The Journey Begins

June 11, 2015

I love to read!  Sometimes I prefer a good book to people. Both of my parents instilled  a love of reading, and as I became an adult, we began sharing authors.  Dad and I read Centennial by James Michener in the late 1970s and watched the mini-series on TV.  This instilled a passion for historical fiction that I still have today.  One of mom's favorite authors, and mine as well, is Nora Roberts.  Two years ago we both read the "Inn Boonsboro" trilogy.  Great read! The details given about the renovation of an inn located in Boonsboro, Maryland were so clear that we wished we could be there.  Out of curiosity, mom and I did a quick internet search and found that Inn Boonsboro really existed!

Last summmer mom and I were still talking about how great the books had been and wondering what the inn must be like.  One of us, I'll blame mom, said, "Let's go!"  Out of those two words, an adventure was conceived.  For nearly a year now, mom and I have been planning an adventure to Boonsboro, Maryland.  The trip that started out to be a few days has grown into a two week vacation from southeast Kansas, through Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, and into Maryland.  We plan to stay in Maryland for four days, two at the famous inn, then wander into West Virginia, travel down through Kentucky, cross Missouri and return to Fredonia, Kansas,

Hours of planning and plotting, and replanning have gone into this venture, and we have enjoyed it all.  Being a history teacher and history buff, we plan to take in historical sites, museums, and travel scenic drives.  Both of us are "organizers", so we have our rooms booked for each step of the journey, but we are going to attempt to be very flexible with our daily activities.  Gettysburg and Antietam are "must see" items on my list, but otherwise we are going to play it as it comes.

My students will have the opportunity to comment on my blog posts as I share photos and impressions of our travels, and those who take advantage of this offer will be given history bonus credit next fall. If any of my readers have traveled this area, please feel free to suggest restaurants, wineries, museums, etc...  A seventh grade student researched a great deal about these states, and provided a very attractive spreadsheet of things for us to check out.

Today is packing day!  My husband will be staying in Kansas while mom and I head east, so we have hired a house sitter.  This will be a godsend, as I have lawn to mow, gardens to water, and a home I do not want empty for several weeks.  The car has been cleaned, the laundry finished, numerous lists have been written, edited, rewritten, and now it is time to pack!

Tomorrow my husband and I will travel to southeast Kansas and stay with my folks until Sunday.  On Sunday, the journey begins.

www.innboonsboro.com