Hey, it's good to be back home again!

Hi Folks,

We spent two days in Intercourse, PA, visited with our Amish friends and enjoyed some great food. Amish country is gearing up for it's busy season, the fall.
Our final day of driving is just over 400 miles and we were psyched up for the drive. The throttle was pressed just a little bit further to the floor as we worked our way home. Our 6,000 plus mile trip was over. Our Journey motor home did it's job flawlessly, never skipped a "beat" and served us well for the entire distance. I'll be giving our Journey a "treat" over the next few weeks. Fresh oil, filters, grease and even a check up at a local truck service center. Likewise, our HHR did a fine job as it dutifully "followed" along behind us the entire 6,000 plus mile trek. We drove the HHR over 800 miles and we appreciated having our "TOAD" with us.

You may recall, early on in our trip we totally forgot that we had to renew all our vehicles registrations. Thanks to the help of Laura, our Park owner and Pat's sister Angela and her husband Bill, we were able to put all the new registration stickers on our plates and paperwork in our glove boxes... of the motor home and the HHR. We waited until we returned home to put the plate stickers on the Toyota. While taking care of the registration stickers and inserting the new registration into the folder for the Toyota, I took a minute to remove old registrations/inspection papers from the folder. It was then that I began to look for the "Insurance Verification Form" that MUST be in the vehicle at all times! Being from MA, it was never required because in MA you cannot register a vehicle without insurance. However, in all other states, you are required (by law) to keep the "Insurance Verification Form" in the vehicle with the registration! So here's a "slap of the forehead" for ya! Just before leaving for FL last October, Pat renewed all three vehicles insurance. We received the "Insurance Verification Froms" and she "filed" them away... for the winter! We drove all three vehicles (and two of them nearly all the way across the country) while the forms sat in our file box at home for nearly the entire year! You can bet, that won't happen again... and we will not be forgetting to renew our vehicle registrations!!!!!

We had a great time. We got to see the major attractions we wanted to see and we've learned a great deal about the many beautiful places and people America has to offer. We're already thinking about another trip west!

Pat and I want to thank each and every one of you for following along with us. We hope you've enjoyed reading our Blogs as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

We hope to enjoy a WIT weekend campout in early October and then we begin our preparation for our journey south for the winter.

May each and everyone of you enjoy good health, many wonderful moments in the months to come... and if you like, I'll continue with our blog. Fortunately, for Gnorm, Debbie has agreed to our "Ransom Demands" and Gnorm will be taking his "Place of honor" in her garden very soon. I guess we'll just have to "abduct" another "critter!"

As you travel, always try to enjoy the view from your windshield!

Dave and Pat

P.S. If you choose to enlarge the above photo, it may take a long time to open in another window, it's a large photo made up of four pictures "stitched" together.

Hey, it's good to be back home again!

Wrapping it up in Nashville!

Except for several more days on the road to end our journey, Nashville may well be our final city destination to experience. Bob and Sally gave us ample information and tours that made our visit both fun and exciting. We want to extend our gratitude to them for their company and willingness to act as our "tour guides." We should explain that if it weren't for a washer/dryer problem they would've headed out a couple of days before we arrived. Fortunately, their problem was corrected and we got to spend three days with them. They will be heading northwest from here. Their plans will take them to the National Parks in South Dakota, Wyoming, down to the "Four Corner" States, Las Vegas and perhaps a chance to see the "Balloon Festival" in NM. Continuing on, they will drop down to Route 10 and they will make their way to Melbourne, FL for the winter. Bob and Sally are also from New Hampshire, just a couple of towns away from us. We look forward to hearing about their trip.

While Bob spent an afternoon at the close by Camping World having their washer/dryer fixed, Sally, Pat and I headed out to take care of some errands. With their coach back and the washer, dryer back in business, we enjoyed the afternoon to reflect on our visit together and each others future travel plans. While sitting on our patio, Sally jumped up when a sickeningly large bug landed on her ankle. The "bug" was actually two big insects. Check out this photo of a really large wasp "carrying" an equally large Cicada! (You may need to "blow up" the photo to make them out.) We think the wasp attacked the Cicada and was taking it "home" for his "family!" The Cicada was too large for the wasp to fly with it. As near as we can figure, the wasp got the Cicada in the tree (above us), fell to the ground and was determined to get that bug back up into the tree. The wasp, with wings flapping "walked" his prey across our patio, up into the tree again. He wasn't about to drop his trophy!

