Austin, TX

We left New Orleans Thursday morning for a long drive through Louisiana and Texas.  But the drive was well worth it as we got to see my best friend La and the city of Austin.  In a very short amount of time La showed us every possible fun adventures activity one could partake in Austin and the surrounding countryside.  We arrived Thursday evening and dropped Lucia off at the babysitters, then went to a free museum showing about Cats and Dogs.  That evening we had a BBQ and planned our adventures.

We went kayaking, beergarten and bratwurst eating, sand volleyball playing and watching the bats at dusk.  We drank avocado margaritas, went to Jacob's Well swimming hole, ate ice cream and found cast iron pots in Wimberley. We visited a local vineyard for wine tasting, walked down 6th street enjoying the music and people watching, and of course ate Texas BBQ.  

Mer jumping into Jacob's Well

Jim jumping into Jacob's Well

La and Mer

At the vineyard, enjoying the scenery, wine and good friends.

It was difficult to leave a good friend and a fun city, but we already have a list of things to do during our future visit :)

  

Natchez Tres to New Orleans

We drove along the Natchez Trace Parkway on our way into New Orleans.  A very beautiful roadway to travel through with plenty of interesting history.  Unfortunately we did not have enough time to explore it all.

Jim captured the beauty of a storm we were about to drive through.

Jim on the Natchez Trace path

New Orleans was a fun and interesting city to explore.  With limited time we decided to try out a bike tour to see as much of the city as possible. Our bike tour guide was fantastic, she shared the history of the city alongside the current cultural atmosphere. We enjoyed many delectable meals, including a mid-morning snack of beignets at Cafe Du Monde.  

Our tour guide and Jim biking through a mausoleum.

Beautiful hanging moss

Jim and I by the Mississippi river

Blue Ridge Parkway

From Washington, DC to New Orleans we chose to drive a few scenic routes.  We drove through Shenandoah National Park and  the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

We saw a black bear!

We were the only tent campers in the campground.  After experiencing a night sleeping in the heat and humidity we understood why.

We entertained ourselves at night by creating some light paintings with our headlamps.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC, our Nations Capitol, and the home of my amazing best friend Nelle.  We had a wonderful time visiting her and exploring the memorial and museums in the National Mall.  We used the DC Bike share program to cruise around and see much more than we could on foot.  And we of course used the Metro, which is a unique and thrilling experience in itself ;)

Jim in the Metro

Jim and I in front of the White House

Mer in the mouth of a Megalodon Shark

Gems and rocks from the Museum of Natural History

Nelle and I 

On Saturday, after a hardy breakfast, Nelle took us to the Beaver Camp Swim Club near Baltimore. A rope swing, floating logs, diving boards and islands made this an adult-kid-at-heart swimming paradise.  We swam until we were exhausted, ate snacks, napped and swam again.  We have fantastic time.  After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we headed back to DC for our last night in a comfortable bed.  Our next few days would be spent driving and camping through the Appalachian Mountains.

Richmond, Ohio and Family History

We left Cleveland and continued traveling East heading towards Washington, D.C to visit Mer’s friend Nelle.  On the way we stopped in the town of Richmond, Ohio where Jim’s Dad, Bill, grew up.  A childhood friend of Bill’s gave us a tour of the town, sharing the history and stories of their childhood.  Bill and Janice, do you recognize any of these pictures?

Cleveland Rocks!

Leaving Minneapolis meant entering unexplored territory for Jim and I.  We drove through Wisconsin and into the UP of Michigan, driving through torrential rain and hordes of mosquitos until we pulled into our campsite.  Bug bitten, tired, and hot we fell asleep having our first real taste of life on the road.

Monday morning we traveled into Michigan, on our way to Cleveland.  We stopped in Traverse City exploring the Cherry Festival and having a picnic by Lake Michigan.

We left Traverse city and left Michigan to experience our first Toll Road the Ohio Turnpike.  We both greatly enjoyed the experience, especially the service plazas.  Cleveland was the first big city driving we had to do and Jim handled it with ease.  We stayed with Jim's good friend Patrick, his wife Kate and their baby Cecelia.  And I could never forget Sarge!

Jim and the babe

Sarge!

Mer out front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

During our visit to Cleveland we stopped at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was a lot of fun and we both had a great time seeing all the exhibits and the interesting memorabilia.

Aerosmith's Bass drum head

The Black Keys drum head

Minneapolis

Ready!

             Hep!

                        Fly!

      The 4th of July weekend was spent with Mer's sister Marissa in Minneapolis, where she introduced us to the many fun summer activities to be enjoyed in the city, and to Trapeze Flying! We arrived on Friday afternoon and were joined by Mer's younger sister Chelsey, we then utilized Minneapolis' great bike share system called Nice Ride and rode to Lake Harriet.

Our Host Marissa showing us the wonderful bike trials through the city

Before the return home we renewed our energy with a stop for ice cream.

Sisterly Love and Laughter

Mer and Jim and the Minneapolis skyline 

After our bike ride tour of the city, we packed up a picnic and walked to a spot next to the Mississippi River to view the fire works.  

Ooooh!

Ahhhhh!

Saturday morning we awoke with much excitement and anticipation for Trapeze Flying.  Marissa has been practicing this artistic activity for many months, and eagerly wanted to share this high-flying adventure with us.  After a introduction and short lesson on the ground, we were climbing the ladder. 

Ready! (bend your knees) Hep! (jump)