My Senior Moment -Junk Journaling on A Coast to Coast Roadtrip from California to New York -- Part 2

 Part 2 - Little Rock to Jersey City

Day 7, Sept. 20, 2026 A Day in Little Rock, Arkansas

Growing up right outside Little Rock makes coming back feel special, especially since my daughter Nicole now lives in her great-grandmother’s historic home. My brother, Mike, and his family are also nearby, so we always have a full house and plenty of loved ones to catch up with.

We kicked off Day 7 early, hitting a park close to Nicole's house to beat the morning heat. From there, a busy itinerary awaited us. First up was a stop at Nicole's booth (at Treasure Island Antique) to check out all her wonderful treasures for sale, followed by a fun lunch at the Purple Cow, where I couldn't resist indulging in some delicious sweet potato fries.

Later, we gathered with family: my brother Mike, his wife Michele, my niece Caroline, and her wife Kim, along with the two cutest little ones around, Eli and Sunny. Watching the kids play was the absolute highlight of the day. It was wonderful to see everyone looking so well and feeling so happy.

Junk journaling got a whole lot more fun with Nicole by my side. She had all kinds of craft supplies ready to go—including a neat little portable printer that let us print photos straight from our phones right into our pages!

Nicole, James, and I wrapped up the evening with a casual, delicious buffet dinner at Tokyo House. Of course, the night ended the way most travel nights do—reorganizing the car again and leaving three grocery bags of extra stuff behind at Nicole's house. Tomorrow morning, we'll pack up the "mini bitchy" and head out for Nashville!

Day 7 Stats: 12,152 steps (4.20 miles)

Day 8, Sept 21, 2026 - Little Rock, Ar. to Nashville Tn.

We started the day early with a quick little walk, while Nicole proved herself a master at packing suitcases, snacks, and supplies into the car. We headed straight to Enterprise to get Nicole officially added as a driver of the "mini bitchy," and then we were finally off toward Nashville!

The drive through Memphis always brings back a lot of memories. When I was a young girl making our way to Memphis, there were still slave quarters visible from the highway. I will never forget those images or how they made that little girl feel. Even though those buildings are long gone, the feeling remains after all these years.

We soon made our way to the Memphis Visitor Center, which couldn't have been more timely since I was doing a pretty serious pee-pee dance! The center was filled with cool Memphis music memorabilia. We walked around taking selfies and pictures, giggling, and feeling the absolute thrill of the open road.

Next, we stopped at the iconic pyramid building right as you cross the Mississippi River. I've always loved that building, and now it houses a massive Bass Pro Shops pyramid. Wowza! It was huge—I'm pretty sure they had just about anything you could ever use for outdoor sports, plus indoor aquariums—and we grabbed lunch at Wahlburgers right there in the middle of it all.

After leaving the pyramid, Nicole took a turn behind the wheel. Given that Nicole is taller than I am, she quickly found the driver's seat uncomfortable, and I was miserable in the passenger seat! It took all of 20 minutes for us to realize we needed to go back to our tried-and-true setup for the rest of the trip: I drove, she navigated, and I fell even more in love with that little car.

From there, we raced the clock to make a timely arrival at our Nashville hotel, The Soundry. We checked in just in time to head out for a very special event: getting to hear blues musician Patrick Sweany live. Phil and I first met Patrick when we were living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in the late nineties, and our whole family has enjoyed his music ever since. This was the first time I'd heard him play in over 20 years!

After checking into our room, we grabbed food from a local taco truck, Cheap Charlies Tacos, which happily let us bring our dinner right into the bar, The 5 Spot, where Patrick was playing. He and his band, The Tigerbeats, were already on stage when we arrived. After the set, we went up to talk to him—it was so wonderful seeing and listening to him again.

Back at the hotel, I tried to make up for my step goals by exploring the courtyard, finding some stairs, and walking up and down the hallways. To finish the day, we both propped ourselves up in bed to work on our junk journals, which somehow got more fun with each passing day.

