We’re off again! At this writing we are in the Boise airport, getting ready for the first leg of our trip to Germany and Austria. Today will be a long day and a half…Boise to Denver, then a three hour layover, then a 9+ hour flight to Frankfort, Germany. Our devices are charged, we have our cup of coffee, as nearly as we know we haven’t forgotten anything (the proof will be coming about 24 hours from now).

It’s always exciting to get going, the next two weeks are going to be full to the brim with new places and new people. We’ll use this blog to give you all the highlights as we go, and as wi-fi allows. See you in Europe!

The homeward drive has reached its halfway point. It’s fun to consider that we have gone from sea level to 7800 feet in the space of four days. Today finds us back in the Mountain time zone for the first time in a long time. We’re in Colorado Springs tonight after having needed two days to get across Texas. Here’s a brief recap of the trip so far.

We left New Orleans and drove to Shreveport, and got a bonus. The weather forecast had been for heavy rain; it rained, but only lightly. Interstate 10 took us through lots of bayous and swamps on our way north. That night found us staying at the Shreveport Elks along with another couple from the tour. We had a great time visiting, and the lodge served wonderful smash burgers for dinner.

Onward we went, headed across Texas. We made a stop just east of Dallas at a Buc-ee’s travel plaza, after so many people said we should. It certainly was the most amazing gas station we’ve ever seen. Then it was on to our evening stay just outside Wichita Falls at a Harvest Host site; we were dry camping at a really nice winery. We did some tasting and enjoyed a charcuterie board.

The weather took a turn the next morning. Our drive to Amarillo was much cooler and very windy. It’s always fun to drive a big metal barn down the road at 60-65 MPH with a 20-30 MPH crosswind. We made it safely, and spent a little time exploring. It was our first time being on the old US 66 route, and we had our first clue that we are getting close to home: had a coffee at Dutch Bros.

Today finished off our time in Texas, then had a cameo drive in New Mexico, and finished off in Colorado. The road and the weather were both good, and it was a steady climb to Raton Pass. No driving tomorrow, we leave for Wyoming on Monday. More then…

Well, 4110 miles in the book and tomorrow we tackle the last 2204 miles. It’ll take 8 days to cover it, but we’ll see some more roads new to us. We’ve had a good time here in New Orleans, and a great time with new friends on the trip, but it’s time to get home.

Saturday was spent touring two plantations, Laura Plantation and the Oak Alley Plantation. They were notably different; one Creole, the other more English/southern. They also were different in how they presented their pasts regarding slavery, Laura seemed more transparent. Both made their money growing sugar cane, a difficult, labor-intensive task, and both misused people both during slavery and after. It was certainly interesting to see how both groups of people lived, and how did they did or didn’t prosper.

Sunday was transportation day. We spent the morning on a float plane flight over the Mississippi Delta. It was a beautiful day for that trip, and we saw a lot of really interesting countryside. There have been attempts to tame a powerful river for 200 years or so, and those attempts continue today. The current job is to replace land that has been lost in the delta in order to protect New Orleans from future hurricanes; they are diverting fresh water into bayous so sediments may be deposited.

The afternoon was spent taking a ride on a boat in the bayou. The vegetation was lush and we saw a great number of alligators. We certainly got a fresh feeling for how easily someone could get lost out there…

Monday was spent in the city. The group took a walking tour of the French Quarter. We learned a lot and enjoyed the jaunt. In the late morning we went to the New Orleans School of Cooking; we saw a demonstration of cooking crab and corn bisque, crawfish etouffee, bananas Foster, and pralines, then got to eat what the chef had cooked. It was all tasty, and it amazed me how easily she cooked for 50 people (with enough left over for seconds). We stayed in the city rather than take the bus back, went to a couple of bars to listen to music and then went out for dinner. Good times!

Well, farewell dinner tonight on a sternwheeler, then we hit the road tomorrow. A short note about this campground: we are on the edge of a very industrial area. A canal runs immediately behind us, with both pleasure boats and cargo barges. Beyond that is the main east-west railroad line (an Amtrak train headed east by us this morning), and above is the final approach for an executive airport…we have a fairly steady stream of business jets going overhead. Well, more tomorrow.

We’ve arrived at New Orleans today, and our visit here ends the second part of this adventure. It’s going to be a busy few days, and we’re really looking forward to all of it.

