By Georgia Osten
Yes, that’s what it’s turned into. For the last three years, we’ve left home for Christmas to spend the holiday with some of the younger generation. It was California in 2015 and North Carolina in 2016 & 2017. The trips to NC have been by car. We turn it into a 2-day trip, drive 12-13 hours the first day, stay in a La Quinta Dog Friendly Hotel, and the next day is only a 6 hour journey to our destination.
Santa’s sleigh is a bit crowded on the way there, but going home will be a lot less so, unless our daughter talks us into taking more stuff home. You never know. We pack snacks a’plenty, but there are still the inevitable stops along the way. 
It’s nice to not be in too big a hurry, we talk a lot, we snack a lot and we listen to some great music on XM.
A year has made a big difference with our traveling companion, Maezy. She seemed to calm down immediately on the first leg of the trip, settling onto her bed and snoozing a bit. Our first night was just on the other side of Atlanta, she hated all the lights and stops and starts in Atlanta, where’s our Doggie Valium?
We got here in plenty of time to do more shopping. This family stays on-the-go, so we’ve been to the movies to see Ferdinand, lunch out, we went to a Christmas Theme Park one night to visit Santa and ride ponies, dinner out, then of course Christmas Eve Mass.
One thing I noticed along the way here is how many Cracker Barrels there are, it’s like an epidemic of Cracker Barrels. I think I’ve been bit – I’m in love with Cracker Barrel, no other stopping places will do, it has to be a Cracker Barrel. I carry my wallet in with me every time we need to stop. My latest purchase:
Totally fitting in my family, handed down for generations, but that’s another story for another time.
I hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas.
Wish us well on our journey home in a couple of days.
[12-25-2017]
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