dear diary,
just outside the cincinatti skyline tonight…
my, how i love the big city. i am completely electrified by the energy of clouds hugging monstrous buildings, taxi line-ups, enticing windowfronts, and huddles of pedestrians making their way to city adventures..and i imagine they are all very important and off to do something fabulous…and if that isn’t the case, i never want to know otherwise. if i had one regret in life, it would certainly be that before i settled down into this blessed little life, i would have lived in a great big city all by my lonesome and painted some colorful city chapters in my book.
speaking of colorful…my oh my oh my. my heart skipped a beat in northern tennessee this morning where we ascended, ears a-poppin’, into this gates-of-heaven-ish scene. we were level with the clouds…clouds that frosted rounded summits of lush green.
heidi drove today while i lazily lounged, feet propped, in my passenger luxury box. it felt very jetsons, in the middle of nothing but mountains, receiving e-mails (oh, how fun to have a comment pop up here and there so far from home!)…
…uploading images, editing photos. in a car. in the mountains. with electricitry-transfering contraptions. we have it way too good.
and can i just say, i am blessed to tears with this little who has taken all the good things i know her to be and rolled them in magic and uneartlhly goodness to deliver an oscar-winning road performance. she is quiet and calm for hours on end, satisfied by nothing more than our close presence, a random reach of my hand to pat her leg, a patty-cake here and there…and her beloved puppy. my expectations, although high, have been exceeded.
and that’s a patty-cake stance. let’s just say she has a wide clap span.
and here’s where i go nuts.
day three?
holy holy holy.
it’s been beautiful.
my favorite moment, by far, finding this hidden treasure of a town…
jelico, tennessee, tetering near the kentucky border and surprising us with its smoky mountain charm.
like its really old downtown with striped awnings shading mainstreet treasures like ancient hardware stores, antique shops and a barbershop with a handpainted sign. but its greatest little gem?
indian moutain state park…nestled between a mountainy lake and an old rail-road track.
not a soul was there except for an old man in a rusty pick-up truck who drove by and advised us all southern and friendly-like to watch out for snakes.
not a one we saw.
instead, we basked in the gloriousness of it all…
let the kids sink their piggies into cold mud…
unleash their energy in grassy fields…
conquering leach fears and venturing into the refreshing mud-bottomed lake of sweet little jelico, tennessee.
another one of those moments where my brain is shouting to every sensory receptor it can reach, ‘this is beatiful! this is fun! this is sucking the marrow out of life!’ i swear, it says that, and while i am tempted to apoligize for the number of mama/girly images, i cannot deny that i love these pictures and this happy little day and if i had a hundred more of my soul-satisfying moment with my girl and my mountains, i’d post those too.
thank you, heidi, for capturing these!
i’m so used to my palm trees and coastline…and lord knows i love them…but a change in scenery and something new and beautiful to be a part of. oh, it was heaven.
i so found my inner country girl…
…and missed my cowboy boots back at home.
and the day could have ended there and day three would still top my list…
but then we laughed and talked and if-booked our way through the bluegrass hills of kentucky into ohio where we decided to make one more stop…we don’t want it to end. it’s that good.
we treated our tired little roadies tonight…took them to steak n’ shake past eight…in their jammies where they lined up on cherry-red barstools to lick pillows of whipped cream off chocolatey malts.
there’s a sad aura settling in that this road-trip is coming to a close. we’re doin’ it every year, we decided…and that alone is something to look forward to.
tomorrow, we will roll into our home-away-from home to be welcomed by family. yeah, that will be pretty nice too.
we still miss the daddy…even more than before.
we may be daddyless, but we did acquire two new spoons today…
that and this boundless gratitude for every savored moment this trip.
today was completely and wonderfully…picturesque.
Poppa says
Y’all had a good time, it looks like! So glad the kids have weathered the miles with smiles! Can’t wait for your arrival–the best Fathers Day present ever! May the last miles be the very best of all…though Detroit doesn’t have alot to offer beauty wise!
Kulio says
soooo beautiful!!!
can’t wait to see you!
and this weekend in East Lansing – jazz festival! if it’s not pouring ya gotta hear some jazz 🙂
Joan says
i couldn’t wait to wake up and see what you posted today. i’m so glad you loved tennessee. i wish you could have snuck through nashville. my secret dream is to see pictures of my “little” on the kelle hampton blog. someday soon i hope!
Malu says
IT REMINDS ME A ROAD TRIP I HAVE DONE WITH MY FAMILY COAST TO COAST IN CANADA … ENJOY EVERY SINGLE SECOND !!!!!
I WANT TO SEE MY MESSAGE AT YOUR CAR’S SCREEN TOO …
XOXO
Tammy B says
So happy that your road trip has been a huge success! And I’m really enjoying your photo diary 🙂 Hope you have a great time in MI, but then again, I know you will.
April says
dear kelle & heidi,
this has been one helluva roadtrip. thank you so very much for taking us along with ya!
enjoy your stay in michigan.
your friend,
april
Anna Ruth says
The pictures of you and Lainey on the railroad and in the field are some of my favorite pictures of you two.
abbey bernardi says
oh, you sound like you’re having so so much fun!!!! if you ever want to take a road trip to southern cali you can stay with us : ) i love the train track pics, oh i love them all really!!! you girls look beautiful!!! have fun, can’t wait for more pics.
-Abbey & Bayley
jen says
would you mind asking lainey to send some of her amazing traveler-ness over to my cora?
her tired and queasy mama needs it tomorrow.
thanks.
loving those mama/girl pictures too.
trishakent23 says
OMG!!!! Just incredible are the pics and your words. I spoke to you on this day and you were right….most beautiful place ever!!! Absolutely stunning. So happy you both are having a terrific time. Miss you all so much. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Julie Frizzi says
stunning pictures…………
Lisa Y. says
Kelle’s in Michigan!!!! YAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! See you tonight.
dig this chick says
it’s a good life. yep.
um, do you and heidi always look like supermodels on road trips? Cause I usually have my near-dreaded hair wrapped in a bun with a toothbrush and such…you look beautiful! I am amazed.
Your adventure makes me yearn for a good road trip. Soon.
Tisha says
i love the girly mama and baby pics! great job heidi!
Loving day 3!!!
Gillian says
Love that love moment you had in those mountains. Know too that those are the best moments ever and, you’re right, you can never get enough pics (especially, as n.h. remarked, looking as darn good as you do in the midst of all that travel!)
Appreciate your positivity and love of the beauteous moments.
Bridget says
I’m venturing through your old road trip posts, and I spotted my exit sign in your first picture. I wish I would have known you back then – I would have happily treated you to some special Cincinnati delicacies 🙂
Amy says
Looking through some of your old blog posts, I was shocked to see Cincinnati’s skyline show up in one of your pictures. That’s my skyline! It’s so funny how you wished you had some city chapters in your life, and looking at your blog it makes me long for beach chapters in mine! I hope Cincy treated you good while you were passing through. You should bring Lainey and Nella to visit the city some day. There’s lots of fun stuff for kids to do!