Well, we made it to Wyoming after a week-long drive. We saw some beautiful sights, ate some delicious food, stayed in some lovely hotels and best of all, met some very pleasant and hardworking people along the way. To give you a taste of what we experienced here’s a bit from our itinerary with more to follow in my next blog post.
Everywhere we went there were signs up asking for staff and/or telling us that services in the hotels and restaurants were limited due to the lack of staff. This Labor Day the additional $300 Federal unemployment benefit expired and we hope that this reduction in benefits motivates people to head back to work.
The Azalea City, Valdosta, Georgia was the first overnight stop on our 1900 + mile road trip to Wyoming. Clayton’s Shrimp Shack was where we headed for dinner and we found the food to be very tasty and freshly cooked; in fact, we could see the staff in the kitchen preparing our meal. Alyse, the owner’s daughter was quite impressive; she was polite, professional and speedy in providing service all while she was training a new hire.
We have stayed twice at the Hampton Inn Chattanooga East Ridge in Tennessee and highly recommend it. It’s modern, clean, quiet and there’s a Chick-Fil-A and a Starbucks a short walk in front of hotel. This makes getting my sausage/egg/cheese on a biscuit breakfast and a Nitro Cold Brew easy to do!
Jim n Nicks BBQ Restaurant in Chattanooga was our choice for dinner and when we entered, we were informed by the hostess that there was only one server that evening. Well, our server India turned out to be one of the hardest working people we’ve met. She is a talented, professional and personable young woman, who in addition to being our server was our bartender. India, stage name Bindy, is also a professional model/actor/musician/producer. India/Bindy is a person to keep an eye on as no doubt, she is going places with her performing arts career. We gave a big thank you to Manager Scott for our delicious dinner and the excellent service provided by his very limited staff.
On the road to Mount Vernon, Illinois we passed by signs for Fort Campbell Kentucky which is home to US Army 101st Air Cavalry and gave a silent thanks for our Military.
The Drury Inn and the beautiful architecture of the historic buildings in Mount Vernon, Illinois were lovely surprises. We didn’t need to find a restaurant for dinner as the Drury Inn has a free cocktail hour that includes enough dishes to constitute a meal, so we did! David Braden, Front Desk staff member was an excellent representative for the Drury Inn and we didn’t mind at all that the hotel had upgraded us to a suite. We’ll keep an eye out for Drury Inns in the future.
Please check back in with us in the coming days for more of our adventures to and in Wyoming. In addition to my blog posts, you can follow Trips & Pics on Instagram @tripsnpicsllc.
On a related travel note … Like it or not, how American travelers are viewed abroad often has a lot to do with the politics of our nation. This I know from firsthand experience abroad as I have had “robust” discussions with locals in Ireland, the United Kingdom and France.
I suspect that our friends abroad will have much to say and ask about how the Biden Administration handled our departure from Afghanistan. As I consider their actions to be dishonorable, disgraceful and deadly that is what I will say about the issue and also that many millions of Americans do not agree with their actions.
To the families of the 13 Military members who made the ultimate sacrifice in Kabul last month and to all those who served in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world, your efforts were not in vain. You kept us free from terrorist attacks since that terrible day, September 11, 2001. Thank you for your honorable service and for your many sacrifices.
Thank you for honoring our military, sharing your journey and your pics. We stayed at a Drury Inn near Universal, Orlando and found it to be a great deal. Including breakfast and the light dinner options we didn’t need to eat much elsewhere.
Marie – Thank you for your comments on my blog post. You are so right about the Drury Inns being a great deal – lovely place to stay and great savings on meals out. May we all continue to travel, whether our stays be at a Drury Inn or elsewhere! Fondly, Teresa
Thanks for posting about your trip! I really enjoy your highlighting special places and people you encounter along your way. It personalizes the road trip and brings us armchair travelers alongwith you–thanks for that! Your writing and John’s photos blend on the page as you two do in life–what a productive partnership! Looking forward to next steps on the journey!
Susan – I’m happy that you, as one of my armchair traveler friends, enjoyed my post. It’s a pleasure having John’s wonderful photos to accompany my text as it helps to “flesh out” my stories. Susan, your kind words are always appreciated! Fondly, Teresa
Greetings from Mount Vernon IL. Thanks for making a pit stop here at the Drury Inn and Suites. It was a pleasure having you here.
If you are ever in the area again, come on by to say hello. Can’t wait to see where you’ll go next,
David Braden
David – We so enjoyed our stay at the Drury Inn in August that we will see you again in October! We look forward to another visit and to seeing you and the other delightful staff at the Mount Vernon, IL Drury Inn again soon. Stay tuned for some of our adventures in Wyoming. Best Regards, Teresa