Kingman, AZ-Wednesday-Home!

Up and out, we know we have a long day ahead but our final destination is HOME, so that’s okay.  Gas prices have increasingly risen as we head west. It will be interesting to see the price at home.  We endured quite a bit of traffic after entering CA because of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow.  

There’s no place like home…I suspect everyone feels that way because we are comfortable with what we know, even if it isn’t perfect!

We have marveled at the beautiful USA in so many areas, felt humbled by the great plains that emigrants traveled, and struggled with sadness in abandoned towns we saw along the way.  This was not a typical “cross country” trip for us.  Normally we would travel a few days, then camp for a few days and see any given area.  Due to the nature of our trip the time on the road seemed interminable some days.  However, all said we are happy we had this opportunity and we enjoyed ourselves in many ways.    

Total miles logged:  5,613.  Thank you LORD for a safe, enjoyable trip and for bringing us home. 

Gallup, NM-Tuesday

Brrrr… 16 degrees in Gallup, NM this morning.  I know it was cold and I hopped out of bed and clicked on the heater and hopped back in.  It was later that I checked just how cold it was.  We moved on and by the time we did it was sunny and much warmer.  We had an uneventful day driving, we are grateful for that.  We have been feeling safe and sound this whole trip with no problems, other that the self-induced turnpike fiasco… We are so thankful. 

The biggest news of the day was when we stopped for lunch.  Just as we sat down in the trailer to eat our lunch my phone rang.  It showed “ABSENT NUMBER” on the face and I debated if I should answer or not.  I’m sure glad I did!  It was Steven calling from the sea!!! He was calling to tell us he made Petty Officer on his first try!  We are so proud of him.  He also surprised me by saying Happy Birthday as well, because it’s already my birthday where he is! I can tell you it made my day!  Haven’t heard his voice since August, just email, which I am thankful for too!  He is on the Andaman Sea at this time and I feel certain that is because our President is in Burma or Myanmar area.  We are proud of him and all those aboard the Bon Homme Richard.

We are in Kingman, AZ tonight, logged 312 miles today.  I like the name of this place, it is Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel!  I don’t see any horses spending the night, but it’s still humorous to me!  It isn’t really a joke though, they have pens for horses and I think that is nice because after they have been confined to a horse trailer all day I am sure they want out of there as much as we want to be out of our van!   Having passed by John’s brother’s cut off this afternoon, they called tonight when they got home.  We probably passed each other on Hwy 40, they were going east and we were going west.  Sorry we missed them but we will see them “next time” around.

My Mom saw the doctor today, she is doing really well and getting stronger each day.  We are so happy to hear this. I think we will be home tomorrow. 

Tucumcari, NM-Monday

It was a beautiful, sunny morning as we bid farewell to Cactus RV Park.  Our Australian neighbors who came in last night were still sleeping when we left.  They live a few miles out of Brisbane and have rented a motorhome for 42 days to see the USA.  They began in Los Angeles.  I hope they see more than the sites along Hwy. 40!  Not too many “kicks” left on Route 66!!!  An uneventful day on the road and we thank the LORD for that.  We just traveled 263 miles and we finally got around to grocery shopping.  We stopped at Wal-Mart, I was stunned at first by the crowds but then remembered Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Tonight we sleep at USA RV Park in Gallup, NM. Tonight we got a military discount.  Often we receive a Good Sam discount or AAA discount.  

We didn’t hear back from John’s brother, I think they went somewhere for Thanksgiving.  We thought we would be returning to CA later than this but we are anxious to get home now and to see how my Mom is recovering.  We nixed the idea of Carlsbad Caverns as well because it is hard to concentrate on planning such things right now. 

Dodge City, Kansas-Sunday

After taking care of a few things we didn’t finish yesterday, we were on our way. The wind continues to blow but it is not causing us any problems.  We have sway bars and stabilizers on our trailer and the wind isn’t an issue.  I might not have mentioned the multiple wind machines around Dodge City and really all over this area of Kansas.  They even sell desk top wind machines as souvenirs!

