Country Counting

I’m Terry and I love to travel.

My Gorilla Trekking Adventure

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I’ve heard and read about gorilla trekking for years, so when Kelly suggested we visit Uganda I was all in. With a bit of online checking, I verified that Uganda is one of three places on the planet where you can still see gorillas in the wild. The others are The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

All are located in one area, which is home to the remaining 800+ gorillas in the world. We would venture into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where several families of gorillas were located. I learned there was no guarantee we would see the gorillas and that the trek to get to them could be difficult. Little did I know how difficult. I started training to do the trek – not religiously, but I convinced myself I could walk for miles and would be able to complete the trek. Little did I know!

First step was finding a lodge to stay at in the gorilla trekking area. I quickly located the crème-de-la-crème spot, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge. (See my blog on Clouds for more details.) Suffice to say Clouds was spectacular. The agent for Clouds arranged for everything including our transportation to the lodge. We had to reserve our trekking date ahead of our trip and pay the $750 fee per person to confirm our date. This fee goes to the government and helps to protect the gorillas and keep them safe. (Fees are $1500 per person in Rwanda.)

Our adventure started in Nairobi, where we landed and spent three days to adjust to the jet lag and see some of the sites there. We than took a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to Entebbe, Uganda. It was a short one-hour flight. After landing, we taxied to our hotel in Entebbe, No. 5 Boutique Hotel, after the hotel’s driver was at the wrong spot to meet us. No. 5 was a pleasant spot, located in a residential area on a dirt road (Africa has lots of dirt roads). We checked in and got a profuse apology about the driver missing us and then settled in for pizza in their pizza café. We spent a restful afternoon and evening at the hotel and got up early the next morning to take our flight to Kisoro, where we would meet up with the folks from Clouds to take us to the lodge.

The 10-seater plane ride was less than an hour to a tiny building that served as the airport in Kisoro. We were met by Rasheed, a kind young man, who escorted us to a late-model SUV and began our drive to the lodge. As we left the short, paved road in town to transition to the ever-present dirt road, we were pulled over by a policeman. It seemed the policeman didn’t think our car had the proper tourist stickers. (Uganda was in lock-down because of COVID and only tourists were allowed to transfer from place to place. No public transport was running.)

After much back and forth, Rasheed asked us to switch to another vehicle that was behind us and carrying four other trekkers. The drive to our lodge was only 15 miles, but took almost two hours. Suffice to say the roads were challenging even for a four-wheel drive vehicle. We dropped off the other four trekkers at their lodge and then proceeded to our lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge.

What a delight. We were greeted at the entrance to the lodge by Kim and Des, the friendly and helpful managers, who profusely apologized for the car being stopped and assured us the town’s mayor had put everything to rights.

The next day was our trekking day. Kim and Des told us to take it slowly, go a bit at a time. They outfitted us with large walking sticks and put gaiters on our pant legs. First our pants were inserted into our socks, then the gaiters were buckled around our legs – all in an effort to keep bugs out of our shoes and legs. We were given four bottles of water and a bag lunch to bring with us on the trek.

We started out fresh and ready to attack that mountain.

Rasheed walked us to the Ranger station. It was rough walking there and I should have gotten a huge hint when I was winded getting to the station – about three blocks away from the lodge.

After waiting for everyone to arrive at the station, we were given a talk about the gorillas, warned to wear masks and divided up into groups. Our group was Kelly and I and two young twentyish girls from California and Lebanon. We had a ranger and two accompanying guides – one with machete and one with a large gun.

It had also been suggested that we hire two porters to carry our backpack (with our water and lunch). Richard and Gideon were a god-send – I soon found out as we began the trek. Let me describe it as not a flat surface in sight, all up and down hill with ravines, twisted roots and the need to keep your eyes firmly planted on your next step so you wouldn’t break a leg, twist an ankle or worse. After an hour of this trekking, the porters were helping me most of the way, with me hanging onto a shoulder or both of them supporting me by my waist. All this was at 6000 feet elevation, so I was already feeling the effects of the high altitude.

I kept asking our ranger how far we had to go. He would point to two mountains in the distance and say, “down this valley, up that first mountain and around it and then up the second one.” It seemed unreal to me to even walk that far, let alone, climb and navigate that distance. After 2.5 hours of climbing, sliding and being totally wet from the exertion, I finally said enough. I sat down in the forest and said “you guys go on, I’ll wait here. I can’t go any further.”

