I am writing this in one of my least favourite places to wait. Auckland airport’s international departure terminal. The only saving grace is that in a few hours Karen and I will be aboard a 787 Dreamliner on our way to Houston.

I have just discovered that I left my laptop, which I pulled out of my carry-on this morning to print our boarding passes, at home. But I still have my tablet and phone so I can still post.

Here is the itinerary…..
Houston, 3 nights (mainly to recover from the jet lag but also there are a few things we want to go back and see). 27-30 April.

Fly to Nashville for 3 nights (like Houston there are some more things we want to see there. 30 April to 3 May

Drive to Louisville for Derby weekend (why not)? 3-5 May

Chicago for two nights (5 & 6 May) then 3 weeks on Route 66.

We will be staying for 2-3 nights in. St Louis, Oklahoma City and Flagstaff. Other than Gallup, where we have the El Rancho hotel booked for the exorbitant sum of $10 for the night, our itinerary is pretty flexible. If we take longer on some days we will make it up somewhere. If we go further some days we will find a place to explore.

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View from down under

Here in Portland we have the Del Rancho Hotel. It's more of a $10 an hour place.

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The best I can with what I got

Check out Earl's Family Restaurant in Gallup. It's kinda unique and on old Route 66.

Hope all goes as planned and you have a great trip. We have enjoyed Broadway in Nashville especially in the afternoon hours when it’s not as crowded.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome back!

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Common sense isn't so common.

That $10 per night at the El Rancho in Gallup had me worried, but I checked out their website and it looks okay. I'm guessing you have some sort of a discount going.

I don't think we stayed there, but I recall having a meal, maybe dinner, there in 1992.

Have fun, Kiwi!

Sounds like a fun trip. If you need anything while you are on the IL portion of your adventure, please let me know.

Safe travels and enjoy!

welcome to America (again)...
I will again suggest the Loveless Cafe outside of Nashville... won't probably be a quick 1 hour meal stop, so you know...

Sometime come to the Black Hills. Lots of beauty and Mt Rushmore(tourist trap now), but still gorgeous. Iron Mtn Road with the Buffalo and Donkeys. No $10 rooms though. Enjoy Route 66.

I can't imagine any motel anywhere today having $10 rooms, even those fleabags that rent rooms by the hour. Even the cheapest Motel 6 in the smallest town is closer to $100. Motel 6 hasn't had $6 rooms for over 50 years.

Watch out in Gallup. We made the mistake of driving into the center of town to get diesel and a better choice of food places. Apparently Gallup is a Native American word meaning "Panhandler Central". I thought I was going to have to draw on one particularly persistent guy who didn't understand personal space.

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Release the Kraken

My experiences at Auckland ranged from wet and a 20 minute walk to domestic, or the reverse, from a number of trips to NZ and OZ for Uncle Sam back in the 1990s-early 2000s. However, always enjoyed my time diving and sampling the White wines at the Marlborough heads. The old "joke" NZ whites and OZ reds and not the reverse is absolutely true!! Dave_n

New Mexico is a cornucopia of things to see.
Based on what you have said,
I would suggest you research Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and the train ride out of Chama.
Been there, done that.
If the stars line up, I will do it again.
👍👍👍👍👍
Best,
Gary

Welcome back, I hope your trip is enjoyable.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I am not sure how this came about. I use Trip Advisor to find hotels. I checked El Rancho and it was $120-130 a night, we try to keep an average around $100 a night for budgeting, so I found one nearby.

Several months later I went back to Trip Adviser and searched for El Rancho again and the $10 a night for this date came up so I booked it. I later rang the hotel and was told the room was booked and paid for.

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View from down under

There are actually many interesting things to do and see in NM. If you have the time, but it doesn't seem that you do.

I didn’t sleep well Friday night (Kiwi time) and when I did sleep I had those crazy dreams of travelling down a road at speed and no brakes on the car.

Just before 11 am Saturday we picked up my brother for the 80 minute drive to get our flight to Auckland. Went as well as expected. Even the road works that have been slowing us up on our beat for the last month we’re finished Friday night.

At Auckland we had about 5 hours to wait for our flight. Karen has lost some lung function and struggles to walk too far. On the previous trips the departure gate was the furtherest one away and she struggled, likewise at GBI Houston, so I booked a wheelchair for her. Our gate was close, and we were the first to board. We were surprised to find the flight was an hour shorter than previously, just under 13 hours.

I had booked a Skycouch, a row of three seats with footrests that turned into a small bed. I set Karen up against the window while I watched a movie from the aisle seat after dinner. She slept for a while but then was wide awake. I couldn’t sleep either until we swapped placed and I dozed off for an hour or so. Karen doesn’t want to be bothered with the couch again but I’ll give it another try, now that I have found a way for both of us to lay down.

After a very long night for both of us, with us both watching several movies, the lights came on and breakfast was served, about 1pm Houston time!

