The North Shore Scenic Byway runs 154 miles along the edge of Lake Superior. Lake Superior really IS superior to all other lakes, being the largest freshwater lake by surface in the whole wide world, and holding more water than the other Great Lakes combined. More facts, because I just can’t help myself: At its widest, it’s 380 miles long and 160 miles...
We made it to Minnesota, where we will spend almost a month. We last visited in 2019, and loved it. Once again, the temps are fab, and so far anyway, the mosquitoes are practically non-existent. This is extraordinary since the mosquito is practically Minnesota’s state bird. LANESBORO, MINN Our first stop was the small town of Lanesboro, and it’s little...
In Illinois, dare we say that the big city of Chicago gets alllll the attention. But two other towns — Casey and Galena — snagged our love for their BIG big things and BIG big fun! Casey, IL: Big Things in a Small Town Ohhhhh boyyyyyy! Who is ready for some really, really BIG fun! A stop in Casey, Illinois (pronounced KAY-ZEE) -– midway between St. Louis...
In southern Kentucky, we investigated the twin unrelated phenomena of “secret herbs and spices” and the rare “moonbow,” and learned a lil bit more about success and failure. Corbin is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the original location is a fast-food cafe and museum, all in one. Here, the world famous...
Our next stops in NC and SC were full of things that go BOOM! But don’t worry, no people or things were harmed in the making of this blog. Our first stop after leaving the Outer Banks was Wilmington, North Carolina. With old cobblestone streets, stately Victorian homes (including the tourable Bellamy Mansion), old churches, and a fun 2-mile riverwalk lined with...
We’re as far from Phoenix as we’ll be on this four-month trip: specifically, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, affectionately known as OBX. We were originally coming in March 2020, but, y’know, Covid. Reboot to 2025 … it’s P.H.X. to O.B.X., baby! The OBX Scenic Byway is a string of “barrier islands” (138 driving miles + 25...
It was a return to North Carolina after our failed/cancelled attempt in 2020. We had driven all the way to North Carolina from Arizona, with shutdowns hitting town by town by town along our route, like tragic falling dominoes. Thanks for nothing, Covid! I guess you could call this our Revenge Tour. We couldn’t help but compare the BEFORE and AFTER …...
Chattanooga. The Noog. Nooga. The Scenic City. Not matter what you call it, this cute town on the Tennessee River offers a unique combo of city life and outdoor adventures. Chattanooga is so much more than just its famous choo-choo! We gave it two thumbs up during a weeklong stay! Just this past April, Chattanooga received the rare “National Park City”...
Alabama isn’t really our sweet HOME, but after a spin through Northern AL, we just might like it to be! Not typically known for tourist attractions, we nevertheless scoped out its really unusual, charming places! Tuscumbia SEVEN SPRINGS LODGE & THE RATTLESNAKE SALOON We stayed at a most-unusual RV campground, located on a 3,000-acre horse ranch...
We took a quick spin through Mississippi and saw some fun stuff — some cool, some pretty, and some just plain pretty funny. First up was Elvis Presley’s Birthplace in Tupelo, where he lived from birth in 1935 to age 13. It’s an expansive campus surrounding a tiny two-room shack, for little Elvis was as poor as the day was long. He (and his twin, who...