Day 1: Chattanooga, TN

We left for our first leg at 9:18 am and arrived in Chattanooga at our hotel at 9:26 pm. 12 hours. That is long!!! But it was fabulous...until we hit atlanta and were in traffic there for an hour...crawled for 10 miles.

It was tax free holiday for the state and the outlets along 75 were slammed! Then just outside of Chattanooga, we went 2 miles in one hour! As soon as we could, we got off the highway and hit a side road counting on the GPS to reconfigure our route! She wanted to get us back on 24 so bad, but finally gave in and took us the remaining 3 miles to our hotel. So close, we could taste it...yet so far in that traffic! Thank you GPS and Mother and Dad for loaning us that!
Now, let me hit the highlights of the road!
As we took off, everyone was happy, packed in and Jay was just about due for a nap! He slept nearly the whole way to Silver Springs FL where we cut over to catch 75 N. When he woke up, I plugged in his new DVD player and he began watching Sprout shows that Michael had recorded on dvd's that he loves to watch. They kept his attention for a very long time!



As we entered into GA, it had begun to rain. Not for very long, and we were smooth sailing on into Macon with only road signs to entertain us!
Our first scheduled stop was Bass Pro

and "Pig in the Pit" BBQ joint.

We peeled our legs out and walked into Bass Pro. Jay headed straight for the little boy quad runner and sat there for like 15 minutes. Seriously, because MIke disappeared after he used the rest room to the fishing section until I called him. He peeled Jay out of the Quad Runner and off Jay went full of enthusiasm. Once outside the store, we stood for a long time watching the huge waterwheel move the water. Jay was talking all about it(which I had no idea what he was saying), and pointing, and hunkering down as if he was really studying it. He didn't fight too badly getting back into the car and heading to the plaza across the road from the Bass Pro to Pig in the Pit where we grabbed a light lunch. Jay was in rare form as usual. Mike goes to get the high chair, Jay jumps up into a booth and holds on for dear life~SCREAMING~ as I peel him out. Once set in his high chair I wipe his area so he can eat from the table, his hand reached out faster than lightning and poured salt out on the table as fast as he could. I quick grab the salt and right side it. His hands are off to scatter the salt as quick as a whip before I have a chance to react...on the wet table. Now, if you can imagine, we have been in the restaurant 3 minutes and I am sweating, frazzled, embarrassed! He grabs the spoon and digs into his beans as the chicken was too hot.

Beans on table, his face, and dripping off the spoon onto anything he swipes the spoon at around the table. By the time I have him ready to eat, my food is cold. The Pulled Pork Sandwich basket I got was so so.

Fries STUNK! This was a very very good thing. I didn't eat french fries...so I felt healthier. Although, Mike and I finished Jay's beans. It would have been worth it to go in, get beans and sweet tea and be done with it. Although, Jay's meal was awesome. The fried chicken tenders were seasoned to perfection!!!
Off we go, back on the road an hour later, perfect for a leg stretch for Jay and the both of us!
We made it four hours before this stop and Jay was awesome!

Atlanta was a mess due to the tax free holiday...but I still can not get over what a nice trip it was.
Our next stop would be Cartersville!

How neat was that???
Well, let me assure you that nothing exciting is going on there...unless you call, waiting in the car while Mike pumps gas and watching a man PICK HIS NOSE at the counter of the store exciting!

How gross is that??? Not as gross as me, I took pictures of it. I was able to tell Mike about it, get my camera out and still take 8 pictures of him doing it! He never went to wash his hands and I watched him wait on three people after the "big pick". I am sending Pictures to corporate, I want them to know they "picked" a great employee to "spread" the joy by passing his "joy" onto others!
Again, back on the road and laughing about how the best thing to do in Cartersville is pick your nose! It wasn't until we hit Chattanooga, and torrential downpour....and TRAFFIC.

But it ended up working out just fine. We arrived, happy, safe, and sound!

Can't understand why it was blurry...we were sitting still???!!!
Jay was amazing, until 3 miles to the hotel.

He was at his last wit...crying through laughter and cheers as we said...yay, we are almost there...yay! He would say yay and smile and then whimper. So he was great until the last three miles of the 575 mile trip! I would have to say a great traveler!!!
Once at the hotel, Mike went to check in and brought out 3 hot chocolate chip cookies, three tickets for free breakfast and the highly coveted room keys! It appears people were being turned away from the hotel~it was a full house!
I head up with Jay through the lobby and to the elevators. I had to coax him around the corner as he thought he would much rather go the stairs...10 floors! I told him I promised we would do it later.
Into the elevator, up to the 10th floor, and stops dead outside of the hotel room and refuses to go in. Just for reference it is 10 pm. Ok, let me define "refuses". He stands in the hall ~SCREAMS~ at the top of his lungs bloody murder and fear! Yes, that pretty much covers it. Roll three bags into the room, head back out to get him and pick him up, yes he is still screaming...oops ALMOST let the door slam leaving me locked out in the hall...ALMOST...grab the door, then him and in we went!
Phew...once inside he was fine and happy.

I know this looks like a boy who knows what to do with one of these...but alas, he just has to check out every toilet!
After taking some pictures of our room and out the window(where I happen to notice a horse drawn carriage with a driver and dalmatian)I can relax. NOT!!!
Jay wanted to go out the door. I locked it but it opens itself when you pull the handle and Jay was trying to escape. Then he would scream and try again. The poor boy needed some exercise...he sat for 4 hours straight and then 5 hours straight.
So, I am trying to put my shoes on, asking him to wait, and he heads out into the hall and SCREAMS again. Okay, will someone please have the folks on the tenth floor REMOVED from the hotel??? Hahahaha they thought that was bad.
So off we go for a walk for about a half hour. Then back to the room for a shower and bed.

BED???? Jay exclaimed...not really but that's what his actions said! He proceeded to SCREAM at the top of his lungs for about 15 minutes refusing to want to go to bed at 1130 pm. AHEM...Mike came unglued(imagine) and was all but ready to put the pillow over his head and well....I had to relax two frantic people. I mean seriously, imagine Mike freaking out classic adorable Mike style, pacing from the bathroom half dressed from his shower, trying to contain the sweet, precious, amazingly gorgeous child who has~I fear~been possessed by an alien! Okay, 15 minutes has seemed like a life time but finally we reached peacefulness. Let me define peacefulness. We found Jay's favorite show on TV and he forgot what he was hysterical about. Sleep came quickly and then we could breathe. Well, I could...but Mike~not so much. He is getting over a chest cold and still was having difficulty with some coughing.
I slept so hard...you know what I mean...like when you wake up in the morning in the exact same position you went to sleep in. My back was aching, despite the king sized bed and heavenly bed clothes!
6 am wide eyed and bushy tailed!