The Great American Empty Nester Road Trip

 Hello, dear friends.  I hope that you all are doing well and staying healthy.  A big thanks to all who left sweet Insta messages and wrote notes of encouragement during our transition period.  They were very much appreciated.

We have arrived.  

In Dallas, that is.

The Mister and I began our new chapter in the early morning hours of last Tuesday, our moving day.  We were ready - our endless chores and to-do lists had all the boxes checked and packed. 

As I told you, the new owners bought most of our furniture.  The Mister and I ended up doing a lot of the packing ourselves.  Being smack-dab in the throes of a Pandemic may have been a factor, but surprisingly, I kind of enjoyed it.

Packing helped me to tame my hoarding stockpiling tendencies.  If I felt too lazy to wrap some irreplaceable Marshalls/TJMaxx/Homegoods find, I ditched it.  Between you and me, there was a lot of that going on.

By the way... I leave the price sticker on most of my dishware and tchotchkes for a reason.  I told my girls that when I go to heaven, and they are hosting a tag estate sale, they need to always ask for the regular price and not our price. 

Two of the reasons that the somewhat dull, monotonous task of packing became tolerable was the entertainment factor. I would like to publicly thank the staff from The Office as well as the Rose family for providing me with countless hours of enjoyment and distraction. The Mister checked on me a couple of times because I was chuckling out loud amidst the bubble wrap and the boxes.  

I think that he thought I was losing my mind. 

At times, he was right.  

When we moved into our home seven years ago, the moving truck parked on the road because the driver felt that the turn was too sharp to make around the stone wall into the driveway.  The poor movers had to unload the truck and use dollies to transfer our junk priceless heirlooms into our house.

The bulk of the truck transformed our two-lane road into one slow-moving headache. 

It's no wonder we didn't receive any welcome baskets from the neighbors.

This time, our driver was fearless.  

Gary had no problem getting into the driveway with his unabashed skills and maneuvers.

As you can see, the Mister got right in on the act.  He yelled direction and used hand signals like he was on a runway signaling a 747.  

Gary gave a polite nod and paid no attention.

It took about ten hours, but the truck got packed with furniture and marked boxes denoting Storage and Apartment.

By the way... notice my beautiful last hydrangea.

Everything going to the apartment got awarded a big pink dot.  Chili wanted to make sure her beloved smelly Lamby was not headed for storage or, heaven forbid, the washing machine.

At around six PM, we bid our house full of wonderful memories farewell.  Our sweet next door neighbors came out on their deck to give us a heartfelt, socially-distant wave. 

As we drove off, I thought of all the wonderful lifelong friends I have made while living in Massachusetts. 

Volvo

The Mister drove and I critiqued his driving. 

The next stop was Stamford, Connecticut.

It was the town in which the Mister and I met.

I'm sure he didn't plan it that way, but I took it as a romantic gesture all the same.  

At the hotel, we downed a bottle of vino within minutes and toasted our new chapter, and silently prayed that we would still be speaking to each other by the time we reached Dallas. 

After a good night's sleep, we set off for our next stop, Washington, DC.

After checking into our hotel, we decided to take a walk and hunt down a lunch spot.  We settled on the Blue Duck Tavern. 

We made a great choice - the food and service were so good that we ended up canceling our dinner reservations at another restaurant and came back for dinner.  We don't usually do that, but the Mister talked me into it because there were more items on the menu that he looked forward to sampling. 

One of the items that the Mister ordered were these unbelievably delicious fries with a side of aioli.

By the way... Blue Duck Tavern is a favorite eating establishment of a former US President and First Lady whose office is across the street.

Here's a hint:

Their last name begins with an "O."

If you know the answer, you win a car.

Only kidding, just wanted to see if you were reading the text and not only looking at the pictures like my girls do. 

Our next stop was The Homestead in Virginia.  

The resort has been on my bucket list.

The last 20 minutes of the drive were treacherous, and it had nothing to do with my stellar driving skills.  To reach the resort, one needs to drive up a mountain.  The road is only one lane most of the time, and I beeped and held my breath every time that I had to make a sharp turn.

  

We arrived at The Homestead with sweaty palms and a grateful heart.

The exterior of the hotel is quite impressive.

We checked in and then did some shopping at a couple of gift shops.  It was the first time that I had shopped for something fun since March.  

It was an ideal time of year to visit.

The foliage was breathtaking!

The Mister planned our trip around dog-friendly hotels.

Chili was greeted with a welcome gift.

Believe it or not, that is her happy face. 

That evening, we toasted the couple that closed on our their new/old house that day.

In the rearview, I have to tell you that we were a bit underwhelmed by The Homestead.  The property is beautiful, but the actual building and contents are showing their age.  The carpets were soiled, the deck needed repair, and the staff was less than hospitable.  

It is owned by a large hotel company now.  

It is really a shame that Omni doesn't put some money into this diamond in the rough.

Our next stop was Chattanooga.  We stayed at another historic property called the Read House.  The moment we walked into the hotel, we were bowled over by the stunning decor.

Our pristine guestroom offered charming decor, plenty of space, and a fabulous bathroom. 

We dined in-house at Bridgeman's Chophouse.

The food and service were nothing less than spectacular.

I highly recommend the Read House if you ever find yourself in charming Chattanooga.

On the road again.  

We are very fortunate that Chili is a very relaxed traveler.

She's got her issues and diva demands, but when it comes to hopping in the car and exploring new places and smells, she gets an A+.

Our last stop was in Jackson, Mississippi, where we ate in the hotel restaurant and hit the sack early.  We couldn't wait to see our #2 and Chowdah the next day.

Are we there yet?

At last!

We stayed at a hotel for a few days while we waited for our furniture to arrive.  We then moved into an apartment in the same building as our #2.  Along with apartment living, I am also planning a post on our house hunting adventures.  

Chowdah, who was staying with our #2, was so excited to see us.

Chowdah and Chili generally looked happy to see each other.

It didn't last, though.  Minutes later, they moved into their own personal space and ignored each other. 

We ordered a new kennel for Chili while we were on the road.  We had to replace the brand new one that we bought for our excursion because the little rascal managed to break free.

We have informally changed Chili's name to Houdini.

By the way, Houdini has met her match with the new kennel.  

She hasn't escaped once.

And it wasn't due to her lack of trying.

Until next time...

It took about three minutes for Houdini to steal his bed.

Linking up with:

Inspire Me Tuesday

The Happy Now Blog 

Tuesday With A Twist

Lou Lou Girls

All About Home

Tuesday Talk