Well, it was an interesting summer in Michigan, characterized by lots of events with family (bridal shower, wedding, reunion, baby shower) and some wonderful outdoor concerts (Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Legal Rehab, West Side Soul Surfers, Magic Bus, the Soul Syndicate), and fun times with friends.

It was also the start of bad luck and trouble with our vehicles. A deer hit me on my way back to the Grand Haven campground from Zumba class and that started off a 6-week limbo of waiting around for repairs and not knowing what plans we could make to leave the state. We had to rent a u-haul truck to move the camper to another site and it was a scary haul since the hitch was only 6 inches off the ground while towing. The truck sagged in the back and the trailer was angled way down toward the hitch. I kept expecting it to bottom out on the trip.

We also ended up with a flat tire on the truck that couldn’t be repaired after we finally got the truck back from the body shop.

But we did actually get to leave Michigan on schedule September 4. From there we stayed one night in an RV park in Kentucky and five nights re-visiting Old Stone Fort state park in Tennessee. Ray volunteered there, helping a friend with some needed repairs on her farm. We both enjoyed some beautiful guided hikes before heading out to Arkansas for another quick overnight at an RV park near the highway.

Since we were so close to Hot Springs National Park we decided to take a detour there. But en route we had a tire blowout on the trailer. By the time a Good Samaritan pulled up alongside us to let us know, the tire had already shredded. Ray pulled off at the next exit and I called AAA to help with the tire change. Coincidentally, there was a wholesale tire shop within sight of where we pulled off, so we were back on the road relatively quickly.

Today I am in a state of relaxed bliss, listening to the rain falling outside the camper at the Hot Springs National Park Campground and reminding myself of how amazing the hot bath experience was this morning at the Buckstaff Baths. The hot mineral springs water bath was capped off with a steam bath and a massage, but the super cool thing about it was the 100+ year history of the place. The tubs were original as were the marble floors and walls, and the unique fixtures.

Tomorrow we continue the journey west. I feel relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to carry on!