The road trip continues into the Blue Ridge Mountains under clear skies. The views are spectacular and highway is like an endless ribbon cutting through the peaks and valleys. As it happens, we stayed just inside the Virginia border at a high altitude. It wasn’t apparent until we started the long descent back down to just above sea level. I should mention that the pet friendly rooms at the motel had two double beds. Molly made herself comfortable on one and we claimed the other. But as soon as the lights went out, Molly hopped off her spacious perch in favour of squeezing in between us; needless to say we had limited room and her heat was contagious.

We rolled through North and South Carolina and the temperature continued to climb. We peaked at 21C at the same time as we encountered a full on traffic jam. We were back in the GTA complete with aggressive drivers and fender benders. This carried on until we crossed into Georgia where an extra lane suddenly appeared and the bottleneck unclogged.

We veered off I95 heading to Jekyll Island to stay with Bev (Bails mom). Just at Brunswick we crossed the bridge into the island and paid our fare to enter. It’s like another world.

For most of the drive we have been entertained by the CBC podcast, Someone Knows Something, about the cold case of Carrie Ann Brown in Manitoba. We are at the climax of the multi episode show, but the scenery as the setting sun lit the sky in shades of crimson and fuchsia diverted our attention. The conclusion awaits us tomorrow.

Now the sun has evaporated and the sky is black. The tiny island is sparkling with holiday lights. We make our way to Bev’s in the dark, but she’s left the porch light on and a quiche is waiting in the oven. Yum!

First order of business is a glass of wine. Cheers. It’s warm out. And there are palm trees. With Christmas lights. Perfect.

After a delicious meal, Bev suggests we take in the historic district and the holiday lights. Yes please! Collingwood neighbourhood lights were lacking and I was ready for a fix. The display did not disappoint!

The historic district is a quaintly restored and maintained area for tourists to enjoy. Once the grandiose vacation homes of America’s rich and famous, now house museums and tourist attractions. But for the holidays the light spectacle is breathtaking and magical. A wonderfully delightful walking tour capped off our evening.

However, even though the light display was outstanding, the secret library entrance was captivating. It is the setting befitting a juicy murder mystery. Even the smell of old books and basement moisture is eerily reminiscent of a Nancy Drew novel. The library is sponsored by the Rotary Club and guests are welcome to take and leave books. I knew immediately that our hostess Bev was a client; the telltale “Bracebridge Library” stamp was a clue.

Tomorrow the adventure continues in Florida.

All aboard!!