Grice Connect's Ron Baxley shares some of his favorite memories and adventures which occurred during travel along Highway 301 from his home in South Carolina to relatives in Florida. Ron and all of us at Grice Connect want you to remember that the journey to your destination is often the most memorable part of Christmas. Enjoy your time with friends, family and strangers along the way this Christmas.
Here are Ron's touchingly funny ways he fondly remembers his Christmas journeys. They will take you back to your Christmas journeys as well.
Packing into the LTD for our Highway 301 Adventure
Nearly every Christmas holiday, when I was a young child, we would load into a LTD or some comparable long vehicle. We would then take the four hour holiday road trip to see my Mom's side of the family in Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, she was from there originally, so we spent many holidays there with relatives in the 70s and 80s. We were even able to stay there and go to Walt Disney World for day trips at times.
By the way, the vehicles were longer than the preacher's sermon when you are hungry for a Christmas meal. In short (too late), they could be eyesores at times like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from "National Lampoon's Vacation".
Next, as we passed by sights, the spaciousness of old cars facilitated being able to see out the windows. In retrospect, we passed by some old buildings that were actually pretty cool.
This car shown below resembled our family vehicle more closely. We spent many trips staring out of windows like that. At one point, we did get a caravan when I was an older child. But I was not a 90s kid with DVDs being played overhead. Also, cellphones were not smart and were huge and in bags. My sister and I were not the cell generation. Therefore, when we were not fighting and getting threatened, my sister and I played games like I Spy. But we mostly just listened to music (country or classical music from my parents before Walkmans) or just stared out the windows.
Some of the buildings we stared at evoked architectural and aesthetic nightmares. They were colored like Ralphie's bunny suit was in "A Christmas Story". (By the way, at that point, with brown glasses and messy blond hair as well as being much skinnier, I resembled Ralphie myself.)
Becoming bored at times, my sister and I would whine at times about there being too many "pink motels" along the route. Along 301, there were abandoned or just barely remodeled hotels in garish colors. Many years later, those have since been remodeled and look much nicer. But, at one point, they were a sign of the decline of Hwy. 301 that started when the emphasis was placed on I-95 for travel. Back then, Hwy. 301 became the figurative Route 66 of the South.
Nevertheless, we were still fascinated by what those places must have been like in previous decades. The fading neon signs and the decrepit structures still hinted at the hubbub of decades before. We asked our parents many questions about what had been there if a place was closed down permanently.
The memories of Highway 301 and seeing the glory of what it was and has become are bittersweet. Yet the memories are sweeter knowing the changes that have been made.
Tourist Traps of Christmas Past Along the Way on Highway 301 Adventure
At times, we stopped by what some might call a tourist trap not far from Allendale, South Carolina -- an all wooden building that ominously also sold fireworks. (No, that's not a fire hazard at at all... no, Sir.) We would get some fireworks there on occasion if we planned to stay through New Year's Eve with relatives.
But this place also had every kind of S.C. labeled item imaginable and a lot of novelties. They even had gag gifts like fake vomit and had noisy toys with which I could bother my family. I found little boxes that you turned over to make farm animal noises. I begged for one of them, and my mother bought me one. Hearing moo a hundred times or more probably put my late father on edge -- not that he was not already. He never could quite reach me in the back seat!
Some Not So Family Friendly Content on Highway 301 Holiday Trips
The tourist trap also had some not so family friendly content. A hillbilly toy of plastic fellow turned around when you opened an outhouse door. Let's just say he ended up being like Ray Steven's "The Streak". Also, posters and placards depicted buxom beauties there but nothing adult-oriented. Basically, you can get a bit of an early education on a holiday road trip. (Also, no leg lamps were bought or destroyed as a result of this holiday visit.)
Food Finds along our Highway 301 Adventure
We next would stop by and get some sweet Braswell's jelly for gifts or some yummy Claxton Fruit Cake (the jelly probably came from a grocery store on the way and not the Braswell's or Claxton's gift shop). In fact, we would gobble one Claxton fruit cake en route.
