Home at Last!

Well, we've finally reached the end of The Blevins Family Excellent Adventure. We arrived Sunday evening and have been unpacking and settling in, and I'm now ready to leave my final message.

All told, we travelled 10,531 miles in 50 days. We saw 31 states and provinces, and lived a dream that my parents have always had: to spend an entire summer touring the United States .

Here's a list of some family favorites along the trip (or some not so favorites!)

Favorite Beach Experience: Definitely Hilton Head in South Carolina, where we got to not only see our family but also learned the fine art of body surfing from Uncle Mark, a skill that we used at every other beach we visited, even in Cape Code where the water was only 50 degrees (Wyatt was actually the only one who went in there).

Worst Food Experience: We all had some food that we didn't care for, but by far the one who experienced the absolute worst food experience was Dad, who got food poisoning from a Chinese buffet in Beaufort, SC, and was vomiting on his chartered fishing trip the next day.

Coolest Motel Person: Chuck at the Twilite Motel in Maine. He offered us great advice, and even warned us about the crowds at Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and boy was he right. He gave us a nice, big, clean room, and even advice about where we should be sure to go. He was a real help, and a great guy.

Worst Hotel: Some $40-a-night dump off of the Jersey Turnpike. I don't want to elaborate. Too many bad memories. What I will say is that we never went without some kind of shoes, even in the shower.

Worst Drivers: The Quebecois up in Canada. They drive like they're in the Indy 500, and there are no traffic cops, compounded with the fact that the roads are in very bad disrepair. They were even worse drivers than in Chicago. Actually, Chicago driver's weren't particularly bad, they were just speedy and mean. Defensive driving on a whole other level.

Most Memorable Historic Site: The award really goes to Mr. Vanderbilt, because the Biltmore Estate takes the prize as our most memorable (and favorite) historic site. The whole experience was fascinating and fun, and it was certainly well worth doing. I'm not sure how educational it was, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Best Value: The Coney Island hot dog restaurant in New Castle, PA. It was a little local hole-in-the-wall place, with $o.99 chili cheese dogs and a double cheeseburger for $1.80. The entire meal for four, with hot dogs, burgers, fries, drinks included, cost about $15.50. It was definitely the best value of the trip.

This vacation was everything that we could have hoped it would be. We had few and minor hick-ups, and it was altogether a trip that we'll remember for the rest of our lives. We all give thanks to God for keeping us safe and smoothing the way. I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog, and to the faithful few who've stuck out to the end, thank you for giving me someone to write for. Until next time, it's been truly wonderful, and I wish you all a fair and fond farewell.

Jane

Day fourty-seven: The Final Stretch

Today we left the Silseth crew in Milwaukee and headed home, the final 1,500 miles. We ate at a Brazilian restaurant tonight, but other than that, we did nothing but drive. And that's what the next few days will be like.

Dear reader, this will be the last post on the leg home. Once we arrive and have settled in, there will be a final post with the miles, favorites, and that sort of thing. It will be big, and really finalizing. And, don't expect to see more pictures unless I mention it.

To those of you who've faithfully (or otherwise) followed this, thank you. Hearing about people reading has made this very fun for me, and I've kept it up as diligently as I could to please you people. I'll leave you with parting words in a few days!

Jane

Day fourty-six: Serbian Food

It was a full day in the Milwaukee area, and a good day.

We started out with a tour of Wilderness Log Homes, a company that builds or offers material for log homes (Dad owns some share in the company, as does John Silseth, with whom we are staying). We saw the plant, the offices, samples of the material and product available, and got to learn about the processes involved with a pre-fabricated log home.

We had lunch at a very fascinating place, the American Club. The American Club is across the street from the Kohler factory (in Kohler, WI), and back during the Industrial Revolution, it was the home of the immigrants who worked at the factory. It's now a very fancy resort with a large golf course, beautiful rooms, nice restaurants, and state-of-the-art plumbing, of course.

After lunch, we headed to another part of the building and toured the Kohler show room. It had displays of all the latest and greatest bath tubs, sinks, toilets, and whatever other plumbing you could think of. It was part function, part art.

We drove back through part of Milwaukee, and unfortunately there was a lot of construction going on and we had to take a different route home, and it took longer than anticipated, so we only had about 20 minutes at the house before be had to leave to make our 6:30 dinner reservation at The Three Brothers, a Serbian restaurant.

The Three Brothers is a James Bearde award winner, and serves authentic Serbian food, which was a new and great experience for us. We had stewed lamb, stuffed zucchini, Moussaka, and anything else you could want. It was fun, unique, and delicious.

This evening, we'll relax, and tomorrow, we'll put as many miles behind us as we can to get home. From the Silseth residence, it's 1509 miles. We'll see you when we see you!

Jane

Day fourty-five: Brookfield, WI

Yesterday, we visited Kasgro Rail, a company that makes specialty rail cars and has a fleet of their own. Dad is a partner in this company and we went to visit the factory.

Joe Crawford is the President of Kasgro, and he gave us a tour. The factory, two locations spanning over 300,000 sq. ft with 150 employees, has the capability of producing two completed rail cars a day along with many specialty cars, and they make everything at the factory. Dave, the plant superintendent, also helped us on our tour, explaining how everything worked and how the pieces and assemblies fit together. At the end of the tour we were given a ride in a small diesel locomotive that Kasgro owns. Today was one of our “hidden highlights”, something that we didn’t expect to be as neat and interesting as it was. It was a real treat.

Joe took us out to a very nice lunch, and then we left New Castle. We’re resting in (holy) Toledo, OH tonight and tomorrow we’ll head to Milwaukee to see the Silseth’s and what Milwaukee has to offer.

Today, we drove to Brookfield, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee, to see the Silseth's. John Silseth is a good friend and business partner of Dad's, and Milwaukee is one of the places that Dad frequented during his business days. We also get to visit with Pepe, another one of his old business pals.

After a lunch at a White Castle, we arrived and were able to visit and relax. Tomorrow, we'll see the city, and then, onward home!

Jane

Day fourty-three: New Castle, PA

Yesterday, we drove. From Quebec city to upstate New York. Today, upstate New York to New Castle, PA. Ta dah!

Actually, though yesterday was uneventful, today we made a stop at a major site: Niagara Falls. We pulled into the city of Niagara Falls, which was a little scary, but the Falls themselves were stunning.

After viewing to our hearts content, we continued on down the road. Hungry for a little lunch, we headed back to Buffalo, NY, to have none other than Buffalo wings at Frank and Theresa's Anchor Bar, the birth-place of the tasty all-American snack. We ordered fifty and took home something like four.

