Take the Next Exit and See Where the Road Takes You

Taking the next exit is always a fun way to start backroad trip. Just randomly pick one and take a left or right at the light. That is where the best discoveries are found. You see a sign pointing toward an anonymous small town and point yourself in that direction - never knowing what you’ll find. This is the best way to find those road trip gems. 

Pulling into one of these randomly assigned destinations, I wonder about the people that call it home. As I drive by old homes passed down from generation to generation, I wonder what originally brought them to this place. How are roots set in a small dot on the blacktop, miles from the nearest city? I personally think people in small towns have the right idea. There is something to be said for a couple of red lights and a place where everyone knows each other.  

 A few years back, I found myself driving down I-95 on a regular basis. I would drive and pass many exits without knowing what was hiding a few miles away from the congestion of the interstate.  

It was that curiosity that led me to Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Historically, the Battle of Elizabethtown happened here in 1781. But these days it seems a lot safer now without patriot troops facing off against the loyalist North Carolina militia. What brings people to Elizabethtown now? I have a theory.  

It must be the hamburgers. 

Melvins Hamburgers and Hotdogs opened in 1938 as a pool room with a grill. Now a diner with exactly what their name says, hamburgers and hotdogs available on a limited seating and cash only basis. 

I cannot help but think if Melvin’s had been open in 1781, that pesky little fight would not have happened. 

Small towns with funny or weird names always catch my attention. I’m drawn to them, just to see if the name fits. 

For instance, Salley, South Carolina is found only after exiting I-20 and traveling a few backroads. It is not named after a lady named Salley, but it is known for the Chitlin’ Strut. For the folks uneducated on the delicacies of the South, chitlins are pork intestines.  

It seems people like pork intestines in some parts of the South so Salley – again, a town and not a lady - did what every self-respecting small town community would do. It started a festival in 1966.  

So, the next time you are zoned out on a long trip, take the next exit. You just may find your new favorite place - and some weird food. 

Happy travels and Bon Appetit.