Long Hollow

I spent hours this past week staring through my car window. I love road trips, watching the changing terrain roll by, wondering about the people who live in the distant farmhouses, or the small towns and cities we zip through.

My mind drifts… as we drove through an area north of St. Louis, I searched for evidence of the Civil War prison which held my great-great grandfather captive 150 years ago. I couldn't spot any signs of an old prison from the freeway, but I could still imagine it there on the banks of the Mississippi River. I wonder if there's a piece of wall or other remnant tucked away out of sight of the highway?

That's the problem with a trip like this, when you're just trying to get somewhere miles and miles away: there's no time to stop and explore the miles in between, except what you can see from your car window or an occasional gas station or Subway sandwich shop.

But if it weren't for Tom's wonderful scattered family, and specific get-togethers like the wedding we attended last Friday, we wouldn't be driving these roads, anyway, and we want to spend as much time as possible with them.

Still, I hope one day we'll have the time and money to slow down and explore a little along the way. For now, I'm just grateful for the zipping-throughs.

Here are some favorite images from the first part of the trip, Texas to Wisconsin…

…first, the sun rising just as we headed out on the highway close to home. With long road trips, there's always an early start.

We spent the first night in Wichita at #1 brother Kenny's house, timing it just right to see #4 brother Steve on his way home to Montana from Florida with his girls. Pizza, margaritas (thank you Carol!), a few games of cribbage and 3-13 and hallelujah! I finally captured a photograph of a bumblebee in their backyard! (I've been hoping to get one for months!)

Kenny reminding Tom and Steve that he's the oldest…

The next morning we rolled through the Flint Hills of Kansas, the cattle and farmland of Missouri, the urban beauty of Chicago and Milwaukee… and miles and miles of cornfields. Breakfast in Kansas, lunch in Missouri, dinner in Wisconsin…

(We made a side trip to this small town in Missouri… the Girl had to mail her Physics homework to her professor! These are the things I love most about road trips. Tom, not so much… he wants to go, go, go and get there FAST!)

And then, back on the road for more cornfields and barns…

Chicago from a distance…

…and up close! I'd love to go back and spend more time there!

Milwaukee at sunset… such beautiful old buildings!

  Part 2 of Shallue Vacation 2010 coming soon… "The Wedding"!