Trip #4. Day 4.

Day 4- Monday 18, 2011
Miles: 619
Weather: sunny and warm
Lowest Gas Price: 3.77 (Glenwood Springs, Co)

We check out of the motel after a great nights sleep around 9am and hit the road. The landscape from the Colorado area, through the mountains and plateaus of Utah are gorgeous. My eyes can barely believe the beauty around me, can this really be in America? The colors of the mountains glow with specs of red, yellow, orange and brown. We stop at many lookout points and learn quick facts about what we see. The oldest sediment of the mountains are actually the smaller ones, while the larger mountains are the youngest. For hours all we see is pure beauty. The roads are quite, no traffic at all.  This is such a change from everyday life, it's nice to take a step back and see the things that surround us in our own backyard.

We (finally) roll into Vegas about 8pm Mountain time. The lights from the city are absolutely breathtaking, I love the view from the distance. After fighting a little bit of traffic we hit our hotel, Bills Gambling Hall. It is right next to the Flamingo, in the heart of the strip. We check in and dart straight to our room. It was clean, bigger than expected and had a view of the Bellagio fountains right from our window! Once we got changed and settled in we hit the strip. First stop, the casino bar to catch the final minutes of the Bulls game. I enjoy the sights of my new boyfriend, Joakim Noah. *sigh* After a few margaritas, the Bulls put up some last minute shots and beat the Pacers. Bellagio, here we come.

We waited about ten minutes for the first show, Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman. I freaking love this song and am so glad to hear it. There is nothing more romantic than the sight of the illuminated water dancing so in sync to an absolutely stunning song. We decide to wait another 15 to see the next show. While waiting we spot some local police taking pictures in front of their cop car. They had a camera crew with them, so I figure they were either with Vegas Jail or Cops. They seemed to enjoy the attention. The second show begins, blasting some Luck be a Lady from Mr. Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra.

After the show we wander around the strip, taking in the glory that is Vegas. The lights, the sounds, the smell of Cigars, the hookers, the cards for hookers at every corner. Ahhhh....Vegas, you rule. We dart in and out of casinos, grabbing drinks and throwing a dollar or two in the machines. Thankfully, neither of us are gamblers. We hit Hooters for some midnight $.25 wings, they hit the spot! After a short hike back to our hotel room, we hit the pillows about 2am. Goodnight, Vegas!

Trip #4. Day 3.

Day 3- Sunday 16, 2011

Miles: 264
Weather: Mother Nature was bipolar
Lowest Gas Price: 3.59 (outskirts of Denver)

Well good morning, hangover. My eyes peel open about 7am with my stomach absolutely rolling. Too much tequila, blasted! Danielle and the kids soon wake up and we start the morning with talks of stuffed animals, puppies and breakfast. I chug down an ice cold glass of milk, which seemed to calm the belly a little bit. We chow down some homemade biscuits and gravy, while trying not to laugh at the faceoff between Donovan and his plate of food. After breakfast we throw together ourselves, say our goodbyes and hit the road for Denver.

We land at Coors Field about 11:30am, jump in line to receive our free bobbleheads and scope out all the Cubs fans. Shockingly there was a lot of Cubby blue at the stadium. Once the gates open we walk around the park and take in all the sights. Coors Field definitely has a killer setup. From one side(where

our seats were) you could see the mountains in full form. Our tickets were for the club level, and let me tell you I felt like V.I.P. It had a private entrance, chefs carving gourmet ham, and glass enclosed hallways. It was totally baller status. As for the weather, it was sunny and warm. Perfect ball game weather! I did get a bit of a suntan too(score!)

The game starts VERY rough for the Cubbies, putting out 4 in the first inning to the Rockies. Now for those of you whom know me well, I am a die hard Yankees fan. Being that I purchased the tickets as a Christmas present for the lovely boyfriend, I had to play Cubs fan for a day. Don't worry, I'll convert him sooner or later. For this 4 hour game, I was so stressed out being a Cubs fan. I vow to never do it again. They were losing, winning, losing again, badly. Very badly, 4 more runs in the 8th inning. Very disappointed,

but all in all it was a lot of fun. I live for baseball games in the summer, so this is a great way to start the season.

