Rocky Mount, SC – No more jackets, scarves and gloves! When we reached our destination today here in South Carolina, the temperature read 22 degrees Celsius! And, as predicted yesterday, I managed to spot a shrub covered with blossoms as we drove into town. Of course, it is still technically winter around here too, and the majority of deciduous trees are bare, standing on ground well littered with dead brown leaves, but we saw some smaller trees in green leaf along the side of the highway.
The white fluffy stuff we saw on the shoulders of the highway in the final few miles of our journey today was not snow, but shreds of cotton from the cotton fields we passed, now that we’re approaching the true south. More indicators have been the pleasant “honey” that sales staff use when addressing me as I pay for our fuel. It’s quite lovely. Plus the grits and biscuits that were part of our breakfast fare at the hotel this morning.
We have been continuing southward, but took an eastern turn as well today, departing from Interstate 81 as we left Winchester and heading along State Highway 17 and Interstate 95 and 64. This allowed us to skirt the Washington, DC area and pass through some lovely farm regions where cattle were grazing on rolling hills. We passed old stone homes with plantation names, and the properties were delineated by long stretches of low walls, made from field stones that slaves must have stacked in place many long years ago.
Not being on an interstate for much of the day meant we saw fewer tractor trailers, which made the driving a bit easier. There were some, but the highway wasn’t nearly as congested with them as yesterday. Our choice of routes also meant we missed the steepest sections of the Appalachians, which can be treacherous sometimes if the weather turns bad. We had none of that today – just light clouds most of the time and that steadily climbing temperature.
The town of Rocky Mount, population around 60,000, was established in 1867 and owes its origins to a cotton mill, the tobacco trade and the railway. It’s also the birthplace of one-time boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard. When you’re just passing through, however, you don’t get to see a lot of the nicer parts, such as parks or historic town centres, so I can’t tell you a whole lot more. But I’ve included a photo of one part of the town that was taken by one of its citizens, to give you an idea.
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