After arriving in New Castle and unpacking our things, we headed down-town to search out somewhere to eat. We found Cony Island, a restaurant established in 1923. We had, of course, hot dogs, plus some fries, a burger, and cherry soda. The whole thing was under $20. Not bad, not bad.

Tomorrow, Dad's buisness partner Joe Crawford will take us on a tour of the Kasgro Rail plant, where we'll see railroad cars being constructed. Then, onward to Milwakee.

Jane

Day fourty-one: Quebec, QC

What a day today was! I'm all launguaged out.

Today in Quebec City began at a patisserie, a little bakery. We had croissants, coffee, quiche, and some other things that I'm not sure of. It was great, and the French was not only easier to understand than I thought it would be, but it was easy to communicate and the Quebecois were very appreciative and forgiving of my French.

We roamed around the beautiful and historic down-town, popping into stores and seeing the Quebecois way of life. Lunch in a bistro, more perusing, more French, cha cha cha, and then, we got to witness "un spectacle dans la rue", a street show. There was juggling, unicycling, and humor that I only half understood.

We saw the historic Battery Park and then had one of our loveliest meals yet, at "Le Lapin Satue", or, in English, "The Jumping Rabbit". Even the rain couldn't spoil our day.

Overall, the Quebecois were gracious and friendly, and very kind. However, I will say this : my Grandma Lois, who lived in France, said that after being there a while and speaking the French, you felt a bit like, "OK, that's a fun game, but I'm ready to stop playing and speak English now; I don't want to play this French game any more"; but, of course, you have no choice but to play, because that's all they speak. I mush confess feeling ready to stop playing. Fortunately, unlike France in the 50's, everyone speaks English now, so when I, or even they, didn't want to "play", everything worked out well.

Quebec is one of the places that we would be very willing to come back and visit for a bit longer. Had we not been as advanced in our trip as we are, we may have stayed for a few more days, but we're ready to move on. We'll head south tomorrow, and go along down the road, marking the begining of our drive home.

Jane

Day fourty: Quebec!!

Aujourd'hui, nous sommes alles a Quebec, et je suis super hereuse d'etre ici! C'est un reve realise! Just kidding.

Today, we went to Quebec, and I'm very happy to be here. It's a dream come true!

We left our cozy little motel in Ellesworth and headed up north and...west. We've made the turn towards home, not an end to touring, but a turn towards Montana. We drove for hours through many small rural towns, and finally arrived at the boarder. There, we were sternly questioned multiple times, and even had to pull over while our camper was searched, but we were of course allowed in.

Actually, it was more driving after that. But all the signs were in French, and I could read them! It maybe wasn't as good for everyone else, but I was, and still am, in heaven.

The real test came when we had get a hotel room. I talked to the concierges in French, and they were very courteous, and it was very positive. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant, more French, and are now in our hotel trying to find not-French TV to watch. Tomorrow, we'll see old Quebec and whatever else there is, and I'm so excited I could pop. A Demain!

Jane

Day thirty-nine: Ellesworth, ME

Today went unexpectedly, but not poorly.

Our plan was to see Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, so we hopped in our rig and set off towards town. We soon discovered that Bar Harbor is one of the world's largest tourist traps, and one of the most popular. We didn't even get out of our car, primarily because there was absolutely no parking anywhere. Dad put it very well: "It was like Disney Land on the Fourth of July!"

We headed down the road to Acadia National Park, and unfortunately, it was much of the same story. We took a bus tour and hiked around a while, but left earlier than anticipated because A) we had seen very similar geography on the Oregon Coast many times and B) the hilly, wooded splendor was very similar to good ol' Montana.

Our concierge and the Twilite Motel owner, Chuck, had told us to avoid both places and had given us some alternatives, so we chose one, Stonington. It's a small, authentic lobster village, out of the way and on a poorly maintained highway; it was exactly what we were looking for.

Before I forget to mention it, lunch today was fun and extraordinary. We went to Jordan's Snack Bar, a local favorite, to have home-made burgers and their famous onion rings, which were some of the best we'd ever had.

We drove home, stopped for some blueberry pie, and are getting ourselves ready for...Quebec!! Hurrah! Je suis completement ravie (I'm totally stoked)! Chuck, who seems to know things, said that he and his family loved Quebec City, so we're all looking forward to a cultural experience.

Jane

Outside of Bar Harbor, Maine, not sure what day or where

Folks, it's late at night, I'm tired, we've had computer trouble, and since I want to go to bed I'm going to make it quick.

The biggest, grandest event of the day, and possibly the trip, was the fishing trip. This morning, Dad and Wyatt set off for their fishing trip, and it was total success. They each caught a lot of fish, had a lot of fun, and greatest of all, Dad caught a huge 22lb 36" striped bass. It's the size of a yardstick, to put in perspective. Basically, a toddler-sized fish. Unfortunately, we're having picture travesties, so I can't post a photo, but I will as soon as I can.

We did a lot of driving, and are all feeling a bit ready to head home. We'll see Bar Harbor, Quebec, and a few more stops before heading home. Right now, home is about 2,500 miles away. But, we're still excited to be on our trip, and would feel cheated if it were in any way cut short.

Jane

Day thirty-seven: Still in Maine

Today, after the boys returned from a fruitful morning fish, we headed up the coast to Freeport, headquarters of L. L. Bean. The store was larger than life, and if that wasn't enough, the street was lined with outlet shopping.

After a morning and partial afternoon of browsing, we went off to Kennebunkport, ME, home of former president George Bush, Sr., and many other prominent politicians. There, we had another lobster feast, looked around the village, which was very neat and full of character, and then headed back to our room.

The boys are gathering their gear for a guided fishing trip tomorrow, and the girls are getting ready for yet more outlet shopping.

Jane

Day thirty-six: Boston, MA to Ogunquit

To start, I'd like to remind the Resch family and everyone that we are not home, the 22nd has passed.

After leaving Boston, footies and leggies still aching, we headed down the coast and back-tracked to visit Cape Cod. We poked around that afternoon, looking in bait shops and getting fishing advice, and then we had a terrific burger at the local A&W, a native hot-spot. We slept in a cozy little motel, and set off the next morning to explore the Cape.

The towns, the shopping, the beaches; all were picturesque, but we found them to be a bit touristy for our tastes, with the hoy-paloy paradise reaching a frenzy in Provincetown, the town furthest out on the spit.