The terrain was rugged and I was feeling pretty tired at this point

Our ranger said, he couldn’t leave me alone, so he sent one of the porters and one of the trackers with the three girls. The girls kept encouraging me to try to make it, but I had reached my limit. While we sat on the forest floor, the ranger said I had another option – the African helicopter. “What is that,” I asked.  He explained that he would call guys who would come and carry me to the gorillas and then down all the way back. It would cost $300. I contemplated that offer for a bit and realized it was the perfect solution. The guys had not worked for months and months, so the money would be well-spent. And heck, I’d already spent $750 to have the privilege of seeing the gorillas, why not!

So, the call was made and in about 30 minutes, 15 guys appeared with a bamboo carrier, complete with pad and pillow. (This was the trek that had taken us 2.5 hours!) They lowered the carrier to the ground and I got in, stretched out and said, now this is the way to travel. Two guys took the front and two took the back. The others walked along to clear brush, help locate the best paths and switch off in what seemed like a well-practiced routine. Mask in place, I grinned the whole way and thought to myself, now why didn’t I get this ride from the beginning.

While I sat in the forest waiting for the guys, I thought, well maybe I could make this last trek up this last hill. After proceeding with the guys and seeing the terrain, I quickly put that idea out of my mind. I was amazed at how they navigated, how they moved the carrier and got me up the remaining hill and finally to the gorillas.

The African helicopter arrived and away I went in comfort.

The girls were already there and had been watching the gorillas for 20 minutes or so. The porters helped me move across a three-foot deep pile of huge vines and brush.

And there he was, the huge silverback Daddy, eating away at vines. He looked us right in the eyes, but kept eating, stripping away the vines from the nearby plants.

As the Daddy ate away, a female and baby appeared up in the trees. Although they were harder to see, they were still within our viewing range. At one point, the trackers began hacking away the vines and brush so we could see Daddy gorilla better. He didn’t like that and charged us. The ranger calmly told us all to stay still and don’t run away. “He’s just showing us who is boss,” he said.

Our viewing lasted well over the specified one-hour limit and I have to say it was amazing to be so close to them and see how powerful and huge they are. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

When we finished our time with the three gorillas, the ranger led us a bit away from them and we sat down to eat our picnic lunches. I was so exhausted I think I ate two bites and then drank water and that was it. Our climb back down the mountain was heavenly for me. Comfortable in my helicopter, I watched the guys juggle me, tilt me and get through the dense forest. They seemed to have fun and traded off regularly, so everyone had a time carrying me. It was interesting to see how they worked together and did so with humor and kindness. When it started to rain, they put me down and insisted that I put on my rain jacket and even told me to zip it up.

The trip back was fast and efficient and when we arrived at the ranger station, I told them I needed to go to the lodge and get the money to pay them. Luckily the lodge had sent a car and Rasheed drove me the short distance, I grabbed $300 in twenties and we drove back so I could pay the guys.

With the guys carrying me back down the mountain, I had a pleasant and easy ride back to the ranger station.

Our trip had been seven miles and Kelly’s iPhone said we had climbed 145 flights of stairs. Whew. It sure felt like it.

Kelly made it all the way, but was pretty tired! No helicopter for her.

What tips can I share about seeing the gorillas?

Ask your booking agent to hook you up with the easiest climb or family. We found out when we returned from our trek that there was another place to see the gorillas that required a 15-20-minute drive and the forest was all flat. Boy, I would have loved that spot.

Consider using the African helicopter from the beginning. OK, I had no idea how rough the climb would be and I did want to experience it. But in retrospect, the day would have been so nice and easy with the guys carrying me the entire way.

Clothing for the trek. Wear a long-sleeved t-shirt with a light rain jacket with pockets for phone, Kleenex and other essentials. Good walking shoes or boots and socks are essential. Pants with gaiters are great. If you are walking in the sun some of the way, you may want to wear a hat. It rained on us coming back down the mountain, but it actually felt good to have some cooling rain. I had brought a fleece jacket and rain jacket and that was overkill. One would have been sufficient. Waterproof over pants had also been suggested, but I found them to be unnecessary.

