As we drove along the roads in Montana we passed through ranches and farms with horses and cattle. The color was mostly brown with very few trees but lots and lots of hay fields.
When entering North Dakota the terrain changed to some rolling hills sprinkled with the flat hay fields and ranches like we had seen in Montana. We added another National Park to our lists of parks visited when we stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western ND. We remembered that when we were going in the other direction in April the snow was so heavy that we couldn't see the sign for the park. We much preferred the travel through the state in October.
As we traveled to Minnesota we encountered more rolling hills and flat lands, and cornfields were added to the scenery. We got our first glimpse of autumn in the lower 48 as some of the trees and shrubs burst into colorful reds and oranges. The sky was clear and the temperatures were in the mid 80's. What an enjoyable ride!
Wisconsin scenery was very similar to what we saw in Minnesota. When we stopped for the night in Lodi, WI Dan discovered that one of the tires in the UHaul trailer had a nail in it. Fortunately there was a UHaul dealer a few miles away so we had them check it out. They pulled out the nail and said that it had not punctured the tire, and we were good to go. That was a relief because we knew that the next day we were driving around Chicago and didn't want to have any problems. The next day we got through Madison, WI and Chicago without difficulty, but at mile 54 of the Indiana Turnpike a man came past us furiously blowing his horn. We pulled over to find out what the problem was and discovered that the tire that had the nail removed had blown out. Fortunately we were only two miles from a service plaza so we crept along the side of the road and called UHaul for help. A mechanic came and within a few hours we were back on the road as good as new. The rest of the trip was mechanically uneventful.
We had a few choice words to say to Lana (our GPS) when she took us to a side road behind a service plaza in Indiana instead of taking us to the entrance onto the turnpike. Since there was no way for Dan to turn around he backed up into an area where there was a small opening in the fence. There were only inches to spare and once again he did an extraordinary job of maneuvering.
After passing through Indiana we drove to Uniontown, OH and visited with our son Dan, Kelly, Mitch, Lacey, and Matt. We attended the homecoming game which Hoover High lost. Yes, they go to Hoover High! The next day was the homecoming dance, and we enjoyed seeing the older two get dressed up and head off to dinner and the dance. Watching the winning Steelers game with the guys on Sunday and feasting on a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on Monday topped off the Ohio visit.
As we made our way to the flat lands of South Carolina we travelled through the wild wonderful hills of West Virginia. The leaves were close to their peak of changing colors. It had been several years since we we had seen the gorgeous fall colors and we appreciated the beauty of Mother Nature.
On our way to Myrtle Beach, SC we stopped at Mayberry Campground near Mt. Airy, NC. Since we like to take a walk every day we decided to drive to the city and walk around. It was delightful to see Barney's Cafe, Aunt Bee's kitchen, and Floyd's Barber shop. In front of the Andy Griffin museum is a statue of Andy and Opie that was erected as a tribute by TV Land. It brought back fond memories of more simple times.
We had a fun time at Myrtle Beach with our daughter Donna and her children Jessica, and Chris who at age almost 13 passed me up in height. We enjoyed walking on the beach, playing ping pong, corn toss, Rummikub and cards. Although we tried we were unable to see Jessica perform her color guard routine with the band. Happily they won the regional competition and go on to State for the final challenge. The week went by quickly.
We only had to drive two hours south to visit with our Navy son Doug and his children Mary, Daimen, and Cheyenne in Goose Creek, SC. We all went to the South Carolina Aquarium and Frankie's Fun Zone where we played miniature golf and the kids rode go carts. Daimen played his trumpet with Goose Creek band, but they did not win their competition. Dan, Doug, and Daimen went to a bar to watch the Steelers win while I hung out with the girls. A good time was had by all!
And now after almost seven months we are home. What a journey!!! We logged 5503 miles on the way south in addition to the 5410 going north. It was an amazing adventure that we will always remember.
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