Fall Travel Plans

[pop pop]

We are making plans to go on another fall trip. This time my sweetie found an article, in our Country Magazine, about a scenic trip along the upper Mississippi River. They have a Scenic Byway on both the Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois sides of the big river. We plan to drive to Moline Ill and view the John Deer Museum, and cross over the river into Missouri, then travel the Byway north that runs beside the river to Dubuque Iowa. Then crosses back over the Mississippi to Galena Illinois.

We have plans to spend 3 weeks on this trip. We will be stopping at Galena, the Mississippi Palisades State Park, Moline, then cross the river to Hannibal Missouri. Explore that area of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, then travel on to Alton Ill, then on to St. Louis where my sweetie wants to go and see the Budweiser Clydesdales farm located there about.

We have been shut ins because of the hot weather as I have asthma and can’t take the very hot times of the year. Air conditioning is my best friend right now. Was 98 here yesterday and with the heat index 111. Asthmatics have a hard time breathing in such conditions.

Our plan is to leave here on Sept 16^th and return by Oct 5^th.  Then we will spend the last 2 weeks of Oct in Ashville N C, and Pigeon Forge TN.  The October trip has been our tradition for the past 15 years. The Great Smokey Mountain N P is one of my favorite destinations and we try and visit a couple times per year.   We also like the Blueridge Parkway, out of Ashville N C, equally as well. We have plans to spend a week at each place and do some serious leaf peeping while there.  We once hiked a lot, but at 71 and with my knee, and 69 with her bad hip, which is set to be replaced on the 4^th of Nov, we can no longer go on long strenuous hikes.  We do short ones and do most of our leaf peeping through the windshield now.

Our first grandson (26) will be traveling with us. He has been all over the U S with us in our RV. Lack 3 states and he will have been in all the lower 48 states. He has Downs Syndrome and really enjoys our trips. He has a T V and his electronics in the back seat of our truck and enjoys them as we drive. He will be singing Charlie Pooth, Michel Jackson or Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again,” or something else as we drive down the road.  He also entertains himself off of satellite TV or Movies he watches on the TV screen mounted on the back of Mimi’s seat head rest. Talk about having it made!

I will be taking my guns as Missouri and Iowa honors my TN Concealed Carry Permit; however, Illinois only allows me to have a gun in my truck and does not honor any states CCP. I also keep one(Mossberg 20 Ga) in my 5^th wheel RV which I pull behind my truck.  So I will be able to protect her, grandson, and myself should the issue be forced upon us. My sweetie carries also which is comforting.

 America is great, and God is good, guys!

[Trekbike]

Sounds like a nice trip.    Stay safe and hope you guys don't have any mechanical troubles along the way!   

[TomInMN]

That sounds like a wonderful trip! Your grandson is lucky to have you two in his life.

 

Have you all ever considered getting up to the headwaters of the Mississipi? It's a State Park, and a pretty wonderful place. Kind of awe inspiring to see what's there and think about what it becomes...

ETA: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00181#homepage

Edited July 20, 2019 by TomInMN
Shameless plug for my home state.

[gregintenn]

I would love that trip. I hope you all enjoy it.

I would suggest, if you have time, going up to see Big South Fork, and riding the train at Stearns, Kentucky. it goes through an old mining town. We really enjoyed that, and most people don't know about it.

[pop pop]

Tominmn, we traveled hwy 2 which goes from Maine to Washington state and stays about 50 to 70 miles south of the Canadian border. We seen the headwaters of the Mississippi while driving that road, but did not go to the park. The river was not real impressive up there. 

Gregintn, we have camped at the Big South Fork and rode the train to the blue Heron coal mine out of Sterns KY. It was a great trip. 

We are really looking forward to breaking new ground on this trip. I once worked for a John Deer dealer and sold farm and home machines. They once were the best farm machinery and lawn mowers on the market. Never cheap but the best. I don't know if that is true now or not, but looking 

forward to touring their Museum in Moline Ill. 

[Mark A]

Sounds like a nice trip. I would be uber careful in Illinois.

I have a couple of LEO friends that live in Paducah. The IL state police like to hassle any LEO that crosses the line so they don't carry there except when on duty and in uniform.

I avoid IL like the plague. I won't even connect through Chicago on a flight if I have checked weapons. Too much risk if the flights get cancelled.

[pop pop]

Mark, Illinois does not honor any states carry permits. My TN permit allows me to have a loaded gun in the cab of my truck, stowed in the console or glove compartment. That is where my EDC will be housed while in the state of Illinois. I try to obey every states laws where guns are concerned. I don't want trouble from the law.

I have a book that contains all the carry laws, from all the states. Thanks for the warning.    

[TomInMN]

 

 

On 7/20/2019 at 4:17 PM, pop pop said:

Tominmn, we traveled hwy 2 which goes from Maine to Washington state and stays about 50 to 70 miles south of the Canadian border. We seen the headwaters of the Mississippi while driving that road, but did not go to the park. The river was not real impressive up there. 

 

I'm pretty sure I've travelled all of US2 in MN, not positive though. There are a couple of stretches that I've spent quite a bit of time on. It's about 100 miles south of Canada where you're taking about.

You're absolutely right, that big river is pretty small right there. That's what fills me with a sense of wonder, that it becomes such a powerful force from such small beginnings.

Edited July 21, 2019 by TomInMN
Autocorrect strikes again!