Back to the Beginning

The last few days have been a struggle to accept the fact that we are back to the beginning and the trip is over. The other struggle is that since we have ended, this blog will also come to an end.

I've enjoyed writing our daily blogs and have also enjoyed reading your comments along the way. We made new friends along the way like my friend in Dallas who still claims to have heard "The Shot Heard Around the World". Then, there is my friend in Nebraska that followed us closely along our journey. Sorry we never did take you up on the "Home Cooked Meal" offer. There are others that we met in campgrounds, restaurants, bars and parks that have kept in contact with us. The journey took us over 12,000 miles around this great country. We saw places that we had only seen on television or read in books. We ate different foods that we were only told about. We experienced the "dry" heat of the southwest and were witness to the few sunny days of the northwest corner. We dove 60' below the clear blue waters of the Keys and climbed to 8,000' and saw for miles around Mt. Rainer. We saw the mighty Mississippi up close and tasted the powerful Colorado River as we rafted down her rapids. We were in awe of the clear waters in Rainbow River that felt like we were swimming in an aquarium. We experienced moments of fear (when the Pick Up truck we were towing cut loose) to moments that took your breath away (our first glimpes into the Grand Canyon) to moments of happiness (see our friends along the way) to feelings of accomplishments (reaching the top of Angles Landing in Zion National Park). During our trip we saw a variety bands playing Rock N' Roll in Austin, Texas, and Bluegrass in BB Kings Memphis restaurant. We even sat in for a show at the Grand Ol Opry in Nashville and found ourselves clapping and 'he hawing' along. Through out the trip we had a first hand seat of the economy as we paid $3.29 a gallon of diesel all the way up to $4.95 to thankfully see it come back down to $3.39.

Now we sit here in our friends backyard that it all started from last December. What started with us being stuck in the mud turned into a beautiful experience. They say that all good things must come to an end but I'll tell you what, we're going to try and keep this trip alive. If not with more trips it will be through pictures and memories collected along the way.

So, as a last toast to this journey please raise your beverage:

We have seen many beautiful places,

We have experienced wonderful things,

But nothing is better than to see

Your friends smiling faces and warm embrace.

Thanks for the memories.

Almost Back

Sorry for not posting anything in the last few days. We are just outside of Knoxville near Gatlinburg and the campground we are in does not offer Internet. I am typing this post on my phone so it will be short.

It's hard to believe but we are almost back to our starting point. We have almost completed a circle around the country. In the next couple of days we will be ending our journey and the time will come for us to sit down and think about our next move.

Our next post will be in a few days since we will be in transit.

Change of Colors

We arrived in Knoxville and were greeted by the changing colors of all the trees lining the slopes of the Smoky Mountains. We hope to go out and take some pictures to post.

Downtown

The weather finally caught up to us and we awoke with the sound of rain splatting against the roof. With today being our last day in Nashville we decided to still go out and explore the city.

The first stop we hit was the Parthenon. It was built back in 1897 for Tennessee's Centennial Exposition. It is the only building that survived from the Expo because the people at the time felt it was a structure worth saving. Today is houses an art gallery and is home to a 42 foot statue of Athena.

The original building was built in Greece and dates back to 428 BC. The only thing left there are the columns in front. This is the only replica of what the Parthenon would have looked like. This building stands as the centerpiece of Centennial Park which is Nashville's premier urban park.

A stroll down 2nd Street lined with busy shops and restaurants reveals the home of Hooters. They were getting into the spirit of the Breast Cancer Awareness that happened here this weekend. I think it is fitting.

After dodging the raindrops most of the afternoon we ended our journey inside of Tootsies. This bar was a hangout for the many famous singers that would perform around the corner in the Grand Ole Opry. They would come in after their performance to hang out and relax. Of course they would get up on this tiny stage and perform for their close friends. Today, as we sat here and listened to this band play they would pull their friends, that would walk in off the street, to come up and perform a song or two with them. Even a lady that was visiting from Florida made it up on stage to get down with the band.

Friday is moving day again. Still heading east and looking for sunny skies.

Bless His Heart!

With the weather being unusually warm for this time of year we headed out to explore downtown Nashville. Someone at another campground had recommended that we take at tour with Tommy Tours to see the entire area. We're glad we did because Tommy was entertainment from the moment we got on his bus until we left. Nothing better than getting a tour of the city and laughing hard while doing it.

The tour took us into downtown Nashville. Into the business district with the State Capital Building and Court Houses. Into the entertainment district with the many bars and restaurants with live music.

