For the last month, I’ve focused entirely on travel, but now it’s back to the mundane basics of our daily routine. Sleep. Dog. Run. Swim. Write. Shower. TV. Lunch. Dog. TV. Dinner. Dog. TV. Dog. My wife adds a little more variety to her life with Aqua-Fit, Tap, Bridge, and girlfriend lunches. She also spends an hour every morning with Tally at the Dog Park, socializing with the neighbors. She just received a dinner invitation for tonight – pizza with the next door neighbors, so I’ll have to break from my hermit-like solitude.
Last night, was our first meal at home after weeks of dining out. Peck’s Blue crabs in Crystal River; McDonalds; Arby’s; Cracker Barrel; A&W BBQ in Tuscaloosa; Newt’s in Huntsville; Uncle Bud’s Catfish in Nashville; Hall of Fame cafeterias; Tenderloins at Eddy’s, The Mousetrap, Murphy’s, and Lord Ashley’s in Indy; Wolfie’s by boat; Racz BBQ in Carmel; Lock, Stock, & Barrel in Decatur; Mighty Fine Pizza in Petoskey; Grand Hotel dining; Il Venetian in Cleveland; Greg’s Volcano Pizza in Johnson City, Tennessee; Cedric’s Tavern at the Biltmore; All Y’All’s, Poseidon, Frankie Bones, Wise Guys/Skull Creek, and Nectar on Hilton Head Island; Columbia in St. Augustine; and Ovation BBQ off the interstate in Lakeland. I would also be remiss in not mentioning the several visits to Kilwin’s for ice cream, including their original location in Petoskey, two macaroon snacks along the way, and the buttermilk pie at Nectar.
I was able to keep up with the Better Call Saul series on the road, wrapping that up our last night in St. Augustine. Yesterday afternoon, I also finished up Blackbird, and we watched three episodes of Only Murders in the Building last night. I’m currently catching up on the History Channel series, Colosseum and following the Hagerstown, Indiana team in the Little League World Series. I did reluctantly get in my car yesterday to put some air in the tires and bring home the mail. Sorting it all took most of the afternoon, while doing a load of vacation laundry, and putting away our luggage. Whew!
It took 23-days of driving over 4,000 miles, but we’re finally home. 10 different Marriott properties, thirteen different beds, beaches on the Gulf and Atlantic, The Great Lakes, and four Cracker Barrels took us full circle. I’ve summed it all up in a poem:
Four thousand miles,
Twenty-three days.
What could’ve gone wrong?
Let me count the ways!
Mother Marriott sheltered us,
Most of the way.
But there were three nights,
Where we had to pay.
Panama City first stop,
Selma Bridge walk.
Tuscaloosa BBQ,
“Roll Tide” talk.
Bannisters for dinner,
In Huntsville for Lunch.
You didn’t complain adding,
A Cracker Barrel brunch.
It was one of four,
At your favorite travel stop.
You liked the dancing broom,
In the Georgia gift shop.
The Creeper struck,
And made you itch.
Highway construction,
Was our only bitch.
Adam’s Traverse,
Kept us going.
But your rash,
Kept on growing.
Clothes to consign, Vegetable Art. Food and Drink, Cross-Country to cart.
The Hall of Fame tour,
Started in Nashville.
Grand Ole’ Opry,
A special thrill.
“Safe” travels,
Took a little twist.
We left for Bowling Green,
Your jewels suddenly missed.
Peter to the rescue,
His daughter’s home nearby.
We had stopped by,
Just to say “hi.”
Indy time with Debsie,
Another Banister lunch.
The highlight at The Mousetrap,
Reuniting our media bunch.
Morse Reservoir boating,
Eddy’s tenderloin.
Detour to Decatur,
More friends to join.
Night in Muskegon,
But Covid hits Ludington.
Drive-by wave,
After another short run.
Pizza in Petoskey,
Mackinac Bridge.
Crossing by ferry,
Where’s my fridge?
Grand Hotel porch,
True elegance.
Five-course dinner,
Despite no pants.
Ester Williams pool,
Sweeping Lake views.
