Biscuit's Grand Adventure | An epic tale three decades in the making!

[GreatBiscuit]

Dear GreatCrackerBarrelBiscuit,

I am marking my place here in your thread. Stretching out and getting comfy.

I haven't read a stinking word of your report yet, except the post directly above me.

So I will offer you a big and prayers for your family and the others affected by the layoff.

From,

MTK

These are scary times indeed! My company is having potential layoffs too, starting with Exec retirement packages for now, and sure to trickly down farther down the ladder. And judging by the past, if they dont get enough takers, there will be layoffs.

Prayers and Pixie dust to you and your coworkers.

I feel for you GB!
It's been almost two yeears since impending layoffs were announced at my company, and Feb 23 will be the one year anniversary of my last official day employed. It's a scary world, this world of unemployment. I am still searching for a position, and I thank God that the government keeps extending unemployment benefits.
I'll keep you in my prayers, that you are not hurt by these layoffs at your company.

Im facing a potential layoff as well - march 1st...you are not alone apparently - you have lots of company...unfortunately.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2172153/posts

I hear what you are saying about keeping the faith. These are going to be trying times, for this country - I only hope some good will come of it.
Maybe it will bring people closer together - and make all realize what is truly important - family, neighbors, and friends....not money.

Take care...crossing my fingers for you (and me!)

Thanks everyone! Sounds like there are a bunch of us who are facing some uncertain months ahead.

MTK - I'm glad you marked your spot, I mean marked your territory, I mean...ummm....well, I'm glad you're here.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Episode 6 - Sing a Song of WEDway!

Having now been to the Magic Kingdom two summers in a row, I found that I was no less enamored with the place then when I first began dreaming of going. I was 15, and for the first time, gainfully employed. At the time, (pre 9/11) the army base near our house was open to civilians, and I scored my first job bagging groceries in the commissary. Realizing that a goal would help in my workplace motivation, I decided to start saving up for a trip back to The World.

The previous year, my Aunt Judy and Uncle Steve had moved to Lakeland, Florida. A plan was soon set into motion whereby I would fly down for a week and then spend a day in the Magic Kingdom with my aunt & uncle and my cousin Marcus. If you are noticing a trend here, you'd be correct. This would be the third time that my visit to Walt Disney World would be limited to a day trip to the Magic Kingdom. I would not visit the other parks until...wait, that's getting ahead of myself.

One of the greatest moments of my young life was the day my mom drove me to the travel agency to purchase the airline ticket for my flight that summer. After presenting my payment, the agent printed up my ticket on one of those red carbon paper booklet doohickeys they used to use. I surrendered it to mother for safe keeping, which is actually pretty funny if you know my mother, and then I picked up some of those Walt Disney World brochures they had in the waiting area.

Because of other activities that summer, this trip was scheduled for August. (The one and thankfully the ONLY time I've gone to The World during this particular month.) We went to the park about half way through my visit and the cast consisted of my Uncle Steve, Aunt Judy, and my one year old cousin Marcus. It's kind of funny to me that I somehow had a knack for convincing other people to take a one year old to The World.

We left early and it was already hot when we got there. Really hot. "I just stuck a deep fryer in my drawers," hot. Our first order of business was to rig my cousin up in one of those baby harnesses which featured two wrist cuffs attached by an over-sized telephone cord. When extended to its full length, it would allow your tot to wander freely for a radius of about 8 feet, while remaining safely attached to your wrist at all times.

I volunteered to be the "baby anchor" and to this day my aunt still teases me about it. Apparently I spent the better part of the day running my cousin out the length of the cord, yelling "WHOA I GOTTA A BIG ONE!" and then reeling him back in as if I'd just landed a mackerel. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but supposedly we both found great entertainment in this, and given our personalities, 'I'm not really surprised.

I'm not really sure what happened to those devices. I don't remember ever seeing them when my two were toddling age. I just had to rig the retractable dog leash to their belt loops and apologize to those around us for the random moonings.

Anywho, we spent quite a bit of this trip in Fantasyland. (As one would expect.) We also spent a sizeable portion of the day in cooler attractions. (Cooler as defined by artificial climate enhancement rather than by hipness.) I think we must have gone on the Carousel of Progress a half dozen times; which was cool by me as I really enjoyed this show.

This was also the first trip I took in the Hall of Presidents. I don't remember much about the show, only that it was cool and dark and my cousin enjoyed some nice deep sleep. This memory would serve me well on trip number five. We stuck with tradition and ate lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus.

