Road hazards

The West Virginia Turnpike is curvy, has many hills and a view to much natural beauty. On most days, the ride from Charleston to Beckley produces nothing more exciting than the thrill of counting the Ohioans headed south.

Once in a while, though, around a corner comes the unexpected, even the dangerous. Then you have to decide: hold back, pass on the other side or pitch in.

Since emergency help was on the way, we pulled over and took pictures. Nobody was hurt, but there sure was a mess to clean up.

Travel is a lot like life. You really never know what is ahead, so don't be afraid to slow down and pull over. Take pictures so you will remember the close calls.

Milestone

Well, then. Twenty years later, it is safe to say we have come a long way, unless you don't consider a million miles all that far, I mean everything is relative, right? When we started out we had no idea where publishing the Next EXIT would lead, only that it would take us all over the country, and it has done that, over and over.

The idea was father to the fact and after six years of collecting highway information we offered it to the public in 1991, and every year since, updated. It was accepted.

We have seen new services open and proliferate and old businesses close their doors. Roads have widened and extra exits have been added to accomodate what might be 'America's best idea', the interstate highways. I agree with Ike when he said, and I paraphrase, "the growth of a nation ought not to be hampered by poor transportation," or something similar.

So where to from here? I still cannot say exactly, but this much I know: In January of 2011, we will be headed east on Interstate 40, updating as we go. We hope you will go with us.

Peanut State

I thought Georgia was the Peach State but maybe not. My father, a farmer, once told me that just one county in South Carolina produced more peaches than the entire state to its southwest and yet Georgia had laid claim to the delicious fruit for itself. Neither state produces as many as California and the term "Georgia Peach" nowadays might be confused with "Georgia Belle."

Peanuts is another matter. Hands down Georgia wins this one, growing nearly one-half of the nation's crop. There is a peanut lobby and an anti-peanut lobby. An anti-peanut lobby? Who ever thought peanuts would get into politics?

Nuts is not what they are, though. Nuts come from trees and peanuts grow under the ground, a legume, if you will. Parch them, roast them, grind them into peanut butter, some folks say they will erase hunger around the world.

Boiled peanuts are a staple, nay, a delicacy, all over the South. What beach trip is complete without boiled peanuts? Everybody doesn't feel this way, though. When I reverently mention boiled peanuts to my friends in Idaho all I get is blank stares. Boiled potatoes, now that is a different story.