To make it even better, James (Nicole's boyfriend) stepped in as our official judge for the entries. It gave him a chance to see what we were up to and feel a little included, and James has a subtle, dry humor that I enjoy very much. Naturally, that day he declared Nicole's entry the winner!

Day 8 Stats: 10,685 steps, 3.76 miles

Day 9, Sept. 22, 2026 - Nashville Tennessee. to Roanoke, Virginia 

Rising early to sneak in a morning walk at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park was such a treat—the park was packed with rich history and plenty of stairs to get our steps in! Afterward, we headed over to the Nashville Farmers' Market for breakfast, a little shopping, and our signature round of silly selfies. Driving down Broadway at 10:00 in the morning was an experience all on its own; live music was pouring out of every little bar on the street. It turned out Dolly Parton was being honored that day, so at every single turn, you could hear a sweet Dolly tune playing. And rightfully so! Nashville made a truly wonderful impression on us.

From there, I finally got to experience my very first Buc-ee's! Whoa, talk about massive—it was huge! There were aisles upon aisles of every snack imaginable, with people wheeling around shopping carts loaded to the brim. We grabbed a quick lunch, and I had a mouthwatering barbecue brisket that was just YUM. (Though during our nightly junk journal judging later, I unfortunately got docked points for not spelling Buc-ee's correctly. Dang it!)

The drive from Nashville to Roanoke turned out to be a long one. We hit some heavy construction, dinner didn't come easily, and Nicole ended up serenading me with her newly invented hit song, "Dinner at Wal-Mart," after we stopped just to grab something quick so we wouldn't starve. That impromptu tune instantly became our theme song for the evening and is still making me giggle!

We finally arrived at the Spark by Hilton Roanoke Civic Center later than anticipated—tired and ready to crash. But not before finishing our junk journals, of course! I lost to Nicole yet again, mostly due to my spelling mishaps. If anything, it's just made me more fiercely competitive. I honestly love putting the journal together; it’s such a fun way to jog my memory after being out on the open road for so long. We ended up getting a wonderful night's sleep, knowing that the next morning we’d be meeting my dear friend Chris for breakfast, who drove all the way up from Charlottesville just to see us!

Day 9 Stats:  13,053 steps, 4.23 miles

Day 10, Sept. 23, 2026 - Roanoke, Virginia to Jersey City, New Jersey

This is going to be one of those days I will never forget for as long as I live. It was, without a doubt, a day of all days!

It started off in the most lovely way imaginable. I kicked off the morning with my dear friend Chris, taking a long walk around Roanoke. Chris and I have been taking walks together since the 1980s, and there is something so grounding about catching up with a lifelong friend as you wander a charming city. After our walk, Nicole and I threw our things together and met Chris at a fantastic local spot called Little Green Hive. I had a quiche that was out-of-this-world good—I can't recommend this place enough if you're ever in Roanoke!

Right next door was a store Nicole had her eye on: the Mast General Store. Stepping inside felt like walking into an old-fashioned department store that had a little bit of everything. The staff was wonderfully friendly, the merchandise was displayed so creatively, and we all walked out with a few fun little treasures. But all too soon, it was time to say a bittersweet goodbye to Chris and get back on the open road.

As we were driving, Nicole casually asked if I wanted to go see a Natural Bridge. Sign me up! We stopped to stretch our legs at Virginia's Natural Bridge State Park, which was breathtaking. As luck would have it, there was a ranger meeting going on that morning—and let's just say there were a lot of very cute people looking exceptionally sharp in their ranger outfits. I'm just saying, I am certainly not too old to appreciate the natural beauty of the park or the rangers. Ha!

By lunchtime, we spotted a darling pink building with a pink Cadillac parked right out front. Perfection! The Pink Cadillac Diner completely delivered with ultimate comfort food, pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, and a heavy dose of pink, pink, and more pink.

