The Road Trip

Back in the Saddle Again -- Finally Home.

2011-01-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

With the wind at our backs and speed on our side we speed off on the I10 yesterday morning headed west. Making it only about 2 miles from our origin we had to turn around because - yours truly - forgot something. So after a quick reset we barreled our way out of Arizona.

Around 1pm we crossed the the state line and were slowed by the California checkpoint. "All Traffic Must Stop", the sign read.
So we did.

As we slowed to the checkpoint and I rolled down my window I readied myself to explain where i was coming from and where i was headed or to answer questions about the transport of agricultural products. Instead the guard saw our California plates and simply waved us on saying: "Have a nice day."

Indeed we were going to have a nice day. We were headed home after a month of being on the road.

We encountered some deep fog on highway 145 just west of Madera which impaired our average speed of 80mph and put us at a humble 20mph for about 1 hour and then arrived in Turlock just a little past 9pm.

Total Miles Driven: 8461.7
Total Days: 32
US States traveled through: 8
Total Money spent: (i dont even want to know)
Different KOAs stayed in: 8
Diet Cokes drank: ?? (but im sure its an alarming amount)
Tire problems: 2

Was it worth it?
oh yeah.

Arizona -- just passing through

2011-01-21T20:40:00.001-08:00

After trying to teach my niece some chords on the guitar and resting our weary bones a bit at Chynas sisters house we will probably hit the road again tomorrow.

This last leg should take us just over 12 hours to complete.

I can't say that I'm looking forward to it but it is a necessary evil and I am looking forward to having more clothes to choose from that what is in my suitcase.

West again on I10 till it hits I5 and then splits off to the 99 towards home..

Whew.. I'm gonna need Starbucks in the morning. I can already tell.

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Location:W Desert Hills Dr,Surprise,United States

Getting closer!! I think we r heading the right direction

2011-01-20T07:59:00.001-08:00

We traveled almost 800 miles yesterday on the Darner westward express.

We saw the landscape change from high pains desert to rows of cotton fields and then back to desert again.

We finished the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and started our final book towards the end of the day.
- The Alexandria Link - by some
other writer dude.

After spending last night at the Benson AZ KOA we are now looking forward to retiring the camping gear for at least few months and getting back to whatever definition of normal we can find.

Today's goal is to make It to Chynas sisters house and then head back on the road for the final leg to Turlock Friday.

This certainly has been an adventure for the books. We have many more stories to tell and can't wait to see everyone and share.

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Heading West --- Fast like

2011-01-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Dallas! Goodbye Plano! Goodbye family and big Texan Dinners and Hello I20 West.

We pointed the car west today and headed out on the speedy journey home.
Back in the KOA circuit again and on to the strange and often humbling world of truck stops and gas station bathrooms.

Nope i dont have any cool stories to tell this time sorry.

I just hav a flat rear tire and about 700 miles ahead of me tomorrow.
I hope there is a Starbucks near by but i doubt it. Guess im going to have to rely on Diet Coke again. My old standard.

I cant wait to sleep in my own bed again. .. Can you tell im a little home sick tonight?

San Antonio Texas - Downtown Riverwalk

2011-01-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

Just some pictures of San Antonio Downtown along the Riverwalk.

San Antonio TEXAS

2011-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well,, the snow finally melted and the roads cleared so we thought we might hit the road again.

This time to San Antonio.

Why San Antonio?

Well, Chyna wanted to go to a photography convention that is being held Friday- Sunday at the San Antonio Convention center and I wanted to get back on the road to somewhere so off we went.

We stayed the night last night in the Holliday Inn Express - Downtown San Antonio.

We arrived around 8:30pm. Just enough time to put our stuff in the room and head out downtown along the riverfront for Dinner. (It seems these days - or at least for the last few weeks- everything is focused around where are we going to sleep and where\ when do we eat?)

San Antonio - from what I can see from the room - has some real quaintness to it. For starters, the Alamo is here. Most of the buildings downtown are tarnished with age. In fact the hotel were in is actually a historical land mark. Though i have to admit that I have not yet taken the time to read up as to why. Ive just seen that it is designated so by the plaquer in the front entry.

I suppose its time to get out and see what there is to see..

But before i go,, i should post a couple of pics.