We were on several US highways today; 56 west, 385 south, and 54 south, meeting up with US 40 in Tucumcari, New Mexico.  We breezed through small portions of Oklahoma and Texas after leaving Kansas completing 381 miles today. Much of US 56 follows the Santa Fe Trail Cimarron route. We passed the National Grasslands marker and tried to visit the ranger station, but it was closed. There were maps and an interesting road trip but we skipped that and went ahead hoping to make Tucumcari, NM tonight. There is much to see and read about these fearless travelers on all of the western routes.  Today along these highways you will find just small communities anywhere from 10 to 30 miles apart.  The size of the community must have something to do with the size of the silo(s) as some are huge, others much smaller.  The railroad runs right along us all the way and right by the silos as well.  I believe the correct term is a silo and not a granary.  Portions of the highway also have cotton balls all along the sides, mile after mile so obviously they grow cotton here as well.  Then there is hay, both is round and rectangle bales.  I won’t say the views today were stimulating but middle America surviving the best they can.  We went through some pretty depressing looking towns that seemed drab at best and at worst, perhaps totally abandoned. 

I’m happy to say my Mother is home from the hospital today.  My sister is there with her so we are feeling much less concerned today.  We got gas and ate a giant dinner of carbs at Denny’s right by Hwy 40, then back tracked just about 2 miles to spend the night here at Cactus RV Park.  The wind is blowing so hard one might feel like their on a cruise if there was only a dinner hour and waiter to serve us! Tomorrow we will head out on Hwy 40 (Route 66) and either head to Flagstaff and down to Dewey to see John’s brother and his wife, or if we don’t hear back from them we will head to Carlsbad Caverns.  Wondering what tomorrow will bring?

Water Sports Campground-Dodge City, KS

There must be water here at some point but the lake next to the campground is totally dry!  Total miles after a bit of site seeing today: 4,207.  The first place we went was the Boot Hill Museum.  It is very well done for the topic matter. They have replicated Front Street and still have some of the original items used in the 1800’s, such as cash register, furnishings, clothing, etc. The museum interprets life in the 19th century through audio-visual, exhibits, and a reconstruction of Dodge City in 1876, Old West restorations and history demonstrations (during summer months). One steps back into the 1870's as you walk down the boardwalk of Front Street at Boot Hill.  This is located on the original site of Boot Hill Cemetery in downtown Dodge City. It took a couple hours to visit. If it were not off-season I suppose one could spend the better part of the day there seeing some of the performances they put on and eating period food as well.  There were only a few people visiting today.  The piano player in the Long Branch Saloon asked where we were from.  He played “California Here I Come” for us and said he rarely gets to play that tune.  They even had a small Gunsmoke exhibit and a couple other TV shows that were based on the real life of Dodge City so long ago. 

We were hungry by then and decided we would go to the Boot Hill Casino just out of town for lunch.  We saw Prime Rib advertised and couldn’t resist.  Unfortunately, the Prime Rib is NOT today.  However, we had a nice buffet lunch.  The hostess suggested we get a “players card” for the casino because we would save $2. on lunch.  We did so, and with it got a $10. credit if you spent $1. first on a machine or other form of gambling.  We did so… I guess you have not heard about the BIG win… because there was none! The casinos here are owned by the state, unlike CA where they are owned by the Native Americans.

On we went to the Santa Fe Trail Historical site. I should mention it was very windy today, from what we have heard and read, it is windy much of the time.  It is lovely as the wind bends the grasses of the plains nonstop.  Nevertheless we venture out onto the plains and see they sort of gullies left by the thousands of wagons that have passed over these plains in years gone by.  If you look past the walkway in the middle of the photo you can see the gullies the wagons formed.  There isn’t just one trail as the wagons would move over to new land when the trails got too muddy. We hoped to see the ruts that wagon wheels made, but perhaps we will further along our travels back. 

After today’s little adventures it was time to do our housekeeping and laundry.  For those of you who asked about my Mom, she is doing better today and the pneumonia is clearing up.  She hopes to go home in a few days.  Thank you for your prayers.

Independence, MO-Friday

Up and out of Independence this morning.  I forgot to mention we are by Columbia Gorge Community College. We drove a long time with city freeway traffic on I-70 west, next on 35 south, and finally on a very sparse Hwy 50 west to Dodge City, Kansas. We entered Kansas mid day and we were going to stop before getting to Dodge City but heard my Mom is back in the hospital so cut back our site seeing to make more time.  Logged 386 miles today.  Some of that was a bit of a mistake as we got on a turnpike and could not get off.  It was a tense time as we were trying to get off to buy gas when I took a wrong turn in a construction zone that got us in this unfortunate situation. There were no exits in sight but we finally came to a sign that said “Truck Cattle Pens” and we took it.  Sadly, that’s all that was there, fenced pens, no people or services.  However, it did give us the opportunity to turn around back in the direction we needed to go.  By then our gas light came on and it was prayer all the way back, thanking the Lord we made it on E.  There was a very narrow shoulder to this turnpike and it was a very tense time thinking we could be stuck there with large trucks blasting by at 70 mph.  We again thanked God for provision, bought gas, and headed on our corrected route.   

