9/20/21 We left West Memphis this morning at 8:45 and 77 degrees and found our way back onto the Great River Road. And it has occurred to me today what took me days to figure out last time we drove the river…it isn’t about the river. You can drive miles and miles and never see the river. It is about the towns along the river that depend on it for their sustenance. Many are very small. One was population of 41 and another 197. The homes are modest and many are not well kept, a good indication that poverty reigns in the Mississippi Delta. But the fields…well, they are rich. They are rich with dark, fertile soil that produces corn and soybeans and lots and lots of cotton. And the industries that support these crops are ... read more

9/17/21 This morning, at 9:30 AM and 83 degrees (and it seemed like 100% humidity), we put Satellite Beach in our rear view mirror and headed for the panhandle of Florida. For anyone who has made this trip, you know well that it is less than interesting and largely boring. We crossed the state to I-75 and drove up to I-10 and west to Panama City Beach. We had expected to hit a lot of rain, remnants of Nicholas, but the rain was sparce and the trip was uneventful. The only thing we saw that was of interest was the banner across the road in Blountstown that read “Goat Day Oct 16”. I wonder what that is all about. No worry, we were not inclined to stick around and find out. We checked into our hotel ... read more

Back home. Ahhhh. Sleeping in my own bed, sitting in my own chair. Home cooking (by Steve). Warm temperatures and sunshine every day. Feels so good. It is fun to travel, but the best part, after all of the exploring and new experiences, is coming home. We spent the last 12 days visiting with family and friends. Thank-you, Betsy, for the use of your wonderful camp on Pear Pond. So here are a few statistics… We visited 29 states, two Canadian provinces, six American National Parks, two National Monuments, and three Canadian National Parks. We stayed in hotels 25 nights and 12 nights with friends and family or places that they own. We were on the road 37 days and ate food from many, many restaurants. We consumed 387 gallons of gas, covered 11,789 miles, and ... read more

Another moving day. I feel like the Energizer Bunny…go go go. Still have a date with a camp in Maine and we need a respite from all of this traveling, so the sooner we get there, the better. We left the hotel at 7 AM and 63 degrees. Our first stop, Notre Dame University. I had been there in 1966 on a cross-country road trip with my family while I was in college, and I had photographed the Jesus Wall on the library building. It has always stuck in my head. So I wanted to show it to Steve. It was only 20 minutes from our hotel, so we drove there first before hitting the road. This is a spectacular, iconic image that cries out Notre Dame. We spent some time admiring it and taking photos ... read more

Today was a moving day…a big time moving day. We were on the road at 6 AM and 56 degrees and did not land until almost 5 PM (with a time change of one hour). We did not visit anything or take many photos…if you have seen one corn field, you have seen them all. First let me tell you about yesterday and last night. Have you ever heard of Sturgis? It is a small town off I-90 in South Dakota, just 30 minutes west of Rapid City. Every year they have a motorcycle rally that draws upwards of a million riders. It lasts for 10 days and in that time there are activities going on like concerts. There are 2-4 concerts each day for 10 days straight. Now Sturgis has a population of a whopping ... read more