The Annual Trip Back

My sister came to visit in Feb with her family (two kids 4&6).  We had such a good time and when we realised (duh!) that my kids would be graduated and gone in a few short years, we vowed to meet up twice a year, once here and once in Canada, and then try and get the entire family together once per year.  I'm heading to Canada for part of the summer.  We'll go to my family's cottage in the rockies for at least 1 week to 10 days and then the rest of the time I'll split between my family and the in-laws   DH is staying home rather than dealing with his family!

I'm heading back to the States this summer too...and dragging along my bf (actually he better be my fiance by that point)...we're doing - NYC (for fun), PA (dad, step-mom, sis-in-law, bro, friends), Boston (friends), DC (friends), Denver (Bestest friend & her hubby), Sante Fe (fun) and Albuquerque (fam reunion with mom & her fam)...it's going to be crazy and we've been trying to save as much as we can (though with the heaters & shower broken within one week it's not helping)...lots of travel within the US which will be expensive.

Don't know if you would, but I would need a few weeks to recover.

Would I do a trip like that? Hell yea! Got a Harley for out west?

Don't know if you would, but I would need a few weeks to recover. 

Several days to sleep at least!  The worst I did was fly Manchester to DC, stayed in Baltimore, then in DC, flew to Wichita for a visit, drove to Dallas then drove to San Antonio, drove back to Dallas, flew to Tampa for a visit, then flew back to DC and back to Manchester.  I didn't know where I was at the end of all that!

Several days to sleep at least! 

at least

The busiest for us had been Manchester - Dallas - NO - Biloxi - St Louis - SC - Orlando - Biloxi - NO - Dallas - Manchester in 2 weeks with two small kids in the hot summer. God it was nice to come back to an air conditioned country!

PS Dallas may have been Houston. It was a long time ago...

Don't know if you would, but I would need a few weeks to recover.

Would I do a trip like that? Hell yea! Got a Harley for out west?

That's why it's good to be in academia...I will have time to recover...poor bf though!

That's why it's good to be in academia...I will have time to recover...poor bf though!

Or good to be a slacker (like me)...but DH will have to go right back to work.

Well we're back!  We flew to Atlanta on Good Friday (April 14) -- visited my brother & his wife, who live west of Atlanta, for several days.  While there, we explored part of the Talledega National Forest in Alabama just across the Georgia/Alabama border, then went to the Chickamauga National Military Park (site of a big Civil War battle) in northern Georgia and then up to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  (Hubby got three states for the price of one!) Plus a day of shopping at Super Wal-Mart, an Atlanta mall, and other stores.

Flew to Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday, April 18th, in order to visit for several days with mom in Hutchinson, KS.  She only has about an hour or two of lucid time per day (in a nursing home).  So we went to Yoder (an Amish village), a local nature preserve, and then a short road trip to see Fort Larned (historic Indian wars military post along the Santa Fe Trail).  Plus catching up on laundry, and more Super Wal-Mart & mall shopping.

Flew back to Atlanta on Saturday, April 22, where we had rented a car for driving down to Florida.  We did a two-day road trip, stopping on the outskirts of Savannah overnight (we've previously toured Savannah) -- then a short stop at Fort Frederica on St Simons Island, GA (ruins of a historic English fort for defense against the Spanish).  Then on to St Augustine, FL -- America's oldest city (since 1565) where we stayed overnight in what is described as the "oldest inn" there (since 1791).  After an evening and the better part of a day exploring St Augustine, we then drove on to Tampa Bay.

There we stayed in Tarpon Springs which is not far from where my friends live in New Port Richey.  We spent the rest of the time just visiting & going out with my friends, and going to the beach -- we didn't get to Caladesi Island this time, opting to be lazy & just go to the nearest beach which is Howard State Park.  But it's nice there, the water is clear & calm -- perfect for swimming, and sometimes you see dolphins.

Started driving back to Atlanta Saturday April 29th...staying overnight a bit south of Macon.  Oh I found another (last minute) Super Wal-Mart to visit in the town where we stayed.    We had some time on Sunday so we went to the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon -- an archaelogically signicant site of the Mississippian native culture (between AD 900 and 1200) and other native groups.  Then on to catch our flight (Sunday April 30th) and back in the UK today (Happy May Day!).

Oh & the weather was just fab everywhere we went!  I love seeing that sun!  The last two days it got a little chilly but we were driving back to Atlanta then, so it was alright.

so glad you had a good time.. sounds fab..  glad you're back..

welcome back, Carolyn B

we've missed you!

Thanks ladies!   They say the weather here is supposed to warm up by the end of this week, so maybe we timed this about right.

Off to see if I can sleep tonight...was trying to be good, but fell asleep for the better part of the afternoon/early evening.   (We got home around noon.)

This will be the first time i have driven in the US  for over 10 years, and I AM SCARED!! 

You'll do fine!  Just remember to keep to the right....

Keep in mind that barring some major metropolitan areas, the 'space' cushion around your vehicle tends to be bigger in the states than in the UK.  At least it always seems so to me.  Cars don't tend to follow so closely (unless they're being really RUDE!), lanes are wider, and parking spaces are bigger.  Seriously, you'll do great! 

Cheers... im still scared, though! 

And welcome back, Carolyn... sounds like you were kept busy!!

Welcome back, Carolyn!

It sounds like you planned your trip really well! I'm glad you had a good time. How did DH like it all? How was your mom?

Welcome back Carolyn..sounds like you did us proud on the shopping front!!, and had a great time.....


We have booked our flights for the November trip!YEAH!

We are flying out on the 18th of November and flying from Gatwick to Dallas, staying a couple of nights with friend in Grand Prairie and then driving up to Oklahoma. spending Thanksgiving with my mom and sister and her family and then on the 25th driving down to Houston and staying with my oldest sister there. Then on the 26th, me, David and kinds, oldest sister and her hubs are all going on a cruise. We dock again in Houston and we fly back on the 3rd of December.

I have to be back at work on the 5th!

Welcome back Carolyn!! I'm glad you had a good trip.  We missed you!