Hello, all. This will be my last entry for probably at least a week or two. I may try to write from my in-laws' home in Tucson, but I can't guarantee it'll be coherent. Tomorrow the packers come, and Thursday we start our trek.

It should be fun.

First stop is Huntsville, to see my sister Michele and her husband Ben. She got us this GREAT deal on a nice hotel in the area. I need to remember to ask her where we're staying -- I don't even know the name! :o) Apparently, it was going to be something like $70 a night, plus a pet deposit. She got it for $50 a night, with a small pet fee of $5 per day! I'll owe her a fair amount when it's all said and done, but it's less than it would have been!

We HAVE to get to Huntsville by the first night. It's too close to southern Virginia to spend a night in between, but it's almost too far to do in one day. If Michele wasn't there, I doubt we'd choose that spot to stop. But I really want to see Michele; I want to see EVERYONE before I leave!

Then from there we're thinking Memphis, and on to Nashville. I have a feeling that we'll get almost to Nashville from Huntsville before we have to stop. On to Little Rock and Amarillo before we get to Albuquerque, which I'm tres excited about. I've heard it's GORGEOUS. We should then be able to get to Tucson, where we'll stop to rest for a few days at least.

From Tucson, it's on to LA (but staying in Pasadena because LA is just TOO expensive!), up to San Jose, and a stop in northern California before we get to Oregon. And then it's home free to Seattle!

Or at least that's the plan. We'll see if we stick to it. Our only required stops are Huntsville to see Michele, Tucson to see the in-laws, and San Jose to see Kurt's cousin. Other than that, we'll drive till we're tired or till we see something we want to look at.

I like that idea. My dad always wanted to drive the farthest he could, and sightseeing be damned. Plus he NEVER stays in a motel; if he can't get there in one day without flying, and if there isn't a friend or a relative on the other end that he can stay with, he ain't going. This is how we managed to get from Orlando, Florida, to western Missouri in one day. He didn't even like to stop to eat or pee!!!

So now I'm in charge of the road trip, as long as I agree with Kurt. :o) I just hope our pets don't get carsick...

I'm off to the wild blue yonder!! Wish me luck! :o)