Pit jumping, Destiny & relics

To really understand a state, one must travel off the beaten path.  The big cities have a lot to offer but there is something about rural America.  Old structures, farms and their animals, and simple homes sitting on vast pieces of untamed property.  Oh, I enjoy it so much!  Driving this morning I find this very detailed roadside attraction in a vacant field.  There is no fence or gate.  I pull over and enjoy the oddities intently displayed together representing our past.   My first unexpected encounter signals to me it is going to be an adventurous day.

There are individuals who do things beyond our normalcy.  In the small town of Danville, (pop 4,299) there is a small museum solely dedicated to such an individual - Jesse Owens.  A man beyond ordinary skills.  A superhuman who in 45 minutes set three world records and tied another.  An Olympic great awarded four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics.  This museum not only educates but also inspires us to be the best at what we do.  As I walk the grounds, I come across a long jump pit.  I stand there in AWE trying to grasp how far Jesse actually jumped - over 26 feet.  When asked how he was able to accomplish such a feat he replied, "I let my feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down, and from the ground, fast up."  

In front of the Winston Courthouse, I find a most unusual monument entitled, "Dual Destiny".  A bronze soldier half dressed in a Union uniform and a Confederate uniform.  Both uniforms are badly worn and a broken sword rest in one hand.  This county did not join either force during the Civil War being known at the "Free State of Winston".  

Glancing across the street, my eyes capture a most beautiful small rock-built building.  The name appropriately assigned, "The Little Old Rock Building".  Check out the solid doors.  A quaint little town of Double Springs adds on to this adventurous day!

As I head back to my home-on-wheels for the day, I take several alternative rural roads wanting to capture moments like these.  Only if those walls could speak.