Old school map (thanks to AAA). While I use my GPS on my phone to travel short distances, I needed to see a map of the country in its entirety in order to plan my whole trip.  Orange is going out - green WAS route back but after looking at the rise of Covid #s in the south (no political commentary here but not good), I've decided to leave that trip for another year.  So now the route back is in yellow.  You'll see that part of the trip, from Salt Lake City south to Rte 66 and on to Oklahoma City is the same.  No matter where I go, I will travel through states that have risks but know that I'm fully vaccinated (with a recent booster), and will mask when indoors or at large gatherings - to protect others as well as myself.  Having said all of that ... I've also added people/events/places I want to see (not all are on here yet). And I needed to be able to calculate estimated times to get from one place to another so I can let people know about when I will be someplace. I figure most days I can drive about 6 hours - will be on the road longer with rest stops (don't ask!), but that's about as much time as I want to be behind the wheel. I am not as young and energetic as I once was - ha! So now you know my route - and if you want me to stop to say hello, just let me know.  I may not be stopping long in some places, but certainly can meet for a cup of tea.

My longest stays will be in Kansas (I call Garden City home) and California (where I was born and spent many years).  I'll be in Salt Lake with the AASL conference, and other than that, won't stay more than 1 or 2 nights anywhere else.  I estimate 7 weeks round-trip and I'm hoping that Lady will be able to adapt.  So far, she seems pretty flexible (especially when treats are involved), and enjoys traveling in the car (though I still haven't figured out some of her non-dog behaviors, such as not sticking her head out the window) but I will let her be her. 

I've been working on packing lists for a few weeks; yesterday, I started getting more specific like what needs to be in an "overnight" bag vs. long-stay bag.  Problem was that a few weeks ago, I had new carpet installed downstairs which meant moving everything out of my sewing room into my laundry/storage area where I discovered that suitcases were behind a LOT of fabric, books, etc. After some careful looking, I was able to remove some boxes off of one shelf to give access to the suitcases I needed (yes, I have tons of nice bags I could have used but something on wheels would be more manageable).  I have to say Lady was quite helpful, first by looking amused at my struggles, but mostly by laying in the hallway between the laundry and sewing rooms as I hauled things back and forth so she could give my legs more exercise by having to step over her.  Every. Single. Time.  She also likes to help by dashing past me when I'm halfway up or down the stairs in an attempt to show me the way, or to follow closely behind so when I stop, she can run into me and let me know she's there, ready to help however she can.  Yep, this is going to be an interesting 7 weeks!  

Planning To Go

A few things about this trip.  I retired on July 1, 2021 from over 30 years in education. Once I made up my mind to retire, I knew I wanted to go across the country visiting friends and family, with a few "me" stops.  I started keeping lists on my phone of people to see, things to pack and what I needed to buy, and have recently started the lists in my written travel "journal" so I could keep track, as I had a few categories: Me (clothes, etc.), Lady (my rescue dog of a few months - she's got the longest list so far!), car (mostly snacks), hotel, and miscellaneous.  Because I'm traveling with a dog, I will mostly be staying in (pet-friendly) hotels, rather than forcing that on friends and family who may not be dog people.  

Very early on I selected the theme from a song I loved by Yusuf Cat Stevens.  The link to the song on YouTube is here:  https://youtu.be/ocu7XObxRZ8  There may be other "travel" songs I will post as I go along, and will use YouTube links as that's the most "copyright free" way I can think of (years as a school librarian/school library administrator) - since anyone can find them on YouTube.  I don't have a paid account, and am not getting anything for using YouTube as my source.

This is my first attempt at blogging, so apologies in advance as I learn as I go.  I will add photos, and try to post on a somewhat regular basis (but I am a self-admitted procrastinator, so there's that ...)  Feel free to comment, ask questions, or whatever people who follow blogs do.  My first attempted pic will be a picture of Lady, whose patience will be sorely tested by spending several weeks on the road with me. We discussed this whole "therapy dog" concept, and I think she's willing to give it a try as long as she gets fed and walked regularly, but I anticipate some negotiations along the way!

Anyway, thanks for joining me on my adventure!  Not to worry - I have friends who will be staying at my house (waiting for theirs to close) while I'm away, but have honored their decision to want to remain anonymous.