Day 4

Before we went to GA, we talked with a friend of ours who lives in Atlanta. He was Mr. GVs first boss when he moved to Atlanta to finish his schooling. We've tried to visit him once a year or so the last few years, and he has been to see us a few times too. So we made plans with our friend to take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway together.

We got to the town a bit ahead of time and had our lunch as we waited on our friend. (We also had a couple run-ins with the locals on the way there. A tale for another time perhaps, but I'm certainly not including any downers in the story of Mr. GV's Fabulous Birthday!)

Train cars are assigned but not specific seats, so I waited in line to board while our friend perused the gift shop, and Mr. GV tagged along. Here you see Mr. GV and friend, dead last in line to board.

We had a narration most of the time we were riding, and our friend kept getting interrupted by the woman who was narrating. Eventually this was his reaction. He will most definitely be getting a copy of this picture sent to him!

One of the unique things about the stopover you take is that the town is really two towns, in two states actually. Here's our GA boy and our TN boy, shaking handing over the state line.

Our friend met up with a young entrepreneur who was selling old railroad spikes. After a bit of conversation, a transaction was made.

And they shook on it.

There was much conversing that day, covering a whole realm of things---medical (we are all medical professionals and these two are in the same field), political (oy!), and so forth.