Home

Marysville CA :) Stopped to see the grand kids with whistles, pop guns, bubble gum, & fried peanuts. Happy happy!

Stopping for gas at our neighborhood 7-11, because we ran it all out.

Now home to see some more family!

Last Stretch

Feels really good to see the home turf :) Miles & miles of rice fields. Making a quick stop at our daughters house to get hugs. The grand kids are all excited!!

Almost Home

Well GPS says 2 hrs 23 min/141 miles. What an awesome road trip this has been. I suppose this blog will come to an end, but maybe I'll start up another one sometime.

We cut our trip short after hearing that my Dad died this last Monday. I haven't worn makeup in the last four days since I keep crying it off. Another good reason I haven't driven. Feel like I've gained 20 lbs in a month. All that road food, BBQ, & southern cuisine. I'm gonna be a sight when I get home. Back to my daily green smoothies & walking. Hey that sounds like a blog to me!

Chowchilla CA

Train graffiti

I Was A Bad Girl

Stopped at another Loves Travel Stop in Tulare CA. While using the ladies room I noticed a pair of sunglasses on the toilet paper dispenser. I naturally picked them up so as to turn them into the cashier.

While walking across the store with them in my hand, I seriously considered keeping them. Highly unusual for me to do that since I'm the honest one in the family. HaHa I just didn't think somebody would come back for them to a truck stop for travelers.

So I was kicking the idea around with a guilty conscious when I got caught red handed! SHE spotted HER glasses in my hand. She said those are MY glasses! I said "yes they are"! as I handed them to her. She walked off in a huff. There's no excuse for me :(

Not A Pleasure Being Here

Coming into Bakersfield CA. Saw grapes, oranges, & some kind of wells that were pumping. 

Ooh I don't like Bakersfield. Industrial. Ugly. Stinky. Big trucks with terrible, black exhaust!

Check out this lady who was parked on the side of the road. We were hauling ass (as best we could in the slow lane) when she pulled right out in front of us. Yeah, the one pulling a motorcycle trailer. Darn near caused a crash!! Grrr!

Leaving Bakersfield behind.

Loves Travel Stops

I just want to say Loves Travel Stops have been our place of choice on this entire trip, especially since we left North Carolina & came to realize what they were. Full service. Everything you could need. Friendly. And they carry diesel too. I would definitely use Loves again!

Currently just outside of Barstow CA!

Needles CA

We arrived in Needles CA at 8:00 last night. It was 97 degrees! Found an RV park using the Good Sam app on my phone & navigated us there. Nice, clean park. 

It's the morning of May 30, 2012 and we'll be home later today. It's a 9 hour drive. Wouldn't be so bad, but I woke up with a pounding headache again. Coffee! Where's the coffee?

Leaving New Mexico

We've been traveling NM all day. Stopped in Gallup to grab lunch at Blakes's Lotsaburger & to buy more beads at Thunderbird Jewelry supply. Didn't take long, & now we're back on the road. Just crossed the state line into Arizona. 

Using this road time to think. Think about my Dad, reuniting with kids & grand kids, & of course going to see my Mom. I have a memorial gathering at my house to plan for a couple weeks from now, so there's plenty to do when I get there.

Heres a few scenic pics from both NM & AZ!

Back In New Mexico

We stayed over in Santa Rosa NM again. It's a beautiful morning :)

Beyond Amarillo

The sky is wicked beyond Amarillo TX as we drive through. I don't like it one little bit. Spending the night in Santa Rosa NM tonight when we get there. It's raining out here now. Real freaky looking. Coming down hard. Say a prayer for us!! I'm such a baby when it comes to tornado weather!

Rest Stop

It's hot & WINDY in Alanreed, TX. This rest stop doubles as a tornado shelter. Back on the road now. Heading west.

Going West

Left Arkansas this morning. Going west on Hwy 40 through Oklahoma now. 

My heart is heavy today. Got word yesterday that my Dad died. Heading home to California to be with my Mom & my kids.

Back in Booneville Arkansas

Arriving in Booneville AR! Staying with Renee & Tommy Joe for a night or two. Beauty surrounds us !

Ewww!!

We brake for rest stops. Yep, bathroom breaks, something to drink, & stretch our legs. But I have a complaint. Nasty ass truckers! Excuse my mouth , but I call it like it is. Since we're pulling a trailer, we park with the big boys. Nearly every time I get out of the truck , I'm overwhelmed by the smell of urine on the asphalt of the parking lot. Are you kidding me? Just nauseating! The restrooms are only a short distance from where we park. Geez! People sometimes!

On a better subject...we just passed the state line into Arkansas! First the skyline of Memphis, then over the Mississippi River & into Arkansas. It's a good day. Hope yours is too!

Left North Carolina Yesterday

What a great road trip this has been. North Carolina was our final destination, but all the in between has been great too. We visited with lots & lots of family & friends along the way. Missed out on visiting a few, but they are my priority next time. Yep, there will be a next time.

We're in Tennessee right now. Spent last night with our friend Jane in Hermitage TN. Had the pleasure of her hospitality twice. I love it at her place. She has the sweetest of hearts :)

Been working on my ancestry for the last few years. I even have an Ancestry.com app on my phone so I can continue to work on it even as we travel. I have ancestors that lived in TN, AR, & TX. I found out a few years ago about an old cemetery on private property which has my fourth great grand parents buried there along with several others from our line.

Today we pulled off Hwy 40 towards Medina TN. Drove a couple of country roads with GPS of course! Ha! Just after thinking we might not find it...there it was! There were a couple people sitting inside the fence under a canopy. I was worried about intruding as I approached, but they said hello & to please come on inside, so we did. As it turned out, they were related to me! Cousins. Relations! I'm just tickled!! They were so helpful in showing me the headstones of my grandparents. They were having a Memorial Day Gathering along with a few others. Another older man showed up & he was happy to give us a little more history about our family connections. He was related to me too! We exchanged information so that they could send me more info when they get home. How cool is that?