At our hotel that evening, we boiled lobsters and cooked some stakes by the pool, making ourselves a lovely and fun little meal. We ate the tails and relegated Wyatt to claw duty, because he had the little mallet and was eager to try it out. He gave the first claw a sizable whack, and it squirted goodness-knows-what lobster gunk all over his front and face. Overall, a very fun meal.

Today, we drove up from our motel to another, tucked away in the woods in a small Maine town called Ogunquit. The boys are planning a sunrise fishing expedition, and when that ends (around 8 a.m.), we'll head up to Freeport, the home of L.L.Bean. After that, onward to Bar Harbor and Quebec at last! My French-senses are tingling...

Jane

Day thirty-three: Boston, MA

Well, I think we all feel like we've pretty much seen Boston. Today, we tramped all around Boston following the Freedom Trail. The trail is marked by red brick or red paint, a stripe marking a 2 1/2 mile long (or so they say) trail that takes walkers to all the historic buildings, monuments, churches, and sites around Boston. We saw Paul Reveres house, two monuments to Benjamin Franklin, and even hiked up all 294 stairs of the Battle of Bunker Hill Monument, which looks a lot like the Washington Memorial in DC, and offers a beautiful view of Boston.

Taking a break from the Freedom Trail, we detoured to visit the historic World Head Quarters of the First Church Of Christ, Scientist, a beautiful Byzantine-style church, an addition to a smaller classically styled church, which was built in the early 20th century. The whole operation, featuring a church, library, and publishing center, covered a vast area, surrounded by beautiful lawns and a gazing pool. We also visited the Maparium, a room in the library; the room itself is a giant glass globe, as the world was at the turn of the century. You go inside to hear a presentation and see the globe as a whole. To our surprise, it was almost 100 years old, much older than we had expected.

We also visited Quincy Market, a building in down-town Boston which features restaurants, anything from Philly Cheese-steaks to Indian Cuisine to canoles. Also, we saw Faunial Hall, one of the best-know buildings in Boston. And of course, we saw Boston Commons. For those of you who don't know, it's a lovely park in the city, similar to but smaller than Central Park in NYC (and we thought of you Uncle Russ and Aunt Suzie!). And, we ate at The Union Bay Oyster House, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in America.

After touring the U.S.S. Constitution and taking a water taxi back to the train station, we were thoroughly tired and ready to head home. We'll all in the room trying to find creative ways to keep off of our feet, and are preparing for a fun day on Cape Cod.

Jane

Day thirty-two: Part 2

We spent the rest of the day touring Lexington and Concord, where the Revolutionary War began. We saw a really neat multi-media presentation about the fight and the Minute Men, toured another historic, Revolutionary era home, and watched a musket firing demonstration.

As a bit of fun on the side, Wyatt and Dad rigged up a little fishing pole out of a stick, some line, and a fly, and caught Bluegills right out of the pond next to the historic battle site! It was a lot of fun, and the boys got to go fishing again, which always pleases them.

Tomorrow we'll tour Boston, hiking the Freedom Trail and visiting the Mother Church, the original First Church of Christ, Scientist location. And, hopefully, we'll eat at the Union Bay Oyster House, the oldest continually operating restaurant in the U.S. Now, it's bed time!

Jane

Day twenty-nine through thirty-two

Today is the 19th, and I'll be updating later tonight, but here's what you missed!

As you probably figured out, the last few hotels we stayed in had no Internet service, but fortunately, nothing too monumental happened.

In the last few days, we drove through Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and we're now is Massachusetts, in a suburb outside of Boston.

Here are some highlights: we played in the ocean at Virginia Beach, ate at some fantastic road-side diners, spent the night on Chesapeake Bay (a really picturesque area), and drove the full length of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway (oh boy!).

Today, we're getting ready to set out for Lexington and Concord, where "the shot was fired that was heard around the world"; in other words, where our American Revolution began.

I'm glad to have Internet service again, and I'll be sure to tell you all about our day later this evening.

Jane

Day twenty-eight: Busch Gardens!!

Today, we spent our time at Busch Gardens Europe. It was one of the best days we've had yet. We rode all the rides, biggest to smallest, explored the beautiful Euro-themed grounds, and enjoyed ourselves.

After a day of Colonial Williamsberg and a day at Busch Gardens, we're pretty tire. Very tired, in fact. Tomorrow, we'll head over to Virginia Beach for a relaxing day of fun in the sun.

Jane

Day twenty-seven: Colonial Williamsberg

Today we stepped back into the past (ooh, aah!) and watched history come to life before our very eyes (oh!) at Colonial Williamsberg. We saw the historic exhibits, like silversmithing and clothes-making, and we saw such characters as Patrick Henry and Payton Randolph, all helping us to understand our American Revolution.

As interesting as today was, Wyatt and I are even more excited about tomorrow at Busch gardents. For now, it's back to our funky hotel room for a good night's rest.

Jane

P.S. Where have all the comments gone?

Day twenty-six: History, history, history!

The next few days will prove to be historic, to say the least.

The big event of the day was a visit to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson' home. It served as house, plantation, farm, and an ongoing architectural love-affair of forty years. We learned about how he lived, how he himself designed the home, and how is was constantly renovated to suit his likings. Monticello lies just outside of Charolettesberg, VA.

Tonight, we're staying in another retro hotel, the White Lion Motel. The rooms are spotless and big, with a retro kitchenette and bright blue shag carpet. Fortunately, they have wireless.

Now, yesterday's big mystery: where were we? Mt. Airy is Andy Griffith's home town, and the inspiration for The Andy Griffith Show's Mayberry. It was a real treat for Dad, since The Andy Griffith Show was one of his favorites growing up.

Tomorrow we'll tour Colonial Williamsberg, and the Busch Gardens the next day. We're excited to see some more history, and have a little fun this weekend.

Jane

P.S. New pictures are up!

Day twenty-five: Day twenty-four?

Friends, free high-speed wireless Internet at hotels is something that is easy to take for granted. Last night, we stayed in Boone, NC, in a very retro motel, and we had no Internet.

That said, yesterday was an interesting day. We finished our day in Asheville with a short tour of downtown, in pouring rain, and then we got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, a highway that stretches across the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Apalachain chain. The drive is green and scenic, with plenty of beautiful valleys and vistas. We ended the day in Boone.

Today, we set of to finish the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our two destinations were Mt. Airy and Roanoke, where we are now.