Train for the trek. If you truly want to complete the entire trek on your own, train for it religiously. We were at 6000 feet elevation and everything was up and down. Flat Florida walking just didn’t make it. At that elevation, I would have struggled to walk on a flat surface.

Be lucky. The day after our trek, a couple who had left early for their gorilla siting, returned to the lodge after barely three hours. Did you see the gorillas, we inquired? Yes, they said. About eight of them were sitting before the river and we had a great site of them, they said. That was the river that I had easily passed the day before – which turned out to be about half-way to our siting area.

Stay at a nice lodge in the area. We were so lucky to find Clouds and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It’s a bit pricey but well worth the cost.

What I learned on my first international COVID trip

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Masks were required at the Giraffe Sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya.

Niece Kelly and I took our first trip overseas this month and we jumped over a lot of hurdles and learned a bunch about traveling in the COVID era. Traveling internationally isn’t like it used to be. So, get ready to adapt and follow the new rules of COVID travel. Here’s what we learned when we flew to Africa to visit Uganda and Kenya.

It takes a bit of searching to figure out where you can go – so our first tip is:

1. Research carefully to find out where you are able to go as a US citizen.

Kelly researched which countries in the world would take US citizens and came up with two African countries, Kenya and Uganda – both of which we had never visited. Double-check with the country website and the US Department of State website. Ask your travel agent or advisor. But be sure you can safely go to the countries on your list before you buy any airline tickets. You’ll also need to check on COVID testing requirements to be sure you can visit that country (more on that below).

2. Be ready for airline cancellations and changes.

Be ready for the hassles. They’re going to happen, so don’t set your expectations too high. Remember that old tip: have a change of clothes in your carry-on and any necessary medications, toiletries – so you will be prepared if/when changes happen.

Our trip itinerary was changed three times before we left and another time while on the trip. Airlines are cancelling routes, changing times and increasing prices. Don’t think it is you – it’s everyone. You’re going to feel like you are being yanked around – and you are. But that is the reality of COVID travel. It’s challenging and upsetting, but be ready to deal with it. Before our trip, our return was changed to Nairobi (leaving at 5 am, ugh), north to Addis Ababa, south to Johannesburg (with a 10-hour layover), north to Newark and finally to Atlanta. The entire trip would have taken three days and would have been miserable.

While in Kenya, I looked at the flight and decided there must be a better way, so I connected by cell phone and called United. The extra challenge was I had booked the flights with mileage points, so we needed to find flights that were available with points. Luckily, after three dropped calls because of poor cell service and two hours on the phone (heaven knows what that is going to cost me), I got an agent who found a return flight that took us from Nairobi north to Addis and then onward to Toronto and finally to Atlanta. That trip was only 36 hours, so we were happy to find those last-minute available seats.

3. Bring plenty of disposable or other masks so you can wear a clean mask every four hours.

Although I’ve long been a proponent of wearing masks, I wasn’t quite prepared to wear a mask for the lengthy times we had in airports and on planes. Believe me, you’re going to get tired of breathing your own air. But there is nothing you can do about it. The airlines are strict about wearing masks and so are the airports. The best way to deal with masks is to bring plenty of them. Switch out your mask after four hours and toss it or pack it away. On a long overseas flight, you’ll need many, many masks, so be forewarned and give yourself a break.  Airlines even require you wear a mask when sleeping. I took off my mask and put the blanket over my head while sleeping to get a little relief.

You’ll be surprised at how many people overseas are wearing masks. Even in the poor areas we visited, people wore masks. Mask-wearing is not a political statement in other countries, so show respect for others and wear a mask. Everyone at our hotels and the restaurants we visited was very conscientious about wearing a mask.

4. Check out the country’s COVID testing requirements.

We found out before we left that both Kenya and Uganda required a COVID PCR test at least 72 hours before arriving in the country. Remember, there are two kinds of COVID tests: PCR and antigen. Be sure you get the correct test. We had to be tested here in the US two days before we travelled and had to have the results quickly. I had originally scheduled an antigen rapid test at CVS and realized the day before leaving that I had the wrong test. I found a local lab in Gainesville that could do a one-day turnaround on the PCR test. Whew! I was able to get the correct test the day before I travelled and got the results that evening and was able to print out the lab report.