Cupola for drinks,
A “deal” we couldn’t refuse.
More Fame in Cleveland,
Canton not as much Glory
Biltmore for more magnets,
And your fav -The Conservatory.
Hilton Head for some rest,
But the Concierge was rude.
He tried to spoil,
Our vacation mood.
The SERG card worth the fight,
All Y’Alls would have gotten old.
Packing and unpacking,
Finally put on hold.
Sun tans restored,
Test comes up clean.
An extra night,
In St. Augustine.
Road Trip Limoges, One of Each. Rock n’ Roll Drums, Plus, a bag for the beach.
Thirteen different beds,
Now we’re finally home.
Just a few more weeks,
Until again we roam.
Copyright 2022 johnstonwrites.com
I am feeling really puny this morning with congestion and probably a fever. I barely made it out the door to get in a mile after coughing so much last night, thinking that maybe it was starting to break up. It’s another beautiful day here at Hilton Head, so my plan is to simply stay away from others but get some sunshine. If it’s not Covid, it’s certainly a bad cold that no one deserves to have. Breathing is difficult and my head aches. I can’t remember the last sick day that kept me home. It’s now approaching six years since I retired and nearly fourteen years of running every day, so I’ve been fortunate to stay healthy.
It does not seem right to be feeling poorly when lounging on the beach, and I’m trying hard to not feel sorry for myself. We have no plans today in winding down this extensive road trip and will be home in a few days. We’ve been on the go for 20 some days now and it’s obviously taken a lot out of me. My computer is also acting as sluggishly as I am, as it too has a stubborn virus. It had been working fine here in Hilton Head after road woes of its own. Earlier in the trip, my work was not being saved properly, so I had to constantly restart and rewrite to share my thoughts.
We had dinner last night at Nectar because we couldn’t find Holy Tequila. They are both part of an extensive restaurant group on the island called SERG. All of them are included in our resort credit, so it’s a difficult choice where to go each night. Two of them we ate at seven years ago. All Yall’s Bar and Grill is our only nearby lunch spot, unless you want to feast on Dippin’ Dots or Haagen Dazs – I Wouldn’t Mind!
We’re missing out on another trash day at home. Next Monday morning we’ll be back in the heat of Venice. Running will no longer be along shaded pathways but rather along hot, asphalt roads. Today was consecutive run #4,978, as the magic 5,000 mark looms within sight. As yesterday’s post proclaimed, “You don’t stop running when you get old…you get old when you stop running.” Once again, it was hard to get going this morning and I’m glad that it’s over with for the day. Soon, we’ll be having lunch at the pool, after my wife gets back from her beach walk.
I finished the book, “The Great Alone,” about a families’ homesteading struggles in rugged Alaska. I would never make it through the harsh winter months when food and sunshine is scarce. Just being on a luxury cruise ship will be more than enough hardship for me, as I get to #49 of my 50-state goal next month. Next year, Maine will also get crossed off the list once we plan our route up the Atlantic Coast.
We’ve certainly now scoured the Mid West/South, having already covered 11-states on our current adventure. We’ll pass through Georgia, the 12th, on our way back home. We’ve taken three – 3,000 mile plus drives the last two years and have seen a lot of the countryside. In that timeframe, we also took a 1,500 mile drive up into Montana from Portland once Covid changed our travel plans from cruises and airplanes to automobiles.
We’re enjoying our Vacation Club Condo on Hilton Head Island. More importantly, we haven’t had to pack or unpack in three days now and have two more nights of relaxation. Hopefully, the summer crowds will be gone from the beaches during the remainder of our stay. A shark spotting yesterday cleared everyone out of the water. Today, however, is a pool day.
A few days ago I thought our Alaska cruise was a bust. We were not about to spend the big bucks for a three-week adventure that no longer included Russia or Japan as originally advertised. Russia has been off the table for several months now because of the obvious war situation, but it was only recently announced that Japan was no longer accepting cruise ships. The trip was actually a compromise to allow me to fulfill my 50-state bucket list and my wife to go to Japan. Instead, we were paying to go directly from Alaska to the Hawaiian Islands, a destination we’ve been to many times and already scheduled for December. We were prepared to cancel but they ended up giving us a deal that was too good to refuse.
