thomas Howard, we headed to North Fork cemetery to visit more ancestors. This is where my Mom's grandparents and relatives are buried.
I love this picture. Great Aunt Irene is standing in front of her parents' headstone. She is an adorable woman. I hope that I have a sense of humor like hers when I am her age.
Family group shot.
Stop #2: Greenville, South Carolina
My mom wanted to make a stop in Greenville and visit her first childhood home. She spent the first 7 years of her life here.
When my mom was a girl she used to stand up at the top of the street and wait for her dad to come home from work. When she saw his car coming around the corner she would run down the street and start singing a song (I cannot remember the title). My mom was very attached to her Dad and loved him very much!
Our last stop in Greenville was at my mom's first elementary school.
Stop #3: Newberry Cemetery
On our way down to Columbia we stopped in Newberry to visit the Quaker cemetery. Here we viewed more graves of ancestors.
Stop #4: Columbia, South Carolina
After Newberry, we continued to head south to Columbia where we made several stops. We went to the Mental Asylum where one of my ancestors was admitted. Her story is actually a very sad one but it's too long to blog about.
On our way to dinner we quickly drove by my mom's high school.
After dinner we checked into our hotel: The Inn at USC (that is the University of South Carolina, not University of Southern California). This picture is a scanned postcard that was given to us courtesy of the hotel.
4 comments:
Your grandmas old house is so cute!
What a fun trip to take with your family.
Your Great Aunt Irene sounds like a hoot. I hope I grow up to be a cheerful, friendly old person, not a cranky one.
I am so jealous! I love to make such a trip. You all are very blessed!
Thank you so much for sharing! I want to go back so much!
Post a Comment