Fred is super good about fulfilling my bucket list (and maybe his along the way too #bassproshop #coveredbridges). So, I had a wish to see New England in the fall. Most folks would fly there, rent a car, spend a few days shopping around mingling with the locals…not us.

We decided to drive it. 4600+ miles (with a slight detour to Niagara Falls because neither of us had ever been there) mapped out by where to eat next via Triple D flavors, but that’s another post entirely…but let my just say, YUM!

First, it went too fast, but even with the speed of it, there is a different flavor to each state. New York surprised me most – very pastoral, rural atmosphere (We skipped NYC since Fred has a strong -inexplainable because he’s never been there – aversion to it.) Vermont is anti-big business, very artsy…and beautiful even if the fall leaves were not at their best per the local folks. (Thanks for giving us the lowdown @vermontmaplemuseum in West Brattleboro, VT). We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how people made a living in Vermont. Pennsylvania reminded me, not of the civil war, but of the revolutionary war…very patriotic. They are the “revolutionaries” as much as I am “a Texan”. But I must say, getting back on the south side of the Mason-Dixon Line, brought me back “home” to my “southern” roots…and words I could pronounce and spell! (How the heck do you say “Schaghticoke” (a town in New York) which we came to refer to as “Coke” (the closest we could get). I came to the conclusion that some of our Northern friends just can’t spell!

Second, on Fred’s bucket list, we visited SEVERAL covered bridges from Ohio to Massachusetts. The most beautiful, construction wise, was the first, The Mill Creek Bridge, in Ohio built in 1868. The supports had 24 boards curved to make an interior support.

 

 

 

 

 

The saddest, was the one burned by arsonists. There was the one that took us down some questionable “roads” only to find that if we’d stayed on the highway, we just would have had to pull off the road about 50 feet (thanks GPS! Not.) Each bridge had a history of the area like the one dedicated to the “memory of Bernice Langlois”. So these were fun, and really could be a trip in and of themselves. Several of the bridges had a “fine” for driving on the bridge faster than a walk. Really – $25 bucks!

We did decide there were several reasons to visit again: bridges, food, history.

 

We also visited the Shenandoah Caverns. Neither of us had ever been to any caverns (yes, we’ve lived close to some, but never been inside any) and it was a fun experience. I was a little claustrophobic initially, but it was more impressive than scary.

 

 

 

 

 

Thirdly, Gig kind of shamed us into going to Charleston to eat…I mean, this was the point, to eat our way across the states, but Charleston wasn’t on the list…and it turned out to be The. Best. Part. And I want to go back to Charleston to spend some time…after I do some research and understand the area better. (I thought Charleston was a big city, but really is just one small part of a group of peninsulas.) We were concerned (I was flat out worried) about the conditions in Charleston since Hurricane Michael had just been through a week before, but the news reports were greatly exaggerated. Shout out to Glenn #Charlestonculinarytours for the BEST food walking tour! Really it was 2 days before we NEEDED to eat again. Be sure to look him up if you’re in Charleston at charlestoncullinarytours.com. He knows EVERYWHERE to eat and was a great guide! And, honestly, the food, because it’s locally sourced, is not expensive. (Sorry Paula Deen, Savannah just didn’t make the cut.) Charleston is #2 wedding destination and #1 food destination currently. I didn’t know that. And there’s a Farm to Market tour with Glenn in my future – hopefully.

So, 20 states, not counting leaving and coming back to Texas: Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. (Should have done New Hampshire, New Jersey and Delaware (we were within a few miles) and Arkansas for a nice fat saw-half-the-US-in-one-trip.) #betterplanningnexttime

But, coming home is really the best part…to the pooch who cried when he saw me… and our own bed… and the cool of a Texas fall. (Thanks for babysitting Gig & The Beau and to J for bringing him home.) So much to be said of visiting the “neighbors” and exploring places you’ve never been but Home sure feels good.