The Fine Art of Rambling, Part 1

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Glynda and I share an inherited trait – a love of rambling. We come by this naturally. When we were young my parents would load all seven of us into the Chrysler and we would go exploring. There were several epic journeys, including one through the Horse Pasture Creek area before it was inundated with lakes up near Jocassee. There was one rickety bridge, and Dad made all the kids get out of the car while he drove across the bridge as fast as he could. Other trips I remember were down to St. Augustine and up to the Smoky Mountains.

Most of our treks were less extensive – exploring the country roads around Laurens County. My mother especially loved, and still loves exploring dirt roads. My dad humors us, and seems more interested in the history of an area, especially when it has a close connection with our family. As an adult my ramblings have been quite diverse. I tend to combine both of my parent’s interests. Dirt roads still fascinate me, much to Laura’s dismay, and if an area has a close tie to our family history, so much the better.

Usually I have a general target in mind when I’m out rambling. Depending on how sidetracked I get, I may or may not even get there. As for the targets themselves, I get ideas from lots of sources. Sometimes it’s a place I’ve seen in our family history. Sometimes it’s just an unusual place name.

I’ve made quite a few online friends who share this passion for exploration. Matt Richardson and Eric Rogers both seem to find fascinating places to explore. I often find that we’re crossing the same paths. There are several Flickr photographers that document the vanishing South, as well.

I’ve often lamented that vanishing South in this blog. I just hope that our state doesn’t completely dissolve into the sameness of over-development. If I can preserve even just a little of it through writing and photography, then my ramblings won’t have been so aimless.