Don't want to forget to give accolades to the Toyota

After all, Toyota has been getting pretty negative press lately.


But Gail's car is a 2006 that predated the current recall issues. Altogether we put about 9,000 miles on it. We changed the oil twice (Port Charlotte, FL and Las Vegas, NV) and had a new set of tires installed in Fullerton, CA (Sam's Club has the best prices). Other than gas we had no other car expenses. However, I think the rotors will need turning and maybe new brake pads installed. Gail did lots of mountain driving.

Showing it can be done.

As I can recall, gas prices were lowest in Georgia at $2.49 in early February when we left and were highest (no surprise) in Northern California, where we saw regular at $3.25. Although one station in Benson, AZ was selling regular at $3.39, which made little sense. The station across the street had gas at $2.69. So for a savings of .70/gallon I crossed the street.

The best roads? California. The worst? New Orleans. Hugo, OK takes a close second for worst, however. We even forded a stream getting to a secluded beach in Big Sur and braved a flooded road to see elk in the Redwoods.

After a snowy night in Carson City, NV.

Most congested roads: north of LA around Hollywood. Least congested road: I-10 between San Antonio and El Paso and US 95 between Carson City and Las Vegas, NV.

Scariest road: Pacfiic Coast Hwy 1 at the Big Sur Coast, although it was also the most scenic. A close second would be Hwy 299 between Arcata, CA and Redding. It takes you through the Trinity Mountains. with the whitewater Trinity River below. US 1 through the Keys; US 90 between Grand Bay, AL and New Orleans and US 41 (Tamiami Trail) through the Everglades get high marks for their scenic beauty.

Sometimes the hood has to hold the camera to get the picture.

I love the 75 MPH speed limits in some of the western states. Oh, and we did all this driving without a ticket or even being pulled. Still, for insurance I had badgeamericard with me.

So thanks to the Toyota for doing a superb job. And thanks to whoever invented cruise control. She's a Highlander, by the way.

Shutter bugs

I just counted the pics we took on the trip. Glad Gail brought her digital camera! I'm not a photographer, but we both had a good time getting pictures of the places and people we visited.

Rough count: 720 plus. We went a little crazy in some places like Big Sur, Redwoods, Grand Canyon, Sedona...

Let's see...to print them at Wal Mart at .09 each... I don't think so. But if you struggle getting to sleep at night I do have them on my PC as a slide show.

A few more traveling songs

Add these to the list.

Take the Money and Run - I should have put this in for El Paso. Steve Miller Band. (The video is pretty cheesy, but it looked like the best audio version.)
Carolina In My Mind - James Taylor.
I've Been Everywhere - Again, Gail's cuz Johnny Cash.

Rick's Top Ten Sites to See

1. Big Sur Coast of California – mountains meeting the ocean, and the thrill of a roller coaster ride.

2. Grand Canyon – it's like God painted it.

3. Oak Creek Canyon and the Red Rocks of Sedona - you get to drive through the canyon. Not as big as the Grand, but amazing.

4. Giant Redwoods of California - want to feel small? Stand next to one of these.

5. Mardi Gras in New Orleans - I don't get it, but it was fun.

6. Saguaro cactus and desert of Arizona - like being in an old western movie.

7. Florida Keys and Key West - if only it had been a bit warmer! Conch fritters and Key Lime Pie.

8. San Antonio - River Walk, The Alamo and more. A great vacation destination.

9. Hearst Castle - Decadence to the max. Some people just have too much money.

10. Deserts of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico - the scenery changes constantly.

Click on the pics if you want to enlarge them.

(Gail's Top Ten are posted below.)

Gail's Top Ten List of Sites to See

Of all the sites we visited and saw in our 9,000 miles of travel, here are the most impressive to Gail. Rick will follow with his top ten. Click on the images to enlarge and on the links to read more.