As compensation, we’ll be getting a 50% credit voucher plus an on-board credit and some money back. It also shortens the trip by a few days and reduces the cost of the return flight, originally from Tokyo. We’ll have the opportunity to go on another major trip with Viking once we get back from Egypt next year. We thought that Alaska might be our last ocean cruise, but this breathes new life into our future travel plans. We won’t get to new destinations beyond Alaska on this adventure, but we will get a new perspective on Hawaii by coming in via boat rather than plane. Besides, who could possibly complain about being to Hawaii to many times?
Not having to personally make a bunch of changes on this cruise makes me happy, however I’m sure our travel agent isn’t thrilled. I guess it’s better than a full cancellation and she’ll be able to assist us on the bonus trips that we’ll take. War, fires, Covid, weather, and other travel restrictions have been a nightmare for the industry these past few years. I’m also happy that my computer has been cooperating on these last few posts, so I haven’t been hassled with this problem the last few days either. Life is Good – Alaska or Bust!
Blue umbrellas on the beach in perfect alignment distinguishes Hilton Head from other resorts. These last two days have blended together as we quickly settled into a new routine without the packing and unpacking of the previous days on this journey. We decided to extend our trip for another day, choosing to stay a night in St. Augustine, breaking up the long 7-hour drive home into two shorter segments when we leave in a few more days. Highway traffic has been heavy, so there’s no reason to push ourselves getting back. After all, we’re retired.
Running has been a chore with the congestion in my lungs but I’ve at least completed the 3.1 mile trail both mornings since our arrival. It’s a familiar route that I ran 7-years ago when my wife’s niece got married on the island. We stayed at the Westin next door and went to the the same restaurant, Frankie Bones, where we celebrated the occasion as a family one night. We pulled out of our beach bag the same can coolers that we got as a wedding favor honoring Bobby and Emily. We’re off to Wiseguys tonight for dinner to spend more Marriott bucks, part of the resort credit that we bought with the points to stay here.
We went to Publix for stamps yesterday afternoon so I could finally mail the birthday card that I meant to personally deliver in Indianapolis. We also stopped at Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed in my son’s Chevrolet Traverse that we “borrowed” for a trip I originally thought would be 3,000 miles. It will turn it to be closer to 4,000 with our detour into Illinois to visit friends. Admittedly, I will be glad to get my own vehicle back, as this truck is difficult for me to maneuver in travel but has been great for hauling our stuff. He’ll be equally glad for the room that he is sacrificing by using our cars. His kids are now back in school but apparently not yet here in Hilton Head, as families continue to enjoy the last week of summer freedom here in South Carolina with the beaches heavily packed.
After another long day of driving from Asheville to Hilton Head, we finally get into the relaxation portion of our travels. It seemed like the entire highway system in the state of South Carolina was under construction, coupled with heavy rain. Finally, we have five days to enjoy the amenities of the Barony Beach Marriott Vacation Club before the final leg home. From Panama City through Selma and into Tuscaloosa, the Grand Ol’ Opry, the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Bridge, three Hall of Fames, and the Biltmore Estate, we’ve covered over 3,500 miles of God’s Country. Detours, Delays, Virginia Creeper, poor health, and rain could not prevent us from our appointed duty of seeing the USA in my son’s Chevrolet.
The worst part by far of this trip was the rude concierge when we checked in last night. He did not give me the full story of how we could use our $770 resort credit and refused to extend its usage beyond the grounds of the complex. After an unnecessary argument, his manager finally showed us how we could use our credits at the various restaurants on the island. I still don’t understand the fierce resistance we faced from a guy who should be all about making sure that guests enjoy the full benefits of their stay. My wife and I were both shocked at his attitude and grateful to the other staff members who took our case to management.
Last night, we went to Poseidon for dinner, utilizing some of these credits. Naturally, the GPS took us out of the way during a driving rain storm, so once again it was a hassle getting there after a long day of traveling. Along the way, we saw where the slippery conditions and poor visibility caused a wreck. I was just glad to get back to the resort and safely in bed. I also had time for a 5k run this morning on the charming pathways that outline the many golf courses in this area. Spanish moss, palm trees, flowers, Atlantic waters, beaches and lots of open space set the scene for what will hopefully be a relaxing stay.