The last few hours slowly passed and we landed in Houston just after 3:30 pm. There was a wheelchair waiting at the door for Karen and we were pushed right to the front of the CBP line after a 10 minute walk. After a short wait we were through, although waiting for the various elevators to move between terminals and levels took a bit of time.

An hour after landing we were boarding the shuttle to the hire car complex, and that’s where it got interesting. I had booked with Budget and it was the only counter with a line, a very long one. Finally after another hour we had our car. A few minutes working out where all the controls were and we were on our way to the hotel. I missed a turn and hadn’t been able to find Apple Play in the controls, so I went to Bluetooth my phone to use iMaps, and wouldn’t you now it, Apple Play was available as a Bluetooth function not a wired one.

We made one stop, at a Dollar General to pick up a pack of water, some coffee and creamer and a couple of frozen meals for dinner tonight. Then it was on to our hotel. We have stayed here before so it is familiar territory. Even so it took about an hour before everything was sorted out and we could relax.

After something like 30 hours in the same clothes I definitely need a shower tonight before bed. Tomorrow we will pick up a walking frame for Karen we ordered from Home Depot (along with a can of Sabre OC spray) then it’s off to the Zoo and a few other places for the day. Oh, and the obligatory shopping expedition too.

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View from down under

Glad you’re on the ground here in the good old USA. Enjoy your time here. Looking forward to your posts about your adventures.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking forward to hearing about your guided tour of Chicagoland.

Both from you and your tour guide.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

we live vicariously thru your travel diary... have fun.. be safe... keep us posted

Both Karen and I were in bed and asleep early last night, by 9:30 pm. We were woken up just after midnight by an amber alert about a missing toddler here in Texas. Reading between the lines a domestic situation, and with two iPhones and two smart watches there was no way we could sleep through them.

To add to the mix, not only did I need a trip to the small room, but my back had just about seized up from the night spent trying to sleep on a bed built for a midget. After my nature call I took 5 minutes to lie down on the floor and stretch out my back. The release in my back was very welcome when it came, but there was just no way I could get back to sleep and my restlessness was keeping Karen awake.

I got up and used my earbuds to watch a couple of episodes of a TV series on my iPad. Sleep still eluded me, until Karen asked me the time around 4:30 am. The next thing I knew it was well after 8 in the morning.

Karen was feeling the effects of our travel so today’s sojourn to the zoo was cancelled in favour of an easy day. Downstairs we filled up on breakfast. I had been looking forward to biscuits and gravy again, but it was not on the menu. I made do with eggs, sausage and mini hash browns.

First up was to find a Wells Fargo ATM. We had discovered in 2018 that Wells Fargo was one of the few banks to allow a cash withdrawal above $200 - 300, and we took out $800 in $20’s several times as needed. Usually we have enough cash to last the first week (or longer) but with the weak Kiwi against the $U.S. and the fact that both banks and the money exchanges reduce it by around 2-3 cents more for their margin, I had decided on putting most of our funds onto the Wise card and getting only $1,500 in cash, which had all come in $100 and $50 notes. We needed some $20’s for smaller businesses. I had found the address of the closest Wells Fargo branch, but the ATM was covered in plastic and out of operation.

Next stop was Home Depot where I had placed an order last weekend. Karen lost a significant amount of lung function in 2021 and 2022, and while the loss has stopped she will never get that function back. She gets breathless after walking for around 5 minutes. We originally thought about getting her a wheelchair when required, but she decided she just wanted a walking frame. I had ordered one along with some OC spray, a dash cam and a small SD card. Picking them up took about 15 minutes, mostly waiting for either service or the items to be bought out.

We had a Walmart trip scheduled for this afternoon, but with a Walmart Super centre just down the road, and a Wells Fargo branch around the corner, we decided to shop now.

Ironically I used the last of my open bottle of Gold Bond’s diabetic formula on the dry skin on the back of my calves when getting dressed at home (I had another 2 bottles in the cupboard but decided just to buy some more here). Karen needed shampoo and conditioner, plus some hand cream and we both needed a few items of clothing. Just over $120 later we called into the ATM at Wells Fargo. I could not withdraw anything on my Visa card so used the Wise card and discovered I could get $1,000 in a mix of $50’s and $20’s. Ironically the ATM gave only $100 in $20 notes.

Karen wanted to get a bit more sleep so we returned to the hotel around midday. While Karen napped I unpacked the walking frame. All it needed was a few minutes to fit the seat back bar and handlebars/brake handles. On returning to our room I unpacked the other items and put the dash cam on to charge the battery.

I received an e-mail last night from Budget rentals offering me a free upgrade on our next rental, so I tried to use it on our car in Nashville. Karen had warned me that the little Toyota Corolla was a bit small for me to get in and out of, and she had been right. Trouble was our next rental was from Avis, same company but a different business. Can’t use the Budget upgrade but I could book a small SUV (Ford Escape or similar) instead of our economy Kia Rio or similar, for a little more than an additional U.S. $100. Priceline can’t match that deal so I quickly agreed.

