June 24 – Today’s the Day!

Today’s the day – – we are setting out on a journey halfway across America. Actually, more than half if you count the flight, too. June has already taken me across three states – Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Beginning today, I’ll add Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico to the list of travel destinations for this month.

We’re packed, we’re ready, and we’re looking forward to the adventures ahead. I’ll be doing something a little different as I blog this week. I’ll begin the day with a short entry, and I’ll add photos and updates along the way. If you’re keeping up with our trip, evening will be a good time to see the whole day’s travels.

We’re still wondering whether anyone in our group will go for the 72-ounce steak at The Big Texan, where if you eat it in one hour (along with a baked potato, salad, and a roll), it’s free!

We’re sitting at Gate B20, ready to depart at 11:25 for Chicago-Midway. I hope to have more pictures this evening.

We saw the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Illinois and were sad that The Launching Pad restaurant was closed for renovations. As we looked through the windows, we could see that the tabletops were maps of the United States with Route 66 logos, and an old jukebox stood at the back. We chatted with a man filling up has gas tank across the street, a local, and learned he’d been born in Valdosta, Georgia. My sister-in-law mentioned that we were married to brothers, standing on the other side of the street, and when the man yelled, “Go Georgia Brothers,” my husband raised his arm and gave the fisted power-arm flex, not pausing in his conversation, THAT’S one picture I wish I’d captured yesterday!

We moved along to the Standard Oil Company in Odell, Illinois, where a theme started to emerge – – brothers on benches. BOB is our codeword for taking pictures of these two brothers along the route. When I was in San Antonio the year before last, I saw little inviting benches and chairs and seating areas here and there and began taking photos of them, even with no one seated there. When we saw that our husbands seemed magnetically drawn to several benches yesterday, we decided that these would be moments to preserve in photos along the way – – not just the landmarks, but these special family moments.