Thanks Norm for such a great title 🙂

Departure time set for 7 a.m. Everyone is excited about the trip and so 6:45, here we are, ready to roll.

At the U.S. customs, we are only asked how much money we have, how long we will be in the U.S.A and if we have something to declare. Thank goodness because Yolande was smuggling two apples in her packsack. Fruits and vegetables are strictly forbidden ha!

Luckily, this is not Roger’s license plate. But we still manage to make Mount Pleasant in less than 9 hours. Since no campsites are open in Michigan at this time of year, we are lucky to be able to park in the casino parking lot:)

Day 2, Yolande feels confident enough to drive the motorhome until she realizes she cannot reach the pedals ha!

Well, I guess we should not complain, but it seems it has been pouring rain since we left…

Today we are heading towards Indianapolis, then St Louis MO. At least that 3.09 for fuel is per gallon:)

Can you tell Roger is looking forward to warmer days?

Good time to shop at Walmart, the only time we do… Sam sure knew what he was doing when he invited all RVers to stop in and stay the night!

Also excellent time to play dominos. Of course the girls have won all three games so far 😊

 

 

Rain, snow, rain, snow, rain, snow, snow plow with salt; salt on the steps of the campsite office in St Louis MO.

On top of that, it is so windy…

Here comes the flying witch, without a broom lol

 

Obviously, the night will be cold.

Happy Halloween everyone 🙂

Thanks Mel for sending us this picture. What do we have to complain about…

This morning, nothing but blue skies but -2…so tuques and mitts are in order…     except for Norm.

 

Yolande and I witness something incredible…A group of Canada geese on the ground, seem to be communicating with a flock in the air, inviting them to land. And sure enough, they circle and do just that.

If we were dogs, we would also love 300 Lakeside Park where we are staying lol.

Later, we visit St Charles with its cobblestone Main st. What a vibrant downtown…we can hardly find a parking spot.

Norm has a special treat at this restaurant : bison meatloaf on sourdough bread.

Imagine travelling through here in a stage coach in the early 1800’s, on one of America’s first ‘highway’, the Boone’s Lick Trail? And yes, the Bronze is of Daniel Boone.

Finally, we do have to stop at Fast Lane Classic Cars 😊

You guessed it…Roger is looking at his first car which he bought for 1 500$. This one is priced at over 24 000$

To be continued…

Off we go to the 4.6 mile system of caverns formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years, Meramec Caverns in the Ozarks.

Stalactites

and stalagmites

meet and join to form pillars.

Here is another union formed 49 years ago lol

Isn’t it spectacular when you add a bit of colour??

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This onyx mountain is a one of a kind formation, only 33 million years old…

Mother nature’s wine cellar… Can you see the grapes and the wine table with glasses on top?

We come to a 78-million-year-old “theater,” which features a “stage curtain” 70 feet high.

The big light show and music finale of God Bless America projected on this stone drapery is quite dramatic, even for Canadians as it is sang by Canadian superstar Céline Dion…

We will never be spelunkers, but we certainly would enjoy exploring other caves.

We drive back to our campsite by taking route 66.

What better way to end this adventure…

And, to our delight, Norm’s creation in the slow cooker smells wonderful!

Well, we did turn back our clocks…even missed the sunrise ha!
But we did not miss the 100 + pelicans! What a sight!

Norm’s trivia question of the day :

What are the two main nesting regions of American white pelicans in Ontario?

Today, we drive from St Louis Missouri to Tunica Mississippi.
Because we pass so many cotton fields, here is trivia question # 2

How do you know when the cotton is ready to be picked?

 Obviously, some have been, some have not…

After passing through Missouri, Arkansa, Tennessee and Mississippi, we arrive in Tunica, MS, just south of Memphis. Tomorrow, Norm and Yolande will enjoy a first visit to Graceland and find out if Elvis is still…

loved by so many.😊

Thanks for all the feedback on the blog. Love your comment Rachel (November 1st blog)

‘You do realize that those were female geese who were smart enough to stop and ask for directions…’ too funny!

 Norm and Yolande ventured into Memphis on their own today.

‘And now… we finally realize what the fuss is all about. Elvis may be dead… but his energy is still very, very much alive’. says Yolande

‘Every year, hundred of thousands of people visit his mansion,

to see his planes, his toys, his motorcycles and his cars.

The visit to the meditation garden is a peaceful and serene moment for all.

NO ONE can say he is NOT a musical icon. Look at the signatures on the gate!

What a GREAT adventure! Thanks Roger & Denise!’

Norm and Yolande

 

Answers to trivia questions :

# 1 Lake of the Woods and Lake Nipigon.

# 2  You will know when the cotton is ready to be picked when the bolls crack open and the fluffy white cotton is exposed.

 

 

Can anything top a visit to Graceland? Maybe not, but a tour of Memphis sure matches it!!!!

Norm and  Yolande could have rented one of these scooters…

But they chose to walk Beale St. to be able to take in all the musical history and famous establishments:)

Wow! Be it a “best burger ever” at Hard Rock Café,

a 3 hour musical bus tour or… Yolande playing the base at Sun Studios, it all made for an adventurous VERY fun day.

If Yolande signs a contract, you might never see her in Val Caron again…

Back at the motorhome, it’s to bed early; Roger says 6 a.m. wake up call tomorrow 🙂

 

Sorry to leave this quiet campsite…

 

 

Well, except for the Asian lady bugs that kind of invaded the place, and attacked us when we were reading in bed lol

Yes, we thought they were just our friendly lady bugs, but these bite…

Today we travelled through Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas. In northern Texas we passed Malta, Detroit, Reno. In the town of Paris, we looked for Les Champs Élysées but they were nowhere to be found ha!

Wherever we stop, we have difficulty conversing with locals, as their southern accent is so pronounced…but then, they cannot always understand us… Who has the accent??

We passed the Mississippi river a few times. Sure is a big one!

But how long?   Which is the correct answer?    2 550 miles, 3 348 miles or 1998 miles?

Take a guess before you google it 🙂

Buddy Holly sang Gotta Travel On as the opening song on his final tour in January and February 1959.

He was 22 years old.              

_________________________________________________________________________________________ After some delay on our travels yesterday, we stop in Sherman,TX to experience a rare (and sleepless) Wal Mart overnight stay. Will be even rarer lol

We did avoid driving in a severe thunderstorm… As you see, a frightened Yolande immediately crawls under the table…(She is actually getting the napkins stored in a cupboard lol)

From Sherman, you can drive on Hwy 82 all the way to Lubbock, avoiding Dallas’ traffic. You can’t miss a turn though… Luckily, pilot and co-pilot are doing a good job:)

The road is actually better than our Hwy 17, although a bit boring as far as landscape.  Unbelievably, the speed limit is 75 mph. (125 km per hour)

Looking forward to visiting the Buddy Holly Centre tomorrow.

Get ready guys. You won at Sequence last night but not tonight!!

If it is any consolation for some of you, it is 0 degrees when we land in Lubbock…

 

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Thanks for all the comments. Truly motivating.

Natalie asked the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. (Cavern blog). Both are formed of calcium salts deposited by slowly dripping water ( .0012 inches to .12 inches per year). The stalactites are formed on the ceiling of the cave whereas the stalagmites rise from the floor.

Lucy, thank you for enlightening me. You are right : Wikipedia says that the Mississippi River is 2, 320 mi in length, Experiencemississippiriver.com says 2,340, and google says 2, 348. The truth is, I have none of those choices on the blog 😊