Pictures of me or Donna, the Miata and the Challenge poster in front of various places, landmarks or signs to score points and hopefully win fabulous prizes.
Garaj Mahal
Garaj Mahal: This is most of my friend David's collection. Missing is the 2004 Mazdaspeed MX-5, a Wrangler and a 2500HD Silverado to haul that trailer around.The Ford products on the right are are parked there for a friend.(1/25/19)
Needs Editing
Needs Editing: Gift Certificate arrived in the mail today. Not only was it worth $50, it is also worth 3 points for this year as 'Needs Editing' because it is for Mr/Mrs/Ms *2019* Motoring Challenge Top 50 Runner-up! (1/28/19)
Railroad Trestle
Railroad Trestle: This very rusty trestle crosses the Savannah River into downtown Augusta, GA and gets used several times a day, much to the chagrin of the locals who have to drive 4 miles to get around the slow moving freight trains. The drawbridge portion hasn't operated in years though. (2/1/19)
Video Store
Video Store: We are lucky on a FEW of counts with this one. First, you can still rent videos here. Second, the MAE is short for Mature Adult Entertainment so you won't find any Oscar nominated videos inside. And third, it is still in business here in very Bible Belt/Conservative South Carolina. (2/1/19)
Bulldozer
Bulldozer: Static display outside the South Carolina National Guard building in Edgefield, SC. (2/2/19)
The Future
The Future: The Future home of Children's Place here in Aiken, whose mission is to protect, heal, and strengthen children and families from the impact of trauma in their lives through education, treatment and prevention services.And as Whiney Huston sang, "I believe the children are our future." (2/2/19)
Portmanteau
Portmanteau: Georgialina=Georgia+Carolina. A very popular word in business names on both sides of the Savannah River. (2/6/19)
Assonance
Assonance: The Bee's Knees, a Vegetarian-friendly global tapas menu in a snug, casual setting in downtown Augusta, GA and is only open in the evenings, explaining the chance to park right outside their door. (2/10/19)
Ancient History
Ancient History: The Greek Orthodox Church as a whole, obviously not this building, was formed in 33 A.D., the year in which many church scholars believe Jesus was crucified. (2/10/19)
Wienermobile
Wienermobile: With fingers crossed, hoping the Wienermobile App was going to be right, we braved driving into the outskirts of the Atlanta megalopolis to go to a Walmart parking lot in Lithonia. We were all smiles as soon as we pulled into the lot and could see it in all its glory. (2/17/19)
Victorian Home
Victorian Home: Augusta, Georgia has a larger selection of Antebellum than Victorian homes, but we managed to track this one down. (2/23/19)
Alliteration
Alliteration: I only wish Wayne sold Wasabi instead of fireworks...(2/26/19)
Fruit Orchard
Fruit Orchard: A peach orchard again. In 2017 we needed an orchard as well and had planned on blossoms, but ended up later in the year with the fruit on the trees. So this year we snagged the blossoms. (3/2/19)
Manufacturer of Fun
Manufacturer of Fun: Several varieties of fun are made right inside this building. (3/2/19)
National Park Services Location #1
National Park Services Location #1: Our closest NPS location. The star fort here was the site of the first Revolutionary War battle outside of New England. I think we used this back in 2014 too and reserve the right to replace it later. (3/2/19)
Sign of Respect
Sign of Respect: There was a row of four of these in front of the Washington, GA County building. I didn't feel too bad about parking there as I had spent almost a decade in Uncle Sam's Yacht Club. (3/9/19)
Bet You've Never Seen This Before #1
Bet You've Never Seen This Before: Or knew it. In the winter of 1944, Pvt. Willie Lee DuckÂworth Sr. forever changed the landscape of Army marching drills when he created what's now called the Sound Off (Duckworth Chant).
"Ain't no use in goin' home.
Jody's got your gal and gone.
Sound off!
One, two.
Sound off!
Three, four."
