Travel Adventures

Travel Adventures

WKUEven short routine trips can quickly turn into something else.  Whether it becomes a disaster or an adventure depends on the end result.  Recently, I had to go to Bowling Green.  I registered for classes at Western Kentucky University there and had papers to sign, an ID to get, and an exam to take.

After a day spent clambering up and down steps and in and out of multiple buildings while searching for the proper offices that left me feeling like I was involved in a scavenger hunt, I finally accomplished all my business.  Exam taken and my shiny new red and white picture ID card in my wallet, I headed home.

I needed to get gas on the way back and I made one of my favorite stops.  Truck Stops in the center island may be common in some parts of the country, but they are a rarity on my normal routes.  There is only one.  It sits between the east and west bound lanes of the West Kentucky Parkway about 50 miles from my home exit.  There is one side for big trucks and another for cars.  It has the usual convenience store and an attached Arby’s.  Like many places these days, you have to pay in advance, either with plastic at the pump or by going inside.

Since I was using cash that day, I took my cell phone, keys and wallet and headed inside.  This is an unusual method for me.  I usually pay with my card at the pump unless I intend to buy something inside.  When I do that, I unlock the car and put my purchases inside before pumping the gas.  On this day, I simply paid for the gas and returned to the car.  I had nothing in my hands but cell phone and wallet.  My keys were in a pocket.  Why the cell phone wasn’t I have no idea.  It should have been, would normally have been.

For some reason, instead of opening the car and putting everything inside, I set the wallet and cell phone on top and proceeded to pump the gas.  When the pump handle gurgled and clicked to signal it had dispensed the appropriate amount, I returned it to its cradle, unlocked the car, got inside, and drove off.  In fact, I drove all the way home.  Slightly more than 50 miles, about 45 minutes.  I thought about dinner and debated with myself how well I had done on the exam.

Shortly after going in the house, I started searching for my cell phone.  The jacket I was wearing had five pockets.  It wasn’t in any of them.  My pants had four pockets, not there either.  The purse I had taken with me had five pockets and two sections.  No phone.  Not laying in the entryway or on the Diningroom table, not on the kitchen counter or the end table beside my chair in the Livingroom, not on the coffee table.  Finally, thinking I had done something strange, like put it in the freezer while getting ice for my tea, I used the landline to start calling it.  As I stood still, hoping to hear it ring, I searched my memory for when when I had last had it in my hand and it dawned on me that I hadn’t seen my wallet while searching my purse…..back to the car (not on the seat or in the floorboard) and out the driveway without even telling my family I had been home.  I finally accepted the fact that I had never picked these two crucial items up from the top of the car.

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Pine Mountain Photo Workshop

Pine Mountain Photo Workshop

Waiting for the judges to finish.  It’s been an interesting weekend.  There were several accidents due to the icy road conditions.  Thankfully, no one was injured.

We got some nice shots as you can see below.  Jim won best of show for his dog houses picture. This park allows shooting anywhere, even out of state. 😉  One of the winning photos was actually shot in Virginia.  The speaker, Ian Plant, was very good.  We’d like to return in the spring.

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There were a lot of points we couldn’t reach due to the icy roads. The lodge layout is kind of sprawling. Since the weather had left ice on the walks as well and only the main ones had been cleared, we walked and climbed almost as far going back and forth to our room as we usually do hiking at Pennyrile.  Next time we’ll try to arrange something more convenient.

NoWhere, USA

NoWhere, USA

Awhile back, a good friend who lives in Hawaii asked me about doing a guest post for her blog.  She suggested something about the “Nowhere” status updates I did on Facebook when my daughter and I were driving across country last July and August.

So, I’ve been looking back over my pictures and thinking about other places I’ve been that would qualify as “the middle of nowhere.”  I haven’t completely worked out the direction the post will take, but I’m looking forward to the experience.  Most of my writing is just for our own sites.  It will be interesting to put something together to fit someone else’s expectations.  I’ll put a link here when it’s finished so you can go there to read it.  It will probably be some time during the week of January 20th.

As you may have gathered from the countdown widget, we are also getting ready for another Road Trip. It’s a photography workshop in Eastern Kentucky at Pine Mountain State Park.  That’s near Cumberland Gap.  It’s the first time we’ve done a winter trip.

I’m not really much for outdoor activities in winter time.  My tendency is to hibernate.  I do love the mountains though, as you may have noticed.  So I’m going along and trying it out.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate with snow or sunshine instead of rain and ice.  In any case, there will be photos.

Playing with Plugins.

Playing with Plugins.

Our Annual Trip Through November

Our Annual Trip Through November

November is a roadtrip month.  Many people travel long distances to spend Thanksgiving with family or friends.  We won’t be traveling (physically) ourselves this year, but other people will be coming to us.

One of my sons lives in Atlanta and he plans to bring his two daughters up for that weekend.  His older son, Colt, is coming with his wife from St. Louis.  The rest of us live here, but we seldom eat together.  Having a big family dinner for  holidays used to be one of our holiday traditions.  Lately, we are so wide spread and busy that it just doesn’t happen as often.

Sometimes there are only the four of us: my oldest daughter who lives with me and two of my brothers.  At times, it’s been a temptation to just make a pot of spaghetti and forget what day it is.  This year though, it looks like we’ll have a crowd again.  Not everyone, my youngest daughter and her kids are in Charlotte and they won’t be able to make such a long trip just for one day.  My oldest granddaughter lives 4 hours away and she will have to work on Friday, so eating dinner at 6pm here won’t be practical for her either.

Our schedule has traditionally been to serve at supper time.  That way people with in-law obligations at the traditional time can still come to our house late in the day.  That was started by my mother and we’ve stuck to it.  It usually works pretty well.

The thing is,Thanksgiving is a roadtrip whether you go somewhere or have people come to you.  Even if you are far from home and wind up eating in a restaurant alone, something my youngest daughter and I did several times, it’s a trip down memory lane.

Holiday meals are times of nostalgia.  A time to remember our childhood and/or our children’s childhood.  The memories may be sweet or bitter but, either way, they will begin the journey as Thanksgiving Day approaches and carries us away to visit yesteryear.  The journey continues on through December until that most emotion fraught day of all, Christmas.  May your trip be a pleasant one and, if it seems more on the bitter side, may you make find ways to make better memories for next year’s journey.