Even my earliest memories of Brandon include stories of traveling, setting off on a whim, hiking, and his love of the mountains. There is always a twinkle in his eyes when he talks about it.

A few years ago we started talking about buying a sprinter van and taking long trips across the country when we retire. Fast forward to 2021, post Covid, travel restrictions, and a little uncertainty of how everything in the world will shake out, we decided to make the most of today. We bought an RV, Brandon laid out a route, and this afternoon we said goodbye to the kids and set out on our adventure!

It was 81* as we drove through Dacusville, but you could feel the slightest hint of fall in the air. It was an easy trip through Asheville, over the mountains and into Tennessee. Our only hiccup was that we lost all of our fresh water 😂

We drove for about 6 hours, had some Waffle House for dinner and spent a peaceful evening at a Cracker Barrel parking lot about 30 minutes outside of Nashville, in Cookeville TN.

What a beautiful day!! We woke up to blue skies and a cool breeze. Had a yummy breakfast and my first mimosa of the trip at Cracker Barrel 🥞🥓🍳🥂

I got my first glimpse of Nashville as we drove through. It was a bigger city than I expected. We should reach St Louis by 4 or 5, depending on how many places we stop along the way! 😊

Kentucky!!!

Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River

Traffic was a little backed up as we neared the bridge into Illinois so we took that opportunity to conduct our first in flight pilot switcharoo so that Brandon could take a bathroom break 😂😂 We we’re only traveling about 10 mph and all went smoothly. I think I might like driving Gus the Bus! 🚍🚐

The home of Popeye!

Chester is the "Home of Popeye," where a 6-foot (1.8 m), 900-pound (410 kg) bronze statue of Popeye the Sailor Man stands in the Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park, which honors Popeye's creator, Elzie Segar. The park is located next to the Chester Bridge. Several of Segar's characters were created from his experiences with people of Chester. Chester's big event is its annual Popeye Picnic and parade, held the weekend after Labor Day. Popeye fans travel from all over the United States and the world to partake in the weekend activities. Most of the events and entertainment are free and all are family friendly.

We spent last night in Pacific Missouri. There were discussions of big plans, dinner out, exploring the town, lol. But after about 10 minutes in the hotel room, we were both in agreement to order food in and call it a day.

We are having lunch now at a cool old bar/restaurant, having a cocktail, and playing Keno while we wait on our wings. I’ve got my fingers crossed 🤞 that I will still have a date for the wedding. This place reminds Brandon of Buffalo and I might not be able to get him outta here 😂

The wedding was beautiful and the venue was really nice. It was a huge barn up on hill. I think it had only been open a short time.

We made another quick trip over to the Pacific Brew Haus for a snack and a drink before we got Sam and Eden.

Had a great time with them. We jumped on the beds, had candy and soda before bed 🥳 and Lolli was asleep at least an hour before the kids but they were great.

We left Pacific MO at 10 am and we are on I-70 headed west for Kansas!! It’s been a beautiful ride, but I have a feeling Kansas might seem pretty long.

Oh, I almost forgot! We have a mew addition to the rig! See picture below!

Just crossed into Kansas!

So about 6 hours later we closing in on the end of it and cross into Colorado!!

Brandon had me braced for a long boring drive across this wide open state. But as we reach the end of it, we discussed how much we enjoyed it, how quickly the time passed, and how differently we view things at this point in our lives. You get a little older, you gain a little different perception on life.

We woke up just outside of Brush Colorado, right off Route 36. It was in the 50s when we got up. The camper was chilly but it felt great. We are loving these cozy down comforters!!

We made a quick stop for some supplies and then we were on our way. I tried to work a little as we got back on the interstate but it was still tough, because you just want to keep looking out the window. It didn’t take long until we started to catch a peek of the mountains ahead. At first, it was almost like a shadow. Like you are staring at a mirage. And then all of a sudden, there they are…majestic, enormous, and filling the horizon for as far as you can see!!

We made it to Estes Park around lunch time. Found a great parking place (that turned out to be a no-no, but the parking police lady was kind enough to just give us a map of designated RV parking for our next trip.

We had lunch at Wipita Pub for some really yummy appy’s and drinks. Then walked around town a bit before making our way to the park.

Pretty little town on the opposite side of the Park from where we started.

Watched the sun come up this morning from here. Last night was our first real camping night. We pulled out the ol’ black stone griddle and whipped up some burgers and home fries. Watched the stars for a couple of hours before turning in.

I’m having a tough time with service and getting my photos to upload. I’m sure we will hit a spot where I can update the photos. Beware, it’s a lot!!

Breakfast! I have so many stops and photos that I haven’t been able to load yet!

The Tetons!

Idaho! Knotty Pine Supper Club!

We are in West Yellowstone. Stopped for late lunch at Bullwinkle’s.

Happy 21st birthday Maria Lynnette!! We love you so much 🥰🥰

Currently somewhere in Montana and it does not disappoint!!

Canadian border, bakery, beautiful scenery. We spent 6 hours plus on dirt roads. Started out with clouds and rain. The sun busted out midday and the view was spectacular!!

Getting a little tire service this morning. Spent the last two days on some amazing dirt roads. Went all the way to the Canadian border. One US Border Patrol agent who actually left ahead of us. The Canadian side was totally abandoned. Even the road was almost overtaken by the forest.

We rolled back into civilization yesterday I. Time to catch the second quarter of the Bill’s game. And then wait for the lightning delay to pass.

Woke up to our coldest temps so far. Had a chance to clean the rig inside and out.

Now we are headed toward Babb Montana and the Eastern side of Glacier National Park.

Didn’t know if we would make it out of West Yellowstone this morning. Had to take a little detour thrOugh Ashton Idaho.

Making one last quick stop in Colorado before we start the drive across Nebraska.