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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!

Reading Nick Doster’s new book Don’t Look, Ethel! on my Kindle in the Atlanta Airport

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

Landing at Midway in Chicago (Lake Michigan in view)
I love all the great stickers I’m seeing along the way!
The Gemini Giant stands tall in Wilmington, Illinois – the first of the “Muffler Men” we will see along the way.

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.

American Flag and Route 66 Flag flying over the Standard Oil Company
Brothers on Benches in Atlanta, Illinois
In Wilmington, Illinois
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June 23 – It’s Getting Real! Boarding our Boys…

Ollie

One of the reasons we bought a camper in 2020 was so we could enjoy weekend getaways without having to board our three schnoodles. We call them our four-legged sons. They have definite food preferences, and true to the Schnoodlehood, they are each loyal to their one chosen toy. Fitz has a green turtle he uses to self-soothe, Ollie has a pink Hartz ball he lives to chase, and Boo Radley has a Shrek blanket that of all the things in this world he gets most territorial over. It breaks my heart to have to board them when we take a non-camping trip, so much that I feel tears welling up just thinking about it.

Don’t get me wrong – – we love their kennel, they love their kennel, and they get to stay together in the same crate. They’ll have outdoor playtime with other dogs, but just like siblings, they’ll schnocker and schnortle around at each other in their play-fighting ways while at the same time bringing each other the reassurance of family togetherness while we parents are away.

They don’t dislike the kennel, but they whine and carry on and show their anxiety about leaving home unless they know we are pulling a camper. Fitz will whine like a baby once we get on Highway 362.

All. The. Way. There.

Fitz

Boo Radley will likely lose control of his bowels for one small half second somewhere in the floorboard – usually around the gas station, and it will be like dime-size hail but will smell across three states. It won’t matter if he’s already taken care of this business this morning – – this is his way of showing me – proving – that his anxiety is higher than the St. Louis Gateway Arch and he is protesting being left behind. And Ollie, the most easygoing dog ever, will root his way into my lap just to inhale my exhales as we make our way there.

Their food is individually measured, bagged, and labeled for the week ahead. Their toys are packed next to their treats, and their shot records are all updated and entered into the system at their kennel. While we’ll only be gone a week, there will be no one playing morning tug of war with Briar’s jeans legs, no one putting his warm little muzzle up to my face to greet me first thing in the morning, and no one barking at one of us to throw his ball down the hall so he can run for it again,…and again….and again. No one reminding us about treats. No one waiting for one of us to crush an empty K-cup box with our foot so he can come steal it away, whisk it off to the couch, and chew on it in the living room until we take it away.

They’ve seen the suitcases. They’re suspecting something’s up, but not yet knowing exactly what.

Is it too late to back out? My heart can’t take leaving my babies!

I suppose that’s what sunglasses are really for……

Boo Radley
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June 22 – The Route 66 Travel Tree

I have a widowed friend who has a “travel tree.” She keeps a pencil-style Christmas tree up year round and adds a small ornament to it from all of her travels. There’s a fluffy little sheep from Ireland, a set of bagpipes from Scotland, and a vast menu of other cultural relics that bring back vivid memories. There’s even a penguin from Antarctica. To stand with her by the tree is to hear story after splendid story about “the time that….”

The most interesting souvenir, she keeps hidden. She once reached into the middle of the tree and pulled out a small, flat square wrapped package on an ornament hook.

A condom.

“They had them on the hotel counters in China. So I took one and made it my souvenir.”

She shares stories – more than photos – of her past trips.

I’m not one of those who wants to leave my Christmas tree up all year long, but….I’m thinking that when I return from Route 66, I might just begin a travel tree as part of my travel tradition.

What are all of your best travel traditions?

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June 21 – The Open Write with Angie Braaten

Angie Braaten is our host at http://www.ethicalela.com today for the final day of this month’s Open Write. She encourages us to write a poem about what we would like to be when we grow up. You can read her full prompt here.