1. Northern California coastline

2. Red Rocks of Sedona

3. Grand Canyon
4. Saguaro Cactus of Arizona
5. Katrina's Devastation of New Orleans
6. Blue waters of Florida Keys
7. Giant Redwoods of California
8. Lake Tahoe
9. White Gulf Coast Sand of Florida panhandle
10. Everglades Alligators on Tamiami Trail

Day 44: Just click your heels together three times...

It felt good to travel the last leg of the trip today. The sky was a beautiful Carolina blue all day.

I remarked to Gail way back in Oklahoma that the US 64 there is the same one that finds its eastern terminus at Whalebone Junction, Nags Head. I'm just glad we didn't decide to pick it up until Raleigh!

We pulled into our driveway just after 3PM. I really don't know how many miles we traveled. I think the last guy who changed our oil did something to the odometer that was keeping track. But it says 9,000 something. Somehow I don't believe that.

We'll add a few more posts with things like our indvidual Top Ten places to see and some travel tips we picked up.

Gail says next time (!) we're pulling a travel trailer.

Thanks to all of you who followed our trip and especially those of you who prayed for our safety. (Especially when Gail was driving us up the California coast.)

Recapping our Trip: It was about more than travel.

In total we traveled through these states: NC (2), SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX (2), NM (2), AZ (2), CA, NV, OK, AR, TN. Keeping up with the time zone changes was always confusing. And then before it was over was the spring forward insanity.

Along the way we were able to visit lots of friends (and family) – some we had not seen in over 30 years, and in one case nearly 40 years.

On the first day we met my sister Donna at a Cracker Barrel in Smithfield, NC for breakfast. It was a chance meeting. I just called her number when we got in the area and she happened to be coming that way.

Our daughter Sarah and her husband Terry’s home in Vero Beach, FL was our day one destination. Sarah got her cat back and we got to see their new home and worship with them on Sunday.

Facebook has given us the opportunity to reconnect with a lot of friends. In Ft. Myers, FL we stopped by to visit with Alice Cook. She and her husband Jimmy were my “parents” for the summer of 1975 when I did an internship in their church. The last time we saw her was in 1980. Her neighbor, Evelyn Berry, who was also a part of my summer there came over to see us, too.

Some of our friends were able to open their homes to us, which was really great. Motels do get old. Scott and Gayle Ranck welcomed us into their home in the Tampa area. What a great home! (And Gayle is a seriously good cook. No wonder Scott runs every morning.)

Mark and Sue Burns are terribly missed by all of us at Nags Head Church and we were glad to get to see them. They truly live in redneck country! Thanks Sue for the stuffed flounder dinner! I’m so excited about the church they’ve found, and they were in familiar places as greeters on Sunday morning.

Paul and Jenny South, another couple of NHC refugees are now living in New Orleans. Paul is attending New Orleans Seminary and Jenny is a nurse in the NICU at a NO hospital. God has increased their family, too, with now three great kids. And we had a great time with them watching the Mardi Gras parades!

Rabbi Ron Aaronson, Marilyn Dolly’s brother, gave us a wonderful tour of the Messianic synagogue in Houston where he teaches and shepherds Jewish believers. Then he took us out for lunch!

Lamar and Teresa Keener were friends from college. Lamar is a Christian publisher in San Diego and we got to meet with them for lunch at Claim Jumpers while driving through. We love Claim Jumpers. Thanks for the lunch, Lamar!

In Orange, CA we were “home”, staying with our long-time friends Richard and Carol Zazuetta. “Home” because I lived there in high school and it was the first place we lived together after we got married. During our stay there we got to have an evening when a bunch of old friends came together.

Russ, Michele and Wyatt Poland are another family who moved from Nags Head and now live in Southern California. We got to drive out to their home and spend a morning with them. Wyatt is growing up!

Robin and Donna Davies were a newly saved young couple in our church in California back in the late 70’s. Now Robin pastors the First Baptist Church of Cupertino, CA. They put us up for the night and fed us steak! It was fun hearing how God has grown them over the past 30plus years.

