On the Road and It Feels So Good

It seems I'm alway apologizing for not writing in a while. It's been eight months or so. But here we are... on the road for a bit.

TRAVEL INTERRUPTED

COVID-19 interrupted most of our travel plans. Adventure could be found - but that adventure had to be close to home for the most part, and was complicated by virus-avoidance protocols. All of that seems to be nearing an end and I'm sure you join us in being ready to put the corona virus ordeal behind us.

I posted a too-long-for-Facebook update late Friday night. It was just too late to log in and format a post and upload images. If you missed that Facebook update, here it is. If you read it on Facebook, scroll to the next section.

FROM FACEBOOK

We’re on the road again - and it feels so good! During COVID we’ve mostly enjoyed weekend excursions. Today we headed north toward beautiful East Tennessee. We served the great First Baptist Church of Morristown from 1996-2001. God blessed us with great friendships there and we can’t wait to worship in Morristown this weekend! Usually I post about our journeys at jonandannette.blogspot.com - and I will later - but it’s late and we have a long drive tomorrow, so this will do. That blog is titled The Road Less traveled. We found ourselves on ones of those “roads” tonight. Here’s how it went down:

We were supposed to leave on Saturday. Wanting to shorten the drive a bit, we decided to leave after work on Friday and drive just north of Jacksonville to Pecan Park RV Resort. After the obligatory stop at Buc-ee's in Daytona, we enjoyed a great drive. Until we turned 750 feet too soon into a flea market. You can’t back up when towing another vehicle - so in we went. Through a gate into a storage lot for RVs and other things. A u-turn in a dusty field got us headed back in the right direction. Thinking we were almost home free, and bearded motorcycle-rider-looking guy waved us down to inform us we couldn’t get out to the main road the way we were going. So 31,000 pounds of us went off road to turn around. Because we can’t back up. So we experienced a new kind of a road less traveled. Made it, though. We’re parked, ready to rest. And then we’ll drive.

OUR SATURDAY DRIVE

So that post took us to late Friday night. Saturday was a new day.

First, I wanted Annette to be able to sleep in. She works hard and she's had very few sleep in days in recent months. Our only goal was to get to Gatlinburg before dark while enjoying time together. We had "no cook" breakfast food on board and a new Keurig to get her morning started. I added some water to the fresh water tank, unhooked the 50-amp electrical service, and we were on our way. Here are some observations from the day:

(1) Saturday was a five-state day. We started in Florida, of course, then made our way through parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.

(2) It's a holiday weekend. I expected to see speed traps everywhere. It doesn't matter, as we drive 62 or 63 miles an hour - but I thought it was interesting that law enforcement was not supervising holiday drivers more closely.

(3) Annette and I both grew up in south Louisiana. We learned to drive on poor quality roads. I've ridden a motorcycle in all 48 contiguous states and a lot of Canada (and I'm proud of that). I thought Louisiana owned the worst roads of all. After the roads we encountered in South Carolina and North Carolina, I'm not sure. Man, oh man! The right-lane road surfaces were awful in places.

(4) We drove past exits to places that made me think of a number of people who are dear to us. I thought of Jeremy Davis and The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra. I remembered our connection with Jeremy. And I prayed for him. When we saw exits for Columbia, South Carolina I thought of Dino Senesi and gave thanks for the profound impact he has had on our lives and ministry. We drove past an exit to Greer, South Carolina and I thought of and prayed for our friends Cliff and Sherry Marshall. We continued past Hendersonville and I prayed for Joan Peterson, a member of our ministry team for a season. And then I said, "Hey - Shelby, North Carolina" and prayed for Pastor Doug Hankins, who has begun a new ministry assignment there. So many seasons of life and ministry... so many relationships... so much to be thankful for.

(5) We found ourselves on roads that would have been so much fun on our Harley-Davidson (sold) or our Corvette (safe at home in the garage). Traversing these roads in our coach towing a truck was not as much fun. The last few miles on Highway 321 between the interstate and our campground was particularly interesting. But we made it!

(6) We paid the most we've ever paid for fuel on this trip. I'll not engage in politics here - but our last fuel stop would have cost $222.22 if we were not a part of a discounted fuel program with TSD Logistics. Yikes!

GATLINBURG EAST / SMOKY MOUNTAIN KOA

We like our little campground. It's small. This is good. There are mature trees all around, so we feel like we're in the forest. (Actually, I guess we are.) We were able to snag a pull through site, which makes our arrival easy. We don't have to unhook the truck until we're ready. There are a lot of families around, a lot of campfires, and it feels like, well, we're camping. We like this.

We're 30 minutes from the heart of Gatlinburg, so we're out of the craziness and congestion when it's time to rest. The drive into Gatlinburg is really nice. Yes, we like it here.

