Tennesse, Tennesse, ain't no place I'd rather be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozTPXc3j-4k   Check out Levon Helm singing Tennesse Jed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.  Jon drove through from Corbin, KY to Nashville, TN.  He woke me up at 1am, we were in downtown Nashville, we climbed into the back of the truck and spent a much warmer, if not a little louder,  second night of sleep in the truck.  We awoke on January 12 to a little rain and drove to Centennial Park.  We took a 1-mile loop walk around the lake and unsuccessfully tried to use our hot water heater with our 12V adapter in the truck to make some tea while we waited for the Parthenon Art Museum to open at 9am.  The Parthenon is a full size replica of the Greek Parthenon that was created for the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in 1897.  It cost $6/person to view the contemporary art exhibits and the sculptures from the Expo.  Overall, it was a nice rainy day activity.  We didn't get much exercise during this activity though and the local YMCA doesn't offer day passes.  I had wanted to visit the Grand Ole' Opry but it was the other direction and really, what am I going to do there?  We spent the rest of the day driving straight to Mobile, AL.  According to the forecast, it's  going to be really cold the next couple of days so we are trying to get as far south as we can.  We also have reservations to spend Sunday and Monday in New Orleans, so we are itchin to get South.  We drove to a cheap motel, cooked our dinner on the campstove, and enjoyed a hot shower, a bottle of Grace Bridge and a warm bed. 

The Parthenon

The Serpent

Me and Athena

Door face

the long hall

KY

As the sun set on our first day we drove into Kentucky.  We had a quick camp stove dinner at Blue Lick Battlefield State park then spent the first night in the truck.  We parked the truck in a field near Boonesboro State Park when it was cold and dark and went to sleep.  It rained the first night and was a little cold but we were dry and comfortable.  Then next morning, January 11th,  we tried to go to Fort Boonesboro Park but came to find that it was closed for the season, oh well.  Next we drove to Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home but it was also closed for the season.  We visited Mammoth Caves National Park and took the Historic 2 hour guided tour.  At our deepest point of the tour we were 350 feet below the earth. We were herded along with a bunch of tourists but our 2 guides both had beards..bonus.  The one guide seemed a little bit "by the book" and didn't know a few key facts about the geology of the cave but the apprentice guide added a little magic to the routine and got my vote for creativity and lantern light tricks.  I'm always very critical of ANY tour guide especially if they could be considered a naturalist.    Good tour overall, and the caves are AMAZING.  For dinner we made an outrageously long drive to Corbin, KY to the original Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum.  It was just a KFC with a little museum and a replica of Harland's old dining room....however, I did enjoy my 2 piece with 2 sides and a biscuit.  Jon and I made a pact not to eat any more fast food after that.  After that long drive, I fell asleep and Jon drove straight through to Nashville.

* A side note about places with the word Lick in them.  ” Lick” is a place where salt is found on the surface of the earth, to which wild animals resort to lick it up; — often, but not always, near salt springs.

  Me and the Harland Sanders Statue KFC Cafe

Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood home....Jon thought it was interesting that he had a wood fireplace.

Jon's ghost

Entrance/Exit to the cave

Hocking Hills, OH

On Jan. 10th, 2012 we left the Ohio Valley, I tearfully told my Mother and Father good-bye, and we made our way to destinations sans familia.  We decided to take the ol' Route 7 down to Marietta and across to Hocking Hills State Park which is one of the most beautiful places in Ohio.  We were able to go for a nice hike around Old Man's Cave.  We had our lunch where Richard Rowe probably ate his lunch around 1797 and then hiked down to the falls passing the Sphinx Head and Devil's Bathtub.  The geology of Hocking Hills was created by the erosion of Black Sandstone which was deposited there over 300 million years ago...dang!  The forest ecology befits at climate that is much colder with trees such as hemlock and birch.  We also got some groceries for the next week or so at Marietta's local Kroger Store.  I was really tempted by the frozen buttered steak but I restrained myself.  Off to Kentucky!

         How could I have turned this down?