At a reunion in Lynchburg last September Gordon Luff invited all of his former students (even me) to come see them in Redding, CA. So we did. Dottie is the most gracious hostess ever. She even made grits for breakfast. We got to see Lassen Pines Christian Camp, where they’ve ministered now for over 20 years, meet some of their family, and enjoy reminiscing. I’m still learning from Gordon.

Another couple from college days opened their home in Yuba City, CA. Joyce and Paul Radobenko are active in the church Paul pastors there. And we got to talk a lot about our children and grandchildren. That was a really good pie Joyce made, too.

When I was 15 Dennis Carlson made a huge impact in my life. He was the youth pastor of our church in Orange, CA, and it was during that time that God called me into ministry. He and Sandra now live in Albuquerque, NM, enjoying retirement. They took us out to a great Italian dinner and we got to catch up on what’s been happening in their lives over the last 39 years.

It was good to visit with my parents for a couple of days in Hugo, OK. My brother Mark and his three kids also live nearby, and we spent a very relaxing Monday afternoon at Mark’s place, sitting on his deck looking at a peaceful Schooler Lake. It was great. I also was able to visit briefly with Byron Smith, who has been one of the speakers at The Call at NHC in past years.

Thanks to a couple of diligent friends we had a gathering in Tulsa, OK with a group of old friends who either worked with us in ministry or were teenagers we ministered to when we lived there 30 years ago. It was a lot of fun seeing most of them for the first time since we left there in 1980. Dave and Terri Hollingsworth, who have kept up with us (and visited us in Kitty Hawk) gave us their guest room and a warm welcome.

And on our way through Arkansas we stopped and had barbecue with Russell Stewart, a pastor (who has also visited us at NHC). It was great to hear how the church he planted has found its niche in their community.

I hope I didn’t leave anyone out, since I wrote this from memory… But as much fun as we had seeing the sites, it was just as much fun reconnecting with so many who remain special to us.

Reuniting is going to be one of the greatest parts of eternity, when we get to catch up once again. It was good to get in some practice.

Day 43: In my mind (and car) we're going to Carolina

US 421 is a beautiful entry into the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway below.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are all about getting home. I guess we’ve taken in all we can at this point, kind of like filling up at a buffet – there’s a lot more that can be eaten, but you’re about to bust so you stop. That’s where we are. There were a few other places we really wanted to go and people we would have liked to have seen, but we’re ready to be home.

This was another long day in the car – about 11 hours driving I think. We lost an hour when we crossed into Roan Co., TN and moved from Central to Eastern time. On top of that we had to take a detour. I-40 is closed west of Asheville due to rock slides, so that added some time to the trip.

The detour took us places we had never been, leading us to Johnson City and Elizabethton, TN, over the mountains on two lane US 421 through Appalachia through Boone, Wilkesboro and to our last night’s stop in Statesville. The mountains and streams were pretty. Now we know where NC gets our Christmas trees.
(That's a hillside planted with Christmas trees over the guard rail.)

And from the TN line to Boone in what appeared to be sparsely populated hollows and hills there had to have been a Baptist church every mile. No other churches – just Baptists. But why so many?

I enjoyed the fact that the highways were named for Merle and Doc Watson (I'm a bluegrass fan)and Junior Johnson (but not a NASCAR fan). What else in these western NC hills?

Logan’s Roadhouse is one of our favorite restaurant chains, and there is one near our motel. So we cracked open a few peanuts and enjoyed their excellent rolls and steak salad. Now we’re in for the night. My laptop won’t get online for whatever reason (the only such problem I’ve had the entire trip – go figure), but Gail’s is on line. So I’m writing this while watching the NCAA tourney. Glad to see ODU upset Notre Dame earlier. Now if Wake can beat the Longhorns.

We should be home late Friday afternoon. The only planned stop is at the Red and White in Dortches to pick up some of the world’s best sausage.

Day 42: On the way home

We had some good conversation over coffee this morning with our long-time friend Terri. She and Dave ministered with us long ago in a galaxy far far away.

