Day 59 - Home!

[Kalon]  We arrived back home evening of July 27th, just about two months from the start of the trip.  For those interested in statistics, we drove 11,290 miles and averaged (with our Prius) 48.4 mpg.
We went to 31 states and 4 Canadian provinces.

I've been asked what were the highlights of the trip, and for me (excluding our visits with some precious friends all of which we enjoyed greatly) the highlights would be the traverse of the Grand Canyon, and the explorations at Gettysburg.  Karen would have her own list.

But here's a picture of the best motel/hotel on the trip:

Yes, our house.   I think after our Minneapolis visit with Karen's niece and family our balloon started leaking energy.  We had thought of traveling north to Western Canada and then travel down from BC to Washington and home, but in spite of Karen's wanderlust, the lure of home was a bit stronger and prevailed.

So thanks for joining us on our vacation, and this blog is now part of our family history.

[Karen] Well, it was a pretty crazy idea for two 70 somethings (and at the latter end of that decade) to take on such a large endeavor but there were things and people we wanted to see.  Those people welcomed us with great hospitality. Thanks especially to Erica and Adriana Christensen who let Kalon and I use their bedrooms for three nights... we broke our promise that we would not stay with anyone and stayed with Karen and Paul Christensen (my niece and her husband) and were royally treated (thanks, Paul, for the great coffee every morning and thanks, Karen, for the great and delicious meals as well as taking us to beautiful spots to walk). Chris and Liane also took us in, in spite of Liane having her leg in a brace after breaking her patella in a fall.

 Liane's leg brace

Their new home in the aerie heights of Berkeley is awesome but challenging for someone like me who is acrophobic.



Aaugh! Give me something to hold onto!

It would be hard to identify a favorite part of the trip but the historical significance of the westward migration from the 13 colonies westward to the Mississippi River and how it affected the development of the U.S. as well as the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mtns and Smokies has me choose the Natchez Trace as ranking high in the list. But then, thinking of the days driving across the grasslands of S.Dakota almost in the wheel ruts of the Oregon Trail also is up there. And Lobster!!! How can I discount overstuffing myself on lobster in Gloucester and PEI? or the amazing water park in downtown Dallas? Sorry. I can't choose a favorite. It was simply awesome from beginning to end!

Go do it yourself and you will see what I mean. (Skip Pierre, S Dakota though, is my advice). And maybe next time, we will go in a limousine with driver so Kalon can enjoy the scenery!

Ciao! And many thanks to all of you who cheered us on and gave us succor along the way!