And then... then began what I can only describe as a drive. Well, let's just be honest: it was not a pleasant drive.

We cut through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania on our way to New Jersey. While I loved catching glimpses of the roadside sights, visitor centers, and all the rest, Hwy 81 and I were in a deeply rocky relationship. Construction, frayed nerves, and trucks, trucks, and more trucks—I have genuinely never seen so many semi-trucks on a highway in my life! They were whirling all around our little "mini bitchy" like angry hornets.

As the sun went down, the highways grew increasingly entangled, crowded, and frantic. Before I knew it, I was on a massive freeway hurtling toward New York City, and you could feel it. I was sandwiched between towering multi-level highways with traffic streaming in every direction at warp speed. Nicole was an absolute rock star, keeping our energy calm and guiding me through the white-knuckle lane changes. At one point, I looked over and watched a Suburban-sized vehicle literally bounce over a median barrier just to change freeways. Absolute, crazy-city-driving chaos!

Of course, the adventure didn't stop there. After a couple of "getting lost" detours, we pulled into a gas station in New Jersey—only to remember that they have to pump your gas here. Talk about a rookie moment! I haven't had someone pump my gas for me in decades. I pulled up way too far from the pump, wobbled all over the place coming off the freeway, and well... I'm just Linda! For those of you who know me, I know you can picture the exact spectacle I made. Thankfully, the kindest young man helped me out, completely steadying my nerves for the final hour of driving to our hotel.

Winding our way through the side streets of Jersey City to find our hotel parking lot was a whole sensory experience. Scooters, bikes, cabs, cars, and pedestrians were everywhere. Lights, storefronts, blaring music, street lamps, and sirens—I was definitely a little overstimulated, but I'm laughing just thinking about it now!

We finally found our home for the next two nights: the Canopy by Hilton, Jersey City. The catch? Valet parking. We were about as unequipped for a skyscraper hotel arrival as humanly possible, wrestling an unorganized mountain of suitcases, a cooler, random bags, hats, and road-trip debris onto a single luggage cart.

The crowning moment of the trip happened in the elevator on our way up. We squeezed in alongside another woman—someone who looked like she might naturally be quite stoic and proper. She took one look at us, looking like a modern-day cast of The Beverly Hillbillies with a cart overflowing on all sides, and she just cracked up laughing all the way to the top floor. Her reaction brought me so much joy. After a brief struggle getting the overflowing cart down the hall (bless the random stranger who stepped in to help us wedge it into the room!), we flung open our door and gasped with delight.

Our window view of the sparkling city life right outside was incredible. The hotel itself is artsy, playful, and buzzing with energy.

And, naturally, we capped off the night the only right way: with our nightly junk journaling. I had an absolute ball putting today's page together. At the bottom of the page, I decided to pull a fast one and offered our official judge—James—a $5 bribe. And yes, I won the contest that night! Ha! (Though James firmly noted that the bribe wasn't officially considered... I still paid up anyway.)

Day 10 Stats: A lot of miles, a whole lot of grit, and a city adventure I will never, ever forget.  15,529 steps, 4.70 miles

Stay tuned Part 3 to follow soon!

My Senior Moment -Junk Journaling on A Coast to Coast Roadtrip from California to New York -- Part 1

 

The front of my "junk journal"

visited 19 states

traveled almost 9000 miles

28 days with 1 day bonus drive

Part 1 - California to Arkansas

First Day - Monterey to Lake Tahoe Sept 13, 2026

It has been a while since I last wrote here. I kept this space going as Phil walked through his journey with brain cancer—it became a vital outlet to release the angst I carried. Even through those heavy days, travel remained a tether for me, taking me to visit my sister in Denver, my friend Chris in Virginia, and my daughter in Little Rock.

Right before Phil was diagnosed, we had planned to start traveling in our van. We downsized our life and mapped out our first real road trips, only to have everything abruptly halted by cancer.