O-H-I-O

1-9-12
Today is our last day in the Ohio Valley.  We have spent the last 10 days visiting family and friends as well as getting our truck worked on by the "King" of Warren Ridge, my Dad, Mike Horsky.  The weather went from being cold and snowy to sunny and warm-er.  Our truck seems to be ready to roll after we install our safe tonight.  At Mikey's advice we installed air shocks to help with the extra weight we'll be carrying.  We have new brake shoes, serpentine belt and had our transmission flushed.  Things are running quite smooth.  We went to Cbus to visit friends and had a nice time checking out Vlad's band and celebrating Jimmy's cousins 6th birthday at Chuck E Cheese.  I didn't have such a nice time watching the Steelers lose but hey...maybe next year.  I guess I'll cheer for Jon's team now....Tom Brady does wear Uggs.  Tomorrow we are going to head south in Ohio to Hocking Hills and the Scenic River Route.  We'll head to Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and then New Orleans for a few days.  I'll probably check back in when we get to New Orleans because we'll have a hotel there and some wi-fi access but until then we'll be sleeping in the truck.  Tomorrow night will be our first night in the truck!    I'm going to miss my Mom, Dad and dear friends in Ohio more than I can express but I know they'll be following me along.  Til next time. 

 Mom and I

 Jimmy and Jon sharing a cup of hot chocolate at Chuck E Cheese

 Jon overlooking the YTR

 It's a Marvelous Night for a Moon Dance

 Prom pose with Meggie and Kristyn

 Over the Valley

 Through the Waterfall

 Cornfields

 Turkey

 Me and Dad hiking around

Finally checking out one of Vlad's bands

Day One-Jan. 1st

We began our adventure on January 1st.  We had a great night at Jon's Secret Santa Party as you can see from the picture above, and it gave us an opportunity to say good-bye to all our friends in Massachusetts.  Those guys are so smooth.  We drove the first day from Mattapoisett, MA to Rayland, OH.  We stopped in Manhattan for lunch at a NY Bagel shop and I ordered the Hot Pastrami....it came as a triple decker sandwich.  Whoa Pastrami!  Everyone was a little subdued in the Big Apple it seemed from the previous night's celebrations.  We were able to cruise through Manhattan though without much traffic problems because everyone was recuperating I guess.

Drive by of the Empire State Building. 

This was an awesome building with a sign that said plainly "The Cathedral".

  After our sunny, warm stop in the Big Apple we then proceeded to have a meteorologically varied drive to Ohio.  It rained, snowed, hailed and got very cold.  Now, we are going to spend 10 days in the burroughs and hollows(rs) of the Ohio River Valley visiting my family and friends.  Yenz check back now-ya hear?

We have loaded up the truck. Everything is in the back and on the roof rack that needs to be and we only have a few items that need to go in the cab of the truck. It all fits and we don't have room for anything else...so, that works. I haven't, however, packed my clothes yet. We saved a space in the truck for both of our clothes. I am limited to whatever can fit with Jon's clothes in that allotted space. I'm a little nervous. No matter how many times we have traveled and even if it was a recurring destination where I knew what to be prepared for, I still over pack. Now, I don't know what to be prepared for and I hate to be unprepared....I feel like I need to pack extra because I won't know all the possible circumstances we will encounter. But, I won't be able to over pack. There just isn't room for that.

Also, another aspect of concern has popped itself into my head as I look at the picture of the truck we are going to live in as it sits in front of the house we have been living in for the past year....does the size ratio of living space concern anyone else? Maybe it's just me... Well see how it turns out. ;) Check ya later.

Departure Date

I believe our date has been set for Departure. We plan to leave MA in the new year around the 2nd of January. We'll stop in Ohio for a week or so to visit family and friends. Then we are off. We'll be visiting places across the US first, which will give us a feel for living in the truck and being on the road. We plan to visit Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, MS, New Orleans, the Ozarks, checking Arkansas off our list of states we need to visit because really-what's not to do in Arkansas? That only leaves me to visit Iowa and Nebraska-two more states that also sound really exciting. After Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and back to California. We have a lot of places we want to visit on our 5th(me) 6th(Jon) trans-North American trip. We have a few places that we want to re-visit such as our favorite hot springs near our old home in Twin Peaks and other Southern California destinations.

We'll cross the border and begin our old familiar route through Baja then take the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan. After this point it will be new territory for us. So, I think the adventure will really begin there. We are planning to attend 2 weeks of language school in Mexico City then just drive South. I hope to post pictures and locations along the way so that our family and friends can stay informed of our experiences. Stay with us and enjoy!

Marcie