DAY 8: Lexington, KY to Pearisburg, VA

I'll fill in more later. The biggest news of the day is that we are now staying in the owner's cottage of the Inn at Riverbend which is going to be our new home in a couple of days. It was great rolling in just before dark in time to take a short walk in the park at the bottom of the hill. Gaby loves it here. She ran more than I've ever seen her run before.

The best thing is that the temps were in the high 60s and the sun was shinning bright. Back at our old home, it is reportedly going to be snowing tonight with temps in the 20s. We called about our belongings to discover that the roads in Idaho are closed and our worldly belongings are there. We'll see if/when they make it here.

Lots of

We have arrived!

May the adventures begin!

Day 7: St. Louis, MO to Lexington, KY

TBA

Day 6: Salina, Kansas to St Louis, Missouri

Gateway Arch - St. Louis, MO
Originally uploaded by Don3rdSE

There is no Quality in Kansas!!! Now hold on before I get beaten up by all you Kansans (and you can blame it on my son, Nick!!) let me explain. Chatting on the phone last night with my son he suggested we needed to try a new road game – alphabet. The gist of alphabet is to find words starting with letter of the alphabet in sequence and the first one to get to Z wins. Jimm was going at a great rate (however I claim he was cheating – he was wearing his distance glasses so could see words before me, I didn’t think it was a disadvantage that he was driving). He was at the letter X and I was still searching for the letter Q – I searched and searched and was sure I would find the word “quality” somewhere along the way – all to no avail, I think we crossed the Missouri border before I found a sign for “Quality Inn”. Despite my quick catch up on Jimm I had to concede that game to him – well tomorrow is another day!!

It has amazed me as we travel that you can tell a lot about a state or community by the billboard signs – Kansas and Missouri had a lot of polarized signs from both a political and religious perspective. I still wince to see that this type of polarization still remains. However, on the flip side of that the people we have met along the way have all been great, it is fun just engaging in random conversations along the way. The two pets, Gaby and Two-Face, have also shown how resilient they are along the way – they are perfectly happy as long as they have food, water, and are with us – they are just so trusting that if we are around everything will be okay. We have enjoyed the simple pleasures during our trip – just being with each other and the pets, having picnics, and just chatting along the way as we drive through each state.

Tomorrow’s another day with another adventure.

Janet

Day 5 - Denver, CO to Salina, KS

Dorothy and the Tornado
Originally uploaded by AdamBaronPhoto

Crossing into the great unknown! We came down from the mountains and highlands of Colorado and into the vastness of Kansas. You know, many say that there is nothing in Kansas except the flat rolling hills. At first, I had to agree. Then I actually started looking around - geology abounded in the road cuts. Animals were everywhere that you looked. One saw very few houses though you just had to look to the horizon to find a stand of trees and there would be a farm. Descending into the occasional valley, one would find whole towns. We didn't see Dorothy or Toto - though Gaby was looking everywhere.

Janet asked me today (and she'll probably write about it too) what has been my favorite part of the trip. I had to answer in two parts -

1. The vast beauty of the land. Flying from coast to coast doesn't allow one to really view the amazing beauty of the United States. Janet has commented that when she first went to Colorado on her first visit from Ireland, that she couldn't get over how much land there really is in the United States. It has been some time (thanks Dad and Mom) since I crossed the States by car. I have been reminded of how much there really is to see here. I love the United States!
2. The People. Every day we watch the news and "Hollywood" and see crime, greed, corruption and the dark side of the human race. As we've been traveling from coast to coast, we have had the occasion to talk to many people. Americans are great! Every where we go, people are ready to talk, ready to share their day and, I believe, would share their last bit of food if someone needed it. Every time one hears of a natural disaster somewhere in the world, Americans are among the first to be offering aid, either monetarily or going to the place of hardship and lending a hand. I love the United States!

I am so looking forward to crossing the rest of the continent to see who else we can meet. We continued a game today - to see how many states license plates we could see. Yesterday 18 (and one US Government). Today - 12. Yesterday wins so far - what a great country that we live in. We can travel anywhere!