Secret Badge

when I grow up
I want to be a
traveling food critic
a descriptive writer
of all things edible….
….(or not)…..
all expenses paid
to go out into the world
and live it up
like a spy on a secret mission
with an official foodie badge
that I keep covered
until the end of the meal….
….(or forever)……
unless I want immediate
preferential seating
or my glass runs dry
or I get bad service
then I whip it out
like some veiled threat
of a viral review
that might shut the place down
….(or something)……

oh and a hotel critic too
I want to be one
who jumps on beds
to test the comfort
rolls around in the sheets
and fills the bathtub to overflowing
with expensive bubble bath
with little flecks of real gold dust
and eats all the snacks
that cost twelve dollars each
for free
in those presidential suites
with corner windows
on the top floor
one who shows my badge
at checkout

and I want an airplane badge, too
so I can cut the line at security
and go in my own private room
where the rest of everyone
all tired-legged and eyeing my
complimentary
plate of sugared grapes and chocolates
whispers
who is she??
but I play it cool
never revealing my name
like no one can know
who I am
a secret traveling critic
as I take my seat in first class
throw my feet up on the
plush footrest
whip out my review computer
and write away
into the clouds
….(or just dream about it all)….

then go home to the country
and press wildflowers
and read poetry
and bask in full-face dog kisses
with whole-body tail wags
because I’m back where I belong
…..(without a badge)…….

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June 20 – The Open Write with Angie Braaten

Today’s host for the Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com is Angie Braaten, who inspires us to write On Turning….poems, modeling verse about a particular age after Billy Collins’ On Turning Ten, and then to take it a step further by trying to connect form choice to the foused age. I chose a nonet since I chose to write about turning nine. You can read her full prompt here.

Karma Clogs

When I was nine years old, I wore clogs.

Chocolate brown leather ones, stamped

with daisies.  With wooden soles.

I kicked the class bully.

Fourth grade girl drama

met its match with

those weapons!

Karma

clogs.

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June 19 – The Open Write with Dr. Leilya Pitre

Dr. Leilya Pitre of Ponchatoula, Louisiana is our host for today’s Open Write. She brings us a short form, the sevenling, which you can read about here.

Foxgloves at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia

Foxglove Funeral for a Grandson

Foxglove bells chime joy, bring smiles
on Mother’s Day in Georgia, painting gardens
in blush colors: the female womb blooms

Foxglove bells toll grief, stir longing
on Mother’s Day in Kentucky: a petal flips, a
cradle rocks in heaven ~ the female soul cries

empty arms mourning a baby not born

Foxglove in Kentucky, symbolizing a baby in heaven
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June 18 – The Open Write with Jennifer Jowett

Jennifer Jowett of Michigan hosts today’s Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com and offers us a compelling prompt about the future of our world today. Her prompt is one we dance along the periphery of in so many of our countryside drive discussions, wondering about the future of our county, heartsick over each new development, each new killing of droves of trees that were once home to birds, deer, foxes, squirrels, bees, chipmunks, raccoons, opossums…..it breaks my heart for the wildlife and for the future of our grandchildren.

Fairy Firefly Future

I ride these ribbony roads

rolling hills of rural Georgia

where roosters herald

morning

proclaiming

LIKE BREAKING NEWS

the miracle

of sunrise

meander these mid-day meadows

and forests, treetop-tiered trills

of triumphant birdsong

tapping my fingers on the wheel to the

backbeat bleat of sheep

throaty goaty notes

descant of donkeys

breathe the melodies of

fresh-mown fields and

   hallelujah wildflowers

  in their symphonious seasons

pay homage to these sunset hillsides  

 alive with life’s simple abundance     

harmonizing frogs and crickets

  ……my mind drifts,

    ~I turn a corner: houses under construction! ~

  wondering…..what will become of this place?

          will my great grandchildren

               ever see green fairy fireflies

       twinkling tiny stars

          dipping beneath the

             deep ocean of sky?

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June 17 – June Open Write – Day 1 with Jessica

Just some of my writing friends, NCTE, Anaheim, CA November 2023

Today’s host at the Open Write is Jessica from Arkansas, who inspires us to write about our friends using borrowed lines from friendship songs. You can read her full prompt here.

