With love and thanks to Mom and Dad

What a blast......26 days, 17 states, 7000 miles filled with fun, family, and friends across the USA! Thank you Mom and Dad for sharing your Chinook with us, we have been throughly spoiled traveling in such luxury! Thank you to all of you who stayed connected and prayed for us through out the trip. And most of all, thank you Lord Jesus, for keeping us safe on the road and bringing us back to our friends, family and home in wonderful San Clemente.

Family in Phoenix

The Peavy Family

The Albert Family

Corner Stone Church

Our stop in Phoenix was filled with fun as we visited with two of Tom's nieces and their families. First, a Saturday evening at the park with Suzanne and George Peavy and their 3 darling little boys. George is in full time ministry for Frontiers and works from home, so thankfully he is often available to help Suzanne with the busy job of raising 3 little ones under the age of 4.


Sunday morning we met up with Shannon & Jared Albert and attended church with them at their local church in Chandler, Arizona. They have 2 precious boys and it was such a joy to see their youngest so chubby and healthy after a premature birth only 3 months ago. God definately answered many prayers on his behalf! What fun to see the new additions to the Meadows Clan.


On this trip we've had four Sundays to experience church in very different places, with different people and in different ways. From the small soulfull church in Key West to the rock concert style mega church of 5000 in Arizona..... it's all about people coming together to worship God. How neat to see it happening all over the map and knowing that God is being honored!

What a Day in Santa Fe!

Hallelujah...what a beautiful day!

Tiny Tom on a gigantic pincher bug!

American Indian venders in the central plaza

Watch the head!

My friend Loretta was right, Santa Fe really is the true New Mexico! The town sits at 7,000 feet surrounded by even higher mountains with a back drop of gorgeous skies. Art galleries, museums and fantastic bronze sculptures fill the charming streets. Throughout the town beautiful southwest pueblo architecture can be seen in the very old churches as well as the new buildings. Tom is in the doorway of the oldest home in America dating back to 1200. (pre building codes) In the Central Plaza the local American Indians sell their lovely silver and turquoise jewelry. This was the perfect place to visit to break up the long drive back home.

Random

After the rain on Interstate 40 in Arkansas

Tom up dating the blog

We drove 680 miles today.......through one quick thunderstorm and down pour in Arkansas but other wise it was smooth sailing. This photo shows how beautiful the sky was afterwards. Didn't add much else to the photo cache so we thought we'd just send a few random ones from other days.

The Commissioner, Boatsinker Pie, Paducah and Throwed Rolls

Cousin Mark and his wife, Kristie Washington in Lawenceburg, Kentucky

"Boatsinker Pie" at Patti's Restaurant

Outside the Quilt Museum of America


A quilters paradise at Hancocks of Paducah

Who is that with Lewis and Clark?

Ready to sink his teeth into a freshly baked and caught "throwed roll"

So what do they all have in common? Oh, just another day in our life on the road! We had a fun breakfast with the State of Kentucky's Commissioner for Health and Family Services, aka, Mark Washington, and his wife Kristie. Mark is Tom's cousin and God is using him to bless the people of Kentucky as he serves in his public office. Way to go Mark!

We got a tip from a local about a historical restaurant called Patti's in Grand Rivers, Kentucky that was a must see. We stopped to buy one of their famous "Boatsinker Pies". Hmmm good!

Paducah? The home of the American Quilt Museum and world renown, Hancocks Fabric Store. As you may guess, it was an true act of love for Tom to stop long enough for me to feast my eyes on the lovely quilts and find the perfect fabric to buy so I could finish the back of the road quilt. The Lewis and Clark statues outside the museum kept him occupied.


"Lambert's Throwed Rolls" in Sikeston, Missouri.......a resturant hot spot featured on the food network channel. On request, fresh baked rolls come flying through the air to your table and you better be ready to catch it. Entertainment plus a huge meal makes for a great time, as long as we don't have to weigh in at the next truck scales.

Landmarks

Touring the fabulous Vanderbilt Mansion in Ashville, North Carolina

A visit with the Colonel

Here are some of the notable landmarks from the past day...you can decide if they are historical. The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, largest home in the USA. The birthplace of the Colonel in Kentucky. The now famous oil company, El Cheapo!

Georgia and Good Friends on our Mind

A drive around quaint Saint Simon Island followed by a great crab dinner.

An evening walk on the beach on St. Simon Island

Shirley Durant and her sweet baby Jonathon

OK, we found it...the ultimate place to stop and stay for about 10 years, or maybe even 20! That would be the charming, St. Simon Island, on the southern Georgia coast. I'm sure we'd pick up a southern accent in no time at all but it would be worth it to get to hang out here longer. The streets were lined with huge trees covered in Spanish Moss, sprawling houses sit back deep in the yard, every road led to wide open beaches, and the wonderful southern hospitality permeated the air. Trying the delectable soft shelled crabs, fried oysters and boiled rock shrimp at the local Crab Trap wasn't too bad either! You know when you pick up one of the island real estate magazines you are hooked. But as you may have guessed, we have since moved on down the road and are enjoying the lovely countryside of South and North Carolina. In Columbia, S.C. we were blessed to visit with Shirley Durant (Fawcett) and got to meet the newest family addition, Jonathon. Shirley is doing a beautiful job of transitioning from life as a missionary in the Ukraine to full-time mom and wife to her husband, Lide. Connecting with old friends and making new ones along the way has truly been the highlight of the trip.

New and Old Friends in Orlando

Our missionary friend, Sarah outside the Campus Crusade for Christ building

A visit with the Gregoire's at their new home in Orlando

A hand clappin' foot stompin' worship time

Our purpose in coming to Orlando was to meet up with special friends from our church in San Clemente. Sarah Cocking and Greg and Randi Gregoire relocated to Orlando from San Clemente to continue their ministry work with the Jesus Film Project. A tour of the Campus Crusade Headquarters inspired us as we saw the magnitude of how God is at work all over the world. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with them and were able to attend Sunday worship at Sarah's local church. They know how to rock for Jesus.

Cruising Florida's East Coast Beaches

Relaxing while parked along the Palm Beach boardwalk

A highlight for any Dodge fan at Vero beach, Florida

Hob-nobbing with the Palm Beach crowd....well, sort of, as we sit on the strand and watch people go by. The beaches here are gorgeous! Next, Tom gets his fill of the Blue Crew in Dodgertown (Pastor Dave you would have loved it!) Followed by photos of the wildlife and local seashell art work at Sebastian Inlet State Park. The adventure continues as we make special memories at each stop along the way.

Lost and Found in the Keys

Watch the knife, Ali !!


Snooze time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

We are sad to say that today is our last day in the beautiful keys. We have had that wonderful sense of losing track of time and not knowing what day it was. Snorkeling a coral reef, drinking fresh coconut juice and napping under the umbrella on the beach.....need I say more? All the local people we met were very friendly and of course, the other campers were easy to talk to, especially Ali and Ira who shared their coconuts with us.

Almost Southernmost part of U.S.A.

The best coconut battered dolphin fish ever, right here!!!!!

Feeding the frenzied tarpons at Robbies....watch out for your fingers!

Our camp site on Key West


Key Bahia Honda State Park......Yipee!!!!


The last couple of days have been wonderful. Hopefully the photos tell the story. Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we had taking them.