For Kenya, we had to jump through more hoops. They required that we go online and get a Trusted Traveler number and a QR code from the Kenyan government. If you aren’t computer savvy, you may have trouble figuring this out. But believe me, you won’t get into the country without this info. We had print-outs and also kept the info on our phones, so we could show to the authorities when we arrived in Kenya. When you send in your negative lab reports, you receive an email with the QR codes.

Also, be sure to check the requirements for leaving the country you visit. We knew we needed an antigen test to return to the US. However, we found out in Kenya, that you couldn’t get into the Nairobi airport with an antigen test. They required a PCR test. This took a lot of double- and triple- checking by the manager at our lodge. So, be careful to check to see what is required.

One reason we ruled out visiting Tanzania, was that Kelly found that there were no places to get COVID tests back quickly. This seems like a little thing, but it can throw your travel itinerary out the window if you have a problem with rapid return of tests.

5. Allow time in your schedule for COVID testing.

Kelly and I had to get an additional three COVID tests when we were in Africa: one to enter Uganda from Kenya, one to return to Kenya and one to leave Kenya and return to the US. Luckily our first hotels in Kenya and Uganda arranged for the testing and had a doctor come to the hotel where we easily took the tests. Results were emailed to us later that evening. However, in our last lodge in Kenya, we had to be driven to the next town to take our COVID tests. This pretty much took up the entire morning. We were told we would get our results by 6 pm, but it was actually 8:30 pm before we got our negative result emails. I have to say, the manager of the lab was extremely helpful and kept calling us to be sure we got our results.

6. Be ready for restaurants and stores to be closed.

Because of COVID, many establishments are not open. Hotels may open only a few of their restaurants. Shops may be closed. Airports will have many shops and restaurants that are closed. Even the business class lounge in Istanbul was only half-way open. (We had an eight-hour layover there and would have loved to take a shower, but showers were closed.) You may be asked to sit in separate rooms while dining. Go with the flow, that’s really all you can do.

7. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.

In Africa, we were offered sanitizer a lot. People expect you to take a squirt and rub your hands together. Do it in front of them, so they know you are following the rules and respecting each other. Same goes for taking of temperatures.  Your temp will be taken many, many times – entering stores, hotels, restaurants. Accept it with a smile and move on.

8. Bring plenty of cash.

The COVID tests are expensive. Kelly and I paid $300 for both of us to take one test. Two of our hotels let us add to our bill and pay with a credit card. The other required cash. I had not accounted for using cash for the tests, so be prepared.

9. Bring plenty of sanitizing wipes.

Don’t be embarrassed to wipe down your airline seat, tray table and surrounding areas. Even though some airlines claim to sanitize between flights, I didn’t see any evidence of that happening. You’ll be touching lots of handrails, ticket counters and other surfaces. Clean your hands religiously. You’ll feel safer and will not infect anyone else.

10. Check your airline’s policy on food.

Ken and I travelled to Alaska just before the Africa trip. We booked first class airfare on Delta and planned for a hot meal on the plane. Imagine our surprise when we were given a box of junk food (crackers, cheese, beef jerky, chips and a cookie). Our flights to Africa did serve hot food, but on Ethiopian airlines, we were often mystified about what we were eating.

Kelly and I had a great trip, but we were lucky to be well-prepared.  Everyone we met was happy to see us. They had not had visitors in a long, long time. So, they were glad to see tourists. Many had been on half or one quarter salary for months, so they were looking forward to increased visitors. I over-tipped in all cases as I knew folks had been suffering. The bottom line is plan ahead and be prepared. It is different, but you can still travel internationally.

Bon voyage.

A road trip, a wedding and Nancy Pelosi

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A road trip seemed the perfect way to celebrate our recent COVID vaccinations. After months of being trapped at home, we were excited to hit the road for a two-week excursion across the SE United States.

We started with a family wedding in Savannah, where we toasted Meredith and Joe’s marriage – which was originally scheduled for last year. What a delight to see family in a beautiful outdoor setting, complete with dancing, delicious food, happiness and joy. After a year-and-a-half of sad and depressing news, it felt extra special to be around people and feel almost normal again.

Kenny cleans up pretty well, don’t you think?