Another incident which my aunt still teases me about happened in the line of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The night before we left, my aunt had frozen several bottles of apple juice. That morning she stuck 'em in the diaper bag and would periodically whip one out for my cousin. As we stood in line for the ride, it seemed to be getting hotter by the minute. I got thirsty. REALLY thirsty. Then the ride went down for a few min and we were stuck in the heat even longer. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I "borrowed" one of the bottles from Marcus, removed the nipple and took a hearty swig. I of course have no memory of stealing juice from a baby, but it is laughed about often when the family is together.

Another ride that I do remember well was the WED-Way People Mover. We took several turns on this ride during the day and evening as it was shaded and slow moving, and it was my uncle's favorite ride. Of course all those rides through Space Mountain got my thrill gland itching to the point that it just HAD to be scratched. So I went ahead and did a solo ride while everyone else did another round on the Carousel of Progress. Why go solo? Well, my aunt was not into thrill rides at all, my cousin was not old enough, and my uncle was not able.

You see my uncle had a disability; one which three years ago claimed his life. Whenever I think about the WED-Way / Tomorrowland Transit Authority, I picture my uncle riding around that afternoon, holding my cousin on his lap. My aunt and uncle were Disney people. They loved the parks and spent their honeymoon at Disneyland. They even bought me a Disneyland pennant while they were there to add to my collection. After Uncle Steve died, I had it framed and gave it to my cousin Marcus, who by this time was in college.

I don't remember catching the parade or fireworks that night. It's possible that we did and I just don't remember it, but I'm pretty sure we were too hot and tired. In fact, I'm not even sure if we stayed through dinner or if we got something on the way back to Lakeland. Of all the trips I've taken, this one sticks out as being the most physically draining. It was just SOOO stinking hot that it zapped the strength right out of you. I do remember though that it was a fun day and a special time to create a memory with my Uncle Steve.

There are several attractions and areas of the parks that hold memories for me. So far, I've shared two of them with you. In the coming episodes, I'll be sharing a few more. Many were in the Magic Kingdom, including my all time favorite Walt Disney World memory. But that's getting ahead of myself.

I flew home that summer happy to have been able to spend a third summer in a row at the World. But I had made a decision about the following year. I was determined that the next time I came down, I was not just going to do a day trip the Magic Kingdom. I wanted to hit all three parks and if it meant saving an extra year to do it, so be it.

As it would turn out, unforeseen circumstances would intervene, and my return visit would be quite different from anything I had in mind.

Coming up on Episode 7 - CB's, Swamps, and Asian Road food (Click Here for the Next Episode!)

 

[Mrs. The King]

It’s kind of funny to me that I somehow had a knack for convincing other people to take a one year old to the World.

That is one heck of a knack. I am surprised Disney didn't get you on the payroll yet.

I just stuck a deep fryer in my drawers hot.

SHAMWOW!!

I of course have no memory of stealing juice from a baby, but it is laughed about often when the family is together.

Stealing from babies. Excellent.

After Uncle Steve died, I had it framed and gave it to my cousin Marcus, who by this time was in college.

That was so thoughtful!

As it would turn out, unforeseen circumstances would intervene and my return visit would be quite different from what I had in mind.

Holy Cliffhanger batman!!


Excellent writing GreatCoveredInGravyBiscuit

Marking my place again.

 

[AshClan]

Another good one, GB!

I love the "fishing" and stolen apple juice stories. Sounds like bringing a one year old wasn't the worst thing, as he (and his accessories) provided some fun family entertainment for you

I, too, experienced my 1st 3 trips as day trips to the MK only. Finally got to take a "real" trip on my second wedding anniversary. 1987. (I was a child bride. A baby, really. ) At any rate, it was fun to stay on property and to get the full experience. Of course, there were still only 2 parks at that point. And I'd say that trip was as hot as this one was for you. It was the first week of September, so pretty close to August. We, too spent mucho hours ducking into whatever air conditioned attractions we could find. That may be my only trip to Epcot in which I saw EVERY country's movie. Hey, when you're hot you're hot

I also want to say that I'm sorry about your potential job woes. So many are experiencing the same thing, and I can only imagine the stress that goes with that. I'll be praying for you and for everyone in similar situations. Hope it all works out as well as it can and, of course, that you don't have to cancel your trip!

 

[PrincessV]

Hi GB! I've enjoyed your witty banter on Mel's TRs, so when I saw your name pop up in the TR boards, I had to give it a looksy.

