A Memorial Road Trip Medley

So has the month of May really nearly passed us by already??
That is CRAZY!
So here we are, looking at Memorial Day Weekend...
...just in time for a.....ROAD TRIP!!



It just so happens that this week's Wednesday Medley is all about road trips.
After all, it seems this coming Friday is 

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY!!



If you head on over to Terri's she'll tell you all about it!
And then just copy and paste her questions to your blog and answer them.

1.  Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip?  Where did it take you?

Since you didn't specify, I am assuming it doesn't matter the length of the road trip to actually qualify as one. When I was a little girl, we often piled into Dad's old Buick (or later on, the station wagon with the third seat facing the back) and made our way into the country settings of the places where my parents were raised and began their homestead. These places were probably no more than 30 minutes to an hour drive from our home but they seemed as though we had driven miles and miles to get to them...probably had something to do with those hilly and bumpy back roads we had taken. Actually, I think they were ALL back roads, come to think of it! We heard story after story about who was born where...or how the cows got away the day they broke through that fence...etc., etc. Fun times! When I had a family of my own, we usually had a plan as where we were going but there was one time in particular when we packed up, got in the car with the boys and headed to the beach...no reservations, no certain destination. As it turn out, we found an adorable vintage motel right on the beach and had one of the best unplanned vacations!

2.  If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone?

I actually think I could spend a long time on the road and I would take mostly back roads. Our dogs are great little travelers and I would make sure the places that we stopped were pet-friendly, without a doubt. I always had a desire to travel out west to places I've never seen and if money were no object we'd rent an RV and just go for it! Just don't put me behind the steering wheel. 😉

3.  When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take?  Do you pack a picnic? Does the back seat turn into a nest?

If we are starting out in the wee hours (as we do often) Jim will need his coffee...but bottled water is usually our drink of choice for the most part. And we don't ever have to worry about driving too far without rest stops...between Jim's coffee and his diuretic medication, he pretty much stops at every rest area we come to. Me? I stay in the car mostly. I've been told I have a bladder of steel. 😄 As far as snacks go, I prefer mine to be healthy ones such as fruit, nuts or protein bars while Jim goes in for the candy bars and little packages of mini donuts. He occasionally sabotages my good snacking habits by bringing me a pack of Peanut M&Ms when we stop to get gas. Well, they are kinda healthy aren't they?? Some of my favorite road trip memories do include picnics along the way at picnic areas or rest stops. A cold meat sandwich and a bag of chips never tastes better! These days, the back seat is just filled with whatever won't fit in the back of my CR-V but back in the day when we were traveling with two boys (sometimes our two and other times our two grands), you couldn't even see that there was a back seat! 

4.  Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road.

I am sure through the years there have been many strange things that we have come upon but the first thing that came to mind was something we saw just about a year ago when we went to the Cass Railroad in West Virginia. As we rounded a corner of a road filled with many twists and turns, out of the ditch came a bunch of what looked like fuzzy little puppies...and they were standing right in the middle of the road...OH MY GOSH!!! Mommy was not with them...or so we thought. Jim stopped the car and just as I was about to get out, I caught a glimpse of Mommy, still in the ditch but she didn't look like any mama dog I'd ever seen. They were actually not puppies at all (well, they were...kinda) but a litter of adorable baby foxes...and Mommy looked as if she didn't much like me! Needless to say, I got back in the car and as soon as we saw they were safely off the road, we drove off. My only regret is not getting a picture. (And sneaking one of them home with me.)

5.  Who does the driving when you head out in the car?  Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead?  Not TMI... inquiring minds want to know!

Oh...this one's easy, especially since I already answered part of it a couple of questions back. First of all, there is never any argument about who will be driving...whether we are just heading out, somewhere in the middle or pulling back into our driveway, Jim would be the one behind the wheel. One time, years ago, I offered to drive part of a trip to Ohio so he could sleep....well....I vowed right then and there I would never offer to drive again. Between him not being able to get comfortable to sleep and worrying about every move I made, that was the first and the last time that happened. But that's okay...we have traveled many a mile together since then and it's all good. Rest areas are my husband's our facilities of choice...that is until we get to the next restaurant...or gas station...or whatever. I don't think there is an establishment that Jim has ever entered where he hasn't checked out the "decor" of the facilities.....get my drift???

6.  Please share something with us about your week so far.

Excitement is in the air as we get ready for our Tennessee bunch this weekend. We have a very special birthday to celebrate over the Memorial Day weekend....Aaron will be the big 4-OH! on Saturday! How can this be?? Many of you who have been following me for a while know some of the struggles he has had for many years with his alcoholism and there were many times throughout the past 20 years when we wondered if he would even make it to his 40th birthday. God, in all of His amazing grace and mercy has given him a brand new life for the past few years and we are just so very grateful! Some of you may have seen him on his souped up lawn tractors.

Here he is on his baby, "Plum Crazy", which he will be taking to a truck and tractor pull event in western NC, on Saturday, also his birthday. Last weekend, his youngest son, Dylan drove Plum Crazy in another competition...his first time EVER driving it...and he actually won FIRST PLACE out of 7 or 8 others! Way to go, Dylan!

So as we are speaking of road trips...we are about to embark on a fairly short one...only a couple of hours long. Aaron doesn't know that his whole family will be there to watch him do his "thing"...and to help him celebrate his BIG DAY! It's going to be a hot one too....mid 90s temperatures and lovely humidity combined with red dust flying everywhere...what's not to love?? The things we do for our loved ones....

Have a safe and wonderful weekend 

as we remember those who fought and died 
for our freedom!