Our Second 2022 Trip to America: Atlanta

 

Yes, so soon after we were there in September for our Maine and New York trip, we went back again for our annual visit with the kids in Atlanta.  Barring an unforeseen emergency, we don't expect that to happen again, especially at our age!  But we're happy it was possible.

This trip was a 3-week stint in 3 stages:  first with Amy at her home, then the cabin, followed by with Mark at his home.  And if all you read is this, it was one of our best trips ever, if not THE best!

1.  At Amy's in Roswell, GA, November 11-17:

Of course, first we waited at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam before flying on Friday, November 11.

The Dutch don't celebrate Thanksgiving, so it was Christmas already.

Amy treated us to lunch that Saturday at her favorite Saturday hangout.

Happy Campers!

The next day, Sunday, Nicholas (and Mark) joined us for lunch at a Mexican restaurant.

And thus started an almost endless time of Five-Crowns playing the rest of our visit.  HA!

Astrid and I both love walking Amy's neighborhood, which we did several times.

[Astrid's collage]

The flowers always surprise me at this time of the year, which was colder than usual.

We even met up for lunch with Glenna (who goes back to 1987 for me) and her partner.

Lots of water under the bridge since then!

And Astrid brought her new fisherman's sweater to work on in down-times.

2.  The Cabin in the North Georgia Mountains, November 17-22:

Even though it's still Autumn, we were there a month later than usual, so not as much color.

[Astrid's collage]

But it was still wonderful!

Just the 5 of us again:  Amy, Nicholas, Mark, Astrid and moi, picking up from last year,

even though at a new cabin we tried out, giving Mark his own bedroom.

Football, of course, with a MICHIGAN win for me...always a highlight!

Our traditional s'mores!

Plus the jigsaw puzzle Amy always brings for us.

This year it was the LinkedIn photo Mercedes-Benz chose for their June's Pride Month,

which Amy made into a puzzle.  Very sweet of her.

[Astrid's collage]

As usual, Astrid walked more than I did, so she has more photos.

[Astrid's collage]

[Astrid's photos]

Now you see why they're also called the Blue Ridge Mountains!

[Astrid's collage]

At the end of our cabin time, we always drive down the mountain to Waffle House,

one of our favorite traditions of them all!

3.  At Mark's in Flowery Branch, November 22-December 1:

I LOVED seeing Mark reconnect with his Piper after those 5 days away.

He took the entire time off from work for 15 days (which included the cabin)!

So, besides everything else, we played this new game as well as lots of Five Crowns, which he loved.

The day before Thanksgiving, he drove us to his alma mater, University of Georgia,

to walk the campus there in Athens, from which he graduated in 1997.

[Mark's photos]

It was as though it were my first time there for me.  I loved seeing it again.

On Thanksgiving, November 24th, we drove back to Amy's to spend the day there.

You have no idea how awed I was to sit and watch my kids prepare that meal,

including Nicholas mashing the potatoes and helping Astrid clean up.

All I did, besides eat, was clean up the turkey carcass!

That next Saturday we watched MICHIGAN win their game against Ohio State,

giving them 1st place in the Big Ten.  YAY.

And then on Sunday we watched one of Mark's Dungeons & Dragons campaigns,

meeting at his house, with a potluck meal beforehand.
Talk about educational!  A first for Astrid and me.

That next week, Mark and I both voted early in the Georgia Run-off Election for our US Senate seat.

Officer Lee (top-left) was the one who called all those over 75 to join him in another line,

which reduced our wait from 3 hours to only 1.5 hours.  Hard to ever forget that!

[And just this past Tuesday, our choice, Warnock, beat Walker.  My vote counted!]

[Astrid's collage]

Several walks, of course, in Mark's neighborhood!

One last hurrah before returning home was our drive to Old Car City USA in White, GA.

OMG!  Talk about a photographer's paradise, which is a separate post altogether.

[Astrid's collage]

Though cooler than our normal October visits,

it couldn't have been better weather for all our adventures.

Like I said, most of the leaves and color were gone, except for the stragglers.

But when you come down to it, it's the food we all share together that thrills us the most.

In this case, it's Amy's...who LOVES to cook.

And Mark's, which usually centers around what he cooks on his pellet grill.

Are we the Lucky Ones or what!

Three weeks packed full of Family Fun and Fellowship!

It'll last for a long time...at least until next year.  :)