Everywhere to go starts in Paris

It’s the middle of the night, and it’s been the middle of the night for days as we’ve made our way from LA to Paris to Dijon by car, plane, train and foot. I’m sleeping in three-hour increments — more time to post on the blog?

Au revoir, California!

After a few hours of sleep on the plane, I woke up in the darkness over the Atlantic to watch our progress. The sunrise was beautiful as we soared over the clouds and sea.

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport around 11 AM Paris time and made our way through customs, and baggage claim, picked up some euros at the ATM, and took a taxi through horrid traffic to Gare de Lyon, where we waited for our train to Dijon. We are pretty wiped out, so the days are a bit of a blur, but lunch in an outdoor cafe and the stunning old train station made us feel more certain the adventure has begun. 

At the train station, we activated our Eurail passes and our esim service for our phones.

The TGV inOui train is a high-speed way to travel — less than two hours to Dijon, where we arrived in the early evening.

Dinner al fresco means Thai food and Singha beer across the street from our hotel in Dijon Ville. 

Finally, introducing a new blog feature: Pastry of the Day!

Air France serves mini pastries and macaron after dinner, and mini croissants when the sun comes up.

What kind of pastry will we find tomorrow?

Year of the Rabbit

In the spirit of the Year of the Rabbit, we're hopping across the ocean again for a few weeks in central Europe, where we will hike in the mountains, soak in thermal baths, eat pastries at sidewalk cafes, view art masterpieces, linger in cathedrals, attend concerts, see friends, ride trains, explore ancestry and attune ourselves to new points of view about what has turned out to be a busy and hectic 2023. Check back regularly for updates along the route. Au revior!

Headed home

After more than two weeks on the road, it was time to head west again, and we did so in record time, covering more than 500 miles each day through Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

A grain elevator in Colby, Kansas, where we spent the first night of the return journey.

Sunrise over a Kansas cornfield.

America’s farmland is dotted with wind turbines all across the Midwest.

We spent night two in Santa Fe, NM, where we saw this stunning morning sky.

Red mesas on the continental divide.

Last chance Texaco, Route 66, in Needles, California, where it is 116 degrees at dinner time.

Wagon Wheel Restaurant is a Route 66 fixture. Great food, too!

Cheers to our 2023 summer road trip and to all our friends and family we visited as part of our 5000-mile journey. Until next time, much love from John & Lo.

Too Busy to Blog

When you’re with Hannah & Charlotte, who has time to blog? Just a few quick pix of us and the Chicks. 

Random Midwest

 

Passing Epic Lane in Verona, Wisconsin… Made it to Hannah! But before that…

At lunch at Convivium in Dubuque, Iowa, an urban farmstead whose mission is to improve life through food — growing it, sharing it, giving it away, and bringing healthy options to North Dubuque. Check them out at convivium-dbl.com 

Beautiful Iowa farmland.

Waiting five minutes for a freight train to pass.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum in West Branch, Iowa. He did a lot of good, but the poor guy can’t shake his association with the Great Depression.

Iowa City, home to the Iowa Writers Workshop and Prairie Lights bookstore.

Doing laundry at the Embassy Suites in Omaha.

Colorado Springs, North Platte & Omaha

As I’ve been taught, honesty is always the best policy, and today’s truth is we now know that we’re not RV people. After 6 days in the Airstream living with a mouse, a shower that didn’t work, two bald tires, and constant stress about whether we’d run out of potable water and battery power, we ditched the trailer in Colorado and headed north in the truck. Of course we will fetch it on the way home, but we’re feeling much more free and easy in the truck and various roadside hotels.

Colorado Springs was glorious — we had a shower and a king sized bed. Also a great visit with Patty K and Ziggy and the best non-dairy ice cream I’ve ever eaten at Josh & John’s ice cream shop. 

Clean and civilized?

Morning hike.

Josh & John’s — really, that’s what it’s called.

Evening in the city.

We drove east to North Platte in Nebraska so flat.

There’s not much to see — just corn — that’s that.

A hundred degrees in the sun, and not much cooler at night.

And the food is terrible. So we took our flight.

Onto Omaha…

Stopping by the cemetery. 

Mary Louise Becknell, 1932-1975. RIP.

John’s childhood home, age 6-11.

… and he lived here from age 11-17. 

You can’t go home again…

Friends

                             Nothing compares to spending time with your peeps (and their dogs). 

                                                R to L: Lennon, Lo, Johamy, John, Matt, Isaac

Matt in the kitchen (it may be his favorite indoor spot)

Bear

John and Johamy on Isaac’s deck in Creede

Patty and Ziggy Marley in the Springs

John and Deb in Omaha

Creede Never Disappoints

We made it back to Creede, the beauty of which always blows us away. We had a lot of fun visiting with Matt & Johamy, and Isaac & Lennon and… Jude, who’s already nearly 18 months old. How time flies.

Our camper set up. The “clam” tent keeps the bugs and rain out and provides a great place for happy hour.

Ivy Creek was running and the hike was spring-like.

This old guy still rocks.

While in Creede, we also checked in with our tenants, who gave us eight of their fresh and colorful chicken eggs that we ate for breakfast. Aren’t they gorgeous?

Then there was this guy. Otis, the Bernese Mountain dog, who lives in our cabin, along with a family of four, two cats, and the chickens.

Will try to post again when we get internet at our next stop. Adios for now. XO

New Mexico and Colorado - Travel Days 2&3

We left Flagstaff eager to drive north and get into some cooler weather. Much of the drive was through the Navaho Reservation, where the scenery is spectacular and the rez dogs are lazy.