On the road and it's HOT

Not sure what I have forgotten to cover on our trip but I'll recap when I get to my computer and have my pictures. We are making our way back home
Traveling as much as possible in the scorching heat. We stop early so we can cool off. The AC feels heavenly when we get to our room.

Up up and away

While in Pagosa Springs I was able to check off another adventure that I've always wanted to do. Go up in a hot air balloon. We saw them land right behind our condo and I knew I was going to make my reservations.. We went up on Sunday morning and I admit I was a little nervous at first but the balloon pilot kept us interested in different historic sites so before long I was enjoying the ride. I only had one concern, that my hairspray was going to catch on fire from the heat of the flame heating the air balloon. But it didn't and he ride was amazing. We also helped fold the balloon up again and put it all back up. Quite an adventure..

Moab Utah feels like home

We left Pagosa Springs Monday morning headed for Moab. We includes our friends, Skip and Cheryl. It was cool so we had to wear jackets and warm gear. We rode up through Silverton, Ouray then we ate lunch in Ridgeway at True Grit Cafe. We also rode through Telluride, somewhere I've been wanting to see and we never took the time before because of weather problems or something. We rode through several mountain passes along the route then when we got near Moab it got sizzling hot so we had to shed our jackets.

Pagosa

While in PS for 4 days we rode a few scenic highways in the area. Highway 149 out of South Fork took us through mountainous territory with several high mountain passes. We had lunch at Poker Alice Restaurant. We traveled through Gunnison and we came back by way of highway 114 and 112 back to 160, back across Wolfe Creek Pass. We had rain and cold for part of the journey.

Pagosa Springs

Rode to Chama one day and ate at the High Country Restaurant. Took a route back through an Indian Reservation, pretty country through there.

Almost there! Yay!

We have covered over 1500 miles with about 220 to go, we're feeling pretty good.
Get up Thursday morning with Starbucks on the brain. The coffee in the hotel was like hot brown water so we're looking forward to a good strong brew. I had found a Starbucks on my phone map the night before and it was just at the next town. I looked for it again to get exact directions and NOW it wasn't showing one for another 100 miles...NO that can't be right I KNOW it was there, right there on my phone. Well we're getting close to the town and I'm starting to get panicky so I start craning my neck trying to find that Starbucks symbol and I spot a Savealot grocery store and something clicks in my brain and I remember that the map did have Savelot..Starbucks when it found it the night before, so I start hitting Jan on the back saying get off NOW! We manage to find our way back to the Savealot and sure enough there was that wonderful symbol in their window. ???? Don't ask me why no maps showed it that morning when it did the night before. (trying me make me think I was crazy or something). Well we relaxed and had our Starbucks, climbed back on the bike ready to tackle Wolf Creek Pass.
Colorado is a beautiful state and highway 160 from Alamosa to Pagosa Springs is truly a scenic highway with the tall rock walls, evergreen trees and rushing waters of the mountain stream. I had plenty to look at so the time went quickly by. We checked in at WYNDHAM Pagosa about 1:45 on Thursday the 12 th. So glad to be here for a few days. Continued...........

Oklahoma continued on to New Mexico

Well we left Stillwater Wednesday morning bright and early to get miles in before the heat kicked in big time. We were on highway 51 a long ways then 412/56. Roads were good, weather was dry and cool. The panhandle of Oklahoma is kinda of desolate, lots of wide open space. We made good time. For once I can say the wind wasn't too bad. There has been times when it about blew my helmet off and gave me whiplash. I had been dreading Oklahoma for that reason but it was actually nice.
We stopped once just to stretch and look at the map and some guy in a work truck stopped to chat. The conversation usually starts with motorcycles and where you're headed so when we tell him we are going to Pagosa Springs he says "oh man I can't go there" of course Jan being a man, he ignores the comment and me being a woman, I have to ask, Why not ? ( I knew he wanted me to ask him, why else would he have said that...). So then he proceeded to tell us how his old girlfriend lives in Pagosa Springs and how jealous his wife was of just that one girlfriend... Isn't it amazing what complete strangers will share with you. :).
We crossed into New Mexico,gassed up again and decided to go a little further down the road. After all it wasn't raining, wasn't too hot and we still had daylight. We spent the night in Raton, NM.

