Our lives and adventures rarely fit into a neat weekly or monthly time frame, and that is the case with our newest adventure.
Monday, October 29
This morning we were "up and at 'em" early for the first leg of the trip, a visit to one of the dermatology surgery units in Tyler where Dr. Markle sliced open my right arm to take out yet another cancer tumor.
The doctor was very quick and efficient (even if the end result was less than visually appealing), and we were out of Tyler a couple of hours before our expected departure time and heading east across I-20 through East Texas and Louisiana.
While we did make a couple of potty stops and a refueling stop along the way, our first major stop was at the Mississippi Welcome Center where we broke out the lunch that Barbara had prepared and packed and enjoyed some picnic time.
After a bit of relaxation, we continued across I-20 to Meridian, Mississippi, where we discovered two of our favorite stopping places...a Hilton Tru hotel and a nearby Taco Bell. We were introduced to the Hilton Tru line when we were on our Taz Trip through Wyoming and enjoyed the experience very much. Tonight's lodgings were up to the product standard, and the Taco Bell just a block away was the icing on the cake, so to speak.
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Tuesday, October 20
We began the morning with our usual trip selfies...
Then a quick breakfast from the hotel and an early start before continuing across I-20 into Alabama, where we set out sights on Birmingham and a short visit with Aunt T.J., who had moved from Mineola to a retirement center close to her son Donnie and daughter-in-law Lynette. We hadn't told anyone we were passing through Birmngham because we weren't sure how the timing would work out and we didn't want to say we would be there and then disappoint T.J. if we couldn't make it. But, everything worked out just fine and we got to surprise T.J. at her apartment and spend quality time with her in her new home and at lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Too soon it was time for us to hit the road again, so Barbara took one final photo for aunt and nephew (more like sister and brother)...
And we were off to find our way out of Birmingham (much more of an adventure than finding our way in) and continuing the drive across I-20 into Georgia.
Every trip we take seems to have its special surprises, and sighting this vehicle traveling across western Georgia was certainly one...
Almost anyone who has approached Atlanta from the west on I-20 has probably wished they could stop and take a photo as the city suddenly appears. However, the traffic never stops, and the ideal place to take the photo is within a 100-yard stretch of I-20 and would require a lift of some kind. So, we do as millions of others have done...grab the camera, try for the best angle and view, hope a tractor-trailer rig doesn't suddenly cut in front of us, and snap the shutter as often as possible before losing the effect. Following is the result of today's effort...
Anyone entering Atlanta from the west on I-20 is faced with the decision of trying to loop around the city or take the bull by the horns and head straight downtown to catch I-85 to the north. All indications from the GPS was that traffic was backed up for miles on the loop, so we gritted out teeth and headed into the throng that constitutes the Atlanta Rush Hour (which, in reality, is from about 12:01 AM to 12:00 AM each day.
We made it through a little rattled, but the old adage, "No blood, no foul," held true for us and after an hour and a half, we were able to escape the big-city traffic and head up into the mountains toward Toccoa.
The Georgia Baptist Conference Center at Toccoa is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in the world, and we never tire of the scenery as we pull into the grounds...
We went to the King Hotel to register, then checked in at the dining hall and got some supper to take outside to eat at one of the picnic tables...
And then drove up the hill to the Griffith Hotel to check in to our room, unpack, and settle down for some relaxation time.
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Wednesday, October 31 - Thursday, November 1
Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!!!
Today was a full day of work in the GBCC dining hall kitchen. Eric and his crew had more than enough for us to do as I prepped a several days worth of meat for cooking, and Barbara assisted our new friend Carolyn in the bakery. The kitchen staff (except for Eric) has had a complete turnover since we were last here, so we made several new friends throughout the day.
Thursday evening was a very special time with Eric and his family. It was cold and rainy outside, but with Eric, Ruth, and Kate inside, the atmosphere was warm and sunny as we enjoyed a wonderful meal and shared stories about what has happened to us all since we were last here.