I love me some fine writing and engaging storytelling, and you, sir, have got that goin' on! Really - I'm loving this so far and I'm in for the entirety.

I'm particularly enjoying the trip down memory lane here. I visited WDW with my dad around the same time as your first episode. But I've not the memory you do - I'd forgotten so many details of those long-gone rides, and you've brought them back in full color. Thank you!

Yet as incredible as the ride itself was, the thing that was most memorable to me was the time I spent with my dad...

That afternoon spent with my Dad is one of the greatest memories I have of our time together when I was growing up. Standing in lines talking about the trip, the park, fishing, politics, and whatever else fancied the interest of a 13 year old boy is a time that I will never forget. Whenever I see Space Mountain, hear about it in a trip report, or enjoy a ride on it, I remember my dad and I thank God for giving me that day to spend with him.

And that gave me chills. My dad passed away 10 years ago, much too early. I won't hijack your TR with my tale, but suffice it to say I didn't see much of of dad growing up and we enjoyed a eerily similar Space Mtn. experience. I, too, hold the place dear in his memory.

There’s something I’ve come to realize in the past few years of my life. When your company is on the news, it’s never a good thing. It was then that the anchor said the L word.

Layoffs.

I'm so sorry! I'm facing a bunch here, too, so I understand and sympathize. Fingers crossed for us all.

Coming up on Episode 7 - CB's, Swamps, and Asian Road food[/SIZE]

Oh boy - did someone visit Gatorland?!?!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Excellent writing GreatCoveredInGravyBiscuit

Thanks MTK! And SHAMWOW to boot...that's just nifty.

Sounds like bringing a one year old wasn't the worst thing, as he (and his accessories) provided some fun family entertainment for you

Turns out we still tend to provide family entertainment.

That may be my only trip to Epcot in which I saw EVERY country's movie. Hey, when you're hot you're hot.

I'll be praying for you and for everyone in similar situations. Hope it all works out as well as it can and, of course, that you don't have to cancel your trip!

Thanks AC - I appreciate it! No news yet so here's to hoping.

Hi GB! I've enjoyed your witty banter on Mel's TRs, so when I saw your name pop up in the TR boards, I had to give it a looksy. I love me some fine writing and engaging storytelling, and you, sir, have got that goin' on! Really - I'm loving this so far and I'm in for the entirety.

Hey PrincessV - Thanks for the kind words and welcome aboard!

I'm particularly enjoying the trip down memory lane here. I visited WDW with my dad around the same time as your first episode. But I've not the memory you do - I'd forgotten so many details of those long-gone rides, and you've brought them back in full color. Thank you!

And that gave me chills. My dad passed away 10 years ago, much too early. I won't hijack your TR with my tale, but suffice it to say I didn't see much of of dad growing up and we enjoyed a eerily similar Space Mtn. experience. I, too, hold the place dear in his memory.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, but I am glad you had a special Space Mountain memory with your dad.

Also, thanks for the well wishes. Sounds like we are all in a boat of uncertainty with the layoffs looming. As to visitng Gatorland...well not quite, but that's getting ahead of myself.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Episode 7 - CB's, Swamps, & Asian Road Food

We are now halfway through our six "memory lane", retro reports. For those of you keeping score, at the close of the previous episode, I had managed to squeeze in a 1 day trip to the Magic Kingdom during each of the preceding three summers.

I was now a junior in high school and still gainfully employed at the commissary. I had already decided that I was going to save up for another romp to Orlando, but this time I was going to find a way to be there three days. In addition to my regular rambling through the Magic Kingdom, I was intent on spending a day at Epcot Center and a day at the Disney MGM Studios.

The only problem with my master plan was logistics. They don't exactly rent cars or hotel rooms to 16 year olds, and I was pretty sure that no amount of smooth talking would convince my mom to give me the thumbs up to spend three days in Orlando solo.

By the way, I now know for sure that mom is reading these little rants of mine as she called me a couple of nights ago to give me a hard time about my solo day in episode 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. I'm sad to say that she wasn’t all that surprised though. I was never an openly rebellious teen. My method of rule breaking was to seek out a loophole. (To all of you with the quiet, well mannered teenagers at home...if you ONLY knew.)

The best strategy that I was able to come up with for accomplishing my three park master plan was to try to convince Uncle Steve and Aunt Judy to spend three days at the World. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, but I had all year to work out the details. My first order of business was securing transportation.

