FA+
Shop
The Trip
10 years ago
Mostly back now, so I figured it was time for a journal or two summing it up and what a trip it was.
Left at the end of May and started west with my aunt (who was tagging along to see family), heading through Tennessee, Arkansas, with a bit of a delay in Oklahoma. We had stopped for the night just inside the state line when it was found that there were storms ahead and rather than headbutt possible heavy rains. Best. Decision. Ever. Turns out that the storm we would have gone through tried to spawn some tornadoes... pretty much right beside us. That, along with flood watches and warnings, we happened to be in the one part of the state it seemed that did not have anything major happen.
After waiting a second day to let the roads reopen, we continued on, stopping for a short time along the way in Shamrock, Texas, to visit some Route 66 highlights (among the many we saw along Interstates 40 and 44). And shoutouts again, as I did on Twitter, to the ladies who had the visitors' center open on a Sunday on their own time. Very cool. Side notes, Amarillo was more green than I was teased about at one point, given all the rain in the area. X3 New Mexico and Arizona were nice, though relatively uneventful. And Oklahoma apparently had a sense of humor, such as Lotawatah Rd on a sign beside a body of water.
Anyway, we finally got into California and I met up with
jsfreeman and his family, spending a couple days in the area having fun with them. It was a wonderful time there seeing the local sights and hanging out. ^w^ Also did a drawing for him along the way, which you can see in his gallery here and I'll see about reposting sometime, myself.
Upon leaving California, we headed north to Idaho to meet up with family for the next leg of the trip. She went off to visit folks while I went with family back east towards New Hampshire via an RV. We went up through Wyoming and across towards Michigan, crossing into Canada from the northern peninsula. By the time we got into New Hampshire, we'd been on the road for about two weeks and camping in some rather remote areas at times.
(By the way, for those keeping track, I'm up to about 6,000 miles now on this. And I've not even gotten to the "main" part of the trip yet with this telling.)
From there, we hopped south to Boston to fly out to Dublin, Ireland for a week to see the sights and dig up some family history in the country. While there, we had day trips to Galway on the west coast and Belfast in Northern Ireland, to see the Titanic museum, one of the main highlights of which is the restoration of one of the Titanic's tenders, passenger ferry and now the last White Star Line ship left, the Nomadic. As a side mention, the winged possum I picked up at MFF, and made my travel buddy, was nicknamed Nomad by a few after that day at the ship. But so many would give him whatever nickname they could come up with. X3 Still, it's a cute name for him, and rather fitting. ^^
After Dublin and Ireland in general, we hopped over to Inverness, Scotland, staying with additional family who joined up with us in a cottage a little ways outside of town. A couple days after getting there, a few of us went on a guided tour to the Isle of Skye, seeing a few castles along the way such as Eilean Donan, with a return trip to stop by Loch Ness (no sightings, though, heheh). Absolutely gorgeous scenery. The rolling, sometimes steep, hills and moors in the west capped with misty and wispy clouds, it was very much like one would expect of the Scottish Highlands. And the insight the guide gave us into some of the Gaelic background of many of the town names was cool as well, especially since it's a first language for him.
After about two weeks in Scotland, we briefly headed south to England for a visit to the Bovington Tank Museum, which my brother had wanted to see. Rather neat place. Lots of history to artillery that I'd not have guessed. Even the live demonstrations had some surprises to it.
The trip back to the States was a bit tiresome, though. So many airport checkpoints, holy cow. But at least I made it back. X3 Still don't have my main computer back up and running, but that hopefully won't be too much longer. Once I do, I'll see about putting together an album or something of the highlights. I also want to get back to a few projects I want to wrap up as well as draw. I sketched out a few of the suggestions given in the departure journal and other places, so I might see what I can do to polish and share those as well. In the meantime, it's good to be back more again... at around 16,000 miles traveled. ._.