We all had a busy schedule for tomorrow, so we said our goodbyes and headed back up the hill to our room to pack and prepare for the next leg of our adventure.
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Friday, November 2
It's a full day's drive from Toccoa, Georgia, to Midlothian, Virginia, so we got up early, loaded the car, and took off in the dark to head back down to I-85 and work our way to the northeast into South Carolina and North Carolina before crossing into Virginia and finding our way to the kids' house in Midlothian.
Thankfully, the trip was uneventful. We've done this drive so many times that we didn't bother taking photos
Dinner tonight was a family affair as we went out to eat with Mike, Kelly, Ava, Jack, and Benjamin to try out a new Italian restaurant.
That meal was followed by a surprise stop at one of the little kids' favorite places for donut dessert...
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Saturday, November 3
The highlight of the day was a neighborhood chili cookoff headed up by Mike, Kelly, and some of their friends as an outreach effort to their neighbors. Since we hail from the chili capital of the world, Barbara and I were the judges. Kelly's chili was clearly the best, but since she was the organizer and we are her in-laws, we all felt that it would be prudent to choose three other recipes as the finalists.
Tonight was very special as we got to visit with Josh and Amanda, friends for many years. Mike and Josh were roommates in China years ago.
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Sunday, November 4
Barbara had a bad sore throat this morning, so I went to church with Kelly and the kids (Mike had gone earlier since he was a greeter). A quick breakfast at Starbucks, followed by a great church service, were a prelude to a fun day of family time...
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Monday, November 5
Mike had a rare day off today, so we enjoyed time with the kids and him. A visit to ARC park in Richmond (a new experience for us) was a fun time...
And what pairs any better with fun than food...our evening meal was traditional Chinese at Peter Chang's...
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Tuesday, November 6
Kelly was gone on a work-related trip and Mike had to go back to work this morning, so this was a day of fun with the grandkids...hanging out around the house and a trip to the mall💗
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Wednesday, November 7
Mike took Benjamin to Miss Jodie's day care early this morning, and then we got Ava and Jack to their bus pick-up point and sent them off to school.
The rest of the day was spent with special friends Rod and Ruth who had moved to a new home in Ashland, just northeast of Richmond. We first met Rod and Ruth in the spring of 2007 when we worked on a church construction project in Lady Lake, Florida. We quickly became fast friends, and try to see them anytime we are in the Richmond area.
Today was a time of catching up on the new and revisiting the good times we shared in the past.
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Thursday, November 8
We know it will be hard for anyone to believe us, but this was a day without photos...surprises, surprise, surprise!!! With Kelly out of town, Mike at work, Ava and Jack at school, and Benjamin at Miss Jodie's, we just vegged out and rested.
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Friday, November 9
Today began a special 3-day time with the grandkids. They are now old enough to go off with Gramsie and Gramps, so Barbara planned a trip to Virginia Beach for us. We knew it would be too cold for swimming in the Atlantic, but there are a lot more things to do,and we thought we could make the trip fun and educational.
It was cool and rainy on the drive over from Midlothian, but the sun broke through about the time we got to Virginia Beach and we were able to get outside and play.
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Saturday, November 10
More fun and adventure awaited us today as we began with a great breakfast and then a trip to the Virginia State Aquarium...
Followed by a drive to historic Fort Story, an active military base...
Tonight we went out for a special dinner and then returned to the hotel for some swim time in the pool.
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Sunday, November 11
Veteran's Day
Today marked the 100th anniversary of the Armistice ending World War I, the war to end all wars (well, that's what it was supposed to be).
In honor of the occasion, Taps for Veterans, an organization that actively supports live soundings of Taps at veteran funerals, sponsored an event that featured hundreds of buglers around the world sounding Taps at 11:00 AM local time.
Since we were in historic Virginia, Jim chose to sound Taps at the Douglas MacArthur Memorial Museum in Norfolk. So, after getting everything packed and loaded in the car, we had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and drove to downtown Norfolk to choose a proper setting for the 11:00 AM sounding...