Two notable dinners: Chive in downtown Savannah (referred to us by foodies Dan and Irene Jesse) and the bar at the Pink House, where we got in thanks to the kindness of a host who had pity on four hungry tourists. If you go to Chive, be there by 5:00 as they take no reservations. We got there at 5:05 and scored the very last table! Cozy and 50s vibe and excellent food. And I love the small dark and clubby downstairs bar at the Pink House. I find the upstairs rooms a bit too formal, but love the intimacy of the bar area. Food is always great low country and delicious.

Brother-in-law Lynn joined me and Ken as we headed out of Savannah to our second stop – Wilmington, NC. No special reason for going there, other than it was an easy five-hour drive. We opted for the Graystone Inn, a bed and breakfast, as there were no tempting hotels on offer. When we arrived at 3 pm and found a note on the front door, telling us the door was locked until 4 pm, we felt a bit unwelcomed. A drive around the quaint town put us back at the Inn at 4 pm, where our welcome was – well, less than gracious. The employee (and he had to be an employee – no owner would be so rude) introduced himself, asked our names and scowled when we said “yes, we’d love help with our luggage.” If you get to Wilmington, be sure to miss this B&B.

Our next stop was Norfolk, VA, another easy five-hour drive. We chose the Glass Light Hotel, a Marriott Autograph. Lynn is a lifetime Platinum member of Marriott’s Bonvoy club, so we always like to support Marriott when we can. The Glass Light was located in downtown, filled with art and a nice inexpensive spot for the night. The friendly ladies at the front desk were eager to assist and recommended three possible spots for dinner when I asked for suggestions. After the drive, I needed some exercise, so told Ken and Lynn I would walk around and check out the restaurants and make a reservation.

I found a cute spot named Brothers and we went there for dinner that night. The waitress informed us that the owner was there that night, so we were lucky. Before long, a handsome tall man came to our table and introduced himself and thanked us for being there. We got talking and low and behold, turns out he is an NBA referee and knows our friends Scott and Cindy Wall and Dave and Penny Jones. What a small world!

Tony Brothers, owner of Brothers Restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia. What a neat guy and so fun to find out we had friends in common.


After Norfolk, we had another easy day drive to Washington, DC. We had planned four nights there at a hotel I’ve always wanted to visit, The Hay Adams. When we pulled into the hotel’s driveway, we realized the hotel was located right across the street from St. John’s Church, where Trump’s infamous bible incident occurred, and right on Black Lives Matter plaza. Lynn commented that if the George Floyd verdict had gone the wrong way the day before, we would never have been able to get to our hotel. Right on that o

The view from our hotel balcony. St. John’s church and Black Lives Matter plaza. The right of the photo is the White House. What a great location!


The Hay Adams was a delight and our favorite hotel of the trip. When we walked in we were greeted by several employees, given our room keys and told we didn’t need to sign any paperwork. We were whisked up the elevator to our rooms and found all the extra pillows we had requested and a lovely and comfortable room, with a balcony overlooking the church.

We had a magnificent breakfast every morning, where the staff knew our names, learned quickly what we liked and gave us world-class service. We felt at home and cared for every time we walked in the hotel. It is a bit of a splurge, but well worth every penny we paid.

The first night in DC, Lynn treated me to my first baseball game at Nationals Stadium. Luckily, the stadium required masks (they were strict about it, too) and seats were blocked off for social distancing. Lynn was a great teacher and explained all the ins and outs of the game. What fun, to see a professional game and help Lynn move forward with his goal of visiting all the stadiums in the US. Since it was chilly that night and the wind was blowing at 25 mph, we left a bit early to head back to the warmth of the hotel.

You can tell how windy it was that night. 25 mph and in the 40s. Brr.


While in DC, all the Smithsonian museums were closed and many of the art museums and galleries, too. So, we visited the memorials and outside attractions. We saw the Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Vietnam Veterans, Martin Luther King, Korean War Veterans and World War II memorials. The weather was beautiful and we walked to most of them. People were polite and wore masks, even outdoors. There were few people out and about, so we felt like we had the city to ourselves.

Lynn poses with this statue in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. None of the waterfalls were working, but it is still one of my favorite memorials in Washington, DC.
The Martin Luther King Memorial is impressive in its sheer size, not to mention the memorable quotes which are engraved in the surrounding walls.


