Just weeks ago a new record was set at 27 hours and 25 minutes with an overall average of 103 mph. The team of three drove a 2015 Mercedes Benz and broke the 2013 record.
Tabbut/Toman/Chadwick team – stock photo
Honestly, all of this smoke and steel is news to me. I’d never even heard of the Cannonball Run until last month when I read the news report. We’re always learning, aren’t we? And now, the next time a car full of young people pass us on the highway at 180 mph we will have something to consider other than bank robber, drug runner, Uber and Amazon.
We certainly do not endorse risky highway competitions, but it’s tough to keep our excitement under the radar because we completed our first Sea-To-Shining-Sea on the same day (December 3rd) as the amazing Tabbut/Toman/Chadwick team achieved their stunning new record.
FYI: Not stealing any thunder here – just basking in the glory a bit.
We live on the road, so anything that happens on the road kind of feels like our neighborhood.
So, congratulations Cannonballers. Research and wise planning paid off. We are honored to breathe the dust of your historic achievement.
Fun coincidence, you say? Nay.
Coincidence is for cowards. Destiny is reserved for the brave.
It’s certainly no coincidence that our old neighbor, Rafe Cannonball McMillan’s dad is Mojo Nixon, host of a NASCAR themed radio show, Manifold Destiny.
Mojo Nixon on Sirius Radio – stock photo
And if that’s not oogly-boogly enough, then there’s that whole Skid Roper connection. Jim was born just a few days before Mojo’s partner, Skid. They attended school together from elementary to college, and both Skid and Jim became professional entertainers in completely separate fields.
Album cover
But the weirdest hoodoo was inviting Mojo to play the role of a preacher who thought he was Jesus in my two-act comedy, The Perfect Daisy. At the time, I had no idea that divine role-reversal was Mojo’s specialty. I must have been dozing at the wheel-house.
But, missing out on stuff is the price of achievement.
This is our fourth return to our old neighborhood since we pulled out and began LIB in July 2016. It’s remarkable how, each time we return it still feels like home – like we’ve returned from a two-week vacation.
But as we retrace our steps, the deep-remembering kicks in and we can focus on features of the landscape that we lost in the blur of life. Good friends and neighbors. Great times. Excellent fish tacos.
The Brigantine’s fish tacos are the BESTWe finally remembered to use our $20 Brig gift certificate from 1995. Stellar service.
Perhaps old people appear befuddled and distracted because they are. It’s difficult to maintain a victorious stature when you’re puttering through your past searching for things that should be rightthere which clearly are no longer there – and, funny thing, you realize they were never actually over there because they were always right here.
Our LIB Cannonball Crawl record won’t appear in any auto magazines. For, there is no ballyhoo around a pair of RV seniors who pull a rig 3,000 miles from Niagara Falls to San Diego in 42 ½ days and 60 driving hours with an overall average of 50 mph without missing a single brewery, winery or distillery. But this is still America, so the challenge bears repeating,
Go ahead. Beat that.
Niagara Falls, New York
It was kinda cute how Jim thought he was surprising me with Niagara Falls for my birthday. Actually, he could have pulled it off if not for all of those pesky signs …View from the USAView from CanadaWonderful staff at The Hornblower! Thank you!!!We should have put a change of clothes and a hair dryer in the truckToasting my birthday at The SkylonBirthday celebration on top of the Skylon Tower Revolving Restaurant
Jim kept looking for the power source for this maple tree at Markin Glen CampgroundThanks to Chapter 3 Travels for the tip about Markin GlenWe were the last rig to pull out of this gorgeous campground before it closed for the season Kalamazoo has many wonderful breweries – here, Jim plays “the Market” at The Kalamazoo Beer Exchangesell Sell SELL!!!
Pontiac, Illinois
The City of Pontiac rolls out the orange cone for Harvest Hosts guests. The entire city is a living museum along with the Route 66 Museum and Hall of FameThat night, we received a weather alert about a polar vortex moving in before Halloween …so we stocked up on survival rations at Pfaff’s Bakery All the region’s campgrounds with full hookups had closed. Where to find shelter from the storm? We had a good lead, but could we make it there in time?
