the Grabers: Road trip home from Florida

After having our morning devotions, we packed up our car and left Braedonton for Kansas. We would go half way home this day.

Good-bye, Florida!

We decided to go home a different way than usual when we go back to Kansas from the Gulf. Maps said one way to go that was as fast as going through Arkansas, was going to Atlanta/St. Louis/KC. Really? More miles but since you can go fast, I guess about the same time.

Atlanta was a bottle-neck. We creeped along.

Traffic began to pick up. Al looked in his rear view mirror and side view mirror and pulled to the left lane. Just at that time, some guy who was speeding and weaving in and out came into that lane. Al was alert and able to miss him by inches! It was terrifying!! The guy slowed down for a bit, then continued speeding ahead, in and out of traffic. We lost sight of him pretty fast. Thank You, Lord for Your protection!

After that, we decided we didn't want to go through St. Louis and KC. What other route? I texted a couple of friends and asked how they did it. One said they take 60 across Missouri. Much less traffic than going through the big cities and time was about a wash. We decided to do that route.

After taking 75 through Georgia, we were in Tennessee.

When Al retires, we will be able to stop at these sites to see what they are about.

I know the song by that title sung by the Andrews Sisters growing up. That's all I really knew about it.

Then a friend posted on Facebook that they visited some falls near Chatanooga. There are several falls around there! This will have to be a place we come to again when we have the time!

Five miles out of Clarksville, where we'd be spending the night, traffic came to a standstill for a long time. Traffic was backed up for miles. We were eventually rerouted because of an accident. Prayed for the people involved. Ever since that horrific accident we witnessed on our way home from Wisconsin last spring, we don't take safety in travel for granted. We never know what a day will bring.

"Father, Your hand on the people involved. Perhaps even fatalities. Their lives have been "re-routed"! Surround them and their families with Your care, Your comfort."

We were grateful for on-line Maps that told us how to get to our hotel. How did we use to manage in the old days without that? An Atlas would not have been any help, although we still use it to see the big picture.

Our hotel looked out over the countryside. Beautiful and peaceful.

Going to highway 24 the next morning, Al accidently pulled into a U-Haul place. We had to laugh because the audio book we were listening to had a character murdered in such a place! Sophia texted us and asked if we saw Bob!

Another place that will have to wait for retirement days.

Don't think I'd be too interested in touring this. Whiskey is pretty nasty! I've only tried it once, in a hot toddy, but I spit it out.

Tennessee River

We took 24 as far as Paducah. Evidently, Paducah was flooded by the Ohio River in 1937 and 95% of the town was submerged as water levels swelled to 60.8 feet! 385 people lost their lives and about a million in the area were left homeless!

At Paducah, we turned onto Highway 60 that became a 2-lane road for awhile.

We drove through Wickliffe. See the Ohio River ahead? This is where the Ohio and Mississippi converge. We picked up 51 and went across the bridge.

You leave Kentucky, go across the Ohio River, are in Illinois for a short distance and then cross the Mississippi River into Missouri! 3 states and 2 major rivers in a whipstitch!