Waking up Karen we had a coffee then headed out to explore Houston’s historic shopping district. Somehow I had turned off the speaker of iMaps I. Apple play, and the drive into town was difficult having o watch, and anticipate, turns on the maps app. It took a bit of trial and error to work out what had happened. With the voice directions back and working we headed off again.

It was relatively busy on 19th St with parking at a premium this Sunday afternoon, so without actually stopping to shop we headed off for an early dinner at Applebee’s (Chicken and bacon burger for Karen with fries and coleslaw, Bourbon Chicken for me with ‘slaw instead of the garlic mashed potatoes and desert to follow). $55 plus tip, a cheap dinner for us, and a pretty cheap days expenditure all up.

Back in our hotel again just after 6pm Karen phoned home to speak to both Ryan and her sister. I’m just letting my dinner settle before heading down to the fitness centre for an appointment with a treadmill.

Tomorrow will be another day.

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View from down under

You obviously have your sources here. It was only suggested around 10 days ago, and exploring Chicago from the passengers seat sounds good to me

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View from down under

Good morning, Kiwi cop!

Will be in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby at same time, I think, you are there.

Reckon we both have busy schedules but would be happy to buy you a beer if our paths cross. Friday would be the day that works for me.

Safe travels and welcome back to America.

Be safe.

When you’re in Oklahoma City, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is a great place to visit. Also H&H gun range on I 40 is a huge place with a lot of new and used guns, a restaurant, and you can rent about any kind of gun to shoot including class III full auto and silenced.

I sent you a PM.

Visited there in 2018. Spent over an hour and a half looking at the cowboy”side of things and didn’t see it all. The old town was well worth the wander through.

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View from down under

Thanks but we’re staying in Radcliffe, a little way SW of Louisville itself. We won’t get there until the Sat morning.

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View from down under

So my “date” with the treadmill went well. Somehow 3km sounds a little better to my mind than 2 miles which makes me think I took it easy.

This morning we were up by 6.30 to a grey and damp morning. Breakfast over we set out for a treat, Buc-ee’s. We only saw one on our last day in 2022 as we passed by on the Katy Freeway.

I got caught in an exit only lane on the Houston freeway system and ended up being re-routed through downtown peak hour traffic. What should have been a 35 minute run down to Pearland turned into almost an hour.

My SIL asked us to look for a couple of brightly coloured cotton polo shirts for her. We saw none in Walmart yesterday so knowing Bass Pro have a pretty good line of clothing we headed for the
Pearland Buc-ee’s as being on the way to Bass Pro Dr.

After picking up some Buc-ee’s souvenir tee shirts for the three of us and some road snacks we found ourselves only about 5 minutes from Bass Pro. Karen tried out her new walking frame, which was perfectly set up for her.

While Bass Pro had some nice, bright, polo shirts they were of the moisture wicking material that is good here in the humid summer, but not cotton, so we bought none. We still had a good look around though at most things there.

Next it was back into the centre of downtown, and the Houston Aquarium. First thing I noticed when we entered the carpark was the loud music combined with the sound of traffic passing overhead on the freeway. Then there was the sound of all the school kids visiting the aquarium complex.

After finding our way inside (we ended up in the restaurant entrance to start with) we got our tickets and wandered through. Personally I think that it does not quite rise to the level of the Kelly Tarlton aquarium in Auckland, but Kelley’s doesn’t have a live tiger on display. Or a tree python.

Car parking ($15) adds to the cost of the aquarium visit, but it is easy to pay by text, with a full phone number and not one of those short text numbers which my Kiwi roaming phone can’t connect to.

Karen has a thing for mandarins, the fruit, and we found some nice ones at Walmart yesterday. On getting back to the car we had two mandarins each and some water before making our way to a shopping mall for refreshments. There was a Starbucks and I had a “spicy” iced strawberry lemonade while Karen had her coffee and we shared a slice of cinnamon cake. Then it was back to the hotel for a couple of hours. I wanted to get some laundry done before we fly to Nashville tomorrow.

Karen did not want to go out for dinner, but we passed Denny’s and a Mobil gas station a short way before reaching our hotel, and I needed to gas up the rental before returning it tomorrow, so dinner was decided upon.

With the laundry finished and packed away we watched a bit of TV news before I ordered dinner on-line for pickup. Chicken for Karen and brisket with max and cheese for me with garlic potatoes.

Tomorrow is an early start. We need to be away by 7am to ensure we get the car returned and back to the terminal in time for final check-in for our 9.55 am flight. In fact I may just check in and leave Karen at the terminal before returning the car as it is a 5 minute shuttle ride back.

But that’s for tomorrow.