Tommy took us to a building that used to be the train station but has since been converted to a fancy hotel. Filled with stained glass windows and intricate wood finishes throughout.

We next toured the many large mansions of the stars in and around Nashville. This one in the picture above belongs to Dolly Parton. We also saw the homes of Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and Trisha Yearwood. All small homes of 15,000 to 20,000 sq/ft on many acres of property.

Tommy taught us some southern slang. We learned that in the south you can talk bad about anybody as long as you start or end the sentence with "Bless his/her heart". Here is a for instance...That boy, bless his heart, doesn't seem to have all the chairs pushed in under the table.

We decided to stay an extra day because there is still so much to see.

Pickles and Music

Part of the reason that we took this trip around the country was to learn about the people and their cultures. So, tonight is really just a study lab. As we sat down to dinner and enjoyed the local favorite Fried Pickles we asked ourselves, why do people like country music?

On the way into The Grand Ole Opry we met a famous celebrity, Mini Pearl. With her high pitched "Howdy!" and her dangling price tag hat she welcomed us to the show.

It's a beautiful performance hall that has had countless country singers have their voices echo between these walls. I'm sure all the names and pictures along the hallways indicate that their famous. The show was being taped and will air this Saturday on your local country cable channel. Just like old time TV the show would stop for a few minutes while the MC would read off a couple of commercials. "This hour is sponsored by Trane AC units."

There was one singer that when I heard her name I thought it was someone who invented the fried pickles we had at dinner but once we saw her I knew the name, Kellie Pickler. Good thing I watched American Idol a few times.

So the question remains, why do people like country music so much? The lyrics are usually about something sad. Wife cheated on me, crashed the pickup truck, dog got run over, boyfriend is no good, cook'in chili. I just don't get it. Well, I learned tonight that most country music songs are really just stories. Maybe grownups still enjoy having a good story told to them. It must have worked on the gentleman next to me because he was sound asleep by the time the last act got on stage. I guess there really is not an answer to the question but I can tell you that Nashville has a big concentration of people who happen to like twangy, washboard, accordion, violin, guitar playing music. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Music City

Arriving in Nashville this afternoon we had to look at each other and ask why. Its not like we even like country music. But get this, we even bought tickets to go to the Grand Ole Opry tomorrow evening.

Here is a run down of who will be playing:
Bill Anderson
Jean Shepard
Riders In The Sky
Jim Ed Brown
Montgomery Gentry
Kellie Pickler
Zac Brown Band
Lady Antebellum
True, that we have never heard of any of them but it should be fun! Right?
I'll let you know how it turns out.

My thoughts at turning the big Four Oh Today!

Forty...what does this number signify. Four bundles of 10. Two, twenty dollar bills. Half your life!? The National Center for Health Statistics says that one can expect to live to about 80. So is 40 the new "midlife" number? Could I really have a midlife crisis on my hand? How much more radical could my life become? I already quit my job! I already sold our home! I already bought myself a large flat screen TV! The thought of it can really scare me if there really is such a thing as Midlife Crisis. I googled Midlife Crisis and this is what Dr. Carl Jung, a psychologist, said:

"It is a normal part of the maturing process. Most people will experience some form of emotional transition during that time of life. A transition that might cause you to take stock in where you are in life and make some needed adjustments to the way you live your life."

Maybe the Romans knew of a bigger, maybe even, Divine significance of the number forty. They wrote the number "XL". Today if one sees XL they don't think of a number but of something Extra Large. Maybe the Romans knew that once you hit forty it was an Extra Large moment or event in ones life.

I woke up this morning and didn't feel any different than most days. Same aches and pains. Same stiffness in the bones. At this point in my life, my heart has already beat a staggering 1.5 billion times and it still feels fine. So I'm beginning to see that this "midlife crisis" really only happens between your ears. Who cares that today I have less hair on my head but more scattered throughout my body. Who cares that there are white hairs sprouting up like weeds. So I put on a little extra weight. Who cares that I may have to check the survey box that says: 40 and above. I can live with that because today, I still feel like I'm only 21. Young and full of energy. The more I think of it the Romans are right. Life at Forty is Extra Large and I intend to live it up LARGE!!!

What better place than to start right here on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.

I'll end today's blog with a thought from Bernard Baruch, American Economist:

"To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am"

Down on Lonely Street

Memphis is known for it's Blues music and for being home to one of the most famous people to get on stage and entertain us. Today, Graceland is filled with lines of people waiting patiently to get their glimpse of how and where Elvis called home.