St. Louis, MO-Thursday

It was warmer last night, not sure of the temperatures but not near as cold as it has been.  It was close to 60 degrees during the day today, though we had little sun and it looked foggy most of the day. Our morning started on I-64, which was also US-40, onto I-70 for the rest of the day.  We traveled 243 miles today, with a total of 3,795 miles for our trip so far.  We stopped in Columbia, MO for lunch. We are in Independence, MO tonight at Campus RV Park.  The pictures looked good but it is rather dreary little place with green grass turned brown and very few leaves left on the trees, expected for fall of course.  We decided to stay here because we wanted to see what we thought would be a big museum called National Frontier Trails Museum, which is walking distance from where we are.  The museum was actually quite small but it was still interesting and we are glad we went there.  Independence, MO was a main hub and starting point in 1840, for those heading west on the Santa Fe Trail, the California Trail, and the Oregon Trail.  These intrepid travelers rarely realized the daunting events that could take place between their starting point and where they felt their dreams would be fulfilled. They had goals and some of them met their goals, but very few.  Many lives were lost but the reality is 90% of the people survived the trip.  You just hear more about the catastrophic losses like the Donner Party experienced.  We first thought about staying here two nights, but we will move on in the morning, perhaps we will stay two nights in Dodge City, Kansas further down the road.

Clarksville, TN-Wednesday

Needless to say it was cold last night, we were fine in the trailer.  For the first time we kept the heater on low all night because we were concerned our pipes might freeze.  However, I think it was colder last night in Cookeville.  Anyway, up and on our way by 8:30 am as we want to make it to St. Louis, Missouri to stay tonight.  MO is a new state to tick off my list of states.  Kansas will be the next one and then the rest of the way home it will just be repeats.  I think I have just ONE more state left after this trip, which will be Michigan.  I am a little uncertain about Wisconsin, I need to check if we went there during our cross country trip in 2001. 

Anyway off we go on I-24 and in just a few miles we were over the border into Kentucky.  Lovely rolling farmland, if it was not cleared for farming it would look just like TN!  We saw several fields of horses and several horse trailers passed us as well.  We crossed over the Ohio River and into Illinois, then onto I-57, then I-64, and finally I-70.  We stopped for lunch at The Cracker Barrel, talk about a carb overload! However, the mac and cheese was delicious and I wish I had some for my dinner too, with maybe a biscuit to go with it! We also got gas at this stop and then journeyed through a detour from one of the many construction sites during this trip. I know the workers have to do this while the weather holds but with lane closures and mileage restrictions it does increase the travel time from point to point. We did travel 267 miles today, despite the delays and detours.

We crossed the Mississippi River and arrived in Missouri at 2:30.  We found the RV parking easily.  Right on the river is the Gateway to the West. The RV parking is free but it is about 1/2 mile from the Arch.  No problems there as the brisk walk warmed us up!  The sun was shining nicely on the Arch and I got some decent photos.  We rode the enclosed tram to the top of the arch and looked out the windows at the top.  We got some good views of the river, the freeway we came in on and the little white speck parked down the road by the river that we call our trailer!  I’m not a fan of heights so I was happy John wanted to do this as it motivated me to go as well.  After taking the tram ride up we perused the museum about the Expansion of the West, this type of museum is always thought-provoking.  A brief glimpse in the gift shop and we were on our way to our RV park for tonight.  The reviews were right, it is nothing but a black top parking lot with hook ups but it does have Wi-Fi and it is a safe place to stay.  We could have opted for Wal-Mart but when we called to check they said they didn’t care but “law enforcement didn’t like it much” if trailers parked there. 

We’re going to see if we can get the latest NCIS on the laptop tonight and head out in the morning for Kansas!