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View from down under

Did you catch the Rolling Stones last night in Houston? Hopefully you have time for Collector's Firearms on Westheimer? If you like Vietnamese food, Old Saigon on Westheimer is a good family place, for family Italian off the beaten path is Riva with Christmas lights up all year and Frank Sinatra music (out of the way on Missouri Street).King's BierHaus (on TC Jester) can be nice when not too crowded they have a nice patio to enjoy when the weather is nice. Are you returning through Houston? Safe travels!

Stay alert on Rt. 66 in E. Texas. One missed turn can get you a ten mile dead end. Most of it will be I-44.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

I managed to outsmart myself this morning. Knowing how long it takes my wife to get going in the morning I told her we had to leave the hotel by 6.30 am to get her and our bags to the terminal, me to return the rental car and get the shuttle back, and then check in for our flight to Nashville.

I set my alarm for 5.30 but just after 5 am Karen rolled over, turned on the bedside light, and loudly woke me up. Oh, I could have enjoyed another half hours sleep.

I made first use of the bathroom and packed my main suitcase. After loading it into the car I returned to our room to finish packing. By about 6:40 the car was packed, breakfast was over and I dropped the keycards off at the front counter.

Our hotel was less than 15 minutes from the airport. By just after 7.15 I was back at the terminal after returning the rental car.

While checking in for our flight to Nashville we had a problem. Neither our booking number nor our passports would confirm a booking. We went up to the customer service counter and two different staff there could not find our booking either. Eventually it was found and I was asked to weigh our suitcases. Despite having the same contents as when leaving Auckland my case was overweight. I had to remove 4 1/2 pounds and repack it in Karen’s suitcase right at the check-in counter. The overall weight was the same.

Checked in, through security and we found seats near the departure gate entrance. I watched a TV program from a series I am binging on my iPad, then our flight was called. Karen’s walker and my carry-on badge had to be checked, all the overhead lockers were full.

The 2-hour flight was really only an hour and forty minutes. Even so I managed another 40 winks on the flight. We landed in Nashville, waited at the head of the jetway for our checked “carry-ons” then made our way to the baggage carousel.

With our bags on the trolly it was off to ground transportation and a taxi ride into the middle of Nashville to pick up our rental car. Why not get a car at the airport? It was half the price at the city location.

While chatting with the rental agent he mentioned we had a long drive to L.A. ahead, and I replied we had four weeks to get there. I told him about upgrading to a small SUV from a small economy car as the Corolla in Houston had definitely been a bit small for me. He then upgraded us to a full size SUV for no charge.

Although a full size 4WD Ford Explorer it has the 2.3 motor instead of the V6, so hopefully not too bad on gas.

In the car and around the corner to the Musicians Hall of Fame where we wandered around the exhibits. Then it was off to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for a combined lunch and dinner . I was intending to park at the 5th and Broadway carpark, which we had used several times in 2020. Back then we had entered off Commerce St, but now that entrance is reserved for leased parking. I drove around the corner and entered from Broadway then we walked the 2 blocks to the bar.

We were both thirsty and I drank down two lemonades, although I was only charged for one. My club sandwich was so big I could only eat half, and the waiter bought over a takeout box without my having to ask.

It was hot and we were dressed for travel, not the heat, so I found a place for Karen to wait in shade outside the police station while I went up to the Ryman auditorium. There had been no engineer in the recording studio last time we visited and I wanted to be certain there would be one tomorrow. Alas, the studio is no longer there! I was given the name and location of another recording studio nearby. Where the Air Castle charged $15 for an mp3 of your recording this one charges $150. Oh well, why not. It’s still cheaper than at home.

By now it was almost 4pm, check-in time at our hotel. It was a 15 minute drive through building traffic. We are on the 3rd floor and the elevators are well away from reception, quite a way down the corridors. It took me three trips to get everything up in the room.

My smartwatch tells me I have exceeded my exercise, calorie and stand goals for the last three days, so I’ll skip the treadmill session today. There is a nice big hot tub though, and I’m gonna go try it out.

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View from down under

I’m retired LE and a St Louis guy. PM me for any questions.

I am not sure if it was the hot tub or things just catching up on me, but I was asleep before 9pm on Tuesday and pretty much slept through until 4.30 am. But I woke to a nasty surprise.

Yesterday Karen had a bit of a sore throat, this morning she was running a temperature. Not very high but still a temperature. Fortunately we always travel with several doses of antibiotics for her, so I broke them out of her suitcase and made her coffee. She elected to spend the day in bed and sent me out, but I was still concerned for her health.

I finally got my biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I then stocked up on water for Karen before heading out.

While the temperature was not as high as during our last visit (triple digits) it seemed much more humid.

First stop was Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. I elected not to tour the mansion, just the museum and grounds. No photography is allowed, but with cellphones things can, and do, “happen”.

After about 90 minutes I returned to the car and gave Karen a phone call. She was feeling a little better so I went to my second stop, downtown, after promising to pick her up something for lunch before returning.

