SUNDAY, AUGUST 9th - We're HOME!!!!

Hi folks, We arrived home around 3pm Sunday and was immediately greeted by the family. Blake (Grandson) was the first and couldn't wait to see us. He climbed into the MH as soon as we opened the door. After some hugs & kisses, he told us, "Come see little brother - we still have him!" That brought a few chuckles right away. Here are a few pictures - enjoy and I will comment at the bottom of page. Sharon and new grandson "Connor" born July 17th, 2009. You can tell how proud and excited Sharon is to be holding her new grandson. She anxiously waited 23 days from the day he was born until we finished our adventure! She said it was a long 23 days but well worth it! Connor and Blake. (Blake turned 3 on June 19th) Blake showing off his new Corvette shirt. It says "When I grow up I'm driving a Corvette. Lookout!" Guess I will be taking him for a spin around town next week! We have a lot of catching up to do! Blake & I sitting in our favorite recliner. He said he was the only one that got to sit in the recliner while I was gone! Saw this sign as we left the Turnpike and started the last 28 miles home. Well, what an adventure! 44 days, 28 states, and 9210 miles of fun, excitement, amazement, and astonishing scenery & sights that we will never forget. We were blessed with clear skies with the exception of one day. I'm positive that this trip has brought Sharon & I even closer than before. We have learned that we can get along just fine even when sharing very close quarters 24 hours a day. We know that we have a lot of the same interests and really enjoyed what we did. Both of us are grateful that so many of our friends and family followed along with us while we made a dream come true. Your emails meant so much to us as well as the many comments relating to your past adventures along some of the same trails. We are very happy that we decided to do the blog for it now will be an everlasting record of this great adventure. America, the beautiful! Even though we traveled a lot of miles, we barely covered the surface of the states we visited. But, what we saw, we loved and appreciated the fact that this is our country and it is definitely the most beautiful place on Earth! Thanks for sharing this with us! May your tales be happy ones and your trails be safe ones. Denver & Sharon

AUGUST 7th & 8th - Alabama, DeFuniak Springs, Fl.,Paynes Prairie

Friday, August 7th, we all were up early. Denny and the grandchildren were leaving at 7am. With tears in our eyes we said our goodbyes and watched as they drove away. Sharon, Linda, Don & I went back into the house and talked about our good time with Denny and the grandchildren.
Don had written and copyrighted a couple of songs which he played for them. Patrick asked Don for a copy of the songs and Don gave them to him.

When families are spread out around the country it is so hard to get everyone together. We were all thankful that our trips worked out that we could get together even for a short time.

We finally said our goodbye to Don (brother) & Linda (sister-in-law)and left for Jim & Betty's (friends)home in De Funiak Springs, Florida. This is where we left the TOAD (Honda CRV) on the first day of our trip.
When we crossed the Florida state line around 3:30, Sharon was just receiving some good news on the phone and saw the Welcome to Florida sign.. I don't know if the tears in her eyes was from the good news or making it back to Florida or both but she was excited!!!

We arrived at Jim & Betty's home right on time. Betty had fixed a great supper of fried pork chops, okra, peas, & fried cornbread. Dessert was homemade lemon pie. You know I have to be blessed because regardless where I go there is always a wonderful cook in the house. It is no wonder that I have the shape that I have! (round)
We enjoyed and talked the evening away - finally hitting the bed around 10pm.

Saturday, August 8th, we were ready at 9am this morning and went to a country style breakfast north of DeFuniak Springs. Too much food!!
Jim gave us a tour of the old homes situated around the lake in town. They were gorgeous and some were quite large, too.

Around 11:30, we said our goodbyes to Jim and Betty, hooked up the TOAD, and away we went. It was kind of strange to look at the monitor and see the Honda tagging along back there. I had to keep reminding myself that she goes where she is towed but I need to make room when necessary!

Our next stop was south of Gainesville at 5:30 EST. Paynes Prairie State Preserve. Full hook up camping for less than $10. This place is beautiful with a herd of buffalo and a herd of wild horses roaming free not to mention the deer and turkey that shares this habitat.

While Sharon was fixing cabbage rolls for dinner, I ran out and snap a few pictures. Enjoy them..........


Young Buck in velvet with a Doe.








He was curious, especially when I opened the door and got out of the Honda in hopes of a better picture of him.







The Does kept looking up to see where I was and then would go back to browsing.







Finally the Spike walked away and the Does soon followed.







