Houston to Maine

 May 28, 2026

We are finally on the road again after a hiatus of seven months.  Circumstances determined our destination, so no matter the price of gas, we need to be in Maine by May 30 to inter my sister's cremains next to her husband's in Fairfield, Maine.  We are carrying her with us in our van so her son doesn't have to bring her on the plane.  If you knew my sister, Patty, you would know she is laughing in Heaven about being in an Amazon delivery box.  

After a stop to hike to the oldest active geocache in Louisiana, we made a visit to the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, LA - famous cousins Mickey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis were featured.

For the Memorial Day weekend, we chose a campground in Nantahala National Forest in far western North Carolina.  Rain, rain, rain, so we decamped two days early and headed to Charlotte, NC.

Brian owned some of the Foxfire books during our college years.

We were surprised to learn they were started by students and teachers in

Mountain City, Georgia.

towering rhododendron at our campsite

I am traveling with small scattering urns containing two younger sisters.

Overlook in Nantahala National Forest, NC

We are now "Dambo Troll hunters" after finding them in Minnesota and Colorado last year.

The one in Austin, TX burned down a few weeks ago. This one in Charlotte is pretty new.

Thomas Dambo builds his trolls with reclaimed lumber, wood scraps, and tree limbs.

Brian's size 14 shoes next to Pete's

"Metalmorphosis" in Charlotte, a rotating sculpture that was disassembled

for repairs when we were there in 2017 - it was working this time

From Charlotte, we drove toward Mt. Airy and paid a quick visit to "Mayberry."  Nearby is the cemetery where Eng and Chang Bunker (famous Siamese twins) are buried.

On Memorial Day, we stopped at an old country cemetery where veterans from all wars, including the French and Indian War in the 1750s are interred.  An excellent place to pay respects to veterans.

As we left North Carolina and approached Roanoke, VA we decided to drive 110 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and disperse some ashes of both of my sisters, Kathy and Patty.

two sisters side-by-side

a quick hike to lichen-covered boulders, Blue Ridge Parkway

Rhododendrons

Just as we were leaving the northern terminus of the Parkway, a black bear bounded across the road in front of us.  We entered Shenandoah National Park at Rockfish Gap.  A campsite was waiting for us at Big Meadows Campground.  FDR visited there to see the work being done by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Foggy morning as we left so we didn't visit the CCC exhibit.  As we drove the next 10 miles of Skyline Drive, we were watchful for crepuscular animals and saw deer standing in the road in 5 different places and many wild turkeys.

views from Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

The next long day of driving ended at Minnewaska State Park in the Catskills.  We detoured to Mt. Tremper to see the world's largest kaleidoscope built inside an abandoned grain silo.  A unique audio-visual experience unfolded inside.

This kaleidoscope in the gift shop was large enough to stick my head and phone inside to

view the dazzling reflections.

After leaving the kaleidoscope in New York, we drove across southern Vermont and made a stop in Bennington to pay respects to Robert Frost.

Very old headstones near the entrance, Mr. Frost was down the hill in the newer section

Poet Laureate of Vermont

" I had a lover's quarrel with the world."

This stop reminded me of the Robert Frost poetry walk we came across in Vermont 11 years ago.

Then it was on across New Hampshire to await the family members who would join us for the interment.