Two years ago, I blogged along the way throughout our seven-week road trip and enjoyed every bit of it.  Rather than being a chore, I took delight in spending many evenings in our hotel rooms editing pictures and writing about our adventures.  While I kept busy on my little netbook computer, Bruce intently studied maps and read up on each place we visited.  It was a wonderful way to reflect on the day and look forward to days ahead.

This time, after giving it a lot of thought, I decided to wait until the end of our trip to start writing.  Sure, I took many notes along the way during quiet moments, but I resisted the urge to post to my blog, knowing I wouldn’t be able to keep up as our travels progressed.

Besides, as time goes by, and I hear crazy stories, I am less inclined to announce to the World Wide Web that we are going away for five weeks.  My last name appears in a couple of newspaper and magazine articles on this blog, so it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to find my house.  Blogging in real time would be like posting a note on the front door that reads, “Welcome!  We’re not home; step right in and help yourself!”, even if we do live in a gated active 55+ community with vigilant neighbors!

Having returned on September 4, the mail has been read, bills have been paid, laundry has been washed, our Etsy shop (www.CookedGlassCreations.Etsy.com) has been restocked, and more!  We even prepared for (and experienced) tropical storm winds and rain as ugly Irma ripped through town on 9/11.

Posts will be spotty as Bruce and I get our fall/holiday craft show circuit underway and life gets busier again, but I’m ready to roll.  Write on!

Rather than saving my “By the Numbers…” post for the end of the series as a wrap-up, I’ll give a hint as to what’s to come as these blog posts progress:

3,700 Miles:  1,400+ by rental car, and 2,300+ by steamboat paddle wheeler

10 States:  Many of them repeats; however, four of them (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri) were new.  My grand total so far = 39 states traveled.

5 Weeks:  August 1^st – September 4^th, 2017

4 Rivers:  Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee

1 Heck of a Good Time:  Read future posts to hear about the best of it!

Coming up next:  Minneapolis, Minnehaha, Minnesota– That’s a Lot of Water!