Natchez, Mississippi occupied our last two days. We had a grand time there, enjoying some grand architecture and awfully kind people. The city managed to avoid being burned down during the Civil War by a combination of features: they did not resist the Union and had no railroad to tempt either side. Because of this grand old houses are still making the town grand. Some of them date back into the early 1800’s. We had a great tour of the town via a horse and carriage, then a tour of one of the mansions..

The next day we drove out to the Frogmore Plantation; we got to see a working cotton farm, a cotton gin that dates back to the mid-1800’s, and a working modern gin in operation. The guide led us through the daily life of the people working the farm (both slaves and sharecroppers),and the year’s lifecycle of the cotton plant. We wrapped up the day with another BBQ lunch.

We tour two plantations tomorrow, one with a Creole heritage. More then…

The further we go south, the closer we get to the end of our trip. Only one more travel day with the group is ahead of us now, we arrived in Natchez, Mississippi today. There is an asterisk on that however: we are actually camping across the river in Visalia, Louisiana. My guess is that we have crossed the Mississippi about 30 times now, with a few more to come.

Saturday was a free day, and we spent it in style. Our new friends in the group, Steve and Sheila, have a son working as a manager in the Boise State athletic department. Lo and behold, BSU played in Memphis on Saturday, and he was able to get us four tickets. We had a great time, although more than a little hot (might have reached 95 degrees during the game, and the Liberty Bowl has no shade). Sadly BSU lost, but we met more than a few Bronco fans.

After the game we went out for some Memphis BBQ at a place called the Rendezvous. It’s a hole in the wall, in a basement, downtown near Beale Street, but oh my the ribs and brisket were good. We certainly have been eating well on this trip.

Sunday we drove to our next campground, near Vicksburg, Mississippi. This was a quick stop, just two nights, but we made the most of it. The group took a bus tour of the Vicksburg Historic Battleground, and had the privilege to have the ex-head ranger of the National Monument lead the tour. We learned a lot, and added more books to our future reading list.

Then came a trip to Anchuca, an antebellum mansion in the city. They served us a splendid lunch, then allowed us to tour the house. It was great to see the architecture and the way the current owners have decorated the rooms.

Today was a short travel day with one stop: we paused for lunch at an old general store that now is a restaurant/antique store. They served a buffet lunch of many of the things you think of as southern cooking. The very best thing though was the fried chicken…hot on the inside, crispy and light on the outside, without being at all greasy. It was by far the best chicken I’ve had since Grandma Luhn’s chicken in Vader.

The group tours Vicksburg tomorrow, then we have a free day Thursday, then it’s on to New Orleans. More later…

One more day in the greater Memphis area comes tomorrow. Our campground is south of the city across the state line into Mississippi, and is part of a casino complex that has seen better days. Apparently the goal was to turn the Tunica, MS area into the next Las Vegas, except someone forgot to tell the gambling public. We are at the Hollywood Casino, and it is a really sad place. Sam’s Town is across the road; they are busy tearing down large portions of its hotel in order to avoid paying room taxes on vacant rooms. Both casinos close down their table games and most of their restaurants during the week, then open for the weekend.

Day 48 was spent very musically. We started at Sun Studios, and enjoyed a tour of where artists in the mid-50’s got their start, including Elvis and Johnny Cash. The tour showed off a bunch of vintage instruments and vintage recording gear. It was great to hear how artists in the South, both Black and white, got going, and to hear some of their music.

We went on to Beale Street, and toured the “birthplace of the Blues.” So many musicians, so little time. The group had a fine buffet lunch at BB Kings; no live music there since it was so early. We strolled up and down, enjoying the atmosphere, and then got to tour the Rock and Blues Museum. It’s affiliated with the Smithsonian, and is really well done.

Today was a mix of experiences. We started the day visiting the Civil Rights museum, housed in the motel of Martin Luther King’s assassination. We did not have nearly enough time; the museum was very moving and humbling. The experience of Blacks over so many years…leaves me without words, other than to pray that race relations continue to improve.

We had a change of pace for the rest of the day. The bus took us to the Memphis Bass Pro Shop; this is not your normal big box store. It is housed in a pyramid that is about 15 stories or so high, along with a full blown hotel and three restaurants. A “quick” elevator ride to the top gave us a view of the Mississippi and a splendid lunch with a view. There was even time for a little shopping. For once it wasn’t a gift shop at the end of the ride, but a full blown store.

Anyway, tomorrow is our free day in Memphis. We have a special event that wasn’t on our schedule a week ago, details next time.

Travel day number one is in the books, and we are here in Cape Girardeau for one night. It’s about 88 degrees this afternoon, and we figure to have warm weather as we move further south this week. Tomorrow we move to the outskirts of Memphis for four nights.