Short runs are all I seem to have time for and parking lots are hardly inspirational. I continue to have problems posting in an attempt to keep anyone up to date on our travels. We were supposed to be within walking distance of the Biltmore Estate, but GPS somehow took as 16 miles out of the way. We rushed to make our entrance time and the rest of the day was equally off schedule. We were misdirected to a lunch spot, and instead took an early time for the DaVinci exhibit. The Vanderbilt property is much more expansive than we anticipated, so we ended up doing a lot more driving. The same guide that led us astray for lunch also screwed up our wine tasting reservation and downtown Asheville was difficult to navigate. As I write this, my wife is antiquing while I found a park bench.
Also, we were just notified by Viking that our once scheduled Alaska, Russia, Japan cruise for next month is now just been revise to just Alaska and Hawaii, so we’ve not getting to experience any ports outside the U.S. This is a major disappointment considering the money we invested in this trip. We’re already headed to Hawaii in December, so why pay all these bucks to visit places we’ve already been multiple times? It’s been bait and switch too frequently in the cruise business, although mostly unintentional, but we’ve now missed out on Bali, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Finland, and Norway.
We’ll now need to hassle with our travel agent to make changes again, wasting her time and ours. I still need to get to Alaska to add to my 50-state bucket list, but can hopefully redirect money to a shorter, less-expensive trip when we’re already in Portland and Vancouver, easily accessible to Anchorage. We also won’t need to be away from home so long if we do some re-planning.
We just crossed the Ohio River into our ninth state, West Virginia. By the end of the day we’ll hit #10 Virginia and eventually #11 North Carolina when we arrive in Asheville this evening for a two night stay. Packing and unpacking has been the biggest hassle with too many single night stays. I’ve also spent too many mornings running in mall parking lots. It was another short effort today (another minimum mile) in an attempt to get a head start on our 7-hour drive.
We did get to Freddy’s last night for dinner after a brief nap. The Pro Football HOF was honestly rather boring. College Football is more my thing, and years ago I toured that museum in South Bend before they moved it to Atlanta. Cooperstown was the best, but I’ve yet to see Springfield’s Basketball displays or even the Indiana basketball HOF. They will be part of future road trips.
The Biltmore Estate tour is next on our scheduled list after a stop at Arby’s for lunch and Greg’s Volcano Pizza in Johnson City, TN., an offshoot of my hometown favorite, for dinner. Two more nights with Mother Marriott, with the luxury of not having to pack in the morning. We’ll do our estate tour, schedule a wine tasting, and see the Da Vinci immersion experience on the grounds. Then, another nap will undoubtedly be in order.
We completed the Hall of Fame Trifecta with a visit to Canton. We also had lunch at the Hartville Kitchen, another Amish Restaurant, as recommended by our server at Der Dutchman in Sarasota – she works for both. It also has connections with Das Dutchman Essenhaus back near our Indiana upbringings. We both continue to struggle with congestion – my wife’s a factor of dust and allergies while mine is related to cold symptoms. I have not taken the time to re-test again for Covid.
We’re holed up in a Courtyard by Marriott just outside of Canton and exhausted from two full weeks of travel. We’ve spent time with relatives and friends in this our eighth state along the way. Tomorrow, we make an 8-hour drive to Asheville to tour the Biltmore Estate. This morning, my run was through downtown Cleveland, around Progressive Stadium, and past the Guardian bridge statues that became the new name of the Indians. Dinner last night was at nearby IlVenetian before watching the heavy storms come in via Lake Erie from twenty stories up.
Laundry is becoming our biggest problem due to equipment issues at the last two hotels. We bought some clothes at the Hall of Fame gift shop to tide us over the next few days. I could also use the services of my chiropractor to help with a rib issue. We knew this wouldn’t be easy, but at this stage we’re pretty worn out with a long week ahead. Oh, the comforts of home!
