| A Memorable Monument |
Trails to Adventure and Discovery THE PEACHOID
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| My travel partner and I were on a road trip to Washington, DC. Our mode of travel was going to cost us over 1200 miles one-way and cut into our DC touring time, but we never let a little thing like distance get in our way of taking the off-beaten-path to see some unusual things. We had veered off Interstate 85 N onto the Scenic Route 11 through the Cherokee Foothills of South Carolina. It ends up near Gaffney. Several miles before reaching Gaffney we began seeing signs advertising the Gaffney Prime Outlet Mall. The signs said it was located right next to the Peachoid. I wondered what the Peachoid was. On the outskirts of the city I saw this thing looming in the sky that appeared to be getting larger as we approached. I kept thinking, oh wow! that looks like the marshmallow man in Ghostbusters or a spaceship trying to land. |
Look closely at our car parked by the light pole. It looks like a bug next to this huge water tower! |
| What it is though is a huge water tower constructed to look like a peach. So this was the Peachoid! There is a little park right by it that is dedicated to one of the town founders. I couldn't resist getting an up-close-and-personal photo of that tower! The day was overcast so I couldn't get a good picture but if you look at our car parked nearby you can get a general idea of just how huge this thing is! Since we were already there, I saw no reason to bypass the outlet mall. I asked my partner, "aren't you trying to find some Reeboks in a size 11?" Shoe stores galore! Banana Republic. The Gap had a great sale going. Ooh la la! I could have stayed there all day. Moving on down the road We were trying to make Charlotte, NC for the night. We reached Durham a little past lunch time and it had been a long time since we had eaten breakfast. We also needed to feed the gas mobile and were keeping an eye out for the best deal. We will remember this as the springtime when gasoline prices were steadily soaring. My buddy spotted a sign for a historic tobacco homestead and naturally wanted to explore. He is famous for making instant decisions and had already taken the exit before I could blink. Remembering the prior day's experience of getting lost on a winding mountain road on an empty tummy, I said, "Oh no! We're eating first this time." Found this fabulous place called Honey's right off the exit we had taken. We had eaten a lot of sandwiches in the last couple of days and I was so ready for some good "down home" food, which is exactly what Honey's has to offer. Excellent food. Excellent service. Reasonable prices. Be sure and get the home style Banana Pudding! |
| Honey's Restaurant |
| Honey's is a landmark restaurant in Durham, NC, open since 1961. It is filled with memorabilia fom the 60s and 70s. Soft rock & roll music can be heard playing in the background while you dine on some real "down home" style food. |
When we were paying the bill
at Honey's I asked about this
Duke's Tobacco Homestead.
A local diner was quick to tell
me, "it's just down the road a
piece." Having grown up in
the south, I know a "piece"
to southerners can have
totally different meanings. I
wondered if we were going
to wind up back in SC today.
Actually, it turned out to be
just a few blocks away.
Unfortunately it was closed
for touring so we didn't get
to see much. My partner at
least got to read the historic
marker outside. He was
semi-happy. The grounds
are lovely.
You can check out this link,
Duke's Homestead, to see
pictures of the homestead.
Admission is free. Open
Tue-Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
at Honey's I asked about this
Duke's Tobacco Homestead.
A local diner was quick to tell
me, "it's just down the road a
piece." Having grown up in
the south, I know a "piece"
to southerners can have
totally different meanings. I
wondered if we were going
to wind up back in SC today.
Actually, it turned out to be
just a few blocks away.
Unfortunately it was closed
for touring so we didn't get
to see much. My partner at
least got to read the historic
marker outside. He was
semi-happy. The grounds
are lovely.
You can check out this link,
Duke's Homestead, to see
pictures of the homestead.
Admission is free. Open
Tue-Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.