We Got This…

Holy crap the real world is stressful… The real world meaning home, where all the responsibility lies, where the mail is delivered, where things break, where the kids stop by, where the lawn needs mowing… And beautiful because of the kids stopping by, the grass growing, things breaking… We got this!

By far the question most often posed to Mrs. Jones upon her return is, “You guys still like each other?” So – to all, yes we do! Should we not? We signed up for this life together, come hell or high water… We got this…

Hooray, our crazy mom and dad are back home! Let’s bring puppies…

The snook in the lagoon forgot all about Mr. Jones and the mullet run has them ripe for easy pickings!

So, in summary, what has Mrs. Jones learned on her summer journey across the United States? Here’s a brief old style Road Atlas pic of the trip… The last part which is missing was basically a beeline from Memphis back home. Mrs. Jones had some music to see when she got there!

One very important observation about this beautiful country is the miles and miles and miles of farmland. We must be feeding the whole world… A million thanks to the hardworking farmers across this country, the most noble of professions…

Another quick observation is that it requires about one hundred snapshots to get one decent photo, and that blogging is hard… (WIFI sketchy all over the country, so be sure to have your own hot spot.). For example, daily dog wrestling requires many clicks…

Also, Mrs. Jones is less afraid of heights than Mr. Jones… just sayin’

Also, learning to fly a drone is a tricky business… but how cool when the drone finally captures you trying to capture a photo of it? Is this weird or what? “Get out here woman and take a picture of me flying this damn drone!”

If anyone out there has misgivings about leaving behind the homestead and most importantly the offspring – don’t! Mrs. Jones was a wreck, she truly believed that if she left her kitchen everyone might drop dead… But, hey not only are they alive, but they are thriving, and dynamic, and smart, and funny, and maybe even doing better when Mrs. Jones is on the road? Lessons….

Also, a twenty five foot RV is cozy… if you can’t do cozy with your partner, then maybe don’t do this trip… Here’s some outtakes of the reality.

But keep in mind that the great outdoors is right at your doorstep as an escape hatch from the tin can…

Okay, and here are the actual factuals regarding Mrs. Jones journey. Note that there was never a grueling drive or any night driving until the beeline home from Memphis…

Stuart – St. Augustine, 216 miles

St. Augustine – Savannah, 180 miles

Savannah – Charlotte, 252

Charlotte – Asheville, 130

Asheville – Gatlinburg, 75

Gatlinburg – Louisville, 300

Louisville – Davenport, 426

Davenport – St. Charles, 200

St. Charles – Sioux Falls, 287

Sioux Falls – Interior, SD, 285

Interior – Buffalo, WY, 293

Buffalo – Billings, MT, 166

Billings – Yellowstone National Park, 216

Yellowstone – Bozeman, 155

Bozeman – Missoula, 204

Missoula – Whitefish, 138

Whitefish – Hayden Lake, ID, 228

Hayden Lake – Worley, ID, 45

Worley, ID – Hood River, OR, 333

Hood River – Corvallis, OR, 160

Corvallis – Ashland, OR, 225

Ashland – Calistoga, CA, 312

Calistoga – Big Sur, 207

Big Sur – Cachuma Lake, 185

Cachuma Lake – Las Vegas, 380

Las Vegas – Zion National Park, 160

Zion – Moab, 345

Moab – Carbondale, CO, 211

Carbondale – Denver, 163

Denver – Manitou Springs, 89

Manitou Springs – Salina, KS, 426

Salina – Independence, MO, 185

Independence – Columbia, 119

Columbia – Memphis, 393

Memphis – Ocala, FL, 731 (ouch)

Ocala – Orlando, 103

Orlando – HOME 136

GRAND TOTAL OF 8,667 miles (just in the RV)

657 gallons of ultra low sulphur diesel!!! (Yes, we are planting trees…)

Also, we now have a beautiful little fixer upper in Whitefish, Montana that will begin a new chapter in Mrs. Jones crazy life… stay tuned for that episode…

Which means we have to unload this big beauty that is holding us back a bit… family raised, job done!

In summary, family is everything;

Buffalo are really damn cool;

Otter spotting Elk was worth every mile Mrs. Jones drove;

Next week look forward to some Mexico blogging from San Miguel de Allende for Day of the Dead!! Yikes and wow! Meanwhile, this little video kinda sums up the theme of the journey… The Uproot Hootenannies will sing this blog home… Adios!