Regarding the pictures you see: the first one is a view from the horse barn on the ranch right before we hit the road. If you look close you can see the ranch house in the distance. (A Quad Runner would be really fun out here). The second is from a night we all went to dinner in Plano TX. Its me with 2 of Schuyler's kids. Marin (she is 6) and Carter (he is 8).

Chyna and i had a great time playing with the kids.. Now if someone could just tell me how to get them to settle down after winding them up.

Where is the off switch?

Snow in Celina, Texas

2011-01-12T12:23:00.001-08:00

Muy Frio! Dallas and the surrounding area got a good snow dusting on Sunday. There still remains enough on the ground to make a snowman, but .... it's too cold outside for my blood.

Having fun just hanging out. Not sure when we will move on.

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Somewhere in Louisiana

2011-01-11T12:26:00.001-08:00

We were so engrossed in the Dan Brown book we were listening to that we took two wrong turns on the way from Mobile, Alabama to Celina, Texas. I captured this quick image on a side road somewhere in Louisiana.

We hit icy roads and snow later in the drive, but didn't get any images. It was way too intense! We passed at least 12 wrecks; including a flipped big rig!

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More of Pensacola by Chyna

2011-01-09T12:52:00.001-08:00

Here are a few camera images I snapped on our brief stop at Pensacola Beach.
We both loved the character of the old ATM where you can pick up dirty money.
We are now on a long drive to Dallas which is passing slowly due to the nasty rain storm we are in. Yucky grey skies!

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Headed west- half way to Texas.

2011-01-08T17:09:00.001-08:00

(Sigh....... )

Another long day of driving today.

After getting a nights rest in Tampa we drove the haul to Mobile and are now in the state of Alabama.

Along the way we managed to do one sight seeing tour of Pensacola.

Really a neat place we wouldn't mind coming back to.
Home of the Blue Angles-apparently- and To a really cool beach.

Attached are a few pics we thought were worth posting.

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Location:Alabama 42,Daphne,United States

Florida Everglades

2011-01-08T17:06:00.001-08:00

The drive through the Everglades along 75 toward Tampa was unusually beautiful. We stopped at a recreation area and watched the wildlife for a bit. I actually pulled out the real camera and my 70-200 zoom to get some images of the birds. Wish I had a 400 zoom with me!

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The southernmost point.

2011-01-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

This is a pic of the southern most point in the united states.

I didn't expect to see something that looks like a ketchup bottle to mark the spot.. But in either case we couldn't resist the photo opportunity.

Also...... A pic of the reality of being on the road for over 14 days.

Dirty Laundry!!

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Location:Very south

Hasta la Vista Key West!

2011-01-07T09:59:00.001-08:00

Headed back to the mainland passed the deer crossing the old bridge with missing pieces and the crocodile crossing. I wanted to stop and go for a swim at crocodile crossing but Bryon wasn't in the mood. ;o)
Onward to Tampa! Need to get to a laundry mat tonight! Or go buy more undies. Hehe.

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Key west

2011-01-05T18:12:00.001-08:00

Ok wait!!.. I've got a new favorite place. I think we all should have winter homes here.

We checked into the hotel about 2pm yesterday after a long drive on the highway 1 south out of Miami.

This place (Key West) is slightly pricy but a perfect turn around point for our little journey. Besides... There is no way we can go any further south and still be in the United States. (we don't have our passports.. If we did we may just be tempted to keep going on into Cuba.. Oh wait there is just this little problem called the
Ocean.. Hmm)

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Location:Truman Ave,Key West,United States

Miami Beach

2011-01-05T08:33:00.001-08:00

Not sure how far we walked yesterday, but thinking it was close to 5 or so miles. Half on the beach and half on the boardwalk behind the hotels that backed up to the beach. Beautiful views and clear water perfect for cooling off as we walked along the water line. I love the different colors of the lifeguard stations.

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MIAMI!!

2011-01-04T13:38:00.001-08:00

Well once again Miami fails to disappoint...

It is absolutely beautiful here. I think this is just what the Dr. Ordered.

If I could b unemployed anyplace in the world it would be here.

I venture to say that even the bums and homeless ones in Miami beach have it pretty good.

From the oranges on the trees in the parks to the high availability of public restrooms and the beautiful weather...... Yeah I could live here.

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Location:Flamingo Dr,Miami Beach,United States

Epcot Center - Florida

2011-01-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to Epcot center Disney World Orlando.

