We covered an expansive distance in the last leg of our trip — from Washington to Florida to Louisiana — so I’m going to dive right in but I’d like to first say that I think the New Orleans portion at the end is worth a read. Or, perhaps more accurately, I enjoy reliving it by reading.
Decide for yourself…
Montana
Changes to our schedule earlier this summer meant skipping our initially planned visits to Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. We’re ok with this because we know we’ll have plenty of chances to visit in the future, and we did get to see a lot of beautiful country during our quick drive across Montana.
You may or may not have heard that Montana has been on fire this summer. Literally. We passed just two of the many fires that have burned for the past month or so, and saw a number of helicopters fighting back the flames. We could see and smell the smoke almost the entire time we were in the state. It’s very scary and humbling to face forces so much larger than us. We’re praying for Montana.
Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park and Wall, South Dakota
Mt. Rushmore was expectedly underwhelming, we really just went because it was on the way to Badlands and it seems silly not to stop when you’re so close.
Badlands National Park on the other hand, was a very pleasant surprise. I’m not sure who gave places like Badlands and Death Valley their names, but it’s a really bad PR move. Nothing about the Badlands are bad. The landscapes are unique and beautiful, and we saw much more wildlife here than in any other park. There were antelope, deer, big horned sheep, prairie dogs and coyotes. We looked for buffalo, which are apparently common in the park, but we didn’t see any.
We camped in Wall, South Dakota, home of the “world-famous Wall Drug Store.” We had never heard of the place until we encountered the billboards promoting the place that became popular by offering free ice water to travelers in the 1930s. It is a cute little town and we had fun exploring the funky tourist trap that has been carefully crafted over decades.
All in all, South Dakota was a very pleasant surprise. We’d absolutely return here and are glad we made the choice to get to know this region.
Madison, Wisconsin
Our next notable stop was a weekend visiting my friend, Nicole, and her family in Madison. This was a real delight! Madison is a great mix of urban and rural beauty. We drove by a large, lovely fields of corn and sunflowers, toured the VERY impressive Epic campus, and had great food and drinks downtown.
The drive to and from Madison was also incredible … there are some gorgeous farms in this part of the country and I briefly imagined living there. Then I remembered winter and snapped out of it.
Kentucky, y’all!
We planned to head for Nashville to visit a friend and watch the eclipse. However, rumors of the traffic to get there prior to the eclipse scared us … as you might imagine, traffic is especially un-fun when towing a trailer. So, we instead headed for Louisville to visit Wes, Toyo’s college friend, and his family.
While there, we remembered that a long-time friend from Tampa also lived in Louisville, so it was really fun to see Chip, too. We started this visit with a fantastic brunch then toured local watering holes … a great Sunday by all accounts.
For the eclipse, we drove about an hour south to Wes’ lake house. This picturesque location had 97% eclipse totality. We thought this meant it was essentially the same as the path of totality, but that was not the case. The sun/moon appeared to have a total eclipse when looking at them through protective eyewear, but it didn’t get very dark. The sky definitely darkened during the peak eclipse, but it was more like a cloudy dusk for 4 minutes, definitely not a midnight-in-the-afternoon experience, as happened in the path of totality.
However, we did not at all regret this decision because it enabled us to stay at what has got to be one of the most unique properties in this part of the country. We first visited Wes’ family’s Bardstown property when we attended his wedding a few years ago, but didn’t get to really see and explore the property until now. The expansive grounds are meticulously well kept, there are two lovely lakes with plenty of fish that bite, various stretches of woods and cleared fields, and the perfect lakeside cabin.
We absolutely loved this cabin. In an era when most home buyers/builders seek large-as-possible houses, it’s refreshing to see a family opt for the simple life. This cabin is absolutely everything you need, and nothing you don’t. There’s lofted sleeping space for 4, a cozy eat-in kitchen and family room with fireplace, bathroom and wrap-around porch that looks out onto the lake and fire pit. Perfection.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The final park on our trip was the Great Smokey Mountains and it did not disappoint. We saw our second bear of the trip but weren’t quick enough to snap a photo.
We did a great little hike up to Clingman’s Dome for an excellent 360° view of the humble and soothing Smokies. Though these mountains aren’t as tall as many we saw out west, the colors, expansive valleys and movement of clouds — which give the “smoke” effect — are exceptionally tranquil and felt like the perfect way to end our park adventures for the summer.
We also spent an afternoon and evening in the cheesy-yet-charming Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Here, we made the mistake of visiting a local winery. Please don’t ever do this after spending your summer tasting Oregon and California wines. It’s just not fair and we should have known better. Also, they served wine slushies, which should have been our first sign to turn around. Fools.
Impressing children in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ocala, Florida
We were excited to visit the Mudd family, which we tend to do every few years when passing through Atlanta. They seem to have a new kid each time we visit and this time we were VERY popular with their two oldest. Pro tip: If you want to impress kids ages 3-9, drag an RV down their street. The Mudd kids were downright proud to show it off to their neighborhood friends, which was pretty funny.
The popularity of RVs among the 10-and-younger crowd was further proven when we arrived at my sister’s home in Ocala. Her oldest kids were counting down the sleeps until we arrived so they could spend the night in the RV. Sadly, it was raining when we arrived, which ruined the grand entrance and joyful reunion I had envisioned. Daniel did manage to greet us in the driveway wearing nothing but his Batman underwear, though, so I guess there was a bit of spectacle.