Another day, we drove to Arlington National Cemetery. Lynn’s uncle is buried there, so we thought it fitting to honor him. I had not expected the size of the place and wish we had scheduled a full day to visit. You can ride a tram around the cemetery and get off, walk around and then catch a later tram. I would highly recommend you plan to walk around and see the many historic sites — a moving and inspiring way to honor more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families, who rest at Arlington. Arlington is open seven days a week, 365 days a year.

This garden was an example of what you can do with 12 full-time gardeners, hundreds of volunteers, 40 years and millions of dollars. Wow!
Lynn stands in the Japanese garden that was peaceful and filled with flowering plants.


Lynn and I also visited Hillwood Estate, the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Although we didn’t score tickets to see the house, we toured the gardens – 25 acres of landscaped gardens and woodlands. When Mrs. Post left the property as a museum to inspire and educate the public, her heirs didn’t know how they would afford the upkeep. That’s when they sold Mar-A-Lago to the Trumps. The proceeds from those funds are what keep the estate going – complete with 12 gardeners and hundreds of volunteers. It is a bit out of town, but well worth the experience. Order your tickets online before your visit. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Two other museums were open: the National Museum of Women in the Arts and The International Spy Museum. Get passes online before your visit. Both were excellent but I’d give five stars to the Spy Museum. You could spend all day there. Full of fascinating info about spies throughout history. Ken loved the gift shop, too.

One of our favorite things about visiting DC was connecting for dinner with two long-time friends, Adam Ahmed and his new bride Alex and Michal Briggs. Adam is the son of Joan and Hassan Ahmed, who we met in Cairo and Serbia when they were working for the US State Department. Michael was a PROiNK intern many moons ago and one of my all-time favorite guys.

So where does Nancy Pelosi come in? Walking back from dinner the night we met Michael, we got to our hotel and two black Suburbans were blocking the driveway. We stood back waiting to get inside the door, when I looked over and saw — yes, you guessed it — Nancy Pelosi. She was getting in one of the Suburbans and saying goodbye to some family/friends who were staying at our hotel. I was so stunned I didn’t even get a photo. But believe me, she is younger looking than television portrays her and her bright blue outfit with matching shoes were as stunning as all of her fashions. The Suburbans had license tags — Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. What an exciting way to end our stay in DC!

One thing we did like about the Inn at Little Washington was the mannequins that helped to keep social distance. One of the most creative ways to keep people safe that I’ve seen anywhere.


Our next stop was a two-day stay at the Inn at Little Washington. I’ve heard about this Michelin three-starred restaurant and accompanying inn for decades. Located about an hour outside DC, the Inn is a little jewel box set in the middle of the Virginia hills. Visiting here was a life-long dream that turned into a nightmare. At $1000 per night for the room, you’d expect amazing service, right? Well, it all started with two bellman who couldn’t figure out how to separate our luggage from Lynn’s, a room that wasn’t ready, a door that wouldn’t open on our room (and no maintenance person on duty) and never got fixed, smelly scent bottles that polluted the room’s air and on and on. When Ken requested a cheese and mushroom omelet for breakfast, he was told that “today, the chef is only making gouda and parmesan omelets, but I guess we can add some mushrooms to it.” Despite being asked several times for food allergies and telling them no raw onions, Ken got raw chives and green oil on his omelet.

We had planned to eat dinner two nights at the inn’s famous restaurant, but after one dinner, we cancelled the second and found a nearby Italian restaurant that was quick and delicious.

I must admit, the food at the restaurant was good, but the service was horrid. We waited 20 minutes for our cocktails to be served and the service was marginal from there on out. I realize COVID has put a strain on many restaurants and don’t want to be too harsh. But when you pay $1100 for three meals, you figure you’ll get top-notch service. We’re used to the wait staff at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami and Bern’s Steak House in Tampa – our two favorite Florida restaurants. Staff there know how to make you feel at home, comfortable and cared for. This staff was young, inexperienced and not well-trained. Alas. Not a place I would recommend to anyone.

Kenny, Lynn and Vann outside the Smoky Mountain train that took us through the beautiful countryside.


Our final stop on the trip was Asheville, North Carolina. This is a favorite city and home to long-time high school buddy, Vann Helms. Ken planned a day’s train ride on the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad. We drove an hour to Bryson City, where we boarded our first-class car for a day’s journey up into the mountains. Our guide explained the countryside and history the entire way. We were served all the soft drinks we wanted, a mediocre lunch and were able to purchase cocktails if we liked. We had a one-hour stop at Natahala Outdoor Resort, with time to watch the whitewater rafters, shop in a few spots or eat at one of the cafes.

