The Clampets are home!

Friday the 10th of July we headed back home. In one stop to pick up fresh vegetables for a cure for road food, we also, picked up a hand made wooden rocking horse and a child's table with two chairs for our house. We just stuffed it in the last bit of space we had in the truck and rolled on home. We arrived in time for a dinner left in the refrigerator by our house sitters and then went to bed. Saturday, we played all day long with our Ethan and ate our garden vegetables. Sunday, after church, we rested. Monday we washed clothes and unpacked and Tuesday was a day with our little girls, Bella and Scarlett. My honorary grandgirls are moving to Florida. We are looking forward to catching up with our friends and getting more rest. We don't have a favorite place that we visited, for those of you who haven't asked. And both of us agree to another road trip...just not so far next time. 7800 miles in less than two months was a retirement wish #1. We will let you know when #2 comes up. Thanks for following the blog.

Wolf Laurel,NC

Mike and I came in weary to visit with the Potts, but were soon up to speed and enjoying our time together. Golf, hiking (yeah) , roasting hot dogs and smores, and good wine, but our favorite activity was sitting out on the porch in the rocking chairs and looking out over the smokey mountains. What a great vista! It was hazy and evening thunder storms, but it was all good.

Des Moines Iowa

We just keep trucking on. Here we are in Des Moines visiting with a dear friend JoLynne Meskimen. She is enjoying her new house and it is beautiful. We had a chance to visit and rest from the road. We met her grandson Tanner and watched the fourth of July fireworks from her Club's lawn with his parents, Brent and Mary. It was a pleasant evening and it was fun watching 2 1/2 yr. old Tanner enjoy the fireworks. We are not looking forward to getting back to the GA summer heat. After the fourth we hit the road and are staying outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. We are back on eastern standard time!

Des Moines

We left Rapid City, SD enroute to our overnight destination in Sioux Falls, SD. It's a big state! We visited Wall Drugs (similar to South of the Border),the Badlands National Park, a very interesting automobile museum in Murdo and lunched at Al's Oasis in Chamberlain, SD. Mike introduced Bonnie to the Corn Palace and Cabella's in Mitchell, SD. We finally arrived in Sioux Falls about 7:00 pm. and after a dinner at Sonic Burger we turned in.

The Dawg gypsy truck pulled into JoLynne Meskimen's driveway in Des Moines shortly after lunch on the 1st of July and we will stay over the 4th. I hear they shoot fireworks in the shape of corn. We passed miles and miles of corn fields. In the restaurants the vegetable of the day is CORN. Sorry, JoLynne! We were welcomed into her new home and it is open and lovely. I don't think she down sized too much. We had dinner with the Gahans (Martin Marietta friends) and I enjoyed my first walleye fish dinner. We are taking advantage of a place to wash clothes, hair, etc. We will visit with her grandson Tanner over the weekend. Aunt JoLynne has seen all of our baby pictures already. Later we will bore her with our trip pictures. have a good day!

South Dakota

We are bunked in here in Rapid City, SD and spent the last two days roaming the Black Hills. The area is noted for Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, and Harley Davison Rallies. The carvings of both the presidents and Crazy Horse, which we saw yesterday, were very impressive and we can now cross it off our list of things to see. Today, we toured Ft. Meade, and walked the streets of Sturgis and Deadwood. In Deadwood we took a tour of the area and heard all about the early days and how Hickock died in a Saloon in Deadwood and about Calamity Jane's request to be buried next to her friend.
The trip continues tomorrow as we cross SD and circle our wagon in Sioux Falls for the night. All is well with the girls. Krystal is driving home from her visit with Todd's parents in Oregon. Maverick got an A for traveling! Heather is chasing Ethan around the house as he is a mad crawler now. Well, time to mosey on...g'd night.

South Dakota Bound

It was hard leaving Jackson and our friends there, but we headed out yesterday to cross WY and today we crossed over into SD. There are a lot of stories that could be told about our WY experience, but you would have had to be there for it to make much sense. I will let the pictures tell another story. We will use the rest of the day in Rapid City to wash the truck, restock at Wall Mart, and hopefully get pictures down loaded and the blog up to date.

