TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
BACK ROADS ACROSS AMERICA TEAM
We are Back Roads Across America Team, Van and Kyle. Between June 26th to July 6th we traveled across America from Arizona to Georgia. With this site you can feel like you were part of the trip!
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ROAD TRIP OVERVIEW
This is a quick overview of the full road trip that was taken.
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BATS
We saw amazing bats come out of Carlsbad Caverns for their nightly feeding! They are only about 2 inches long!
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WHO WILL CLEAN OUR WINDOWS
Our windows were really dirty so Kyle had a thought that one of those window washers would clean the window, but how?Go To Post | Go to Day | Go to Related Posts
LEARNING TO DRIVE
One of the goals on the trip was for Kyle to learn stick shift! Be careful! No one drive one the road until we tell you its safe!!Go To Post | Go to Day | Go to Related Posts
PROBLEMS
Oh No! We ran into some problems! Nothing we could not handle..maybe..I think...Go To Post | Go to Day | Go to Related Posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Georgia on your mind
Georgia is home of the greatest baseball team the Atlanta Braves!
Georgia is nations number one producer of 3 Ps – peanuts, pecans, peaches.
Coca-Cola was invented in May 1866 by Dr John S Pemberton in Atlanta. It was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta and then for many years in my Grandfather’s store called the Bradley drug store in Adairsville in 1940’s and 1950’s.
Georiga was birthplace for Jackie Robinson, Burt Reynolds, Martin Luther King, Doc Holliday, Ty Cobb, & Ray Charles.
And the American bank robber Pretty boy Floyd from Adairsville GA. Another resident of Adairsville is the greatest baseball manager of all time Bobby Cox.
Georgia is nations number one producer of 3 Ps – peanuts, pecans, peaches.
Coca-Cola was invented in May 1866 by Dr John S Pemberton in Atlanta. It was first sold at a soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta and then for many years in my Grandfather’s store called the Bradley drug store in Adairsville in 1940’s and 1950’s.
Georiga was birthplace for Jackie Robinson, Burt Reynolds, Martin Luther King, Doc Holliday, Ty Cobb, & Ray Charles.
And the American bank robber Pretty boy Floyd from Adairsville GA. Another resident of Adairsville is the greatest baseball manager of all time Bobby Cox.
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE BOX?
As soon as we get home we are writting a letter to Jack to tell him the've lost his box in Alabama
Legend of Princess Noccalula
According to legend, Princess Noccalula was the beautiful daughter of a powerful Cherokee chief and was deeply in love with a brave from her own tribe. Despite her wishes to marry this young warrior, she was promised by her father to a Creek Indian chief who had more bounty to offer for her hand. Her lover was banished from the tribe, and Noccalula was forced to ready herself for the arranged marriage. On the day of the wedding she allowed herself to be arrayed in ceremonial attire and obediently but reluctantly attended the marriage feast. In the midst of the merrymaking, Noccalula quietly slipped away and wandered through the forests of her childhood, coming eventually to the beautiful waterfall near her tribal home. Rather than subject herself to a loveless marriage, she jumped from the precipice near the falls and ended her life on the rocks below.
PAPA JOHNS
BETTER INGREDIENTS! BETTER PIZZA! PAPA JOHNS!
We stopped at one thinking it was a restaurant version and they had by the slice, but they did not. :(
Sweet Home Alabama
Two states so far in one day!!
Heart of Dixie
Home of Hank Williams (1923-1953) father of country music
Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) was the father of Blues who helped save the South in a time of poverty and despair in Meridian Mississippi
At this point Kyle is extremely impressed with the friendly people of the south. Everyone we have talked to has been very nice and helpful. We were entering the town of Meridian and stopped on the side of the road looking at the map when a man came out of his work place and over to our car to provide assistance and directions.
At this point Kyle is extremely impressed with the friendly people of the south. Everyone we have talked to has been very nice and helpful. We were entering the town of Meridian and stopped on the side of the road looking at the map when a man came out of his work place and over to our car to provide assistance and directions.
Mississippi Visitor Center
We finally found a visitor center open and had the nicest lady who was very helpful. This was in beautiful old south town of Hattiesburg where my late Great Aunt Sue lived. Aunt Sue was one of the kindest, gentle, & caring women I’ve ever known. As we traveled down the road we spent many miles telling stories about my Aunt Sue. One of those stories was when Susan & I were about 8-10 years old and visiting we went crabbing at the dock while Aunt Sue was cooking. We caught a bucket crabs and brought them back to the house. I had the idea that we needed to transfer the crabs into a clean bucket of water (not the best thing to do for several reasons). When I went to pickup one of the crabs he latched onto my thumb, at that point I let out a yell and did a half revolution of my arm over to an old tree stump splattering the crab into 1000 pieces and barely missing Susan.
The State Mississippi!!
One I, two S’ one I, two S’, one I, two P’s, and one I
Birth Place of the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977
And the birth place of the Blues
Looking for Alligators in the Louisiana Bayou
This morning we went out early to the swamp in Louisiana to try to find some hungry Alligators. Sadly there were none to be seen. They must have all left before we arrived there.