Once the game is over we hop back on the highway and head West. A quick stop at Lookout Mountain, the final resting place of Buffalo Bill. Reading the back story before the trip, i learned that there was actually some conspiracy over his final burial site. If you get a chance read up on the man, he's quite interesting. Coming down from the mountain we run across a herd of deer. I think they were deer, they were bigger than Indiana deer but smaller than what an elk would be. it amazed me they were just hanging out next to the road, like it was no big deal.

A couple hours down the road, we hit some serious mountain action. I sit in the passengers seat freaking out at all the caution signs posted; falling rock,live animals, steep grade, icy road conditions, etc. Jerry confirms that he is a good driver and to calm my happy ass down. By the time we hit the Eisenhower Tunnel, it is white out conditions. The speed limit drops from 60 to 35 in sections with state cops every few miles. Either this is completely normal or they were expecting a bad storm today. Either way, it was definitely an experience. Once we get out of the storm we decide to find some food and a bed. We pull over in Glenwood Springs, Co. A bite to eat at another Village Inn and find a motel a few minutes from the downtown area. This town is full of the upper class attractions, skiing and shopping.  You can tell it's a big summertime hot spot. We check into the Frontier Motel for only $55 and head for our room.  This place was the Taj Mahal of cheap motels, the bathroom was completely renovated and clean, the bed was clean
with fresh bedding and it didn't even smell sketchy :) Definitely a winner among same priced budget motels. I would love to come back and stay again! About 11pm we fall into dreamland, Vegas here we come!

countdown.

t-minus 26 hours && 45 minutes until vacation officially starts! 

my bags are packed, i've checked my to-do list about 32 times and the yaris is all tuned up...i can't wait to hit the open road :) :) :)

4600 miles in 17 days...lets hope we make it back in one piece!

I'm starting to hate you, Chicago.

So the ol' man and I have been to Chicago at least a handful of times in the last month. (If you go, House of Sushi and Noodles on Belmont Street has the best EVER all-you-can-eat sushi, a must try!) If you remember, it is on the Johnny list.  But to much avail we have yet to find a dang City of Chicago sign.  Blasted!  Hopefully when the weather warms up we can get outside of the car and wander.  Until then, I'm not your friend Chicago.  Does anyone know where we can find one? 

Now that I've done my venting, I must take a brief moment to gush about our upcoming trip.  All hotel/motel reservations have been made.  We got the very last wigwam in Holbrook, AZ...this makes me very happy because I would have definitly thrown a massive hissy fit if they were sold out!  I've started picking up little odds & ends at Walmart and the dollar store, I've stocked up on aspirin for when me and J get sick of each other in the blue bubble :)  It's only 36 more days and I'm super stoked!

The countdown.

Well hello there 2011, I'm glad to see you!  As the new year starts, I've gone to town on my calendar tallying days down.  The official count as of today is 64 days til vacation!  Woo-freakin-hoo!  I've been scouring the web for hot spots, motels, roadside attractions and just about anything cool.  Being the stupendous girlfriend I am, the boy received Cubs vs. Rockies tickets to start our trip in Denver.  I'm pretty stoked about that for two reasons 1: to see the cubs lose and 2: I'm a sucker for a good beer, hot dog and ball game.  So now I must start the search for an awesome Rockies shirt to root for the hometown boys.  Anyways, I've been over planning(like I always do) the trip and this is the estimated plan:

Friday, April 15:           Hobart, IN- Omaha, NE
Saturday, April 16:       Omaha, NE- Denver, CO: Stay with cousin Danielle(thank you!)
Sunday, April 17:          Denver, CO- Green River, UT: Robbers Roost Motel
Monday, April 18:        Green River, UT- Las Vegas, NV: Bills Gamblin Hall
Tuesday, April 19:        Partyyyy in Vegas :)
Wednesday, April 20:   Still partyyyy in Vegas
Thursday, April 21:       Las Vegas, NV- San Diego, CA: The Dolphin Motel
Friday, April 22:           R&R in San Diego, CA
Saturday, April 23:       More R&R in San Diego, CA
Sunday, April 24:         San Diego, Ca- Barstow, CA (start of Route 66 journey): Route 66 Motel
Monday, April 25:       Barstow, Ca-Holbrook, AZ : Wigwam Motel
Tuesday, April 26:       Holbrook, AZ- Williams, AZ: The Canyon Motel(see Grand Canyon!)
Wednesday, April 27: Williams, AZ- Albuquerque, NM: Sandia Peak Inn Motel
Thursday, April 28:      Albuquerque, NM- Amarillo, TX: The Big Texan Motel
Friday, April 29:          Amarillo, TX- Tulsa, OK: Desert Hills Motel
Saturday, April 30:      Tulsa, OK- St. Louis, MO: Stay with Aunt Judy (thank you!)
Sunday, April 31:         St. Louis, MO- Hobart, IN (HOME SWEET HOME!)

Wheeewwww!  I can't wait!  Can you tell?

So does anyone have recommendations for places to see/visit/do enroute?  I'd love to hear your suggestions!

That time of the year...

Well my dear blogspot friends, we are well into the "my head is spinning from too much to do" holidays.  It is only 4, yes count them 4, days from Christmas.  My eardrums cannot wait for the holiday to be gone and over, as they are about to start bleeding the tunes of Christmas music.  My wallet also cannot wait to rejoice in joy over the lack of monetary funds conducive to the holidays.  Regardless, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with friends, family, love, laughter and fattening food.  This will be my first year cooking, I hope the Chinese take-out down the street will be open.  The menu will include ham with cider glaze, green bean casserole, baked sweet potatoes, apple and cranberry stuffing and a couple bottles of wine.  Everyone wish me luck, I'm not quite the domesticated diva in the kitchen! 

2010 has been a pretty gracious year to me...falling out of love, falling in love, starting to really find myself, having nowhere to go to having everything I always wanted.  Well this will be my last blog of 2010, so everyone please have a safe and fun Christmas and New Years!  I'll catch ya'll next year :)

Countdown to mother of all road trips: 114 days (woot! woot!)


p.s. Dear Santa, I still really want that Airstream trailer to travel the world.  I promise I'll be a good girl next year(or at least try!)

Trip #3- Day 3.

Oh home, how I've missed you.  This is the only thing I could think of when I awoke with every single muscle in my body aching.  This bed was pure torture on me.  Once again I grumble to myself as I get out of bed and get dressed. 

We pack up the Yaris for the last time this weekend and check out.  I beg my darling boyfriend to go back to Traders World.  I know, I should of had enough the first day.  But I really wanted to get some extensions for my hair.  I'm so sick of it being drab.  So we pick up some brown lucious locks for my scalp and hit the road.  We are so exhilerated to leave the state of Ohio and cross back into Indiana, we actually may have given Ohio the middle finger.  Sorry to all the cool cities that I'm sure exist somewhere, but Dayton gives you a bad name. 

We go off route a bit to check out Philadelphia, Indiana.  I found it on my handy dandy atlas Friday night when I was checking out the route and could NOT pass it up.  It is a tiny po-dunk town just past Greensburg.  We found a beat down motel for sale and I vow to go back and build it up to it's former glory.  Jerry suggests we name it "It's always sunny."  Bonus points if you understand that.  Once back on the highway we come across a candle outlet/Ford museum.  The museum was filled with old Model-Ts, everything from a fire truck, ambulence, farming truck, snow plow, race car and camper.  It was a pretty cool gig for $2 to break up the drive home.  We pulled in the driveway about 7pm...I walked in the house, put my stuff away and relaxed with my girls.  I think a sign of Mandy getting old is that I was more excited to be home than to leave.  Let's hope this doesn't become a trend :)  Well thanks for reading once again...

Trip #3- Day 2. 5 down. 87 to go.