Nauvoo, Illinois
We pulled out of Pontiac and drove west toward the Mississippi River in Illinois …to a church camp which was closed for the season …but is managed by my sweet cousin, Marie, who put us up for the night in a lovely space with full hook-ups. We were ensconced with close family throughout the arctic blast. Whew!!!Aunt Carol was there, visiting from American Fork, Utah. She gave us a tour of the camp which is open to the public. This is Carl Sandburg and Mark Twain country – and only a short walk to the banks of the Mississippi. The stunning oak tree in the background is over 300 years old. Overnight, the atmosphere came down cold and heavy as an anvil. But there was much to see in Nauvoo and we only had a couple of hours before the storm to take in the sights. Some people travel America to take in the big cities and natural wonders. I get that. But I also travel to explore the culture. Religion is especially fascinating for me. Most Americans and foreign tourists have little knowledge of the Reformation and The Great Awakening and the myriad ways religion informs institutions, national philosophy, architecture, etc.All of the historic homes in Nauvoo were built with brick made from local clay. Here at the brick house docents demonstrate how the pioneers manufactured enough brick to build a city on short order.The restored home of gun-maker, J. BrowningA docent demonstrates the history and genius behind the Browning rifleOh dear. Looks like the storm’s a comin’…My cousin’s family has mad decorating skills Trick or Treat!Hookups, and plenty of propane made the difference – fortunately, we found a propane supply …… in Keokuk, Iowa. A fifteen-minute drive…along the Mississippi River.After two snowy nights, the polar vortex finally moved east. The sky turned blue and …… the icicles melted. We would have stayed a while longer in Nauvoo, but Jim’s sister called with some bad news. A family member had passed away in Nebraska. We needed to be there…So, next day, we pulled out of lovely Nauvoo …stopping for the night in …
Princeton, Missouri
Lake Paho Conservation Area – a free public campgroundMost of the campers were bow hunters and anglersThe next morning, we set out early for …
Glenwood, Iowa
where we stopped for the night at Bodega Victoriana Winery and Wedding BarnFeels so good to arrive before dark and stroll though the vines. This is one of the best reasons to overnight at wineries.And the delicacies are another good reason. So Jim made plans to do it again the next night in …
Lexington, Nebraska
We took respite for the night at Mac’s Creek Winery. The following day required only a short drive to …
North Platte, Nebraska
Saddle up and visit North Platte famous for the Buffalo Bill Historic Park, the world’s largest railroad yard, the springtime Sandhill Crane Migration and, BEST of ALL …Jim’s Aunt Lillian! Our ninety-six year old party girl.Grieving the sudden loss of her wonderful daughter-in-law and care-giver, Jerri Weldon, Lillian needed some cheering up. So we coaxed her out of the house for pizza and beer – which, in our experience, no one does better than Pal’s Brewing Company.These lovely and highly-gifted musicians serenaded Lillian with tunes from the 30’s and 40’s. Even if you must drive out of your way, please do yourself a favor and attend a Marbin performance. Lillian with all of her children: Lee, Jay, Donna, Lynnell and Crystal Kay
Lyons, Colorado
After the funeral and a wonderful day with Jim’s cousins, we crossed into Colorado. Spirit Hound Distillers – a mecca for malt whiskey enthusiasts – put us up for the night. We were delighted with the tasting. Now, the Colorado Distillery Trail is on our To-Do List
Morrison, Colorado
This Bloody Mary at The Blue Cow has a story …Driving into Morrison for a bite of breakfast, Jim took a wrong turn and drove us past the amphitheater through Red Rock territory … big mistakeAfter my Bloody Mary breakfast and a soothing walk along the river, we drove to our next destination …
Cañon City, Colorado
The Winery at Holy Cross AbbeyBeautiful grounds, excellent wines, an adorable gift shop and a lovely place to spend the nightAfter some Christmas shopping we settled in for the night and woke to good driving weather.Next stop …
Taos, New Mexico!
We almost dropped to our knees when we entered Taos.Every thing is sacred here. Chokola Bean to Bar“To really say you love chocolate, you have to understand its beating heart — specifically, the nature, flavor and personality of the heart-shaped cacao pod that is chocolate in its purest state. For this, you should turn to husband-and-wife team Javi Abad and Debi Vincent of Taos-based chocolatier Chokola.” – The Santa Fe New Mexican”Saint Francis of Asis Mission ChurchA visit with friend and artist, Elizabeth Jose and…her husband Raymon and their vintage Airstream which takes her to the places and people that inspire her workIn Taos, the air is thin and the beer is high. We lunched beside the fire pit at Red River Brewing and watched deer graze under the ski lift
Angel Fire, New Mexico
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Angel Fire is a set on a hill overlooking the valley below – a sacred place. Regardless of one’s opinions about war – every American should experience this memorial.