I seem to have lost my cellphone cover. The last time I recall having it was when we picked up the rental car Tuesday. I took my phone out of the case to place it on the windscreen holder. I seem to recall I may have placed the case on the door shelf holding the window and mirror controls, and it may have fallen out of the car when I went back in to clarify something. Either way, I now can’t locate it.

I returned to the rental agency but it had not been handed in. Next stop was Broadway.

Last visit I had been looking for a nice pair of black boots, but never found anything suitable that I was willing to pay for. The Boot Barn on Broadway seemed another failed effort until I made my way to the 3rd floor where the really large size 1st and up, boots were on display, and on a 50% off sale.

I found a pair of black ankle length zip up boots, but there were only two pair, one too small and one a bit large. Thick socks can fill up 5e extra space, and I like a bit of extra room to allow for my feet to swell under heat as the day goes on, so I bought the large pair as well as another cowboy hat.

Crossing the road I visited Garth Brooks’ new “Friends in Low Places” bar for. Lemonade and to listen to the band for 15 minutes.

It was then back to the hotel, stopping to pick up a sandwich and some lemon cake for Karen. She was definitely a bit better, her temperature was falling, and I stayed with her for several hours getting her coffee between her waking up and falling asleep again. Then it was off to the recording studio.

I had decided to record two songs, $225, but declined the additional framed “golden disc”, at least until I was in the recording booth and saw one on the wall beside me. Oh well, as my brother tells me “It is only money” and “You only live once”.

There was a problem with the printer, so I could not take my disc with me, but I was assured I’d be phoned as soon as it was ready (“later tonight or tomorrow morning”) to pick up.

I had had a craving for pizza all afternoon so I located a Pizza Hutt near our hotel and diverted that way on the drive back to the hotel where I found Karen sitting up in bed. There was far too much pizza even for two, so guess what is on the lunch menu for Thursday?

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View from down under

Eric for one!

For the first time Derby visitor I highly recommend the entertaining screed by Hunter Thompson on HIS derby experience!

>> Director’s Cut: ‘The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved,’ by Hunter S. Thompson

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Forum consigliere

Try to make lunch at El Palacio in Kingman AZ. My wife and I stopped for lunch and the food was so good, we ate and ate and didn't make our reservation for dinner at the Grand Canyon!

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Old paratrooper in NC

A fascinating place in New Mexico is the Acoma Pueblo Sky City, an easy 15 mile drive south of Interstate 40 at Exit 108 when coming from the east. Acoma is the oldest community in the United States. It has been continuously inhabited for 2,000 years. It is located atop a mesa that rises 365 feet above the desert floor. There is a museum at the base, and tours are available Wednesday through Sunday. You have to book a tour to access Sky City itself, but it is well worth doing.

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What, me worry?

Here's hoping Karen is feeling better soon!

Thursday Karen said she was feeling better but would spend another day in the hotel resting up. She certainly was not up to walking around the Nashville Zoo which had been planned for that day. I wasn’t happy with it but she sent me out again on my own.

First stop was at the Opryland Gaylord Resort to find the WSM 650 AM studio. I had tried to find it in 2022 near the Opry House, which is where Google and iMaps told me it was located. I had since found it was now at the Gaylord, about 5 minutes away.

Pulling up in the parking lot I found I had 20 minutes, after which I would be charged $37 for parking. A quick visit indeed.

The walk to the Gaylord Magnolia entrance took 5 minutes, meaning I had just 10 minutes to find the radio studio. I turned right as I entered and about 30 yards down the hallway I found the studio. It was in a small mall outlet in the Gaylord complex, with the studios visible behind a glass wall. Talk about a fishbowl.

I could see Bill Cody, Charlie Mateos and Kelly Sutton from the Coffee, Cody and Country show at work through the glass. A quick photo and it was time to leave.

Nest stop was the Opry House. I had tried to book VIP backstage tickets the week before we left home, and the transaction would not go through, probably as there was no facility for an overseas address outside the U.S. in the booking office I was told that I would have to book online or phone the ticket office.

I had actually tried to phone the booking office from home and had gotten no-where, just an endless loop of phone options to press. But outside again I was successful.

Pulling up in the carpark I had phoned Karen to check she was okay with my going on the backstage tour. “it’s quite a bit of money” I told her, without telling her just how much the tickets were, close to $750. I had actually been putting some extra money aside for the last few month to pay for the tickets and she said I should go.

Back in the car I phoned the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wanted to take the RCA Studio B tour, but could not book it on its own, it could only be bought in combination with a HoF ticket. I booked the RCA tour for 2.30 and the HoF ticket for 3.00 pm.

I found a Walmart in the vicinity of our hotel and headed that way to pick up a few things. Water, some antiseptic wipes as Karen had left them outnof her suitcase while packing thinking I had them, and some cold and flu medication. I was hoping that it would ease her coughing and loosen up any flem she was developing in her lungs.

