Hi all.
Bringing Lori back cause she's my inspiration for undertaking this cross country tour and I thought someone might enjoy a litte travelogue of our trip.
We've ambled through the backroads at a snail's pace all the way from Oklahoma so we are behind our expected schedule, but we are thoroughly enjoying the trip.
Because we've had Alex along we have done things and noticed things we would otherwise not have seen or appreciated.
The Bill Clinton Library incident is available only by personal request. I have to tell you though, I personally consider it a work of art.

We have traveled the back roads through the Ozarks and are in Knoxville entering the smokies. In central Tennessee, we traveled through towns deserted for the interstate and lots of places where front yard junk seemed to be the only source of employment. There were also wonderful houses with wide front porches under tall pines and wide magnolias. Both the rundown shacks and the stately plantations were beautiful in different ways.
In Memphis, we went to Graceland which was one of my personal favorites. I've been there many times before and after his death, but for a variety of reasons, never took the tour. It was fun to do it this time with Dan and Alex, both of who went in skeptical and came out fans. Even Alex was impressed. I had a fried banana and peanut butter sandwich, not my favorite, but Elvis ate it so it's gotta' be good for soemthing. The whole experience was fun. Elvis LIVES!!!
Somewhere outside Memphis, we wound up on Loretta Lynn's Plantation site and enjoyed that a lot. All very well put together and lovely.
We again traveled the backroads through the foothills of the smokies and today arrived in Knoxville. In the smokies, the trees are tall and the streams run clear over huge boulders among the lush and colorful vegetation. We had to stop to ask directions several times and everyone was very friendly. Their directions were often confusing, but they were real nice about it.
We haven't yet spent the night in the travel van. I'm not sure why since he has a pool at his house and I have one at mine that he uses, but Alex wants to swim every day and we're just not well enough informed to find a campsite with a pool. Also we're too pooped to camp though we have picnicked a few times and enjoyed that a lot.
Tomorrow we'll tour some things that interest DAn and then be on our way toward Washington. Still on the back roads as much as possible.
Please pray for a continued safe and happy trip.
smile

Oh, Smile, this is wonderful. I feel like I'm right there with the three of you as you make your leisurely meander through the country. It is truly marvelous, isn't it -- a back road journey into America? It just fills you to the brim.

I'm putting in my special request for the Dan/Clinton library tale. Sounds like a doozy.

God bless you as you continue on your wonderful trip. Enjoy every moment.

Hi Lori and all,

We returned from South Dakota, they had to bring me back kicking and screaming. I just loooove that country!

I convinced my interstate driving husband to drive the back roads...I love going through those "typical Amercian" small towns.

Our car was packed to the gills with my hubby, 2 children, and my teenagers' boyfriend. We call him "Herbo" (her bo, get it?). He has never been out of MD or NJ, so it was so much fun taking him with us. (he's actually a very nice young man, but not good enough for our daughter. (you know) lol))

We stayed in Custer Stated park this time in a lovely camping cabin. This is really a glorified hotel room with the ability to build a campfire right outside your door, but that REALLY works for me. So, you get the luxury of your own bathroom, running water, electricity, beds, and (don't lose your mind here) cable t.v....with the charm of cooking on the campfire (the MEN do the cooking) and eating way too many smores! Loved it!

We hiked "Harney Peak"...and if you are EVER in S.Dakota -- this is a MUST DO! Now, it is definitly like planned torture, but when you get to the top - you are on the top of the world. It is amazing! The hike should have taken us about 3.5 hours - but we did the Lori "backroad" thing (lol) and it took us about 5 and 1/2. Ughhhh. We had two smokers and a 3 yr old with us...need I say more! I kept reminding everyone to ENJOY THE JOURNEY...we had a great time.

I tested "speaking faith" into the 3 yr old...I told her she was the best hiker in the group...and that she was the princess of hiking. You sould have seen that kid walk. 3 miles one way, 1 mile almost straight up at the end. I made sure she was the first to reach the summitt and applauded her! (she's a peanut also - the steps at the end came up to her waist, and she still went up them unassisted).

I've decided that "home on the range" was written about the black hills. "Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play...where seldom is heard, a discouraging word...and the skys are not cloudy all day" (or something like that)

The people of s. dakota are wonderfully nice and warm.

My hubby and I are planning our summer home there when we've achieved financial freedom. Woo hooo S.Dakota, look out. The Jones' are a coming!

danita

smile and danita, I'm grinning from ear to ear.

Smile, I'm still hoping to see you in DC. Might you arrive there alter? Just let me know.

Danita, I love the boyfriend comment. Way too funny.

Lori, see what you've started?

This is just too cool. More off-the-interstate converts! Awesome, isn't it? Smile and Danita and their clans discovering back roads and small towns and secret, quiet places no one knows about but the people who live in them.

Danita, you had me huffing and puffing up Harney Peak right along with you! Herbo, the smokers and the 3-year-old princess of the peak! Harney's now on my must-see list.

Who cares what the price of gas is? Fill 'er up and get out there! I've gotta break out my American road atlas and plan a new road trip. As we've found during this thread, travel talk is contagious. And, when you put that talk into action, the wonderful wanderlust disease just gets stronger.

I've been doing a lot of reading about Russia to prepare for my and Dana's upcoming trip, and as I learn more about that country, I find myself feeling ever more thankful that, while I can visit nearly any place on earth, I live in a land where I could put the key into the ignition tomorrow if I wanted, and just take off and explore America's millions of miles.

Life is good, ladies.

Keep on rollin',

Lori

OK, Lyn369, you'll be happy to hear that I took an "unplanned" back road trip in Colorado Springs yesterday.

An hour LOST on the backroads in the middle of NOWHERE!

I tried to think "happy thoughts", but all I could think of was the coke, chocolate, and chips I was going to get when I found civilization.

1 hour, and about 60 miles later -- I found life. Uggghhhhh.

Sometimes backroads aren't so pleasant! LOL

danita

Oh Danita, you poor thing. Did you get your treats at the end of the trail?

chick

ahyup! You bet I did. It just was one of those "non magical moments". LOL

I lived to tell the story...that's all.

And with gas prices being what they are..I thought, "MY husband is going to kill me"...

So I came home and told him the response I was looking for BEFORE I told him what happened...it all was good.

Lynn had came to my neck of the woods and had gotten lost - so I knew she would appreciate it. lol!

Chick: the score: 75 listed - 7 sent out in one wk. Wooo hooo. Thanks for being my inspiration!

d.

Danita, you in turn have inspired me. What goes around, comes around.
Lori, we miss you around here.
chick

Hi ladies,

Well, the travelers we've talked with and about in this thread are all home. Danita's back from South Dakota (and back from her little jaunt into the Colorado Springs "wilderness" ), Dotsie's son has returned from Europe, and Smile's RV is parked back in Oklahoma. She sent me an email and said she took copious notes and lots of photos. Perhaps she'll write about the journey.

I'm a woman without a country right now. My passport is sitting at the Russian consulate in Washington, awaiting a visa. It's been there since April. I hate when that little document is out of my hands. But I'm not going to argue with the Russians. I'll just sit tight and hope it shows up before Dana and I have to head to the airport for our flight to Moscow...