Louisville

This was my last stop on my trip. Or should I say hopefully my last stop. I've returned to the Eastern Standard Time zone and am a matter of miles from the Indiana border.
Last night was spend catching with my dear friend Jared. We've known each other since high school. We have one of the friendships that allow us to pick up from where we left off last time we saw each other. It's been at least 4 years since I've seen him, but it felt like we saw each other last week. I'm so lucky to have these types of relationships in my life.
As for the trip, it's time to be home. I've been gone for 26 days now and am ready to "be still" for a little while.


- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

Last major directional change

This trip has really been divided into 4 parts and I've just begun the last part. It started with days of driving west, then south, then east. I've just turned north on I55 and will basically continue north until I reach South Bend. I'm less than 1,000 moles from home. That is a comforting thought. I'm looking forward to seeing Charmelle and our home and friends.


- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

Location:Alligator Dr,Hammond,United States

Small world

According to my Satirn VUE, it's time for another oil change. So I've stopped off in Kerrville TX for a short break and oil change.
As they ate checking my car in, the guys asks where I'm from and upon my answer tells me he is from Columbus IN. What a small world. He was excited about the new era of Irish football and talked about it for a while.
Once the oil change is done, I'll head the ahort distance to San Antonio.


- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

Visiting Tucson

The trip from Sedona to Tucson was nice, with the exception of that place they call Phoenix. I've just never been a fan of Phoenix, too much concrete and grass. The first high-point of the trip was just north of Bumble Bee, AZ. I came over a hill and suddenly saw saguaros. I don't know what it is about these majestic cacti but they just speak to me in some weird way. They line the hills like guardians of the land. I love seeing them. Of course, not long after that, I hit Phoenix and traffic. I made my way through it and got to Tucson. My thermometer hit 105 degrees at one point! Hit hung around the 102 mark all the way to Teri and Roman's house. What a treat to see them twice in a couple of months. They are one of the things I really miss in Tucson. We just hung out and chatted for a long time, then headed to dinner at La Parrilla Suiza! A nice big order of Queso and fresh tortillas was a perfect start. I just love that stuff. It's served with a business card of a local cardiologist, but it's totally worth it.
I got another treat beyond seeing Teri, Roman, and Alexis. Bria and Devilan are in Tucson as well, and they have their new baby Devilan Jr. with them. He's 5-months old, and a pretty cute little guy. It's great to see all of them. I got a chance to run around town a little in the afternoon and hit some of my favorite old spots: Summit hut, Performance Bike, drive through campus, etc.
One thing that occurred to me as I drove around was how fortunate I am and how happy I am with where my life has taken me. While I have fond memories of living in Tucson, and some not so fond ones, I am truly happy in South Bend. I have a job I love, a wonderful and beautiful wife, great friends, and so much more. I know, that's sappy to say, but it just became so clear as I drove around. I miss many things in Tucson, but I have so much in South Bend. If we could just get some mountains near by, a great breakfast burrito, and a Trader Joe's I think it would be nearly perfect!
In any case, this trip has been wonderful so far, but I'm happy to be heading toward home. I have lots of visits to make over the next week, and I'm looking forward to all of them, but I'm also looking forward to getting home. I think that means this trip has been outstanding.

Underwater fun

After playing in Sedona, we were hot and sweaty and thought it
would be a good idea to sit at the pool and rest.

Charm jumped in and I had her go underwater so I could take a picture of her. My camera is waterproof and we've never done much with it underwater. Then I had to jump in and we both got in the picture. We even got Angela involved and worked hard to get all of us in a photo with the timer. We laughed a lot and the photos are pretty fun.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
Please excuse the typos.

The great meatloaf cook-off

After years of heated debate, the official meatloaf cook-off took place and the results are in. We had plenty of impartial judges to sample the variety of meatloaf.
For many years, my dad has claimed to make the best meatloaf in the world. However, Rhoda also makes a great meatloaf. So a blind taste-test was needed. Here are the results:
Rhoda's: 4 votes
Dad's: 3 votes
Both tied: 5 votes

Basically, they are both great!


- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

Location:N Lake Blvd,Lake Tahoe,United States

It isn't always sunny in Tahoe

This is the third year we've been in Tahoe and we finally experienced some rain. It even hailed! Even with rain and hail, it's pretty amazing. What a sight to see the clouds roll in over the mountains.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
Please excuse the typos.

My family has arrived!!!!

What and absolute treat to have my mom, dad, sister, and niece here with this is such a treat, my family is joining


us in Tahoe. (this photo is not from Tahoe, there will be some) This is the first time in this part of the country for all of them. As it is with my family, the fun began right away. I was at lunch with Brian and Susan (some great spicy sushi) when they arrived at the house. When Brooke called to tell me they had arrived, she informed me that the drive over Mt. Rose was the scariest drive of her life (she was not driving), and she didn't think she would ever come back (just wait for the Emerald Bay drive). So we paid the bill and headed up. As we got out of the car, I hear my folks and Rhoda laughing uncontrollably. Brooke is freaking out a bit and diving into their car. It turns out that just as we arrived at the house, Brooke's nose started to bleed a little from the altitude. She said "there are no hospitals here, I'm going to die!,,," so begins our vacation.