(3/9/19)
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing: - a warning or indication of a future event. Maybe a speeding ticket if you don't slow down. (3/9/19)
Bet You've Never Seen This Before #2
Bet You've Never Seen This Before #2: Literally hundreds of private jets parked along Runway 26 and its taxiway at Augusta Regional Airport. This runway is probably unused all but the first full week in April every year when there is a little golf tournement here. (4/13/19)
Flea Market
Flea Market: This is actually one of four in a small regional chain of Flea Markets. (4/13/19)
Hot Yoga Studio
Hot Yoga Studio: While driving around yesterday I noticed the Space logo from a ways off and headed for the building. Donna noticed the Yoga sign and asked if they offered the Hot variety. Yep, Sundays at 3:00 PM. (4/13/19)
Music Store
Music Store: Toby's TNT Music Store. I wonder if the TNT is in reference to the fireworks also availble inside. (4/13/19)
Tailor
Tailor: Never knew we had one of these in our fair city. It is a couple of streets past the prime downtown area, so I guess if you need one you will seek one out... (4/15/19)
Best Bumper Sticker #1
Best Bumper Sticker #1: May The Forrest Be With You This truck was parked right next to us in the grocery store parking. There was a large bumper sticker on the other side of the truck that read TREEHUGGER. (4/15/19)
Out Of This World #1 - Blue Moon
Out Of This World #1 - Blue Moon Beer Not being a beer connoisseur I couldn't tell you if the taste is Out of the World, but drink enough of them and you can be transported there. (4/15/19)
Pre-history
Pre-history: This T-Rex must be a youngster because he isn't very tall. (4/17/19)
Best Bumper Sticker #2
Best Bumper Sticker #2 :2011 through 2018 Red Sox Nation stickers. I wonder where his 2019 sticker is? He ran out of room on the bumper... I've been a member since 2006, but keep only one. And I keep it on the inside of the Miata's trunk lid. (4/18/9)
Mother Nature at Her Finest #1
Mother Nature at Her Finest #1: Nothing says the South like Live Oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. (4/21/19)
Wildlife Reserve
Wildlife Reserve: Our thought is that Wildlife Refuge = Wildlife Reserve, but we'll see what the judges say...and the answer is Yes! (4/21/19)
Bet You've Never Seen This Before #3
Bet You've Never Seen This Before #3: I'm not sure what the connection is between pachyderm and fireworks, but there are two of them outside this place in Hardeeville, SC. and they are called Thelma & Louise http://tinyurl.com/yyed37lm (4/21/19)
My First Car
My First Car: Donna's first car was a 1971 VW Super Beetle. Hers was not yellow, but a tan and had a 3 speed electric clutch transmission. This one looks to be that very same year (+/- 1 year) car based on those taillights. My first car was a 1973 Datsun B210 and I'm fairly sure they have all returned to dust by now. (4/22/19)
School Bus
School Bus; Not moving, but caught 5 school buses at rest in the local YMCA parking lot. (4/23/19)
Best Bumper Sticker #3
Best Bumper Sticker #3: Found this "bumper sticker" in the same Home Depot parking lot as the May The Forrest one from a couple weeks ago. (4/24/19)
State Park #7 - Aiken
State Park #7 - Aiken: This is a small State Park about 15 miles outside Our Fair City. Famous (to us anyway) as the destination of the Aiken Bicycle Club's annual New Year's Day Ride. (4/27/19)
Rose Garden
Rose Garden: Next weekend is the Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg, SC annual Festival of Roses, so we went this weekend to get a jump on the crowds. The gardens have nearly 5,000 rose plants of over 100 different varieties. Most of the bushes were blooming some, but there was no way to drive our Miata over the curb down into the main gardens, so we settled for these Apricot Drift roses near the parking lot. (4/27/19)
Signs of the Times - 1920
Signs of the Times - 1920: The Enterprise Bank of South Carolina was founded in 1920. (4/27/19)
Signs of the Times - 1980
Signs of the Times - 1980: Built to accommodate the rapid population growth on the south side of Our Fair City. (4/28/19)
Signs of the Times - 1940
Signs of the Times - 1940: It's Finger Lickin' Good! (4/28/19)
Thai Restaurant
Thai Restaurant: This is right around the corner from where we live, but because we are not real fans of Thai food, we've never eaten here. (4/28/19)
Scene From A Song - Soul Man
Scene From A Song: I'm a Soul Man. (4/28/19)
Mom 'n' Pop Shop
Mom 'n' Pop Shop: Mom & Pop must go to early service because the place was closed at 9:00 AM on a Sunday morning. (4/28/19)
Out Of This World #2 - The New Moon Cafe
Out Of This World #2 - The New Moon Cafe: We used to go here quite a bit, but it has gotten to popular for its own britches, on Saturday and Sunday there are folks and their dogs lining up 30 minutes before they open the door. (4/28/19)
Out Of This World #3 - Moon Beans Fine Roasted Coffee
Out Of This World #3 - Moon Beans Fine Roasted Coffee: Where does the New Moon Cafe get its coffee from? Why the Moon Beans Fine Roasted Coffee place of course. (4/28/19)