The home today is how you would have found it when Elvis was still living. With deep lush carpets and mirrors everywhere. Modern comforts, that in those days were for the rich. He built a room with 3 tv's side by side so that he could watch more than one program.

Then, there is the famous "Jungle Room". With its very own waterfall on the far wall. The animal prints are everywhere and carvings of animals in the wood furniture.

There are countless hallways and rooms with awards that he received. The costumes that he wore to his many concerts are displayed with videos of the performance.

Once outside you can see his backyard where many cookouts were held, the carport that housed his many cars. Off to one corner he had built an "Inspiration Corner". This, in later years, would become his final resting place. Even today people leave momentous and get emotional when they arrive in this corner.

The day he passed will forever be remembered by all of us. It is one of those events that you can still remember where you were when you heard the news.

Thank you, thank you very much!

Steel Arch

It was worth waiting because it was blue skies with no clouds for us to visit the city of St. Louis. Our first stop was to visit Jefferson National Expansion Memorial or most commonly known as The Arch.

The experience to go to the top was one of a kind. Remember that this was built in the early 60's so things were a little different back than. You'll have to see the pictures in the slideshow to see how small the car is to take you up. It felt like climbing into a cocoon with four other people. A gentle rocking motion would sway as this small circular tomb would take you up. After 4 minutes you reached the top and the tuna cans doors opened to reveal the view from 640 feet. In one direction is the city of St. Louis and the other is Illinois with the mighty Mississippi separating them.

As you walk about town the Arch is visible as the sun reflects off its stainless steel structure. The Old Courthouse is framed with a backdrop of the Arch.
Our next stop was to visit the King. That would be of beers.

Ok, so the horses wouldn't turn around but we got the dog to lift his head up from his nap. These Clydesdale horses are huge. There feet are like the size of tennis rackets!

We were shown every step of the brewing process and bottling.

The only thing left was to sample the product.

Thursday morning we are on the road again. We decided to head a little further south before heading into Maryland. Stay tuned!

Rain On Our Day

With the Arch of St. Louis in sight from our campground we decided to sit the day out and relax. Let it rain today because we enjoyed the day to catch up on reading, sleeping, and eating.

Wednesday, they are calling for nice weather so we have a full day of exploring on the books.

KC's - Cause There're Two of 'em

Our drive, yesterday, took us further south to Kansas City, Missouri. From here we will be able to explore both Kansas City's. Interesting that two cities would be named the same thing and be right across the river from each other.

This morning we hope to take care of a few chores that have been waiting to get done and this afternoon the plan is to cross the river into Kansas and explore Kansas City. Nothing like real BBQ and some football!

Omaha Steaks

The first state we crossed into this morning was Iowa. A totally different landscape than what we have been seeing for the past several days. Lush green hills with rivers crossing. We'll be back in Iowa another day but we had to cross into...

Nebraska! Our destination for the evening is Omaha.

Since we are only staying the night we decided to check out two things in Omaha. The first is the historic district. Many of the buildings are from the early 1900's. Bright red bricks, tall ceilings and that distinct smell of old. We would later have dinner in the district and enjoy an amazing piece of Omaha Steak. The best I've ever had. Reta had the Ribeye while I tackled the Fillet Mignon. Melts in your mouth it was so tender.

The other place we checked out was the old train station called Union Station. In its heyday, 100 trains would go through the station per day. With old trains on display it was amazing to walk through these rolling museums. As you walked through you got a good sense of what travel used to be like.

There are definitely more things to see and do in this city but we feel we got a good taste of it, literally. Tomorrow we are on the road again.

Stopping Place

Sioux Falls is our last stopping point in South Dakota. We are just here for the night and will hit the road early again tomorrow morning. The landscape across South Dakota changes very little. Rolling hills of dry grass in all directions. Roads that are straight for miles with an occasional curve just to make sure you stay awake. Cows and horses out in the fields. Set the cruise control and enjoy the scenery.

Not So Bad in Badlands

With lunch packed, water bottles filled, hiking boots laced up we were ready to see this land they call, Badlands. During our journey we have seen similar type formations but there was something different about this soil. It was mostly clay and would break apart easily. We haven't seen anything like this before. The rain has eroded much of it already. The results are rings of clay around this formations that slope away forming a smooth clay skirt.

The hike we chose was not an easy one. Given our lack of exercise in quite awhile, these hills were going to test us and early. Aside from scrambling over loose footing we had to climb this stairway to Badlands.