More information from Wikipedia 

THE ARCH: The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. At 630 feet (192 m), it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States, Missouri's tallest accessible building, and the largest architectural structure designed as a weighted or flattened catenary arch.  The arch is located at the site of St. Louis' foundation, on the west bank of the Mississippi River where Pierre Laclède, just after noon on February 14, 1764, told his aide, Auguste Chouteau, to build a city. The Gateway Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and German-American structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. Construction began on February 12, 1963, and ended on October 28, 1965, costing US$13 million at the time (approximately $95,900,000 in 2012). The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967.

ST. LOUIS:  The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and after the Louisiana Purchase, it became a major port on the Mississippi River. Its population expanded after the American Civil War, and it became the fourth-largest city in the United States in the late 19th century. It seceded from St. Louis County in March 1877, allowing it to become an independent city and limiting its political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the 1904 World's Fair and the 1904 Olympic Games. The city's population peaked in 1950, then began a long decline that continues in the 21st century.  The economy of St. Louis relies on service, manufacturing, trade, transportation of goods, and tourism. The region is home to several major corporations: Express Scripts, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Graybar Electric, Scottrade, Sigma-Aldrich, Anheuser-Busch, Edward Jones Investments, Emerson Electric, Energizer, and Monsanto. St. Louis is home to three professional sports teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball clubs; the hockey St. Louis Blues, and the football St. Louis Rams. The city is commonly identified with the Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in downtown St. Louis.

 

P.S.

I forgot a couple things about today.  For the first time I forgot to put the bowl of fruit in the sink before departure.  Of course I discovered the fruit along with a full container of cherry tomatoes all over the floor at our first stop.  We also noticed the flap covering the water heater elements had lost two screws.  No wonder with some of the roads we have been on, they rattled out!  We took the flap all the way off and stopped at the first RV place we saw.  (we would have stopped at a hardware store but we saw this place first)  The guy gave us his cup of screws to test out what would work so we’re all set with that.  He wanted to see our trailer inside but of course tried to sell us a really nice trailer that retails for $26K for just $18K.  I will admit it was quite luxurious compared to ours. It had a separate shower tub combo and the bed was stand alone with the dining area totally separate.  But of course we would not consider another purchase like that anyway.  It was a Jayco 19 ft. and weighed 3,100.  They have discontinued making that model, I wonder why?  He wanted to convince us the van would pull it, it might… but ours is more like 2,500.  Anyway, people always want to see our trailer. I would say 50% of our stops bring curious people along.  They are impressed it has so much for being so small.

Cookeville, TN-Tuesday

It was quite cold last night in Cookeville, 27* and 33* by the time we ventured out. Another day without too may miles covered (127 miles), but we had a nice day.  Clear, sunny, and cold all day. 

We decided to stop at a rest stop that had tourist information.  We thought about a “big bus” tour of Nashville but none of them sounded that interesting to us, except ones that already started in the morning.  Instead we decided to tour Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage.  No a fan of Andrew Jackson, but I do like history so that’s what we decided to do.  Cost was $16. each, which included a 20 minute video, well orchestrated audio tour, and personal tour of the home by people dressed in period clothing.  There was also a nice gift shop, restrooms, etc.  The grounds were lovely though most of the trees were bare.  Of course the fields are not planted like they were during that period of time.  He lead an interesting life and was clearly a determined man, but he did a lot of dishonorable things during his lifetime. I guess it didn’t pay off because the family lost everything after his death and the Civil War.  They eventually had to sell off things and pay rent to live in their home.  We reap what we sow, eh?  I think it is good that this is preserved so people can see how they lived and also how it worked out for them and their off-spring. Historically, it was quite interesting and I’m glad we visited.

We drove just a little farther than that, we’re in Clarksville, TN at the Clarksville RV Park, catchy name don’t you think?  There is a nice pool (covered) and the sun is down now.  It is another drive through site and we’ll pull out in the morning.  We have full hook ups but we will just use electricity as water hook ups have to be disconnected before 9pm.  They expect it to be quite cold tonight. 

I wish I had a Christmas Holly Berry tree like this one! Maybe you can’t tell but there are bright red berries all over it!

