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.