What is Mt. Airy? Well, it'll be a little riddle. I'll give you some hints: we ate at Snappy Lunch, visited the office of the Sheriff/Justice of the Peace, and saw the inspiration for a classic sit-com town. What is this town's Hollywood name? Who was born here? Try to guess (and try not to use the Internet!)

After Mt. Airy, we got hopelessly lost on country roads trying to reach the Parkway, and finally, when we did find it, we went to the Mabry Mill. It's a historic site but, little did we know, the mill still functions, the black-smith's forge is still hot, and the history keeps on going. We saw a blacksmith improving his bellows system, a man weaving chair-bottoms out of chestnut bark, and a lady weaving willow baskets. It was such a scenic place, other state's have put pictures of it on their postcards! It was really unique and wonderful. Dad kept saying that it was "the sirloin of the Parkway!" We had steak tonight.

We reached Roanoke safe and sound, and are ready to lay back and relax.

Jane

Day twenty-three: The Biltmore Estate

Today was our grand tour of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The Estate belonged to George Washington Vanderbilt, heir to the Vanderbilt family fortune.

The Biltmore mansion, more of a chateau, really, is the largest private home in the United States. It has over 250 rooms on over 125,000 acres. The beautiful home is surrounded by a thick forest, all planted especially for the Vanderbilt home. It is still owned by the Vanderbilt family today.

The tour was a lot more interesting than we had supposed, and we all (even Wyatt) enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We had a lunch on the Estate, which was a fresh, gourmet buffet, and after concluding or tour of the home we headed for the extensive gardens.

Late afternoon, we meandered back to our car and headed to a few stores in up-town Asheville. We lunched on leftovers in the parking lot, played some frisbee, and headed back to our hotel.

Tomorrow, we'll see downtown Asheville, and then head towards Virginia.

Jane

Day twenty-two: Columbia, SC, to Asheville, NC

Today started off with Daddy being chipper and fit as a fiddle. A good omen, by all accounts. We drove to Asheville, stopping at a Chick-fil-A for a bite of lunch and at Dr. Rush's office for a quick chiropractic adjustment. Then, onward, ever onward.

We drove through yet more rain and arrived in Asheville, NC, around dinnertime. Dad asked the concierge where to go for great Carolina BBQ, and without hesitation the man answered that Barbecue Inn was the place to go. So, we went, and it was fabulous Carolina BBQ, and very affordable as far as those places go.

After dinner it was too soon to head in, so we drove around down-town Asheville. Friends, it's like a Southern Missoula, only bigger. Neat shops, cool streets, and the hippie-lite feel of our dear home town. I miss Missoula, I'll be honest.

Tomorrow we'll see the Biltmore Estate, and cruise around town. We've even added another day in our schedule for Asheville, just so we can be sure and see it all.

Jane

Day twenty-one: Beaufort, SC, to Columbia, SC

Today began for the boys at 6:30, and for the girls, at 9:30. The boys got up to go on their guided fishing trip, and Mom and I got up to go tour Beaufort. These are two separate mornings, so here's the boys first.

They awoke early and, despite the bleak forecast, set off. They toured around with their guide, Tucker, and then Dad, who hadn't felt too hot last night, threw up off the side of the boat. On the plus side, Wyatt caught a flounder, the only fish of the trip. Dad is still feeling ill.

The girls got up and, after a leisurely morning, checked out of the hotel at 10:30 to begin our tour. Unfortunately, nothing was open until noon. So we bummed around town, took a walk through the historic neighborhood, and finally were able to shop.

Around three, we met up with the boys, and drove through yet another torrential rain-storm, this so bad the we pulled over. Going ten feet from the car to the gas-station door to use the bathroom totally soaked me. Also, as we were driving along the road, lightning struck a cell tower about 50ft from where we were. Mother and I literally saw it make contact with the tower. It was incredible.

Dad is laying in bed and is improving. Prayers would be much appreciated. The rest of us are enjoying a lovely, quiet evening. Today was not our best, but not our worst, and we're not discouraged in the least. Tomorrow, we head to Asheville.

Jane

Day twenty: Charleston, SC, to Beaufort, SC (again)

Today, instead of bumming around Charleston, we set off to explore some of the surrounding area. The boys have a fishing trip planned for tomorrow in Beaufort, so we've returned there for the night.

First, we set off for Kiawah Island, but upon reaching there, we had extremely limited access, and there was really nothing to see. The same was unfortunately true for Seabrook Island.

We stopped at a Piggly Wiggly (if you'll recall, the first chain of grocery stores with food on the shelves for the buyers to peruse) and got a picnic lunch, and then, things got a little more interesting.

At St. John's Park, we were dining next to a lovely pond, when what did we spy, but a rogue alligator, poking up out of the water. He had likely been fed before and was looking for a snack, but none was to be found. He was, however, great to see.

We spend most of the rest of the afternoon in Beaufort doing chores, like getting an oil change and a car wash. Then, we went to the beach, where we had another interesting and exciting encounter with mother nature.

At the beach, the boys were playing with their new body-boards, and Mom and I were bobbing around in the water. In the distance, we saw the clouds rolling and knew that another storm was on the way. We got out in the nick of time and, as we were pulling out of our parking spot, a bolt of lightning struck not 100 yrds from where we were. The sound was incredible, and we all felt our hearts jump.

So, we drove home in a rainstorm, had some dinner at a Chinese buffet, and the boys are happily working out the final plans for their fishing trip.

Jane

day nineteen: Charleston, SC

Today we explored Charleston and all that lies therein.

We awoke and, after some deliberation, decided to go see Fort Sumter and then downtown Charleston. Unfortunately, we couldn't find Fort Sumter, and looked at Fort Molitare instead. Then, we decided to go downtown.

We cruised around the shops, saw historic Broad street, and took a long walk along the ocean (while looking for our camper). We ate at Hanks, a classy sea-food restaurant, and returned home to our hotel.

We're planning another day of touring and trying to fit in all that Charleston has to see.

Jane

P.S. For the Missoula set, I got my first pair of Chaco's today, so I guess I can be a real Missoulian now!

P.P.S. It's "Africa hot".

Jour dix-huit: Hilton Head, SC to Charleston, SC

What could possibly be better than a lovely time at the beach? Two lovely times at the beach!

Today we set of at a leisurely pace from Hilton Head, and went up the coast to Beaufort. We looked around the picturesque little town, had a wood-fired pizza lunch, and then set off for the beach.

We swam, built a sand-castle, body-surfed, and had another great time at the beach.