After introductions and just hanging out a bit, they all needed some food. So I took them to T's for some outstanding burritos. Then a quick stop at the grocery before heading back to the house.back at the house we just hung out on the deck and chit-chatted. After a great dinner, the stories and laughter continued. Finally it was time for bed. His is going to be a fun week!


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Please excuse the typos.

Made it to Tahoe!

Made it to Incline Village yesterday. It's great to see Charm. Dinner at MoFo's and visiting with Brian, Susan, Tom , & Tiffany.

Lots of fun in store for this week!

- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

Location:Donner Pass Rd,Truckee,United States

More Driving!

Today I set out from Jackson Hole to head toward Lake Tahoe. I took a leisurely approach today. I slept in a bit, did a little work and then got on the road. The first bit of excitement was heading over Teton Pass. I have never driven over a 10% grade pass. It was steep, but beautiful. Had there not been a big construction section, I would have stopped for photos.

When I made it to the other side, I called Randy to tell him about the fun of my drive over the pass. He then gave me directions to take a little side trip to his Idaho house. What a great treat. Here is the view of the valley from the deck. What a wonderful place.

From there I headed through Grand Targee Forest and Swan Valley. This was a beautiful drive. I have to admit I was surprised how much I liked this area of Idaho. I really enjoyed it.

Of course, after this wonderful drive, I was blessed with many hours of boring driving. From Idaho Falls and beyond it really reminded me of southern New Mexico. Not much to see and mountains off in the distance. In any event, I'm in Elko, NV for the night. I've enjoyed some great pizza and now it's time for some sleep. I'll be in Incline Village tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing Charmelle and Bruce and Susan.

Jackson Hole

OK, I really like Jackson Hole. Amazing scenery, great vibe, and lots of things to do. Of course, there are too many people here for me. But I could learn to live with it. In the spirit of just driving, I didn't bother getting a hotel room. I had looked online and there were rooms available in town, so I felt good just showing up. I called one of the hotels I had looked at online, and they did have one room, but for $249, it just seemed a bit steep for what this place looked like. They suggested another place, and they were even more expensive. So I decided to give my GPS another shot. I pulled up lodging and started calling my way down the list. Everywhere was booked. Then I got to the Sundance Inn. I had a good feeling about this place. My childhood dog was named Sundance. They had 1 room left and it was $129! Sundance Inn is a quirky and cool place. It's sort of a old-school place right downtown. I love it. They were super accommodating (stored our bikes for me), and have fresh pastries, organic coffee, and fruit in the mornings. I will be back!!!!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.
Please excuse the typos.

Time to pack

I'm leaving in less than 48 hours and I've decided it's time to pack. Every year we both pack too much. This year I'm taking less again. Last year I did pretty well. However, it was cold last year. This year I'm taking a pair of fleece pants for sitting out on the deck.



- Posted from my iPhone please excuse the typos.

The Plan

Again this year, there is a rough plan of where we're going. I'm driving out with our Mt Bikes and "supplies" (thanks Wayne). Charmelle is flying to Reno. After some great time in Tahoe, Charmelle, Angela and I will drive from Incline Village to Sedona to celebrate Jo's 50th. After some days of celebration with Jo, JJ, and others, Charm and Angela will fly home from Phoenix and I'll start my trip home. I'm taking the long route to give me time to visit friends and family.

As many of you know, I believe in the saying "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." However, I feel there needs to be some sort of plan in place or I could wander the country for months. So here is the basic plan.

On my way out west, I'm hoping to stop through Jackson Hole, the Tetons, and Yellowstone for a couple of days. Granted, I could spend weeks in that area, but a couple of days will be better than none. Then on to Tahoe for the normal fun we have there (hiking, biking, eating, resting, laughing, and so on). After I drop Angela and Charm off at the airport, I'm headed to Tucson for a couple of days.

I'll catch up with some friends (JTSTW, Jan and Judith) and family (Teri, Roman, and Alexis) and visit some of my old haunts. Not to mention, I'm already planning on Viva Burrito breakfast burritos every day!

From Tucson, I'll head east to Hatch NM to grab some of the best chili peppers in the world and enjoy some outstanding chili verde. Are you sensing a theme? Then I'm headed to San Antonio to see Sharon, Corintha, Lonnie and the kids, and Ida. Then I'm off to Duson, LA to see the Wortmans in the heart of cajun country. From there I'm heading north to Oxford MS to see the Greene family. As I continue north, I'm continuing my culinary tour by getting some Memphis BBQ on my way to Louisville where I'll get to visit with my dear friend (not old, we are not old) Jared and his family. Then it's a short 6 hours home. All totaled, the basic trip is looking to be around 6,000 miles and will take about 100 hours of driving. Luckily, I'll be spacing that out over lots of days.