CHURCH TODAY

We loved our time of worship at First Baptist Church Morristown! The church is 50 minutes away from our campground - so there was no sleeping in today. The choir sings at the 8:30 service, so that the service we wanted to attend. We developed so many close friendships during our time of ministry in Morristown, and many of those friends are in the choir and orchestra. We got to sit with some of our best friends and my former assistant, Mitzi Asher, provided an unexpected blessing as she sang a solo. Lunch at Aubrey's in Morristown with Gerald, Donna, Casey, Avery and Sydney Wolfe was another highlight of the day. We love those folks and are so thankful for their friendship!

Worship at First Baptist Morristown.
So great to see friends leading in worship!

So much fun to get to visit with Pastor Dean
Haun and the Wolfe family,

Wonderful lunch with the Wolfes at
Aubreys in Morristown.

DINNER AT THE PEDDLAR

Living an hour away from Gatlinburg while serving in Morristown, we visited often. The Peddlar was always one of our favorite places to dine, so we'd take a trip down memory lane there Sunday evening. Dinner did not disappoint. We scored a table next to the river or creek or whatever it is - and the time together for us was priceless.

This dinner was kind of nostalgic for me. We used to visit The Peddlar with my parents. My dad loved this place. He loved the salad bar. He loved the peddler coming by to allow patrons to select their cut of beef and he loved choosing the size of his steak while watching the Peddlar trim the beef. I miss him a lot.

END OF THE DAY

We're relaxing in the coach tonight. Annette was reading while I watched NASCAR - but I'm pretty sure she's snoozing. Surprise Great Smoky Mountain bears occupy the front seats as we wait for Lorelai and Daisy (with Lindsey and Bryan, of course) to arrive. Tomorrow we shall play. And make memories. Together.

DAY 4: She's Here - and Snow!

DAY 4: Albuquerque, NM to Moab, UT
DISTANCE: 430 miles

The most important happening on Day 4 was Annette arrived safely in Moab. She was supposed to meet us in Albuquerque at the end of Day 3. A storm in Orlando caused a flight delay which in turn caused her to miss a connection in Dallas. Dear friends picked her up at the airport in Dallas and hosted her for the evening so she should change carriers and destinations and arrive in Moab just an hour or so before we arrived. Thanks, John, Beckie, and Ashley! Now, we're together for the adventures to come.

Speaking of adventure, we drove some 1850 miles to get here. With the exception of a few fun stops in New Orleans and on Route 66, the first days were all about getting here... out west... where the real fun would begin. The real fun began indeed one Day 4.

We left the hotel and began our drive to Moab by experiencing The Million Dollar Highway between Durango, CO and Ouray, CO. From Durango, through Silvertonn and Ouray to Ridgeway, the highway delvers jaw-dropping vista after vista. It was cut from the side of a mountain and became known as The Million Dollar Highway. Some say the name has to do with the cost of construction. Others say it has to do with the value of gold ore than remains. Whichever is true, driving this road is a million-dollar experience. It's one of the most scenic drives in the United States. Part of the San Juan Scenic Byway, the road climbs to three spectacular mountain passes and an elevation of more than 11,000 feet.

I expected this ride to be a great driving experience. I expected this to be the road that allowed me to really test the limits of the C6 Corvette. I've ridden the rode twice on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and knew what it felt like to lean into the curves, switchbacks, and rapid elevation changes. The Corvette doesn't lean, making the experience completely different. I expected to learn about the car. What we did NOT expect was SNOW. Yikes! A LOT of snow. This eliminated the "learn about the car" part of the drive, but for Florida boys and girls, proved to be a delightful experience. The road was wet but not icy, so we motored on.

After lunch in Silverton, we pushed on toward Moab and our meeting with Annette and found dry road that allowed us to really drive. Beyond the actual Million Dollar Highway, we continued on much of the San Juan, and this offered a lot of driving excitement.

We arrived in Moab with cars that were filthy. A quick pre-dinner run to a car wash took care of some of this problem. Dinner at Sunset Grill was a wonderful dining and scenic experience. We headed to the hotel for a good night of rest.

Day 5 will mark our visit to the first of the national parks that are our real destinations on this adventure. It's time to go meet our friends for breakfast. I'll put the rest of pics - and more - in order and add captions later. For now... It's time to drive!

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

DAY 3: Decatur, TX to Albuquerque, NM
DISTANCE: 614 miles

I'm already tracking a day behind on updates - but I'm going to try to catch up with a brief update now.

After a good night of sleep in Decatur, we came out to load the cars and saw heavy cloud cover and misting rain. A glance at the radar showed we'd be driving in rain for a while. We had no idea how long "a while" would be. We ended up driving in rain pretty much the entire day.

