Undoubtedly you are wondering who travels in their camper in the middle of December, just before the holidays?  Don’t you have family, friends, former cell-mates, bookies, to spend time with?  Of course.  That’s why we are traveling, hopefully before any of them realize we are gone.  Mum’s the word.

We left New Hampshire before the snow flew and the temperatures tanked.  A farewell holiday feast with our neighbors left us knowing that in our absence our place would probably be looted for all its valuables… two fly swatters and a half-jar of Miracle Whip.  This trip is a bit notable for us because we have stuck pretty much to the interstates, which we rarely do, in the interest of getting south and west somewhat quickly.

Our first stop was Frackville, PA.  Guess what they do there.  Actually, I don’t know what they do there, but in town there is a statue of Pioneer Woman and Scary Child.  We don’t judge.

Anyway, there was a Cracker Barrel Restaurant parking lot that was calling us to stay.  The rain and fog at the time we arrived was so severe that you could barely see three car lengths in front of you.  A soothing drive if I do say.  But I don’t.

During the next day, we passed by Marion, VA on our route to our next Cracker Barrel.  Are we detecting a theme here for a couple of cheapo campers?  You can’t take a photo of every memorable sight you see while traveling, but there was a set of water towers off on a hillside, marked – drum roll – Hot and Cold.  Not kidding.  Some public works folks with a genuine sense of humor.  I say humor because they had the signs reversed (the hot water was n the right tank).

Social butterfly that I am, the next morning I left our cozy trailer to scrounge up breakfast at our resident Cracker Barrel.  I was long in need for coffee, and when the waitress arrived, and after pouring me coffee I asked her if she would marry me.  Without batting an eye, she told me, “That would be awfully bigamy.”   Big tip.

Life on the road isn’t just Cracker Barrel and Walmart parking lots.  No sirree.  We also invade friends’ homes and take advantage of their diminished judgment.  Queue Greg and Pat.  Sad for them, they have learned nothing over years of knowing us and hosted us in their driveway, right next to their piranha-stocked pond.  We had to suffer though a terrific Italian dinner at Elfo Grissanti’s Restaurant (so good) in Southaven, MS.  Next time you find yourself in Southaven, find your way here to Grissanti’s.  Don’t mention us if you go – we danced on the tab.

Ever on the quest to find cool and interesting places, Karen found Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas.  Sitting in a completely residential neighborhood, Jones Bar-B-Q is a James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurant (first ever in Arkansas).  Purportedly the oldest continuously operated (over 100 years) black-owned restaurant in the south (possibly the country), (Betty and James) Jones prepares and sells one menu item: pulled pork.  They sell a pulled pork sandwich on Wonder Bread – with or without slaw.  That’s it.  You can buy a bag of chips, and you can get a soda out of their refrigerator.  That’s it.  I’m not kidding.  OK, you can buy pork by the pound.

This is a two-tabled restaurant below the family home, on a rustic, residential street.  Prior to receiving the James Beard Award, Betty and James had never heard of James Beard or this award.  The 2012 award was for the America’s Classics category.  Kind of like winning an Oscar – for restaurants.  I won’t lie – that sandwich was so delicious I went back for a second.  Cash only, but lunch for the two of us was under $20.  Hours are 7 am – 1 pm.  Again, not kidding.

We spent another travel segment getting from Jones Bar-B-Q in Arkansas to Greenville, TX, which got us into the always interesting (?) Lone Star state where we spent a lovely night at the Walmart Resort.  Right.

Next stop will be San Antonio where we will get to spend a little time.  Stay tuned!