They are Back!

Twenty-five states, various types of sleeping accommodations (hotel, Airbnb, family or friends' home, tent, and open-air), delicious food (in restaurants and homes of friends and family) and nutritious food (to get enough calories to sustain the hikes), snacks of all sorts, rain, dust, sun, and 7214 miles later they are back in town! It was a joy to hear the Honda pull into the driveway with my three tired but excited guys.
True champions they are, the unloading of the car did not delay, and the washing machine began to work overtime. We have 24 hours to turn around before our next trip!

Badlands

One more night of sleeping in a bed - in Des Moines with Joel - then it was time to head out for backcountry hiking in the Badlands. Although it is called the Badlands, it was green and lush when they visited.

Visiting Friends

After lots of laughter, hiking, camping, eating, talking, and video gaming, it was time to say goodbye to friends. Bob, Lukas, and Noah turned west, headed towards South Dakota and a chance to visit friends in Sioux Falls. No matter how many years there are between visits, good friends remain good friends.

Cross Country Adventure

While I was attending the Circe conference and speaking at a Classical Conversation practicum, Bob and the boys were hiking and touring all over the country; they even made it to Canada! Since they 'were in the neighborhood' they picked up friends from Michigan who joined in for part of the adventure. 
As I was not part of the journey, I have few details of all the fun they had.  Backpacking in the Allegheny Mountains, exploring Niagara Falls, spending hours gaming in the car, and finally, a few days at the Oshkosh Airshow are some of the highlights. This blog post will be updated as soon as the boys hand over their photos :-)

Circe

I, Christina, had an opportunity to attend a classical conference in Louisville this summer. What a joyful Rendez-Vous with friends, long, late-night conversations, thought-provoking lectures, delightful gatherings, walks about town, and even a Seelbach drink in the bar. What a pleasant time with precious like-minded Mamas (and some Dads).

Personalized Uber Service

When the guys picked me up in TN to drive me to KY, they had spent three days in the mountains. Fortunately, they had encountered showers at some point. Through rain and heavy traffic, we made our way to Louisville, KY.  It is good to be in a car when it rains.....

TN Backpacking

Bob, Lukas, and Noah dropped me off in TN and headed for the mountains. They parked the car and did some backcountry backpacking for three days. The first day probably being most memorable as due to an accident, they did not begin their hiking until 6 pm, crossing numerous creeks and rivers and setting up camp in the dark.

Time to Say Goodbye

Sunday early morning, before most of the family was awake, we left Savannah and headed towards TN. On our way, we stopped to visit friends in NC. By now, we have lost count on the number of states we have covered. It was a day spent mostly in the car.

Owen-Thomas House

Several of us spent a morning exploring the Owen-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. Although the house has undergone renovations, several original details have been preserved, and as the house is facing more maintenance, there is a concerted effort towards an authentic restoration to original design and decor.

Tabby - material used to make walls taking advantage of the plentiful oystershells

original color of the ceiling was blue - reminiscent of the sky and also to keep away bad spirits

The outside of the slave quarters 

Beach

After a tasty lunch and some sightseeing, the beach called all of us. Some of us enjoyed the warm sand under our feet and the wind in our hair, while others jumped into the Atlantic Ocean without a hesitation. Sand, sun, water - it's summer at its best.

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Tybee Island sported a lighthouse. In memory of Pappy, Noah and I climbed the 178 steps to get a 360 view of the area. The breeze felt great, and the view was spectacular.

Lunch

Being so close to the ocean, we could not resist a beach run. However, before any sand hit our toes, we had to have lunch. Lukas and Noah competed in ultimate tic tac toe while waiting for the food.

Meetings Friends At Church

Savannah offers much history. Our bus tour guide shared many intriguing stories and tidbits about the city.  It was not possible to explore every historical site in our allotted time. The beautiful St John's Cathedral was walking distance from where we stayed, and while we walked around, we ran into friends from Michigan! A joyous short reunion before they headed south and us to the beach.

Irish knot in the bottom of the baptismal font

Exploring the Town

The Wilkes' House lunch was fantastic. Once the food had settled a bit, it was time to expend calories by walking around the beautiful downtown area.
In the morning, Barb treated us all to a bus ride around town, allowing us an overview and whetting our appetite for more explorations and some local shopping.
The rain shower provided welcome relief from the heat.

Lunch!

The Wilkes House is the place to eat lunch in Savannah. Although it was only 10:30 by the time we got there, the line was already snaking along the sidewalk. While waiting, we caught up on each other's happenings since the last time we were together. Once inside, we enjoyed a quintessential southern lunch with over 20 dishes served family-style.

Game Time

At night, Settlers of Catan came out. Amidst strategy and collusion, there were much laughter and libations.

Trip Down Memory Lane

On our way to dinner in Decatur, we drove by 120 Woodlawn. Bob shared some of his memories from visits to his grandmother when he was young.

Savannah

We spent a few delightful days in Savannah, GA, with Barb, Uncle Joel, Aunt Lisa, and cousins. Based on a recommendation, we began our visit with a rooftop cocktail watching the container ships sail down the river.

Atlanta

Lukas visited his Pappy's Alma Mater, Georgia Tech. We attended an information meeting in the engineering department and took the obligatory walk/ride around campus to marvel at the amenities.
No trip to Atlanta is complete without a visit to Varsity, where we met the family for lunch. Lisa, Grammy, Melody, and Jason invited Lukas and Noah to join them at the Coca-Cola Museum. Bob and I browsed the Georgia Tech bookstore and added to our ever-growing wish list of books to read. Back at our campground, we headed over to Stone Mountain for a picture before catching the sunset back at our site.