Close up of Berries

More about the Hermitage in Nashville, TN

Home of President Andrew Jackson

The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of the largest and most visited presidential homes in the United States. In 1856, the State of Tennessee purchased the property from the Jackson family, entrusting it to the Ladies’ Hermitage Association in 1889 to operate as one of America’s first historic site museums. Today, The Hermitage is a 1,120-acre National Historic Landmark with over 30 historic buildings, including restored slave cabins. Thanks to efforts of this nonprofit organization, the mansion is the most accurately preserved early presidential home in the country. The Hermitage is a national model for authenticity, conservation, and historic preservation. In recent years, new interpretive initiatives and educational programs such as archaeology and the history of slavery have enhanced the experience of some 180,000 annual visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren, from all 50 states and many foreign countries; in fact, we interpret the Hermitage mansion in five foreign languages. The property also receives 30,000 annual visits from the local community, including over 1,000 children who play Little League baseball at The Hermitage's Rotary Park. The Hermitage is a “Partner Place” with the National Trust for Historic Preservation; and a site along the National Park Service’s Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

Other Photos:

Farewell Whispering Pines-Monday

Last night was the warmest night we had, not sure of the temps but we didn’t even use the heater or wear our sweatshirts to bed!  My last shower with my little arachnid friends and family, I won’t miss them!  Saw an interesting one this morning, it was lightening fast from the shower across the room and almost like flying from the floor up onto one of the restroom door.  There might have been a web but I didn’t investigate.  The propane tanks were filled yesterday, today we dumped black and gray waste tanks again and refilled our fresh water tank as well. 

There is a cloud cover as we bid farewell to the state of Georgia and head on to Tennessee. We didn’t get far, maybe 5 miles, and the rain started to fall.  It continued throughout our entire drive of 158 miles today, just letting up at exit 257 on Hwy 40 in Cookeville!  That doesn’t seem very far but we traveled a lot of 2 lane roads during the day, many 30-45 mph sections, add the rain to that, logging trucks, a lunch stop, and a gas stop…it was a full day.  It was a beautiful drive despite the rain.  So many beautiful places and so little time to see them.  There is still some color in the mountains and rolling hills.  We also passed some huge lakes and rivers, and a pretty good sized dam.

We had a time change so we gained an hour back just in time to meet up with our friends in Cookeville.  We called the Handschin family when we were in Crossville as requested and they were waiting for us at our meeting place.  What a delight to finally meet them in person.  I think I said already that we met their son Hans on the USS Essex when we joined Steven in Japan in 2010, for the Gator (Tiger) Cruise.  Tonight we met Mom (Kim), Dad (Burt), and sister (Heidi), I felt like we have known them for a long time.  The internet does that for so many of us.  We had a fun-filled dinner at the Golden Corral where Veterans ate free today.  Burt and John are both Veterans so it was a great time.  It was fun to see so many men wearing Navy (and other) Veteran ball caps, shirts, etc.  We were early to dinner and it was a good thing because the lines were out the door and around the corner of the building when we left!

After saying good-bye we headed to an RV park nearby.  They didn’t have internet and so we opted for Wal-Mart.  We wanted to get some fresh fruit and veggies anyway.  So no internet tonight but we are warm and very thankful for a heater once again.

Whispering Pines-Sunday

Happy Veteran’s Day!!!

We were exhausted after the big day yesterday. I won’t share what time we got up, it is embarrassing!  Today the wind is blowing in gusts at times and the leaves are fun to watch.  The sky was full of dark clouds all day, we were so blessed to have a nice day yesterday!  Even with the late start we got a lot done today. We picked up the photos we ordered last night, we ate lunch with Tara, Michael, and Joseph then took them to the store, and then on home.  We came back to the trailer where I completed a small wedding album for them while John organized the car and checked propane tanks, etc. in preparation of our morning departure.  It looks like we used one full propane tank and just a smidge out of the other.  Now they are refilled and ready to go.  After finishing the album we took it over to the little family along with scrapbooking supplies for Tara, a couple of albums, extra pages, etc. so she can start an album for little Joseph and one for themselves.  After 10 days it is hard to say good-bye, especially when we don’t know when we will see them again. 

Heading to Tennessee tomorrow in hopes of seeing a N4Ms (Navy for Moms) friend.  We met her son on the USS Essex in 2010, on the Gator (Tiger) Cruise, so it will be fun to actually meet her in person now! 

