Day 23! 500 Mile Journey to Salem! Roxboro, NC to Hillsborough, NC. About 15 miles. Low 44. High 77. Crystal blue sky. Relatively flat. Katherine Knapp Watts joined us today and will do so again tomorrow! Hooray!
First several miles on a busy road, which necessitated straight line walking, hampering conversation. However, we made up for it later on less busy roads and at a wonderful reception at the Colonial Inn sponsored by the Triad Alumnae Club. We walked quickly today, arriving for an early lunch at the Flat River Cafe. BBQ, hot dogs, and chicken salad sandwiches eaten outside at picnic tables made for a delicious break. The afternoon brought an unexpected surprise! We received a text from Debbie saying she and Elizabeth had just run into one of “our” walkers, walking backwards – from south to north – and to be on the lookout. We literally ran into Eric at about mile 10, indeed heading north! He had determined to walk out and back from our ending point, rendezvousing with us along the way!!! See photos below for more info and to see our “Brother Eric”! What fun and joy walking with him!! We look forward to his return!! After ending our walking day in Hillsborough, we made our way to Burwell School, a former school for girls, where we were again met by Carrie, our now resident historian, who shared with us the school’s history. AND, Hillsborough’s mayor, Jenn Weaver, read a proclamation declaring today, “Journey to Salem Day” in Hillsborough, and bringing all of us to tears. So very special. We walked from there to our hotel, The Colonial Inn, where we were greeted by a small Salem welcoming party, complete with balloons and signs!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! Mayor Weaver joined our reception on the upstairs balcony a couple of hours later – such a wonderful event hosted by the Triangle Alumnae Club. We had a fabulous time and thank everyone so much for the planning, the gift bags, and most importantly, your presence and love. We love you all. Special thanks to Joanna Winecoff Holt for all of her organizational work on the last two days!!! We had dinner at several restaurants tonight – some eating outside and some inside- but all filled with the warmth and fuel of true friendship and shared experiences, regardless of when at Salem. We will all sleep well, wrapped in memories tonight. Looking forward to day 24 and numerous friends joining us tomorrow!! #mysalemjourney. #journey2salem.
– Lucy Rose C’76
Day 23 Journey to Salem. What a day!! A short walk this morning from Roxboro to Hillsborough, NC. Then, we were met by the Mayor of Hillsborough at our stop at the Burwell School. The Mayor presented us with a Proclamation that she read. There was not one dry eye in the house when she finished. We were truly moved. The Burrell School has an interesting history, too, and we were thrilled to take a quick tour while we were there. Next, we walked to the Colonial Inn and checked in to our gorgeous rooms. Then, the wonderful area alumnae, organized by Joanna Winecoff Holt, treated us to happy hour and thoughtful gift bags, and we had wonderful visits with all. I ordered dinner from the hotel restaurant and enjoyed it in my room. I’m going to call it an early evening. Tomorrow, we have several walkers joining, or re-joining, us and it will be a fun short walk again. Hard to believe how close we are to Salem. Just a few more days… #mysalemjourney #journey2salem
– Debbie Faires A’82