First Leg of the Trek North - August 2009

We're at our regular 1/2-way stop on our way north to visit my parents. We usually stay here at the Hampton in Horse Cave, KY. It's between Louisville and Bowling Green and typically has fewer guests than some other Hamptons, but all the same wonderful quality we've come to enjoy at Hamptons....nice clean rooms, exceptionally comfortable beds, a pool, over-the-top service, and a free breakfast!

We've stayed at this Hampton Inn enough times that the front desk ladies know us somewhat, and it's a nice stop overall. Two interesting things happened this time. Normally we make our reservation from home via the computer. But we weren't sure exactly when we'd leave AL yesterday, and therefore didn't know if we'd make it all the way to Horse Cave. Therefore, we called about a room when we got as far as Bowling Green. Usually I ask for a ground-floor room, so we aren't going up and down the elevator 100 times for the pool, luggage, breakfast, etc...but in this instance, I didn't, because the receptionist said she had ONE non-smoking double room left. WOW! I'm glad we called when we DID!!!!! (I guess everyone is taking a last summer vacation before school starts.....) We asked her to hold it for us. I guess we could have driven on further if there had been no remaining rooms, but once you get into the bigger cities, the prices of rooms goes up, and more importantly, Johnny and I were both quite DONE w/ hearing all the little jib-jabs going on in the back seats between travel-weary children. I think I recall one of us saying, "Ok, no one may utter another word til we get to the hotel." That always fixes it!

Anyway, that was our first blessing.....that there was ONE room left, for us, and that it was non-smoking!!!!! Then we got here and I went in to the front desk to get our keys, etc....while Johnny and the children unloaded bags from the van. An older gentleman in front of me was getting his room, and asked the receptionist if he and his wife could POSSIBLY be on the SECOND floor rather than the GROUND floor. She had to disappoint him and let him know that all other rooms were taken unless he wanted a smoking room. No, he didn't. That's when I spoke up, and said......"If our room is on the second floor, we'd be HAPPY to take a ground floor room!" Long story short, he was delighted, I was delighted, and the receptionist felt like a queen while she made us all happy. So, it was just one of those instances that we like to call "Coincidence"....but like the bumper sticker I saw the other day stated: "Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous."

Today we drive the rest of the way to Crete. Johnny and the girls are kids are still sleeping. (They stayed up late while I went to bed at 10:30.) I'm enjoying hearing them talk/mutter in their sleep. Emelie's was "hee-hee-hee...........whew! that was close!.......hee-hee-hee.....ooooooooooh boy!" When I finally looked to see what she was talking about, she was sound asleep, teetering precariously on the edge of the bed, almost ready to fall OFF!!! As she rolled back toward the middle, Johnny chimed in with gusto from the other side of the room, "Walk SLOOOOOOOW..............Walk Slow With Coffeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Ok!!! :)

I'm sure we'll have plenty of pictures to share from this trip. Emelie bought herself a new camera on EBAY, and is loving it!!! It came yesterday via UPS, about an hour before we left for this trip.

Here are a few of the pics she has taken so far!