November 11, 2016 – My brother visits North Carolina before I “get gone.”

          Years ago when I happened to mention to my brother, Ken, that my husband was looking at job opportunities out of the area, it spurred him into making a trip to visit North Carolina, before we moved away from the area.

          He had ample vacation time that year and he “came on down” for a long weekend. He was a UPS worker in Massachusetts and one of his fellow workers came from the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area and was envious of his pending trip.  His fellow worker had told him about the Carolinas and Ken wanted to see it.

          When I picked him up at the airport I realized we were in for a ‘fun time’.

          “Hey, where is The Beacon?” he asked as we left the Greenville/Spartanburg Airport and merged onto Interstate 85.

          “The Beacon?” I replied surprised he knew about this “landmark” hamburger place.

          “Yeah, a guy I work with came from down here and he said I had to go to The Beacon. Do you know where it is?”

          “It’s just a hamburger place - A, noisy, hamburger place.”  I laughed at him.

          “Can we go to it?  Is it close by?”  He asked sounding interested in it.

          “It’s down here, we won’t be back this way until I take you back to the airport.  I have our itinerary all planned . . . . .” I replied thinking I would side step his request.

          “He said I had to go there – ‘an experience’ – is what he called it.” Ken was extremely interested in it.

          Just a few miles ahead I would come off Interstate 85 and head North on 221 at the Chesnee exit.  I could easily back track.  I surely wouldn’t want to disappoint him as we were so “close” and it was on his private “hit list” of places to see.

          “Okay, we’ll stop there before we go home,”  I answered and it also gave me a chance to show him some of the downtown Spartanburg where I worked.

          When I got to the 221 Chesnee exit I turned to the right towards Downtown instead of left towards home. Getting closer to downtown I pointed out the hospital, then another local place of interest, The Krispy Crème Donut Shop, then the law office where I worked, then I went down around the corner to pass my favorite haunt of a restaurant “Harry’s on the Square” [on Morgan’s square], then cut down the road that would take me out towards the Coca Cola plant and eventually out to the West Gate Mall.  But, way before that I turned into the “FAMOUS” Beacon and parked.

          We experienced the ordering process where they YELL back the order – extremely loud, and even though we were rather early for the supper crowd, it was already busy.

          He ordered what he wanted and I followed his lead.  We got the mountainous portions of Hamburger “a-Plenty” which they are famous for. I made certain I DID NOT dissuade him on the “Sweet Tea”.   I covertly asked for mine half and half.

          We sat at little table near a window and he dove it with gusto.  They do have great hamburgers, fries, and onion rings.  I remembered some new friends in Forest City had taken us out to dinner there to “indoctrinate” us into southern cuisine when we first arrived in the area.  Everyone knows of The Beacon and just about everyone has been to “The Beacon”.

          When Ken took his first swig of real Southern “Sweet Tea” the look on his face was priceless.  He said something like, boy is that sweet; much sweeter than he had ever tasted anything before.  I had been waiting for that reaction – it always gives me a chuckle when a real Yankee tastes Sweet Tea here in the South.  What surprised him more was the self-serve FREE re-fill tea canisters near our table.  Yes, all the sweet tea you want to guzzle here in the South for free.

          When we left, he was pleased.   He would be able to report back to tell his fellow worker back at UPS, he’d experienced the charm of it – yeah, that was cool, a hamburger place that has been there continuously since the mid 1940s.

          We headed home up HWY 221 into Chesnee where I stopped at the local grocery store for a few things to be certain I had what he needed for breakfast.

          In the store we are carrying on back and forth with comments and remarks.  We were animated and probably very loud.  We didn’t realize several people were noticing us; we were just happy to see each other. We had great plans for adventure – Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Linville Falls, Linville Caverns, a drive up into Christmas tree farm country; we planned on covering a lot of territory in the next few days.

          We were still cutting up when we got to the cash register.  The cashier asked if we were married. That made both us peel with laughter. 

          Ken said, “No, she’s my sister.”

          “That explains it.” She answered.

          It had been a few years since I had last seen him, and I was paying the bill.  Ken is staring at me and says something I will never forget,   

          “You look just like Mom.”

          I flippantly replied, “I’m my mother’s daughter, aren’t I?”