Tuesday Tea and Tomes: 'The Boys' and a trip down Mayberry Lane

     

                           

"The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family" is a tale of the Howard brothers as told by the Howard brothers and, rather appropriately, gifted to me by my brother and sister-in-law who not only grew up watching the Andy Griffith Show, but also joined my husband, Chris and I in a few Mayberry-related trips.

But, first, the book!

"The Boys" is co-authored by Ron and Clint Howard, both who rose to fame early in their childhood starring in The Andy Griffith Show and Gentle Ben, respectively.  But, the brothers' careers took distinctly different paths in their teen years. Ron transitioned almost seamlessly from Mayberry's young Opie into the straight-and-narrow young adult roles he landed in "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days" while Clint faced challenges moving from a big bear's adorable companion to an awkward adolescent, battling demons along the way.

While Ron's tales are slightly rosier than Clint's, both the Howard brothers are candid in their accounts of their parents, their school days and the sting of Hollywood rejection. But, both share a pride of maintaining careers in an industry that, more than most, publicly applauds and dismisses talent in equal measure.

Although the book incorporates more than just the Andy Griffith Show, Baby Boomers who grew up watching Andy Taylor, Opie, Barney, Aunt Bea and the quirky Mayberry townsfolk, including Floyd, Howard, Goober and Ottis, will find the references to this television classic engaging and nostalgic. And, if you think the only Howard on the show was Ron, you need to rewind. Clint made his acting debut on the Andy Griffith Show at the age of two as the cute-as-a-button "Leon" who, dressed as a cowboy, offered Mayberry residents a bite of his sandwich as he strolled through town.

Now the trips!

In a bit of serendipity, last week, enroute to our Myrtle Beach vacation destination, Chris and I, joined by brother, Ed, and sister-in-law, Sandy, spotted a highway exit sign for "Mount Airy" in North Carolina. In a spontaneous, unanimous, decision, we took a quick detour to Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration of the beloved, fictional town of Mayberry.

It was a Sunday afternoon, so some sites were closed, like the Andy Griffith Museum, but we did get to spend time - and do some time - in the Mayberry Courthouse.  Sheriff Sandy oversaw the easy-going lock-up of the rest of our crew in Ottis' home-away-from home.

We're on a Mayberry-themed roll! Four years ago, on another Engman/Gulley road trip we stopped in Morgantown, West Virginia, the home of the "real" Barney Fife, Don Knotts. We all stopped to pose in front of the Don Knott's statue in town, followed by afternoon tea at The Tea Shoppe. 

Bottom line:

Two thumbs up for "The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family".

Eight thumbs up on Mayberry-themed road trips.