Heading west to Lexington on a sunny June day with my daughter Katherine and her long-time friend Amy, the three of us reminisced about previous road trips we’ve taken together over the years. We all agreed that the most memorable of all was a trip home from a Girl Scout Jamboree at Camp Mu-Sha-Ni a few miles outside of Aberdeen, in the fall of 1991 when our country was in the midst of the Anita Hill hearings. We spent that long ago car ride mesmerized by the radio coverage of the hearings. All of us were raised in Chapel Hill and we laughed in retrospect at how typical it was of Chapel Hill kids to have been passionately following a congressional hearing when they were barely in their teens.

Twenty-five years later, Amy was home visiting from Mexico and ready to indulge in some North Carolina barbecue, giving me the perfect excuse to travel to Davidson County, a place justifiably proud of its reputation for barbecue. What better place to enjoy Lexington style barbecue than at a restaurant called Lexington Barbecue? Cheerwine, Texas Pete, hushpuppies, and some of the best barbecue I’ve ever eaten – it was worth the trip!

After lunch we drove through picturesque downtown Lexington, Davidson’s county seat, and were impressed by all the Saturday afternoon activity and busy shops. Having seen far too many deserted downtowns in small towns across our state, it does my heart good to drive through one that is thriving. From Lexington we traveled east to nearby Thomasville, a community where the furniture industry played such a major role that it’s celebrated with a giant chair in the middle of town. Sadly, downtown Thomasville was the opposite of Lexington, with deserted streets and many abandoned buildings, including furniture factories that are no longer in operation.

On the way home from Davidson County, Amy challenged Katherine and me to name all 100 counties in North Carolina. I was chagrined that we were only able to come up with 93 – and I am still convinced there is a Chocowinity County despite all the evidence to the contrary! The seven counties we overlooked were in the far eastern and western parts of the state which makes sense considering that our own hometown is smack dab in the middle.

Growing up in Chapel Hill is a special experience that creates a bond among those who have shared it, a bond that transcends generations. My hundred county quest has been an opportunity to experience North Carolina’s many different regions and to appreciate what each county has to offer. Traveling with these two Chapel Hill natives was a nice reminder that at the end of every trip, it always feels good to come home.

June 11, 2016, County #30 – Davidson