Recently, my daughter invited me to a retreat in New York to see Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. Along with the invitation, Nicole sent me everything I would need to keep a "junk journal" on the road. As we talked through the plans, a quiet realization washed over me: this was my moment to take the road trip Phil and I never got to experience.

I rented a car—which turned out to be a tiny, 3-cylinder Mitsubishi Mirage. To be honest, when I first saw and heard it, I felt a wave of apprehension. I quickly realized I would need to downsize my packing even further, especially since I was heading to Little Rock to pick up Nicole and her luggage, too.

With a departure date set for September 13, 2026, I scrambled to repack and get ready. I woke up early that morning, took a short walk (I now log 14,000 to 18,000 steps a day to manage my blood pressure, with every intention of keeping it up on the road), and said goodbye to my daughter Noelle, who lives with me.

Nervous, a little jittery, and deeply excited all at once, I christened our compact ride "Mini Bitchy" and pulled out of the driveway.

My first major destination was Lake Tahoe. I had originally planned to drive up the coast along the familiar, beloved route Phil and I always took—the one that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. In Santa Cruz, however, I hit my first roadblock: an Ironman triathlon had Highway 1 completely closed. I had to pivot, reroute, and navigate a maze of traffic straight through San Francisco.

By the time I rolled into Lake Tahoe, I checked into a spot that holds so many memories for Phil and me: Harrah’s. My room was fabulous, and I immediately leaned into some well-earned pampering—a face mask, a long soak in the tub, and an early lights-out. Between stopping for gas and wandering around the hotel, I still managed to hit 12,782 steps. It was a good reminder that keeping up my walking routine on a road trip is going to take a little extra intentionality, and I am ready for the challenge.

My first junk journal entry: 

Steps Sept 13: 12,782  4.48 miles

Day 2, Sept 14, 2026  Lake Tahoe

I woke up after a fantastic night’s sleep in Lake Tahoe, practically jumping out of bed to grab my camera for a long, beautiful morning walk. For breakfast, I fueled up with a classic, hearty meal at Heidi's, which hit the absolute spot.

The rest of the day was pure road-trip freedom. I spent a few hours just driving around, soaking in the views, and tracking down a local laundromat to prep for the miles ahead. The one thing that caught me off guard? The traffic! I couldn’t believe how bustling the town was.

For dinner, I kept things close to home and had a wonderful salmon meal at The Brew Brothers right inside the hotel. Looking back, Harrah’s actually ended up being one of my absolute favorite rooms of the whole trip. Lake Tahoe definitely didn't let me down—and to top it all off, I think I’m officially falling in love with the "mini bitchy"! 🚗📸🌲

A great walking day, I got 26,948 steps.  NICE!  9.59 miles

 Day 3, Sept 15, 2026  Tahoe to Park City Utah

The day started early with a morning walk and the dreaded task of loading up the car. I tried to consolidate my luggage and make it easier to haul in and out, but I can already see that I've brought way more than I'm actually going to use! Knowing I had a big driving day ahead, I packed a container of yogurt with the romantic intention of pulling over somewhere scenic to enjoy a quiet breakfast overlooking the lake.

Well, that plan didn't quite survive. Lake Tahoe traffic was caught in a gridlock of horrific construction all the way out of the mountains. Once I finally cleared the peaks, I hit a long stretch of highway where civilization is few and far between. Finding a bathroom became my number one priority—I had already mapped out potential gas stops, rest areas, and walking spots, but the miles were long. Desperate to eat something, I tried to quickly slam down my yogurt at a gas station along the way. Of course, it spilled, leading to a small, sticky disaster in the car. Ha! But at least I got a few bites down.

Food proved to be a bit of a moving target all day. I ended up relying on crackers, cheese, and water packed away in my little ice chest. The dry air kept inducing a relentless thirst, which only made my quest for restrooms all the more urgent—definitely the running theme of the day!