Jimm

Day 4: Rock Springs, Wyoming to Denver, Colorado

City slicker (Janet) brightens Wyoming truckers day!! Trying to keep eating healthy on the road can be a challenge but I was delighted to see the cauldron of oatmeal at the La Quinta in Rock Springs (by the way this La Quinta was great and the staff was wonderful!). I filled a bowl and sat down to enjoy, and after the first spoonful I realized what I was eating was definitely NOT oatmeal and I noticed the grins and smirks on the faces of the truckers around me as I laughed when I realized what I had filled my bowl with was gravy for the biscuits. One trucker laughed and said he was surprised as I looked liked "the healthy type." The trip so far has been really good. What I love about traveling is that you can strike up conversation with anyone anywhere. I still believe that most people have good intentions and when treated with respect reciprocate the same. It has been fun to see people's expressions when we say we are currently "homeless." People are genuinely sympathetic until we explain the adventure we are on. And it makes me truly grateful that we are only temporarily "homeless" and that it is a great opportunity and privilege to embark on this adventure.

Another beautiful day of driving but glad Jimm was driving the first part as the winds along I-80 were howling and blowing the residual snow across the road. I expected to see the ski box lift off any minute! I noted to Jimm how lighthearted I felt since embarking on this journey - I have laughed and giggled more over the last few days than for a long time. I felt like a little girl on some great big adventure. We decided to play a fun game to help pass the driving time - we tried to spot how many different state license plates we could - could not be a long haul truck license plate, only cars and light trucks. We spotted 17 plus a U.S. Government license plate.

We finished our day in Denver with Nick Sr. who is 97, and Sandy Righter (who could teach us about pursuing what you love). It was great to see Nick Sr. who has seen so much in life and still is so active and lucid at 97 - hope if we make it to that age we are as lucid and full of life as he is!!!

On to the Great Plains of Kansas tomorrow!

Janet

Day 3 - Boise, Idaho to Rock Springs, Wyoming

Church Ruins Fort Laramie, Wyoming
Originally uploaded by the Gallopping Geezer

We enjoyed a interesting ride. I'm amazed at how many windmill farms are springing up over the prairie; from the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge and on through ... (I'm going to say Kansas, but then you'd know that I'm writing this a couple of days late). We had a couple of days of high winds and I'm glad that we were traveling from west to east as in some places the tumble weeds were passing us by.

As an ex-geologist/geophysicist, I found the rock formations in Wyoming amazing. From the car it looked as if there were many old river beds within the road cuts. Knowing that we were somewhere around 7000' in elevation, in some places, and seeing ancient riverbeds brought home to me that while I believe so much in science and the big bang, there must be great powers in the universe - and it isn't man. The beauty of the land, the sky, and the high plains along with millions of years of history allow me to know that there must be a creator. I'll leave it at that for today!

Day 2: Stevenson, Washington to Boise, Idaho

Weight of the World
Originally uploaded by Skyler Hughes

Woke up this morning and thought “I am unemployed.” It was a strange feeling after 21 years in the biotech/pharma industry working long hours, travelling about 3 out of every 4 weeks, but as I heard the rain against the window, looked out the back door at the Columbia River only feet away, it was nice not to HAVE to follow a schedule. Once on the road towards Boise I immediately reverted to my type A personality and thought of all the things I needed to do – write a press release, going over menus for upcoming functions, etc, etc. but my 3 year Shih Tzu had different ideas. She just wanted to stay curled up in my lap and have her bonding time. Letting go of always doing something is hard, it is like breaking any habit, but I just accepted I didn’t HAVE to do anything at that point and it was nice to just sit and see the incredible scenery as we drove. It always amazes me that you can be in heavily forested areas in Washington and Oregon and then within a few miles you are in High Desert, which is truly beautiful in its own stark way. The purples on the hills, mixing with the oranges from the rock, blended with the blue greens of sage and tumbleweed. It was just so nice to sit and be still enough to notice all these things that have always been there but which I was often way too busy to even notice. That is one of the driving forces in our change of career and lifestyle – we want to slow down enough to enjoy our relationship, our family and friends, and little treats.
We ended our day in Boise by having dinner with an old friend and work colleague, JoAn – it was fun to reconnect after about six years and catch up and recall old stories and friends. I LOVE stories – they are a gift to hear, share, and pass on down to the next generation. Even the ones we roll our eyes at because we heard about 100 times I think secretly we still love them!! It has been a good day and both Gaby (3 year old Shih Tzu) and Two Face (16 year old Calico cat) did very well today.

