Day 12 - Huntsville, AL - Conway, AR

We had a great stay at our Huntsville hotel, just across the interstate from the U.S. Space Center and Space Camp.  After getting up and going in record time for us (we were on vacation time remember) we drove around the Space Center.  Franklin will be at camp here in November, so he feels like he has a leg up on his classmates now!  Following that, we made a stop at the local REI as I needed/wanted a few items, grabbed some donuts (again...vacation), and headed back east to Scottsboro.

Everyone found at least a little something back at the Unclaimed Baggage Center and we considered it a success returning.  After a quick bite to eat, we were headed back west and beginning our final leg home.  We did make a very brief stop at Toyota Field in Madison, AL (really just a suburb of Huntsville) to see the home of the Trash Pandas baseball team.  Jason and Franklin had hoped to be able to get some photos of the stadium itself up close, but an afternoon game was just beginning so we weren't able to get up to the field.

The remainder of the day was spent cruising home.  I drove from Scottsboro to Memphis where we picked up some Commissary BBQ and Huey's for dinner (very yummy!).  Jason took the reins the rest of the way home and we arrived at about 10:30 pm.  My own bed and shower were quite lovely for sure.  And we even brought some cooler weather and storms to our friends in Arkansas today.

It was a fantastic trip, even with the COVID modifications we had to make.  And we were so grateful to have done it in Vansen!  Here's to more road trips to come!

Day 1 - Conway, AR - Florence, AL

After nearly two years since our last road trip, we headed back out on the road!  And let's face it, given the COVID numbers in Arkansas right now, nearly any place is better than there at the moment.

We pulled out of Conway in a new acquisition:  a 2001 Chevy Express van.  The kiddos have gotten too big for us all to fit comfortably in the Durango, so we upgraded to Vansen!

We grabbed a bite to eat on the way out of Conway and we were soon headed east on I-40.  Unfortunately for our first day on the road, the wind was blowing heavily out of the northeast, meaning we were quite like a giant sail.  Add in the traffic on the interstate approaching Memphis (remember, one of the bridges is out), and poor Jason was white-knuckling it for a while.

After looping around Memphis, we headed into northern Mississippi and I took over the wheel.  Just outside Corinth a good line of storms fired up and again, we were at the whim of the wind.  Once in Corinth, we made a turn north and saw our first brown sign for Shiloh National Battlefield.

Crossing back into Tennessee, we arrived at Shiloh after the visitor center and bookshop closed, but we were able to grab some maps and do our own little tour.  Over two days in April 1862, over 23,000 died (more than all American wars combine up to that point) as the Union and Confederacy clashed at this outpost on the Tennessee River.  There were not many visitors today and I was especially struck by the stillness as we exited the van and walked around.  The National Cemetery is situated near the Visitor Center atop a hill overlooking the river.

Another line of rain started to move through so we loaded up and headed towards Florence, Alabama, with a stop in Savannah, TN for dinner.  We had the best chicken sandwich at Jack's (the old Jack in the Box).  With COVID, we aren't eating inside so we enjoyed in the parking lot inside Vansen.  A short time later we arrived at our hotel in Florence.  Tomorrow we head further east as we make our way to South Carolina.

Day 1 - Conway, AR - Sacramento, CA

Over the summer, I was feeling the call/drive/motivation for a road trip and was fortunate enough that my good friend and travel buddy, Carolyn Scott, was up to accompany me.  We most recently (in April 2018) did a trip in the Pacific Northwest.  This time, we're back on the West Coast, but a little further south:  Northern California and Southern Oregon.

We had an uneventful flight this morning from Little Rock to Las Vegas.  Clouds obscured much of our view until Arizona, but I was happy to be able to see the Grand Canyon from 38,000 feet.  Unfortunately we flew directly over Hoover Dam, so no spotting of that on this trip.  Our approach into Las Vegas was interesting as it was to the southwest so the Strip buildings were literally zooming by right outside the window.

After a short 30 minute layover, we were on our next plane and off to Sacramento.  Soon Lake Tahoe was passing the right side of the plane and we turned into our approach.  After landing and on the way to the baggage claim area, we took note of how nice, airy, and beautiful the Sacramento airport was.  Other airports should study it.

We grabbed our rental car and made our way to our hotel.  After unpacking and having a small rest, we headed to Old Sacramento which is a historic waterfront area downtown.  With 53 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value condensed into its 28 acres than most areas of similar size in the West.  A boardwalk sidewalk sits above the former streets which flooded in the 1850s.

The two hour time difference caused us to be really hungry by 5:00 so we snuck into Fat City Bar & Cafe where we had a terrific dinner surrounded by Tiffany-style lamps overhead.  A block away from Fat City, there's a nice path along the Sacramento River from where we saw the Ziggurat Building in West Sacramento.  Nearby was also the Tower Bridge, a vertical lift bridge that is on the National Register.  Recently, it was part of controversy as the city voters selected the paint color, gold.  Many of said the final result didn't accurately represent the gold color they chose.

Following our brief after-dinner walk, we got back to our car and did a driving tour of Sacramento.  We passed the State Capitol building, made our way through Midtown, and then ended up enjoying driving up and down the roads of East Sacramento where amazing homes have been preserved and improved.  This "Fabulous Forties" area includes Tudor, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts, California Bungalow, and Craftsman homes with broad streets and overhanging trees.  It was a real treat to see these beauties.

That's it for today.  We start driving tomorrow as we head to Sutter's Mill and then through the Stanislaus Forest up to Lake Tahoe!