I lay in bed and listen to the alarm scream at me. Bastard, I don't want to be up this early. After staring at the wall for five minutes I decide to get my lazy bum out of bed, hop in the shower and get ready for the days shenanigans. We check out and head towards Dayton about 8:30. We could not stop laughing as we hit miles and miles of Tom Raper signs. This guy has RVs, homes, and truck parts. I'm not trying to be full of hate, but if my last name were Raper, I would not advertise it. Just sayin. Full of excitement, we inch closer to the next Johnny destination. In my mind I imagine Dayton as a close relative to Indianapolis, a smaller big city. When we pull into town I am full of disbelief of how quiet and bare the streets look. Now is the part where you look away if you are a fan of Dayton, or Ohio in that matter....you have been forewarned. Dayton sucks.

Seriously folks, we wandered around the supposedly "hot spot" of Dayton for about two hours waiting for the shops to open. Everything was closed and the streets were bare. We stopped in a liquor store/deli and I asked the young man what was good with Dayton. To which he replied "Nothing." Great, this trip is off to a fantastic start. Around noon the sleepy town starts to awaken, bodies appear on the sidewalks and the doors open for business. I picked up a couple new albums for my record collection including Dolly Parton, Conway Titty and Loretta Lynn duets, a Johnny album I don't currently own and and last but not least a Kenny Rogers album that supposedly has a history with my parents. Jerry picks up Aerosmith, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and a couple others I can't recollect at the moment. We hit up a vintage 50's clothes store called Feathers, the Goodwill and decide that there is nothing else in this area. Lets wander the city.

After riding in circles for about a half hour we find the baseball stadium and take a couple pics. With this city failing to keep my attention we agree Cincinnati would be a great destination. Hop on I-70 to I-75 South. Now if you are my true friend, compadre, partner in crime, or just a really good acquaintance you know I absolutely heart anything kitschy. For those of you new to my world here's a quick definition...
Kitsch (kch) 1. Sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.

So the plans to hit Cincinatti were slightly derailed when we crept up on this wonderfully tacky flea market. My world was turned upsdie down once I came across Traders World. This unique flea market is decorated with giant cement giraffes, ducks, buffalo, frogs, etc. The sheer "wow" factor of the outside made my toes curl in excitement. This very thing made up for Dayton sucking. Filled with generic tools, hats, car accessories, clothes, toys, sports memoribillia, restaurants, a pony ride, and a carousel among many other things. The madness sprawled over twelve different builidings, both inside and out. I cannot begin to explain the hilbillies that surrounded us, it seriously put People of Walmart to shame! We spent about 4 hours getting lost while picking up a Rte. 66 sign and some kettle corn that was addicting like cocaine.

After hours of overbearing excitement the nearest motel was calling our names. We headed out to the Economy Inn, dropped off our bags and headed out for a bite to eat. The county brochure recommended we try out Riverside Cafe in Hamilton, OH. We did, it was okay. The best part about it was watching Jerry make this lil old mans day by discussing sports. I concentrated on the beer in front of me. We then hit up an Irish "Pub" across the street from our motel. It was more of a sports bar but seduced our appetites with some wonderful burgers and beer. Much more my pace than the upscale bar with $5 beers. This called it a night and we head back to the motel for a good nights sleep.

Trip #3- Day 1.

I pull up to the house with a surge of panic running through my veins.  Damn to-do list.  Take the dogs out, empty the dryer, put the clean dishes away, make the bed, make the guest bed, feed the dogs, pack my bags, pack the cooler and nag the boy to get ready in a proficient manner.  Using my new domesticated super powers I knock them out one-by-one and burst out the door in a frenzy.  Jerry grabs our mega-can of change and we head to the nearest Coinstar to help fund the newest Johnny trip.  After joyfully losing the bet of how much we have saved up, we hit the road with an extra $55 in our pockets.  After a quick stop at the gas station to feed the Yaris, we hit the road about 6:30pm. 

After a boring 3 hour drive on I-65 South we jump onto I-70 East towards Ohio.  By now Mandy has sleepy eyes and is ready to find somewhere for the night.  We get off in Greenfield, check in at the Dollar Inn and plop down on the bed.  It's only 10:30(eastern time) but I am exhausted.  After eating some sandwiches from the cooler and laughing at the always ridiculous Bill Maher, it's snooze time.