For those who have never been Epcot is basically a presentation of various cultures and innovations. If you looking for rides you might be better off going to the Magic Kingdom or Disney Universal.

We had a great time However. Here are just a few pictures of our day yesterday.

Oh and at this point our original plan was to turn around and head back ... but for some reason we just are not ready to do that yet.

So we are on our way to Miami Beach this morning for more sun and fun!.. (then we head back - or at least thats the new plan for now..)

It's official

2011-01-01T19:37:00.001-08:00

Ok we have officially traveled to the outer limits. (at least according to Yelp)

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Location:Aster Dr,Davenport,United States

Day 10?

2011-01-01T16:04:00.001-08:00

Is it day 10 or 11? I'm starting to lose count. All I know is that we have been doing a lot of driving -mostly accomplished by yours truly.

Louisiana, Mississippi, and landing in Florida yesterday.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I really like to drive. (Guess this proves it even to myself huh)?

Tonight we r spending the night just outside of Orlando Florida in a resort style KOA.

Our plan is to catch up on laundry, have nice dinner and get some sleep for Disney World tomorrow!

Wish we could have taken everyone of our friends on this trip. Maybe next time.

Oh and it's going to be clear and 81 degrees tomorrow here just in case u were wondering.

Then Monday it's off to MIAMI.

Yay!
B

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Location:Hotel Dr,Davenport,United States

End of the Road

2010-12-31T12:02:00.001-08:00

Wanting a quick look at the ocean we took a small road out of Gautier, Mississippi toward the gulf. The road literally went straight into the water! I wonder if we could get an amphibious car and drive to Cancun!

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Strolling the Streets of New Orleans

2010-12-30T10:37:00.001-08:00

I love the contrast of old and new. I found a place on Yelp that gets good reviews so we walked the mile. Hoping for good grub!

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Day 9 - Good Morning! - from New Orleans

2010-12-30T07:23:00.001-08:00

Good Morning!. We made it- finally- to New Orleans after a nail biting drive on the I-10 east across Louisiana's Bayous in the dark and pounding rain.

We arrived at the hotel on Canal street in N.O. around 7:30pm which gave us plenty of time to offload our bags to the room and head out to Bourbon street for a nice dinner and some mint juleps.

They say that today the rain may be a problem. However that shouldn't cause an issue for us because we brought a really cool big red umbrella and dont mind a little rain so long as its not a hurricane.

Chyna and i talked on the way here and may be heading south where there seems to be sunshine.

Im trying to talk her into driving to Miami. We shall see. :)

Maybe ill get a chance to use the suntan lotion i brought.

-b

Day 8 - on our way to New Orleans

2010-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

Speeding along route I-20 through Texas and Louisiana after a late start this morning. We didnt get on the road and leave Dallas until almost 10 am.

The road is wet and well traveled. We are having to fight our way along with all the trucks and families traveling either home or away from home for the holidays.

Chyna is now driving and im using her phone to tether my laptop to and access the internet which seems to be working out nicely.

We really enjoyed our stay at the ranch in Dallas and look forward to returning there on our way home. -- Our gracious thanks to the Nelson family for the hospitality --

However, right now we are dead set on making it to New Orleans and taking a walk along Bourbon street experiencing the French Quarter with mint juleps in our hands. The GPS says we still have 417 miles to go.. at just about 7pm and we should be entering the city limits.

Stay tuned..... Pics of New Orleans life to come!

-b

Day 7 - Ranch life.

2010-12-28T06:35:00.000-08:00

What can i say..? this place is beautiful. Its quiet and the winter brings a stillness to the ranch. Peaceful.

Chyna and I went for a nice walk yesterday on the property. We said hello to the horses, fed them and played with General (the dog) a bit. Then we walked out away away from the house about a half a mile and realized that coyotes and wild animals are a real possibility here and that we were easy prey. (I admit we may have been allowing our imaginations to run a little). So we headed back to the house - "quick like".

Tired and dirty from the alfalfa we spent the rest of the day in the comfort and warmth of the house doing laundry, lounging around looking out through the large windows at the vast landscape and discussing our next leg of the journey.

I almost forgot to mention: We did venture into the town of Celina searching for a good place to catch a sandwich. But, that is another story and Ill let Chyna give you her version in another post... :)

-b

2010-12-27T20:07:00.003-08:00

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Reminiscent about Amarillo

2010-12-27T20:07:00.001-08:00

Big Texan restaurant where they serve 32 and 64 once beers. Everything is bigger in Texas!