I climbed back in the car and went to the MH for another fine meal prepared by Sharon. I wasn't disappointed either!
Tomorrow, we will make the final leg of our journey and home. Instead of driving straight in today and being tired from the trip, we decided to spend the night here at Paynes Prairie and drive the 3 hours home after breakfast tomorrow. That way, we will be rested and ready for those grandchildren, as well as other friends and family that will be dropping by.
So this time, I wishing that our last leg of the trip to be uneventful, safe, but still one of the HAPPY TRAILS!!

AUGUST 4th, 5th, & 6th - Don & Linda's Home

Hi Folks,
We arrived at Don & Linda's home yesterday. I didn't spend much time taking pictures because we were too busy visiting and catching up on things. Over the next three days I did take a few pictures and they are below.
Enjoy the pictures and the comments.................

Tucked in behind two beautiful Bradford Pear trees on the rear left side of their 5 acres is Don & Linda's gorgeous country home. One of the projects he started after he bought the property was to build a fence all the way around it. This did take a little while to complete (just under 2 years) and I did say it was a project not a job. When you are retired you can work at your own pace and make the project turn out really nice like the fence did. That's a lot of fence, Don!

This is a side view of the house and where we made the turn to get Dusty backed around to the other side.







After getting Dusty parked by the other garage, we hooked up the water and electric, knowing, we were going to be here for a few days and some fun times.






We spotted the Hummingbirds on the feeder. Sometimes there were as many as five trying to get on the feeder. Don said they empty the feeder usually in 3 days.
NOTE: They emptied the feeder on Wednesday and one of the birds was looking in the back door trying to let Don know the feeder was empty.. I think he is spoiling his birds! (Heh heh)



This is one of their three cats and he is patiently waiting for Don to open the door and let her back in the house.







On Wednesday, I gave Dusty her bath and she looked a lot better. Made me feel better, too.







While I was pouring out a lot of sweat washing the MH, Don was busy cutting and vacuuming his lawn. I surely didn't miss this high humidity while we were gone.






Sharon & Linda in the kitchen preparing another great meal! Yum Yum!







On Thursday, August 6th, Denny (son) and the grandchildren arrived. They didn't know we would be there and we only found out they were coming just a couple of days earlier. This was a really special and happy day for all of us!!

In this picture from left to right starting in the front row is:
Patrick, Brianna, & Denver.
Back row is Denny and yours truly.






This picture is 3 generations of Denvers!
Left to right
Denver (that's me-known as PAPA), Denver II (Denny), & Denver III (Denver)

#2 hasn't accepted the fact that the Florida Gators are the best college football team but as he gets older he continues to get smarter!



Don kept the family entertained with his many funny stories!






Sharon & Denny looking at some family pictures.








Tomorrow, Friday, will not be a happy day as we all will be leaving Don & Linda's home, and will continue on our respective journeys. Denny and family will be going on to Tennessee and we will be leaving for DeFuniak Springs, Fl. to see Jim & Betty. Join us as we hit the road and some more HAPPY TRAILS.........

MONDAY, AUGUST 3rd - Alabama - Don & Linda's home

No overnight parking in the Rest Area, huh? We slept until 8am. (nice) Got up, showered and dressed, then hit the road. We exited I-65 just south of Huntsville, Al. and pulled in at a Waffle House for breakfast. We ordered hash browns & pecan waffles for breakfast, enjoyed the meal, and then we started down the country road to see some family we haven't seen since April. It was a short drive but very relaxing due to the lack of traffic and the slower speeds.

Route 67 south east of Huntsville, Al.








Route US 231 and south to Union Grove, Al.








We arrived around 12 noon and was happily greeted by two smiling faces. We backed Dusty around the house to the other garage, hooked up the water and electric, and promised Dusty she would get a bath this week!
We had a wonderful day with Don & Linda, topping it all off with everyone helping to cook dinner and cleaning up afterwards. Steaks were great but the fresh bread made in the bread machine topped off the whole meal!
I promised myself that I would go on a diet after we get home!
Remember "Promises made are promises kept" HAPPY TRAILS.........

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2nd - Bowling Green, Ky - Nashville, Tn.

WOW! We are definitely on the east side of the Mississippi River. The humidity was a little high last night but fortunately the temperature was bearable. After a nights rest in the parking lot of Walmart, here in Bowling Green, we decided to stock up on some groceries and do some other shopping . Since it was just across town to the National Corvette Museum, we knew we had lots of time to browse.