Vann took us to a lovely outdoor restaurant, Rendez-vous, for dinner that night and we caught up with our former high school drama teacher-turned mystery writer, Shelley Frome.

Our final two days in Asheville were spent driving to Bakersville to see two of my favorite potters and visiting all the pottery galleries in Asheville. We stayed at the Asheville Bohemian Autograph hotel, a pleasant and well-located hotel we’ve stayed in several other times (located across the street from the Biltmore Estate).

After dropping Lynn off back home in Atlanta, we spent the night at his five-star resort and headed home to pick up our puppy, Poppy, who had bunked in with neighbors Jim and Claudine. Olive had spent two weeks at Pepe Dogs, getting some special training and we picked her up the next day.

Late April was the perfect time to make a road trip and we enjoyed being out and seeing other people. I’d say Savannah, DC and Asheville were my favorites. The Hay Adams Hotel was the highlight of the trip for accommodations. I’d stay there again anytime I’m in DC.




The perfect pandemic trip

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What a rocker?

When Niece Kelly and Brother-in-law Lynn invited me to join them on a September road trip to southern Utah, I decided to climb out of the Covid cacoon and go along. I had gone nowhere in six months, cancelled eight trips and was — like everyone I knew — going stir-crazy at home.

My late sister, Carla, had lived in Salt Lake City in the mid-70s when she was completing her master’s degree as part of her Air Force career. Our family visited Carla for two Christmas holidays and enjoyed skiing and seeing the sights in the SLC area.

Little did I know what magnificence we had missed in the five national parks in Southern Utah: Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, Zion and Capital Reef. Each one was more beautiful than the next.

Kelly on her driving shift
Kelly driving her shift with Lynn as lookout!

Before we left, we laid down the ground-rules. We would share the driving throughout the trip. Lynn rented a SUV so we had plenty of room in the car for the three of us, our luggage and half a back seat full of too many snacks for three people to eat in ten days. Lynn selected the hotels and the route to get us through Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado and to our first parks, Canyonlands and Arches just outside of Moab, Utah.

If anyone felt uncomfortable going into any restaurants, we could say so and we all would leave. And of course, if anyone got sick, we would head straight home. We ate most of our meals outside and wore our masks religiously when around other people.

Arches National Park
Arches National Park. Man, what a view.

As soon as we hit our first park, Canyonlands, I knew we were in for a treat. The majesty of the scenery was overwhelming — especially for a flatlander from Florida. Everywhere you looked, you saw something spectacular. The air was crisp and clean and worries seemed to fade away.

One of the most uplifting parts of the trip was seeing so many people wearing masks. It seemed like every person who visited the national parks was keenly aware of the pandemic, carefully prepared and respectful of others they met along the way. When walking a trail, folks stepped aside to let others pass by. Many people wore masks even when hiking outside.

Kelly takes a photo at Canyonlands National Park.
Kelly and Lynn pose in front of one of many arches.
We did a lot of picture-taking!
Terry with hat and arch
Thank goodness for my red hat. It kept me covered in the very hot sun.

I was also struck by the treasures that we have in our national parks, supported by our tax revenues. While so many complain and whine about what we pay in taxes, I must say that supporting our roads, schools, infrastructure and national parks seemed more like a priviledge than an obligation. If only every citizen could see the beauty of our national parks, I think they would agree that we are so lucky to have preserved these incredible properties.

Our driving days were long (8-10 hours) but we had five days of visiting parks and short drives. The hotels all seemed fine. There was no room servicing if you stayed more than one night. Some hotel restaurants were closed, others had limited service. The national parks had no food service, so we bought sandwich fixings at a local grocery store and ate lunches picnic style in the parks.

After staying home for so long, it did my heart good to get outside, see our beautiful country and spend time with family. For RVers, now is the perfect time to see the United States. You can stay safe in your camper and travel wherever you like. We ran into people from all over and many were on two- or three-month adventures. Some were escaping the fires in California but everyone seemed to enjoy the chance to get outside, hike and enjoy the scenery in our beautiful country.