My mom was aware of my plans, but always had an excuse as to why I should not purchase my airline ticket. (Better fares after New Years, scheduling issues, El Nino, what have you.) Finally as part of our Christmas celebrations, my parents informed us (Lynnlee, Karlee, and Myself) that we would be spending FIVE WHOLE DAYS in Orlando that coming summer.

I was happier than a hound dog in a rabbit hutch. (Which I gotta tell you is pretty dang happy.) We would be staying off-site in Kissimmee, and heading to the parks on four out of the five days we were there. What'’s more, we would also be joined by my grandparents, Uncle Steve and Aunt Judy, Uncle Randy and Aunt Jana, and my grandfather’s brother and some of his children and grandkids. It was a grand gathering before grand gatherings were cool! Yet as exciting as all this was, I was even more elated to find that my best friend Pete was invited to join us as well!

I don't believe it is possible to fully express the anticipation I felt for that trip. It was while planning our itinerary that I located and purchased my first copy of Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World (Expert Advice from the Inside Source don’cha know?). Also, as an official driver on our quest, I had to get up to par on driving and (mostly) parking my parents' conversion van.

(My normal ride at the time was a vehicle I lovingly referred to as the Dragon Wagon. It was a 1978 Malibu station wagon that had 300,000+ miles on it. It had a V8 engine and produced so much torque, the entire frame shook when you revved the engine. I actually beat an '84 Mustang in a race once with that thing...at least I would have…if my mom allowed me to race at that age...which she didn't.)

ANYWHO as the “official” park planner for the family, the preparations for our excursion were quite extensive, and I fully blame them for that semester's performance in Algebra II. (I did NOT inherit my dad’s math gene, and no he wasn't my teacher. Although I DID have my mom once as a math teacher in junior high which was just plain weird. It was also the only year she EVER taught math so I guess I did her in.)

The day we left, I went to work, and my mom and sisters went shopping. The purpose being, that my dad needed to be alone at the house to sleep. Pretty much every vacation we ever took was begun at night. My dad LOVED to travel at night. (In fact, my dad STILL loves to travel at night.) He would load the van in the morning, take an afternoon nap, and we'd head out around 7:00 PM. Then, we'd drive all night long, and while everyone else slept on the nifty bed thingy in the back of the conversion van, my Dad would indulge in his favorite travel activity: talking to truckers on his CB radio.

It was during these road trips that I learned such phrases as "Smoky in a plain brown wrapper at marker 143." and "East-bound's clear to the state line." There were lots of other phrases I learned while listening to the truckers, but I wasn't allowed to repeat them.

A hearty portion of the departure preparation for this particular trip was centered on the travel menu. My parents preferred snacking in the car and stopping at rest areas, as opposed to stopping at restaurants. To this end, we always packed a cooler full of goodies. For this particular journey, my mom whipped up a mess of fried chicken, gathered sandwich fixings, threw in some oatmeal cream pies, and stocked up on Shasta.

My own contribution to the journey was to prepare two pounds of my top-secret, follow-me-to-grave-recipe, granny-smacking-good, homemade beef jerky. (This, between two teenage boys, lasted about a mile and a half.) Pete's mom is from Korea so she sent along some homemade crab cakes, (nothing like the American version and oh SOOOOOO yummy). She also sent along a large batch of Yakimandu. These too only lasted about a mile and a half.

Finally we had the staple road food of each and every one of my remembered childhood trips...Chicken in a Biskit crackers.



(No, it had nothing to do with the choosing of my screen name.) We never really kept them at home but we ALWAYS had them when we traveled.

I have often wondered just exactly how they get the chicken into the biscuit. After all, we've been shown multiple television commercials which illustrate how they get the cheese into Cheese Nips, yet we are left in the dark on this particular process.

Having spent significant time pondering this quandary, I believe I have hit upon a probable conclusion. First, the chickens are required to lay an egg which is set aside for later. The unaware poultry are then fitted with magnetic rollerblades and loaded onto a ramp. They are then given a gentle push down said ramp, which itself is lined with electro-magnets. Once the birds get going, these magnets are then activated. Interacting with the rollerblades, they propel the chickens forward at an extreme velocity. (I.E. the Rockin Rollercoaster)

At the bottom of the ramp, the rollerblades catch in a locking mechanism, releasing from the chicken's legs, and propelling the birds through the air. The extreme velocity change overcomes the poor beasts and they are thusly “dispatched”. Each carcass then crashes through a duct tape barrier that strips off the feathers which are then sold to Trading Spaces as decorative wall decor. The now naked and dearly departed chickens then land in a hopper where they are fed through a “processing machine” which was created out of a concrete mixer and parts from a 1968 Ford Fairlane. After being fully adulterated, the meat is then cooked, dried, and ground into a powder.