After packing up and moving on, we came to the decision that we aught to go to get some fresh-boiled shrimp at a roadside stand and have some shrimp salad or what have you. We stopped at what we thought was a stand, but it turned out to be a restaurant. We have a one meal out a day policy, so we thought we'd move on, but Wyatt, after reading the menu, talked us into staying, and we're glad we did. It was everything we could wish for in a shrimp dinner.

Full and satisfied, we moved on and have come to rest in Charleston. Tomorrow, we'll explore, and the boys are looking forward to a fishing trip on Sunday.

Jane

Day seventeen: Savannah, GA to Hilton Head, SC

Today we arrived in Hilton Head, South Carolina, to spend the day with my aunt and uncle Kathy and Mark, and Uncle Mark's family, the Maidenbergs. They were having a family reunion over the fourth, and had rented two large beach-houses for the crew of 26 to stay in.

We got there in the morning and, after a snack, headed to the beach. We played in the sand, swam in the surf, and did every beach activity that we could have hoped for. The waves were perfect for body-surfing, and though it was warm, it wasn't sweltering (finally!) and it was perfect.

Around three, we returned to the house where we swam in the pool, had a cup of English tea thanks to Adam (thank you again!) and spent time with the family. We had a lovely bratwurst dinner and enjoyed fireworks on the beach.

It's the end of the day, and we're all tuckered out from our day of fun in the sun. Thanks again, Maidenbergs, for having us!

Jane

Day sixteen: Savannah, GA

Today was a fabulous day in Savannah. The weather today was cool and slightly overcast; perfect for a day out.

Our day began in a line in the historic quarter of Savannah. We were waiting for a meal at Mrs. Wilks', which is a restaurant (featured on Food Network, which is how we came to know about) where the food is all home cooked and served family style. We waited for about an hour, from ten to eleven, and finally got in for a wonderful meal.

Stuffed to the rafters, we walked around the historic quarter of Savannah, full of ante-bellum homes and picturesque town squares. Then, we decided to head to Tybee Island.

On Tybee Island we found a lovely beach. The day was cooler, and with the ocean breeze, the weather was perfect.

After the beach, we returned to the river front for a picnic meal, and more exploring in that area.

We've returned to our hotel in love with Savannah, and though we're a little sad to leave, we're excited for what lies ahead!

Jane

Day fifteen: Talahassee, FL to Savannah, GA

The majority of today was spent in the car. We drove from Florida to Georgia, through more sloping green hills and, another torrential rain storm. This one actually caused a car wreck, and traffic was at a stand-still for about a half-hour. Once on the road again, we reached Savannah without a hitch.

Savannah is a beautiful and very historic city. We walked along old cobblestone roads in front of the river (built c.a. 1700's), which was full of people and sailors, in on a short leave. We had fresh sea-food for dinner, then walked down the road for a fresh praline at the praline shop. They have a whole shop devoted to pralines!

After walking around, a very full Blevins family returned home and we're now resting up and prepping for a full day of Savannah.

Jane

Day fourteen: Today is actually day fourteen

I somehow missed a day, and today is actually day fourteen.

Today was a pretty calm day. We drove, had a little lunch by a stream, experienced torential rain-pour and the whole thunder/lightning bit, ate Mexican food for dinner, and went to our hotel. That's about it.

So, I guess, see you tomorrow in Savanah, GA!

Jane

Day fourteen: Travesty in Gulf Shores

Today went quite unexpectldly, but not bad. I'll say this: something quazi-bad happened to us today.

This morning, we packed up for a day at the beach. We went to this beautiful white-sand beach, parked and got out. There were chairs under umbrellas to rent, and we thought it was a bit strange that the one closest to the parking lot wasn't taken, but we were pleased to have it. Then, we headed out into the wonderful surf, under the hot sun.

After being in the water for about fifteen minutes, Mom and I noticed that our legs started to burn. We figured it was the salt water on fresh shaved legs, but after a few more minutes we got out. Dad was itching too and got out, and Wyatt got out last of all. Our legs were itching, and we didn't know why, so Dad went and talked to a life-guard. As it turns out, jelly-fish were going through, and the surf had broken off their tentacles, and they had stung us. It was bad. Worst for Wyatt, because it got all up in his trunks. The life-guard sprayed us with an ammonia-vinegar solution and gave us meat tenderizing powder to rub on our itching, but needless to say, we left the beach.

So there we were, noon, burning. We went back to our room and we all rinsed off and got changed, and we decided to head up to Pensacola, FL, because there's the Naval Aviation Museum on the Navy base. First, we stopped a Krystal Burger for lunch, then headed on our way.

We spent the afternoon in the Museum, which was very cool, and then headed off. Mom and I wanted to get some serious shopping done. For dinner, we stopped at a fruit stand and got some tomatoes, and had tomato and peanut-butter sandwiches, like Aunt Suzie had told us about. The tomatoes weren't too flavorful, unfortunately, but we're more than willing to try it again.

While Mom and I were pounding the pavement at a Tanger's Outlet Mall, Dad and Wyatt went fishing in the ocean (sadly, with little luck). We reunited and headed back to the hotel to rest from our days adventure. It didn't go as planned, but it was still a good day. By the way, the jelly-fish sting went away, so we're none of us itching. Tomorrow we'll be out of jelly territory.

-Jane

Day thirteen: Vicksburg, MS to Gulf Shores, AL

Today we finally made it to the coast! We'd originally planned to go to Natchez, MS, to see historic homes, but we decided that, since it's a bit of a treat for us, we'd head for the beach.

We started off down the way and our first stop along the road was at a fruit-stand. We bought peaches, plapricots (plum-apricots), and a Southern specialty, boiled peanuts. The fruit was delicious, and the boiled peanuts were different, yet addictive. They were salty and the boiling made them soggy and more like a bean, and we ate about two pounds.

Further down the road we stopped at a Church's Chicken and got some lunch in Hattiesburg, MS. We stopped in a park for our picnic lunch. More fruit and peanuts, and then we continued on our way.

We meandered down a windy scenic road and went through beautiful coastal town after beautiful coastal town. Most of the hurricane damage had been cleaned up, and it may have been minimal to begin with (at least in Mobile Bay).

We drove around our current resting place, Gulf Shores, and then stopped at Big O's Seafood for a shrimp dinner. We stuffed ourselves, played a round of tropical mini-golf, and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow, we get a day at the beach!

-Jane

P.S. Kyle McKee, Dad had a heat and humidity melt-down today in Vicksburg.

Photo updates

Some new photos are up, so check it out! And Jerilyn, there's a special frog photo just for you!

