On the road
After two years of not being able to really drive anywhere, it felt great to get behind the wheel of my new car and hit the road! Saturday morning, we loaded up Flavia and the luggage and drove out of DC. Freedom!
We detoured off the interstate and drove a few hours on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, along the crests of the George Washington National Forest and the Thomas Jefferson National Forest – gorgeous! It was a bit of a surprise to see a rescue helicopter land in front of us. As we made our way past (after the blades quit turning), John noticed beagles in the back of a National Park Service truck; we surmised that a hiker was lost/injured.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The views are stunning along the parkway.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Waterfall, Blue Ridge Parkway
We spent the night in Bristol, Tennessee, then took I-40 to Nashville. Along the way, we made contact with our friend Justin. We served with Justin in Juarez, then he came to visit us in Tel Aviv in 2011. We met up for lunch in Cookeville, Tennesee, and had a great time catching up! He’s heading to DC for language training before heading out to the Congo next year.
After that, we went south of Nashville on the Natchez Trace Parkway – how beautiful! We saw deer (including a little fawn crossing the road with mom) and loads of wild turkeys!
Gobble, gobble!
The Trace is simply gorgeous and oh, so peaceful. Hardly any traffic at all.
New car!
Beautiful clouds
Otter Lake, Natchez Trail
Natchez Trace Historical Marker
Natchez Trace
We made it as far as Tupelo, Mississippi, on the Natchez Trace and are overnighting here. Flavia is doing great on the road trip, thank goodness.
The last week in DC was big fun. I took a good leadership class at FSI. Being there, I had the chance to have lunch with Scott each day, often taking advantage of the lovely fall weather.
Last Monday night, we took Edward and Barb to RT’s for another great dinner. It was good to see them again before we left.
Wednesday evening, we met our A-100 classmate Nicole and her (new to us) husband Nikola for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Clarendon. It was fun to get caught up with her, meet her new husband, and chat about her bidding strategy.
Thursday after work, Cousin Donna picked me up at FSI and took me to her condo for wine and cheese (and, of course, to meet her kitties!). Her husband Jeff arrived from Arkansas while I was there, and we hit their neighborhood restaurant for a lovely dinner. So nice to see them both!
Friday evening, we met our good friend Cathy for another great dinner at Smith and Wollensky – great steak and a killer martini.
All in all it was a good three weeks in DC. We saw lots and lots of friends, enjoyed taking a few classes, ate some great food, and just enjoyed being back in America! Next stop – Hot Springs!