Major progress and more participants on board for the BLR Play it Forward Event in Vermont 8/18/12 too. Double yeah!

Even more? The new BLR site is looking slick and getting close to launch time. That’s a trifecta of yeah’s!

It’s been a crazy, busy, exciting and fantastic few days here on the Blue Lollipop Road and we love every minute of it. Here’s to following your passions and living carpe diem style

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*Beautiful
*Patriotic
*Friendly
*Fun
*Best for food

…small town spots. Team Blue Lollipop Road was inspired to dive into our photo archives and pull out some of our snap shots that reminded us of each category.

*Beautiful

Sitting on a lawn during sunset in Cape Elizabeth, Maine:

Morning grapevines and hot air balloons after a run in Napa:

Hiking near Hood River, Oregon:

On a boat ride and fishing trip in Juneau, Alaska

*Patriotic

Driving through Poland Springs, Maine

On the back roads of Sandgate, Vermont:

The town square in Bath, Maine:

*Friendly

With Ferry Manager in Swan Quarter, North Carolina:

The staff at Mainely Custard in Freeport, Maine said- “Come on in!” when I told them I was a big ice cream fan:

The Popcorn Man in St. Helena, California:

3 gents I met at Alaska Brewing Company in Juneau, Alaska:

*Fun

Our hilarious rafting guide near Hood River, Oregon:

Staff on a Beatles themed  food bus in Virginia:

Dancing Pedro at a country bar in Illinois:

Concert goers dancing the night away with us in Wilmington, NC:

*Best for food

Me noshing on a whoopie pie in Maine:

Dessert at Dano’s on Seneca, Hector NY

Breakfast crepes in Madison, Wisconsin:

Fresh veggie quesadillas in Illinois:

Dessert crepes in Charlottesville, Virginia

(Clearly we are not afraid to dive right in!)

So many amazing people, place and things in America to enjoy. We love that when you travel, all you have to do is be your interested, open, and curious self- and people invite you right in to join anything!

There is always plenty of adventure around every corner…

Here’s to the road!

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We want to thank you for all your votes and support during the first phase of the Best of the Road Rally. We ended up with 790 votes and in 2nd place. From today through 5/23 is the Finalist Team Determination time, so the “rallying” for us isn’t over yet. We will be posting here regularly as usual to keep you in the loop of what’s going on so stay tuned and stay with us. We so appreciate you!

Mom and I have had such a blast thus far. We’ve “met” some super fun and cool fellow travelers/competitors through social media, and we’ve learned about many more fantastic American towns/places/attractions we want to see!

Can’t wait to see what happens in the next few days…

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In my about me page, there is a line that I wrote that says “I believe everyone has a story.” That is so true. The best times I have ever had on any of my trips are with complete strangers that I would otherwise never meet. Every single person (even the ones that think they don’t) has a story: Things and people they love, hopes and dreams, triumphs and tragedy and then some. I love spending time sitting at a diner, in a park, or at a dinner table listening to someone I might never see again sharing their life story. It never fails that even with the most different looking, aged, or demographic of a person, I always find common ground and see that we are all very much the same. I love those moments and I want Mom and I to help bring those moments to you.

I never went to college. (As in university.) My adult education has come from the people and places around me. It’s come from travel, allowing myself being curious, not being afraid to ask questions when I had them, and those times I’ve just jumped in the car and and taken off down the road just hungry to learn and experience everything possible. I believe travel is the best education and investment in yourself. It makes you flexible, resourceful, aware, open, independent, confident self-reliant, and well-rounded. These are all the foundation pieces I feel it takes to make us all our best. These are also the things my Mom did an amazing job teaching me to growing up. My Mom was married at 15 years old and was too busy raising us 4 Peacock kids with very little help to take time for herself to explore like I have. I’m sure this is why she has always been such a huge supporter for us all to explore as much as possible to learn all we could and follow our dreams.

I want to go on this Best of the Road Rally 2012 with my Mom because she is an amazing generous person, my friend and a perfect partner in crime to make this trip a blast. I want to share with her the kind of fantastic experiences the road has to offer that she has just started in recent years getting a taste of. My mom is the most genuine, smart, strong woman I have ever known and she’s always up for jumping into any fun. Who could be a better team than us?

My site here and Blue Lollipop Road may look fancy and all the stories and pictures I’ve shared might look like I’ve spent a huge trust fund to support it all. That is not the case. Every day of any trip I have ever been on I have paid for myself and has been on a shoestring budget. (Oh the amount of burgers and beers I’ve had to sling over the years!) I’ve slept in cars and on couches, my entire wardrobe still fits in one big suitcase, and if you heard the stories of the finagling I have done to make this all work, you’d never believe them. I’ve made huge sacrifices over the years to be able to travel, maintain this site, and share my stories in hopes to inspire others too. It’s been a tough roller coaster of a road, but a great adventure too and this means everything to me so it’s all been worth it!

Mom and I know how to enjoy good times, good food, and good company on pennies. We’d be a perfect pair for Best of the Road 2012. Please support us by voting these last few hours today, so we can bring to stories of the people, places, the beauty, and the fun of Small Town America to you!

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If you need some travel inspiration for yourself or to vote for us, here are a few photos from “there road”s I’ve taken the past couple years.

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, CA:

Sitting on the side of the road at sunset in Sitka, AK:

Stopping to take in the mountains in Yukon, Canada:

Relaxing at sunset at Seneca Lake, NY:

Sitting on the beach in Outer Banks, NC:

During a bike ride outside Cafayate, Argentina:

Looking up at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, NC:

Ferrying into Juneau, AK:

Kneeling by the water at the Taj Mahal:

Hiking near Hood River, OR:

From the walking trails at Iguazu Falls, Argentina:

Parked on the side of the road looking at the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau AK:

Driving through Central Canada:

So where are you getting inspired to go this summer?

There’s a whole big world out there ready for the taking. Let’s hit the road together!

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And we were so proud at her graduation just a few years ago!

Yay for the best Mom’s ever on Mother’s Day!

Vote for Mom and I HERE for Best of the Road 2012!

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CLICK HERE and vote Team Blue Lollipop Road.

LOVE YOU MOM!

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What? You haven’t voted yet? Well get in it now- there are only 3 days left! Click HERE, register- then vote for Team Blue Lollipop Road!

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Mom and I were both born and raised in the Bennington area and are super excited that our town is rallying for us and nominating some must see spots in Vermont for Best of the Road!

Look at this gorgeous place we are from:

Thanks to everyone in the Green Mountain State for being so good to us!

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