A 4,362‑Mile Detour Through Life
Barbara and I just returned from the longest trip — in both miles and days — that we’ve ever taken together. We didn’t set out to break any records. In fact, we thought we were taking a simple road trip to Arizona for a family wedding. But as often happens, life had other plans. What began as a straightforward drive south and west turned into a wide, looping journey across 10 states (not counting Nebraska), covering 4,362 miles over 15 days.
Day 1 — Aurora to Cawker City: Twine and Wide-Open Roads
We pulled out of Aurora on May 19, pointing the RAV4 toward Cawker City, Kansas, home of the world’s largest ball of sisal twine. It’s the kind of Americana oddity that makes you grin and shake your head — a monument to persistence, community pride, and maybe a little boredom. And we did our part by tying a 3-foot length of sisal twine to the monument! After admiring the twine (and taking the obligatory photos), we continued west to Colby, Kansas, where we spent our first night.
Prairie History and a Chilly Van Gogh
Colby surprised us with the Prairie Museum of Art and History, a rich collection of pioneer artifacts, prairie life exhibits, and stories of the people who carved out a living on the plains. The next morning we drove to Goodland, where a giant reproduction of van Gogh’s Sunflowers sits atop what’s billed as the world’s largest easel. It was very cold — the kind of cold that makes you question why you’re standing outside staring at a painting on a 50-foot easel — but we laughed our way through it. And I was wearing shorts!
Across the Plains to Route 66
From Goodland we headed south across western Kansas, a landscape so flat and open it feels like the sky is doing most of the work. We clipped the Oklahoma panhandle, touched the northwest corner of Texas, and rolled into Tucumcari, New Mexico, a town that still wears its Route 66 heritage proudly. Neon signs, vintage motels, and old storefronts made for great photos and a fun evening walk.
Show Low, the Wigwam Motel, and “Take It Easy”
The next day took us to Show Low, Arizona, and then on to two of the most memorable Route 66 stops of the entire trip.
Our first was the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, one of the few remaining “sleep in a teepee” motels from the heyday of American road travel. Even just stopping for photos felt like stepping back into the 1950s — concrete wigwams, vintage cars, and that unmistakable Route 66 charm.
From there we continued west to Winslow, Arizona, for our long‑anticipated pilgrimage to the famous “Take It Easy” corner. And what a scene it was. A crowd of bikers and fellow Baby Boomers were gathered around the corner made legendary by The Eagles. Everyone was smiling, taking photos, and soaking in the nostalgia.
We joined right in — posing with the wayward traveler statue, the Glenn Frey statue, and the mural featuring “the girl in the flatbed Ford” reflected in the window. Behind it all, the iconic “WINSLOW ARIZONA” lettering stretched across the brick wall. "Route 66" is painted at diagonally on the corner of North Kinsley Avenue and East 2nd Street (old Route 66). It was pure Americana and absolutely one of the highlights of our trip.
The famous corner of North Kinsley Avenue and East 2nd Street in Winslow.
Scottsdale and the Wedding in Florence
After Winslow, we drove south and got our first glimpses of saguaro cactus that dotted the desert as we neared Scottsdale. The next morning we wandered through the arts district — galleries, sculptures, and shops that always seem to have something new to discover.
From there it was on to Florence, Arizona, for the outdoor wedding of Barbara’s nephew, Ian Bauer, and Jacqueline Gilbert. It was a beautiful ceremony under the Arizona sky, full of family, laughter, and the kind of joy that makes a long trip worthwhile.
A Sudden Turn East
While we were in Scottsdale, I learned through Facebook that a dear friend of ours in Gautier, Mississippi, had passed away. Our original plan was to head north after the wedding and visit the Grand Canyon. But some decisions make themselves. We turned the car east and began a long cross‑country drive across New Mexico and Texas so we could attend the funeral.
Two Nights in Texas and a Return to the Gulf Coast
Texas always feels wider than the map suggests, and we spent two nights crossing it. Eventually we reached Ocean Springs, Mississippi, two days before the funeral. Being back on the Gulf Coast felt familiar and comforting. We visited several of the local businesses we knew from our years of traveling there between 2012 and 2018 — places that still feel like part of our story. And viewing the peaceful Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) never gets old.
May 30 — Remembering a Friend
The funeral in Gautier brought together many of the friends we made during our Mississippi years. It was a sad occasion, but also a warm one — full of stories, hugs, and reconnections. It reminded us how deeply those friendships run, even after time and distance.
The Long Road Home
We left Mississippi on Sunday, May 31, stopping in Millington, Tennessee, to visit friends for the night. From there we made our final push north, rolling back into Aurora around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2 — tired, grateful, and carrying the kind of memories that only a long road can give you.
Looking Back
We didn’t plan a 4,362‑mile journey. We didn’t plan to cross 10 states, attend a wedding, mourn a friend, or reconnect with people who shaped an earlier chapter of our lives. But that’s the beauty of the road. Sometimes it takes you exactly where you meant to go. Other times it takes you where you’re needed. And every now and then, it gives you both.