Within about 200 yards from Dave and Terri's is a church pastored by Bill Carter, who was on the church staff with me in Tulsa 30 years ago. I couldn't be so close without stopping in to say "Hi". An added bonus was finding out his wife Norma was at the church office as well. Bill was a great guy to work with. His kids were in my care and he was a great encourager to a young, green youth pastor.

By 12:30 we were on the road again, traveling through NE Oklahoma to Ft. Smith, AR and eastward. I-40 in Arkansas starts with rolling hills, then takes you along the southern edge of the Ozarks, eventually leading to the low lands of the Mississippi. Along the way we stopped for dinner in Conway at The Whole Hog Cafe, a barbecue place recommended by friend Russell Stewart who rode his own hog" from Cabot to meet us there. It was very good...but we still like eastern NC bbq like this one better!

Gail took over the wheel from Conway and while I got some nap time drove us across the Mississippi into Memphis, TN, passing among other places the St. Jude's Children's Hospital and ultimately to Jackson (home of Casey Jones), where we're crashing for the night.

I was trying to think how many times I've driven this highway over the years. A bunch over the last 40 years. Tennessee is a long stretch on I-40, but we'll emerge tomorrow evening in NC and cross over the Smokies.

It's time to go home!

Gail here - I woke up this morning a little giddy, knowing that we were heading home. I have loved this trip, but am ready to get home, especially to see my kids and 2 babies.

[She was only slightly more giddy than when she saw the Elvis act at Disneyland. Anyone know what that pyramid is at the foot of the Mississippi River Bridge?]

Day 41: Tulsa Time

Tuesday morning Dad and I drove over to his church and I spent some time getting to know Jeff and Byron. Both guys are on the church staff and are doing great work there in ministry. I think FBC Hugo has a great team!

After lunch we said our goodbyes to Mom and Dad and headed north to Tulsa. In about 2 hours and 15 minutes we were back in familiar territory. Gail and I lived here for 27 months back in '78 through '80. I worked as the youth pastor of Tulsa Baptist Temple; Gail taught 6th grade at Moody Christian School We drove through some of the places we knew well at one time, including the church, the site of the school (now no longer in existence), and the townhouse we called home during most of our time there.

Standing in the front of our old church in Tulsa.

Gail's at the door of what was her 6th grade classroom as a teacher. The property is now up for sale.

The old home place at 32nd and Hudson.

We chanced upon the Casa Bonita restaurant, where we had eaten back in the day. Inside they have done a great job creating the look of a Mexican pueblo. If only they put that much effort into the food! It was just as we remembered...not very good, especially if you know good Mexican cuisine. But for the memories' sake we ate and wondered aloud why.

Our friends Terri Hollingsworth and Betty Middaugh, upon learning when we would be in town began to invite friends from our days here. It was pretty much last minute, but the group that came were all special to us, and we had a wonderful time sharing memories and photos from the past, and hearing about their lives since then.

Some of the people who we served and served with in youth ministry in Tulsa.

One thing that I've enjoyed so much about this trip has been the opportunities to re-connect with old friends, many we haven't seen since the 1970's. Friendships made within the family of God are eternal, and these reunions have been a reminder to us of God's grace and the joys we've had in ministry over the years.

Looks like tomorrow we'll be pointing the Toyota east for good and making the trek back to the starting point of our journey. The odometer went over 7,000 miles today! I haven't counted how many photos, but we must have taken hundreds.

Day 40: Monday in Hugo and Schooler Lake

I'm a day behind in updates, so this morning I'll catch up. If I'm able, I'll post again tonight with pics from a reunion we're having in Tulsa.

Monday was day 40, but I'm not changing the title of the blog. It was a guesstimate, and we won't be too far off. If all goes as "planned" we'll be back home by the weekend sometime. Weather coming over the mountains looks warm and sunny the next few days.