Back at the hotel I took some more water and the wipes up to Karen, made her coffee and ensured she was comfortable. After changing from my tee shirt, shorts and sandals into jeans, short sleeved button down shirt and running shoes, I made my way downtown to the HoF. On the way I noticed the price of gas, which had gone up just over .10 cents a gallon earlier in the week had now dropped again by over .20 cents. Even so it took $25 to fill the Explorer from around 2/3 of a tank.

The studio tour was interesting, but rather short when compared to the Sun Studio one in Memphis. Back at the HoF I spent a short time wandering through. The California country rock exhibit we had missed by only a few days in 2022 was still in place, so that was a bonus.

Getting back to the parked car I paid the parking ($40) then made my way to the recording studio to pick up my “gold disc”, before it was back to the Opry House. Before the tour began I went through the gift shop buying a poster of the nights performers, a tee shirt for Karen, and nice silvery top for her and an embroidered heavy long sleeved shirt that I could have trimmed up into a lightnjacket for myself.

There were a total of 7 of us on the tour, although two, a father and daughter, were quite late in getting there and caught us up half way through the tour.

In the Family room we encountered Mr Larry Gatlin, the nights host. It was his birthday and he invited us into his dressing room for some birthday cake and spent 10-15 minutes just chatting with us.

Back In “our” dressing room for the evening there was some light refreshments and we were joined by Jennie Sealey for autographed posters and some selfies. We made our way up to the circle room for drinks and more nibbles. It was pretty full and Jeanie Sealey addressed the whole room.She had us all laughing at some of her stories.

Back to the backstage area and we took our east at the rear of the stage for the first half of the show. The pick for me was Twitty and Lynn, Conway Twitty’s grandson Trey and Lorretta’s granddaughter Tayla. The sang “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”, then Trey performed “Hello, Darlin’” with Tayla performing “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man”.

At intermission it was backup to the circle room for so,Elmore refreshments before we were taken to our seats in the main floor for the rest of the show. Highlight for this half was Avery Ana who had the audience on their feet with Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”.

With the show over it was back to the hotel for our last night in Nashville.

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View from down under

The VIP bit sounds great, even though I am no fan of country music.

Your comments about the charges for parking make me wonder if Nashville actually wants visitors. Those numbers even surpass the daylight robbery we suffered in the UK during out last two visits.

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Release the Kraken

Unfortunately as land gets used up and population increases the price of everything goes up. Street parking, where available, is reasonable, about $4 an hour. It is off street parking operated by private companies that costs.

There is a carpark,5th and Broadway, that is pretty reasonable though.

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View from down under

This morning there was some welcome news. Karen was obviously over the worst of her illness. She even joined me downstairs for breakfast, although she only wanted a slice of toast.

With the car loaded up it was time for our first interstate drive of the trip, up I-65 into Kentucky.

For once I did not see any “Welcome to….” signs at the state line. The only indication we were in another state were the mile markers. Karen fell asleep and ended up dozing for much of the first leg to Bowling Green where our first stop was the National Corvette museum. Now I have to admit that Karen is the car enthusiast in the family. As long as the car starts and drives when I need it to I am happy, although I do admit the Toyota in Houston was a but low and cramped to get into. But once inside it was comfortable enough, at least for city driving.

By the time we reached Bowling Green Karen was awake, but not up to touring a museum, so I contented myself with stretching my legs and getting a few pics from the outside. One the way in I had spotted something a bit more interesting that I wanted to look at on the way back to the interstate.

Abel’s Corvettes is a small display on the entranceway to the national museum, and there were a couple of cars parked outside, including one 1950’s style. On walking in I was happy to pay $10 (the museum entry is $25) to have a look around.

There are dozens of cars from the ‘50’s to the 2000’s on display, and several are for sale. One ‘89 Chevy truck was for sale for under $20,000. It was immaculate inside and out.

From Bowling Green we got back onto I-65 for the next run, to Elizabethtown. Again Karen dozed off until a loudbuzzing came from the instrument cluster. There was a “low tyre pressure” warning flashing. With memories of the low pressure sign on our 2022 rented Honda coming to mind, I slowed and pulled off at the next exit. There was a BP station nearby and I pulled in, stopping at the side of the forecourt. On checking all the tyres they appeared okay. Spotting an air hose across the forecourt I checked the recommended type pressures online and started to top up the tyres. The air pump had no pressure settings so it was a matter of just adding some air to each tyre. After completing the rear and front right tyres I had to move the car back to get the short hose to reach the front left tyre. The low pressure warning was still on, but after topping up the left front tyre it turned off. Deciding to have it checked when I could we got back onto I-65 and continued north.

After about 15 minutes the warning came back on. I used Siri on my phone to find the nearest tyre place, Wayne’s Tyres in Elizabethtown. On getting there we had to wait about 25 minutes until they could look at it. All the tyres were at full pressure, or a little above due to my adding air, but they reset the warning system for me and we were on our way.