Monday Night at the Sprague's
After a long day’s drive on Monday from Columbus Texas to Mandeville Louisiana we arrived at Donna & Mike Sprague's home. Donna & Mike are our good friends from when we lived in Maryland. We have had several wonderful vacations together over the years and it was really nice to visit with them again plus they were exceptional hosts. Donna had fixed us a wonderful meal of shrimp etouffe, jambalaya, salad, bread, watermelon, chocolate chip cookies - I was so full, it was hard to leave the next day.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
BIRDS ATTACK!!
Today dad was walking a long minding is own business when a Pigen swooped down and touch the top of his hair!!!
Bee 2 - Kyle/Van 0
We had a Bee today that loved Kyle’s Dr Pepper. As a side note it’s a funny thing that Kyle will eat something that falls on the floor but won’t drink after a bee??? This wasn’t any ordinary bee, he really wanted this Dr Pepper. After we shooed him away I watched him as he kept his distance then after he noticed that I was still watching him he hid behind a wall for a while hoping I would loose focus. When he saw I was still on the alert he circled the building and block to come in from my back side to get quick drink. Final score Bee 2 and Kyle/Van 0
Eating by the River!!
We decided to eat on the River Walk along the San Antonio river today at a place called DICK's.Our waiter was really funny!!!
Kyle had his usual - Cheeseburger with ketchup. And I had Cesar salad with grilled chicken.
BTW did you know San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the USA
Kyle making a wish!
Making a wish at the well, I think I made a hundred or so... sorry I can’t tell you or they wouldn’t come true
THE ALAMO
A few more volunteers lined-up to bolster the Alamo garrison.
In March 1836, 187 Texan’s defended against several thousand Mexican troops.
In March 1836, 187 Texan’s defended against several thousand Mexican troops.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Stopped Early
Today we decided to stop a little early at Junction Texas!
Next up we will "Remember the Alamo"!
COW!! LOOK OUT!!!
How do you know you are driving the back roads of America?
1)No McDonalds
2)You have to wait for the cow to cross the road
Where's Ronald?
How do you know that you are traveling the back roads of America? We traveled all day and over 500 miles through New Mexico and Texas and didn’t see a single McDonalds or for that matter a single fast food chain.
We had a great lunch at Sally’s Café and dinner at Isaack’s.
We had a great lunch at Sally’s Café and dinner at Isaack’s.
New Driver!
We had 3 objectives for this trip
1) Visit Papa in Georgia for his 80 birthday
2) Travel and see America via back roads avoiding interstates
3) Kyle learn to drive
This is Kyle learning to drive and on a stick shift for the first time.
He ended up doing great and driving most of the day
1) Visit Papa in Georgia for his 80 birthday
2) Travel and see America via back roads avoiding interstates
3) Kyle learn to drive
This is Kyle learning to drive and on a stick shift for the first time.
He ended up doing great and driving most of the day
Bear Attack!!
This guy has been hibernating and is hungry and is about to ATTACK DAD!!!! I need to save him, but I have to take this picture first!!
Caverns
Carlsbad was made by sulfuric acid dissolving the limestone 250 million years ago, as part of a reef complex along the edge of an inland sea.
Oil and gas deposits and rich in hydrogen sulfide was forced into the limestone at the edge of the basin. When this encountered oxygen-rich rainwater moving down through the rock, it created sulfuric acid. This acid dissolved the limestone creating cave passages
Carlsbad Cavern Slideshow
Jim White is the cowboy credited with being the premier explorer of Carlsbad Cavern. He began to explore the cave as a teenager in 1898, using a handmade wire ladder to decend 60 feet into the cave. For more than a decade, he couldn't convince many locals that there was much to Carlsbad Cavern.
The first night!
After traveling 560 miles we were ready for a good night sleep in Carlsbad NM at the Best Western. We got a good military discount by bargaining
When we were going to bed we were confronted by a fly that dad was obsessed with because he was afraid it would land on him while he was sleeping. He lured it into the bathroom by turned off all the lights except that room and then closed the door
Friday, June 26, 2009
My wallet
There was:
5 forms of ID
1 Credit Card
2 Golden Spoon Cards
1 Cold Stone Card
1 Game Buster Card
1 Insurence Card
1 Libary Card
1 Mountain Side Fitness Card
1 Xenula Card
2 Emergency Cards
4 Dollar Bills
1 Block Buster Card
1 Movie Gallery Card
1 Cleaning Cloth
3 Band Aids
500,000 Mexican Free-Tailed Bats
Today we saw the amazing bats come out of Carlsbad Caverns for their nightly feeding! They are only about 2 inches long
Next Leg US 70 - THE OLD WEST ROAD
Riding on the Old West Road! U.S. 70 begins in Globe AZ and runs across America to the coast of North Carolina.
US 60 Bridge!
On US 60 heading east to Globe. Staying away from Interstate 10 we chose US 60 for our first leg of the trip - commissioned in 1927, and was part of the original 1927 Arizona Highway Plan.
NEW MEXICO SAYING HELLO
We have Saguaro cactus that seem to wave at you and New Mexico has Torrey Yaucca's that seem to be saying welcome
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