Helen and I left Knoxville on Saturday, June 13, and, after one of the most memorable experiences of our lives together, we arrived back at our home on Friday, September 18. Although we had campground reservations canceled during that time due to COVID-19 (Banff, Canada) and to wildfires (Yosemite National Park), neither of those setbacks dampened our journey. We arrived home blessed for the opportunity.
Altogether, we drove nearly 10,000 miles, shared time with our children and precious grandchildren, and met some delightful and engaging people everywhere we went. The time passed by so quickly that I have trouble picturing some of the campgrounds where we stayed in my mind…but I do have pictures of them.
I have posted details of the trip through our visit to Mt. Rainier, and, in the coming weeks, I will take readers to some beautiful parts of the Pacific Northwest and share the pictures that bring to life much of what we witnessed. I hope you will continue to travel with us. I have posted a few of those pictures here.
For now, all I can do is get this short post online. The hour is late, and we drove all day from Memphis to arrive in Knoxville before dark. It’s good to be in our home where we can rest and recoup, but, before long, the road less traveled will beckon, and once again, we’ll be Easin’ Along.
Thanks for all of this Joe.
Keep going!
Hi, Ernie,
Great to hear from you. Helen and I have vowed to keep this up as long as we can. Thanks for stopping by! Joe
Welcome home! Looking forward to seeing you both at the Y! Thanks for sharing your trip!!!
Hello, Jo Ann,
We’ll return to the Y as soon as we get the fifth-wheel unloaded, cleaned, and three months of mail unpiled. Hopefully sooner than later. See you soon. Joe
Welcome home friend!
Thanks to you it was one of my best trips ever
Dynamo,
Thanks for joining us–it was good to have you along. Stay in touch, we have a few more stops to post Joe
I have so enjoyed “traveling” with you on your trip. Looking forward to the CA photos…..have many pics myself of that cypress near Carmel and also the coastline around Mendocino. We were contemplating a trip up the CA coast in the spring, but afraid many of our favorite spots will have been ruined by the fires.
Hi, Addy,
We made down the coast all the way to Pasadena, and, except for the area around San Bernardino, the coast was spared from the worst. I would stay on top of it–you probably could still make the trip. Thanks for joining us! Joe
What an amazing and wonderful adventure! So proud of y’all and thankful you are home safely. We’ve missed you!!!
Hi, Cammy,
We had an awesome time. Can’t wait to hear about your trip as well. See you soon! Joe
thanks for letting us be part of your fabulous journey..
Good afternoon, Jennie,
Thanks to you for Easin’ Along with us! Please come back! Joe
All your pictures and comments were wonderful..please notify me when you start Easin Along again
Jennie,
Stay with us–we have a few more stops from this trip to post that I think you will enjoy. We plan to go back on the road in late October and again in late January.
A great tease of some of your adventures, Joe. I’m sure you are happy to be home (we always are), safe but tired. I’m sorry Yosemite didn’t work out, but the fires caused so much smoke even up into Spokane where we spent last week. Sunday Stills is back with me and I hope to see you around if you like. I’m interested in reading more about your adventures and hope to see those sights myself over the next few years.
Good morning, Terri,
You’re right about being home. As much as we treasured our summer journey, It’s great to have a place called home to rest and regroup. You’re moving into a wonderful place for outdoor living, and I’m certain that you will take advantage of everything offered. Hopefully, the brave firefighters will get the wildfires under control before they spread even further. We will be back in Yelm next year. I visited your site on Sunday and it is good to have you back online. We’ll chat soon. Joe
Hi, Joe and Helen – Welcome home! That was one incredible journey. Your photos are absolutely stunning. I look forward to reading even more (selfish, I know)!
Good morning, Donna,
We had an incredible summer trip and look forward to sharing the rest of it with everyone. As much as we loved our trip, It is good to get back home to visit with family, friends, and the familiar surroundings we call home. Speaking of reading more…I visited your website yesterday and plan to return today and take notes. The information you posted will be very helpful as I re-build Easin’ Along. Thanks much! Joe
Hello again Joe & welcome home! Glad you & Helen made it back “safe & sound”. That’s certainly a lot of miles to travel but I’m sure it was well worth it! Was that your longest trip? Thank you for sharing with us all those spectacular pics, sites & other information. Speaking of information, would you mind sending me the locations where you stayed near the National Parks & whether or not they had cabins? Thanks again & hope you both get some much deserved rest! Take care!
Good morning, Ron,
Thanks for the nice comments. This trip was a bit over three months long, and our longest so far by a week or so. Nevertheless, after doing a few loads of laundry and opening all the mail, I could turn around and do it all over again…it was that good. I will send the lodging information to you by email Thanks for stopping by, and stay safe out there. Joe
I appreciate your update on your trip and so thankful for your safe return to K-town! I also love the last picture in your update post, sunrise over the Mississippi River, as Nancy and I did the entire length of the River Road in trips in over three different years. I look forward to seeing your future sharing. In the meantime our best to you and Helen 💗!….
Good morning, Dan,
That campsite was a real find and we did so at the last minute. We were situated right on the Mississippi with a view of the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy, but we waited around for the sun to peek through. Hope all is well. Give Nancy a hug from us. Joe
“A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” (John Steinbeck) Despite my many days (weeks, months) of planning, it seems that each day of a trip unfolds on its own, sharing the adventures it deems significant, and we just happen to be along for the ride. Travel is a wonderfully amazing, humbling and educational experience, but there’s always a good feeling when you arrive safely home. Welcome home to both of you!
Good morning, Mary,
We are passionate about RV travel and each trip leaves us with great memories and a yearning to go back out on another venture. I don’t think I could be a full-timer because I need roots and a place to call home where I can rest, reconnect, and plan another trip to have something to look forward to. We’ll be on the road again next month. Please join us. Joe