Americas Best Value Inn - Leeds/Birmingham

... I leave on my trip. There is still a lot to be done and I've already done so much to get as ready as I am. Christmas is in the air all around town and it's making me a little regretful that I will not be at home on Christmas. Little things like that are making me a bit emotional at the present, but I think that is normal and it will subside once my trip starts. I daydream about this trip. For hours. And I keep bouncing back ...

... see something new. And almost every morning I am disappointed. I see the same spread, regardless of hotel brand. There's the selection of dry cereal. Often only two kinds, and usually that's one of the following: Raisin Bran, Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, or Fruit Loops. Next to this is the instant oatmeal, usually plain, occasionally someone will spice it up with a variety pack, but not often. This is followed by the bin of carbs ...

Wow - there are few racing moments I will remember for the rest of my life. Winning the British GT, Standing on the Grid at Daytona, Sebring & especially Le Mans. Tallegeda is another one I think I will always remember, weather brilliant, another Police Escort in and out with Sirens on. Words will not describe it, so I will let the pictures tell the story.

A very special day,

... at as crew. We started by collecting our Sprint View headsets, these are little Screens which allow you to see the TV, look at the stats, replay incidents and listen to the drivers talking to their pits, something I think F1 could learn from. Then off to get our programme and finally and importantly our Caps.

Qualifying was unfortunately rained off, so as I write we haven't as yet seen a ...

We had a one night stop over in Moody. We passed Talladega raceway on the way there but as it was a longer drive we didn't stop off along the way. We also got held up in our first traffic jam. A truck had gone off the interstate and crashed. Delayed us by about 40 minutes. The Super 8 wasn't the worst or the best motel but we both slept well after dinner at Cracker Barrell.

... otherwise I’d still be at the train station. Soon after arriving I took a headache tablet and immediately felt like I was going to throw up. I was then unable to get up out of bed. So I slept from about 1pm to 7pm and then again from 11.30pm to 8.30am. I am feeling much better this morning and now just have normal cold like symptoms. I think I will just stay in the hotel and do some washing, basically taking it easy and saving my energy for the trip to Memphis in the morning.

A few days ago we realized that the day we leave, marked in our brains as Memorial Day, comes a week earlier than we'd been thinking. Oops. At least we saw the light soon enough so we won't miss the flight. (Memorial Day this early in May feels very odd.) This trip is no big deal but will serve well as a test travel blog. Something to play with between meetings and meals.

... inside the camper, a pair of camp chairs, our walking sticks, a few guidebooks, and some basic kitchen supplies (electric teakettle, French press and Melitta one-cupper for his coffee, Mountain Research pot and lid). We'll take basics like tea, coffee, peanut butter and other sandwich-makings, and then pick up fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers' markets and ...

... GUESS WHO WON...ME, YEAH!! THE NEXT MORNING WE ATE BREAKFAST. THEN WE CHECKED OUT AND HEADED TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS. BESIDES SEEING ALL OF THE PLANTS AND SOME WILD LIFE WE, ALSO, TOOK ONE OF THE TRAILS. THE GARDENS WERE VERY PRETTY. WHAT I LIKED THE MOST THERE WAS THIS HUGH ALOE PLANT. THEN
WE HEADED ON HOME. ANOTHER WONDERFUL SHORT TRIP FOR TWO SENIORS! THANKS, FATHER!