Day 5 - Home in Guelph

We are home!  Great trip today, right until we crossed the border travelling on the Blue Water Bridge linking Port Huron and Sarnia.

We got lost in Port Huron trying to find a gas station for a last minute fill up.  There is so much construction that directions are impossible to figure out.  With equal parts frustration and hunger, we pulled into a little restaurant.  Loxton's Family Restaurant.  What a gem.  One of those small places - not fancy - where the locals eat.  So good that the waitress gave us a takeout menu with the address.  Now next fall we can punch it into the GPS and find our way back.  Wayne figures we will stop for breakfast on our way south.

As soon as we pulled away from Canadian customs, the sky clouded over and the temperature dropped.  This was also where we started to see snow along the side of the road.  By the time we got on the 401 great big fat sloppy flakes of snow were falling.  Thank god the traffic slowed accordingly.  I'm writing this blog sitting in the sunshine because of course the weather changed again once we got off the highway.  Still a few flurries rolling through every so often.

Doing all the post trip stuff - you know - laundry and checking out the mail.  I have enough cross stitch magazines to keep me going for quite awhile.

Well I must go check the dryer.

It's good to be home.

Day 4 - Fort Wayne, Indiana

Oh, what a long day today.  731 kms and 3 states.  Plus more hail for the last 20 miles.  We are beat.  Will be so glad to get home.

Other than the hail, not a bad drive.  The sun shone almost all day and there is no snow anywhere.  None on the roadsides, not even any dirty piles in parking lots.

Tonight we are going to grab a quick supper and then settle in.  This hotel has an indoor pool and spa.  We may soak our stiff muscles.

ttfn

Day 3 - Sikeston, Missouri

So, it's official.  We left the valley too soon.  It started to hail and even snow a bit near West Memphis, Arkansas.  What's up with that?

However, when we crossed into Missouri, the sun was shining and it looked like a beautiful day.  Not very warm though.  No more shorts for us. lol

We went to our favourite Sikeston restaurant for supper.

We had to wait outside for about an hour for a table.  Probably the last time I'll get Wayne to do that.  His delicate little nose was frozen.

But supper was fun and I finally got a picture of the waiter who throws the rolls.

The rolls are the best tasting thing on the menu.  Light and fluffy!  But if you catch a roll thrown all the way across the dining room, it usually gets squished.  I salvaged a roll to bring home for later.

Just realized that this trip home is all about the food.  Some would ask - what's new about that?

Day 2 - Texarkana, Arkansas

Great travel day.  Sunny but not too hot.  We drove for about seven hours today.  Settled in our room.  I'm lounging and Wayne is soaking his aches and pains in the tub.  The drive today is probably as many miles as we would ever care to do.

Just came back from supper at a very yummy restaurant.  Copelands of New Orleans.  Delicious.  We first ate here last spring.  Enjoyed it so much that we needed to return.  We should go to New Orleans for real one of these days.  Maybe next year.  I like to change up our route a bit and see new things and places.

This was my supper - Shrimp Alfredo with Crab Cakes.  Wayne's was very similar.  He chose Crab Stuffed Shrimp Alfredo.  Very, very tasty.

For dessert we shared Bananas Foster.  This is a classic that was invented at a restaurant in New Orleans.  I looked up the recipe and I am going to make this at home.  Also, I'm going to modify the recipe by substituting different sauteed fruits.  Fabulous!

Heading North - Day 1 Luling, Texas

Yes we are alive.  Haven't been able to access consistent internet for the past little while.  So a lack of blogging.  Sorry.

To recap:  Wayne and I went on a Caribbean cruise with Dennis and Judith.  Scott and Diane visited from Australia, Kathy from Guelph and Richard and Cheryl from Pennslyvania.  Lots of fun with friends and family.  We have all left the valley except for Dennis and Judith and Ron and Shirley, who will head home soon.

After a few tense moments yesterday, Wayne and I settled in at the Holiday Inn Express in Mission.  It was too late to head out.  We have come to the conclusion that it is best to book a room for our last night in the valley.

We had a problem closing the trailer.  Specifically that it wouldn't close.  The hydraulic slideouts would not retract.  Oh oh what now?  After consultation with some of the guys in the park it was decided that we probably need hydraulic fluid.  Please let it be true.  Quick trip to the automotive store to get some and we were in business.  In fact the slides worked better than ever.  We probably needed fluid from day one.  Oh well - live and learn.

We owned our fifth wheel for seven years and never had to add hydraulic fluid.   I think that the intense summer heat in Texas boils it off.

We hit the road by 830 am and had a leisurely drive through the oil patch to Luling.

Lots of oil wells dotting the landscape

Colourful wild flowers along the roadways

I chose this route for our first day's drive as I wanted to try some authentic bbq.  Thank you Matthew and Jovana for the guide books.  We have found several places to visit in the future.

What to try first?

Mmmm mmm good