We drove the short distance to the Museum and once there we decided to look for a 12" X 12" brick. We belong to the Indian River Corvette Club in Vero Beach, Fl. and in 2004 the Club had decided to purchase a brick at the Museum.
This couldn't have been placed in a better location. It was almost directly in front of the main entrance to the museum.
Enjoy the pictures below as we tour the Museum.

The main entrance to the Museum on Corvette Drive.









Sharon pointing to the Indian River Corvette Club's brick just right of the checkered walkway to the entrance of the Museum.






Always my favorite - a 1953 Corvette. this was the first year of production and 300 Vettes were hand built in Flint, Michigan. All were white with a red interior and a black top.







1954 Corvette - check out the sign indicating the price per gallon for gasoline back in those days!
Starting in 1954 through 1982 models all Corvettes were produced in the St. Louis, Mo. plant.





Get your Kicks on Route 66! Remember those shows. Here are the two guys who starred in the shows and made Route 66 famous. From Chicago to Los Angeles, even today, you can still travel Historic Route 66 in broken segments across the country. Most of the highway have been replaced by Interstates.



Here's what the car looked like that help make the show a success.







The only lady inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame, our friend and fellow Club member, Betty Skelton. They were re-modeling the Hall of Fame and we waited until they put Betty's picture back up before we left. Google "Betty Skelton" and you will be amazed at what this marvelous lady has accomplished in her lifetime.



This is the only 1983 Corvette left. 43 were assembled in Bowling Green, Ky and GM ordered them to be destroyed. Thanks to the wisdom of some plant employees, this one was hidden from view and finally ended up in the Museum. 1983 became the first and only non-production year for the Corvette. The decision to destroy the cars was made because GM demanded defect free & the highest quality attainable. The 1983 Vette had so much new technology in the car and most was not fully developed for production. In 1984 the new Corvette was introduced and all Corvettes since them have been assembled in the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant.

We left the museum at 1:30 for the short drive to Nashville, Tn. We had boarding passes for the 6pm cruise and could start boarding at 5:15. We found a good parking place behind the Opera Mills Mall and was on board the Showboat at 5:15.

Sharon at the entrance for boarding the Showboat.








300' long - 4 floors and a big paddle wheel. This is a big boat!
The boat left the dock promptly at 6pm and returned at 9pm.







Sharon holding our pre-dinner drinks. This was perfect weather for a beautiful river cruise. We cruised up the river, turned around and cruised down the river to downtown Nashville. They again turned around and went back up stream for a long way.









We opted for the buffet on the Texas Deck because of the food selection. We were not disappointed.






After dinner we casually strolled about the boat from front to back on each floor.








There is always someone who volunteers to take our picture together and we certainly appreciated it.






This is the front of the boat on the 2nd floor.








The show started right on time at 8pm and like dinner, we were not disappointed. This group was not only talented but they were marvelous. They performed non-stop for 60 minutes with a variety of country music songs. Actually - they were awesome!





After walking to the MH, we found out that we could not stay in the Mall parking lot overnight. We changed clothes and let Rhoda (GPS) take us across Nashville to I-65 south and to a Rest Area. The first one we found was at the Alabama Welcome Center and the first sign I read was "No overnight parking".
It's 12:30am and half the night is gone - Staying here for the rest of the night, in my book, did not qualify for being OVERNIGHT. We parked up-wind of the semis who were not parking overnight (?) either.
GOOD NEWS! We had planned on spending a night at my brother Don & his wife Linda's home in northeast Alabama on our way back to Florida. Since some of our plans were canceled, we will be able to spend several days with them. On top of that, they informed us that my three grandchildren and son Denny will be stopping by on Thursday for a short visit on their way to Nashville. This surprise visit with the family will top off this wonderful adventure that Sharon and I have enjoyed so much.
Tomorrow we will travel on down to Union Grove, Alabama for some family time. Until the next adventure stay safe and HAPPY TRAILS....

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1st - Meramec Caverns, Mo. to Bowling Green, Ky.

Hi everyone & welcome back,
It's a new month and we are still on this wonderful excursion. We left the KOA campground in Stanton, Mo. at noon, the temp was 69 degrees, and it was raining. 75 minutes later we passed through St. Louis and the rain was really coming down. Our plan was to tour the Gateway Arch and have dinner on a riverboat on the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis.

