9/3/2025 Scot and Irene

Well the Big Day has finally arrived. My very first stop is to visit my good friends and former neighbors Scot and Irene. We went out to lunch, took some pictures (The plant's name is Angie. Yes, they named their plant.), and overall had a very nice visit. Also, They are babysitting an old sweet dog named Lexi.

Stop for the night at Red Roof Inn in Baldwin FL.

Miles to date: 233.6

Stayed at the Drury Inn. Spent two days visiting my aunt Linda who lives near Atlanta. She is still recovering from her fall in which she broke her leg. We shared many stories from our past and the present. We had dinner at the world's famous Marietta Diner. Thank you Guy Fieri.

Miles to date: 672.1

Went on a tour group at the racetrack. We saw them cleaning the drag strip, repairing the dirt track, and driving on the roval at nearly 70 miles per hour. The race car on the track was from the Ford Performance Racing School. I also went to the Hendrick Motorsports Museum where they had dozens of cars from previous winning races.

Miles to date: 930.9

Sometimes you just have the lean back and watch a movie.

Miles to date:  955.5

I now know why this Last Great Colosseum is called Thunder Valley. It is so loud that I could feel the vibrations in the drink I was holding. And the racing is awesome. A car can make one lap in 15 seconds. So a driver really races the lapped cars in order not to get pinned in and passed yourself. Then the new tire compound adds an interesting element to the whole strategy because for some the tire dust hit the hot brake rotors and caught fire.

Miles to date:  1238.3

Walked though a life-size reproduction of Noah's Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. It has 3 level of the ark itself plus a lower level gift shop. I did not walk to the top level. Later in the day, hear a talk by the founder Ken Ham. He is a young-earth creationist, and his solution to all the world's problems is in Genesis 1 to 11.

Miles to date:  1557.4

Today is my 70th birthday. Visited the Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. It is 630 feet high. I rode a tram to the top. The tram is inside the arch and takes 4 minutes to get there. Once there you can look out small rectangular windows. You have an incredible view of the city. You can even look straight down. Later at night, I went to the Diamond Club. If you know what it is then you know what I did.
 

Miles to date:  1896.4

Took some time off from my big trip and stay in a small cabin in the middle of Missouri for a few nights. While I was here, I played around with my drone and tried to use my telescope. Unfortunately, there were too many clouds most nights for any good viewing. So, mostly just I sat on the front porch, drank my coffee, and watched it rain..
 

Miles to date:  2089.2

The racetrack is easy to get to and more importantly easy to get out of. It has very large grass fields for parking and is basically flat terrain. The racing itself is okay until the very end when things go crazy. I was here for three races on three different days which is the first time I have seen that kind of schedule. Despite having a little mix up with my ticket on Sunday, overall I had a lot of fun. Chase Elliott has won two races this year and I was there for both of them. WOW
 

Miles to date:  2282.8

You will need a map of this place. It is a maze of exhibit halls and floor levels. Plus other activities like a theater, planetarium, hands on displays, and even a laser show. I really like the display in which a puff of air made a crater in sand. It even had a center ridge. The planetarium was a little disappointing, too simplistic for my taste. It was just a show no stars.
 

Miles to date:  2962.3

Moab is a classic tourist town with lots to do for young and old.  And driving an UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) with our guild Richard was a blast especially when we went fast. They are almost like a small dirt race car. And how do I end the day? With a slow boat down the Colorado River at night. Unfortunately we had a full moon which block out most of the stars, but I did manage to spot Cassiopeia.
 

Miles to date:  3374.1

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas unless of course you have a travel blog. This is a truly unique city. There is live music until 1 am, showgirls on every corner, amazing acrobatics,  zip lines, and a guy in a gorilla suit. In the D hotel, there are dancing dealers. I lost 90 dollars on roulette and did not care. My new friend Larry sketch me a drawing of Raquel Welch from my phone. What do you do when you wake up in the middle of the night? You walk Fremont Street. And a woman you you never met before approaches you. Let's just say it was a very interesting late evening. And no, nothing illegal happened, but money did exchange hands.
 

Miles to date:  3869.2 miles

Denny Hamlin wins his 60th Cup Series victory. Plus he advances to the final four in Phoenix on November 2. Kyle Larson finish second despite dominating the race with 129 laps led of the 267 total. Denny tops off his victory with a burn out in the pit lane next to his teammates.
 

Miles to date:  3909.3 miles

I met several ladies here at Sheri's, but none came close to Annelise. She is a truly giving and loving person. We have so much in common, favorite TV show "The Big Bang Theory", our religious point of view, appreciation of peace and quiet, a willingness to be honest and open, a fondness for cuddling, and a trust in each other through our special connection. I do not care what anyone else has to say. I am truly happy to be in Love again. Plus, I am planning my return visit already - fly, not drive.
 

Miles to date:  4031.5 miles

I am staying in a tiny house about 20 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Now this is really out in the middle of nowhere. The electricity is from solar cells that charge a battery. The water is pumped from a water tank. And I won't tell you about the toilet. It is also very cold here at night. But even here, I have excellent internet service through StarLink. The view of the night sky is amazing. When I got out my telescope, I saw the Andromeda Galaxy. I just wish I could have photograph it.
 

Miles to date:  4379.2 miles

In Williams ARIZONA, we watched a Wild West show in the morning. And of course the "Marshal" ended up shooting all the bad guys. We then boarded the train to the Grand Canyon. This was a two hour ride, but we had lots of entertainment. Arriving at the Canyon, I walk 1.2 miles along the Trail of Time, which was 2 billion years, to the Yavapal Point and Geology Museum. And then, you guessed it, I had to walk all the way back. At least, it was mostly down hill going back, rested for a spell with a cold drink, and got back on the train. Going back those bad guys the Marshal "shot", stop the train and robe us. The big guy stole five dollars from me that was somehow sticking right out of my front shirt pocket. Then the Marshal showed up and arrested them but somehow the money they stole disappeared. There was something funny about that Marshal.
 

Miles to date:  4436.7 miles