Hardware Store
Hardware Store: The only good thing that came out of failed blimp trip today was we found a nicer looking hardware store. As a matter of fact, this is THE Hardware Store. (5/5/19)
Horse Ranch
Horse Ranch: The surrounding area around Our Fair City is littered with horse farms like this. The word ranch seems to be used more out west, than around these parts, so other that driving west of the Mississippi, we hope this will do. (5/10/19)
Out Of This World #4 - Randy Moon's Tire & Auto Service
Out Of This World #4 - Randy Moon's Tire & Auto Service: We timed our arrival early enough this Saturday morning, so that Randy wouldn't come out to try and sell us some tires or offer to do any service. (5/11/19)
Out Of This World #5 - Half-Moon Outfitters
Out Of This World #5 - Half-Moon Outfitters: A small regional chain of outdoor shops, that I'm sorry to say, we have never set foot inside of. (5/11/19)
Out Of This World #6 - Full Moon Tattoo
Out Of This World #6 - Full Moon Tattoo: A local tattoo shop, that I'm glad to say, neither one of us has set foot in. (5/11/19)
Out Of This World #7 - Moon's Used Cars
Out Of This World #7 - Moon's Used Cars: This is all the way on the other side of Augusta, but it still could in some way be related to Randy Moon's Tire & Auto Service from earlier today. (5/11/19)
Basketball Court in Use
Basketball Court in Use: This was taken at the park just around the corner from the house and is well used in the summer evenings. (5/14/19)
Simile
Simile: While visiting a friend in the hospital we noticed this little stand-up card on the desk in her room. We took it when we left because we were parked on the top floor of the attached parking garage and we could actually see her room window from there. (5/23/19)
Don't Make These Like They Used To
Don't Make These Like They Used To: Around the corner from us in a fairly desirable neighborhood they tore down half of a small 3 bedroom, 1 bath 50's ranch and have started to build a huge 4,000 sq ft mini mansion with a detached three car garage and a large outdoor living space in between. (5/31/19)
Perfect Timing
Perfect Timing: This is a place holder picture. We had the idea, but when we arrived to take the photo the bank sign was 38 minutes slow. I changed the car clock to match, but that would be cheating, so the hunt continues...(5/31/19)
Rite of Passage
Rite of Passage: All 5 of the high schools in the county hold their graduations at the USCA Convocation Center (not at the same time) because it is the only place around that can hold the large graduating classes and their extended families. We thought it would be easy to just pull up and snag a photo of a group of kids in their gowns entering the building. Wrong. Couldn't get near the place. That illuminated sign swapped between what you see and "SEEK ALTERNATE ROUTE." (6/7/19)
State Park #8 - Redcliffe Plantation
State Park #8 - Redcliffe Plantation: Just one of several historic plantations South Carolina is known for, this site provides a setting for exploring the experiences of the enslaved, as well as the larger institution of slavery and reflects the historical experiences and impact of the white and black families who lived and worked there. (6/11/19)
Signs of the Times - 1960
Signs of the Times - 1960: Ahhh, those groovy sixties when a young man named Peter made his dream of opening his very own machine shop come true. (7/14/19)
Signs of the Times - 1970
Signs of the Times - 1970: After working under the dictatorial thumb of his soon to be ex-friend, Peter, for a dozen or so years, Wade decided to branch out and form his own machine tool shop. (9/27/19)
*both this and the story from the 1960s photo are a figment of my fertile imagination*
National Park Services Location #2
National Park Services Location #2: Just this past summer they opened another section of this Parkway in Tennessee that is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we wanted to drive it. (9/28/19)
Mother Nature at Her Finest #2 - Mountain Sunrise
Mother Nature at Her Finest #2 - Mountain Sunrise: Our pre-dawn drive on the Tail of the Dragon to guarantee an unimpeded run worked like a charm and it also netted us this wonderful sunrise on the Foothills Parkway. (9/28/19)
Scenic Route
Scenic Route: We were all over some very scenic routes in the mountains this weekend but the only sign we happened upon that actually had the word "scenic" in it was this little one on the North Carolina side of the Cherohala Skyway. (9/28/19)
Beehive
Beehive: You didn't say they had to be actual working hives...these have been re-purposed as supports for a tasting patio area. There were working ones about 200' up a steep hill behind this store, but there was no way to capture the car with them and be able to tell what they were. (9/28/19)
National Park Services Location #3
National Park Services Location #3 Way back in the early 1990s when the Tour DuPont bicycle race (first called the Tour de Trump) traveled along a section of this road, cycling commentator, Phil Ligget once called it the Blue Park Ridge Way. (9/29/19)