Day 9-Carolina Beach

Home around 9 tonight.  Forgot how many steps it takes to get up to condo. Three trips tonight. Minimum of two trips tomorrow.

Both sliding doors are open, the AC is off, and the sound of the ocean is wonderful!

We got Maybelle turned in and unpacked a few kitchen boxes before we left for Carolina Beach.

We are watching the tv and seeing what is happening in Houstonn and Austin. Wow, what a mess! Hope everyone and their homes are safe.

Day 8-Greenville, SC

3250 miles!!!

Maybelle is unpacked, my car is packed and we are ready to turn in the truck tomorrow and head to Carolina Beach. So great to be here with R and J and see their new house!

We stopped today in Brevard, NC to have some trout for lunch and ended up at the White squirrel Festival.

Over the last 7 1/2 days we:

 Drove through 12 states

Crossed 3major rivers ( Mississippi, Missouri, and the Ohio)

Crossed both Continental Divides

Went off plan and saw approximately 14 sights

Saw many many many work zones- most without any workers 

Saw. Lots of animals

Not bad for two old broads and one Maybelle

Day 7-Cookeville, TN

Just finished a delicious meal at Crawdaddies, a Cajun restaurant in the middle of the Tennessee Highlands. Ummm, bread pudding!  I seem to have a hard time with placement. Of pictures, but am nc lauding I one of the outside of the restaurant. It is such a editorial day here that we were able to sit outside and enjoy the weather.

We stopped at the welcome center for Kentucky. The center is an old home which looks very horsey/rich Kentuckian. Picture is here somehow here.

We also went to Marion, Ky which is supposed to be Amish country. Apparently not any for us, but found good food, and enjoyed being off the interstate sooo much.

Tomorrow is the last day of this trip, we hope. Looking forward to seeing Robert and Jan and their new house!

Day 6- Mount Vernon, Illinois

Despite our best intentions, we STILL were on the road until 6 tonight. We also discovered tomorrow would be a 10 hour driving day, not allowing for gas, food, etc.

So we are not getting into Greenville until Sunday ans will unload on Monday.  Tomorrow we head for Nashville, TN and, possibly, beyond.

Today was long as I said, but the days seem to be longer now. However, we had three good stops. Our first was LaSalle, Illinois, where we just happened on the Illinois-Michigan Locks.The canal was hand dug by immigrants over a three year period.  They dug a canal 96 miles long which connected Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico for the first time and Chicago became the largest port in the US around 1836. The boats carrying passengers were moved along the canal by mules and horses. No sails or motors. We got to watch one of the mules pull a boat while the captain steered only by tiller.  Wild Bill Hickok was actually a "muler" there at one time and the Abe Lincoln family used the canal, also.

The next fun thing was in Springfield, Illinois where we saw the only home Abe Lincoln ever owned. From 1844 until he became president.

Next was the St Louis Arch. Fun to see.

So, although we are pooped, we have had adventures!

Day 6-Madison, WI

The plan was to be here by two at the latest and spend time relaxing and exploring Madison which is one of my favorite towns. Got here at 6:30 instead . There were things to see and do along the way!

First stop was Mall of the America outside of Minneapolis. We weren't there to shop but t see what all the hoopla was about. The M of A is the largest mall in the world and boasts a huge 

Indoor ride/fair section with roller coasters, thrill rides, putt putt golf and even places to try our skill at hitting balls off a bear's head. The mall also has a hotel, and an aquarium.  Anyway, it was after 10:30 before we left there.

Next was the Wisconsin Dellls. The place is a throw back to old Gatlinburg with a little of Myjrtle Beach thrown in. There was even an Eagles there. ( for those of you who aren't familiar with MB, Eagles is a department store with tons of tourist things made in China and guaranteed to break in the car right after you bought them.

So, finally we are here, after eating at yet another Irish pub. The food was excellent and we are ready for down time.

We have gone almost 2100 miles in the past five days and have approximately 800 to go in the next two.

Happy closing. Your new house tomorrow, Jan and Robert and Jan, sit down and don't overdo!,

Wisconsin Dells

Day 4-Rogers, MN

By the way, saw what I think was an indigio bunting yesterday in ND. bird people am I right?

We are done for the day! The trip is beginning to tell on us so tomorrow is a short day. The picture below only shows how tired we got today- rest stop nap!

We actually had a good day, though. Went to a pioneer village and buffalo museum. They have an albino bison, but she didn't show herself. Was good to see the others out trailing around.

This afternoon, we went to a  neat kitchen shop in St Cloud and had fun getting turned around and finding our way back to the interstate. Maybelle really doesn't  like u-turns and insists they should be three point turns instead . 

Definitely on the prairie now. Beautiful small lakes with really blue water. Looks like some wheat has been planted, but apparently in this part of the state potatoes and sugar beets have taken over from the wheat.

