Odometer: 4,750 miles. To home: 901 miles.
Driving the final 900-mile leg gave us lots of time to reflect on the trip and to ponder future ones.
“What was your favorite place?” we were asked while visiting Janet’s brother in Monroe, Louisiana. We always struggle to answer such questions as we make the most of every stop. Also, variety is something we both crave.
We agreed that the Harvest Hosts were our favorite, staying at a farm and sampling wares. We loved the personal interactions and new experiences. We preferred camping with few, if any, other campers, so we could enjoy the peace and solitude. There was something satisfying about being amongst agriculture. Each site was perfect for one-night stays, and we enjoyed either consuming their products or bringing home memories.
We also agreed that privately-owned campgrounds were our least favorite. These tended to be crowded, and Saydee was continuously distracted, i.e., barked! However, they served the purpose of being conveniently located. We stayed in these as they were close to our kids, and we would use them again if we could not find alternatives. We look forward to when the kids have driveways that we can stay on!
I learned that Janet was uncomfortable hiking in forests where there were warnings about bears, mountain lions, or snakes. She prefers England where there aren’t such threats to life! I will focus on exploring bear country with Samuel.
We learned that trips like this are beautifully full of experiences which make them tiring and intense. It was a great blend of farms, hiking, national parks, visiting friends and family, and museums. For trips this length or longer, we need to plan for a “zero” day about once a week. We would have enjoyed just hanging out at most of the places we stayed at. We need to remember to bring hammocks next time! Yet, I know I will be eager to get to the next leg of the adventure.
Our trip to Oz reminded us that there is no place like home. Our nomadic nature has caused us to want to change “home.” Arvan is our home on wheels, and while we yearned to be back in our house “home,” we were also sad that this trip was ending, and looking forward to the next. Saydee loved traveling in the van and exploring all the scents at new locations.
One joy of traveling was staying in touch. Our friend Dean, one of my most dedicated blog readers, made a picture of us with Arvan. Samuel’s comments made me smile: “This image is encouraging that AI isn’t taking over any time soon” and “The only identifiable thing in that photo of my parents is the bright orange shirt!” Harsh, but probably fair!
We traveled nearly 5,000 miles over 26 days. There is so much to see!
Thank you to my blog readers! I so appreciate the feedback and comments, inspiring me to keep writing and preserving the memories, which otherwise fade and blur all too quickly.
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 