LAST POST OF OUR 2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - LAWRENCE, KANSAS TO HOME.

We have been home since May 10th and I decided to finish off sharing our travels by putting two days into one post, the last day being one of them.  I hope you have enjoyed our cross-country road trip.  Some days I'm sure were a little boring but even those boring days will be interesting for us to read as we look back.  This is why I journal each and every day we are away.

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017

This morning our odometer reading is 55138, and the distance we have traveled is 6,963 miles.  We are leaving the hotel in Lawrence, Kansas at 6.10 a.m.

We are heading towards Indianapolis, Indiana.   An early start today. What precipitated it was that we were told by the desk manager last night that they were doing renovations, and the elevator would be shut off at seven.  We were only on the second floor but stairs and I have a history and when Gregg started taking our luggage down to the car at 5.45 a.m. I said I was ready to go. 

A cardinal greeted us when we got to our car. I love to watch them from our patio door.  This one was perched in a tall bush as I was looking out the front car window. A lovely start to our morning drive. 

6.21 a.m. Gregg is at Walmart buying our water for the trip, and also picking up cash. If you use your debit card, Walmart will give you up to $100 cash over the price of your purchases.  And we keep missing our bank on our travels. There are always ATM machines of course, but the trip to Walmart, a place that seems another constant across America, seems the easiest way to go.  We see them almost daily, and then there is always plastic!

Gregg is back. He was impressed with how everyone working in the store, as early as it was, said hi to him. A small world story.  He met another customer at the cashier desk.  The man apologized to him for holding him up with as much food as he was buying.  They got to talking.  He looked like a body builder but was buying all this junk food, large packets of candy, pork rinds, things he wouldn't have thought a healthy guy would purchase.   He was curious and said so.  The man replied that he always loaded up with sugar before a work out, and then asked Gregg where was he heading. When Gregg told him  Northern Virginia, the man said he used to live there 20 years ago with his parents, then he moved here. His parents still live in Alexandria, about an hour away from us. And then this is where the small world story comes in, he actually named the development we live in and where he had lived as a young boy.  Gregg told him we had just been to California and they started talking about house and apartment prices. He told Gregg that he pays $400 a month for a one bedroom apartment, and that the apartment was pretty large.  The purchases were bought and that was the end of their conversation.  

7.11 a.m. We have traveled 7,000 miles. 

Digital billboard letting everyone know the Kansas Lottery Ticket number.  Imagine if you are driving at 80 mph and seeing you had just won a million dollars? 

7.31 a.m. We are in Missouri now. We missed the sign.   We realized we were in Missouri when we were driving through Kansas City. 

9.00 a.m. Denise is driving.  This is Gregg.

9.14 a.m. crossed Missouri River. 

11 a.m. crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.

We are driving next to fields that have been flooded and saw back roads under water. 

2.49 p.m. and Denise is back in the passenger seat.  600 miles to go until we reach home. 

3.19 p.m. We have gone 7,500 miles. 

At 3.58 p.m. we noticed we needed to change the clocks one hour ahead as we changed time zones. We are now officially on Eastern time.

5.31 p.m. stopped in Greenfield, thinking we were going to go straight into our hotel without booking. It was off this exit.  One time we don't call ahead!  We had dinner at the Cracker Barrel nearby and tried to book from the restaurant.  There were no vacancies.  There is another hotel 23 minutes away and we had no problem getting a room there. 

7.30 p.m. and we are settled in our hotel room in Anderson, Indiana. 

Not too many photos today.

We are going to try and leave early in the morning at 6.00 a.m.  Gregg said we should get home tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 10th, 2017

Our odometer reading is 55719 this morning.  The distance we have traveled so far is 7,544 miles.

We left our hotel in Anderson, Indiana  at 6.47 a.m.

A very misty morning, the first East Coast day we have experienced since we left home. 

9.02 the mist cleared in time for us to see an awesome sight, a big, beautiful Bald Eagle flew over us. 

9.04 a.m.  Chilicothe in 33 miles reminded Gregg of when he asked a taxi driver to take him to a friend's house for his wedding.  He had his uniform and sword so that he could take place in the sword ceremony as the bride and groom leave the church.  The taxi cab driver took him to a home miles from anywhere, as even though Gregg gave him the name and address, the driver only heard the name, which was very similar to the one Gregg had given.  He knocked on the door and gave the occupant a bit of a start, as he turned up with his luggage.  Fortunately the taxi driver was only backing out onto the road and Gregg was able to chase him down.  He arrived at his friends house a couple of hours late but was fortunately in time for the ceremony.  It was a comedy of errors and although I have heard the story before, it gets better for the retelling and we were laughing as we headed down the highway.  He had asked if he knew where Judge Mitchel lives and the driver said oh yes, I know him.  He was taken to Jud Mitchum's house instead.  This was 48 years' ago.

9.11 a.m. Stopped at McDonalds Washington Court House, Ohio.   Having my oatmeal and Gregg his usual, a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit.  At this rate we will be looking like Ronald McDonald!

Passing through Londonderry, Ohio. 

I have been seeing several quilt barns but only had an opportunity to take this one.

1:19 PM: Denise is driving. We are in Bridgeport West Virginia. 203 miles from home.

3.22 p.m.  Stopped by a very pleasant stream to change over. Gregg will be driving now. 

We are still in West Virginia and I have just driven up and down more hairpin bends than I have ever driven in my life.  We kept seeing these gradient signs.

We met one crazy driver on one of those hair pin bends, on our side of the road and I had seconds to see that her eyes were down and she was looking at her cell phone, texting I think. Fortunately I was going at a crawl but she flew around that bend on the wrong side of the road.  She was young, looked like a teenager.  Very scary as she was within seconds of hitting us before she continued on. I looked and she didn't even raise her eyes.  I don't think she even realized how close she came to hitting us, because she was now on the right side of the road, going up the hill but I hope she slows down.  

Gregg took this video at that pretty little river when we changed over and we were off the mountain.  My hair is a mess because of open windows and he was taping before I could even put a brush through my hair, and then it was on  Facebook before he got back into the car.  Did I tell you Gregg is a big Facebook fan?  I know, many are but I could never get into it.  I think I still have an account but haven't used it for a long time.  Maybe one day!

On the whole I enjoyed the drive and helping Gregg out, but am glad he has taken the wheel.  That was one crazy drive and one silly young driver. 

3.54 p.m we just went through Romney, West Virginia. 

At 4.13 p.m. Our cross-country road trip has gone 8,010 miles. 

4.23 p.m. we are back in Virginia. 

6.08 p.m   

We are home, our journey is over.

My next door neighbor was in the garden as we rolled into the garage.  She gave us a lovely welcome home and we chatted for about 15 minutes.  She is retired and wanted to get together more often.  I told her that would be wonderful and I will look forward to it. 

When I walked into the house I said, "Hello House, I have really missed you!"  I told House that was from Gregg too because he doesn't talk to House, his nutty wife does it for him after a long journey, and yes I am smiling from ear to ear.  Does anyone remember Shirley Valentine?  Shirley talked to her house too.

And finally, I am finishing up with one of my favorite photos.  This you may remember, was taken not too far from the entrance of Yosemite National Park in California.

We drove 8,106 miles on this journey, and the following shows you our route across the USA.

Just for our own interest, but anyone who is interested is also welcome to take a look, I have made a list of our posts starting here.