Dad and I met his pastor, Doug McLure and his dad for breakfast at the local diner at 8AM. He had lots of good questions about what we're doing at NHC. Good conversation and pretty good food, too. Hugo is not the cuisine capitol of anywhere, that's for sure. It's a fairly depressed town. But the one-up they have on the OBX: a Super Wal-Mart!

The afternoon was spent at brother Mark's home on Schooler Lake. He grilled burgers and dogs and we sat out on his deck overlooking the lake. A picture perfect day for that. Ben showed me his knives and guns (he's the hunter in the family). Luke showed us his fort - a three story compilation in the trees. Then he went fishing while Ben stacked firewood he had split. Real country boys.

After dinner back at the folks we went to Braum's for ice cream. Now there's a good thing about Oklahoma! I even donned my new hat just to say I did.

After lunch today we'll say goodbye and head north up the Indian Nations Tpke to Tulsa where we have a reunion tonight with a lot of our old youth group from Tulsa Baptist Temple, where I was the youth pastor back in 78-80. I'll bet all those teenagers are now old people.

Road Inspired Songs

Lots of songs have been inspired by places we've been on this trip. As you think of them while driving they can get stuck in your head and come out of your mouth, too.

Here are some of the songs that we've thought of as we've traveled.

Click here. Then you can click on the links and listen, too.

Day 39: 6th Sunday Gone

One of the reasons I'm able to enjoy the trip and relax is that I know things back home at NHC are in such great hands. In fact, the reports I glean from Facebook and comments here indicate there's no need for me to return any time soon!

Today we attended FBC Hugo, OK, where my parents and brother fellowship. It was our first time at this downtown church. The youth pastor, Byron Smith has become a friend because of his participation at NHC's "The Call" in past years. I went to Sunday School (it's been a long time since I've done that!) with Mom and Dad. Their teacher did a super job handling a tough passage (1 Cor. 5 and 6) on immorality in the church and church discipline. Lots of lively discussion!

Pastor Doug McLure then followed up perfectly with a message on forgiveness that was one of the best on that subject I've heard. Who doesn't need to be reminded of forgivness and how as Christians we either forgive or we become disobedient and entrapped by whatever/whoever has hurt us? Ephesians 4:31-32 is one passage a Christian can't escape or ignore and be a Christ-follower, worshipper or witness.

Mark and his family joined us for lunch then a fun afternoon. It's been a good Sunday and a relaxing visit so far.

Latest Pics - Traveling and family

The pre-dawn lights of Albuquerque with the Sandia Mountains to the east.

Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Supposedly the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. The billboard said something about a "spiritual experience". I don't get it. But then, I'm not a Texan.

Ben showing off his ten pointer!


With Mom, Dad, brother Mark and his three kids in Oklahoma.

Day 38: Gaining ground but losing time!

Let's see...Thursday we woke up in Nevada - Pacific Time. But within a few miles we crossed into Arizona - Mountain Time. Lost an hour there. Today when we drove into Texas we lost another hour in Central Time. And now at 2AM Sunday we lose another hour!

This was the second longest drive we've had since leaving home. It took us 11 hours from Albuquerque, NM to my parents' home in Hugo, OK. We left NM with a full tank and filled up twice more before getting here. At least the price of gas is coming down.

I'll post some pics tomorrow (I hope) of some of what we saw on the drive. It started out with a view of the pre-dawn lights of Albuquerque with the Sandia Mountains in the background. Alb is really a pretty city.

About an hour or so east we came to a stop on I-40. We could see ahead that there had been a wreck. As we passed it we saw that it was pretty serious. Looked like they were working on 3 people on the ground, and at least one was getting CPR. I silently said a prayer for everyone involved, knowing that those kinds of things are never easy for victims, their families and the first responders.

We stopped for lunch in Amarillo, TX at a Golden Corral. I couldn't help but laugh when an elderly couple came in and the woman was in hair rollers. She had a dress on, but her hair was up in curlers. I think there should be a law or something...

Gail and I lived in Tulsa from '78 to 80, so we passed through some familiar country. Not much is on the radio here but country music it seems, and I always get a kick out of some of the songs. Once in a while it's good to visit another culture, even on the radio.