When the event was over, we visited the museum and then got back in the car for the drive back to Midlothian. It didn't take long for the kids to pass out and sleep most of the way home.
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Monday, November 12
Today was our last full day in Virginia. Most of it was spent doing laundry, packing, and loading what we could in the car for the next part of the trip. But, there was plenty of time for family fun and special time with Ava, Jack, and Benjamin, including lunch at school with Ava and Jack, and an early celebration of Barbara's birthday...
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Tuesday, November 13
Since both Mike and Kelly had to go to work this morning and we weren't in a huge rush to get down the road, our final act of grand-parenting for this visit was to take Ava and Jack to the neighborhood school bus stop and see them off on their way to school.
Once the bus was rolling, we drove the car to a convenience store to gas up and get some breakfast goodies before taking off across I-64 through Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
The weather was cloudy, cold, and rainy nearly all day, so photos were shot through the windshield...visibility was low, so this wasn't a particularly scenic trip.
We made it to Georgetown, Kentucky, where we hunkered down for the night and got in some serious rest and relaxation time.
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Wednesday, November 14
Our goal for today was to drive to Williamstown, Kentucky, to experience the Ark Encounter, a full-sized replica of Noah's Ark. However, when we got there it was cold, rainy, and the wind was blowing like crazy. Barbara wasn't feeling well anyway, so we took some photos from the parking lot and decided that this experience would have to be put on hold until another trip.
Instead, we got back on the road and enjoyed a few hours of driving through scenic Kentucky until we go to Mt. Vernon, where we checked in at a tried and true Hampton Inn to rest up for tomorrow's trip to Olathe, Kansas.
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Thursday, November 15
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!! We awoke this morning to find that we'd had an ice storm during the night and then accumulated a few inches of snow on top of the ice. After checking weather forecasts from Mr. Vernon to Olathe, we voted unanimously to extend our stay another day and hope that things would be better tomorrow. The desk staff had already been receiving cancellations for tonight, so we had no trouble keeping our room for another 24 hours.
Just as kids enjoy snow days, these two retired teacher thoroughly enjoyed a full day of no responsibilities and lots of downtime!
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Friday, November 16
Happy Birthday to Son-in Law Ryan McQuitty!!!
After packing the car, we grabbed a few things from the hotel breakfast bar and then hit the road again, entering Illinois, driving through St. Louis with minimal traffic problems, and into Kansas to spend a few days with Whitney, Jim, and Jimmy.
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Saturday, November 17
Today was a mixed bag of activities. Barbara had some kind of illness going on that affected her breathing, caused a sore throat and coughing, so we spent the morning with a doctor at CVS walk-in clinic. Not to be totally outdone, I was overdue to have the stitches removed from my left forearm, so I asked if that could be done. The doctor said she could handle that, so I added my name to the list and we both got treated.
We noticed last night that the kids, including Jimmy, enjoyed watching cooking shows, so Barbara suggested a fun activity for the evening...a bake-off among Jim, Whitney, and Jimmy. The object was to create an original dessert using chocolate and peanut butter. It would be a timed event (with adequate time to allow all three contestants to use the one oven), and the judges would be Grams and Gramps.
The contestants...
The interviews and show time...
And the winners and prizes...based on taste, texture, and presentation...
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Sunday, November 18
We were up and at 'em early this morning, anxious to get the car loaded and hit the highway to get back home. It was a fun three weeks, but we wanted to sleep in our own beds and keep to our own schedule, such as it might be,
After grabbing some coffee and saying goodbye to everyone, we climbed back in the car for the final leg of the trip...which included no photos until we entered the Mineola city limits.
21 days, 15 states, 3,397 miles, 4 grandchildren (and their parents) new friends and old friends, and countless photos...It's good to be back home!!!!!
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Tired and retired in Mineola, Texas
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
