Where ya wanna go?
That used to be an almost every Sunday question back in the 60’s and 70’s. There was no better way to spend the Sabbath than going to Sunday School and then loading up the whole family along with grandma and grandpa and hitting the wide open road in the ol’ Bonneville!
Dad’s car was about 28’ feet long and had 2 couches plus a bed in the back window so having enough room for 4 adults and 3-4 kids (depending on the year) was not a problem. We didn’t have to worry about whether or not there were enough seat belts for everyone and if space did become a problem (like when somebody was spending the night), well, there were always a few empty laps for the little people!
Excursions to Harlan KY were a common occurrence back in those days, especially when grandma and grandpa were along. Grandma had a fondness for Colonel Sanders chicken legs and Long John Silvers hush puppies so we usually ended up at one or the other of those places….sometimes both! It was always a gastronomical galore when you mixed those two places greases together! The trip home usually included a lot of “Will this thing go any faster? I gotta go!” and “Wonder if that gas station has a bathroom? This ain’t gonna be pretty!”
The trips without the grandfolks often consisted of packing a loaf of bread, some chips and loading up the big ol’ styrofoam cooler with a watermelon, baloney, mayonnaise, RC’s, Cokes and Tabs with a couple bags of ice on top. We would sometimes venture down towards the Smoky Mountains, find a shady spot on the side of the road, chow down and watch traffic go by while keeping a watchful eye out for bears! For some reason a good ol’ baloney sandwich tasted sooooo good out on the side of the road like that!
Things sure have changed nowadays. A Sunday drive just ain’t what it used to be. Grandma and grandpa are gone, Kentucky Fried Chicken is now just KFC and Long John Silvers burnt down when somebody tried to heat a box of fish up in the oven.
I guess the one thing that has remained the same is that stopping on the side of the road for a good ol’ baloney and mayonnaise sammich with some watermelon for dessert is still awesome!
