On the road with… the Idiots
The Idiots miss Charles Kuralt. For readers with no gray in their hair… Kuralt was a senior network newsman with CBS – back when that really meant something. He got quite famous for hitting the road in 1967 in a motorhome with a cameraman, creating human interest spots called “On the Road with Charles Kuralt” on Walter Cronkite’s Evening News. He’d go into a community and find the local blacksmith or clown or clog-maker… and find a tale to tell. The stories always emphasized the human condition. They would entertain… and often inspire. They were like balm for the soul, an antidote to the endless drone of bad news that described the world at large.
When he helped create and became the original host of CBS Sunday Morning in 1979, Kuralt ended every program with a minute or two of nature videography, accompanied only by the natural sounds from the location. It is hard to imagine a network program today airing nothing but pretty pictures of leaves falling, water flowing, animals grazing, and so on… with just the sound of wind through the boughs, no talking head pontificating about mating habits or disappearing habitat. Even when the Idiots were avoiding the news on Sunday mornings, they’d try to remember to turn on CBS just in time for the moment of nature.
Kuralt surprised people by retiring from CBS at age 60 at the height of his career. He died at age 62 in 1997 from lupus. His reputation was tarnished in some people’s minds when the news emerged that he had more than just interesting encounters with yoyo salesmen while he was on the road. His wife and family resided in New York. He met a social activist in Reno and eventually had a second family with her in Montana.
Kuralt inspired the Idiots. He went through five motorhomes doing his On the Road segments. One of them is enshrined in the Henry Ford Museum. The Idiots used to see one in Tubac, Arizona but it seems to have move on to parts unknown.
Charles Kuralt was a real traveler.
The Idiots have written before about the distinction they make between tourists and travelers. Tourists visit a location as if it will be their only visit and they focus on seeing “all the best and as much else of the rest” as they can. They are driven by lists titled “must see” and “top ten”.
Travelers are people who are living their lives at locations other than their homes. Though the surroundings are different, their try to continue to be themselves. They are usually more concerned with having good experiences than with seeing famous or “important” things. Travelers tend to value quality, novelty, and real interactions with people and environments.
The previous may make the Idiots sound pretentious. Let them be clear – the distinction is not really a plus/minus value judgment. The Idiots often enjoy being tourists. Example: in the previous month they have taken the Old Town Trolley in Key West, St. Augustine, and Savannah. They were pure tourists. Their goal was to get quick orientations to the major sights in those cities and the tourist trolleys did an admirable job. The Idiots gawked and took hundreds of photos. They had fun being tourists!
But most of the time, like Charles Kuralt, the Idiots just want to be “on the road.”
They are currently moving slowly up the eastern seaboard. It was probably one of Charles Kuralt’s episodes years ago that introduced them to the Gullah people. However it occurred, they’ve been intrigued by the Gullah people for a long time and spending time in Gullah country has been on their life list for a long time.
There will be more on the Gullah people in future episodes. For now, the Idiots just want to give their readers a brief “where are they now” contemporary episode.
Yesterday it was cool and rainy in Sea Island country. The Idiots had a low key day… eating local seafood at The Shrimp Shack and traveling the backroads of St. Helena Island. Their last stop was at a roadside ruin.
They like to think Charlie Kuralt wandered the same ruin…
This chapel was built of “Tabby.” The origin of the term is lost in history… there are similar words in many languages in Africa and Europe. Wherever it originated, the Spanish brought it to the “New World.” It is a kind of cement made by mixing lime and sand and shells, sometime with ashes added to harden it. The material is typically covered with a stucco coat to protect it from the elements.
The Idiots could have taken a guided tour of Antebellum homes in Beaufort… they had enough time… but they chose to slowly wander this small ruin and graveyard. They made the choice between tourism and travel… and they chose to hang out. They then went back to their campground, took naps, and played two-handed pinochle while watching old episodes of Picket Fences. A lovely day on the road.
but I got it is close to Savannah 