Left at the end of May and started west with my aunt (who was tagging along to see family), heading through Tennessee, Arkansas, with a bit of a delay in Oklahoma. We had stopped for the night just inside the state line when it was found that there were storms ahead and rather than headbutt possible heavy rains. Best. Decision. Ever. Turns out that the storm we would have gone through tried to spawn some tornadoes... pretty much right beside us. That, along with flood watches and warnings, we happened to be in the one part of the state it seemed that did not have anything major happen.
After waiting a second day to let the roads reopen, we continued on, stopping for a short time along the way in Shamrock, Texas, to visit some Route 66 highlights (among the many we saw along Interstates 40 and 44). And shoutouts again, as I did on Twitter, to the ladies who had the visitors' center open on a Sunday on their own time. Very cool. Side notes, Amarillo was more green than I was teased about at one point, given all the rain in the area. X3 New Mexico and Arizona were nice, though relatively uneventful. And Oklahoma apparently had a sense of humor, such as Lotawatah Rd on a sign beside a body of water.
Anyway, we finally got into California and I met up with
jsfreeman and his family, spending a couple days in the area having fun with them. It was a wonderful time there seeing the local sights and hanging out. ^w^ Also did a drawing for him along the way, which you can see in his gallery here and I'll see about reposting sometime, myself.Upon leaving California, we headed north to Idaho to meet up with family for the next leg of the trip. She went off to visit folks while I went with family back east towards New Hampshire via an RV. We went up through Wyoming and across towards Michigan, crossing into Canada from the northern peninsula. By the time we got into New Hampshire, we'd been on the road for about two weeks and camping in some rather remote areas at times.
(By the way, for those keeping track, I'm up to about 6,000 miles now on this. And I've not even gotten to the "main" part of the trip yet with this telling.)
From there, we hopped south to Boston to fly out to Dublin, Ireland for a week to see the sights and dig up some family history in the country. While there, we had day trips to Galway on the west coast and Belfast in Northern Ireland, to see the Titanic museum, one of the main highlights of which is the restoration of one of the Titanic's tenders, passenger ferry and now the last White Star Line ship left, the Nomadic. As a side mention, the winged possum I picked up at MFF, and made my travel buddy, was nicknamed Nomad by a few after that day at the ship. But so many would give him whatever nickname they could come up with. X3 Still, it's a cute name for him, and rather fitting. ^^
After Dublin and Ireland in general, we hopped over to Inverness, Scotland, staying with additional family who joined up with us in a cottage a little ways outside of town. A couple days after getting there, a few of us went on a guided tour to the Isle of Skye, seeing a few castles along the way such as Eilean Donan, with a return trip to stop by Loch Ness (no sightings, though, heheh). Absolutely gorgeous scenery. The rolling, sometimes steep, hills and moors in the west capped with misty and wispy clouds, it was very much like one would expect of the Scottish Highlands. And the insight the guide gave us into some of the Gaelic background of many of the town names was cool as well, especially since it's a first language for him.
After about two weeks in Scotland, we briefly headed south to England for a visit to the Bovington Tank Museum, which my brother had wanted to see. Rather neat place. Lots of history to artillery that I'd not have guessed. Even the live demonstrations had some surprises to it.
The trip back to the States was a bit tiresome, though. So many airport checkpoints, holy cow. But at least I made it back. X3 Still don't have my main computer back up and running, but that hopefully won't be too much longer. Once I do, I'll see about putting together an album or something of the highlights. I also want to get back to a few projects I want to wrap up as well as draw. I sketched out a few of the suggestions given in the departure journal and other places, so I might see what I can do to polish and share those as well. In the meantime, it's good to be back more again... at around 16,000 miles traveled. ._.
MalyDude
~jsfreeman
This will not be nominated for understatement of the year...
IdahoFox
~idahofox
OP
One of the few times that footer is more accurate to itself than the journal. X3
akessel92
~akessel92
Wow...
IdahoFox
~idahofox
OP
Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Quite the adventure. Seems like a dream at times with the details... until my camera's card reminds me that, yes, I was actually all those places.
