November 20th,
2019
Today is the day….off toward
the warmth and sunshine. We had an unavoidable later start today which was perhaps not a bad thing
since the weather was not great. Traveling in the daylight was a bonus. It was indeed a snowy start to our trip with
the snow becoming heavier as we approached the border. The road to Grand Forks
and then to Fargo was snow covered and traffic was slowed due to the conditions.
We continued on through falling snow and less than ideal roads. By the time we
reached Fergus Fall we it was time to call it a day. It was time to rest, regroup and try again in
the morning. We settled peacefully at the AmericInn in Fergus Falls, MN. after
our stormy winter start. Luckily the hotel offered a free hearty gumbo
soup from 5-7 so we did not even have to leave the hotel to get something to
eat.
November 21, 2019
No more snow, but this second day brought
heavy rain followed by a dark cloudy day. This was one of the cloudiest darkest
days I have seen. At 2 in the afternoon it looked like dusk. The wind was raw
and I hated to step out of the car at the rest stops. We attempted to listen to
an audio
book but it did not capture our
interest. I have a few downloaded so will try again tomorrow. After a long day on the road we stopped
and stayed in Oglesby Illinois. Oglesby is a quaint little town about the size
of Neepawa we figured. Supper at a local diner provided a more than an ample
meal. Roger ordered the stir fry that came on a huge platter. It had more
vegetables in it than a family would eat in a week. Not to mention a heaping
portion of chicken. I figured I was safe with the senior turkey plate. Nope!!!
Slightly smaller platter, but enough turkey for three people. I can’t imagine
what the regular portion would have been like. It was a quick evening... early
to bed, early to rise .......
November 22, 2019
I begin this writing while we are
starting of our days journey. It’s 7:15 and we are rolling down the highway south
on I 39. No rain, no snow and a temp of O C. Best we have had yet. There is a
promise of 18 C later today and
perhaps I can shed my sock! :) . The sun is
trying to break through the clouds as we see slivers of yellow through the
grey. It will be a while I think before we see it’s entirety but the promise is
there.
Well....the promise faded quickly as
the day progressed, the cloud cover thickened and it was another day of grayness.
Knowing we were heading to the Florida sun gave us courage to push on. Nashville was its usual busy city with heavy
traffic but I could not help but smile as we passed through remembering all the
fun we had last time we stopped there.
As darkness approached we decided to
stop in Mufreesburo TN ( on the south side Nashville). Supper was at a local
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. Great food and great atmosphere. Another early to
bed so we could hit the road early!
November 23rd
After a wonderful restful sleep we
were on the road by just after 7a.m.
Wow, can it rain here. Roger did not
want to stop so we pushed on hoping to eventually drive
out of it. There was a flood
advisory and I knew why. It was like the sky had opened up
dumping water full force. I was very
tense and it was very quiet in the car as Roger concentrated on the road ahead
and traffic. Many trucks and cars used their flashing lights which helped us
navigate through the winding mountainous area near Chattanooga. Of course there
are always the hotshots that speed on through passing everyone and spraying
water adding to the reduced visibility. I decided, I was too old for this now.
I could do without the type adventure! Still however, keeping my eye on the
prize, FLORIDA!!!
The weather improved as the day wore on and as
we approached the Florida border the sun started to shine. We stopped at a rest
stop and wow, it was warm, 21C. . We smiled at each other and said, this is
what we have been waiting for. All was right with the world. The original plan was to stop in Jacksonville
for the night but as I started to search the internet on my phone for hotels Roger
asked how I felt about driving on to the condo. I readily agreed, let’s keep
going.
We reached our destination at 9:30pm
after just over 14 hours on the road. The evening was warm and stars were in
the sky and the smell of the Florida air brought smiles to our faces. We made
it. With the stressful road trip behind us like a faded dream our minds and
hearts focused on the coming days of fun and sun!
