My Main Reason for Travel

Why Do I Travel?

       Traveling to see the world is a lot of fun, but this is not my main reason for doing so.  My wife and I truly enjoy experiencing different parts of the country and if that were our only reason to travel then I'm sure we'd do that.   However our biggest reason for gallivanting about North America is to see people--friends, family, and most of all, grandchildren.

Arlee, Thomas, Lillee, Grace, Betty (my wife),  and Celeste
(Marley was at her music class)

         In the photo above you see my wife and I on the boardwalk along the beach at Asbury Park, NJ with four of our grandkids.  I had donned my A to Z 2016 tee shirt to parade up and down the Asbury Park boardwalk with my family.  Unfortunately our plans were sidetracked by a massive thunderstorm that came along and caused us to make an early retreat to the sushi restaurant where one  of our daughter's husband works.  Since that had been part of the plan then that was okay even though we had to spend more time at the restaurant than we had anticipated.

         The oldest of the grandchildren was around the corner from the restaurant at "rock and roll school" which is the prestigious Lakehouse Music Academy.  Marley, who will soon be eight, has been taking a regimen of various music classes geared toward learning the skills of singing and playing instruments as well as practical experience in performing.  Their recitals take place at the famous concert venue The Stone Pony which is where many famed artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi got their starts and which showcases many well known and lesser known acts throughout the year.  Not a bad place for a kid (or anyone for that matter) to hone their chops for a potential future career in music.

My daughters and their spouses along with all five grandchildren.

      

      A number of years ago I would never have expected that I'd be eventually making so many trips to New Jersey, but then one daughter moved there and then the next until three were living there.  The other moved to Houston, Texas which makes for a bigger circle of travel when we set out to see everyone.  With our girls and their families so far away from us out here in Los Angeles we feel the obligation to make massive road trips just for those few precious days each year when we can spend time with all of them.  Maybe after my wife retires the situation can be changed, but for now what have what we have.

Then There's Tennessee

        After I moved to Los Angeles from East Tennessee, I made it a point to try to come back at least once a year to visit my mother and my siblings who still lived there.   My mother passed away in 2014, but going back to Tennessee still seems like a necessary ritual for me.  My brothers and sisters still live in that beautiful part of the country and we have such a darn good time when we all get together.  If I'm going back east anyway, then it just seems like the natural thing to pay a visit to East Tennessee.   After all, millions of vacationers go to that part of the country every year because there's so much to see and do in that area.    When we go, we try to get out and around, but mostly we just hang around and talk and enjoy the wonderful summer evenings in Tennessee.  

        This year we did take a couple of day trips around nearby counties and into neighboring Georgia and North Carolina.  As usual I forgot to take photos most of the time, however I did manage some shots at a Bible based attraction called Fields of the Wood outside of Murphy, North Carolina.  We'd already had a full day by the time we'd gotten there and since it was getting late we didn't stay long.  Just long enough to take a few photos and then move on down the road. 

      In the above photo you see my sister-in-law Hallie, my brother Jay, me and my wife, and my sisters Joni and Joy.   We are posing in front of what is likely the world's largest depiction of the Ten Commandments which are written on the side of a mountain.   There was so much to see at this park that we didn't have time to take it all in.   This is one of those places that I want to go back to visit one day.

        After driving to the top of the Ten Commandments mountain, my wife and I posed for one more photo.   Take note that I once again wore my A to Z shirt to be a walking billboard for the event.  Be watching the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog for news.  We've slacked off on that site during the summer, but activity will be stirring soon.    You won't want to miss some important announcements that are to come.

          Also, I have what I think is an interesting Battle of the Bands post scheduled for this coming Thursday September 1st.  Might be musically educational to you and I hope some fun.  It's a song about hair, but it has nothing to do with the musical Hair.   In fact on first hearing the song you might never even guess it was about "hair".

         Do you travel to visit family?    What is your ideal vacation?   Any idea about the song I'll be using for my next Battle of the Bands entry?

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• The Bouncing Souls / Beach Slang / Cayetana - The Stone Pony - Asbury Park, NJ - 7/28/16