Four down … one to go.

I actually have another day here in Kentucky, my fourth leg of the journey. Eldest son Joe and  I have plans for dinner with some of his friends.

Some of you who follow my adventures on other social media platforms may have read about the latest leg {sorry}. So this recap is for the rest of my followers. I’m spending about two and a half weeks with each of my kids/grandkids/great-grandkids, with Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Kentucky now in the rear view mirror. Saturday, Angelina and  I start the final  leg — a 10 hour drive time to my youngest son’s home in South Carolina. Christmas on the beach. It should be interesting.

The Kentucky segment has, by far, been the quietest and least hectic. No children, just a rambunctious pup (Puck) who appeared to enjoy his time with Angelina (and vice versa). They spent hours each day running and chasing each other and willingly called it a night at bedtime.

Here are some of the highlights.

I actually arrived a day early. The plan was to visit a friend in Indiana but Annie came down with the flu so we thought it would be better to postpone the visit. I didn’t find out until I was around Fort Wayne (en route to Remington). I decided to head down to Kentucky. Along the way I saw acres and acres of farmland, much of it being tilled, the vibrant bridges of Louisville, the city scapes of Indianapolis and Louisville, and even a Carvana kiosk (just like the commercial). It doesn’t take much to amuse me. Made it to Joe’s minutes after he got home. (He hadn’t seen my message.) As an aside, Angelina and Puck got along very well! No barking … just playing.

Most of the visit was pretty pedestrian. Relaxation and food were paramount.

Joe and I enjoyed a delicious pot roast and good conversation with friend Sarah; shared sausage & peppers sandwiches and a movie — Creed II; watched the Macy parade, dozed off during the Bears-Lions game, enjoyed a well-portioned turkey dinner at Cracker Barrel, and finished the day with the two late games (Bills-Cowboys and Saints-Falcons). Except for leftovers it was the best Thanksgiving option for just the two of us.

What to do on a dreary day in Kentucky?

Visit an indoor flea market! Actually it was the largest indoor flea market in Kentucky. We didn’t buy anything … but got our walking in and fueled some memories. Wicked Which Wich {submarine sandwiches} for dinner. Oh, and we got to see some fireworks with the thunder. Always amazing.

Other highlights include winning (for me) football with a bowl of homemade chili and dinner at B-Dubs (Buffalo Wild Wings) with Joe (bachelors … cook?)

Angelina and I got a chance to do some walking and venturing to one of the many parks around town. We walked around downtown Bowling Green, including the elipse around Fountain Square Park, taking in some different Christmas window decorations (yes that’s our reflection in the window). Then we headed to Weldon Peete Park for a stroll along the Barren River on the Low Hollow Trail. It’s been awhile since we walked. Angelina and I also did some exploring on the back roads of rolling Bowling Green. Plenty of farms — horse, beef, and sheep. It was peaceful and quite a contrast to downtown.

Joe and I had dinner at Mariah’s in downtown Bowling Green. He behaved with a Chicken Tender Cobb Salad. I, on the other hand, chose the Haystack Burger — fresh ground beef patty topped with sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, a fried onion ring, lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes and pickles, served on a brioche bun. I have a big mouth but couldn’t get my jaws around it! We followed dinner with a delightful local community theater production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Funny. Poignant. Refreshing.

Midway through the trip, Joe and I made a 500 mile round trip to participate in the Higher Grounds Authors, Artists & Artisans Show at Wittenberg University. Selling a few books … Good. Interacting with fellow authors and prospective customers … Better. Sharing the experience and drive with my son … Priceless.

Sarah and her daughters — Maggie, Nora, and Amelia — checked in on the dogs while we were at Wittenberg, so as a thank you, I cooked them dinner — Skillet Deep Dish Pizza — and Joe treated them to the Wendy’s Twinkle at the Track presented by U.S. Bank, a new drive-through holiday light experience on the west track of the NCM Motorsports Park here in Bowling Green and ice cream at Sonic. Sarah shared some of the Christmas decorations around Bowling Green.

I also re-learned a little about hockey courtesy of my son and discovered Kentucky weather — teens and 20s in the wee hours of the morning to the 50s and 60s by late afternoon — sometimes on the same day! Then I gaze at the full moon and know Who is playing with the yo-yo.

Although we planned to visit Nashville (only about an hour and a half away), we bypassed it for this trip.

So … it’s off to South Carolina!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time!”