Joseph Smallwood 15 days old:

Whispering Pines-Saturday

Today is the big day, Tara’s wedding.  We woke up early and got to work with decorating, then cleaning up and getting appropriately dressed, then off to Food Lion to get the cake and sparkling cider for after the wedding. In stead of sparkling apple cider, we got sparkling white grape juice, it was pretty good too. When we got in line at Food Lion their system went down.  We waited a little bit but then I called a clerk over and plead my case of needing to go.  I told him I had about $40 in groceries and if I could give him $45 I would like to call it even.  He briefly looked over what I had (cake, sparkling grape juice, ice) and let us go.  I don’t think that would happen in CA.  Anyway, that worked out and we headed from there to get Tara and Joseph.  They were pretty much ready and everyone else there was getting ready as well. We brought Tara and Joseph back to the trailer and while she did her make up John and I set up the cake and things.  Before that was even done everyone else arrived; Bill, Rachael, Joseph and his wife Heather, along with their baby.  Unfortunately, this morning Tara said that Michael’s family would not be coming after all.  His grandmother is sick and his father and brother did not have a way to get her.  Joseph was brought out to be with the group and I went in to help Tara get her dress and veil on.  Then I took the laptop out with music on it and John went back to the trailer to walk Tara down to the gazebo.  The ceremony was short but sweet and they seem very happy. About the exact moment John pronounced them Man and Wife a truck drove up quickly and it was Les, step father to Michael’s friend Joseph.  He said he went to the wrong campgrounds. It was nice of him to come. I took a lot of photos and then they had a toast by the best man Joseph, it was a very thoughtful toast. The cake cutting and tasting for the Bride and Groom followed and they were nice about it, though I had to warn Tara a little bit, she first tried to put frosting on Michael’s face!  We all enjoyed cake, sparkling juice, and conversation.  After a time we cleaned up everything and headed to East Ellijay to Okinawa Japanese Restaurant. The two couples, Rachael and Bill, Joseph and Heather, along with their 3 month old baby. Everyone had a great time.  Afterwards they all wanted to go to a movie so we got baby Joseph (JoJo) to ourselves for several hours.  The day was a blessing for all concerned.  Tara and Michael really seemed to appreciate what we did for them.  I’m sure there is more to say but I am tired and lucky I did this much!!!

Tara and Michael Smallwood

Whispering Pines-Friday

Frost on the pumpkin this morning, or there would be if we had a pumpkin!  Up and out and headed to Cumming, GA today.  On our brief trip from Whispering Pines to Tara’s place, three bounding, deer darted gracefully across the road in front of us; a buck, a doe, and what I believe was perhaps their larger fawn maybe born last spring.  It could have been another, smaller doe I don’t know how they tend to travel together.  So then we picked up Tara and Michael and headed to Cumming as they have some errands that need to be taken care of there.  On the way we saw a Wal-Mart so we stopped there and bought a nicer Bible for their wedding.  It is not really want we wanted but a LOT better than the only Bible we found here.  Next stop was the Golden Corral for lunch.  Wow - I had never been there even though we used to have one in Clovis years ago.  Oh my, they have every thing you can think of!  They had a roasted turkey about 20lbs in size and I got all the dark meat I longed for!  The stuffing wasn’t so good but the potatoes and gravy were and they had lots of veggie choices.  Sugar free peach pie for dessert.  Well, I was happy.  Moving along we were pleased to see a Wells Fargo Bank so we could use a bank without paying a fee! 

A beautiful day at 69 degrees:

It was a lovely drive down there to Cumming, it’s about halfway to Atlanta but more southeast in direction.  The drive and stops took most of the day and we are tired tonight.  Joseph, like most babies, loves riding in a vehicle and slept most of the time.  He is two weeks old today.

Tara and Joseph at Lunch:

When we came back to Whispering Pines tonight we have new neighbors down at the other end sleeping in tents… brrr… I’m glad that’s not me in a tent!  We did have a nice lunch so it’s a pizza pocket for dinner.  I didn’t feel too bad about that until I talked to my Mom and sister and they are having shrimp stir-fry!  For those of you who have asked, my Mom is getting stronger every day.  Thank you for your prayers. 

Whispering Pines-Thursday

It was chilly this morning, we have grown to love our heater!!!  Before I said I would not want a heater but clearly I did not think that through!  It is great to have it in the morning and even a few times at night.  We stay warm during the night with our bedding, no problems.  After the initial chill this morning the sun came out and we had clear, blue skies all day!

We spoke with our only other neighbor, besides the owner, this morning.  He and his wife and pup have been here for a month.  He has a pretty big rig but he no longer drives it, someone tows it here for him and sets it up.  Such friendly people wherever we go.