We acted like we were nomadic travelers who had not seen food in days -- especially my late father. However, we had just been traveling a little over an hour!
That morning, mom would often pack a lunch for us to eat on the way, but my portly, late father would often get into the food about 30 minutes down the road from South Carolina. (With the rush to get out, we sometimes did not eat breakfast.)
Country Buffets on the Highway 301 Holiday Trips
At times, given that Dad had already eaten some of the pimento cheese and other sandwiches that were supposed to be part of lunch, we would stop at one of the country buffets along 301 in the general Statesboro area. Or we would eat at a barbecue or seafood place further down the road in Brunswick. In fact, I remember one place closer to Statesboro looking liking a mini-version of a mostly glass front Howard Johnson's -- an old staple of highway travel.
Modern Country Buffet Not Far from Highway 301
Next, a modern place in Statesboro reminds me of the types of places where we would stop. The Ole Times Country Buffet in front of Lowe's evokes the country restaurants of yesteryear. They have a nice selection of country food and vegetables most of the week. They also have a special seafood buffet on Friday evenings. As I do holiday travel in the future, I will probably make this one of my stops.
Fruitcake and Jelly
Again, as aforementioned, we would stop and get some Braswell's fig preserves for relatives or two of the rectangular solid, colorful Claxton fruit cakes.
In short, relatives appreciated the Braswell's fig preserves and peach jelly we would pick up from the area and sometimes peach jelly from Peach World further down the road. They welcomed these additions to Mom's department store finds.
Also, when I think back to the Braswell's jelly, I think of the Jelly of the Month club scene from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Upon Clark's disappointment at receiving it, Cousin Eddie says, "That's the gift that just keeps giving, Clark."
A jelly of the month club certificate certainly would disappoint one in contrast to a big bonus for a swimming pool. However, fig preserves or peach preserves that were not always available at Jacksonville were welcomed gifts alongside other gifts we bestowed. The relatives wanted something that was not from their state.
We would eat one 16 ounce Claxton fruitcake block on the way;the other was for relatives. We ate the fruitcake as our dessert after skipping dessert at the buffet.
Christmas Disruption leads to even more Highway 301 Holiday Adventure
One year, we either had an emergency or had a falling out with somebody. We had to leave in the early afternoon on Christmas day itself in Jacksonville, Florida. Back then, no restaurants or really even businesses at all were open on Christmas Day. I kid you not that for lunch before the trip back, we had our own version of a "A Christmas Story".
A Place Way Away from the Highway 301 Holiday
To my very young imagination, the place that we stopped at was something ordained by Santa Claus himself. The restaurant was on Lem Turner Rd. in Jacksonville -- not far from where my late Nana lived but that no longer exists. I kid you not, but the place was called Ho-Hos. I can hear the Santa voice reverberating, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" just as a I write this.
And, yes, it was a Chinese place that was open on Christmas Day just like in "A Christmas Story". But, no, the employees did not sing any Christmas carols to us.
A Young Country Boy's First Taste of Chinese Food
Being a picky eater then, I would only eat the fried rice but soon learned to love Chinese food through the years. My little rural hometown in S.C. would not have Chinese places for decades later, and it became one of my favorite foods.
Having to go back home too soon and on Christmas Day itself stank, but a country boy was able to get his first taste of something that to him at the time was somewhat exotic.
The Best Part are the Memories of 301 Holiday Trips and of a Merry Christmas
In conclusion, we had many ways we enjoyed the Highway 301 holiday trips then. One may have been unexpected but still turned out pretty cool. I have many fond memories of holiday travel and visits with family.
I hope that the Grice Connect audience will make many memories this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Safe travels!
(For the New Year, I may even have an occasional series on sites along Highway 301 from S.C. to Statesboro and beyond. Happy New Year!)