After all that excitement, we settled back down and turned our thoughts to the evening meal ahead.

Bob and Sally wanted to take us to a local restaurant on North 6th Street called "Monell's." Monell's is one of those establishments that is best found by "word of mouth." Bob and Sally were introduced to it by fellow MA WIT Club Members, Russ and Judy Garber. Monell's serves "family style" breakfast and dinner buffets. We walked in, were quickly seated, served and eating by the time we unfolded our napkins! Sometime during the meal, our server placed our (2"x 3") "ticket" in front of us and we paid on the way out. There "quote" below their Logo says it all!

The entrance to Monell's is beautifully adorned with plants and flowers.

Driving up to Monell's you notice all the buildings appear very tiny. Sally used the phrase "Shotgun" buildings to describe the building style. The building fronts make a small "footprint," but as you pass by them, they extend well into the back yard.

We said our goodbyes to Bob and Sally and Pat and I headed to the "Opry Mills" Mall. The large plot of land is the home of the Mall, the Gaylord Hotel and the (present) Grand Ole Opry. As suggested by Bob, Pat and I purchased tickets for tonight's show and will drive over a couple of hours before the show, have a dinner and complete our stop-over with a show of the "real" Nashville.

The "Grand Ole Opry" was a new experience for us. I can remember my father watching and listening to the old programs both on the radio and TV any time "Hee Haw" or the "Grand Ole Opry was on. He grew up with and closely followed the "original" country western singers. In fact, he did a stint on the old WESX radio program when he was a young man. He called himself, "The Whispering Ranger." He had a large local following as attested to the old cards and letters from listeners that my brother and I held onto after his death. As I entered the "new" Grand Ole Opry theater, I couldn't help but think, oh how he so wanted to sit in this theater and actually see the men and women who graced the radio waves of yesteryear.

The two hour show was well produced and an outstanding experience. The "Oldest Radio Show" in the world was an experience to enjoy. The talent, quality and music that emanated off the stage was exponentially better than expected. No, Pat nor I didn't know any of the performers. Most were very old but still very classy. The stage was filled with performers who radiated character, and wholesome American ideals. We can only imagine what it must be like to see any of the "big name" performers on that stage.

Nashville, TN

We met up with fellow Winnebago Club Members, Bob and sally Tufts at the "Two Rivers" Campground just northeast of downtown Nashville. Bob and Sally have been to Nashville many times and gave us some terrific tips on what to see while we're here. They also acted as our "tour guides" for an evening in downtown Nashville.

We made the rounds in a number of "rustic" remaining bars along the "strip." This is the inside view of "Tootsies," the most famous bar in all of downtown Nashville.

The walls of "Tootsies" are filled with photos of just about every performer who "played" in the narrow, dark bar since it's opening.

I realize the photo does not do her justice, but that is the real "Tootsie."

The red and white building at the right is where it all started. This is the Ryman Auditorium, the original location of the "Grande Ole Opry!"

(Can you see anyone standing on the steps?)

Downtown "wakes up" at night!

And, it sure likes it's musicians!

We pushed a little today!

The light rain that sent us off this morning fell behind us as we headed east. This sinrise greeted us as we headed out of the clouds.

We drove over 400 miles today in an attempt to get to Memphis on Wednesday to connect with the Tafts. We did manage to visit the Oklahoma National Monument on the way. The Monument is deeply moving and yet a beautiful tribute to such a tragic event. I'm grateful that we had the Monday holiday to drive into the downtown Oklahoma area. Except for the Monument, the town was a virtual ghost town.

The drive was fine except for much of I-40 from east of Oklahoma City. That stretch of the road s_ _ ks! The road is a washboard!

On the road east!