Jackson, WY

The reception is poor here and I had to hold off writing. There is just too much to be doing out doors to play computer geek. We are staying with Atlanta friends in their son's second home. It is a beautiful cabin nestled in the woods up against the Grand Teton's. The moose and elk visit us regularly. We drove into Yellowstone to once again view Old Faithful and the Painted Pots. On a daring buffalo finding mission the girls managed to get stuck in the mud on a long dirt road and had to call the men to some pull us out. Yesterday, the girls were heading out to meet the boys for dinner after their golf game and we had a flat tire. Once again...the men to the rescue. Well, when we weren't getting into mischief, we managed to shop and take walks and we have a pretty mean jigsaw puzzle going on Route 66. We are cooking in or going out to some great restaurants. We are just resting and having fun. Yesterday was our 41st anniversary and when we went to bed we found rose petals spread over our bed and a vase of roses and a card from the gang! We got a big laugh over that. We do love it here.

Good afternoon from Salt Lake City. Yesterday started off with us looking forward to a short drive into SLC. Unfortunately, we ran into a stopped line of cars and trucks for a bad wreck to clear. We sat or crept by the south end of the Great Salt Lake for three hours. We enjoyed a car picnic of snicker bars and Jin's beef jerky and later the bottle of complimentary wine given to us by Hotel Monaco on our arrival. The hotel restaurant was very good and we turned in early. Sunday, Mike and I walked up to Temple Square and enjoyed the Sunday performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir being recorded for radio and TV. The campus tour took an hour and we followed that up with brunch. There is not much to do in the city and the thought of climbing back into the truck led us to the decision to rest for the day and then attend an early dinner and a play across the street at the Capitol Theatre this evening. We saw in the news that a climber fell to his death off of Half Dome in Yosemite yesterday in the rain and hail on the slippery surface. They escorted the rest of the hikers on the trail back down. That is so sad, but that would never have been us, as we rarely left the turnouts or the easy paths. We have turned east now and are on the second leg of our trip. We look forward to visiting our friends on this last four weeks of our travels back to Atlanta. Tomorrow....Jackson WY for a two week respite!

Yosemite

Thursday we were on our way again and after a few stops to take pictures, Mike and I lunched in Carson City at Reds 395 Grill. We opted to stay at the Eldorado Casino in Reno, NV for the night and saw a performance of "Menopause the Musical". Friday we backtracked a little to visit Virginia City. It was touristy, but the original town was intact and we went in a museum about the Comstock Mines and the city. Mark Twain started his writing career here. On the Road Again (we sing that a lot), it was a long shot to the little town of Elko. The scenery varied from the flat Great Basin to the high desert terrain .We lucked up for dinner at a Basque family restaurant called Toke Ona (A Nice Place). We just wanted a steak and potato and they kept bringing out food (bread, salad, soup, vegetables, rice, and spaghetti). It was all very good, but we couldn't eat most of it. Tomorrow, Salt Lake City! It is taking too long to down load pictures here so I'll send them later.

We are behind on the blog because we did not have a signal in Yosemite. We stayed outside of the park by a fast moving river just off our balcony. We spent all day Wednesday in the park. So many beautiful vista's and lots of picture taking, which took up the entire day. As we were leaving the next day to drive across the Sierra/Nevada Mountains we realized we had taken 360 degree pictures of the Half Dome. Bridal Veil, Ribbon, and Yosemite Falls where majestic. We drove up to Glacier Point at the end of the day to take pictures over the whole valley. We bought a bag lunch and had a picnic in the park. For dinner we ate back at the Yosemite View Lodge and put our feet up on our balcony and enjoyed a bottle of wine before turning in for the night.

We are leaving Sequoia this morning. We have an easy ride to Yosemite so are hanging out in the main lodge where we have connections. We got two easy hikes in yesterday and enjoyed the Land of the Big Trees. Still missing little Maverick and his family. What's going on in your world...weary travelers want to know. The truck is loaded...see you in Yosemite!

Still in LA.

We are still in LA enjoying our grandson and his family. We have been mostly hanging around their apartment but tonight we are going to a restaurant that has some unusual dishes ie: grasshoppers, scorpions,ants and sea worms. Some of us will try the "strange" dishes along with a more traditional Chinese fare. Sunday morning we leave for Sequoia National Park which is about 4 1/2 hours north of LA. Today's picture of Maverick shows you how much he is enjoying our visit!

