Monday, November 3, brought us to the end of our summer trip. We left the Monterey Bay area of California for our home just east of Sacramento, 215 miles away. While we are thrilled to see our friends and family, we are also sad to see the journey come to an end.
The statistics show that we moved about the country perhaps more than we should have. We were in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Illinois again, then Missouri, Kansas, back to Missouri and Iowa, then to Minnesota. On to Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio and a return to Indiana. Whew! Kentucky, Tennesee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and back to California. Wow.
We drove Nessie exactly 9,800.6 miles, taking 214 hours and 8 minutes, and using 1081.1 gallons of diesel fuel. Nessie averaged 9.1 miles per gallon at an average speed of 45 miles per hour. We were gone exactly five months to the day, arriving home just in time to vote in the November elections.
Gus, our tow car, not only followed along on the 9800 miles, but added another 7,277 miles on his own, traipsing about doing his sightseeing thing.
We have seen things that we never imagined that we would, accidentally been in the right place at the right time to see one of a kind events, and eaten in some of the most wonderful restaurants in the country. We've eaten in Mom and Pop diners, and pricey tourist spots. All had something to recommend them, from the Catfish in Grand Rapids, the Walleye in Minnesota, or the BBQ in Kansas City, but our favorite restaurants on this trip include From Scratch in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, and Double Eagle in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Navy precision parachuting team in Minnesota, the vistas of the Badlands in South Dakota, the nostalgia of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are all favorite memories, as are the sight of the freight traffic on the Mississippi at Canton, MO, and the huge ships traversing the locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.
We have met many friendly and wonderful people, as we do on all of our trips. We were handicapped this time because we didn't have a canine companion to break the ice, so to speak, but a smile and a hello go a long way toward starting a conversation.
To all who have come into our lives: Thank You! To all the wonderful sights in this wonderful country: We're so glad you are protected so that we can visit you.
To our family and friends: Thank you for supporting us and making this possible. We can't thank you enough. We look forward to spending hours with you all catching up on what's been happening.
After last winter, when we worried that we may not be able to travel again, we have a renewed appreciation of our opportunities.
And yes, we are planning for next year…….!
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