Mom had dinner ready for us, which included sugar free cherry pie. When I get home I don't care if I don't eat out in a restaurant again for a long time....unless someone else is buying.

Looking forward to going to church with Mom and Dad tomorrow. Their church prayed much for Tricia and Gwyneth two years ago. And their youth pastor Byron has been a speaker at The Call a couple of times.

Our goal, in case you're wondering is to be home by sometime next weekend. But who knows?

Day 37: 'Cause we may never be here again

Gail said she got to check on more thing off her bucket list when we drove through the incredible Oak Creek Canyon and viewed the Red Rocks of Sedona, AZ. While not as "grand" as the canyon to the north, it is nonetheless awe inspiring. I liked it as much as the Grand Canyon probably because you got to get closer to everything. But seriously, if you ever get to go to the Grand Canyon don't miss the drive south to Sedona.

It was a 5 hour drive through Arizona and into New Mexico to our destination of Albuquerque. At Flagstaff (7,000 ft. elevation) there was an abundance of snow. Descending down into the desert, still staying at high elevations we were treated the whole way with an ever-changing landscape of mountains, foliage and rock formations. Most of this country is Navajo Indian Reservation, and although sparsely populated, I was again reminded that these people lost much when the "white man" took control. The poverty was apparent in the housing we saw from I-40.

And there were also remnants of past cultures, with empty mud brick dwellings minus roofs and windows. Perched on a prominent hill in one town west of Albuquerque was an old Spanish mission surrounded by adobe structures.

Indian tribes control and own the many casinos in New Mexico. I wonder where the profits go?

There's a corner in Winslow, Arizona where I wanted to stand and take it easy. The girl in the flatbed Ford is still there after all these years.


Dinner tonight was with Dennis and Sandra Carlson. Gail and I haven't seen Dennis since he spoke for me at a youth retreat in December, 77. And I haven't seen Sandra since '71. Wow. Dennis was my youth pastor when as a sophomore in high school God made His calling in my life clear. It was great to re-connect with them. Facebook is something!

Tomorrow we're getting up early. Our drive to my parents' home is 10 hours plus through New Mexico, the panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma. Mom and Dad don't have internet, so we're not sure when our next posting will be, but we'll find a signal somewhere in town.

Day 36: Hoover Dam and The Grand Canyon

Our car was filthy from the over 5K miles it’s traveled these last 5 weeks; especially the last couple of days driving through the snowy mountains. Yesterday’s oil change came with a “free” car wash, but their car was closed “because they saw some clouds”. Life in the desert…

But the company has gas stations, lube places and car washes all over LV, so we found one on the way out and got the girl a bath. By the end of the day we’d be driving through snow covered territory again.


Just outside of Vegas to the south is the Hoover Dam. You actually drive over it on Hwy 93 going south. It’s a slow drive and made even more so by the necessary “security check” before going over. How can anyone tell anything by simply looking under one wheel well? They’re building a new highway that will go over the dam on a bridge. The bridge (to me – a former bridge builder) is impressive.


From the Hoover Dam it was about 4 hours to the Grand Canyon, including a brief gas stop and a run into a retail shop in Kingman. There we picked up I-40, which is the usual east-west route across the US from coast to coast. I’ve driven this road several times. Gail and I took it in 1977 to California, and then in 1978 out of California. That was the time our truck ran out of gas in the middle of Nowhere, AZ. Ask Gail about howling coyotes.

By the time we arrived at the Canyon we only had about 2 hours of sunlight left so we tried to make the best of it by taking the shuttle to various stopping points. We should have just taken our car. But we got a lot of good looks and I hope awesome pictures of what must be one of God greatest masterpieces in geology.

(I've posted lots more photos on Facebook.)

Dark finds us driving the 81 miles to Flagstaff, AZ, where we’re spending Thursday night. Today begins week 6 of the trip. Tomorrow the goal is Albuquerque (try typing that one fast), NM.