With signs warning of rattlesnakes along the trail the tall grass that would bend over and hide the trial at some points made it a bit more interesting. At one point Reta came to a sudden stop on the trail. There, soaking up the afternoon sun was a small snake. Before we could dare to inspect it for markings it slithered off into the tall grass. It could have been a rattlesnake but we'll never know.

The trail took us through the different eco-systems. First through the tall grasslands than we descended into the Badlands. We walked until our feet started hurting. Our legs had given out long before. With the sun starting to hide behind some of these tall clay mountains we were close to finishing. After eight miles of hiking we had made it back. Alive, tired, hungry, dirty and sore.

Another great day!

Wednesday morning we are on the road once again. Compass is still pointing East.

Up Against a Wall

Today you can find us in Badlands, South Dakota. When you think "Badlands" you normally think of an area that isn't a good place. A high crime area maybe. Or, someplace that no one would want to live because its "Badlands". Maybe the water is no good. The thought could be that there is too much sun and no water therefore nothing grows here. For 818 people they have chosen to live close by in a small town called WALL.

Main street should really be called, Only Street because it really is the only street in this small community. It has a few shops and restaurants but the big store is called Wall Drug. It is the Pre Wal Mart store. Maybe that's where "Wal" Mart came up with the idea! The store consists of a whole city block. It has 3 restaurants that can feed 500 people in one sitting. The store sells every Nick knack you could ever think of. A small grocery store. An arcade. It even has a small chapel in case you forgot to talk to the big guy upstairs.

Once you get out of this small town the landscape opens up to nothing but open land. As far as you can see hills that look like Ruffle's Potato Chip ridges. During the cold war there was always talk of silo's that contained nukes at the ready. After many years a treaty was signed to reduce these civilization ending bombs. They have since turned this hidden silo into a National Park. Here is one that is only 1/2 mile from a busy Interstate Highway.

In the middle of a huge empty and plain field you can see this gravel area fenced off. Only a few metal poles sticking out of the ground to show that there might be something here.

Once the large metal door opens it would reveal this missile that was capable of flying over the North Pole and striking USSR at that time. There were close to 500 of these scattered around the country with most of them in this northern area. Today that number has been cut down but that number is not told.

Now for the reason this area is called Badlands. The farmers couldn't find any use for the land that lies a few miles south of Wall and the Interstate Highway. With its jagged peaks and soft volcanic soil nothing can be done in this area that encompasses several hundred miles in all directions.

Tomorrow we will hike and explore this area but today we just took time to meet the locals. The buffalo roam free with tons of Prairie Dogs busily digging more holes.

Keep your fingers crossed that the weather continues to stay like it has...warm.

Sound of Thunder

Believe it our not we got out of bed and on the road before 7 a.m. this morning. You're probably asking, Why? It was Buffalo Roundup today! Custer State Park rounds up their herd of buffalo every year at this time. We had to be at the Park before the round up started because they close the roads leading in. Some of us just couldn't handle the sitting around waiting for the herd to appear.

I guess the excitement wasn't enough to keep her up and the warm sun felt good in the early morning chill.

Soon, we saw a cloud of dust in the distance and slowly they started to make their way over the hills toward us. As they got closer the excitement in the crowd became audible. Once they were closer you could hear thousands of buffalo pounding the tundra. The musky smell soon followed as they passed by the fence several feet from us. An amazing sight to be witness to.

Once all the buffalo were in their pens the show was over and we decided to go over to the city of Custer and have lunch. A small town of less than 2,000 people call it home. After a good lunch that consisted of BBQ Buffalo Ribs, which was very good, we headed off to explore.

We drove Needles Highway that takes you through the Pine Forest and through tight tunnels that even in the Pick Up it felt as if you would get stuck.

A walk around Sylvan Lake revealed hidden waterfalls embedded in the rock.

Tuesday morning we are on the road again as we continue our journey east. Lets hope the weather continues to stay warm.

Nature Up Close

Today the day was spent watching the locals roam about. There is a place down the road called Bear Country. You drive your car through different sections of the park and have close up looks of these amazing animals. You don't realize how big they are and the different smells that come with each animal.

The scariest part was driving through the Elk, Buffalo and Deer section. It's rutting season and the males can get aggressive if they feel someone is trying to take their women.

The wolf's looked like they were not even paying attention to us. They were more interested in the "feed" truck. It was dinner time.

Some animals, the rams, just wanted to lay around and see who all passed by.

The bears were the highlight of the trip. There were so many of them. Some playing, some sleeping and others eating.

