Cinemas in Morganton, NC

 

According to old city directories, three city center theaters are still standing in Morganton. The Alva Theatre is the most prominent and recognizable. According to a sign on the exterior of the building, the Alva was in operation between 1929 and 1951.  The building was constructed in a Spanish revival style and is remarkable shape today, although it has not been a theater for many years. It was owned by the Davis Brothers mid-century, who also owned two other theaters in Morganton as well. The Mimosa Theater, which currently houses a Japanese restaurant, and the Davis Theatre, occupied by a medical practice adjacent to a microbrewery. Between the 1943 and 1950 city directories, it appears that the Alva and Mimosa theaters closed, and the Davis opened.

Locations: Alva: 202 North Sterling; Morganton, NC; Mimosa: 107-09 South Green, Morganton, NC; Davis: 304 South Green, Morganton, NC.

Alva Theatre

Poster Frame from the Alva

Mimosa Theatre

Davis Theatre

The Still

 

An old roadside stand specializing in pecans and candy in rural Tattnall County Georgia on US Route 25. The name “The Still” makes me think of moonshine, and a nearby crossroad is called, “Old Still Road,” which adds to my flights of fancy. But, alas, I have no evidence of any of my suppositions.

Strand Theater and Jesup Drive-In (Jesup, GA)

 

The Strand was opened in 1924, while the Jesup Drive-In was opened in 1948 and closed briefly during the 1960s. It reopened in 1970 after the addition of a second screen. Both theaters remain in operation.

Strand Location: 169 West Cherry Street, Jesup, Georgia.

Jesup Drive-In Location: 3686 Savannah Highway, Jesup, Georgia.

Moody’s Bar-B-Q

 

About 3.5 miles north of Kingsland, and 7.5 miles south of Woodbine, Georgia, the former site of Moody’s Bar-B-Q sits abandoned on US Route 17. It is a fascinating ruin that suggests it was once a popular eatery, but it has clearly been out of business for quite some time.

Montbrook

 A small green sign directs the attentive motorist on US41 to an unimproved (read: dirt/sand) road that constitutes the community of Montbrook, Florida. Today, it is a collection of modest houses with rather large plots of land. At one time, in the early part of the twentieth century, the town of Montbrook was a stop on the rail line. It is difficult to say whether the town was prosperous. Today, all that remains are two structures from that era: a general store/post office and a former hotel. I have yet to find any information regarding the general store, which has set abandoned and uninhabited for many years. On the other hand. the hotel, built in 1904, is a private residence. It was moved to its current location in 1974, about 400 feet to the west from its former location. During the move, the former hotel acquired a brick façade. Now a residence, the building still retains its original flooring made from Dade County Florida pine.  Originally, the railroad tracks ran adjacent to the general store making it a short walk from the train stop to the hotel. At some point, however, the railroad tracks have been moved about a quarter of a mile east where it is still an active freight line.

The former hotel 

General Store / Post Office

Pine Floor 

Wells Theater (Kingsland, GA)

 

The Wells Theater opened around 1942 and closed in 1965. After its closure it became a plumbing supply company, then was remodeled for apartments in 1990. Currently, the building still seems to house apartments, although somewhat dilapidated. It is located across East King Street from the historic train depot.

The Lincoln Theatre, a cinema for the African American citizens, was located on North Lee Street in Kingsland, opening on 18 January 1950. Owned and operated by the Odum Brothers, the theater sought to have as many programs as possible featuring all-black casts. The Lincoln appears to be no longer extant. 

Location: 123 E. King Street, Kingsland, Georgia.

A brief stop on the outskirts of Columbia, SC

 After a grueling nine-and-a-half-hour drive to South Carolina, we awoke to find ourselves on the northside of Columbia, South Carolina. Today’s drive portends another seven-hour trip to northern Florida. An early morning walk yields exercise much needed to clear the mind and mentally prepare for the coming day. The area around the hotel offers little cultural or aesthetic interest, only cheap chain restaurants and soulless business developments. In fact, the surrounding area has the feel of a failed conurbation with empty lots and abandoned buildings. The sidewalks have no destinations; seemingly the only purpose they serve is a convenient place where Canada geese can defecate. I could be anywhere across the United States, same types of buildings, campuses, and plenty of rubbish and debris. Other than the occasional palmetto tree, there is little else to indicate I am in South Carolina. Yet, the open spaces, with trees and wetlands, is a haven for birds – at least temporarily until the next business plan comes along. I watch the brown thrashers, crows, mourning doves, mockingbirds, and Canada geese frolic and begin their day. The goslings are old enough to be almost indistinguishable from their parents. Although I find the area unfulfilling as a traveler, the birds can escape the humans for a while longer.

The geese are happy that it is available 

Where the sidewalk ends

The first day of a post-vaccine trip, and lunch at a rest stop

 

We are still uneasy about traveling on the first day of our grand post-vaccine trip. There had been many false starts and plans in the lead up to resuming travel. The preambulatory aspects of our promise to my mother that once we were fully vaccinated, and the appropriate time had passed to allow antibodies to develop, we would travel to see her had been fulfilled. Our excitement about returning to travel was also mixed with apprehension long baked into our pandemic minds and lives. It is not easy to simply switch from being wary of interpersonal exchanges with those we do not know to suddenly resuming a normal life. Additionally, the fraught politics of the past seventeen months has not been easy, particularly the tensions over mask-wearing or any behaviors that might slow the spread of Covid-19.

We packed lunches to minimize our contact with other people, stopping at a small bucolic rest area near Troutville, Virginia. The rest area, full of mature trees, was not systematically leveled but retained its rolling hills and a pleasant stream meandering through. The picnic tables had been abandoned to the cardinals and chipping sparrows until we arrived to disturb their diurnal routine. Soon another human and dogs arrived as well, and we were spotted by the truckdriver and two miniature Australian shepherds. After a minute’s hesitation, she made a beeline toward us. Her proximity made me feel uncomfortable, something she sensed but for the wrong reason. She assured me her dogs were friendly, even if vocal. It was clear, she was having difficulty reading the room. Soon, she was opining about the direction of the country since Biden’s election and “the millions of illegal immigrants” soon to be in the country. We held our tongues. But it is hard to listen to harangue about legality from someone who cannot control her dogs as it bolts away to confront other, leashed, dogs in the rest area. 

Chartreuse

 

It has been impossible to physically travel over the past year, but through food and drink we can do the next best thing. After reading an article about a liqueur made by French monks for over 900 years, the recipe of which is only know to three people in the world at any one time, I was intrigued. The liqueur is said to contain 130 herbs and plant and lends its name to the shade of green by the same name.

I purchased a bottle of Chartreuse to help celebrate the end of a difficult year. During the pandemic year some of my favorite Belgian beers, expensive to start with, tripled in price because the commercial airliners delivering them from Europe were not flying. After reading the article, I was doubtful that I would be able to find a bottle in rural Pennsylvania. But to my surprise, the state wine and spirits store in Chambersburg had six bottles according to the online inventory. I went mid-morning on a Monday, hoping to avoid a pre-holiday crowd. Not many people, but still busier than I imagined.

The article said it tastes like ‘grassy Jägermeister,’ the famous German herbal liqueur. I found it sweet, and extraordinarily strong. It is pleasant, but not something I would want to drink regularly. Angie said it tasted medicinal, which is to be expected since its origins were as an elixir. The little bit we had on New Year’s Eve night was enough to hold us for a while. I am sure the bottle will last us for a long time.

Dickens Quote

 “Power (unless it be the power of intellect or virtue) has ever the greatest attraction for the lowest natures..."

- Our Mutual Friend, Chapter III-7