Driving Southbound… Day One

Our trip from Bound Brook to Everts, Kentucky began at 8 am on Saturday, July 5, 2008. A total of 44 travelers arrived between 7:00 and 7:45 am, accompanied by many parents, friends. Among those seeing us off was Rev. Brooks Smith, the new interim pastor of the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church.

We made 501 miles on day one, travelling from Bound Brook to Wytheville, Virginia (near the intersection of I-81 and I-77). Some groups took three stops along the way, some took more. All groups arrived in Wytheville between 4:30 and 5:30 pm… in the middle of a brief thunder shower.

We’re staying on cots and air beds at the Presbyterian Church of Wytheville. The Wytheville church has graciously provided its comfortable facilities (parlors, classrooms, meeting rooms, and fellowship halls) to accommodate our group for the overnight on Saturday. Many thanks go out to Brad and Wendy from the Wytheville church who helped us make everything possible. We hope to be out of their way, and on our way, well before their 9:30 service on Sunday morning.

Once we arrived, Linda Owens held a brief meeting to review schedules and rules. Then groups scattered around Wytheville to eateries like Sonic, Appleby’s, and Cracker Barrel. We all arrived back at the Wytheville church by 9:30 pm. Then we all settled in to get some sleep before our 8:00 am departure.

Ray Ferreira