On the other hand, driving on Highway 50—"The Loneliest Highway in America"—was completely awe-inspiring. I absolutely relished every single moment of the profound quiet and striking desert beauty.

By the time I finally rolled into Park City at 9:30 PM, I had weathered a whole lot of intimidating truck traffic in the "Mini Bitchy." Finding the right hotel entrance in the dark when I was already exhausted tested my last reserves of patience, but I still managed to squeeze in a few extra steps hauling my bags inside.

Dinner was a desperate traveler's dream: I spotted someone buying ice cream at the front desk, and immediately decided a half-container of vanilla ice cream was the only appropriate meal to cap off the day. (Honestly, it made me feel a million times better.) I took a quick stretch walk around the hotel before finally hitting the pillow.

Steps for 9/15: 9,191  3.18 miles

 A quick note on gas prices: they didn't vary wildly from state to state, hovering mostly around $4.60 a gallon (though they dipped just a bit lower as I reached the middle of the country). Prices fluctuated up and down, but it hardly mattered—that glorious little car got the best gas mileage ever!

As a junk journal beginner, I knew consistency would be a challenge. I was usually beat by the time evening rolled around, but I stubbornly stuck with it, capturing the day's memories right before bed.

Day 4 and 5, Sept, 16 and 17, 2026- Park City Utah to Denver, Colorado  

I got up early in the morning and took a walk near my hotel. I stayed at the Best Western Plus Landmark Inn—it was a very nice stay with a comfy room and a great staff. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the surrounding countryside was. I walked up to the Utah Olympic Park, originally constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics to host bobsled, skeleton, luge, ski jumping, and Nordic combined events.

Afterward, I drove down and parked near Park City Main Street. I wandered around, soaked in the whimsical feel of the local art, and took pictures. For breakfast, I had a quiche at Java Cow Coffee and Ice Cream, eating right next to a giant cow statue! I also stopped by a very cool spot, Dolly's Bookstore, where I picked up a couple of books for my great-niece and nephew. I’d be seeing them in a couple of days when I picked up my daughter in Little Rock to head to New York with me.

Next up, I headed toward Denver to stay with my sister and her family for a couple of days—I was so excited. Driving across Highway 80, though? Total pain in the pattoot. I've never seen such heavy truck traffic; it made me nervous, it was getting dark, and I just wanted off the freeway. As I crossed into Colorado, I was treated to the most beautiful pink sunset, but I couldn't find a safe place to stop because I had already cut over to the country roads to reach my sister's place.

Google Maps and I had a small mishap right as I arrived, somehow getting twisted up in the neighborhood right next to hers. She had to come rescue me, and boy, was I happy to finally reach their house! Later, my nephew Zach and I took a walk around the neighborhood and caught up on each other's lives.

The guest room was wonderfully comfortable, complete with my own bath and family right around me. I was greeted by Klaus, their dog, who I seem to be slowly growing on. A true 5-star evening!

Sept 16 Steps - 11,953  4.71 miles

The morning of the 17th, I took a lovely walk near her home with my sister, Patti, and Klaus (her German Shepherd). She cooked me a delicious over-easy egg and warm toast. This stop completely regenerated me, filled my tank with family love, and got me rested up again.  

Later, Patti and I took a great drive up the mountain, stopping at Natural Grocers to grab some of my favorite Noosa (or Noor) yogurt—YUM! There was also a very cool walk in Lyons, Colorado. We went to lunch with both of my nephews, Zach and Shea, at Pepper's Fireside Restaurant and enjoyed some delicious fish tacos. Shea even gave me the cutest little glass animals to add to my fairy portals (which are available on my Etsy shop!).

That evening, Patti, her husband Ron, Zach, and I took a walk at the Gulch in Longmont, one of our favorite spots. What a pretty sunset!

The visit with my sister helped revive me; she took such good care of me.