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Day 6 - Morning at the Ranch in Dallas (actually Celina)

2010-12-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Ya' all.

Its cold and brisk here at the ranch. We arrived last night to the ranch where Chynas uncle has a second home. Its a small humble 14 acre ranch with a 3000 sq foot house in the shape of a barn with horse stables, 5 bedrooms and tennis courts, but hey.. whose counting right? All i know is that its an upgrade from the KOA.

We drove through the perimeter gate at just sundown and arrived to find that no one was home. The door was unlocked so we just let ourselves in. We were greeted by "General". A young and friendly energetic hound dog - happy to see us.
After looking at pictures on the wall and spending a few minutes searching for signes that we were in the right place we were satisfied by a prosthetic leg near one of the doors (Chyna's uncle is a prosthetics specialist). We headed upstairs to explore the estate.

Soon we heard a familiar -- "Hello?" coming from downstairs.

We plan to take the day and catch up to the new time zone and rest from the 1800 mile journey. Maybe go for a walk and say hello to the horses.

more pics to come.

Day 5 - route 287

2010-12-26T12:22:00.001-08:00

On route to Dallas today. We came across a sleepy town off the 287 called Memphis. I had been joking the whole trip so far and singing the song.. "I'm going to Memphis" so u can imagine the delight I had when we saw the sign. The population is just over 1000 people. Much less than the other Memphis of which I believe the song is talking about. But, none the less we can now say we went to Memphis.

I grabbed the first picture with my phone and proudly brought it back to the car where chyna waited in the warmth of the heater. After showing her she quickly came to life, grabbed her phone, and jumped out to see if she could out pic me...

I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll wait until we are safely speeding away and at least 10 miles out b-fore showing her my goods.

The second picture.. she wasn't interested in. But i thought it was kinda fun to see a bunch of VW bugs buried into the ground. Not something you see everyday is it?

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Location:Memphis TX

Amarillo, Texas. Fudge for breakfast!

2010-12-26T06:52:00.001-08:00

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The cb radio is not dead!

2010-12-25T16:50:00.001-08:00

Stumbled on to these beauties in a truck stop somewhere between Gallup and Albuquerque. I was tempted.....

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Location:Somewhere NM

Day 4 -- morning

2010-12-25T07:43:00.001-08:00

Disoriented and crusty eyed we stumbled out of our little cabin at the Gallup KOA and headed for the showers 150 yards away. 7am and 39 degrees outside we decided to take the car. Though I think that if I had just sprinted it may have been warmer.

The shower felt good and was a good way to start the next leg of our adventure. Now, if only we can find an open Starbucks. (doubt it since it's Christmas day and we r a long way from a metropolitan city)

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Location:Gallup,United States

Meteor Crater AZ

2010-12-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

Quick side trip and a little exercise at the meteor crater. Its chilly!

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Day 3

2010-12-24T10:55:00.001-08:00

Just outside of flagstaff on our way to Gallup NM. Discovered a new joint... Pita Jungle. (reviews to come)

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Location:Black Canyon City,United States

In Fry's looking for gluten free pasta

2010-12-23T11:36:00.001-08:00

Gluten free pasta in Fry's u say?
Well it's only possible in AZ. Btw it's not Fry's electronics though I suspect they are owned by the same group. As much as I searched they didn't have any flat screen TV's or Internet routers.. Very strange. I feel like I'm in a parallel universe where certain things are strangely different. I wonder if ill run into the evil version of captain Kirk.

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Location:W Waddell Rd,Surprise,United States

Day One - Driving in the Rain

2010-12-22T14:23:00.001-08:00

Making our way to Phoenix to visit family. The rain has been following us all day, but still making good time. Can't wait to see all my sister's kids!

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And the plan is...

2010-12-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

well,, not much has changed with regards a plan. And i think thats just the way its going to be. We have a tentative date to set out on the trip,, a general direction our phones, ATM cards, cameras, luggage and i think that we are all set. The plan is not to have a plan.,,

Sitting in a new Starbucks

2010-12-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

Sitting in a new Starbucks,,, (at least new to me) waiting for the sun to shine presents the perfect opportunity to do some road trip planning. I had forgotten how nice it feels to be in a place typing away on a laptop where your no part of anyones conversation. Where the conversations around you all blend into the background with the barely audible music.