Our mutual friends, the Crums, also visited Ocala while we were there, which was so fun, and also good that we had the RV because six adults and five kids in one house would have otherwise been real snug.
To operate the air conditioning in the RV so that the Hart boys, Uncle Toyo and Aunt Chris didn’t die from heat stroke, we had a power cord stretching from the RV, through a window in my sister’s bathroom, across the shower and to the plug on the wall. Cousin Eddie jokes were abundant. I’m sure her neighbors were thrilled to see us leave.
After Ocala, we returned to Tampa for a few days, which was great but it’s basically home, so not a lot to report on the recalculating front …
New Orleans, Louisiana
If you want to end an epic trip with a bang, is there a better place to do it than NOLA? I don’t think so. It’s just the absolute best of everything.
Toyo and I have both been, but never together, and Toyo hadn’t been as an adult. We stayed with his Rafferty cousins in their ah-mazing historic home in the Garden District and every single thing we ate that weekend was out-of-this-world delicious. It started with dinner at the Raffertys’ house, where I met the cousins — Barkley and Nigel — and we both met their fiancés, Christopher and Caroline.
The next day, we took the Raffertys’ advice and walked much of Magazine Street and ate at the delicious Croquette. Then we made our way to the French Quarter so that Toyo could see and smell Bourbon Street, but spent most of our time on more civilized side streets in the area. We headed back west for dinner at Jacques-Imo — where Toyo proclaimed his redfish dish the best he’d ever had.
We ended the trip with brunch at Commander’s Palace, kindly arranged by Barkley. We’ve heard a lot about this place because Monk — Toyo’s grandmother and NOLA native — occasionally reminisces about their wonderful 25¢ martinis. The martini bargain is only offered during weekday lunch, so we didn’t participate this time, but every bite of our three-course brunch was spectacular.
Commander’s Palace has managed to hang on to the old-world charm and standards that have largely dwindled from other fine dining establishments. They have a dress code that’s enforced, which may seem stuffy — we watched them kindly turn away a woman wearing shorts — but honestly, it’s kind of refreshing and exciting to enter a dining room full of people who are dressed for the occasion.
A three-piece jazz band circulates the dining rooms during brunch, which was a delight that became transcendent when they played Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” and the entire dining room of approximately 200 people sang along during the chorus.
That song now feels like the theme of our trip, because so much of our world is wonderful beyond our realization. The incredibly imaginative beauty of the west and the rest of the planet are just the beginning, for it’s people who make those wonders full.
That isn’t to say that everything in our world is wonderful — Charlottesville, Harvey, Myanmar, Irma, etc. demonstrate abundant heartache and hate, and need for activism — but the majority of the people in the world are beautifully compassionate, kind, thoughtful and sacrificial. And we all have a spectacular opportunity to experience life beside them.
Toyo and I have interacted with hundreds of strangers in 19 different states and providences this summer, and almost all of them have demonstrated genuine care for their neighbor — offering to take one another’s photos at scenic stops, giving up a seat on a bus or bench, lending phones, pointing out a hazard ahead, sharing meals, and so on. Prior to leaving Tampa, we stopped by a friend’s house to pick up donations she collected for Harvey victims — her initial plan to pay for shipping was thwarted by the abundance of supplies she received in just two days, so we loaded them into the suburban and delivered to donation centers when we returned to Texas.
Is that not wonderful?
People loving other people is what makes the world wonderful, friends, and you can’t really absorb the reality of this when you view the world from this screen. The perspectives offered via social media or news sites endlessly depict deep divisions in America, and comment sections often drive it home. But after spending four months brushing shoulders with strangers in real life, I can tell you that the place where our divisions run deepest is on the internet. People here are mean; out in the world, people choose daily to love and show kindness toward their neighbors, and most of it isn’t documented for later viewing online.
Interacting with people from big cities, small towns and everything in between has restored a bit of my faith in America and in Americans. Goodness abounds in every nook of our country and I hope the experiences you have today help you deeply absorb that truth, for you don’t have to travel to see it.
Perhaps that’s the most important thing we’ll take away from this road trip, that even more so than magnificent landscapes, kindness is a sight worth seeing. We’re fortunate to have abundantly experienced both and hope to pass it on.
“I see trees of green,
Red roses too.
I see them bloom,
For me and you.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue,
And clouds of white.
The bright blessed day,
The dark sacred night.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow,
So pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces,
Of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands.
Saying, ‘How do you do?’
They’re really saying,
‘I love you’.
I hear babies cry,
I watch them grow,
They’ll learn much more,
Than I’ll ever know.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
Yes, I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.”
Recalculating... 
Oh Christina,you have outdone yourself.Absolutely beautiful !!.
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Wonderful Cristina,
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Thanks, Susan!
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I’ve laughed and cried with you during your journey. What a wonderful world indeed…..and how wonderful you and Tony were able to experience it. Thanks for taking me along and I’ve loved your writing.
Here’s to many more adventures…..love ya’Regina
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Thank you, Mrs. B! You’re the best!
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