By now the dash clock and our watches were showing it was after 2 pm. I wondered where the time had gone. It was not until later that I remembered we had moved to eastern time from central and lost an hour. Karen wanted to stop for lunch and I had seen Subway just off the interstate, so we stopped there and had a sandwich. I checked my data usage and found that I had used about 1/3 of the 20GB e-sim pack I had purchased. A lot of this was being used by iMaps. I decided to use the cars’ built in GPS instead.

I am not a fan of car GPS systems. The first car I had with one in it would set the route for the shortest time, which meant at the speed limit. It would reroute us around small towns with lower speed limits, but a shorter, more direct route, when travelling, actually adding to the time. I have had other issues with other car GPS’s trying to send me along roads that don’t exist, things I do not experience with IMaps. But I decided to give it a try.

The next stop was Abe Lincoln’s boyhood home. I had an address and entered it into the GPS system, then we headed off. 20 minutes later we were directed onto a driveway with no signage or indication we were there. Stopping a short way up the drive, I backed out. We drove up and down the road a bit but found no carpark or signage you would expect.

I then googled the place we were looking for and found it 20 minutes away. There were two identically named addresses in two adjacent towns, and in two different counties!

We drove across countryside to the correct address, then found ourselves back on the road to Elizabethtown. Our last drive of the day was just over 20 minutes to Radcliffe KY. When planning our Louisville visit I found that accommodation during Derby week was 4-5 times normal,. I had found an Airbnb in Radcliffe for just over $100 a night.

During this last leg we encountered rain. We got to Radcliffe and found our Airbnb. Moving in neither once of us was wanting dinner, so we settled in for the night.

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View from down under

Don't forget to grab a Hot Brown somewhere along the way.. Kentucky treat for lunch or dinner...

Or a bowl of Burgoo with a fried baloney sammich.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Saturday armed the beginning of our second week. Friday night Karen had asked if we would have time for a bit of shopping as there were a couple of things she had not been able to get in Houston. With a Walmart almost right behind us I said yes.

Saturday morning, being in an Airbnb and not bringing food with us, we drove a mile up the road to a Wafffle House. Karen was unable to finish her breakfast and then admitted she was still not up to even walking around Walmart this morning, let alone visit the museums on our list today in Louisville.. She offered to sit in the car with her book while I went through but not knowing the parking situation, and the fact that it was an approximate 50 minute drive each way, I decided to forgo much of the days activities.

First stop after breakfast was Fort Knox. Unfortunately the closest we could get to the gold depository was either the main Highway or the visitors centre parking lot, but I got a photo and a few around the visitors centre.

Next it was a stop at the Patton museum. I got to walk through a WWII barracks and checked out the displays inside. I was most impressed with his former staff car, “liberated” from the Nazi’s.

Back at the Airbnb Karen ended up falling asleep of the sofa while I watched a couple of episodes of a TV series I had started back home.

Mid afternoon Karen came alive and asked if we could still go shopping. She managed to get most of what she wanted.

Several times a year I shoot competitions with an associate originally from the Kentucky Four Corners area. He had advised me to find a nice sports pub to watch the Derby from while having dinner. I had researched such a place a few miles from our accommodations, but when we got there it was closed. It looked like it was now permanently closed.

Instead of finding another pub Karen requested Golden Corral. There was one about 12 minutes drive away, back in Elizabethtown, so of we headed. On the way back I stopped off at a gas station to top up the tank, which was now showing about 1/2 full from Nashville.It took $30 to fill the tank.

One thing I had noticed. When we picked up the car the “miles to E” reading was 298. After topping up in Nashville Thursday afternoon it was just over 300 miles. On the drive to Radcliffe it had increased to 350 miles, probably because mulch of the vehicles driving has been done in cities. This time when full the reading was 398 miles. I was hopeing that fuel consumption on a long interstate drive would not be as bad as I first feared.

Sunday morning we were both up and moving by 7am. With the car packed, the Airbnb left tidy, it was in the car and on the waybefore 8.30. Neither one of us was in immediate need of breakfast right then so we headed north straight away.Only an hour or so after leaving we were passing though Louisville, and then we were into another new state for us, Indiana. Again there were no “Welcome to….” signs, just new Highway mile markers, to indicate the new state.

After 2018 we had made an effort to restrict our driving to 3-4 hours, as stated by iMaps or Google Maps. By the time we stop off it usually ends up 4-6 hours in the car. Today was one of the rare times when we were travelling almost 6 hours as stated by iMaps, but with a change of time zone we would gain an hour. By around 10.30 ET I was ready for a break, so we pulled off at an interchange with several different options for breakfast. Karen chose Burger King and we sampled Croussan’which’s for the first time.

Back on the interstate the low tyre pressure warning, which had been missing for the last day, came back on. There must be something with these modern cars, this one is a 2024 model with around 8,500 miles on the clock, and like 2022’s Honda HR-V it has electrical issues.