Day 1 - Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge from the Cape Horn Viewpoint
Originally uploaded by digefxgrp

Day 1 - New beginnings. After a LONG number of weeks, we are packed and out of our Vancouver, WA digs and on the way to Pearisburg, VA. It should be an interesting drive with a dog and a cat. Two Face (the cat) has only been on one long road trip in her life. That was 15.5 years ago. Now, being much older and blind, she is having to face each new step as an adventure. I watch as she finds her way - sometimes tentatively, sometimes boldly. It reminds me of Janet and me, now homeless; starting a new adventure that takes us on roads unexplored (by us together) and into a new world.

We drove all of 42 miles from our ex-home in Vancouver today. We (Janet) thought it might be a good idea to just make a short trip for the day. Right she was as we finished packing and cleaning and started on our way with sore backs and tired eyes. We stopped at the Columbia Gorge Riverside Lodge. We have stayed here before as it is situated literally on the banks of the Colombia River - if we go out the back door and walk south 35 feet, our feet would be in the Columbia River.

We did take a walk up the river and Janet pointed out that it was quite fitting. We are staying at an Inn on a river surrounded by mountains with the sound of an occasional train passing up or down river. At the end of this week-long journey, we'll be buying an Inn on a river surrounded by mountains with the sound of an occasional train passing up or down river (fortunately, the trains at the other end will be more than 100' away). While the beginning and the end of the journey will be similar, our lives shall be quite different. At one end, we are close to a life that was comfortable and known. At the other, a life quite different from what either of us has done in the past, but one that should be fun and fulfilling. One with new opportunities, friendships and adventures.

As with any move, we are leaving the day-to-day comfort of love and friendship of the many people we have come to know in Vancouver. While we are excited, it is sad to part from those friends and memories. Yet we will be meeting new friends along the way. At the end of this journey, will be many new friends; yet they cannot replace the old friends. To all of those, thanks for the many memories.

Why a Bed and Breakfast?

A little over a year ago, Janet and I woke up and decided that there was a bit of a void in our lives. We had both been doing our jobs for some time and just didn't derive the pleasure and challenges that we once had. Janet being a woman of action, found a couple of books that would be considered guide books to aging Baby Boomers who desired to do something a bit more with their lives. We started working through them to find our path to future vocation.

At first we (re-) discovered our interest in outdoor activities. After all, what had gotten us together in the first place was a deep love of outdoor activities. Instead, we were concentrating on mostly indoor office jobs. We found that we wanted to work together. Many projects that we'd worked on in our married life found us pretty happy sharing our labors and our lives.

Our first choice became to consider opening an adventure tour business in the Pacific Northwest. This business would cater to parents that found they were now without kids and yet young enough to want to enjoy the physical beauty of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. An area of extreme visual beauty and a mecca for sports enthusiasts. Our multi-sport adventures would include biking, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, down-hill skiing, cross-country skiing, rock-climbing, spelunking, horseback riding, and many other possible sports. We started on our plans...

Then we went on vacation (staying in B&B's) and Janet picked up a magazine which showcased log homes. She had mentioned a number of times in our life that she'd someday love to run a B&B. She pointed to a couple of log homes in the the magazine and stated that she thought they'd make a great B&B or Inn. Well, that really got both of us charged up. We decided that we should really have a base for our Adventure Tour business and started researching the hospitality industry in earnest.

Global Survey Reveals Most Effective Conversion Tactics for 2010

From everything that we are told - marketing is one of the top activities that an innkeeper can do. It only makes sense - if you build 'it', they won't necessarily know that 'it' is there. Every innkeeper must keep up with the latest and greatest in marketing (in this day and age, that means web-based marketing). One doesn't need to incorporate every idea out there into their marketing mix, but one better make sure that they know about the major tactics.

Global Survey Reveals Most Effective Conversion Tactics for 2010

Wild, Wet and Untamed - VirginiaLiving.com

Wild, Wet and Untamed - VirginiaLiving.com

What a place to live! During our search for a B&B, we 'discovered' Giles County Virginia. Of course, others may have been there before us (especially, since I've mentioned it to a few people and it seems that the New River actually has been rafted by many of them). We love the area for its beauty and the many, many outdoor activities it supports.

Does anyone have any great stories about the area?

Carter Dome at Night

Carter Dome at Night
Originally uploaded by man of mud

Carter Dome is one of the many peaks of the White Mountain National Forest.