Pam & Mary’s Big Bus Adventure (Harvey stays at home)

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.

Proverbs 21:5

Since I haven’t gotten around to printing my Bruce and Pam Coast2Coast Adventure blog yet and I had to pay for another year of service, I decided I may as well blog some more, right? I’m going to attempt to blog my new adventure if I have time. I’m not sure how being responsible for 15 additional people will change my available blog time, but we’ll see.

I know you’re all wondering what in the world is going on NOW? Well, here’s the back story: About 5 years ago I went on a really fun bus trip with my mom up to Michigan and through Canada to Niagra Falls and back. It was so much fun that when I got back I told Bruce that we needed to be hosts for one of these trips. It didn’t end up working out then, but the company (which is based in Rolla, MO – my home town) called me a few months ago and asked if I was still interested. Um …. YES!!! Bruce is not able to go now (because he went on bike trips to Missouri, Texas, Colorado and Arkansas already this summer, and well, he DOES still need to work sometime) so my friend, Mary is accompanying me as hostesses on a bus trip to the Southeast Atlantic States.

I know you are all picturing us at the front of a greyhound, wearing little hats and scarves and holding a pennant. Well just stop! Our bus has had a little work done on the inside. The first 6 rows or so are regular seats facing forward with a little table in front of each of them. Then there is a row of seats facing backward so that people can play games along the way. In the middle there is a kitchen (where Mary & I will fix lunch for everyone each day) and then sofas and an easy chair in the back. And of course a bathroom.

We will stay in hotels each night, travel and visit interesting (although sometimes a little unusual) sites during the day and end with dinner at a restaurant each evening. Although from what I’ve heard it doesn’t really end there. Some of these travelers are avid late night game players, so we’ll see how this all pans out. I love games. My family plays them with me occasionally (like at Thanksgiving and my birthday) to appease me. But we’ll see how I stand up to the pros.

In an attempt to have a little practice cooking in a roaster and electric skillet for 20 people … did I mention our kitchen only has a roaster, crock pot, electric skillet and microwave? … I have tried a few recipes at home. Since we are going south, I wanted to add a few southern dishes into our menu. Some were successful. Some were not.

One important fact I need to point out … I am NOT driving this bus. Thankfully we have an awesome bus driver, Saul, who will get us everywhere we need to go.

Mary and I figured out our recipes for the week and went to Sam’s, Walmart, Costco and Dollar Tree yesterday to buy ingredients for all our recipes. We got the car loaded and headed to Rolla today. Tomorrow we load the bus and Tuesday we head out! Can’t wait!