This one was pretty close!

Kicking Back

The day started overcast and windy. The motor home would rock and sway with a strong gust of wind. The sun was warming but the cool wind canceled out any heating effect from it. We woke up and lazily flopped from chair to couch to lazyboy. With plans in place to explore other areas around us they quickly evaporated with the naps that ensued. OK, so we didn't do anything on Saturday but we did have plans in Sturgis Saturday night that we had to attend. While we were visiting Sturgis on Friday, we saw an ad for a comedian/hypnotist. He would be playing in Loud American Roadhouse. We got there 1/2 hour before the show started thinking we would find good seats. The place was packed with big hair, tattoos, cigarettes and bandannas. Finding a space to sit was like watching a three legged dog trying to bury a bone on a frozen lake. Impossible. Back in the corner, we found a place next to the bar and settled in. We discovered that the Comedian was having a drink right next to me. I started a casual conversation with him and at one point said "We have come a long way to see your show!" He inquired as to where we had come from. Maryland, was my response. His reaction has been seen and replicated a few times now. A quick shake of the head as if to clear cob webs that have suddenly clouded the mind. The squinting of the eyes and finally the puzzled look. He finally said, What's the catch. Maryland what? No, I replied, the state. You couldn't hear it but you could see him mouth the word to himself...WHY?

The show was great. He had people on stage doing things that if they only knew what they were doing would be so embarrassed. All around us we could hear people saying "Oh no, he'll never live that one down." I guess living in a small community where mostly everyone knows each other, you don't want to be seen doing unmanly things or unlady like actions. Click on the link below to watch part of his show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPlKnfxpAT8

If you want to watch more just go to Youtube and type "Sailesh" in the search box. You'll find yourself laughing hard.

We made it back to Road Hazard close to 1 this morning. The cool air made our steps quicken as we gathered our stuff and retreated into RH.

Today, I am sitting here in the lazyboy watching a coulple of bunnies round around outside. It is a beautiful sunny day with no breeze. Still, so much to see.

Sturgis and Deadwood

Today's history lesson took us to visit two cities. The history of one city dates back to the early 1900's while the other is a much more recent history taking us back to the early 1930's.

We began our journey back in time to the 1930's. The backdrop is Sturgis, South Dakota. Several guys got together who enjoyed riding their Indian Motorcycles and decided to invite people from the surrounding cities to come out one weekend to compete in some drag racing and hill climbing. They had so much fun that every year since then they continued to have these gatherings and well, the event grew. This past August they had close to 600,000 people come out to celebrate riding their motorcycles around town. Today, we walked down Main Street and tried to imagine what the sights and sounds would be like during the rally. The pictures below show what it looked like today while the other shows what it looks like during the rally. (The rally picture was taken off the Internet.)

Today, the streets are quiet with very little traffic. Most stores are closed with signs hanging on them that they will only open next year for the rally. It almost becomes a ghost town.

Not too far down the road, however, is another town who's history dates back to the early 1900's. You may have heard of it and the famous people that once walked these streets.

Deadwood, South Dakota.

The recent HBO series was about the everyday life in this city. Gold prospecting was the big commodity and the law of the land was strapped to your waist securely tucked in your holster. Wild Bill Hickok walked the streets and would often be found in the gambling houses playing poker. Calamity Jane was another character that was notorious in the area. Ahead of her time for being a women that could handle a gun with the best of them. Today, the tomb site of both of these characters sits high up on a mountain overlooking the city that they once roamed. Buried right next to each other as if still sharing stories to one another.

The city is still vibrant with activity as the Main Street is lined with gambling houses and saloons. The cobblestone streets don't echo with the sound of hoofs but of people running across and cars passing by. Having been rebuilt several times because of fires and floods the city still seems to hold the old town charm of yesterday.

The big draw seems to be the slot machines that you can find everywhere. With no shortage of Senior Citizens pulling on the levers for their shot at the jackpot. Tucked away in each gambling hall there seems to be a little piece of history. A brief conversation with the bartender will draw out the history of that building. In this room we have the spot where Wild Bill was shot. In this room we have where the shooter of Wild Bill was captured. This gambling house is owned by Kevin Costner and has behind the scene photos of when he filmed "Dancing with Wolf's" displayed throughout. In this saloon we have the area where the "Ladies" would work over the supervision of their Madam. So much history. The stories are straight out of the wild west movies that we grew up watching.

This area has so much to offer that we extended our stay to make sure that we had an opportunity to see it all and I am sure that we won't see everything.