Trip #2- Part 2. 4 down. 88 to go.

10am and I'm awake, refreshed and ready to hit the road.

I hop in the bubble and pull out the atlas. Ok, here's the bad part...skip it if you must. I'm a bad girl and can't find my way to Baraboo, so I pull out the TomTom. Whew, I hate to admit it, but I had to get it off my chest. There was no way I would've found my way alone. TomTom showed me the way down some crazy country roads, some lightly used highways and through hours of cornfields. It was a beautiful summer day, the air was warm and buzzing with a nice breeze. High 80's, so very tolerable. I jam out to some Rascal Flatts, Devil Doll, Johnny Cash and Sarah Blackwood, what a day to sing at the top of my lungs. Dear residents of Wisconsin, I apologize if I pierced any eardrums on the drive.

I wind through a couple small towns, speed limit 25. Really? Really? Are you worried a cow is going to jump in front of a car? Anyways, I land in Baraboo around noon. The downtown area is set in a square fashion, a reminder of old days with little shops, bars and the A.L. Ringling theater. I was too late to take a tour, but it looked pretty rad from the outside. It was built in 1915 by Albert Ringling, one of the founders of the circus. I snapped a few pics and head over to Square Tavern for a beer, burger and fries. It was definitely the "neighborhood" bar, with Mr. I'm getting a Divorce, wheres my pity party next to me. On the other end was Mr. Anti-social with his grumpy attitude and newspaper to hide his face behind. I devour my lunch, ask the bartender about the local attractions and find my way to Rock Springs, WI. About 20 minutes west of Baraboo I hit up the locally owned Big Cat Rescue. Home to 26 big cats, including 16 Tigers, 7 Lions, and 3 Leopards. My favorite was Beemer, the old man of the place. He was a lazy lil lion the just looked at me like "it's hot, I'm grumpy, leave me along." I feel ya old man.

I decide it's time to head home...get in the car...continue blasting my music and sit in traffic for the next 4.5 hours, yay! I stop for a romantic dinner at the Hindsdale Oasis, woo hoo for Panda Express. Arrive home around 10pm and happy to see my lil Jasmine who stayed with her auntie Fay for the weekend. She meets me at the door whining with some kisses, looking for a sympathetic belly rub. Another successful weekend down in the books. 491 miles added to the speedometer. Now...where should I go for trip #3?????

Trip #2- Part one. 3 down. 89 to go.

My alarm screams at me. It is a gloomy 8am, following a 2:30am bedtime. Those drinks were definitely not a good idea, stupid Vodka. I hear the rain tapping on the siding as I roll my chubby butt out of bed and throw on some clothes. Good thing my bag was already packed. Hungover Mandy, meet road trip number 2.

I fuel up, grab a mountain dew and a bag of Doritos(I swear this is a staple of the road trip diet,) and head down I-94W. To my surprise traffic really wasn't that bad, I arrive in Milwaukee right around 11am. Right off the interstate I land in a not single girl friendly neighborhood, or at least the influx of cop surveillance would make me believe so. On my left I spot an eye-catcher. Leon's Frozen Custard, here I come! They've been servin up frozen treats, along with hot dogs and burgers, since 1942. I pull up to the old school custard stand and order myself a strawberry shake. Total num num quality. Time to leave the ghettotastic area. I wander downtown, in awe of the beautiful historic buildings and gorgeous scenery. I never pictured Milwaukee being such a beautiful place, I'm glad I could take it all in. After cutting a car off(sorry buddy, next time use the turn signal) I hit up the Forest Home cemetery for a look at heroes past. I find many unique gravestones and mauseleums, my favorite being the final resting place of Valentin Blatz, one of Milwaukees groundbreaking brewers. Besides Mr. Blatz, I seek out August Krug, Joseph Schlitz, Frederick Pabst and the Davidson family(as in Harley-Davidson.) To my disapointment, I'm not able to locate Jacob Best(founder of what would become Pabst.)