We scrubbed those plans after I told Sharon we could have dinner on a showboat in Nashville which would be much more enjoyable. I think she was very happy that we didn't do the Gateway Arch since she doesn't do heights very well. She may have done a rain dance to help me make up my mind! (haha)

We drove across Missouri into Illinois and the rain was still coming down. We pulled into a Rest Area and decided to wait it out while taking a short nap. If you haven't tried taking a nap while it is pouring down the rain, you need to do it. It is so relaxing - we slept about an hour and the rain had stopped.

On the road again, we stopped in Evansville, Indiana for dinner. YEP! You guess it! The choice was the Cracker Barrel, chicken & dumplings, country fried steak & gravy with corn bread and beans. Doesn't get any better than this!
When we left the restaurant, I fired up the laptop in the parking lot and decided to check on a tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green for Monday, Aug. 3rd and then a short visit to the Museum. MORE BAD LUCK! The tours at the plant were discontinued for three weeks starting (You guess it) August 3rd!

Okay we decided to tour the Museum during the morning and do the Riverboat in Nashville that evening so I made the reservations.

We left the Cracker Barrel parking lot and drove to Bowling Green, Ky. where we spent the night at the Wal-mart Campground (parking lot). This time we made sure we didn't park where any semis could park.
Busy day tomorrow, it's late and we went to bed as soon as we could get settled.

Enjoy the few pictures taken (because of the rain).

It was raining so hard on the way to St. Louis, the wipers could barely keep up.








Sharon did her best to get a picture of the Gateway Arch between wiper strokes.







She shot this nice picture of the Mississippi out the side window as we drove across the bridge.







The rain had stopped in Illinois after we left the Rest Area. It didn't matter which way you looked the land was pretty flat along the I64 corridor.






I couldn't resist this sign from the window at the Cracker Barrel restaurant. I'm having country fried steak & gravy here and they are tempting me with cheeseburgers in paradise.





That's the update for this day in history. Not too eventful today, but there is always something special waiting for you when your plans don't always work out.
Until then.................HAPPY TRAILS!

FRIDAY, JULY 31st - Missouri

Hello everyone,
We spent the night in a Rest Area on I-70 at mile marker 58 in Missouri. We were not alone. We must have had an army of 18 wheelers all running their engines or reefers all night. Dusty is well insulated so the noise was not the problem. It was the vibration I felt when lying in the bed. I eventually fell asleep.

When I got up and finished getting dressed I went to the kitchen table to have my coffee and Sharon was sitting on the sofa ready to hit the road. I said" Aren't you fixing any breakfast this morning?" I guess I had that deer-in-the-headlight look because she smartly reminded me that I promised to take her to a Cracker Barrel restaurant for breakfast. I must have been pretty tired when we stopped last night. Oh well, promises are promises kept!

I turned on Rhoda (our GPS) and told her to find a Cracker Barrel somewhere east of here. We started Dusty and hit the road. Breakfast is being served 60 miles down the interstate.
Enjoy the pictures and comments.........


Cracker Barrel breakfast for me is the Old Timer Breakfast. Florida orange juice, 2 eggs, biscuits & gravy, 2 sausage patties, fried apples, and grits. Yummy!!!!!
Sharon usually eats the grits and helps me with the apples while she enjoys biscuits and gravy and one of my sausage patties. I love this place for breakfast.
This is the first time we have ate at Cracker Barrel since we left Florida.


We finally drove out of the flat country even if it is just for a little while.







Weight limit on this bridge over the Missouri River was 20 tons. They had that much weight with the construction equipment that was parked on the bridge not to mention the steady line of traffic due to only one lane open.





This is a beautiful country drive along the Meramec River.








We finally made it to the caverns. By the way, Sharon doesn't do caves very well at all. She held her feelings in check and pushed herself through it all. She didn't say much and she squeezed my hand a lot. I'm really proud of her for pushing herself as hard as she did.



The 3 sided Visitor Center uses the cavern for the back side. The entrance to the cave provides a constant temperature to the Visitors Center all year.







Most caverns has the same similarities so I will only post a couple of the pictures we took.







We watch a light show here while we listened to a recording of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America".






We drove back to the interstate and pulled into a KOA campground for the night. Since it was early I took a nap while Sharon did the laundry. (I know - a womans work is never done)
The steaks on the grill turned out really great as we sat outside and enjoyed the cool evening.

Our plan for tomorrow is to tour the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis and then have dinner on a river boat on the Mississippi.

Join us again on our next adventure. Happy Trails!