Scooter Saga

Family Friends You don't always have the luxury on a trip of alternating 'sights' with 'visits', but we did.  I was surprised by the difference that made.  It's always nice to see friends and family, but it also provided a break from the anonymity of being a tourist.  Sure, it was fun seeing new things and places, being together (blah, blah, blah) , but a meal or home with familiar faces added to the entertainment factor and made the long trip more manageable.  I think it also contributed to marital harmony just by virtue of having someone else to talk to.  While a couple of visits came during the 'sight' phase of the trip, most were in California and on the way home—the 'visiting' phase. We even met up with a first cousin of Earl's that he hadn't seen for nearly 60 years. Audiobooks–a great way to travel As planned, audiobooks were our primary car entertainment.  We managed to find books that appealed to our diverg

What long trip would be complete without a few misadventures?  All in all, things went pretty well. However, not perfectly.  Once again I was reminded, &%$ happens.  Our main coping strategy was not to blame one another, maintain a sense of humor, and have confidence in our ability to problem–solve.  When in doubt, call AAA. Kitschy Kanab Our motel in Kanab, Utah was an early reminder of how thin the walls were.  We could hear our next door neighbors as if we shared a room with them.  I attributed their groans and heavy breathing to an unusually active sex life.   Then they had their TV on all night . I couldn't figure the man and woman out, until I saw them the next morning. It turned out they were an older couple with COPD and were just trying to breathe.  I needed to let that one go.   We had to drive across the parking lot to get to the breakfast room.  It felt silly, but was just a bit too far for me to walker over and stay upright. One morning on the dr

Maintaining a reasonable balance between eating and moving was a big part of our trip planning.  We aimed to strike a balance between cooking in, dining out and take out food.  Add the wine we took with us and we were golden.  While we always eat well, this was especially fun.  Earl's thinking of approaching the Food Network to pitch his idea for a Motel Cooking Challenge .  Like he needs another project. One of the more useful purchases we made was a hot plate (Amazon Prime, of course).  Chef Earl did amazing things cooking in a motel room with his favorite seasonings, an old saucepan and a sauté pan. Cooking in was easier for me, but more work for Earl.  Restaurant dining gave us a change of scenery as well as a chance to sample the local specialty.  Take out food was often a compromise as long as we had room to dine somewhere other than the bed. Balcony view, dining al fresco Whenever our motel room had a balcony (however small) , we either had wine and appetizers

  We had our moments... Traveling when you have a disability or with a person with a disability is doable, but more work and effort—for everyone involved.  Overall, our trip was great and enjoyable for several reasons.  Earl and I packed as light as possible, planned carefully, and zipped our lips whenever the urge to snipe at each other arose.  We used yoga to calm our minds.  Earl went for a bike ride, walk, or run every day by himself.  Initially, we thought it was just routine daily exercise. In retrospect, it was actually therapeutic.  We were mostly Pollyanna and Dr. Jekyll with occasional appearances of Elphaba and Mr. Hyde.*  Getting home after a month on the road, with neither of us injured or dead, was a major accomplishment.  We learned early in the handicap game, that it's important to go anywhere early or all the parking spaces are gone.  This was especially true in the national parks.  I never passed up a bathroom and did a mental 'happy dance

In Travels With Charlie , John Steinbeck said, "You don't take a trip, it takes you."  This became a recurring theme and our philosophy for the month. The route Earl and I hit the road on May 4 and came home May 29, driving nearly 6000 miles.  Rather than one trip, it was more like three.  We had a great time, and discovered that while three weeks is fine, four is a bit too long.  That said, we have no 'we shouldn't have gone theres'. Preferring daily showers and electricity, I'm just not a good camper.  Motels along the way became our temporary home on the road.  Moving motels every other day had its pluses and minuses.  Come to think of it– primarily minuses.  However, we did discover what we really need in an 'Accessible' room.  I'll trade a roll-in shower for some space to move, and always travel with nightlights.  I had forgotten how noisy motels can be and how thin the walls are.  Some travelers get up at the crap of dawn an