We love staying in Walmart parking lots when we are traveling through an area quickly. Safe, secure, easy parking, easy replenishing supplies and best of all free of course. We often hang around in the morning when the air is cool before taking off driving again.
But last week we had 2 entirely new experiences at Walmarts.
Chattanooga, TN - I'm lying on the sofa reading and hear a vehicle pull up and honk by the door. I get up and stick my head out the door and a man says "Oh, sorry, I was hoping to speak to your husband." I get Gregg who's been lying on the bed reading and he goes out to talk to the guy. He tells a story of woe and asks for money to fix his truck! A panhandler who drives up and asks for money! That's a first for us... Actually, we saw a lot of panhandling in downtown Chattanooga as well. Very polite, just asking for handouts...
Sylva, NC - Tiny town but very, very nice Walmart parking lot with beautiful mountain views. Shortly after we parked on the Sunday night before Memorial Day, the parking spaces directly in front of us started filling with cars, trucks and young people, mostly teenagers. Gregg went out to talk with them and they told him that is where they "hang out" in Sylva, nowhere else to go. 2 police cars pulled up at one point and talked to the kids and Gregg. Gregg told the cop he was chaperoning them and was told he wasn't doing a very good job of it! But they were nice kids the police seemed to know and left alone there. The kids forewarned Gregg that it would get loud later. It did. About 1 in the morning they were still laughing, playing loud music and gunning engines. Don't know what time the party broke up but in the morning there was no litter or any sign they had been there. I guess it really is a fine place to hang out and they are respecting their right to do so.
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