We have been home a couple of weeks now and I have been trying to put it all straight in my head. We traveled many miles and saw so many wonderful parts of this country that it is kind of hard to get my head around it all. We left on the third of May and returned on the eighth of July - over two months on the road.

So where should I start. Expectations. When we decided on the route there were a lot of places we wanted to visit and sights to see. We actually got to just about everywhere that was on our list, we only missed Taos, New Mexico thanks to the Mercedes recall issue. So mostly expectations were met in that respect, but I feel that the expectations were far exceeded by the actual places being more than we had imagined.

The Smoky Mountains and Skyline Drive was way beyond beautiful and the drive was more spectacular with every turn. Big Bend in Texas was just more of what we expected, Joshua Tree, Ocean Beach, California, Monterey, Big Sur and all of Route 1, the Redwoods, and the Oregon coast were all well beyond expectations.

Cypremort Point, Louisiana - family time

And we had researched these places - with maps, books and far too many YouTube videos - and still they exceeded expectations. Another expectation we exceeded is that we came in under budget, that's a bonus. Then there are the people, from earlier travels we have always known that it is the people you meet along the way that make the road such a special place.

Despite what you see on your favorite news channel, the country isn't falling apart. We met the nicest people along the way, most of whom we will remember for a long time to come, some who we will likely see again along our travels - there was contact info exchanged.

So here is a good place to thank folks who made our trip special. Before we even left so many folks helped us along the way with suggestions of things to see and do.

Thanks Van and Andi - highly recommended

A while back, our friends Van and Andi gave us a book called "Off The Beaten Track. This book is a compilation of those places that may be a bit off the main route, the hidden gems that we miss when we travel the main highways. We have carried this around on our travels for the past few trips and it is an invaluable resource. This time we found an old Danish Windmill, and several ice cream factories, a Scandinavian chapel and an old army fort - even the location used for Hitchcocks 'The Birds". So thanks guys you gave us some great memories.

Thanks to the young man at the Speedco in Pennsylvania along the highway on our first day who drained a bit of oil out of the engine to get the oil light off. Thanks to Heidi in Idaho Falls at the Cabelas, who gave us such good information. Thanks go to the family and friends that welcomed us along the way. Not only is it nice visit and to catch up, but it's great to have a driveway to park in. So to Kriss and Don, Kelli, and Kari, our son Jason, and brother Dan - thanks for the great memories and a good visit, glad to have you in our lives.

And to all the nice folks we met from folks who are the Harvest Hosts, the special waitresses along the way, campground folks that gave us direction and fellow campers who we shared stories with, thank you.

A special thanks too, goes to Carol's digital friend Ally, who gave us so many great places to visit, and to eat at, especially while we were in the Albuquerque area.

Favorites, we have been asked several times what our favorite places were. Not to sound like I am trying to avoid answering the question but everyplace had a special appeal. Don't get me wrong, generally speaking, I didn't do well in the heat of the desert, but the desert was spectacular.

The Silver Strand in San Diego was nothing but a crowded parking lot, yet it was here that we watched a most beautiful sunrise, a very memorable morning.

Carol doesn't like heights, so she kind of freaked out when I parked on the summit of the 'mountain' in Escondido, but it turned out to be a wonderful campsite. We were there for a few days and got well rested and really enjoyed the spot.

Parked on the edge in Escondido, California

Idaho was surprising, hanging out with our son will be memories we will treasure forever. We camped in a shitty little campground in Marfa, Texas, in a dust storm, and had a great time. Mexican food, now there is a favorite. We ate so much Mexican food and it was all delicious. Even the heat in Joshua Tree National Park didn’t deter us, we had a wonderful time there. (but it really was hot!)

The three guys on motorcycles we met in Fort Bragg were awesome as was the coastline there. Picking up sand dollars on Morro Beach at sunrise was so surreal.

Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway, California

Watching Harper run along the beaches of the west coast, from the dog beach in San Diego to the Oregon coast...what fond memories.

Redwoods were amazing, Avenue of the Giants, California

Picking up sand dollars on the beach in Morro Bay at sunrise was so surreal.

The splendor of Oregon never gets old, from the amazing coastline to the sunrises..such good memories

We were fortunate to hang out in Portland with our son for several days. Touring the area and visiting with his friends and being a close part of his life means so much. Thanks Jason for all the good memories..beyond expectations.

An amazing parking job, if I say so myself.

It is always memorable when you make that critical turn to generally aim for where you came from. For us it was Oregon, and heading east until we get back to the other coast.

We ended up visiting a half dozen National Parks and several National Historic sights…what a great country we live in.

Even the long hours on the road as we pushed homeward listening to some audio book are great memories. All in all it was a good time from the rough start to the blocked driveway finish line, it will be remembered for a long time to come.

It is always the journey not the destination. . . . Thanks to everyone who made this a special trip, and to those of you who read this drivel and send along words of encouragement.

So here is the trip by the numbers:

24 Stated Visited

10,647 miles traveled

657 Gallons of diesel

Diesel ranged from $2.19 in Rhode Island in April to $4.99 per gallon in California in June

Miles per gallon was around 16.5 on average, lowest was just over 14, highest was 18.7

Average price of a campsite was about $30 (excluding free nights) the lowest was $16 and the most expensive was $65

67 nights away from home, 21 free nights, relatives and Harvest Hosts and boondocking

And as I recall we really only had two rainy days that were notable and they didn't keep us from doing anything.

The route of Carol, Harper and I, summer 2021

Who knows what is next, but if adventure comes along, big or small, likely I will babble about it here.

So here is the trip by the numbers:

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