Hello again,

Our stop-over at the Route 66 Casino was good but we're getting tired of "buying" the Indians more Tee Pees! We enjoyed a good meal, some slots and Pat got to play Bingo. I consumed a few brews and hit the laptop to catch up on things.

The ride from the Casino to just west of Amarillo, TX was uneventful except for the poor bird who flew into the nose of our motor home. We continue to be impressed by the very long cargo trains that head east and west along side route I-40.

What was really cool was when we caught up and began to pass the locomotive on the left, the engineer blasted his horns at us to say hi! Pat asked if he is blowing his horn for us. He had to be. There was no one or anything coming up on his track, and there just happened to be no one ahead or behind us for nearly a mile. I waved as we slowly gained on him and passed him by. Our speed was 65 mph. He was doing about 60, and that's moving when you consider that he's about a 1/4 mile long! (See how simple things can amuse you when your on a looonnnnng ride!)

We drove out of some really dark clouds into a welcomed cool, sunny day. We hope to "push" a little over the next three days. We have nearly 1000 miles to get to Nashville on Wednesday. We have two stop-overs planned... oh yeah, did I mention one of them might be at a casino!!

Part 11 - A Window with a View!

We quietly rolled out of Zion National Park and made our way south heading for Flagstaff, AZ and route I-40. Back down route 9, onto 59, 89A and the longest stretch, 89South to I-40 east.

We had no idea of what we were about to see along the way. The mountains, mesas and sandstone along the way was incredible. The elevation varied up and down as we made our way over, down, across and beside some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. Most of the routes we took are designated scenic, and without a doubt, they are.

Along the routes there are only a few "pull-outs" to stop and admire the views. We were also trying to make time. Pat became the "official" photographer for this leg of the trip. She found herself twisting and turning in her chair taking in all of the glory before and around us.

Coming down from the mountains we met a road working crew making road repairs. For the second time, we drove over packed down asphalt rather than what we're used to in New England. It was loose stone with asphalt mixed in but packed down by driving over it! Well, we had to drive through the freshly applied stone bed at really slow speed and you could hear the stones pecking away at the undercarriage. We were the lead vehicle and when we finally got to the good road, drivers behind us made a bee line to get ahead of us. One of them got us! We now have a 3/8" chip in our driver side windshield. Grrrrrr! At least it's on the extreme left of the glass and should not be problematic for an inspection.

Anyway, let's hope that's our only problem along the way.

Enough said, here was the view from our windshield...

These are but a few of the vistas we passed. Tired from driving and trying to enjoy the beauty we were surrounded by, we settled in for the evening only to witness a broken cloudy sunset.

What a fitting way to end a long day! The photo on the right is the red of the setting sun reflecting off of very distant clouds. (Click on the photos to blow them up.)

Part 10 Continued … On to Bryce Canyon

The 84 mile drive to Bryce Canyon had us twisting our heads to catch the rocky beauty equal to the National Parks themselves. The first twenty-four miles took us out of Zion on Route 9. The switchbacks belied the height we climbed to take us out of Zion Canyon. The 1.1 mile tunnel was really different. The only light in the tunnel is the three “cut outs” along the path of the tunnel that are cut through the rock wall and overlooks the canyon we drove out of. Driving in the narrow, dark tunnel was fine and it was an incredible experience. We still plan to avoid the tunnel on our drive to Flagstaff. Our rig and HHR will be over the 50’ maximum length which means we are required to disconnect the HHR and drive both vehicles through the tunnel separately which we’d rather not do.
The switchbacks provided us with spectacular vistas at every “pull off.” Once out of the tunnels (2), we encountered towering, bleached rock mesas that looked as if “The Man Above” “whipped” up a massive bowl of pudding and “drizzled” the viscous mix on the landscape to harden.
Leaving the park and heading north on Route 89, we didn’t realize that we were climbing in elevation. It seemed so subtle we hardly noticed we were climbing. We passed through the beautiful “Red Rock Canyon” and on into Bryce. It is striking! While walking to “Sunset Point,” Pat saw a lightening bolt that appeared to be much too close to where we were headed. Pat wanted no part of that! Bravely, I said I’ll just run over to the overlook and take some pictures and be right back. On the way, a park Ranger was returning from the overlook and politely suggested that I’d be better off not walking to the “point.” She told me about their saying, “if you hear it, leave it! And, if you see it, fear it!” I took her advice. From then on, our time at the various “points” (as they are called) I was cautious, but I had to see this incredible expanse of color and time worn sandstone… and it was worth it. Some of the observation areas are very short walks so Pat did take in quite a bit of the beauty of Bryce. Bryce is laced with hiking trails that traverse the bottom of the canyon and take you through many of the “steeple” like sandstone pillars. It is a grand beauty of the work of “Mother Nature.”
Being 8000’ above sea level, we finally enjoyed cooler weather. The cloudy, cool day never dampened our spirits and gave us the opportunity to walk outside without baking. The drive back seemed somewhat shorter, but we also knew what to look for and Pat was ready with the camera in hand. This time we were ready for what awaited us as we sauntered down the Mt. Carmel Highway!
It’s time for us to point the Motor home east!

