Half Cross-Country Road Trip Take 21 Planned for November 2013

 [The Charlies: Insane-o Traveling Folks]

Come October 26, Sara Schultz will be taking the Red-Eye flight to Chicago, Illinois with connection to Cedar Rapids, Iowa arriving at 8:42AM. She will likely be rested and cheery, anticipating a joyous reunion with her three sweet nieces and the other nice folks in Iowa including Baby Sister Molly Rose & Josh and Mom & Chuck.

What was to be a short trip to assist boyfriend, Justin, in his drive cross-country from North Carolina to Oregon has extended into a thirteen day vacation. After months of working extra she decided she deserved some days off. Then she decided she deserved some more. So they will have ample time to complete their journey to the West Coast before work calls again on November 8th.

As well, she is looking forward to celebrating Justin's 39th Birthday on November 7th. The last year of the thirties! Spooky! Also spooky is a Halloween with the nieces who have decided to be the Strawberry Shortcake Clan. Is it a coincidence that Middle Sister Carrie has a Strawberry Shortcake costume which also fits Sara? I think not. Auntie will be twinning up with Miss Lily for a night of evil fun! Hopefully they dole out lotsa fruit for the trick-or-treaters.

Speaking of Hurricanes, Justin has been working up a storm out East. Selling the camper, helping a friend staff his new business, repairing the house (bathroom overhaul and a couple new appliances, as well as new rugs, bedding and more), fixing his truck, buying a new used Suburu, visiting relatives, attending a wedding (today!), renting out his house on AirBnB, and developing a continued rental plan for when he returns West. All in under three months. He'll be hauling a carload of stuff and Mr. Bailey out to Oregon, picking up Sara in Iowa.  *She has volunteered to maneuver the Suburu through the snow and mountains should weather conditions become precarious.

Sara is not sure how many trips she has made across the USA. She could try to count.
Here is a rough guess:

• North Dakota to Texas and back
• North Dakota to Colorado and back
• North Dakota to Oregon/Washington and back (either direction, one time driving back through Canada on Hwy 1) - 6-7 times
• North Dakota to Missouri and back
• North Dakota to Pennsylvania and back 
• Up and down the West Coast
• Iowa to Virginia
• North Carolina to Pennsylvania and back
• North Carolina to Florida and back
• North Carolina to Iowa and back- twice
• North Carolina to Oregon 

She thinks that is about 20 half-country trips. Or so. In a nutshell, pretty much an insane person. But Justin knows this, and likes her anyway. They are both very independent people looking forward to their long-awaited reunion and sleeping in the same bed again. They are hoping to settle in soon enough into a house with a Mother-In-Law suite where relatives may visit for extended periods, including moms and grandmoms and any other stragglers who have long yearned for the beauty of Oregon.

Example of Grandmoms who might visit Oregon:

Outer Banks of North Carolina

Orville and Wilber were from Dayton OH originally, but moved to Kitty Hawk for its ideal weather conditions to conduct experiments in flight.

A model of their plane in the visitor's center. I'm happy to be exploring the US again, being reminded of the greatness of American dreamers...

Me and Orville.

The first flights took off from here, and those two buildings were where the brothers resided during their stay. 

Sunset on the Dunes of North Carolina. Otherworldly.

On the way down the Outer Banks, which is really a strip of sand off the continental US, a few lighthouses poke up into the clouds beckoning wanderers to break for a few.

The little guy is no longer of this world but I saw beauty. 

Trees are wispy, wind-swept structures.

Several long bridges connect the sandbar land masses which make up the Outer Banks.

Blowing snow can confuse a midwesterner into thinking it is the real white stuff. But this can sand the paint off your car if you are not lucky. I was lucky. 

Looking up. Life is good. 

Glorenza, Italy

With a population of 800, it's the smallest town in Italy. The half-Italian, half-German spoken (and written) was an interesting mix, as border towns often are. We happened upon it after deciding to drive to Italy from Switzerland since it was nearby. A little town gem, highly recommended.

Driving OVER the alps

It got a lot worse after we took this video, but I think we were too scared to make more videos. Nevertheless, I know my mom and Molly would've needed an Ativan for this drive. I had to stop and I don't usually get scared. It was about 3 hours of this type of road up and down the mountain.

Stopping just before we reached the top, where I peed in a field. No trees. Above the tree line.

A nice Italian man walking. Who would dress like that in America? Especially on a cliff, where someone could accidentally knock you off... I will sort of miss their formal clothing here. But I'm glad I don't have to wear it.

Luckily we did not see any cows. I might have crapped my pants.

You can tell these are not German roads. Some parts were really crumbly, and large sections had no guardrail, only stubby cement blocks, of which some were leaning precariously over the edge, appearing to have been tipped by a car careening to its demise. Adding to the fun were the motorcyclists who were unafraid to pass on blind curves.

Winter at the top. And then we went down...

The neighborhood was Karlin (of Praha)

"It was such an area, and this area was very, very interesting from a social point of view. For instance, it's funny, but between the wars and even before the First World War, the prostitutes from Karlin were very expensive because they knew manners. The bourgeoisie lived here together with workers, and there were no social problems. The whole spectrum of society lived together in Karlin. Of course, after the 1950s new people came here, and at that point social life in Karlin was decaying. But anyway, there were still nice cabarets, there were small theatres, and some good pubs."

PRAGUE: 2011 April
The Grand Finale of Joon's ten-day European Excursion (where Sara unsuccessfully tries to kill company with road trips through five countries [Note: apparently Koreans from Chicago are hardy folks]) was beloved Prague, selected by Joon as a destination. I've been there a few times before and was happy to go, but not jumping out of my skin in excitement. However we were completely overwhelmed with its gothic beauty and tapestry of colors, delighting in simple finds around every corner. I've decided this is my favorite city in the world. It has yet to disappoint.

(a view from our balcony in the neighborhood of Karlin)

(hanging over the said balcony)

(when you take a timer picture but forget to check the zoom)

(the mini parked on the street, even though I've heard lots of auto theft stories from Prague-- our pension owner said it was fine-- Karlin was compared to Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin)

(we could not stop hanging out the window)

(the real living geranium in the window of course reminded me of my mom who loves geraniums for as long as I can remember, but her favorite variety is the martha washington)

(someone who lived in our apartment complex)

(I was in love with these clocks, and they were so convenient since I do not wear a watch or carry a phone)

(our room had delightfully odd decor, including barack-in-a-jar)

(walking in a park- there were lotsa parks and hills)

(somewhere on a side street)

(my keens fit right in in Prague)

(Czech is a little like English with funner letters)

(these were super-yum)

(love the trams but did not ride any this time)

(a black and white building made me think of my mom Kathy too)

(hanging out the window again with zoom in effect)

(Cruella de Praha)

(most of the people were really cute, or at least very interesting)

(a fairy tale city)

(we had a beer on this hill)

(mirrored windows sind uber convenient)

(train station where I've arrived in the past)

(these are from the window again)

(a cafe in Karlin we ran into, way away from the tourist center)

(they had just opened it 2 weeks ago)

(admiring James Brown, we think)

(we would've eaten at the first place but they were closing and directed us to come here instead, Charleston)

(it was pouring and lightning and I loved it because I always think rain is romantic)

(we had the best mushroom gnocchi here)

(hanging out the window again)

(wet trains from the window)

(naked Commie soldier babies)

(for Carrie, my owl loving sister)

(I love crumbling buildings)

(these actually tasted almost exactly like my Grandma Agnes Smetana's Czech Kolaches-- except for the powdered sugar on top)

(I liked that orange truck even though it looks red in this photo)