Finally the chicken remains are dumped into a pile of flour, combined with the eggs which have been saved from before, and baked into the square and tasty treat I know and love.

I seem to have gone off on a tangent...better bring the ship back on course before Auto takes my plant.

We set out around mid-evening and our traveling party consisted of myself, my best friend Pete, sister Lynnlee and sister Karlee (as in siblings, not nuns), and finally my parental units. After much eating had ensued, many chapters of Anne McCaffery & Terry Brooks had been read, and several games of Spades had been played, I was finally tapped to take over the piloting duties.

Feeling like a bomber pilot about to set out on a crucial mission, I got strapped in, completed the requisite “radio check,” and set a course east. Little did I know that shortly afterwards, I would find myself driving a ridiculously large conversion van on one of the longest bridges in America (over 18 miles long to be exact), through the heart of a Louisiana swamp, in the middle of monsoon-like rainstorm. I could barely see 10 feet in front of me. There was not a way to pull over and change drivers, and the only way off the bridge was to either keep going or to plunge to our deaths into gator infested waters. I lost three years of my life that night, and those passengers who were awake for the ordeal no doubt lost 12.

Yet by the grace of the Almighty, we made it across the bridge and arrived unscathed in Florida around dinner time the next evening. Our first order of business upon our arrival in Lakeland was to head straight to Krystal burgers. (If you’ve never heard of the place, think southern White Castle.) At the time, we didn’t have one in our neck of the woods, and it was one of my favorite spots to stop when traveling to Florida.



We ordered up 60 cheeseburgers and brought them to Aunt Judy & Uncle Steve’s house to split among the kinfolk. As it turned out, they had eaten earlier and so we had a LOT of burgers to go through. (Pre-cell phone days were fun weren’t they?)

Not wishing to allow good food to go to waste, Pete and I ate 34 of the 60 between us over the course of about 3 hours. For you ZZUB fans who’ve ever wondered how to induce a number 4 without actually visiting the Japan pavilion, let me just tell you that eating 17 Krystal cheeseburgers will get you as close as you ever want to be. TRUST me on this one.

After all the rejoicing, hugging, reminiscing and other requisite family rituals, we stayed up playing games and getting our land legs back from our 22 some-odd hours of voyaging in the van-boat of doom. We finally crashed on our living room floor pallets at some point in the wee hours of the morning and slept like logs; blissfully unaware that the threat we encountered the night before would soon be stalking us again.

Coming up on Episode 8 - A Near-Death Experience and learning to pronounce Kissimmee

 

[burly]

As siblings and not nuns.

 

[daze]

Conversion vans and CB radios.......ah memories. I just had one of those "I'm getting old" moments. I had a CB radio in my room. I used to love talking to truckers (and learning all sorts of cool things to say )

 

[Backstage_Gal]

That was a GREAT chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chicken in a bisquit theory was really funny.

Can't wait for the next chapter...

 

[bluehouse]

This is a fun report, and I want to commend you on the excellent David Copperfield reference.

However, I don't think Dickens ever described something as "put a deep-fryer in your drawers hot" (then again, there was that one moment in Tale of Two Cities...). Nice touch.

 

[sfacowgirl87]

Krystal Burgers...Southern White Castle

I love it

I had it for lunch yesterday

 

[jcc0621]

Hi I just found your Journey through memory lane today and I am loving it. Subscribing. Can't wait to read more

 

[feedthebirds]

Great update! Dh and I are really enjoying your TR.

Finally we had the staple road food of each and every one of my remembered childhood trips….Chicken in a Biscuit crackers.

Chicken in a Biscuit! The vacation snack of choice for my Dh's family. The foot cannot hit the gas pedal and not one wheel can turn until these are safely tucked into the snack stash of the vehicle. Said tradition has handed down to the feedthebirds family (but you won't catch me eating them ).

Your experience on that bridge reminds me of our trip through Grant's Pass in Oregon during a blizzard. I truly thought we were gonners. The Creator had different plans for us however.

Lookin forward to the next installment!