The biggest surprise, though, was the temperature: The longer we drove, the colder it got. I started the day in shorts and a T-shirt. We watched with dismay as the temperature dropped from the 80s into the 70s, and continued to drop until we found ourselves driving with temperatures in the 30s. Yikes! A gusty wind made this unexpected weather even more uncomfortable when we stopped for fuel and lunch. I'm a Louisiana / Florida boy. I don't like cold. And I didn't pack appropriately for this. But we'll drive on.

To break up the drive, we planned some stops along historic Route 66. Dubbed The Mother Road, this thoroughfare used to take travelers from Chicago to the west coast. Much of the road has been replaced by new highways and even interstate, but some parts of the road have been preserved. Rain put a damper on our visits to some of the sights, but we were not to be deterred from at least some of the historic sights.

Lunch was great. We stopped at a place call the Big Texan Steak Ranch. I guess it used to be located on Route 66. Located just off I-40 now, it's a popular destination for travelers. We enjoyed our visit and found the lesson on mountain oysters fascinating. We did not partake of this western delicacy.

Somewhere along the way west on I-40, my day turned took on a tone of sadness. Annette called to let me know her flight was delayed, then delayed again due to weather in Orlando. The second delay meant she would miss her connection with the last flight of the day to Albuquerque. After a lot of searching for flights and working solutions, she ended up flying to Dallas. With no flights available that would get her here early enough to meet us before we needed to drive, we decided she would fly to Moab, Utah and meet us there. Our reunion is delayed by about 18 hours. Papa was sad.

On a good note, I was able to call friends in Dallas who agreed to pick Annette up at the airport and take her home so she wouldn't have to spend a night alone in a hotel. I know she's enjoying a wonderful visit with the Moody family. She'll try to travel again today.

Dinner at Munroe's offered us a taste of New Mexican food. Once again, the reviews were right on target, and the food was quite good.

We're off soon to ride the Million Dollar Highway on the San Juan Scenic Byway today and then make our way in to Utah, where we'll start our tour of national parks.

It's 44 degrees outside. Feels like 37. And we drive on.

On the Road Again... Again

It's been a while. I'm back for a season, because we're back on the road, enjoying yet another adventure.

If you're new to The Road Less Traveled at www.jonandannette.blogspot.com, let me catch you up: Our road trekking adventures began in 2012 when I called a friend and said, "How would you feel about riding all 48 states in three summers?" He immediately jumped on board. We accomplished all of that - and we just kept riding. Every summer since 2012 - this is summer number 9 - we've set out on a grand adventure of some sort. All of those epic adventures were on motorcycles.

If you've read the last several posts, you know we sold the bike and purchased an RV, desiring to travel not just with the best of friends but with our growing family of 10. That's been done. We're waiting to travel crazy long distances until the littles get older - but we travel a lot to Nashville, New Orleans, the beach, Savannah, and Disney's Fort Wilderness. The RV acquisition has proven to be a great thing. Just this week, our kids did their first solo (without Papa and Jamma) trip, and their adventure was a success. Oh, how we long for the spirit of adventure that is so much a part of us to continue in our kids and grands!

Some time after beginning the RVing adventures, I said to my bride, "The RV purchase was right, but it just doesn't go fast enough." In truth, part of my thought process was that the RV is all about family. The motorcycle afforded us an opportunity to adventure with our closest friends - and I desired a vehicle for continuing the adventures with those guys. A "vehicle" can be defined as a thing used for transporting people or goods, such as a motorcycle or recreational vehicle - or it can be defined as a thing used to express, embody, or fulfill something. For 11 years, the motorcycle was often our "vehicle" for deepening meaningful relationships with friends. I longed for another friend vehicle. And so another new season began.

On January 20, 2020 we purchased an old sports car. I haven't made a big deal about it because, well, I know some will think it extravagant and some will think a pastor shouldn't drive such a car... and that's okay. For me, the car was an investment in adventuring and friendship. Some have never understood my passion for Jesus and our commitment to serve Him and His Kingdom. That's okay. Some have never understood the priority we have placed on our children. That's okay. Some will never understand our desire for adventure and this crazy desire to go far and fast. That's okay, too. We inquire of the Lord. We embark on journeys with family and friends. And our lives are richer because of it. So we're on the road again.

On Monday, September 7 - Labor Day - I departed Orlando with four dear friends. Annette joins us tonight in Albuquerque. (I have to look up how to spell that word every time I type it. Sigh...) Here are some things of interest about this trip:

• These friends were supposed to embark on this trip in May. We weren't going to be able to adventure with them because of prior travel plans for my birthday. COVID-19 caused them to postpone, and this opened the door for us to join the fun.
• My New Orleans band of brothers were supposed to enjoy a great northwest adventure and, for various reasons, had to cancel that adventure entirely. We invited them to join us on this "ride", but they just weren't able to make it happen. I miss them a lot.