Sept 17 Steps - 19,608 — My sister and family definitely helped get my steps in!  5.72 miles

Day 6, Sept 18, 2026 - Denver, Colorado to Wichita, Kansas

I started the morning with one last neighborhood walk with Patti and Klaus. After a wonderful breakfast made by my sister, it was time to pack up "Mini Bitchy" and hit the road. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part, and it took me a couple of hours just to get my head back in the right space.

Let me tell you: it was a long, blistering, hot-dang kind of day. Stopping for gas felt like stepping into an oven! Food was another road-trip challenge; I survived on cheese and crackers, plus the grand finale of those scrumptious cocoa-covered cashews I picked up at The Nut House in Carmel. Total lifesaver.

By evening, I rolled into the Everhome Suites Wichita Northeast, which I found completely adequate. As I checked in, I noticed almost everyone else in the lobby was part of a local road crew. I seemed to be one of the only women staying there, but the guys were all exceptionally kind and polite.

Dinner was a cozy, no-fuss bowl of butternut squash heated right in my room. My only real complaint? Even though the room was nice and spacious, the pillows definitely left something to be desired in the freshness department!

Sept 18 Steps:  12,166  3.95 miles

Day 7, Sept. 19, 2026 - Wichita, KS to Little Rock, AR

I jumped up and got packed as soon as the first light broke. It was sunny and hot early in the day, but I managed a lovely morning walk in a business park behind the hotel, where I happily stumbled onto a quiet path winding by a golf course. It was a pleasant stroll, but my mind—and my excitement—was already miles ahead, focused entirely on reaching my daughter’s house in Little Rock and starting the next chapter of this journey together.

By the time I needed to escape the mounting heat and rack up some more steps, I decided to lean into my favorite road-trip trick: walking an indoor store. Google Maps and I had a funny disagreement when the spot marked "Hobby Lobby" turned out to be a large home store instead (perhaps a recent change?). But serendipity stepped in: a Village Inn was sitting right there, so I pivoted, treated myself to a great breakfast, and officially kicked off the day right.

Cruising through Kansas on a smaller highway at 60 mph, I passed an Amish woman walking along the side of the road on what I figured was a hot afternoon errand. I couldn't help but wonder how she was handling the intense heat with the heavy "swoosh" of cars flying past her. And then... drama unfolded. A buggy suddenly cut across the highway—a traditional dress, a horse briefly rearing up, and the woman driver handling that wagon with absolute, master-level grace. Amazing stuff to witness!

Soon, I was rolling into familiar territory—places layered with memories and that comforting, grounding feeling of home. I stopped in Joplin at a casino Phil and I used to frequent, this time just to use the restroom, but on a whim, I dropped $20 into the Yeti machine. Sure enough, it handed me $80 right back before I got back on my way. A very good day indeed! Later, while driving through Missouri, I spotted a nice stretch by the river, pulled over, and got in a hot but beautiful walk.

Before you knew it, I had crossed into Arkansas and pulled up to Nicole’s house. Unloading the car was an eye-opener: holy moly, a whole lot of stuff is staying right here. I officially overpacked and realized I need to rethink my strategy. I had packed for crisp autumn weather, completely underestimating how fierce this summer heatwave would be!

To my absolute delight, James joined Nicole and me for dinner at one of our shared favorites—a spot I visit almost every time I'm in town, El Sur in Little Rock. Dinner was delicious as always, filled with wonderful company and warm conversation.

The evening mugginess outside made a traditional walk feel entirely impossible, so Target and the dollar store promptly stepped in as our air-conditioned exercise tracks. Finally, it was off to bed, filled with anticipa................tion.

We are on our way to New York tomorrow! Holy Moly!!!!

While this junk journal started as a personal memory keeper, I’m sharing it simply because making it has been too much fun! From here on out, Nicole and I will be staying up each night to work on our journals—right up until we officially pass out from sheer exhaustion after our wonderful, busy days.

Steps 9/19 - 11,574  3.99 miles

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming very soon!