Carroll and Darryl’s Great Adventure – BETWEEN THE TRACKS

It’s 1963. That summer, responsibility looms—sweeping floors at the Ben Franklin Store—but for now, Darryl Armstrong and childhood buddy Carroll Boyd plan the ultimate forbidden mission: a 21-mile county bike tour.

They pool $3.78 at Miss Garrett’s Jot ’Em Down, fill plastic canteens, and mount their single-speed Murray bikes under a golden sun. Together they conquer farm bends, the hog-stressed climb at Rock Springs Church, and a ghostly stop at Hopson’s “hanging” tree, feasting on Vienna sausages and chocolate drinks.

Racing back by 3:30, they dodge questions—“Playing army again?”—and seal their pact in dust and laughter. Decades later, the narrator revisits that ride with his now-councilman friend on the courthouse square, reliving the reckless courage of youth.

As memories echo Mark Twain’s tribute to a mother’s boundless heart, the tale becomes a testament to friendship, freedom, and the summer that shaped them—an adventure that outlived them both.

The Summer of Freedom – Carroll and Darryl’s Great Adventure is a lyrical journey through nostalgia, crush on a teacher, and the wild bravery of boyhood—reminding us that some summers, some friendships, and some memories never fade.

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Read more inspiring stories of faith, resilience, and love in Darryl Armstrong’s newest collection of short stories – BETWEEN THE TRACKS.

We recommend you get asoft-cover SPECIAL EXPANDED EDITION WITH MORE ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHY at Books.by/Darryl-Armstrong  for $19.99 with FREE SHIPPING (7-10 days delivery).

But if you want faster delivery, you can get it at Amazon in soft or hardbound or e-book.