North and South Carolina

Current location: Microtel Inn, Walterboro, South Carolina - about sixty miles from Savannah, Georgia. We didn't cover as much distance today because of a more leisurely pace and stops along the way. About halfway through North Carolina we spotted a small cluster of palm trees which is the furthest north I've seen them. They were only five feet high and having a hard time but the sight still cheered us on our way.

One stop was in Selma, NC. Highway signs advertised an Antique Mall and we took a look. It turned out to be a nondescript warehouse which we found thanks to an elderly gentleman manning the Tourist Information Center. He told me the sad story of Selma, once a bustling city which declined over time into a small one-horse town with many buildings boarded up and for sale. To spur business the town chose to specialize in antiques and draw customers from the I-95 traffic.

He said the initiative did not succeed and the town has dwindled to 7500 souls. Even the horse left. The gentleman asked me to sign the guest register which I did, and I noticed the previous signature was five days old. Manning that office must feel pretty much like solitary confinement.

Dinner at the Cracker Barrel, next door to the Inn, was excellent.

Photos: Carol outside one of many antique stores in downtown Selma, and the sunset while approaching Walterboro.