Road Trip Update

I have gotten a LOT of great feedback and offers to host so far on this road trip with Mom and Grandma in May 2009. Lots of friends and family are stepping forward to help, and I am SO excited to see how this idea is gaining ground! This is going to be the trip of a lifetime!

I'm still waiting to hear Shaina's exact graduation date, but looking at a May 2009 calendar, it will probably be some time around May 28-30 (Thursday - Saturday). If that's the case, then this will be perfect timing for what we have so far.

Keep in mind these plans are tentative, but this is the schedule so far:

Thursday, May 7: I fly out to Burbank. We will spend time with NICHOLE and DAVID SELVADURAI and their kids, do some sightseeing, and visit with DARRYL DILLARD while we're out there (he can take us to the set of Private Practice!). It looks like DAVID ROMERSTEIN is 5 1/2 hours to the north--maybe I can meet you halfway for a half-day visit?

Monday, May 11: Leave for Las Vegas, NV (281 miles, 4 hrs. 17 min.) to see Mom's brother, JERRY, and his wife, PATTY BRAWNER (IF they're still there at that time! If not, we might need to stay in a hotel or see if we can use their home). We will plan to see the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon while we're here.

Thursday, May 14: Leave for Peoria (Phoenix), AZ (366 miles, 5 hrs. 48 min.) to see STACY GIELDA and his family in time to do some sightseeing, stay in their RV in their driveway, and stay for their big annual bash on Sat. May 16 (I hope Grandma can handle it!).

Sunday, May 17: Leave for Albuquerque, NM (468 miles, 6 hrs. 40 min.) to see the ART GALLERIES! I've heard a lot about this city and have always wanted to visit, so this will be a total road trip stop. (too bad it's not in October so we can see the Balloon Fiesta!) Does anyone have any recommendations of places to see/stay (such as Alb. Biological Park, which includes the botanic garden, aquarium, zoo and Tingley Beach)? Trying to keep costs down, so even if anyone has any relatives there who can have us as guests, that would be even better. (Hey, Michelle, didn't you, Mom, Nik and Margaret visit family in Alb.? If so, that would be cool if we can make arrangements to stay with them.)

Tuesday, May 19: Leave for Tulsa, OK (648 miles, 9 hrs. 33 min.) to see BRIDGET LAVISH BYRD and hang out with her family of seven (five kids, just like us!). She has graciously offered to be our tour guide.

Thursday, May 21: Leave for Panama City Beach, FL (905 miles, 14 hrs., 40 min.) to see my former next-door neighbors DICK and LIBBY PIERCE from Southeast Mobile Estates (where LYNN SMITH HANES was a neighbor!), to hang out at the beach and do a little sightseeing.

HOWEVER, if I can talk ROBBI HARPER MATNEY into hosting us at her home in League City, TX for a day or two, we'd certainly welcome the detour! That way we can break up the travel distance into two legs: Tulsa to Texas (519 miles, 8 hrs., 36 min.), then Texas to PC Beach (648 miles, 10 hrs., 7 min.). So we'd leave Tulsa for Texas on May 21, stay a day or two, then leave for PCB on May 23 or so. Again, all dependent upon the hospitality of others!

Sunday, May 24: Leave for Jacksonville, FL (293 miles, 4 hrs. 43 min.) to see MATTHEW MERCHANT, TIFFANY MURPHY, and JARROD and LISA EDGE. And maybe I can invite BUSTER and JULIE MORGENSTERN to join us while we're there since they're somewhere in Orange Park too! We'll be staying with Matt and Tiff for a couple days to see the sights, hit the beach, go fishing, play video games, etc.

Tuesday, May 26: Leave for Myrtle Beach, SC (357 miles, 5 hrs., 44 min.) to see LESLIE NITZ and KEVIN NITZ. Since Leslie can "jog" from her house to Ocean Lakes Campground where Mom's trailer is in storage, we might be able to stay at Ocean Lakes and of course, hit the beach and hang out.

Thursday, May 28: Leave for Nanjemoy, MD (429 miles, 7 hrs. 39 min.) to Mom and Grandma's HOME SWEET HOME! We can have a pool party and eat crabs at my sister and brother-in-law's MICHELLE and JOHN BROWN's house! Yahoo!

That's a total of 4,009 miles, not including detours! Whew!

Hey MARYBETH KLICK, and all the other Surrattsville people still in the MD area, let's have a mini reunion while I'm there!

Now, if Shaina's graduation is the 28th or sooner, then we'd have to cut some days off our trip and adjust accordingly, but I'm hoping her graduation is on the 30th or something. I definitely want to hit Las Vegas so we can see the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, so I'm hoping Patty and Jerry are still there or will let us crash at their place (we won't throw any wild parties, I promise!). Mom said she would check with them about accommodations, so I hope I can cross that off the list.

It's turning out to be about a two-and-a-half week trip, but we can always cut a day or two here and there if we need to. I'm also trying to allow for plenty of stops along the way to take pictures, hit some shops, and take things easy, especially since Grandma is pushing 90? Geez, I'm embarrassed that I can't remember her age! (Michelle would know!)

So, that's it so far, all dates, places, times are subject to change, of course. But if anyone can recommend places to see along the way, please let us know so I can squeeze it into our agenda!Thanks a bunch to everyone!