This morning Tara texted and they don’t want to go to Cumming today after all. They want to go tomorrow instead.  This is fine and did things today that we were going to do tomorrow.  I worked on decorations, John got a haircut, we ate Mexican food I had been craving, and we figured out where to order photos to leave with Tara so she can make an album for Joseph.  I am making her a small wedding album as well.  We tried to find them a Bible today, you know a nice family Bible.  Can you believe you cannot buy a Bible around here?  We went to several book stores and the option is to drive to another town where the Wal-Mart is to get one there.  It was funny to have such a search here in the “Bible Belt”!  People are so friendly here, if you ask a clerk for something chances are 3 or 4 customers might help you out too!  We eventually found an award-type Bible that we will use, but replace with a nicer one after we get home.  Besides the above mentioned activities we also had fun doing laundry!  It was a full day!

We will serve sparkling cider and cake after the ceremony, here are the glasses I decorated for the Bride and Groom. 

Coffee Pots

When we got the trailer I bought an unbreakable French press to make coffee.  Once I used it a few times and figured out how to avoid the grounds it has worked quite well and the coffee tasts great.  However, it is a chore to clean it out when trying not to use much water. If we are hooked up to water that isn’t an issue but often that is not the case. Plus it is messy besides when you are trying to wipe all the grounds out of the pot. While here in Georgia shopped in town trying to find a Melitta-type coffee maker, or any sort of nonelectric, drip-type coffeemaker.  Since I could not find one I ordered a 6-cup Melitta coffee maker for $9. from Amazon (what DID I do before Amazon???) and it has arrived, actually arrived yesterday, in one day!  (filters too!) What a breeze to clean this up, just lift out the filter and dispose, no grounds to wipe up and hassle into the trash sack, LOVE IT!  The down side it is glass, but hopefully stored in a safe place while traveling will give it a long life.     

Whispering Pines-Wednesday

It is raining off and on today and still just 42 degrees by mid afternoon.  The weather report said it would rain with chances of snow flurries.  We didn’t see any flurries.  We did things around the trailer today until Tara texted with a doctor’s appointment for Joseph, so we took them to that.  We went to town earlier and did a little more shopping for the small wedding to take place here on Saturday.  It is supposed to be sunny and 67 degrees that day.  I hope that is the case!!!  Her dress and their rings arrived via Amazon today.  Please tell me what I did before Amazon? Just a quiet day, which is fine. 

Whispering Pines-Tuesday

It rained last night, but not sure how much, the trailer is a little bit cleaner and it was 42 degrees earlier this morning.  I talked to both my Mom and sister today and my Mom is getting a little bit stronger.  Today we worked on the gazebo area to have it ready for the wedding on Saturday.  John had to fix the wood and stone steps to be sure people can get into the area easily enough without falling.  All the cobwebs and leaves are out of the gazebo area.  The babbling brook nearby is so nice. It is a pleasant little area.  I have ideas for decorations, and I will get a few more things so I can also decorate the swing so Michael and Tara, even Joseph can sit in that after the ceremony for some photos, a toast, and to eat their cake.  We had a late lunch of taco salad, we really needed soup on a day like this but I had the meat I prepared at home thawed out too use.  I downloaded a wedding album from iTunes so we will have some nice music for the wedding and John went over the ceremony he will use.  I tried all day to get a live feed on my laptop for election news, maybe it’s just too soon.  I think the polls close at 8pm on the east coast so just another hour and one-half.  We had pancakes for dinner.  Still wanting to go to the Waffle House but we don’t feel like driving there now so pancakes were a good choice, so much for low-carb!!! 

Whispering Pines–Monday

Tara and Michael’s little wedding will be here at Whispering Pines in a small gazebo.  We did a lot of errands today for this event to take place on Saturday.  We took them to get the marriage license at the Court House in Blue Ridge.