No activities today, so we’ll catch up on some things that caught my eye:

It’s been a great three days here in St Charles, Missouri. The weather has been warm and a little humid, but otherwise nice. Our campground, like many RV parks, is nearby lots of transportation; not too far to our right is both a railroad and a freeway (so a fairly constant background noise from them), it’s about one block away from the Missouri River, and we are underneath the final approach for the airport. We’ve enjoyed getting to know Southwest 737 sounds, plus the various American and Delta flights. This is most certainly a busy place.

St Charles is a great reminder of just how young our hometowns are. Old buildings in both Longview and Nampa are often younger than we are; old buildings here might be nearly 200 years old. This city is old enough that it saw Lewis and Clark off on their exploration of the West.

Saturday and Sunday saw our group went into St Louis by bus. First stop was the Gateway Arch; fun ride to the top was followed by a great view of the city. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch downtown, then went out to tour a dam and locks on the Mississippi. The arch was certainly a highlight of the trip.

Sunday was busy. We visited the site of the 1904 World’s Fair, the St Louis Basilica (a remarkable building, no paint inside…color is provided by some of the most incredible mosaics), and then to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were hosting an extensive Dale Chihuly glass exhibit; we saw 20 or so beautiful pieces set inside gardens. Finally we took a tour at the Budweiser plant; fun tour of the factory, saw two Clydesdale horses, and had some free beer.

Oh, and before it is forgotten, Sunday was Leila’s birthday. We celebrated by going out for some more St Louis ribs for dinner. Absolutely splendid, there are leftovers in the motorhome’s refrigerator.

Today was a free day; we got some chores done this morning, then took a 2 mile hike to the Lewis and Clark museum and boathouse. It was a nicely done museum near the start of the expedition. Next we walked back through historic St Charles along the waterfront. We saw some great old buildings and felt the history along the brick streets.

Travel days the next two days, leading us to Memphis, Tennessee. More then…

We’ve continued to move south; the motorhome is now in St Charles, Missouri. We spend three days exploring St Louis, and a busy three days it’s going to be.

We spent our free day in the Quad Cities getting caught up on chores, then took a tour of a German-American museum in Davenport. It helped me mentally fill in some family blanks to learn more about why Germans moved to America in the 1850’s (an 1848 war ended badly for Germans living near Denmark), among whom were the Luhns. We enjoyed that visit, and I’m looking forward to learning more.

The next day the caravan moved on to Hannibal, Missouri and to a place where nearly every shop has a name tied into Mark Twain or one of his characters. As we crossed the Mississippi the woods even made you picture Tom Sawyer tramping around.

The stay was just two nights, but we did a fair bit of tramping around ourselves. We took a walk through the Mark Twain Caves; these were different than caves we’ve seen in the past, the walls and floors were smooth and narrow. Tom and Becky could easily have gotten lost in there…

We also got to see Mark Twain’s childhood home and a museum dedicated to his life. As we have in earlier stops on this trip we decided that we needed to add books to our reading list.

Tomorrow will be a busy day…more then.

We have enjoyed two days here getting brushed up on American history. Our first stop Sunday was at the Herbert Hoover presidential library. Hoover is an interesting part of the twentieth century. While the causes of the Depression came into being during Coolidge’s term, Hoover clearly could not find a solution to the fiscal disaster. You could make a case that FDR had no solution either (that the Depression was solved by WW2), but Hoover’s taken the blame. This overshadows all the good he did for the US as well as for starving Europeans between 1916 and 1950. This president clearly knew how to put service ahead of self. We visited his birth house and his burial place; it was a very moving morning.

Today we drove to Amana, Iowa and visited a community of Christians searching for a place to live in community and religious freedom. There were so many old buildings, and so many old businesses. A docent came onto our bus and gave us a tour of about four of the communities, giving a history that reached back into the mid-1800’s. It was a great visit…we learned a lot, Leila found a nice quilt shop, and Greg found a smoked meat shop.

In between those two trips our group made two stops. First we stopped at the the Largest Truck Stop in the US (so they say), and while there toured the adjacent Truck Museum. There were a bunch of really interesting trucks there, both big and small. That evening we went to a dinner theater in Rock Island. The dinner was really good and the play was a hoot; “The Outsider” was a comedy about a man who accidentally became the governor of Vermont. It did have something to say about how we elect people to office, and how frequently they aren’t really qualified. Very funny show!

We have a free day tomorrow, then a travel day on Wednesday. More then…