Visiting with Maverick

The day we arrived at Krystal's we met with a cranky Maverick. The next day we showed up to a happy Maverick. Mike even got a long string of belly laughs out of him. He thinks Mike is the funniest thing...none of us get that, but glad he and Maverick have bonded. Mav is a little high maintenance as he doesn't just fuss when he needs to move on to something else...he screams and then settles down when you are meeting his current need. If all else fails he is swaddled and put down in a quite room and he drops off to sleep. Babbling this morning. We babysat for him yesterday while Krystal went on a job interview. She did not get it, but it is early still for her to leave Maverick. This was in the writing dept. of a new show with great hours. I am sure something else will turn up later. Today we are off to the Dr.'s and lunch. Maverick has an ingrown toe nail! We will have lunch and stroll down the shopping area of Beverly Hills if Maverick lets us. Mike plays with him during the happy times and I get feeding and cranky Maverick. Todd has been promoted to principal of a sister school to his old job. He likes it very much. Enjoy the pictures of Mike and his mini me and MY Bonnie!

On the Road Again

This is the last night on the road for while. Tomorrow we head into LA. And I can't wait to get my hands on Maverick. We got up early and had breakfast in Williams in a little cafe and then lunched in Kingman at Mr. D's ( named after Andy Devine). We had a little rain and saw a little tornado far off to the side of us just before we entered CA. We are currently having pizza in our room and I am washing my hair to be ready for lots of play time with little Maverick. We'll send pictures of him after I get through kissing those little baby cheeks.

South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Today we will let the pictures do the talking. We were in the Grand Canyon National Park. We were on a jeep tour with three other couples and enjoyed their company as well as the beauty of the canyon.

Folks we meet on the road.

Today was a short trip to the hotel near the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We made one stop on the way in the small town of Williams, AZ. Once here we watched an IMAX on National Geographic's Grand Canyon and drove through the National Park. It is a good thing we booked a jeep tour for tomorrow as all of the parking lots were full. This way they will drop us off at each lookout to take pictures and then move on down to the next one. Not much else to do here, so we are resting in our room and catching up on our paper work, advanced map reading, etc. Last night we did two loads of laundry and in the launday room met a lawyer from Atlanta who is bicycling from Amelia Is. to Los Angles. We meet all kinds of people along the way. Mike and I chatted with two couples driving Rt. 66 from LA to Chicago in a 40 Ford and a 56 Chevy. Lot's of bikers doing the same thing. For the majority of you who are wondering how Bonnie and Mike are surviving so much togetherness...we found the secret for getting along. The trick is to not over do. We do get cranky at the end of a long day, but rest or a new adventure calms the nerves. Mike is still doing all of the driving...fool that he is, and I am getting tired of being the tour guide and map reader. We have two more nights on the road and then a weeks rest and visit with Little Maverick in Santa Monica. Yeah!

We left very early enroute to Flagstaff, AZ. We stopped in several little towns along Rt.66 and then visited the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park. A beautiful and majestic site. From there we went to Winslow, AZ. made famous by the Eagles( "standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona, what a fine site to see") and stood on that very corner. We are now in our room in Flagstaff and will go to the Grand Canyon in the morning. Good night to all!

A day in Santa Fe

We had a pleasant Sunday in Santa Fe. Lots of people due to the holiday weekend but not too bad. Many art shows and Indian exhibits to see and art galleries to visit. We had nice lunch at a small restaurant on Canyon Road which is the home of many art galleries and were fortunate to be inside when a major thunderstorm came up with lots of hail. A dinner in an Italian restaurant finished off the day.More touring is scheduled for tomorrow.

Oklahoma City to Santa Fe

Ola from Santa Fe. Yesterday was an easy traveling day and we stopped for only two small museums. One was of Rt. 66 and the other was a car museum in Santa Rosa. If it is cars and guns, Mike is a happy camper! We had our first small town diner experience with strange looking truckers and locals. Mike had trouble eating for facing a fellow diner who looked like he had no pants on when he sat down! We have a picture you won't see for now. The famous "Cadilac Ranch" was a good vintage Rt. 66 marker. Tucumcary was a good town for old Rt. 66 signs and buildings, like the teepee curio store and the Blue Swallow Inn.

We walked through an art show near the hotel while we waited for a room in Santa Fe. Mike bought a concho belt he really likes and bought me a necklace for a belated birthday present. Once we walk Canyon Rd. I expect more presents!!! We walked up to a wonderful restaurant and shared our lamb and Australia Barrundi fish. We will stay in town today...we need a break from truckin and need to streach our legs. Bye from New Mexico. We will be here until Tuesday.