Earthships, New Mexico
This bucket-list destination fulfilled my expectations and more. Now, I have a dream to live in an Earthship for at least a year. The film, The Garbage Warrior introduced me to sustainable off-grid housing and to architect Michael Reynolds, the designer of Earthships and his global housing movementI can totally see myself living in one of these houses. Taos has an impressive history of off-grid housing. The best example is …
The Taos Pueblo
Our guide invited us into her community and took us on a tour …Indigenous people have been living in this off-grid, hand-crafted community for over 1,000 yearsthe ancient village is lovingly maintainedand every object has an old, old story
Ojo Caliente, New Mexico
This is our second visit to Ojo and our favorite natural, private hot springsNo chlorine … just ahhhhsome waterEach pool has different mineral qualities and therapeutic values.Mud. So good for the skin. And drying in the winter sun like a cormorant, so relaxing.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
After two nights at Ojo Caliente, we set out to visit a friend and Christian author, Latayne C. Scott. Over a delightful Mexican buffet at Garduno’s, we caught up on a couple of decades of life. Now, I’m devouring her latest novel, A Conspiracy of Breath, and can’t wait for her next book. It is good to restore old friendships – especially in Albuquerque – a place we pass through often.
Grants, New Mexico
After lunch, storm clouds were gathering. We drove about a hundred miles to the spectacular Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course to exercise and stay overnight.It rained all night in Grants and we drove in heavy rain and sleet. In Gallup we ducked into Sandra’s Place for brunch and then set out for …
Mesa, Arizona
Throughout the day, warnings about flash flooding and icy roads kept us cautiously on the move. During a momentary lull we pulled off to let Pico have a potty break and when I looked up, the sun broke through and the desert smiled…But the storm resumed, so we pulled into Superstition Farm for the night. Heavy rainfall continued into the late morning hours. Flooding was so heavy the farm store had to close. But the owners gifted us with seven fresh eggs. Thank you, Superstition Farm!That afternoon, we had a reunion with two of our oldest and dearest friends, Cherie Koss and Doug Waldo. Later, the same day, we had another (surprise) reunion with two of our newest friends …
Casa Grande, Arizona
Jack Bailey and Elizabeth Lumpkin, founder of Airstream Addicts! And, we got to hob-nob with them for eleven days through the Thanksgiving season at the luxurious Palm Creek RV Resort.Casa Grande doesn’t have much of a beer scene, but Jim satisfied his craft brew cravings at The Thirsty Donkey – an innovative, self-service, pay-by- the-ounce beer house.
Felicity, California
The biggest and juiciest roadside attraction of them all. We have passed this place dozens of times, but this time we planned ahead. Wow! It’s everything it promised and more. We could have spent an entire day – but at least we had a fascinating two hour pit-stop and we left wanting moreMoreMORE CENTER OF THE WORLD! The gnomon of the 15 ft. Sundial at Felicity is a three-dimensional bronze of Michelangelo’s Arm of God painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.The Center of the World DiskOur tour guide issued Jim a certificate authenticating the date of his presence at THE CENTER OF THE WORLDThis place is dense with history and philosophy and granite and … just massive. THE CENTER OF THE WORLD will make you feel very small and will outlive us all.View from the Chapel – more a work of art than a place of worship – on the highest point of the town of Felicity – a popular venue for weddings.The Stairway to Nowhere is a metal 25-ft. spiral staircase salvaged from the Eiffel Tower Recalibrated, LIB departed from THE CENTER OF THE WORLD and drove toward our last stop before San Diego – my personal center of the world – the most peaceful place on the planet …
Agua Caliente, Borrego Desert, California
The campground was empty, quiet and rainy. Frogs serenaded us by day and coyotes by night. A two day soak in the hot springs prepared us for a busy schedule of holiday activities, doctor and dentist visits, and rig repairs in …
San Diego, California
The finish line for the LIB Cannonball Crawl – A tribute to Penelope, wife of Odysseus. by Michael Shultz. “Weaving by day, all the while she waited, unraveling her work by night, steadfastly sure of Odysseus’ return.”
*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.
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