The Route 66 Chick

I arrived at Tom and Nicole's on Christmas Eve afternoon and was greeted warmly by them and also by two very excited dogs. (They know their grandma loves them.) Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were full of love, good cooking, and fun watching the pups (Six and Scout) open their presents. They have that down pat. Speaking of good cooking, Tom and Nicole are both excellent cooks and bakers, and made many wonderful dishes, including a tomato gratin and from-scratch cherry pie. We self-confessed foodies also visited several excellent restaurants in the area while I was there. Several of these I have been to before and always look forward to visiting again.  Ethos Greek Bistro  is a delightful restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. The evening we were there was slightly cool and very comfortable. Billed as "a modern take on healthy Greek cuisine," this is a very popular place, and you can usually count on a little wait time for a table. It's definit...

I made my escape last Saturday. From the Midwestern February cold. From a big approaching snowstorm. From the winter blahs.  And I headed toward my  long-anticipated annual visit with son and daughter-in-law amid warm temps and sunny days in Florida. Through southern Illinois there were still large patches of white remaining. As I drove out of snow-dotted ground, 6-8 inches of snow was bearing down on St. Louis and the Metro East.  I crossed the Ohio River, the  Tennessee River, and the  Cumberland River, and watched as the last small snow patches disappeared. Nashville is a good first day's drive and I had made a cabin reservation at the Nashville Music City KOA. My first time staying at this KOA, I found it was one of the nicest I've ever encountered and definitely rates first place for entrance sign. No keyboards in the cabins, however. Darn. "Bring your own linens, pillows, and sheet music."  On Sunday, my second day on the road through Tenness...