-Jane

Day twelve: Memphis, TN to Vicksburg, MS

Every day, we go deeper and deeper into the South

Today, we left after a goodbye to Uncle Russ and headed down the Mississippi Delta, which is as deep South as it gets. It was rather uneventful this morning. We mostly watched the scenery go by. At noon, we stopped in Leland, MS, for lunch. We swung into the parking lot of the Leland First Baptist Church and unpacked our picknic. As we sat and ate, some elderly ladies stopped in the lot for a chat. They'd evidently just had a big luncheon potluck that we had missed by mere moments, as they informed us. They just wanted to make sure we weren't in need of any help. Sweet ladies.

We continued our lovely lunch and, lo and behold, another lady pulled into the lot. She wanted to know if we were alright, where we were from, and then...she asked "would you like some squash?" Regardless of whether or not we wanted it, we accepted it, along with a fried chicken leg for Wyatt. She left, and Daddy put the first bite into his mouth. Let me tell you, we wanted the squash. It was spicy, flavorful, and delicious. We're really grateful for that old woman's squash. We were, of course, disappointed that we'd missed the luncheon. We packed up and headed down the road.

More corn and cotton passed us by, and this afternoon we arrived in Vicksburg, a historic ante-bellum town. It's the site of the Vicksburg National Battlefield, a site where, after a long battle, the Union won the Mississippi River. As we came to know, it was a very pivotal battle.

We drove around the battlefield, and it was different from any other that we had visited. We drove down a winding road in a wooded gulch, and what was strange was that every 100 feet or so was a monument, sent by a state to commemorate fallen soldiers and fallen officers. The states that set up monuments were mostly Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin. They were marble pedestals with inscriptions about the regiment the monument was honoring.

The monuments grew monotonous, until we reached a beautiful monument from none other than Illinois. It was a marble octagon building on a hill, with granite steps. Inside the walls were covered with plaques listing the names of every Illinois soldier that fought in the battle. However, the most remarkable feature was the acoustics. A whisper could be heard as clearly as a shout, and shouts were deafening. We spent about twenty minutes playing with the sound in the building.

After leaving the battlefield, we went to Anchuca, a historic ante-bellum home turned B & B/restaurant. They only served Thursday through Saturday, so we were lucky. The meal was gourmet and delicious.

So now we're here at our hotel, resting up and deciding on what to do tomorrow.

-Jane

Day eleven: the last of Memphis, TN

Today was, aside from being my 18th birthday, a day of exploration.

We began early again and took off to the even deeper South to visit Ole Miss, the historic University of Mississippi. The drive down was a tour of the rural parts of Mississippi. We saw a mixture of beautiful homes and rustic farms.

Ole Miss is located in Oxford, Mississippi. On the way down is a little town called Holly Springs and, next to the railroad tracks in an old grocery store, is a small piece of preserved Americana. Philips Grocery is like stepping into a time-warp that takes you back to the 50's. The walls are covered in tins and posters advertising Coke and Cigarettes and all sorts of things, and behind the old counter and displays of Coke bottles is a grill. On that grill are cooked what are potentially the best hamburgers in the known world. Russ and Susie had had them already, and so they abstained, but the Blevins family bought one, and one only. It was gone in a flash.

We hung our heads as we left for Oxford because we were afraid that we had left the world's greatest lunch behind, but of course, Russ and Susie did not dissapoint. For my birthday lunch, we went to a restaurant called City Grocery. Unlike Philips Grocery, City Grocery was a white-table cloth place of gourmet Southern cuisine, and it was all delicious.

The town square is something that hardly exists any longer. It was full of neat shops, including interisting boutiques where I found a little birthday somethin' something'. In the square was the Court House and a statue to honor the fallen Confederate soldiers.

Ole Miss was a lovely historic campus, and on the side, in a back-road, was Roan Oaks, the home of...Faulkner. I finished "The Sound and the Fury", and at the end, I didn't care for Faulkner. But, he was a monumental American writer, and the experience was enriching.

When we returned home to Russ and Susies, the rest of the evening was occupied with a four or five course Italian meal, complete with a little chocolate cake that Russ and Dad picked out for my birthday. Russ and Susie were a wealth of informatoin, and helped us plan the rest of our trip.

We're sad the be leaving the Russell's. Memphis has been a wonderful experience, and our dear friends have helped us plan many more.

-Jane

Day ten: Memphis cont'd

Today, we awoke early and dear Uncle Russ and Aunt Susy came to fetch us. We were off!

We began the day at a place called "The Pink Palace". It's a mansion that was built in the 20's by the man who founded Piggily Wigglie's, the first self-service grocery store. It's a beautiful Georgian-style home made of rose-hued stone, giving it it's name. Eventually, he went bankrupt and had to sell the place, and it has been converted into a museum. There are civil war, dinosaur, natural history, and music museums, and an IMAX theater where we saw "Deep Sea", an ocean documentary about sea life (and narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Whinslet). Joining us were about 100 campers and their keepers, who genuinely added to our experience.

After The Pink Palace, we had a lovely lunch at P.F. Chang's, and from there we went to a favorite Memphis and, dare I say, world-wide attraction: Graceland. We went on the tour and, though we may have been skeptical, truly enjoyed our Elvis experience. (And Mikel, don't worry, you were not forgotten).

After Graceland we looked at some of the beautiful homes, freshened up at the hotel, and then went to The Commissary, a BBQ joint. Actually, to call it that would be a gross understatement. It was potentially the best BBQ we've ever had. We feel bloated. The ribs were tender and flavorful, and in the end, the banana pudding deserved a standing ovation.

We are now resting at our hotel after a full day's adventure, and are looking forward to more of fabulous Memphis tomorrow (on my 18th birthday!)

-Jane

P.S. Pictures have been updated!

Day nine: Little Rock, AR, to Memphis, TN

Today was our departure from the Walkers (thank you again for your hospitality!) and our arrival at the home of Aunt Susy and Uncle Russ Russell, who are not really our aunt and uncle, but are also close family friends.

We said our goodbyes to the Walker clan the night before, because all of them had to wake up early to go to work and, since we were in no hurry, we wouldn't be awake to see them. Lisa, who usually goes to work at a nanny job with Leslie every Monday, slept in and we dropped her off. Then, off to downtown Little Rock to see the Arkansas River and the river walk. But...

