The Road Goes On Forever

 Omaha, NE to Beaufort, SC - Home These last days I'd decided not to write. And not because I didn't want to, but because I felt I didn't have much to say. For those few days, all we really did was drive...  Three days ago, somewhere along I-90 headed East through South Dakota, we discussed making it to Dodge City, KS, or pushing on through to Louisville, KY to visit family there, but frankly, I was gassed. More than that, I was really missing home. With fatigue taking a far greater toll this time around, the Three Amigos made the collective decision to push on and return a day early. Though now that we're here, arriving safely last evening, I woke up this morning questioning so much. When Conor and I drove the country for nearly four weeks in the Summer of 2022, every day was an adventure. A new destination, a new conversation, a new connection - both to region and to one another. It was exciting and unplanned, either camping along the way or grabbing a hotel room in w...

 Cody, WY to Custer National Park / Crazy Horse, SD When planning an epic road trip across the country in a rented RV, one tends to want to over-think. Or at the very least, attempt to consider for all eventualities, even though that's a near impossibility because, if you've ever been on a road trip you already know that things can change as you make your way. Such is the case for where we are today. Waking up in Custer, South Dakota the very first thing I feel is tired. Tired from the road, the long legs of driving, getting to the campground, parking, hooking up all the facilities, unloading the RV, expanding the RV, configuring camp, and then figuring out what we're going to do for dinner. It's a lot.  Now, in no way is this a complaint. I signed up for it, I knew I'd be doing all the driving and the lion's share of the work, as well as considerations for where we stay and the all reasons why. Sites, attractions, opportunities to see wildlife and explore and h...

Day 8 - I'll Never Leave Montana, Brother Glacier National Park - Going to the Sun Road The day began lazily as a cold, Northern rain fell steadily on the RV. In fact, the forecast for the day would hold temperatures no warmer than 56 degrees with periods of rain throughout, but there would be no dampening our spirits. We were set to explore Blackfeet Nation, Glacier National Park, and the famed Going to the Sun Road that would see us driving high up on Hope Mountain for a long hike, weather or no weather. We waited for the heavy stuff to pass before venturing outside to determine how to dress and what to bring, ready to spend hours away from the RV, though on this day we would be leaving K9 and Moultrie behind. Seems K9's hike through the Grand Tetons was enough for his 82 year old legs, and I certainly didn't blame him.  What I figured would be a problem to compromise as to where we could make our hikes and explore the splendor of these mountains along the Canadian border...

 Bozeman, MT to Glacier, MT Breaking camp in the morning was made easier simply by the fact that I had more hands to chip in. Many hands makes light work and all that, right? Well, with each member of our rolling rabble assigned a job, even six-year-old Charlie, we were packed, loaded, unhooked, and stowed in no time and headed out on the road to continue our journey North. But not before breakfast, of course. As we pulled out of the campground and began making our way toward the highway, we noted a sign... "Montana Wheat Cafe - Best Breakfast in Montana!" Intrigued, we pulled in and parked the RV alongside several other trailer campers, RVs, and fifth-wheels, figuring now this was a must stop for our traveling ilk - those being the campers and road-warriors. Walking into the establishment we noted they either had excellent advertising or the breakfast was as advertised because the place was absolutely packed. Though crisis struck when Charlie realized that they didn't ha...

 Alpine, WY to Bozeman, MT Shoving off out of Wyoming for points North, the Three Amigos were excited for this segment of the trip, because on this day we'd be joined by two very special guests, my girlfriend, Susan, and her daughter, Charlie. Susan and I have been dating long distance for some time. She in East Long Island, NY, and me in Beaufort, SC, we were introduced through a mutual friend in my old neighborhood in Charleston, SC. Susan too is a widow having lost her husband suddenly in the early Spring of 2021. Charlie was two years old. Being widowed with young children and dating long distance, seeing one another once a month or so, presents a series of challenges, certainly. The lack of consistency being the most present, I think. But it also allows for some grace, too.  Over time and with trips to New York and they to Beaufort, the kids have had the opportunity to slowly acclimate to one another and of course, to each of us. Conor and Charlie have a great relationshi...

 Alpine, WY to Jackson, WY and the Grand Tetons Today marks the first day of the trip where we didn't have a place to be. There were places we wanted to be! But we didn't have to grind out another long leg of driving... Until today we've averaged nine hours per to get to this point. But today? Leisure. At long last... White line fever is a real thing. Driving what feels like countless hours down long highways through the vastness of this amazing country will wear you down. It's not a complaint! Just a fact...The constant need for attention to the road and its surroundings can leave you exhausted by day's end, and even then, before closing your eyes for the night there's a persistent hum living in your head that you cannot shake until falling deeply to sleep. At least that's my experience, and save for long-haul truckers I'm confident I drive more, and farther, than most people. At least these days. Driving for me represents a sort of therapy. An opportun...