Part 10 – Zion National Park

Hi Everyone,
Driving out of Las Vegas was made a little easier as we dreamed of driving higher in elevation to cooler temperatures. We’ll settle for the day time temperature of 93’ here in Zion’s Watchman’s Campground. Right from the “git-go” we were faced with a let-down when we were told the campground is full Labor Day Weekend. It looks like we’re heading for home Friday morning!
We’re not upset, and are actually psyching ourselves up for the drive home. One thing we’re learning about this trip is… we certainly should’ve planned and studied our destinations before we left home. Our first question by the on-duty Ranger was if we plan to take our motor home through “The Tunnel.” We were told about “The Tunnel” and how you must be “guided” through it because it is so narrow. Well, I guess we’re not going to worry about that. We’ll just take the car. Seeing as we’re not planning to head further north, we’ll simply head south from here to Flagstaff, AZ and hit 40 East.
However, now that we’re here, this is our view out the front window of our coach.

There’s only one catch camping here in the National Park, we just have to consider camping amongst the Tarantulas, Scorpions, Mountain Lions and a host of wilderness creatures we “Flatlanders” must learn about.
Thank goodness we have our cell phone service and that we brought a few movies with us. We have three digital TV channels; one all Spanish station, one cartoon station (and they’re not the great old one) and one PBS Station. PBS will put you in a coma! At least we can connect to the “outside world” via our cell service and the internet.
We really kicked back yesterday. The heat and late nights in Vegas finally caught up with us and we crashed. The 73’ morning temperature was a “breath of fresh air.” We opened all the windows and actually got to enjoy a hot coffee in the morning. We packed Gnorm, water and cameras and headed for the Zion shuttles to make our way up into the Canyon. Zion is a hiker’s paradise. Most of the stops offered hiking trails that ranges in difficulty from Easy to Difficult and one or two that will make you “hang on!” The temps rose into the 90’s and took its effect on us “flatlanders.” Hiking Zion is the best way to enjoy Zion. The higher you go or the deeper you hike into the steep cliffs, the better the vista. Zion, unlike the Grand Canyon, is a relatively narrow canyon with sheer rock walls. From time to time the shuttle drivers will ease into the tour a story or two about “rock slides.” In fact, the first shuttle we rode on, the driver notified us that the “Weeping Rock” Trail was closed because at 10:30 this morning a rock slide closed the trail! Great! The “Weeping Rock” Trail was recommended to us for it is very short and easy to hike. OK, so now we have in our minds the words, “Rock Slides.” As we drive the canyon the vertical cliff walls you cannot help but notice the massive time worn fissures that scale the sandstone rock walls. Time and tide waits for no man. Passing beneath these rock behemoths can give you a new perspective on the effects of time on all things… not to mention, make you a wee bit nervous! The return shuttle with all its passengers made it back home just fine. We sought out the cool air of the coach to recharge our batteries, drove to the small town south of the Park and shared a gooey cinnamon bun before we called it a day.
Enjoying a beer outside the coach was an opportunity to watch as the setting sun made like a dark curtain rising upward on our very own rock wall stage backdrop.