As I found out when I went to look for my sunglasses, I had forgotten my purse with Lisa and Leslie when we dropped Lisa off. After many phone calls, Kerry graciously met us at a McDonald's and hand-delivered my purse. As a result of this little adventure, we arrived in Memphis about two hours later than our original ETA.

Uncle Russ picked us up from our hotel in Germantown, an upscale suburb of Memphis. At the Russell home, Wyatt and I caught a tree-frog, explored their beautiful house, and the Blevins family enjoyed a delicious gourmet meal.

After dinner, we had a fabulous peach dessert, and went to "World HQ", a.k.a. Uncle Russ' study. It's the most intriguing office I had ever seen, and he kept us enthralled for a good while with all the nooks and crannies of his office and the fascinating items contained therein.

We were dropped off at our hotel, and are preparing to tour Graceland tomorrow! And Wednesday is, of course, my 18th birthday, and I'm as happy as a clam to be spending it in Memphis with the Russell's.

Jane

Day eight: The last day at the Walkers

Today was everything Southern in one day. Since Brian "Pappa Bear" Blevins has such a love of the South, he's here to do a special story on the day. Thanks, Dad!

The last few days I have been reminded why I have always had and always will have a warm spot in my heart for Arkansas. Today was, in one day, a lovely summation of much of what is so appealing about life down here. As I stood with Wyatt, Kerry, and Lisa on the bank of a quiet little farm pond where we'd just caught our fortieth bass, I told Wyatt, "Today you experienced it all in one day. We started the day with a home-made breakfast of biscuits and gravy, eggs, smokey bacon, juice and fruit. We went to a wonderful service at the New Life Baptist Church where we were warmly welcomed. We came home and had a fish fry with all the trimmings, including hush puppies. After that we had a nap, followed by watching a NASCAR race. If that wasn't enough, we finished the day by catching at least 40 bass." If you think I'm making this up, I'm not, that's really how we spent the day. I heard Wyatt tell Kerry tonight, "I think I'm going to move down here some day". That was while Kerry was starting the four wheeler so Wyatt could go for one more ride before he went to bed...

Oops.

Guys, I've been using AK to abbreviate Arkansas, but it's defiantly AR. AK is Alaska. Thanks for the chastisement Tarin. No I must attend to the hush-puppies in the kitchen.

Jane

Day seven: Still at the Walkers

For how little I did today, I'm surprisingly tired.

Today started off lazily enough, for the girls anyway. The boys went fishing, and the girls, with the exception of Leslie who had to go to work at seven, were up at the crack of nine. We lounged around the house and sat on the front porch soaking in the humidity when, out of almost nowhere, a storm blew in. We'd been hearing thunder all morning, and it finally dumped rain down. The boys had pulled their boat out just in the nick of time, and we were dining on left-over BBQ chicken by one.

After a long lunch, the adults and Lisa went to town while Wyatt, Leslie and I waited for Leslies friend Allie to arrive. Once she did, we set out for Gator Golf, a local go-kart put-put emporium. I won't ellaborate on the place except to say that, for Wyatt and I, it was a cultural experience.

The group gained another member, Nick, and the five of us set off (oh, and before we went to Gator's, we had a mediocre Greek meal in town). Everyone with the exception of myself went on go-karts, and then we headed over to mini golf. I did play this time. After about 12 holes, we were pooped. We headed to another friends house, watched about four minutes of a movie, and headed home. I'm so tired I'm about ready to collapse.

The adults went to town, literally. They went down to the river in down-town Little Rock, which was really neat, drove around and looked at some of the beautiful neighborhoods on a bluff overlooking the river, went to dinner at a Brazilian restaurant called Gaucho's (which was really good) and went for a drive to Big Maumelle, an old favorite fishing spot for Dad and Kerry. A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow, we're headed to church, and we'll spend our last afternoon in AK with the Walkers, finishing with a good 'ol fashioned fish-fry.

-Jane

Day six: at the Walkers

Here's an exclusive interview with our very own Wyatt. Wyatt, Kerry Walker, and Daddy went turtle hunting and fishing. They got to drive a mule, which is like a covered four-wheeler, and they went to some fancy back pond that nobody know's about, and so I've asked Wyatt about it, since I wasn't there (it may shock you to know, I was shopping with the girls).

Q: So Wyatt, what did you do today?

A: Went fishing and shot turtles with Dad and Kerry Walker.

Q: So how was that?

A: Very fun but interesting.

Q: How so?

A: Well, I've never shot a turtle and Dad and Kerry Walker's "ism's" were very different.

Q: Did you have much luck?

A: Yes. Got four of 'em. Got four turtles and twelve fish. Bass. On these (Wyatt then showed me an ugly green rubber lure).

Q: What was the highlight?

A: The turtle shooting. It was fun.

Q: So tell me about Kerry's monster bass.

A: It was so big I could put my fist in it's mouth.

Q: Was it the biggest you've ever seen?

A: Yeah, in person. Yes. Or, got to hold.

Q: Any exciting expiditions planned? For tomorrow?

A: I don't know! ... Go Karts. Yeah.

Q: Well, Wyatt, thank you for your time and your, um...for sharing your experiences. Do you have a message for anyone back home?

A: (Long pause) For Kyle McKee: Humid.

Well, goodness knows what kind of adventures the boys'll have tomorrow. But once I find out, I'll most assuredly let you know.

-Jane

P.S. Out in the back, I just saw my first fire-fly!

Day five: Kansas City, MO to Little Rock, AK

Well, we've finally made it to our first "destination" destination; something planned for with an outside party: the home of Kerry and Ruth Walker, with their two daughters Lisa and Leslie. We drove more, through beautiful green Missouri and Arkansas, and arrived around 5:30 this evening. We were warmly greeted with hugs, steak, and brownies. I even got a tour of town with Leslie. We went to Sonic, which was pretty sweet.

Tomorrow, the boys are going turtle hunting and the girls are going shopping. Poor turtles? I don't know. We leave the Walker place Monday morning, so more updates on good 'ol Arkansas style fun later!

-Jane

Everything's up to date in Kansas City!

Today, Sidney, NE to Liberty, MO, a subarb of Kansas City. It was just shy of 600 miles of driving. We drove through Nebraska, a corner of Iowa, and into Missouri. Tomorrow, off to Littlerock, Arkansas, to visit the Walker family!

Today, we drove. It was green an monotonous, and I'm afraid I can't say a whole lot more. We ate at a BBQ joint tonight, like two blocks from our hotel, and are looking forward to awesome BBQ to come. And in case you're wondering if it's hot and sticky, it is. We feel like I we're in a pool locker room.