After I say my goodbyes to the deceased, I head towards the Miller Brewery for a afternoon tour. Our tour guides, Amy and Diane(whom sounded straight out of the movie Fargo) showed us the brewing process, the warehouse floor, and the underground caves. After a rainy morning, the underground caves tingled my nose with the scent of wet dog meets grandma's nasty basement. But it was still pretty cool to hear how they used to line the caves with ice to keep the beer cool during the summer months. We head off to the beer garden, where I am blessed with a glass of Miller lite and two samples to choose from. I choose a new beer, still in the baby stages, called Batch 19. It has a nice smooth flavor and goes down quickly. I will partially blame this on the fact it was hot as a mug and boy was I thirsty. I wrap up the tour with another sample of the Batch 19 and head my way back to the bubble.

I dart across town a few minutes to the Pabst Mansion. Random thought, why must all breathtakingly beautiful historic houses always be in the ghetto? Anyways, after circling the neighborhood I finally find the home to the sea captain/brewer, his wife, daughter and granddaughter. Built in 1890, the structure took two years to finish. I can't even describe the elaborate details, both inside and out. The home was lived in by the Pabst family from 1892-1908, until the deaths of both Mr. & Mrs. Pabst. It was then purchased by the archdiocese of Milwaukee. They proceeded to cover the walls/ceilings in a stark white paint and cover the hardwood floors with beige carpet. I couldn't imagine such a place losing the very identity that it once showboated back in the day. Since then the historical society saved it from becoming a parking lot and is working on bringing it back to life. There are many authentic paintings, furnishings and even safes still intact, which allows the mind to imagine the captain sitting in the Music room, smoking a cigar laughing with the gents. Or Maria Pabst, sitting in the ladies parlor gossiping with her closest friends surrounded by lavish pink and gold interior. They have painstakingly restored the home by hand painting the ceilings and refinishing the floors. The quirkiest part of the home, to my opinion, is how there are random Hops built into the home. Mr. Pabst was a avid beer man after all :)

Following the tour of the mansion I head to 10th and Highland Street, home of the Pabst Brewing Company. Since the brewery closed their doors in 1997, not much is left to see. The buildings are delopatated and boarded up. But I don't mind, my imagination likes to run wild. I imagine workers surrounding the plant in its prime during the late 1800s. Its beauty runs farther than the fumbling brick and broken windows, it has a rich history and colorful past. If only modernization hadn't left it behind...

It's evening, I'm tired and ready to take a break. I hop in the bubble, continuing on 94, and hit Fond du Lac around 7pm. After finally finding a place to sleep(who would've know that one of the largest air shows is going on?) and unpacking, I lay on the bed pondering what to do now. I hop in the shower and hit up downtown Fond du Lac. I browse through all the little stores in this old-fashioned strip of town and wind up at JD Finnagans. The little dive bar on the corner just so happened to be calling out my name with Pabst on Tap. What a way to finish the day. The locals were very friendly, asking me about my trip and laughin at some lame jokes the drunk in the corner was throwing out.

I head back around 11pm and fall asleep on the softest bed ever made in the world(yes, it was that good.)

Trip #1- Part 2. 2 down. 90 to go.

By now my tummy is growling and all I can think of is food. Nom, nom, nom. I decide an essential stop in Grand Rapids is necessary to visit the marvelous HopCat. I deviate the blue bubble to 131N, arriving downtown in about an hour. After a chuckle at the fact they actually have scooter parking, we park the Yaris and wander over to the brewery. To my suprise it wasn't busy at all. We pick a table relatively close to the door and are quickly waited on by a very nice waiter. I order a Hard Apple Cider beer, brewed by Vandermill Winery Spring Lake in Michigan. It was a tasty treat that danced on my taste buds! We ordered an appetizer, Pita chips and their secret cheese dip. I chomped down half of my meal, Rosemary Chicken Salad Wrap, and was completely stuffed. Five out of Five HopCat, hats off to you. If you don't visit HopCat for the assortment of brews or the enticing food, it is worth the trip to just people watch.

