Finishing up Colorado, Utah and Idahome!

We had a stop in Colorado over Labor Day weekend and got in some more visit time with our family around the Greeley area. 

It was fun to see so many loved ones and a wonderful visit! When we left we headed thru Utah for a couple of days, staying along the way in Price and Willard, UT. 

Our final stop before going home was at one of our favorite places in ID., St. Anthony Sand Dunes. it was a little cooler but the skies were beautiful and we got in some great rides! 

We knocked out 47 states over 18,000 miles and really relaxed and enjoyed seeing friends and family, mountains, oceans, lakes, and America the Beautiful ❤️ We came back to Twin Falls September 18 and are trying to resume life as normal as we can, but we are so greatful for the year + time we spent living this wonderful dream. Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you have enjoyed it. 

Happy travels!

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont

We stayed in the Shenipsit Lake area in Tolland Connecticut at Quarry Campground. it has 2 lakes and a stream and was beautiful. They had a Christmas in July celebration while we were there too. 

While there we went to the Kaplan Motorcycle Museum and Mike loved seeing the bikes like he and his friends had. 

We took a day trip to Rhode Island as well.  There's beautiful forests and a lake that we went by, as well as Quaint towns with lovely old architecture.

  When we left Connecticut we went to New Hampshire and stayed at a campground in Rumney. Maggie and I walked a lot there and enjoyed seeing the old river bridge and summer blooms. 

 We took a couple of days trips from NH. We spent one day going into Maine.  It was a beautiful ride through forests with streams and views of the White Mountains. 

Another day we explored a little of Vermont. We stopped at a cute tourist store called the Vermont spot . It's by an antique store and there are candy shops there too!

Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York

We spent a couple of days in Sikeston MO then moved on and stayed in the Military campground at Fort Knox and drove around the base there. We got to see some gold and the fortress that they keep it in but unfortunately we couldn't have any samples. 

Next we spent a week in the area where Kentucky, west Virginia and Ohio meet. We drove into all 3 states and went around Ironton Ohio, where Mike's parents were born and raised. When his Grandma was there we visited several times. We drove by these two homes that his grandfather built. He and Grandma lived in the 2-story and his parents lived in the other one when they were first married and his sister, Sue was born when they lived there.

 Our next stop was a couple days in Meadow Ridge WV. It was a restful stop with a lovely view. we had some rain but enjoyed cooler temps! I didn't get any photos, unfortunately, but we were on a hilltop overlooking the mountains and a lovely farm with cows in the pasture.

We went through VA next and made a quick visit with our nephew, Chuck and his wife, Alisha. 

We then headed to Maryland, close to Washington DC.

We drove into DC and saw the sites 

After DC we traveled through Pennsylvania and drove to Delaware and New Jersey. 

We went across the bridge at the spot where George Washington was said to have crossed the Delaware River.

We're currently in New York state in the Catskills area near the town of Unadilla. The weather is perfect and the KOA is beautiful with a fishing pond and a great pool. 

South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi

We left south Carolina after enjoying good times with family and friends and are doubling back to Mississippi to spend time near granddaughter, Bella, who is with her Navy Reserves unit and preparing to deploy to Kuwait. 

Our time in SC ncluded a trip to Myrtle Beach with my sister and nephew and their spouses and my brother. 

 Mike and I crossed off Helicopter Ride on our bucket list and took a short flight over the beach 

we had a great time and even got to see my cousin, Judy, who has a beautiful gift shop in Myrtle Beach.

 we also enjoyed Lake Murray time with my brother, John.

My college friend, Sandra, got a group of old friends together for dinner at an old hangout and it was so great to see everyone!

After spending good times with so much fun, friends and family 

We spent our first stop in Asheville NC and went into town to check it out and have lunch. Asheville is charming with a very artsy feel.  We enjoyed a

yummy lunch at a local joint

 I stopped into a little general store to get a postcard ( we try to send them regularly to Mike's sister, Sue, at her request. This store is Mast's General Store and I realized thaty father's Grandmother was a Mast. We did some research when we got back to camp and sure enough it was started by her family in the late 1800s and then sold in the  1970s. 

 I'm glad I picked up a postcard and a sticker from the store now!

From Asheville we spent a couple of days in Tennessee and couple of days in Alabama.  We're in Gulfport MS now on the Navy Base and staying until June 22nd. Our oldest granddaughter, Bella, is stationed here with her group, preparing for deployment to Kuwait in  a couple of months.  It's really humid and hot in MS and we had Tropical storm Arthur pass through a couple of days ago. So much rain and puddles like crazy. High winds too, but we were fine.

Last night we  had Bella out to the campground and made dinner for her. We had a good visit and said goodbye before we left for our next stop. Praying for our sweet girl to be protected from any harm and to stay strong and wise throughout this deployment!

Our final destination in Mississippi is this beautiful campground at Wallace Creek, Enid Lake MS

Heading to South Carolina

Our northward trip brought us back to WW Ranch near Jacksonville and we got to see a 2 day old calf and enjoy the barnyard sounds again.

From there we went to Savannah Ga and stayed at a lovely place. Our granddaughter, Bella and her boyfriend Aaron live nearby and joined us that evening for pizza and laughs. 

Next we made it to the midlands of South Carolina and are staying at Cedar Pond CG not far from Jessie  and Mike's family and John (my brother) and Debbie. 

I had to visit my doctor for annual checkup in Idaho in April so I took a flight out of Charlotte NC April 8-14. 

It was nice to check in with friends and see home for a few days. 

i missed getting a photo with Debbie and Brent, but I borrowed a car from them spent good times with their family and am so grateful for their care and friendship!

 The trip was good and I returned to Charlotte and spent the night there to await the arrival of our children, Zach and wife Mandie from Portland,OR, and Elizabeth from Montana. I rented a van and  drove around Charlotte. My great uncle David Sheets lived there when I was growing up. I went to look for his old property and did find it, but it's now a subdivision on a street named for him.

I drove back to the airport and picked up the kids and we headed back to the family in SC.

Charlotte airport:

We are so grateful for their visit since Zach and Mandie are going to be moving to Denmark because Zach is going to be working there as a Lego designer. It's a boyhood dream come true and we're so proud, yet sad to have them so far away. (New vacation location, though!) Also Elizabeth is leaving to work her summer job at a salmon  fishery in Alaska soon and granddaughter, Bella is going to Mississippi with her Navy Reserves unit to prepare for deployment to Kuwait. Lots of changes coming!

Sorry these are all sideways. They came through some other sources than my phone camera and I am technology challenged, so that's what happened. 

The kids have already gone to their next destinations and Mike and I are relaxing and resuming some normalcy now, but we've had a few more visits.   I went to Columbia yesterday and had lunch with some USCarolina band friends. After being apart 25+ years we had lots of fun catching up!

Today, April 29, 2026, Mike and I traveled by car to Charleston SC and had the opportunity to meet a sister from his biological father's side. Jenny is his youngest known sibling, as he has been discovering more about his family thanks to ancestry. She was delightful to talk with and looks so much like Mike! Having been adopted as an infant, Mike has always been curious about his biological roots.  He has made many  connections and has met his biological mom, and her two daughters who are from NV and we stay in touch with them. He now has been in contact with 2 sisters from their father and will meet more sisters and hopefully a brother when we make it to Minnesota. Here's a picture of Mike and Jenny 

His family history, as we are learning is quite interesting... His father was married a few times and fathered children even more times. We've learned some absurd things about him and even crazier things about Mike's paternal Grandfather. None of it, although it is and interesting story, is anything I plan to write more about.

Thanks for taking the time to read!