We began this wonderful adventure 26 or 27 days ago  (who can remember that far back…).

We are in the home stretch of the first trip out in our BBoW.   Nine days from now we’ll be packed up and headed back across the country for home.

I have mixed emotions.

The strongest of which is that I’d love to spend more time with my new granddaughter.

The  hardest part of having kids and grand-kids spread out across the country is missing them.     Missing their growth.   Missing their activities.   Missing their faces.

Eventually , after retirement, we will spend more of our time visiting in each state where we have children and grands but now it is time to get back to work.

We are talking about planning the route back.    This means the planning part of Travel Dave will rear his head.

He is going to want to drive BBoW off the beaten path to stop at every roadside marker.

“This is the site of the 1985 fight between Billy Jo and Jim Turner.    Billy Jo went on to become the 1986 Corn Queen and Jim went to jail”

Yes,  just like that.

If we did that we’d get home in time for Thanksgiving.

Planning Dave and Ants in His Pants Dave are closely related.

He doesn’t want to miss anything.   He talks a lot about “opportunity cost” as in “we’re only 200 miles from that big ball of tinfoil!” .

In many ways he is right( and I’m learning to appreciate that, shhh, don’t tell him).

I grew up in a family that did not sight see.    I remember, as a child living in Arizona, a 4 hour car trip to the Grand Canyon.    My father pulled in to the first overlook, got out for a minute, got back in the car and said “well, we’ve seen it, let’s go home”.

In the past, I have been much like my father in that way.    At this point in my life I don’t want to miss things.

I don’t want to miss the roadside markers  or the natural wonders or the beauty in the world.

Most of all, I don’t want to miss my grand-kids.

Stay tuned….