Bittersweet. That is the word conveyed by Helen as she and Greg were departing Utah. It was apropos for our trip. Something pleasant, yet marked with regret. But as the proverb says, all good things must come to an end.
As Greg and Helen made their way to their home in St. Paul, MN, one stop they made was in Greensburg, KS. Several years ago, Greg was participating in a cycling trip across America, leaving Long Beach, CA, cycling 3600 miles in 30 days (with just one rest day) and ending in Portsmouth, NH. The group had stopped to overnight at a town just a few miles away from Greensburg, KS. That evening, May 4, 2007, Greensburg was hit by a EF5 tornado, with winds over 201 mph. The tornado tore through their city, killing 11, injuring countless others, and destroying 95% of the community. Greg wanted to see how the city recovered and rebuilt after such a devastating event.
They stopped at the Greensburg storm museum and the Big Well, the world’s largest hand dug well. The well, 109 feet deep and 32 feet in diameter, was completed in 1888 and used as the town’s water supply until 1932. It opened as a tourist attraction in 1939, allowing visitors to descend to the bottom of the well.
By following along our blog, you know we enjoyed terrific weather with only a few rain days dampening our trip. Greg and Helen sure know how to end a trip, enduring strong winds during their last few travels days (strong winds are no fun when pulling a travel trailer). On the day after their arrival in St. Paul, Greg had scheduled service on their RV, before putting it away in storage for the winter. And wouldn’t you know it, it snowed! They drove in high winds, sleet, snow, traveling in the darkness and pea soup fog while pulling their RV to and from the service appointment. They are troopers. Their camper is now safely tucked away in a barn for the winter. Night night LC. Thanks for great memories.
Dave and I headed toward Florida, stopping along the way near Albuquerque for awesome Mexican food at the Range Café (for dinner and scrumptious desserts plus breakfast the next morning it was so good); in Amarillo, Texas, at Shark Beach Burgers for yep, great burgers; a state park in Eufaula, OK and Hot Springs National Park, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We stayed an extra day in Hot Springs, so I could have a final soak in thermal hot springs. There are many bathhouses operating along the famous Bathhouse Row and I chose Buckstaff Bathhouse, as it is the longest continuously run bathhouse in the state, providing traditional bath treatments. It opened its doors in 1912 and has been serving celebrities, politicians, and athletes (plus us “regular folk”) for the healing properties of the mineral rich thermal water ever since. Here are a few vintage pictures from its website.
As its website states, its “current bathing experience recreates the opulence of the 1900s, using original bathtubs and equipment to transport you back in time.” That it did! Although it was closed on our free day (its washing machine broke), I was able to go early the morning of our departure.
My almost 2-hour experience was delightful (and for only $90!). After disrobing and securing your items in a locker, the bathhouse attendant wraps you in a sheet (I felt like a Greek goddess) and she escorts you to a tub filled with thermal mineral rich water, where she scrubs your back & feet with a loofah sponge, sets the whirlpool contraption in motion, and leaves you in a curtained off private area. Heavenly. After 20 minutes of soaking (and drinking cooled off thermal water), you are led to a massage table and wrapped in very hot towels (the water is 143 degrees straight from the springs). She does put a cool towel around your forehead and gives you ice chips to suck on. There you relax for another 10 minutes. Divine! Then off to the steam cabinet for a few minutes (where only your head is out). It really did look like the box in the picture on the right above. Next, the attendant walked you to a sitz bath, where your bum, lower back and hips soak some more. After your bath attendant helps you out of the sitz bath and wraps you in a nice dry sheet, the masseuse comes and whisks you away to her table for a 20-minute relaxing full body massage. One last stop for a 10-minute paraffin wax hand treatment (my hands have never felt so soft) and you are done. Nap time! Just kidding. It was such a fun experience, especially in the original surroundings using historic bathing treatments. I could feel the therapeutic mineral water doing wonders for my lower back.
Cameras were not allowed in the treatment rooms, but they don’t look too far off from the pictures above. Anytime Dave wants to route us back through Hot Springs, I’m game!
While in Hot Springs, Dave, Murphy, and I also enjoyed a fall hike and a late lunch at the Superior Bathhouse Brewery. And who could pass up breakfast at The Pancake Shop, operating since 1940, still family owned and operated. It was like eating my mom’s light and fluffy made=from-scratch pancakes (but I did have chocolate chips added to mine).
Our last stop before reaching Florida was at the Folklore Brewery & Meadery in Dothan, AL. Little did we know it was opening day of the National Peanut Festival, running for 10 days. It looked like a state fair as we drove by. We just stayed at the brewery and I tried a mead. I had no idea what it was. Mead, which may be the oldest alcoholic beverage on earth, is made by fermenting honey, adding water and yeast. As beer and wine were less costly to make, mead ended up taking a back seat. However, it is regaining its popularity with over 250 Meadery’s now open in the U.S. We also had a great New Orleans style dinner at the brewery and I tried a muffuletta for the first time. Dave enjoyed Shrimp etouffee and of course, beignets for dessert.
Fun fact about mead: “the term “honeymoon” comes from the medieval tradition of drinking honey wine (mead) a full moon cycle after a new marriage—all that golden essence would supposedly ensure a fruitful union bearing plenty of children. This mead-based insurance policy was taken so seriously that a bride’s father would often include a month’s worth of mead in her dowry.” -Amanda Marsteller, www.liquor.com,
On to Florida. As you read this, we have tucked away Mini-T in her newly rented covered storage for the winter (thanks Terri!) and are unpacking at our townhouse in St Petersburg. A big thank you to Ginger & Juan for taking such good care of the townhouse during our absence.
Before closing, here are a few fun facts about our trip:
- We left on April 11, 2024, returning on November 3, 2025, 207 days – almost 7 months!
- We stopped at 87 unique locations, averaging 2 ½ days at each location.
- We traveled a total distanced of 21,584 miles from picking up Mini-T and dropping her off in St. Petersburg.
- We used 1,665 gallons of diesel fuel, with an average price paid of $3.836 per gallon (it was quite expensive in Canada), for a total of $6,389 in fuel costs.
So where does next year take us? We will be leaving in May 2025 to head west to explore the Pacific Northwest with lots of stops in between. But first, in April, we are going on a Transatlantic repositioning cruise, leaving Port Canaveral, FL sailing for 14 days (stopping in Bermuda, the Azores, Cartegena, and Palma De Mallorca), arriving in Barcelona, Spain. Anyone want to join us? The more the merrier!
Thank you SO much for following along on our 2024 adventure and a ginormous thank you to Greg & Helen for joining us on this epic adventure.
So thankful for the ability to explore our great country Brenda, planning is underway for 2025 Dave, and when do we leave again Murphy.
Well done!!
Thank you 😊
I sure have enjoyed your travel posts. What a great trip you have had with us (sort of) along for the ride.
Thank you so much for keeping all of us up to date on your travels. It’s been the next best thing to actually being there! Best of luck and safe travels!
Amazing journey!! Amazing blogs all along the way!! Thanks for sharing the adventure❤️❤️
Thanks for taking us along on your beautiful journey. Let’s get together now that your back in Florida!
Wow. Very interesting following you through out your almost 7 mos. You kept track of the miles, the average stay, the time spent on the total trip, the avg cost per gallon of diesel, total miles, however, you failed to mention how many cinnamon rolls you ate. Lol.
It was great traveling with you. Looking forward to seeing you when you come west
Enjoy your cruise.