…and there will be more!
As of this very minute at 5:22pm on Thursday May 3, Mom and I (That’s Team Blue Lollipop Road) – are getting smoked on votes.
What? That can’t be happening. Come on peeps! Send us some love and…
Spread the word!!!
Thank you 🙂
Here’s what Rand McNally and USA TODAY are sending teams out in search of, for the Best of the Road Rally 2012. The:
…small towns in America.
This Blue Lollipop Road sure has been to plenty of small town stuff on that list, so how about some daily pix until the voting ends to inspire you all to VOTE FOR US?
Ketchikan, AK local Mike took me and another traveler from “the lower 48” out fishing and touring on his boat one day during my summer 2010 visit. We stopped at a few spots, did some hiking, saw black bear and had a blast. The nature around the Naha River Trail was gorgeous!
I am not so good at fishing for what we were trying to catch though. Talk about a crack up when I caught these giant gelatinous things!
Just call me a fisherman on the Deadliest Catch.
Speaking of, later that evening after a shower for $1.25 in a laundromat (if you’re ever road tripping to AK and sleeping in your car, don’t forget your quarters for your every few days shower at various places like marinas and laundromats. It will be the best $1.25 you ever spent!)- I walked into an empty restaurant and ponied up to the bar for some eats and relaxation. 5 minutes in chatting with the staff, I was bombarded by a crew of fisherman “fresh” off the boat. These guys claimed they were the ones who actually caught the fish for the deadliest catch to stage for the TV show. I don’t know what the truth is, all I know is they were ready to P-A-R-T-Y and they were so entertaining I stayed for several hours observing. (They thought I was some secret spy reporter.) They made me stand up on the piano when another patron started playing so they could serenade me. I laughed so hard for 2 hours my stomach hurt. These guys were characters and then some. Quite the stories these Alaska Fishermen who spend 22 days straight on boats have.
I’d definitely categorize Ketchikan, AK as some amazing small town fun, friendly and beautiful. I met the real deal people that night!
After talking to Mom this afternoon about the fact that the competitors that are hot on our tails to win a spot for the Best of the Road rally, I decided to make this video:
Who needs a shower to make a video? Who needs to see a video right side up? (Oops!) If you can’t laugh at yourself…
***(I like to roll with the first unscripted take. Just lean sideways! 🙂
Running up to the rooftop after the gym when you have 2 minutes before you have to be somewhere and start talking to the camera while your neighbors are tanning and drinking beer? Well it’s a conversation starter anyway!
Because Mom and I aren’t currently out on the road like some of the other teams vying for a spot to go on this rally, I have a few tricks up my sleeve I’m going to have to pull out to jump in the fun just as if we were. We have to get creative! Archives of road trip adventure are about to come out of the woodwork so get ready.
Have you voted for us yet today?
Get ready Chicago! This chick is going to be beating feet on the street to get your votes! We are so going to be one of the 5 teams on this Best of the Road 2012!
…and body!
If you want a last minute flight deal to get outta cold dodge (like I did this past weekend) check out Spirit Airlines. This is my second time on Spirit air in the past 6 months and I am loving them. They were cheaper than any other airline by hundreds of dollars once again, and I got my tickets 2 days before leaving. Some might say this is a big hitch: You have to pay to bring any luggage and you don’t get free soda. I think- what does that matter if my end cost is still less that $200 total with all taxes, fees, luggage, etc. to fly half way across the country? I’ll bring my own soda thanks.
So to the sunny warm south I went, and oh was it a much needed and awesome weekend! (Chicago is a truly amazing city but 38 degrees and rain on April 28th was my Windy City limit.)
I love me some NC. Not just for the sweet tea, hush puppies, heat and tanning time, but that southern charm and hospitality, the good friends I made when I lived here, and everything from the mountains and green of Boone and Blowing Rock, to the sandy beaches and sunsets of the Outer Banks. NC and all in between. This was taken at Border Station on my way to the Outer Banks a few months back:
(I always stop there for Dairy Queen Blizzards. Mmmm…chocolate ice cream, M&M’s and Oreos…)
OBX is by far my favorite beach area in the country. So much wide open:
and uninterrupted space to relax:
I’ve spent time there every summer for 14 years with a group of friends I love like family:
(I have a lot of cute pix I have taken of their kids they don’t know about. Plans for gifts later in life…:)
I lived in the Outer Banks during the summer of 2001 too. I always love to play on the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge:
… to lunch at Tortugas Lie:
….for yummy fresh sandwiches, fries and cold beer:
…and spend time alone on the beach at sunset:
Naturally I’ve explored spots like the Wright Brother’s National Memorial:
…where even the Park rangers like blue lollipops!
(I love a guy that’s a good sport:)
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is quite a sight to see:
Piping hot of the press, fresh Duck Donuts are always a good treat too:
…after you go for a run on the beach of course.
I love the back roads of the green and lush Boone and Blowing Rock:
…and other back country road all over the state:
Another coastal area I love and have lived in is Wilmington. Beautiful sun rise mornings:
…and sunset nights:
There’s something to be said about that warm humid air, the active lifestyle all over the state and that southern twang that leaves me always wanting more. If you’ve never explored around North Carolina, grab a bathing suit and a pair of hiking boots, throw the kayak on top of the car and don’t forget your sunscreen for all that sun. Road trip!  If you need a guide, give me a call.
The Best of the Road Small Town America for 2012? I’m thinking some spots in NC could give others a good run for their money and I want to go find them! Vote for Team Blue Lollipop Road and we will come pay you a visit!