From Jacksonville to Jacksonville - December 12-13, 2008

After dropping the boys off with family, we began the trek from Jacksonville, Florida, to Jacksonville, North Carolina, to visit the Marine's daughter Jamie - an eagerly anticipated stop on our way to the Marine's hometown of Columbus, Ohio. We decided to take a leisurely drive and stay off the interstate as much as possible. We had a nice relaxing trip until we made a quick stop at a convenience store in Jamestown, South Carolina, for a bathroom break and soda purchase. Just after we pulled back onto Highway 17, we saw flashing blue lights behind us. We were pulled over by the local Barney Fife on the pretext of not having come to a complete stop before getting onto 17. We had seen the same cop with a semi (with out-of-state plates) pulled over just south of the convenience store on our way in. After departing with a $237 ticket, we googled Jamestown and found out that this place is notorious for pulling over people with out-of-state plates for ridiculous reasons. If you ever pass through this area, BEWARE! They are not visitor-friendly.

Anyway, once the Marine's blood pressure had returned to normal levels, we were able to once again enjoy our holiday jaunt. Upon arriving in Jacksonville, NC, we stopped at the Beirut Memorial, which is being expanded to include other memorials. In fact, a memorial with a steel beam from the World Trade Center dedicated to the Marines on the Battlefields of Iraq in the Spring of 2003 was now on display. A very touching memorial and a new icon.

Next we headed to our hotel to check in and rest for a little while until the Marine's daughter got off work. Had a great time and got to meet Jamie's significant other for the first time. Yea!