Now with a full tummy, some 80's tunes and a tired body we continue our trip up 131N. About 40 miles outside of Cadillac I find it impossible to keep my eyes open. I pull out the TomTom and find the closest Motel. So let me fill you in, since old school travelers stayed in Mom&Pop style motels, so will I. The first one we come to, Paris Motel, was a bit...well...creepy. There were people staring out the windows at us, I was overcast with an eerie feeling. When nobody answered the door we decide to take off to the next place. About 10 miles down the road was Reed City Motel. We arrive to find a 5lb. dog barking at us, a table of "hillbillies" drinking in the yard and 3 drunk 18 year olds checking us in. Let me correct myself, 3 very drunk 18 year olds. They tell us about their tattoos, traveling adventures and finally hand over a key. The door to our room was open, no working air conditioning, no toilet paper and half the blinds were broken. We shall now refer to this as the Motel from Hell. But I was exhausted from being on the run all day, so I plopped on the bed without a second thought. About a half hour later the cops show up looking for someone across the yard. Quite an adventurous motel, to say the least. We wake up in the morning, relieved to still be alive. Cadillac here we come.

Cadillac is quite the quaint little town. Between the gorgeous old structures and the pink strip club, we find ourselves shopping in the antique store(where I picked up an adorable penguin.)

A quick trot by the lake, check out some cool looking bars, and take our pics with the city sign. We head back south, on the long drive home. 131S to 10W to 31S. We stop for lunch at Rays in Grand Haven, an old-school burger shack that has been standing since 1960. I had a two thumbs up Double BeefBurger and fries. Following that we hit up a classic car show in downtown Grand Haven. That made Mandy a very happy girl. 31S to 94W to Red Arrow Highway. I take a quick jump into Lake Michigan outside Lakeside, MI(I forgot my swimsuit, so clothes and all) and hit up Oinks! in New Buffalo for Ice Cream. The blue moon gave me a wicked blue mouth, but was well worth it. I drop Jerry off about 6pm, head home and relax after a whirlwind 24 hour road trip. Total miles: 551. Not too shabby for a starter if you ask me :) Stay Tuned for trip #2.

My idear.

It all started on a breezy day in early June. It was the kind of air that was crisp, clean and just made you feel good. Aside from every other American, I love to have my windows down breathing it all in. Why breathe compressed, stuffed air conditioning? Gag. Anywho, in good Mandy fashion I had the windows rolled down jammin out to my homeboy, Johnny Cash.

It wasn't until recently I discovered the full spectrum of Johnny's awesomeness. I'd always enjoyed singing out to his tunes on the radio, and along with the movie Johnny and June. Minus all the drug addictions and ambitious women flocking to him at every turn, he was basically just another man trying to make ends meet. He was not only a musician, but a lover, a rebel, a hero, and American badass. I am forever addicted to his CD "Unchained." His voice alone speaks volumes of how I feel in everyday life...the good, the bad, and the truth. He struggled with emotions and life, and felt the pain of love. At this part of my life (27, single, no kids, dysfunctional family, no light at the end of the tunnel) there are times where I feel so alone, so weak, but still not ready to go down without giving a hell of a fight. My eye is on the prize, I want a life full of knee-bending love. I want to look back and not regret wasting time being unhappy. I want to live out my days doing things my way and not giving a damn about what others percieve of me. I love my gypsy lifestyle, and do not intend to give up on it.

So we go back to this day...just me, Johnny and the blue skies ahead. It was exactly at this point that I realized that I was entrapped by the moment. It was a point of pure bliss, no worries, no time, no overanalyzing life. So I continued down the road, belting out the lyrics(most likely as off-tune as possible) and living in the moment. When track #14 came on I knew exactly what I must do. I must live out Johnnys words, "I've been Everywhere." Now I know that critics will blast, it wasn't his song. Sure, it's a cover, but a damn good one. And Johnny has been everywhere...old school style. Pack up the car and let's go. So now, my mission, should I choose to accept it....I'm going Everywhere!