Our friend Tami put the "bones" of this trip together. She found dates that worked, determined the trip duration that worked for them, routed the trip, and booked hotels. When we determined that Annette and I would be able to be a part of the 2020 experience, I went to work putting "meat" on those bones... routing the trip in Garmin's BaseCamp, finding adventures within the adventure along the way, planning meals... those things I've done for the last bunch of adventures. After all of the planning, we're on the road. Again.

DAY 1: Orlando, FL to New Orleans, LA

DISTANCE: 633 miles

Our first day's adventure felt good. Driving a sports car on one of these epic adventures was an all-new thing. While it was blazing hot outside, we drove in air-conditioned comfort. We're still using the Cardo PackTalk communicators we've used for these "rides", so the banter is fun and keeps us alert as we drive. The communicators are designed for motorcycle riding. Being inside cars with windshields between us limits range - but as long as we don't get too far apart - we're good to chat.

Lunch in Crestview, Florida was great! Our meals are researched ahead of time. We don't eat fast food and we only frequent local non-franchised establishments. Hub City Smokehouse and Grill was everything TripAdvisor and Yelp said it would be. The first 395 miles of the journey couldn't have been better. The same could not be said for the after-lunch experience.

Waze warned us of Labor Day holiday traffic as we approached Mobile, Alabama, and we found ourselves pretty much in bumper-to-bumper traffic until we approached Slidell, Louisiana. No kidding. We lost two hours in traffic. We missed our dinner reservation and had to scramble to find a restaurant open in the French Quarter. But we laughed through it all, enjoyed a pretty okay New Orleans cuisine experience and then walked through the Quarter and along the mighty Mississippi River.

I want to be careful about the next observations. I know little about the political environment in New Orleans these days. Annette and I moved away from the Crescent City in 1993. While we visit as often as we can, we don't keep up with much local news. I will only say that our arrival at our downtown hotel just outside the French Quarter was unsettling and embarrassing for this adventurer who calls The Big Easy home. I paid $44 to park our car in a place I hoped would be safe. I texted my buddies and there and asked, "What has happened to our city?" It's so sad. The normally bustling Vieux Carre was practically abandoned. The smattering of people present walked past boarded-up places of business.

Our planned visit to Cafe Du Monde for beignets was postponed to the next morning because this New Orleans establishment closed at 8 PM. Wow... an 8 PM closure in a city that used to never sleep. I apologized to my friends for the unexpected New Orleans experience and determined Tuesday would better. I've committed to pray for our home town. She has so much character... so much history... and her people love life. She rose from the ashes after the storm of Katrina. With proper leadership, she can survive COVID-19 and all else that troubles her. Rise from the ashes, Crescent City. In Jesus name, amen.

DAY 2: New Orleans, LA to Duluth, TX

DISTANCE: 593 miles

We have our destinations in mind. Those destinations are all a long way from home. We want to minimize our days away and maximize our days at those places of choice, so we drive long, hard days to get there. Tuesday was no exception. While we drove just under 600 miles, we made our way through the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex in rush-hour traffic. That's not the kind of adventure we enjoy. First, though...

We started our day with breakfast at Cafe Du Monde, introducing our friends to beignets. The beignets were wonderful, of course. Perhaps even better was the trio comprised of a trombonist, and tuba player, and a drummer. Their rendition of Amazing Grace was offered in a style that can only be found in New Orleans.

Breakfast was followed by a leisurely drive through uptown New Orleans before returning to the interstate for a while. I completed my undergraduate degree at Loyola University, located in this part of the city, so I have many fond memories of my time spent here.

I routed us through central Louisiana, where we enjoyed a very good country-cooking lunch at Pamela's Bayou in a Bowl in Alexandria. Then it was back to I-49 to I-20 to Dallas. We survived the Dallas rush-hour adventure and set our sights on Decatur, Texas. After a quick stop at our hotel, we grabbed a late dinner at Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes. While at dinner, I sent a message to a friend. He replied, "There is a place in Decatur called Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes. Good stuff." Good stuff, indeed. And then it was off to do a little bit of work before bed.

It's Day 3. I'm up early, writing in the Guest Laundry "suite", because this is what we do when on the road. The sports car just might have less room for packing than we had on our Harley-Davidson. So you pack light and wash often. We're headed to New Mexico today. More importantly, I'm headed to meet my girl... my best friend... my partner in life, ministry, and adventure. I'll see you tonight, baby - and then we'll be on the road again... again... together.

Hub City Smokehouse and Grill 

New Orleans' Saint Louis Cathedral

The mighty Mississippi River

The menu at Pamela's Bayou in a Bowl

This was fine home cooking.

Hello, Texas.

My first visit to a Buc-ees.

Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes was a win.

A city devoid of life made us sad...

... but we found joy in being reminded of God's Amazing Grace.