31 August 2016
It’s amazing how a hot shower revives the soul. I slept very soundly and awoke refreshed and ready to hit the road. The Fairfield breakfast was pretty standard and lasted me until 9:30 am when the McDonald’s craving kicked in. I wanted a coffee and cinnamon roll. Alas, the McDonalds in Dothan, AL no longer served cinnamon rolls so I opted for the much healthier egg McMuffin.
Time to Tupelo was a little over six hours via Montgomery and Birmingham. My first surprise was there is an entirely new interstate from Birmingham to Memphis through Tupelo – I 22 that was not in existence 31 years ago when I taught at Itawmaba Junior College (now ICC). I missed the old highway 78 with its quirky little towns and scenery, but I have to admit I 22 scenery was pretty spectacular. This part of Alabama and Mississippi is referred to as the foothills of the Appalachians and the new interstate showed it off to perfection – beautiful rolling hills (or what what we refer to as mountains in South Florida).
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We headed to The Grille in Tupelo for dinner and drinks. Tupelo is I unrecognizable to me which is so strange since I spent so much time here when I taught in Fulton at IJC all those years ago. (You could buy alcohol in Lee county but not Itawamba). It’s a big city now with new construction everywhere. The restaurant was at the site of the old fair grounds which was on the outskirts of the town way back when. It’s now wall-to-wall shops and a new arena for large venues of entertainment.
Some of you may know Tupelo was Elvis’ birthplace. When I was here from 1979-1984, it was just one little shack with one little sign. Elvis still had iffy morals back then with all that hip action when he sang. Today, it’s a massive area where tourists (especially British – don’t ask me, the French fever Jerry Lewis) flock en masse. Tupelo milks it for all it is worth.
Tomorrow Reid and I will visit Fulton and ICC and some old friends there. Later that afternoon, Reid and Ann are hosting a party of faculty and students during my years at the college at their place. The memories wash over me. Reid used the old college annuals of my years at IJC (5 years) and invited everyone he thought I would remember. Sadly, the list of deceased was pretty long but it will be really good to see compatriots and former students during those years. I suspect a little booze will also be imbibed during the reunion.
