Day 11 (July 12th): Finally Home

Today after we arose to a less than ok breakfast at the Microtel in Jeffersontown (outside of Louisville, KY) (and after Dad got me & Grady Hotcakes w/Sausage from a McDonald's & had to go back there because they forgot to give us sausage), we departed for home. In Berea, Kentucky, we stopped to use the restroom & get gas at a Shell. Later, around Knoxville, TN, we ate lunch at a Wendy's. As we were about to head through the mountains, a horrible storm came but we managed to get through it ok. It continued to rain in the mountains & we stopped for a restroom break at the North Carolina Welcome Center followed by a later annual stop at Bloomfield's Dish Barn off of I-26 in Flat Rock to browse & shop through a store of unique home accents. Then we headed for the final stretch...of which I fell asleep in because I was so tired; and we arrived home at 5:10 P.M. Eastern Time. Statistics of the trip will be posted later.

Day 10 (July 11th): NC Bound

Today, my mom woke me up early to go to a town about 25 miles away called Berger because I had an interest in the town due to the fact that my grandpa and step-grandma were married in a church there. It was an interesting little town. After that, we went back to the Stiers's for a nice breakfast cooked by Aunt Lori (then my mom & dad went to get Claire from the Heyings') and Grandpa came to see us & say goodbye. Also, an old friend of my mom's, Anita Van Booven, came to visit us before we left. About this time, I began to feel sick. We soon went to visit my step-grandma Fern's house and see my Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Tracy, Aunt Christy, Uncle Chad, & four of my cousins-Levi, Cody, Easton, & Myles- before departing for home. About this time my stomach felt better & I was relieved. We stopped at the Illinois Welcome Center (of which the visitors center was closed due to budget cuts), dinner at Arby's in Evansville, Indiana, change of drivers in Leavenworth, Indiana, and finally to our hotel in Jeffersontown, Kentucky outside of Louisville. Tomorrow-we'll be home.

Day 9 (July 10th): Last Full Day in Missouri

Today after I ran 4 miles on the Katy Trail and we had breakfast (doughnuts from the Battocletti's in Hermann) and lunch (sandwiches) at Uncle Butch and Aunt Lori Stiers's house, we dropped Alison off back at her house and we went into Hermann to see Uncle Chad and Aunt Megan's new house. Although the exterior wasn't complete, the interior was absolutely gorgeous and we had a fun time playing with our 2 little cousins, Easton & Myles. Afterwards, we stopped in at my great Aunt Darlene's house to see her and Uncle Calvin before going to the all-you-can-eat buffet picnic at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Hermann (where a number of my family members go and have gone in the past) including fried chicken, roast beef, homemade ice cream (50 cents extra) and so many other delicious vegetables and desserts and breads. Then we picked up Alison again there & dropped her, Mom, Grady, and Claire off at my great-Aunt Darlene's house as Dad and I tried to find my great-aunt Dorris's grave in a nearby cemetery which as a lost cause due to the fact that it hadn't been marked yet. Later that night after leaving Aunt Darlene's, Claire and Torrie enjoyed riding horses back at Uncle Butch and Aunt Lori's where we are overnighting again and there we took pics of all the cousins and of my mom, 2 of her sisters, and 3 of their daughters (a tradition). This is our last day in Missouri and we will become "North Carolina bound" tomorrow afternoon.
*Also, while I was driving back to Uncle Butch and Aunt Lori's, a deer went across the road in front of me & Praise the Lord there was enough room for me to stop. Jesus is Faithful!

Day 8 (July 9th)

Today is Skittles's 5th Birthday; Happy Birthday to our precious miniature Schnauzer, can't wait to come home and see you! Anyways, today after running we and Alison left Aunt Vickie's for Uncle Butch and Aunt Lori's house to see Ethan. Then we ate lunch there & then we went to a nearby lake along with Torrie and Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Tracy, and another cousin Cody. It was really fun! We had a delicious dinner at Trail Side Bar & Grill (formerly the Corner) in Rhineland followed by playing Ghosts in the Graveyard with Ethan, Torrie, and Alison and a sleepover with all of them at Uncle Butch and Aunt Lori's.

Day 7 (July 8th)

Today after breakfast we (along with Alison) headed over for a quick visit to my step-grandma Fern's house to visit her and my Aunt Christy. It was a nice visit especially playing with their hyper dog Jasper. Afterwards, we picked up Ethan at his house and went over to Aunt Vickie, Uncle Dave, and Torrie's house where we are overnighting. We had grilled cheeses (some with ham) and other sandwiches for lunch & then Mom, Aunt Vickie, and I went into Hermann to visit my great-uncle's grave and the grocery store in McKittrick (between Rhineland and Hermann) and went back to Aunt Vickie's where my grandpa had shown up to see us. We had spaghetti for dinner & the cousins continued to play together until Ethan left to end our Day 7 adventures.

Day 6 (July 7th)

Today was low-key compared to other days of our travels so far. After waking up, I went off on a run on the scenic Katy Trail (a state owned trail on a former railroad) and then came back to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Stanley's house to find fresh doughnuts from Battocletti's Bake Shop on the table. These are the best doughnuts ever (even better than Krispy Kreme)! After breakfast, the family and my cousin Alison went into Hermann to visit my great-aunt Darlene who was in the hospital with a broken heel but is doing ok. After that, we ate a delicous lunch at the Downtown Deli in Hermann as suggested by Alison. That afternoon, we spent more time at Aunt Lisa's house with Alison and another cousin, Ethan (mostly playing Ultimate in the wet grass). Dinner was there with burgers, corn on the cob, baked beans, chips, jello, etc.; and we are overnighting there again.

Day 5 (July 6th): Brace Disaster

Today we woke up to a quick breakfast at LaQuinta in Memphis in which I snapped one part of my braces apart with a soft cinnamon role (wow, why does this happen on vacation?). Thankfully, it doesn't hurt & the orthodontist said not to worry about it till next week. This morning, we went in front of Graceland & took pics, toured the Memphis Firemans' Museum in memory of Uncle Red, and toured historic Elmwood Cemetery which contains the graves of several Civil War figures, politicians, criminals, and other notable figures and graves. Afterwards, we got on the road to Missouri and we stopped to eat lunch in Blytheville, Arkansas, at the Taco Bell. The next stops were at the Missouri Welcome Center in New Madrid, the historic riverfront and buildings in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Cape Rock, a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River. We stopped in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri to see the historic Catholic Church there & historic downtown followed by dinner at Dairy Queen & another 2.5 hours before arriving at my Aunt Lisa's house near Rhineland, Missouri to stay the night.