Up at 6, working on emails. Lots of good news on media coverage; people are giving us good coverage on the “Back Roads and Small Towns” tour.
7:30 am: Meet Barbara, go get in the Libertarian PARTY VAN (LPV), and head for breakfast at the Hungry Moose Cafe down in Murphy. It’s about 30 degrees, but beautiful.
7:50 am: Breakfast buffet, with coffee and advice from Faith, the woman who works at the Hungry Moose. Grits, biscuit, bacon, scrambled eggs, and some melon. RIb-stickin’. Dr. Dan comes in, a very fine man and long-time Murphy LIbertarian. Well met, sir, well met. We talk about some issues, and then he has to head for work (he is an opthalmologist).
8:10 am: We head for the “early voting” site beside the Courthouse (Murphy is the seat for Cherokee County). No action at the EV site, so we plant a sign and head on towards….
9:00 am: I talk to Roy at the Marathon gas station. He takes the card, and is really happy to meet me. We have a good talk. Barbara and I both hit the Little Wildcats Room, and then pile back in the LPV.
10:20 am: We had been on US 64 about five minutes before getting lost, and ended up on US 74. Took NC 141 to get back on track, and arrive in Franklin about 20 minutes late. I talk to the owner, and her terrrific kid Cole, at the Main Street Coffee Shop. Talk to two other guys, who gladly take cards and talk for a moment. Then we head over to the EV site, but no one is early voting. Still a little cold in Franklin. Back in the LPV, and on to Brevard.
12:50 getting into Brevard, late. Wow! Is US 64 ever a snaky road between Franklin and Brevard. The LPV is a 7k lb E150 conversion van, with the suspension of a dirigible. Poor Barbara was often having to fight off trucks to the left and rocks to the right. Beautiful, though. Just beautiful. Several large waterfalls, and lakes. What a great state, unless you are driving.
In Brevard, we eat at Rocky’s diner. A touristy place, but a touristy place done well is just fine. And Rocky’s does tourists RIGHT!! I talk to the cashier, getting a paper and introducing myself. She recognizes me, and says, “Great to meet you! I voted for you yesterday.” Waiter: same thing. I talked to several other folks. One table of two ladies gives me the cut direct: “We voted already, and we would NEVER vote for Libertarians.” The guy at the next table hears this, and waves me over. Everything I say, he loudly repeats so that the two Prunesicles at the next table have to listen. Rocky’s has great food, great atmosphere, and pickled green tomatoes.
We go to the EV site, and talk to quite a few folks. Some take the literature, some walk by, and several stop to chat and ask questions. A beautiful day….
(Next installment: Hendersonville, Morganton, and Lenoir)
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