Written by Kim
It’s been a quiet travel year. This summer we were lucky to have all four kids, seven grands, most of the spouses and our moms come visit us in Myrtle Beach. It was busy but our hearts are filled. First, Ryan drove down and spent 2 weeks renovating our guest bathroom upstairs and playing 5 1/2 rounds of golf with Alex. Ryan does amazing work and it was great having him here for so long. Unfortunately, Nikki couldn’t join him but hopefully she can come next time.
Next, Alex, Brianna, Brady, Liam and Alex’s mom came. We enjoyed going to the pool, beach and out and about with them. The boys are growing so fast. Liam is our youngest grand and will be 2 in November. Brady is 4.
Next up was my 2 kids & their clan. Heather & her 2 kids, Lux (5), Adrianna (2). Unfortunately Antoine couldn’t come. Also, Stephen, Bethany and their 3 kids, Luke (5), Greyson (3), and Layla (2). My mom, their Nana / Gigi also came. It was crazy with everyone together but great for the cousins to have time playing together. & Stephen,
Now it’s time to get back on the road again. We know gas is so expensive but so are airfares so what the heck. This year we will take the month of November and first week of December to drive around the South / southwest a bit. We rented a car to start in Myrtle Beach- will head out through Georgia to Augusta & Columbus, then down to the panhandle with stops in Destin, Biloxi and New Orleans. We will check out the hotspots in Texas stopping in Houston, Austin, & San Antonio then head north to New Mexico hitting Carlsbad & Albuquerque & a piece of Route 66 to see Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. We will see a bit more of the central states with stops in Oklahoma City & Hot Springs before stopping at Graceland in Memphis. We planned this route so we could be at Alex’s mom in Sparta, TN for Thanksgiving then will head south again with one night in Tifton, GA before getting on Radiance of the Seas in Tampa for a 7 night cruise. Phew – I’ve got a great travel planning partner with Alex. He loves to plan these trips. The goal is short drives each time we move with 1-2 nights are each destination. We did a similar trip in the northwest, west & Midwest a few years ago and really enjoyed it. We create the skeleton and book hotels and activities as we go a few days in advance. I’ll start researching the best things to do in each city to make a list of possibilities. If you have ideas or must sees please let us know. Also, I think we have some friends along the way so I’ll be reaching out to see if we can connect as we pass through.
Looking forward to taking you along. Until then…..