Arkansas and Oklahoma

Well it was an extra long day, we were in rain off and on. Rain suits on, rain suits off, rain suits on, rain suits off ....I did it like 4 times then just left it on and burnt up, sweated off a few pounds (I wish). Jan finally said he would just go without his. He is protected with the windshield but I'm not. We also hit road construction while it was raining and the water was so deep in one place we hydroplained and I thought we were gone. We finally got off at an exit to get out of the rain for a few minutes. Moving on the weather got hot again and we made it to Stillwater and discovered we lost the ice chest which didn't have anything to eat in it but we stored Jan's rainsuit in it so now he doesn't have one to wear if he wanted to. We went to Eskimo Joes which is the Brown Lantern of Stillwater. The fried mushrooms we great. We stayed at a Microtel hotel for the night.

Pics from our journey

Trike Trip 2012

We left Live Oak 7-8-12 had to detour around water on 90. We took Mitchell Rd. around and came out at Falmouth. We stopped for gas and had McDonalds for lunch. We decided to go see the oldest covered bridge in the US (I think). Our of Blakley,Ga, Coheelee Creek Bridge pretty neat. We traveled on to our destination for that day. In Greenville, Ala we stayed in Days Inn. It was a hot afternoon and I got a terrible headache. We got showers and went to Cracker Barrel for supper. The gas prices have been
3.16, 3.06 per gal .. We are on the rd again this morn and I'm typing while I ride so forgive errors :). A deer ran across in front of us this morn. Yesterday saw a bad accident. If we hadn't stopped for gas and a rest we might have been right in the middle of it. God took care of us. Bye for now

How does this work. Trying to post from my phone so this is just a test.

Celebrating Beka's birthday

             Recently we celebrated Beka's 23rd birthday. 

             Jonas helped her blow out the candles. 

As we always do, we had a birthday cake and candles.  If I am able, I always have the cake ON their birthday.  It just seems strange to me to celebrate their birthday on a more convenient day for Me.  Although, so we could all be there, we did go out to eat the day before .  I know there has been times when I have been on vacation during Beka's day but she has her sisters to fill in for me.  I am so thankful for my daughters, they are such wonderful kids. 

Beka is my youngest daughter and my funniest.  By "funniest" (lol) I mean she keeps us laughing.
I guess she gets that from her dad, I'm usually on the more serious side, although I am trying hard to see more humor in life now.  Life has too much "stuff" to deal with so I am trying to laugh more.  The Bible says it's good for the heart.  

New addition to our family

On June 15, 2012 we welcomed Ezra Nehemiah Jernigan into our family. He weighed 7lbs 4oz, 20 1/2 inches long. He is beautiful. Born at Gainesville Birthing Center. Jonas and Austen are delighted with him as well as January and Patrick. I'm sure we will spoil Ezra as much as we do Jonas and Austen. Tomorrow Beka will be 23 years old, we went to Texas Roadhouse today for her birthday dinner.

Destin-ation vacation

Spring break 2012 and we are back at Majestic Sun in Destin. The weather has been a little windy but warm. We usually freeze at the beach on spring break so I can stand a couple of windy days. Beth, Austen, Jonas and Beka came over with us on Friday and helped us eat lots of seafood at some of our favorites restaurants. Us girls had planned on leaving JanJan with the kids for a couple of hours and go parasailing but the company canceled on us because of the wind gust. I guess better safe than sorry...lol. Next time

January and Patrick are coming over tonight, I know they are missing their little guy, but so glad we get to enjoy him and Austen.

life update

Well this has been a busy couple of months. Jan and I just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas. Impact Zone gave us the cruise for Jan helping them with Impact Zone construction. It was a nice trip except for one day the seas were so rough and the boat rocked so bad. I was getting sick and had to take dramamine and it helped me. I plan on posting some pictures soon. We also had a trip to Daytona earlier in the month and ate plenty of seafood. yummmmy. We took a ski trip January 13-20th to Banner Elk. It snowed the night we got there and was reallly pretty. The kids skied and we kept the kids. It was a very good trip.
Austen is doing really good right now and I praise GOD for all her progress. Of course Jonas is going strong. He is so smart and fun!! We love keeping the grand kids. Well I'll post pics later. I don't have as much time as I use to.