Around 12.30 ET we stoped again, this time at a McDonalds for a coffee and ice cream. We had bought another bag of mandarins in Radcliffe and had a couple each for lunch, as we were still not really hungry.

Just after 2.30 pm we passed a sign saying change of time zone, and a few minutes later all of the clocks jumped back an hour.

A little after 3 pm we were entering Chicago, and the traffic slowed right down. The speed limit dropped to 55 mph, but even that was optimistic and most of the time we were below 50.

We found ourselves on the middle of downtown on E Adam’s St, and the” Route 66 begins” sign. I found a “quick parking space” and got the obligatory photo, plus left a sticker on the sign’s pole. Then we followed E Adam’s until it became W Adams before turning onto Ogden St and stopping at the old Castle Car Ws where Al Capone is said to have engaged in a shootout with Chicago police.

From there we made our way to our motel and checked in. One thing that I have noticed, gas, which was $3.07 back in Radcliffe, is over $1 more expensive here. Ouch!

Tomorrow we have arranged to meet hsguy who has offered us a tour of Chicago.

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View from down under

Fuel prices can be highly flexible. Locally, diesel at one interchange is $0.86 cheaper than at the interchange 7 miles up the road-and closer to me. I'll drive the extra 14 miles.

John will show you a very good time, just don't believe what he might tell you about me. Fuel will bet cheaper when you get South of Chicago. Much cheaper when you leave the state.

So I didn’t believe John when he told me you were a great guy.

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View from down under

It is fair to say that Chicago was nothing like what either Karen or I imagined.

Karen is still getting to grips with American clothing sizes. The pants she bought a few days ago were too big, so guess who was “volunteered” to make a run to Walmart this morning to get her another pair? Fortunately I got the right size.

On the way I saw gas for $4.20 a gallon so I filled up the Explorer ($50, and I think it could have taken a bit more). Then just a mile up the road I saw it for $3.85 a gallon, $3.65 with a car wash.

Back at our motel I was just in time for the end of breakfast service. A few minutes after 10am John arrived and we were off for a tour of downtown Chicago. The buildings are fantastic and the streets nice and clean, well they looked that way to us. We then went out on Lake Shore Drive and got a fantastic view of the lake looking back towards the city.

John then took us to Portillo’s for lunch where I had a real Chicago hot dog and Karen enjoyed her Breaded Chicken sandwich. John then dropped us back at the motel where we did a load of laundry (we have learnt to do it whenever we get a chance) and repacked our bags.

Tomorrow the Route 66 adventure begins.

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I had a lovely visit with Brent and Karen, it was wonderful to meet them both in person! The weather was spectacular and the views great. Hopefully the Chicago hot dogs don’t keep Brent up half the night, I told him Chicago hot dogs are reputed to having been dragged through a garden and picking up vegetables on the way.

I hope the Route 66 trip is totally enjoyable and without any unexpected challenges! Max, remember the non-disclosure agreement we made.

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John. SWCA #1586

This morning we began our 3 week sojourn down Route 66.

I am using an app, Route 66 navigation. It cost $59 to activate yesterday for a year. I am still getting used to the apps eccentricities, some of which are driving us both a bit crazy (or more crazy than normal). To start with the vocal guidance is very unsophisticated, almost robotic. And if you finish a section and move on a bit, the app insists on taking you back to the beginning of the new section. It also is nowhere as up to date with road closures as Google or iMaps as we found out when it tried three times to send us across a closed bridge in Joliet.

But there are advantages too. I spent weeks working out turn by turn directions which, it turns out, would have meant missing some awsum things.

We were diverted through some small towns, just off the current Route 66 but on the original road, and also got to see a few hidden gems. But first…..

As we were leaving Chicago we could see black clouds ahead (west) of us. Then the lightning. And finally the rain. By the time we got to Joliet the rain had stopped, and a little later the sun was out.

Illinois had a lot of Route 66 that, at some time, wad divided four lanes. The westbound lanes have been closed and are now overgrown, while the east bound ones are now single lanes in each direction.

As we passed through small town after small town I kept stopping to take photos.

At Pontiac we checked out the Route 66 Hall, of Fame together with the Bob Waldmire bus and mural. Further west, around Chenoa, we saw a “family restaurant” so stopped in. The coffee was great and the food good. I had chicken and shells soup and a rib eye sandwich, while Karen had the full club. And we took some with us for dinner.

We ended up stopping overnight in Bloomington and this evening we had a nice visit from max and his wife Chris, who bought us some unexpected gifts. I just wish we could have reciprocated. Karen was feeling a bit under the weather and was enjoying time in the bathroom unfortunately when they visited, but she greatly appreciated the special Rout 66 Illinois cookbook.

Tomorrow we will bake the drive to St Louis where we will stay for several nights, and catch up with gary.stl.

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View from down under