8229 miles this summer. I applaud my car and The Noodle. Now, they are both resting. I had a wonderful summer. I wish that I were in grade school so that the teacher could ask "how did you spend your summer." I was over joyed to be able to spend
even a short time with four of my five grandsons, one granddaughter in law, a daughter, a daughter in law and a son when I arrived in Port Townsend. To have my son and daughter in law drop in every day for coffee, dinner or for no reason
at all, just makes my heart overflow. Driving across the country with a special needs dog , was really not that hard. I never let the gas tank get lower than half. We stopped often at rest stops. I stayed, except for one night, in very comfortable motels.
I learned to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and dinner. I couldn't leave Noodle alone and restaurants that delivered in the towns I stayed in were not what I wanted. Chinese or pizza. My best meal was popcorn from the room microwave
and a coke from the vending machine. The Southern states were drive through states. Atlanta was 102 when I drove through. They didn't have the appeal for me that those western states did. But the Western states , which were so open just spoke to me.
They were green, and cool, and over achievers in rocks and mountains, open fields that went until a mountain stopped them, blue skies and heart stopping sunrises and sunsets. My trip to Alaska was a once in a lifetime treat. I thought that
the states that I went through were open vistas, but Denali was even more. The mountain overwhelmed . I was especially lucky because the weather was clear almost every day and I could see the whole range. Bears were a little scary, but we always carried bear
spray on hikes. I made a point not to need the out house at night. Now that I am home, I am ready to go again.. I learned that I can go ...any where. Have dog will travel.