Down Carolina way--again

I spent this past week in North Carolina visiting my new niece, Jaedyn. She's only just a month old and she's already walking and talking.

In fact, when before I left she told me, quite plainly, to "take the 501 bypass in Myrtle Beach" because US-17 is "like a parking lot most of the time."

I'm kidding, of course, but there is a method to my madness.

Babies all develop differently, they all respond to stimulae differently, and they all adapt to different environments. So, why all the competition amongst new parents?

It's like the two boys on the playground arguing about their dads. It's like a game of can-you-top-that?

When your kid learns how to walk and talk probably has no bearing on his or her level of overall aptitude. It has more to do with less quantifiable things.

So, when I hear parents talking about their kid as opposed to someone else's kid I start to get squeamish.

Do I think my niece is going to be smarter or in any way better than someone else's kid? Of course not. I'm not programmed to think of things in this way.

And, in any event, every infant is super smart and talented. Every infant is cute. And none of them ever cry.

Just ask their parents.

But, I digress...

The Trip

Since I can't ever do anything the orthodox way, I flew from Detroit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to get to Charlotte, North Carolina. I spent the night in Myrtle Beach, a tourist trap on cattle steroids, and left the next morning for Charlotte. It turned out to be a four hour drive through the wildwwod of the Carolinas. I enjoyed it, however, as it was the first time I'd taken a long trip without using an expressway.

Driving through the Old South I was always intrigued by each city's favorite son our daughter. From L.L. Polk and Randy Travis to Jesse Helms and Dizzy Gillespie, each town boasted one of its own. In truth, the only reason I paid any attention to this is because I noticed the sign in North Myrtle Beach before I left that said "the home of Vanna White."

Wow. I guess that's the best you can do, eh NMB?

I finally made it to Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon and I had a great time visiting my sister, brother-in-law, Jaedyn and my old girlfriend Beth. Still, I have a mind of to wander and I didn't sit around a whole lot.

Sites Seen

The Billy Graham Library: Located off Billy Graham Parkway in south Charlotte, the library had just opened the day prior to my visit. It was hotter than the blazes that day, but it was worth the short drive down 77. It's a purely evangelical operation, that much is clear, but it's also a fitting tribute to a truly great man.

Kannapolis, NC: I had to visit K-Town this time around to witnesses one of the most spectacular construction projects currently underway in the United States. The entire face of the city is being changed by the construction of an enormous research park (sponsored by UNC, Duke and NC State amongst others). The project will encompass the entire downtown area including the old Cannon Mills factory for which the city was named. By the way, NMB, K-town has Dale Earnhardt and George Clinton.

Mooresville, NC: This is the home of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. The headquarters of DEI is just on the south end of town and is free for visitors. To get there, just take NC-3 (named for Dale Earnhardt after his death) north from Kannapolis. Many other racing teams are quartered in Mooresville, but who really cares?

Davidson, NC: Davidson is home to, you guessed it, Davidson College. The prestigious college is situated near Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake in North Carolina. Davidson is nothing without the college, but the college is beautiful.

Concord, NC: Home of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord is a racing town through and through. Nascar fans (and even non-fans like myself) can snoop around the track and even find a way in during time trials. It is a great racing facility in a great location.

Darlington, SC: Darlington, on the other hand, isn't. This is Boondock racing at its very best. You can scarcely compare the two tracks. Darlington is old and very ill looking. The city is small, and I can hardly imagine what it must be like on race day. The Charlotte track looks like a colossus, Darlington looks like Auto City after a year's worth of deep-fried twinkies.

Florence, SC: Don't be fooled by what you've heard about this quaint little southern city. It's a dump.

There you have it.