We made Amarillo by evening

We left Branson early and hit Rt66 where we found in the town of Claremore the Will Rogers Museum and the J.M. Davis Arms Museum (world's largest private collection of firearms). Mike loved all the guns, but there were so many he was overwhelmed. In Oklahoma City we visited with Mike's mother's family. Seventeen of them showed up for dinner and a nice visit. Uncle Dale hosted us in his home and was a great tour guide around the city our first morning. We enjoyed the National Cowboy Museum. Wonderful art...and more guns, of course. Today is my birthday and I enjoyed all the calls from friends. Bella and Scarlet called to sing "Happy Birthday" and I Skyped with Maverick and Ethan this evening. Mike said the highlight of today was lunch at Jiggs BBQ found in the Road Food book. We walked through a small Rt. 66 Museum. That is where we get our walking in. We are doing better at reading maps and jumping on and off the Interstate to avoid tricky routes, one week out. We have our feet up in Amarillo and are resting this evening nibbling on peanut butter crackers. See you down the road!

It's tuesday...so this must be Branson, MO

Mike is just beginning to relax and go with the flow. On the road from Memphis, I wanted to stop at a local restaurant for lunch where the Road Food book ( the girls gave us this book) said that the Wagon Wheel had mile high rolls and the nations best pies. Trying to use the car guidance system we over ran the turn off. Mike would not turn around. The Sizzler in Clinton was... OK. Now we are going up the road pass the lawn jockeys and I tell Mike we just passed a herd of cows lying under a tree with a camel. NOW, he turns around and pulls off and says..." you were right it is a camel." Lesson #1...we are retired. We have all day, no schedules. Let's not miss what could have been a pleasant experence. I predict a lot of "turn a rounds" from here on out.

I had no idea what to expect Branson to look like. It looks like Hwy. 17 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Yesterday we went to the Strait Show and were pleasantly entertained by a trio singing George Strait music and some gospel music. We wandered through the largest toy museum and an antique barn. I bought, " The Angel of the Hills" book to read along the trip. Today, we are attending two shows- 12 Irish Tenors and The Jim Stafford Show. Tomorrow we begin the Route 66 leg of the trip. We miss our friends, but know you are praying for us. Alive and well in Branson.

Bonnie is learning how to post the blog, so bear with us. Our last dinner was with APAC friends at Folks Folly Steak House. After our fun visit in Memphis with Jo and Chris Lodge, we headed out Sunday morning for Branson, MO. Mike let me drive 0.0 miles through the rolling green terrain. The road side was dotted with Pentecostal churches and for sale signs for lawn jockeys. We streched our legs in a small state park in Clinton, AR which touted a natural rock bridge. I left out the picture of Mike by the old moonshine still. We were so well fed in Memphis that we stayed in last night and skipped dinner. We are off today to look around Branson. We have shows scheduled for today and tomorrow.

The first day began at about 4:30 am on Friday, May 15th. We had loaded the car the night before under the watchful eyes of Dawg Gnome. We got an early start to get ahead of the traffic in Atlanta and after breakfast in Tallapoosa, GA, we began our trip to Memphis. We arrived in Memphis in time for lunch with our good friends Jo and Chris Lodge. We had a great dinner at Big Fish. On Saturday we went to the Peabody to watch the ducks walk from the elevator to the fountain in the lobby. Were late and missed the duck walk but got to see them in the fountain after the crowd retired. Plans are to go to a steakhouse for dinner and retire early, we will see.

We have been visited by our good friend "Dawg Gnome" His invaluable help with planning has gotten us as far as Reno. Will continue to us him as we go farther.

Bonnie finally decided that she was ready to plan the trip. After she returned from LA and the birthing of Maverick she has been a little "confused" and very tired. We got on the computer and got our reservations for rooms and shows in Branson , Santa Fe and the Grand Canyon. Couldn't get a room on the rim but got close. Bonnie and I are diametrically opposed when it comes to our places to stay. She wants to be in Ritz Carltons and I can live with Motel 6. Needless to say I am on the losing end of this. Fortunately there aren't many RC on Route 66. I'm sure we will be fine.

Bonnie and I are deep in the planning stages for our cross country odessy. We have set the route and estimated the mileage to be about 6300 miles. I expect that it will be longer due to unexpected diversions. We will leave on May 15th and spend the first night with friends in Memphis.
Please pray for us as we begin this journey. Fortunately there are airports along our route in case the truck cabin gets too small.