Ziplining is always fun, no matter if it's in Thailand or Richland Creek, North Carolina. What's not fun is arriving in enough time to find a place to eat - preferably something local and healthy - and ending up having to settle for chain eateries that could be found anywhere. Aren't the mountains supposed to be full of mom and pop Americana?
We stopped at a restaurant that looked like Applebee's retrofitted with sports paraphernalia. It was called Uptown Charlie's. I saw no Charlie nor anything that was discernibly uptown. Stick with choosing sandwiches served with fries, though, and it won't disappoint too much.
We chose a booth and realized soon after sitting down that we were right beside a baby shower -- a baby shower taking place in front of a mosaic wall of tv screens broadcasting simultaneous sports programs. The women in attendance were all young. Some had small children with them. A few were pregnant. The mother-to-be wore a corsage on the strap of her maxi dress. They all went outside but left behind the presents and the the snacks in the care of boyfriends/husbands drafted for security detail. I had no idea what they were doing out in full sun. Photos, maybe?
My friend forget something in her car, made a quick dash outside to retrieve it and then returned a few minutes later. She looked sad. "They're all out there smoking. Even the pregnant ones."
"Maybe that's why we couldn't find anywhere else to eat," I said. "Maybe no one else is gonna pray for those families today."
And so that's what we did.
