Pictures from Richmond, VA

I finally got some pictures ready to share from our Richmond Race Experience so thought I would add them here. This is definitely one track that we would like to go back to. The Racing was exciting and we had a great time seeing the sights of this historical city, too.

Richmond, Virginia or Bust

Thursday, September 6th at Noon was the deadline to be on the Road to Richmond, Virginia and we met our deadline. We made really good time on the road with just gas 'n go stops, arriving just south of Emporia, Virginia at 11:00 p.m., which was about 40 miles from our final destination of Richmond International Raceway (RIR).
We spent the night and got up and on the road to RIR by 8:30 a.m. arriving and getting parked by 10:00 a.m. We made in time to watch the Cup cars for their final practice at 11:00 a.m. We found seats in the shade up high at the start of Pit Road so we could catch the cars coming doing Pit Road and out onto the Track. After Final Practice we walked around the merchandise trailers, found some bargains and got some samples from the various sponsors.
It was about 91 degrees and the sun was beating down, so we found a cool place in the shade to sit and relax a little before Qualifying started at 4:00 p.m.
At Qualifying we went to our seats in the 34th row of Commonwealth Section (way up high on the front stretch) next to the top fence. Great seats to see all the action on Pit Road and on the Track!
We were exhausted after this long day, so we left after Qualifying and found an Applebee's close to our hotel for a sit-down/knife& fork meal. And who do you suppose was sitting at a table just across from us...... the Engine Crew (Nitro and friends) from the # 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team. I talked with them and convinced them to have their picture taken with Janine since she is a Jr. Fan...
By the time we finished eating and got showers we were hitting the sheets and it was 10:30 p.m. Cully arrived around 2:00 a.m. flying in from Nashville by way of Washington D.C.
On Saturday morning we all got up and had breakfast in the hotel lobby and then decided to find a place of interest to visit in this very historical part of the country. We found our way to The American Civil War Center and National Park in downtown Richmond. We toured the facilities, took in all the exhibits and I walked away very thankful for the fortitude and strength of our forefathers for fighting to make the United States of America what it is today and also thankful for the freedoms that we have as US Citizens. We then found a great place for lunch where they make their own Root Beer for lunch in the downtown area.
Shortly after 3 p.m. we decided to make our way to the Track.
What a mistake we made...... We should have been there at Noon if not before...... The Race Traffic was HORRIBLE to say the least. We wound our way around to the backside of the Track for several hours. Finally at 6:15 p.m. Cully and I got out of the car and walked to the Track so that I could be sure to get pictures of the Driver Introductions. Janine and Rudy parked the car in Lot H and road the tram to the Gate. They actually made it just in time for the start of the Race. Our seats were in Turn Two - Dogwood Tower, Row 7, which was just coming out of Turn Two and once again we could see the whole track and all the action of the cars coming out of turn one and two, all the way down the backstretch and into turn four. I got a couple of good pictures of the cars three wide in turn two. Jeff Gordon dominated the first half of the Race and led the most laps.
With 100 laps to go, Janine and I left our seats to head to the Pedestrian Tunnel to meet up with the ONMC group to be a part of the media questions to the 12 Drivers that made the Chase. Janine and I were in the 2nd to front row and got some great pictures of the drivers while the signed autographs and threw out hats and shirts and did ESPN and SPEED interviews. We even got autographs from Clint Boyer, Kyle Busch & Denny Hamlin and to put the frosting on the cake - I caught an autographed hat from Jeff Gordon! Before it was all over we were sprayed with Champagne by the Drivers after they completed their picture sessions for the media. We left the infield area at 1:00 a.m. met the guys and caught a Tram to the parking lot where we sat in traffic until 2:30 a.m. We were back at the hotel by 3:00 a.m. and the alarm went of this morning at 6:15 a.m. And that brings us to back on the road again home to Florida. Our expected arrival time is 6:00 p.m.

I've got another update also..... We are moving..... in the process. I will share more later.....another day and include pictures of our new dwelling place real soon.

See ya on the Road!

Bristol, TN - Sharpie 500

WE ARE HERE! We arrived at the Track at 8:30 Friday morning after we stopped at a local WalMart to get our portion of the groceries for the weekend! We woke Cully up so he could give us specific directions to our campsite. The Site is Great! Way up on top of a mountain over looking the Track and Drag Strip. It is very quiet and clean.

After getting showers and exploring the area, we went down to the Track for Cup Practice. It is very hot here this weekend with temperatures in the 90's, a slight breeze in certain places and a hazy-sunny sky. Thankfully, since we are camping so high, there are golf-cart shuttles that take us to the showers and to the Track from our campsite.

Tonight is the Sharpie 500 NEXTEL Cup Race. We have great seats on the backstretch next to the Tunnel. We can see Victory Circle really well and of course the whole track (it's a 1/2 mile track). I made sure the guys know that I want to go early to get some pictures of the cars all lined up and also so that we can be in our seats for Driver introductions.

See ya at the Race!

On the Road Again -Destination-Bristol, TN

It's been awhile since I last updated here, but we've had a pretty quiet month of August. We are making some major changes in our lives these days, like moving into our RV full-time real soon, job changes, packing, selling, etc. Life is Good - Change is Good!

Today we are on our way to Bristol, TN to the NASCAR race there on Saturday Night. We left around 4:30 pm this afternoon and hope to be there where we will meet our friend Cully and stay with him at the Track in his RV. The weather is good for traveling this afternoon with mostly sunny skies and temps in the upper 90's, but cooling as the day is rounding to the end. We hope to make it to the South Carolina Welcome Center Rest Area, rest awhile and then be in Bristol tomorrow in time to watch some practice and Qualifying of the NASCAR Cup Cars.
Bristol is an experience that is hard to explain. But once you go, you are hooked and have to go back.
I'll be updating throughout the weekend and hopefully have pictures to share real soon too.
Keep Smiling and Travel Safe where ever you might be going!