Whispering Pines–Sunday

It rained last night, I only know because John’s snoring woke me up and I heard the pitter-patter of the light rain on the trailer.  Sadly it wasn’t enough to wash off all the road dirt from either the van or trailer! It made for a warmer morning anyway.  I ventured over to the showers this morning to find lots of nice hot water, but also an assortment of spiders in residence. There was a small black, hairy thing, and a giant one like a Daddy Long-Legs only black as well, and a tiny, lurking brown one.  After some research I chose the stall where there was none I could see anyway!  After we were ready we took off for Tara’s place, they were not ready, but they are learning to get ready with a baby now so we all know how that is.  We attended their church, The Ridge Community Church. This was Joseph’s first time in church. It was not too different from our church at home but smaller and a younger overall congregation.  We met some of Michael’s friends and there were several people who came and congratulated them on the baby. Afterward they needed something at CVS so we stopped there before going to lunch.  We had to call in a request for a table instead of an actual reservation on Sunday.  Since it was a 45 minute wait, we did have time to run this errand.  We went into Old Town Blue Ridge to the Harvest on Main Restaurant.  It has a country/mountain theme and decorated for fall as well.  We had a nice lunch there and then took the little family home.  They were going to nap before Michael had to go to work at 8pm tonight, as he works a graveyard-type of shift.  We headed back to Whispering Pines as I wanted to be able to call my mother and see how she was doing.  She is home now and on the mend, but still weak and coughing.  I wish they had determined what is causing the cough.  She has an inhaler, which should help with that.  We have a little housework to do here and some laundry as well.  We will have a relaxing evening and probably catch up with some TV shows on the Internet.  

Joseph’s first time going to church:

 

Whispering Pines–Saturday

I kept thinking it was Sunday all day, I am confused… Anyway, Tara texted and said they didn’t want to go to Wal-Mart until 1pm so we stayed in our cozy, warm beds for longer than we needed to but it really felt good.  It is nice being “stationary” for a time.  We got read, had a late breakfast, had coffee, and did a few other things and headed out. They do seem to have enough baby things so we shopped for a crockpot, sheets, towels, hangers, nursing bras, all as a gift from Tara’s Grandma who wanted to get them whatever they needed for the baby. I feel she will be happy with getting them these things they need. We got supplies to stock their kitchen with food and drove back to their place and helped them unload everything. We held Joseph for a while, took some photos, and then arranged a time to come in the morning for church. Quite busy day for the little family.  It is really lovely here, I wonder how hot it is in the summer (and how humid) and how cold it is in the winter.  We might find out.  We saw deer along the Hwy. on the way back to Whispering Pines.  We are back to our little nest and some dinner.  Glad we get an extra hour in the morning! 

Made it!

We didn’t start our trip until almost noon since we wanted to talk to people in CA and see how Mom is doing today. When we spoke to her she is better, but weak and will spend another day in the hospital.

We are in Morganton, GA tonight.  We spent a lovely day winding along back roads, starting in Alabama and ending up in Georgia.  What lovely states these are.  We passed quaint towns with lovely little churches and homes.  There are still some pretty colors in the trees and we left a little whirlwind of leaves in our path wherever we ventured. Please don’t think me morbid for putting in photo of a cemetery, there were lovely old ones along this road, some even looked abandoned, but yet well kept, if that makes sense. The trees were so pretty here.

We reached Morganton and called ahead to a place called Whispering Pines RV Campground.  It is small but adequate and has full hookups and Wi-Fi for the week for $194. There is some 12% tax added to that to make the total, not sure what that was about.  The guy was nice and the place seems decent enough, just 8 miles from Tara.  There is also a laundry facility here, which we haven’t looked at yet.    

We finally see our little grandson in person. 

Joseph Silva Smallwood 

After a brief visit with the little family we headed back in the direction of Blue Ridge to find a restaurant with REAL food.  No more fast food for a while will be FINE with me!  We had delicious prime rib, salad, and vegetables. Long but good day, ready for bed now though! 

Fort Payne, Alabama

Logged 434 miles today for a total of 2240 thus far!  We are moving right along.  In Memphis we switched over to I 55 South, then I 240 East, then TN 385 East, then US 72 East, which we stayed on for a time and Hwy 35 to find Little River RV Park and Campground.  I can only imagine how lovely this place was a month ago, it must have been in full color!  We were in Tennessee for just a short time, then dropped down into Mississippi and then on to Alabama.  Both Mississippi and Alabama are “new” states for me toward my goal of being in all 50 states one day.  I am getting close!   We did see a lot of beautiful countryside with lovely trees and lakes. 

Today was overshadowed with the news from home that my mother went into the hospital today.  My sister Janice is with her and hopefully everything will be okay.  Seems she has low sodium and potassium… please pray for her if you are reading this.  Thank you.