I’ve driven 2400 miles in one week, and traveled through nine states.
I very happily arrived in western Massachusetts where my youngest two children live, grateful for the sights and experiences along the way. It was another rainy morning, but I had only 100 miles to go, and arrived in time for lunch, vegan sandwiches from a local shop. I’m so glad to see them.
I drove the back roads through the Green Mountain National Forest, thrilled by the changing fall colors.
We got sandwiches from a great shop for lunch, then hung out and enjoyed catching up and being together. My youngest rents a room, and her landlady invited me to sleep on the daybed in her upstairs room, an offer I gratefully accepted.
In the evening, my daughter went off on a previously planned commitment, and I had time alone with my other child and their partner, and enjoyed a delicious vegetable soup with pasta and tofu.
Me and my awesome Lavender
Me and my daughter Carol Anne.
I look forward to being here for the next couple of days, with these beautiful people.
The sky was solid gray when I left Rolla this morning, but as I drove west through the Mark Twain forest, it cleared and became a beautiful sunny day. Before noon I was crossing the Mississippi River and humming along through southern Illinois. Except for being slightly more hilly, it reminded me of the Texas Plains.
The trees increased in Indiana and fall colors began to show. Hints of yellow, with an occasional flash of red caused me to smile with the anticipation of actually experiencing a bit of fall as I continue my travels north.
My companion on the road today was the book The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus. It is based on historical fact, the tale of a young man who joined an expedition to attempt to rescue a boy taken by the Apaches, and all that befell him and his companions along the way. It is well written and well narrated.
Finally, I arrived at my destination. My daughter and her husband live in Bloomington, Illinois, and I had not visited them there. (They moved last year). He is a college prof, working late, and she and I spent the afternoon/evening catching up, got delicious takeout, and just enjoyed each other’s company. I will sleep on their comfy couch tonight, glad to be with family instead of the sterility of a hotel.
Today was a day that put the road in road trip. Lots of musings about travel, relationships, how people live, what I want to do with my life – ideas for future blog posts for when I’m not driving 500 miles a day, solo. I need to get a tool so I can dictate my thoughts when I’m traveling. Hard to use my phone because I’m using it for google maps. I do listen to music and audiobooks too. My song for the day: On the Road Again. Of course! I love me some Willie Nelson!
I was three hours down the road, singing along with Willie, when I realized I left my toiletry bag in the hotel room. It was the last thing I packed but somehow it didn’t make it to the car. It is a really nice, compact bag which I love, so I called the hotel and they are mailing it to the location I will be at in a few days. This, finding food, and driving through a major rainstorm were the major events of the day.
If I were an animal, I would definitely want to be some sort of cat. Today, I got to visit my son and his wife and their multiple beautiful felines. They live out in the country in a geodesic dome home built in the 70’s, and perfect location to enjoy nature and cats.
It was rainy when I left Austin, but before long the sky cleared and it was another beautiful, hot, day. I decided to take highway 183 which runs parallel to the interstate heading up to Fort Worth. I enjoyed the hillier, more picturesque route through the small towns along the route. Did you know there is a place called Fairy, Texas? It was uneventful, I saw a lot of cows, and wished I could take pictures while I was driving. Springtown is a small town to the west of Fort Worth, and I timed my arrival to coincide with lunch. Smart, right?
My son was putting the finishing touches on some Texas sized egg/mushroom/pepper/cheese burritos, and they were delicious and filling.
Filling for the yummy burritos
The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up and playing with and petting the cats.
These are four of the ten or so cats they currently have. The black and white’s name is Moo, and he’s the boss!
I enjoyed the afternoon, and David packed me another burrito for my supper. They don’t have guest quarters, so I drove another 100 miles north to get a head start on tomorrow, and am spending the night in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Me and my son DavidMe with David and his wife Roni
Smog hung heavy over Houston as I headed west out of the city. It was 80 degrees at 8 am, with the promise of heat and humidity. Mile after mile of flat grassland flashed past as I drove the familiar route down 290. I was super happy to be on the road again.
Can’t really take decent pictures when you’re driving
I always love it when I get to Washington County, known for being “the birthplace of Texas”. It’s like a magical change. The landscape morphs to rolling hills, with long white painted fences edging the roads, cows grazing on lush green grass, remnants of summer flowers still blooming. The sky, by this time, was blue with ever changing white clouds, and the sun was shining.
Not really a picture of rolling hills, but definitely prettier
I decided to stop in Brenham, at the Bluebell Creamery. It was only 9:30 in the morning, but I couldn’t pass by without getting a generous scoop of ice cream for only a dollar! I chose Millennium Crunch, an all time favorite. In case you didn’t know it, Bluebell ice cream is famous in Texas, and I was raised believing it was the best ice cream in the world. I guess I still think it is.
I enjoyed the rest of the ride to Austin, arriving at my daughter’s apartment just in time for her to fix me a delicious lunch sandwich. She is vegan and I am vegetarian, and we enjoyed lightly sauteed tempeh with avocado, lettuce, and tomato on rye bread, with plantain chips. I forgot to take a picture.
We just had the one afternoon, and really just wanted to hang out together. Since it was so hot (in the 90’s by then), we decided to stay in and watch a movie. We chose The Out of Towners with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, and it didn’t disappoint. I’m going to have to check out the remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn.
We wanted to go out and take a walk in one of the wilderness areas, but decided to wait til the sun was down. It was time to think about food again, and this time I was treated to a bowl of batter fried tofu, rice, and sauteed veggies. Again, deliciious and satisfying.
yum
After that we took a short walk through a forested area nearby.
Me and my daughter Gillian
I’ve been to Austin dozens of times in the 12 years since she moved here to go to college. Usually we and siblings who have been along go to restaurants, shops, events. It’s different now, and not just because of the pandemic. This time it was about just being with this one special person, and for me, experiencing anew the gratefulness I have for this human’s presence in my life.
Embracing Uncertainty 
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