Elani's Third Birthday Weekend

It was another fun-filled weekend with Elani at our house and we celebrated her birthday, too!

I picked her up on Friday afternoon and we had lunch together and played at the house and later went to JC Penney's for her annual Birthday Photo-shoot. She was a little model - She does so good and poses so cute - Can't wait to get those pictures back. After we went to "Build-a-Bear" and Elani picked out the SHREK for her very own project, so we stuffed, added a heart, washed and blew it dry and then got him a birth certificate and away we went to our next destination - "Toys R Us" where Elani was crowned the Birthday Queen and received a balloon too. She then made her away around the store looking for the one special thing that she could take home. (She had a $3.00 birthday coupon to spend). She found a Lightning McQueen Car to add to her collection and home we went.

Sabbath we went to Sabbath School where they celebrated her birthday again with a pretend cake and candles and a special birthday song as Elani sat in the special birthday chair taking it all in. She had a ball that day in Sabbath School. After a delicious dinner and a little nap we met Elani's parents at Chuck E Cheese for dinner and games. Again, Elani was crowned the Birthday Girl, given a crown and a balloon. She opened some presents there as we waited for our pizza and then she played and played with her papa on the rides and games and winding maze. It was finally time to go home and have Birthday Cake and open more surprises. Everyone came to our house and we sang "Happy Birthday" and Elani blew out her candles and we ate some delicious cake, that by the way was all decorated with Lightning McQueen. Grandpa had all the large gifts hid outside, so we had Elani sit on the floor and cover her eyes as he brought them in individually. First the Sit 'n' Spin, then the Big Red Wagon from Great Grandma and Grandpa Higel, then the Outdoor Sports Center and the finale of Elani's very own Mud Runner battery-powered Jeep! She knew just what to do, too. She climbed right in and her mama and papa strapped on the bicycle helmet that they got her and away she went (with a little instruction of what to push and how to drive). Unfortunately, it was too dark for her to ride outside so she drove in the house for a while. It will be fun to watch her go when she gets it outside!! All in all, it was a great Birthday Weekend for a little girl turning 3.

Michigan Long Weekend Trip

The state-to-state travelers have returned. Elani and I made it safe and sound to and from Michigan this past weekend and we had a fabulous time visiting family and friends over the course of the 4 days we were there.
This is first time Elani has flown in an airplane since she was just a baby of 7 months old. She is much more alert and talkative now. Elani was excited when she saw the big airplanes and stayed awake through the take off, but soon was fast asleep and slept the whole flight until about 15 minutes before we landed, so she was awake for the landing in Lansing, Michigan at 11:15 a.m. We were met by my Mom, Don, stepbrother Doug and his girlfriend. We stopped for lunch to chat and do a little catching up at a Cracker Barrel before heading to Mom's house in Rose Lake Forest.
The weather was beautiful, sunny with just a light breeze and no humidity! What a relief.
When we arrived at my mom's Aunt Judy, Uncle Don and Michelle were there to meet us. We visited for awhile and then Elani and I headed to Cadillac where we would be staying with Michelle for the rest of the time of our visit.
Before going to dinner at a specialty Mexican place in Cadillac, we walked through the Annual Arts Festival in the City Park and then headed home to make sure Elani was in bed early and to prepare for the Sabbath.
Sabbath we went to the Cadillac West church and I got to visit and see some old friends there and then afterwards at a Potluck dinner at Jilane and Bryan Fenner's Lake House on Lake Mitchell. Elani had a blast on the boat dock and it kept me quite busy chasing her to make sure she didn't fall in the water or to keep her off the ladder and getting into the water. (I almost failed at that one).
After Elani's nap, Michelle, Elani and I went for a walk by Lake Cadillac. Elani got to swing and see the ducks and on the way home we found a small bush of wild raspberries, so Michelle and Elani picked and ate the berries. They also played in the Sound Garden on the Clam River Greenway (walkway).
After sleeping in on Sunday morning, we made our way over to Mom and Don's place on the Muskegon River for a picnic and tubing down the river. The weather was perfect, the sun was nice and hot so that helped us not get cold in the water. Elani was ready to go on this new adventure. She had her only little "boat" tied to my tube and we floated for the hour and a half trip to the bridge taking in the sights and sounds of the peaceful river ride. When we got back to the house we had a great picnic and Elani played outside all day long, barefoot in the grass running here and there, exploring everything and enjoying every minute of her time outside. When we finally packed it all up, she was one tired little girl, but a happy little girl.
At Michelle's house, Michelle and Elani each had a foot bath and painted their toes and fingers with bright red colors.
Monday we had a little snack with my friend Lorie at a coffee house and did a little on-sale shopping then hit the road to Lansing for our return flight. Elani slept all the way to Lansing so she was awake for the whole flight from Lansing to Sanford/Orlando. Rudy picked us up at 9:50 p.m. and we took Elani home to see her momma, papa and baby brother.
It was a great adventure and I would do it again in a minute. Elani is always very good when she is with me and we had a great "Grammy & Elani" weekend!

July 19, 2007

Tomorrow morning Elani and I will be flying together (for the first time), making our way to Michigan for a long weekend visit with Michelle & Chris. This will be my first attempt to fly with a child under 3 years of age. At this time, I am not foreseeing any problems, as I am trying to prepare Elani for an exciting time!

We arrive in Lansing, Michigan at 11:00 a.m. I will try to update this site with pictures and happenings as the long weekend progresses. I am looking forward to seeing friends and family and having a nice weekend in some cooler weather!

Until then . . . . . .Keep us in your prayers as we travel . . . .