Leah and I crossed the great Mississippi on our way from Memphis, TN to Hot Springs, AK by-way-of I-55 after Tennessee DOT inspectors closed the I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge 16 days earlier, blaming a crack in one-of-two 900-ft structural beams.

It was a major traffic snafu, but I also remember thinking at the time that this was a bad omen of sorts, yet so apropos, given our divided nation debating whether a critical investment in infrastructure is necessary for our survival.

Things had gone smoothly during our first month on the road, until we hit this speedbump traveling from the eastern states to the western states. Absent a few nagging issues on the shape of Lay-Dee! (our newest-used Globetrotter), this was a minor inconvenience.

But any concern about its impact on our Memorial Day holiday quickly vanished after a hug from a nursery school buddy I haven’t seen in 50 years. And it was great reunion.

Lee and Debra’s hospitality extended to a tour of Crystal Bridges Art Museum,

and an overnight at their home near Wally World.

When we left our friends for OKC, our F-150 hit a new milestone which we mistook for a good omen.

However, the following family reunion with Carrie and grandchildren was temporarily delayed by an Airstream blowout the moment we crossed into New Mexico from Texas. Bad juju, right?

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Once we were back on the road,

our visit with Carrie and the kids began in Santa Rosa, where we cooled off (62°F ) at the Blue Hole,

and continued at Dan’s house in Cedar Crest, where Lay-dee! dropped anchor.

Soon after, Carrie surprised Gabe and Devon with Lucy–from erstwhile riding pony to Aiken family adoptee.

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It was a brief and bittersweet visit…

but we had to move on to Loveland, Colorado, where our African safari mates, Linda and Heather were expecting us for dinner.

We left Lay-dee! behind in Dirk and Heather’s hayfield,

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While keeping company at Linda’s house with her goofy Newfie, Angus…

and Forrest the gentle giant, who passed away 2 months after our visit.

From Loveland, it was short drive to Cheyenne, WY to reconnect with NJ hiking buddies George and Tere, and meet their uni-corny granddaughter, Val.

Leah and I boondocked behind their house at night…

and enjoyed the local parks…

and museums by day.

Eventually, Leah and I worked our way to the Pacific coast, where African safari mates Michael and Brenda were holding a table for us at a popular Newport, OR fish house…

on the historic wharf.

At last, Leah and I arrived in metropolitan Seattle, where my son Nate has settled for the past three years, and we were there to pop his National Park cherry.

Despite being only two hours away from Mt. Rainier, Nate has never had the opportunity to get any closer, and we were determined to fix that.

Finally, we arrived in Spokane, where cousin Lisa, her son David, and partner Bob hosted and fed us for three days…

preparing us for the long trip back home…with plenty of new adventures and miles along the way.