I can’t think of a better way to kick off any month than celebrating friendship. Jessica’s invitation to search songs was just what my heart needed this morning, and for me, no one touches my heart like The Divine Miss M. Here’s to all of my friends who are writers – all of you, using a line or two from Wind Beneath My Wings

A Haiku for YOU

you, fellow writer,
are the wind beneath my wings
cheers to friends with pens!

did I ever tell
(forgive me if I haven’t)
you, you’re my hero?

-Kim

You can watch her sing it here: https://youtu.be/0iAzMRKFX3c

And here are some more songs to help you celebrate: https://parade.com/1182863/jessicasager/best-friend-songs-about-friendship/

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June 16 – Route 66 Planning – Making Space for Souvenirs

My mother was a flight attendant at one point in her life, and she once told me that if I had any clothing that wouldn’t fit into my carry-on, I should layer myself up and wear things onto the plane, then take them off once boarded. I remembered that tip coming back from San Antonio, Texas a couple of years ago when I couldn’t figure out what to do with a couple of gift souvenirs. I swapped the clothes for the suitcase space and wore a few extra layers home. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I give a lot of thought to souvenirs. I want them to be packable, practical, and place-based. That’s why my preferred souvenirs are often bracelets – – I’ll actually wear them, they don’t compete for space on the return trip home, and they help me remember the place in some special way. I remember looking all over Texas for a bluebonnet bracelet – – the kind that has a real flower in an oval shaped setting, so I could bring home my very own Texas state flower. I couldn’t find one anywhere and ended up instead with an Alamo t-shirt, which I’d never planned to buy except for the unpredictable February weather that was hot one day and freezing the next.

In Europe, I bought scarves, which I’ve found useful particularly in movie theaters and restaurants where the air conditioning vents somehow always end up blowing right on my shoulders. They fold down to a thin layer in the carry-on.

But the best souvenirs to preserve the memories are photographs – – the moments captured in time that take us back to all the people and places we’ve loved. They fit right on a micro memory card and take up virtually no suitcase space!

What are your favorite souvenirs to buy as you travel?

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June 15 – Route 66 Trip Planning: A Savvier Traveler

Several years ago when I traveled to Europe with a group of students for ten days, I realized that the recurring motif of 3s throughout so much of life holds true for travel as well and makes traveling with only a carry-on possible even for lengthy trips. Three bottoms and three tops yield nine outfits, and that’s more than enough clothing to take me through a week along Route 66 – and these items will fit with room to spare in one small bag.

Two friends in my writing groups have lost their checked luggage in the past few months. When we all gathered for an NCTE presentation in Anaheim, California last November, our Louisiana writer’s bags failed to turn up at the airport; she had to go buy all new clothes for the trip, right down to underwear, makeup, and a toothbrush. Our Michigan friend seemed to have it worse – – she’d flown to Italy and ended up borrowing clothes – – even for the wedding she was there to attend.

So I’m more than a little particular about not checking any bags, fearing I’ll end up on one side of the continent and my belongings on the other.

Before I decided to purchase my Coleman carry-on, I searched several major airlines’ websites to find out their maximum luggage dimensions for carry-ons. I took the smallest dimensions and made the decision to purchase a small hard-shell bag that could stand up to me. Solid swivel wheels, a thick exterior, and a non-flimsy expandable handle were the three most important features, and I also inspected it to be sure it had a stealthy zipper. I landed on a Coleman with a tactical flair.

My personal bag is one that I carry only on the airplane to get the maximum ride for space; once I get where I’m going, I whip out my Travelon backpack with its locking features and use this for daily excursions. The clasps that fasten the bag shut mean I don’t have to worry as much about theft, and the RFID protection gives an added layer of peace of mind. For this trip, I’m also adding a crossbody bag from Travelon, recommended by my traveling friend Glenda from Idaho. I’ll put the crossbody in the backpack and the backpack in the personal bag so that I have a range of bag options for any outing.

Crossbody/Fanny Pack Convertible bag recommended by my friend Glenda

I’m still seeking travel hacks, and some friends have emailed and texted me some great suggestions recently. I appreciate all of the voices of experience and the tips. Please share any packing ideas in the comments – I’m always looking for ways to become a savvier traveler!