Baymont Inn & Suites Birmingham/Vestavia

Hello to everyone I think will want to know what I'm doing in Europe! I love you all! And I hope this blog is interesting. I'm bringing a computer with me so I will be able to write entries often, I hope. Don't worry, all my entries aren't going to be emailed to you like this one. I just emailed this one so that you guys could know about the blog and decide for yourself if you want to keep up with it.

So there's about a week ...

... For someone who's life is on the road, and is required to eat out for almost every meal, the idea of the continental breakfast is quite appealing. It's free, and it's right there at your hotel. It should be almost like eating at home... but it's not. Continental breakfast has come to be the equivalent of school or prison breakfast, but without the fake eggs.

Every morning I drag myself to the hotel of the day's lobby, hoping ...

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.

A little over a week and we'll be on the road! Our Volkswagen Eurovan Camper is just about ready; it's getting a new "kitchen" water pump tomorrow and then we'll actually start loading it up. We'll be traveling pretty light: the Porta-Potty, one roller bag each, one sleeping bag and Therma-Rest each, one pillow each, a new Coleman grill/stove so we don't have to ...

... WAS THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY AND THE HOTEL WAS VIRTUALLY EMPTY (NOT THAT I MINDED, ALMOST, JUST THE TWO OF US). THE GROUNDS WERE VERY WELL KEPT. THE ROOM VERY CLEAN. ANYWAY WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. WE WALKED THE GROUNDS. THIS HOTEL WAS ON A HILL SO IT WAS HIGH UP. AT THE END OF OUR CORRIDOR WAS A LARGE PICTURE WINDOW. WE SAW SOME GOOD FIREWORKS FROM THERE. WE PLAYED GIN RUMMY ...

Here we are in Alabama, the birthplace of Marty. She found a map at the visitors center that actually shows the town where she was born. Yesterday was good. After the trip down the Natches we had a drive on I-20 with a lot of trucks. Why don't they put all that freight on the train? We are planning a stop on Huntsville to visit Martys cousin and to see the old family home; then on to Chattanooga.

... on the town square to totally disinterested townsfolk. We then rode to Birmingham which is a beautiful city. The local chapter of the Lifesouth treated us to a picnic at a park for dinner- we had burgers and all the fixings. I am so overwhelmed by the LifeSouth community that is treating us all like stars. We are all getting pretty tired by the meet and greets after a long day of cycling. hopefully, we a making a difference.

... Drive, Hollywood. Hollywood? A sign promotes the day of Open House for Hollywood, Historic Homes. Well! Here among old-brick-white-columned homes a neighborhood of stucco and red tiles, how quaint! And how unusual. I never knew that it was there. And on that corner, outdoor tables in the shade? Starbucks. Well jeezus and good lord. Invasion from the west. Enough of riding round, it's time to hit the highway now. To Tuscaloosa next, an easy freeway cruise.