Road work abounds in these northern states. We figure the ice and snow does a number on the roads. Anyway, our last act was to follow the night road workers onto the interstate.

Day 3-Bismarck, ND

Busy day. 1200ish miles so far in the past 3 days.  Maybelle was happy with the flatter road and absolutely no traffic. 

We FINALLY left Montana! I personally have nothing against  the state, but it was nice to be able to say we were in another state.

We stopped in Beach, ND, and visited Prairie Fire Pottery- a neat place of a local potter who sells nationwide. With a name like Beach, I was hoping we had been transported straight to NC Coast. No go. Still a good side trip.

The best side trip of the day was a retriip for the two of us. We revisited Theodore Roosevelt National Monument which is also known as the Badlands of ND.  We saw almost three dozen bison, some with babies, tons of prairie dogs, and several wild horses.

We have been debating on what to title this trip and are seriously thinking of either "Road Work Ahead" or "No Services" .  The first is self-explanatory.  The second refers to the fact that almost every exit in Montana had No Services-meaning no gas, no food, etc.

Scenery was as gorgeous as ever. Minnesota tomorrow !

Day 2. Billings, MT

Boy, Montana is a very wide state! We have driven 444 miles across and have 145 to go. It is a lot like going through Texas.

We have named the truck Maybelle.  She is a feisty big thing who growls and groans up hills like the Rocky Mountains and skips excitedly down 6 degree slopes. Her very favorite speed is 60, but will tolerate 75 on really flat valley roads. She likes to eat as much as I do, so we stop and feed her fairly regularly.

We left Missoula this morning and stopped in Butte to see a copper pit that produced 1/4 of the copper for the world between 1955-1982. Butte is know has the city with the richest hill in the world. The pit is almost two thousand feet deep and the ground water that has seeped in is a thousand feet deep.

We then went to Three Forks, MT which is a small spot in the middle of nothing, but it boasts Wheat Montana, which is a granary, a bread bakery plus a deli. Wonderful baked goods and lunch. The granary is third generation and holds

the Guiness book of world records for the fastest bread making from thresher to table.  Eight minutes!

We stopped once more for gas and found this neat gift shop where the owner is also third generation and she polishes her own turquoise and Yellowstone. 

Finally saw a real cowboy herding about 50 head of cattle and later saw an antelope.  Crossed the Grand Fork river a total of nine times- either a twisty river or a twisty road. Continental Divide was 6393 feet. 

(I almost forgot: we passed several signs alerting us to the Testicle Festival. Anyone want to know the dates?)

Will try to attach photo of copper pit.

Day 1. Missoula, MT

Sad, tearful leaving. Very hard to do. I think tears in the truck lasted a good while, then stopped until we read cards from Ashley and Reeves, and then started a again.

We stopped in Spokane for brunch at Frank's Diner and then in a town with everything closed down for me to take a 15 minute nap ( had to after brunch!), and yet again to stretch our legs in St. Regis, MT.

The ride was gorgeous with tons of beautiful mountains to see and even a deer or two. No pictures, but will do better tomorrow.

We put in right at 500 miles and just finished dinner at an Irish Pub. 

We are ready for time outside the truck, but it rides really pretty well. Just tight quarters.

Will let everyone know where we land tomorrow!

Packing Day

My helpers! Ashley and Reeves did all the work. I just kibitzed.

Planning and Panic

What?.....Where are we going? We have how many days?

Here We Go Again

Anyone reading this already knows the history of my wildly fluctuating moves and counter-moves over the past two years, so suffice it to say-here we go again.
Today is the last day of my furniture in Grand Central, Bob and Wendy's Seattle home. Tomorrow, we will load everything into a 16' Budget rental truck, celebrate Bob's 70th birthday and my leaving, and Sunday morning early, Joann and I will begin the trek towards Greenville.

Leaving will be soooo hard! I already miss everyone here! The boys are so cute and I am having so much fun with the entire family, it is hard to imagine not being here. My consolation is that I have lots of VIPs coming to visit this summer beginning with Tina, Amy, and Harper and including Karina, Lee Hunt and John, and Reeves, Ashley, Larkin, and Drew. And I get to meet Baby Boy Clippard!

We have to be there by the following Saturday night, although the timing pretty much sucks for Robert and Jan.  They close on their new house on Friday, move, attend Taylor's graduation on Saturday, and I have to unload my truck on Sunday in order to return the truck on time Monday.

Anyway, Joann has graciously come to Seattle to be my traveling companion and weather guru. This will be the first time in our travels that we have stuck to interstate which we typically avoid like the plague on our adventures.  However, time is important and I don't relish breaking down in the boonies without cell service, in truck that isn't mine, so interstate it is.

We have determined 4 different routes although we would REALLY like to go down highway 101 through California but know it is not feasible.  So , as of now, we'll take the most northern route, so we can see some new sights.

I'll keep you up-to-date-hopefully with pics along the way!