There are only 2 ways into Tucson from the rest of the U.S. so the last part of any journey is over well traveled, and well documented, Interstate road.  We spend the time finishing up any audio book we might be listening to, reminiscing our travel adventures, and creating the “lists” for posterity.

So, for the results of our one lap of America 2008 here are the Lists:

10 BEST Experiences (15, really as we are overachievers)

1. The weeklong gathering of the Culver’s, Davis’, Kendall’s and us in Maine.  Having memories of this is priceless.  In years to come we will all remember Peter’s singing into the kitchen faucet.

2. Meeting Jim & Lori Evilsizer in Spragueville, IA, while searching for an out of the way cemetery.  This couple quickly became friends and went out of their way to help perfect strangers just passing by.

3. Freezing in the wind and rain on Mt. Washington, N.H.  Had the weather been perfect it would just have been an event, but add in the elements and it was memorable.  The movie they show at the top of the mountain still brings me chuckles.

4. Big Horn National Park in Wyoming.  We almost missed the entire state in our trip planning except for Nathan’s observation so driving through this park in eastern WY made it doubly good.

5. Hundreds of Buffalo in Teddy Roosevelt National Monument.  Yellowstone may have a few Buffalo, but to really get a feel for the old west you need to travel a little further up the road.

6. Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in IA, IL, & PA.  FLW homes have been a favorite of ours for a long time and this trip gave us the opportunity to see many of his works including his own home/studio in Oak Park, IL and the famous Fallingwater in PA.  We purchased a field guide of all of his works so that we could find more out of the way designs to further expand our inventory.

7. The walking tour of Chicago’s near north side, or as we remember it, the “Foodie” tour.  Strolling along with a guide leading the way to small food purveyors for an afternoon was just right.

8. The Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville, TN.  From a comment by a fellow walker on item #8 above, this country music writers hangout was a most memorable evening of intimate exposure to some very talented folk.

9. An entire week in Washington, DC.  Having a townhouse within easy walking distance to the famous quadrangle gave us opportunities to see parts of this city that would take many trips in a more traditional fashion.  We could set a plan in the morning and change our minds without worry about transportation or lodging.  A subset for me was Ginger’s treat at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant for my birthday.

10. Fresh Shrimp in South Carolina.  About 3 miles from our cottage was the shrimp boat dock and sales shed.  The best shrimp we have ever had moved 20 feet from the boat to us.

11. Going to a play in Chicago’s “Loop”.  Scoring cheap tickets to Jersey Boys only made this experience more enjoyable.  Once in a while it is fun to be urban grown ups and going to the play gave us this opportunity.  Afterwards walking to the car park under the famous “L” tracks among the tall buildings rekindled memories.

12. Traveling the Freedom Route from Montgomery to Selma, AL.  Civil Rights progress is vividly on display in museums and the memorials along this route for a moving experience.

13. A leisurely lunch at an inn in Vermont.  We came across the oldest continuously operating inn in VT by chance and it was a delight.  Sitting in surroundings that other travelers had for over 200 years allows for conjuring stories of old.

14. Eating the famous Maine Lobster Roll.   Red’s Lobster Shack in Wicasset is the place to go for the absolute best in our opinion.  More lobster than should be eaten at one sitting leads to Item #1 of our 5 Things we learned category.

15. Walking on the beach in South Carolina.  After many years and many attempts around the world, we finally got our own private beach.  Someone passing by our window was an event to be noticed and our own walks went a mile each way without people.

6 Things we Learned

1. You can get too much Lobster.  It is hard, but generous portions and friends urgings will take you to the pinnacle of lobster overdose.

2. Just because there are nice cars in front of a cafe doesn’t mean it’s good food.  The Sunrise Cafe in Fulton, IL had this phenomenon.  Potato soup was along the lines of library paste and the salad came from a bag.

3. Boiled Peanuts aren’t all that good if you are a Yankee.  We thought they tasted like soft chick peas.

4. We are not cut out for 2 weeks without TV or Internet access.  Both Wisconsin and South Carolina had barriers to our entertainment “fix” requirements.  We did, however, need to become creative, so it wasn’t a total bust.

5. Interstate roads are in worse shape than backroads.  It looks like the States have repaved the local roads as traffic has shifted to the Interstates and they are really in good shape.

6. Audio books are a must during Interstate travel, preferably good ones.  After the changing scenes of local roads, Interstate travel is boring and a diversion is required.  We also sang to the I-Pod tunes at times.

 

1 MOST SCARY Thing

1. Being next to the ocean in a storm with a precarious house.  Some natural calamities occur quickly like tornadoes and earthquakes with little warning and a person’s reaction is likely to be short.  The storm we were in took several hours to unfold yet the effects were beginning to look as devastating.  Making the decision to abandon “ship” with water piling up all around was an experience not forgotten.

 

In summary, we rolled up almost 15,000 miles this time without any car failures, tire failures, dents or dings, or injuries.  We attained our goal of touching every one of the lower 48 states in our journeys, and are still up for more should we get the urge.  We learned a lot of stuff we didn’t know, met a lot of people who were friendly and maybe one grouch.  We laughed, we cried, we pondered the events displayed before us.

America is beautiful, there is way lots to see and do.  Who knows, the road beckons……