John-Boy Loves Independence Day

There are many historic attractions within an hour's drive of my home: Appomattox, Stonewall Jackson's home, Traveller's grave, Monticello and . . . "Walton's Mountain." We're used to leaf-peepers clogging the roads and the diners in the fall, but yesterday we encountered the less common summer touron. There were four of them seated next to us in the diner - three women and one man - plus a table full of children - headed to Walton's Mountain.

The age of the adults surprised me. They were in their early thirtys, an age I can't believe remembers the Walton's TV show to begin with, but ALL they talked about was Earl Hamner, and meeting him one time, and getting pictures with him, and pictures of his current home, and how The Walton's was "OBVIOUSLY filmed in California" because the mountains there look nothing like the mountains here in Virginia, and countless other road apples of Walton's wisdom and first-hand experience.

To be fair, it was the male of the group delivering this Walton's Lecture Series. His captive audience of females egged him on, God knows why, to reveal even deeper nuggets concerning, perhaps, the most boring topic ever devised by man. But Pep and I were treated to more Walton's information than we ever knew existed . . . or wanted to know about, for at least 45 minutes.

The funny thing is there isn't anything genuine here in VA related to the TV show. Walton's Mountain doesn't exist, but they stuck that name on a "country store" that sells confederate flags and ice cream on Hwy. 29. And there is a Walton's Mountain Museum up in Schuyler (remember - it's pronounced SKY-ler!). At the Muesum, you can shop in Ike Godsey's Store and Gift Shop where I'm sure you can find confederate flags and ice cream. And DVDs of the film Spencer's Mountain which isn't a real place either.

Do I sound a bit grumpy about the Walton's? It's because I just don't get it. Why get so worked up about a fictional TV show when you could be in Lexington paying proper resects to Traveller?

So, Happy Independence Day, dear readers - from the Walton's Free-Zone here in the BBQ Compound of Central Virginia!