That's about it. Oh, and I'm actually getting into Faulkner! It's interesting....weird. Ah well. Arkansas, here we come!

-Jane

Day three: Cody to Sidney, NE

Well, we seem to have left at a very fortunate time of year, because even barren Wyoming was beautiful and green. We drove about 500 miles over prarie-like land. We finally came to Nebraska, and...

Robbie Severson...Nebraska. It's muggy and smells like cow poo (at least where we are) but, honestly, it's not nearly as bad as everyone thinks. Maybe it's just spring-time charm, but it's not so gross after all. In Sidney was the famous Cabela's HQ and that was...a sporting goods store? Perhaps because it is the World Headquarters we thought it was going to be a lot more grandiose and fabulous but it was a lot like the other Cabela's stores we've visited. But, fortunatley, it's not the highlight of our trip, or our central purpose, so we're not particularly shattered.

Dinner, well, there's an apparent void of good restaurants in Sidney, NE. We asked about five different locals at Cabela's and they all suggested the same three places, one of which was Perkins. So, we ate at a Pizza Hut and, um, the service left a bit to be desired, but hey, it's not like we had anything pressing that we had to do.

So, here we are at our Comfort Inn, it's muggy, and it stinks like cow poopey. Yucky cow poopey. I will say this, however: if this is the worst day of our trip, we're in for a truly Excellent Adventure. Night all!

By the way, Faulkner has improved. Believe it or not, the apendix was indeed helpful. I can do it, Uncle Russ!

-Jane

Day two: Cody, WO

Well, today we went toe the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (sorry for getting the name wrong) and the Sierra Trading Post. Let's learn!

We awoke around the crack of 8, ate some breakfast in the camper, and walked down the street to the museum. Now, the BBHC, as those in the know call it, is actually five museums in one, and they're all full sized museums. There's the Buffalo Bill museum, the Plains Indian museum, a Western Art Gallery, A Natural History Museum, and a Gun Museum. Cody WO, pretty much, lives off of and for the BBHC. I think it's their livlihood, pretty much, and with reason. It was pretty much fantastic. We toured the Wild Bill, and then we split, so while the boys went to the gun gallery, Mom and I went to the Natural History thing. The Natural History Museum was awesome, as was the Buffalo Bill protion. The Gun Gallery had some 1,500 guns, and floor two, which was left unexplored, had like 1,200. The boys got a little tired after the first 1,000 or so, so we hooked up and went through the art protion. It was neat. Then, le dejeuner, as we francophones say. The rest of you, lunch.

Back to the camper, a little lunch, and then to the Sierra Trading Post. This is a place to buy returned, used, and discounted outdoor gear, like Patagonia and stuff. It was pretty sweet. Dad got some nice Father's Day stuff and I got some sweet boots for $20. Also, some fancy discounted silk long underwear, because as most of my friends know, I'm always cold. Good deal. Mom got a mug. Then, we went to the room, and dropped off our stuff, and went back to the BBHC.

We finished up the Natural History part (so cool that Mom and I were glad to see it again) and the Plains Indian museum. Afterwards, we departed again.

We left and cruised around down-town, which was neat by all acounts. And we stopped in this shop with mini Australian Shepherds! Poor Wyatt, he want's a dog so bad, and these are like eternal puppies.

For dinner, we went to a New Mexican style restaurant called Zapata's. It was pretty much delicious. They had really neat Chile Rellanos and deep-fried Burritos. A good time was had by all.

We cruised back on down the Sunset Motor Inn and here we are, resting up after a day of walking, and trying to mentally prepare for the heat and humidity of the South. Good luck to us, eh? Well, tomorrow we're off to Nebraska and the Cabella's HQ! Mom and I, as you can imagine, are beside ourselves with excitement.

-Jane

P.S. New photos are up! Check it out!

Day one: Missoula to Cody, WO

Well, here's day one of our trip. We left around noon and drove to Billings. Ugly drive, yes? No, actually. We managed to hit the one time of year when it's actually quite pretty. It was nice. In Billings, we ate at Enzo's Mediteranean Bistro. It was delish. Then, off to Cody.

Cody is about like any of you little "Western" towns. It's kind of ugly when you first arrive, but once there, main street has neat little things and it's actually quite charming. We're staying at a horse-shoe shaped Motel tonight. Small, but clean. Wyatt is braving it out in the camper (Susie, we decided it's too cold for the hammock tonight). It's pretty comfortable.

Tomorrow, we'll see the Wild Bill Western Museum and the Siera Trading Post. For now, night-night!

Bye the bye, I started Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury". 20 pages into it, and I have absolutely no idea what's going on. I'm going to read the Apendix provided, but...it was written by Faulkner. Good luck, me.

-Jane

Pictures

Guys, I may have done it. I'm not sure. I certainly hope so. The top link on the left is for Flickr, a Yahoo photo thing, and you should tool around on it and see our pictures. I'm not totally sure what you can and can't access. Anyway, f you run into problems, let me know. I doubt I'd actually be able to fix them, but we'll see. They'll of course be more pictures once we get rolling.

-Jane

Summer Reading

Friends, I've found that I'll have to set my beloved Dostoevsky's "Brothers Karamazov" aside in favor of more classic, American literature. I'm going to be tackling "The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner. And, if I live through that, "The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity" by James C. Cobb. This is all for Uncle Russ, a family friend with whom we'll be staying in Memphis, which may prove to be the best part of our tour (if his novel-sized packet of Memphis information is any indicator of things to come). If "y'all" are interested in the South, and I mean deep South, these are two novels that a true Southerner would recommend. Our trip now has some pre-reques.

- Jane

New Departure Date

This just in: we'll actually be leaving Sunday afternoon. Not too huge of a change, but the folks figured "why wait?" and so we're off to a rolling start! I hope to hear from the 4 of you who read this soon!

-Jane

Date of Departure

Okey-dokey, peeps, the "official" date of departure is June the 18th. Look for us before then and expect frequent updates and hopefully pictures too!
-Jane

The Blevins Family Adventure

Hello friends and family! Welcome to the Blevins Family Adventure!

As many of you probably know, this is our long and expansive road-trip across the Unites States! We'll be going down South as deep as we can go, up the East Coast as far as Boston, and across through Quebec, other parts of Canada, the mid-West, then home. We have personal email, but it'd be too tedious to keep updating everyone, so you can check out our website, view our pictures, see where we're headed, and keep track of our Excellent Adventure! Thanks a bunch!

-Jane Blevins and the Blevins Family