THE END

We had a long driving day from Houston to Memphis. We were anxious to get to Memphis because there was so much to see. We arrived in time to spend the evening on Beale Street, and do a quick stop at the Peabody hotel and then get up in the morning to go to the National Civil Rights museum.

Sadly, we ended up not even seeing Nashville. It took us longer than we expected to get to the outskirts of the city, it was rush hour, the highways were jammed packed, it was stormy, and it felt overwhelming to try to get into the city. So we just skipped it and said we would get back there another time. It’s close enough.

The next day we drove all the way up to Dayton and went to the National Air Force museum.

And then, it was 5:00 and we were all set to go to the hotel when Jay said, Why don’t we just drive on to Detroit? It’s only about 3 ½ hours. And Jeremy can surprise his parents.

The boys were so excited to do that that it energized the whole car. It was a great decision.

As we were driving to Detroit, we realized that this was the final leg of our long journey together and so we started getting a bit sentimental and began reminiscing about the trip. It has been 6 weeks that we have been together.

What was the best part? Who were the best people that we met along the way? (Everyone, was the answer) and mostly, we reflected on our time together and what we appreciated most about each of us. It was a very moving discussion and I think we all got a little teary during this discussion and thinking about this being the end of the line.

We arrived in Detroit, Jeremy got to surprise his parents and siblings and everyone had a great time reuniting and wrapping up our time together.

As we left Detroit this afternoon without Jeremy and his bags in the car, there was an empty feeling. The boys said a sad farewell.

We missed Jeremy. It was very sad. Jeremy and Danny are about to start the next chapters of their lives, with Danny going to Israel and Jeremy starting college. But we know that they will be friends forever, as they have so much history together now.

And so, without further ado, here are…

The best 4 things to do on the way from Houston to Detroit

1. Beale Street in Memphis: at night is great. The lights and the music make the ambiance of the street fantastic. Danny, in particular, really enjoyed it.

The boys had a great time picking out old concert posters.

2. The Memphis Riverfront: beautiful watching the sun go down.

3. National Civil Rights Museum: first, I didn’t know that the museum was the converted motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

It was really incredible how they kept the façade on the motel, that the balcony and hotel room doors were preserved, and how there was a wreath on the door where Dr. King stayed and was assassinated. The museum itself was fantastic.

I learned so much, and I think it’s a very important museum that all Americans should see. The other thing I noticed is that there are so many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement. A lot of movies could be made about these brave people. I could say a lot of other things about this place, but I think you should just go there yourself and check it out. It was a very moving experience.

4. National Airforce Museum in Dayton: have you gone there? If not, I think you will be surprised.

It is MIND-Boggling how big and extensive this museum is. It is definitely a must-see. Jay, Danny, and I had gone there before, when Danny was in 4th grade, but we thought it was worth another trip. And we thought Jeremy would enjoy it.

Jay and I actually spent the 2 ½ hours in just two different buildings out of the 4 or 5 that make up the museum. My favorite part was the presidential exhibit where we got to go on and walk through the presidents’ planes since Roosevelt and forward. That was very cool. I loved being inside Airforce One. It was also kind of surreal to be on the plane where Kennedy’s body was brought back from Dallas.

I had to include the following pictures of the thermo-nuclear weapons,

ICBMs, Minutemen missiles, etc.

as the irony was too much to bear, since this week was exactly when Trump was at his own war with North Korea threatening to have a nuclear war. Can’t see into the future, but can only hope that the people that are advising him can prevail with cooler, more sane heads than him and bring the whole confrontation to a close.

A word about Kentucky: as we sped through Kentucky, trying to get to Dayton early enough to spend some time at the airforce museum, we saw how many things there were to do in that state. We were a little disappointed that we couldn’t stop to visit a little. But, again, like Nashville, we can make that a separate trip for some time in the future, being so close to home. So, we will put that one on our list also.

And now we are done with Detroit and headed towards home. This is the car all packed up without Jeremy's gear. It still looks pretty full, right?

We are driving to Cleveland now and the three of us are doing a lot of reflecting in the car.

One thing we all agree on is that the people we stayed with and visited along the way made our trip as wonderful as it was. Your hospitality, generosity and companionship really were the highlights of our journey. Jenny, Ruth, Leila, Dale, Ricki, Hannah, Jennifer, Steve, Hope, Dave, Jesse, the Entire Roth family, Ruth, the entire Rosenberg family, you guys really made our trip fantastic and unforgettable. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We miss all of you!

It seems strange to see so many Ohio license plates.

In our next chapter, Danny is going to be getting ready for his next big adventure, going to Israel in just 3 weeks. And Jay and I will wrap up this section of our blog in order to start the next one as we finalize our preparation for our RTW trip (Round the World)

Signing off for now…

Debbi (with assistance from Jay and Danny)