 

[whogirl'smom]

Ah, finally caught up. I want to say first you're in my thoughts and prayers for the job situation. My BFF (I am too old to use that phrase- ) is the HR director of a local plant and the last year has been a nightmare for her. She is currently working week to week while everyone else is on mandatory leave. What a mess.

Thank you for reminding me that we always travelled with a cooler full of goodies instead of stopping at restaurants growing up. Of course, we never drove farther than Gatlinburg, but you know it's hard to drive two whole hours without stopping for a picnic of peanut butter and banana sandwiches and 7-Up. And Moon Pies.

Love that your family stopped at Krystal burgers to stock up. They have the best corndog ever! DH and I toted two sackfuls to NC when we lived there and found out the hard way how long the odor of little chopped onions can linger in a Jeep.

Somehow these episodes were all about the food for me, huh?

 

[AshClan]

I'm not a southerner, but have experienced first hand the Krystal Burger effect. Well, for me it was just killer heartburn, but I only ate two. SEVENTEEN?!?!?!? I can't imagine.

I can't wait to hear how the rest of this trip went. Sounds like there were all kinds of opportunities for chaos with the crew you'd assembled!

 

[PrincessV]

Wow. I always wondered about Krystal burgers - who eats there? How come no one around here says "Hey, let's grab us some Krystal burgers" like they say "Hey let's grab some Wendy's!"

Now I know. Thanks for the fair warning.

Now I'll just silently wonder about Checkers.

 

[whogirl'smom]

Now I'll just silently wonder about Checkers.

Checkers has the BEST fries, ever. Now, Wendy's is just to me except for the chicken nuggets! I think it's just a regional thing--Krystal's is really popular in TN and I can honestly say they have never given me heartburn! probably built up a tolerance over the years.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

As siblings and not nuns.

Not that there's anything wrong with being a nun!

Conversion vans and CB radios.......ah memories. I just had one of those "I'm getting old" moments. I had a CB radio in my room. I used to love talking to truckers (and learning all sorts of cool things to say )

CB's were a blast. We used to come wiht all kinds of off the wall stuff. Better not say too much more as I wish to avoid prosecution.

That was a GREAT chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chicken in a bisquit theory was really funny.

Can't wait for the next chapter...

I'm glad you enjoyed it! The wait will be over shortly!

This is a fun report, and I want to commend you on the excellent David Copperfield reference.

However, I don't think Dickens ever described something as "put a deep-fryer in your drawers hot" (then again, there was that one moment in Tale of Two Cities...). Nice touch.

Horray! I'm glad someone caught that. David Copperfield is my all time favorite novel. It only seemed fitting to give it nod with my opening statement. I'm not a huge fan of Tale of Two Cities. I have it, and have read it a time or two, but it's just so depressing, it's hard for me to stay into it.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Krystal Burgers...Southern White Castle

I love it

I had it for lunch yesterday

I actually enjoy eating there now, but I only do so occasionally ond I ONLY consume the maximum recommended dosage. (Which for me is about 3.)

Hi I just found your Journey through memory lane today and I am loving it. Subscribing. Can't wait to read more

Glad to have you aboard! Welcome.

Great update! Dh and I are really enjoying your TR.



Chicken in a Biscuit! The vacation snack of choice for my Dh's family. The foot cannot hit the gas pedal and not one wheel can turn until these are safely tucked into the snack stash of the vehicle. Said tradition has handed down to the feedthebirds family (but you won't catch me eating them ).

Your experience on that bridge reminds me of our trip through Grant's Pass in Oregon during a blizzard. I truly thought we were gonners. The Creator had different plans for us however.

Lookin forward to the next installment!

Another Chicken in a Biscuit Traveler! JOY!

Ah, finally caught up. I want to say first you're in my thoughts and prayers for the job situation. My BFF (I am too old to use that phrase- ) is the HR director of a local plant and the last year has been a nightmare for her. She is currently working week to week while everyone else is on mandatory leave. What a mess.

Thank you for reminding me that we always travelled with a cooler full of goodies instead of stopping at restaurants growing up. Of course, we never drove farther than Gatlinburg, but you know it's hard to drive two whole hours without stopping for a picnic of peanut butter and banana sandwiches and 7-Up. And Moon Pies.

Love that your family stopped at Krystal burgers to stock up. They have the best corndog ever! DH and I toted two sackfuls to NC when we lived there and found out the hard way how long the odor of little chopped onions can linger in a Jeep.

Somehow these episodes were all about the food for me, huh?

That linger effect is no joke. You can tell for days when there's been Krystal in the car.