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September was a month of travel for the off-season crew. Alpine is really a community of people rather than just a place, so getting a chance to travel around and visit friends feels like camp, in a sense. We get to see where many of our favorite campers and counselors live, and see what their lives are like during the other 9 months of the year. We even get to make some new friends on the road, some that might just end up here this summer.
We kicked off our slide show tour of the southeast in Birmingham (always one of our favorite stops). Birmingham is a great place to see a big group of campers as well as former staff members. The Hartline, Haynes and Galloway families were gracious enough to host us at the Emmet O’Neal Library, and whoever brought that big pile of Alpine tree cookies deserves an honor camper award.
Our next stop was Memphis, TN. We came for the slideshow, but stayed for the barbecue. Former counselors Rob Langley and Harvey Kay were kind enough to join us at Central Barbecue for a feast that rivaled the Alpine county fair (maybe). I think Peter ate about 3 racks of ribs.
The Nashville show came next. Luckily we had about 24 hours to digest the barbeque before the Gilbert’s were offering hot pizza in their lovely home. Afterward we went to the classic Nashville taco joint, SATCO, with a whole crew of former Alpine staffers. People warned me about gaining weight in college, but no one prepared me for the Alpine off-season. Nashville was a blast, especially since we got to see some old friends like the Farrs and the Gilberts.
We finished September with a trip to the Cross’s home in Athens, GA. The Cross’s son, Curry, worked some tech magic and got the slideshow going on their TV, and even gave everyone a quick and funny rundown of the Alpine/Desoto square dance we have every summer. It was hilarious. After the slideshow, Peter and I grabbed a milkshake with some UGA students who worked with us this past summer.
With company and food like this, it’s hard to complain about a full-time job at camp. Check the website soon for more updates!
