Mankato to Hollywood - Sarah and Hobbit

Hobbit:
Howdy!! We have arrived in Hollywood, FL and are making final preparations for the journey. It was a long 2,800 mile road trip that was full of surprises and reunions. We started at 10:00 AM on Thursday from Mankato. We drove through the night and stopped in Asheville, NC to visit Lauren. She was kind enough to let us relax at her place. THANK YOU!!

Once we ate, back to the road, next stop Wilson, NC. We arrived to open arms and cold beers - well deserved after many miles of driving. Vann and Whitney were kind enough to put us up for the night and host a get together for old friends. We went downtown for dinner and live music with Whitney on lead vocals - awesome!!

After a long night of reminicing, we made arrangements with Keith who was kind enough to offer to have Mr. Bojangles for the winter (since Vann's dog was none to fond of Bo). So change of plans, we were off to Wilmington to visit with the James Gang and Megargee. A fun filled Halloween was had, even with the children running around screaming.

Finally it was time to drop Mr. Bo at Keiths's in Winston-Salem. Sunday we made the 3.5 hour drive to Kieth's house. The beauty of this is that Mr. Bo and Buddy hit it off right away and everyone was happy!! I'm guessing that Bojangles has forgotten who I am by now and that he is in dog bliss chasing buddy around the back yard all day.

That brings us to Florida, and here we sit preparing for The Big Condor, a four month adventure across the Continent of South America. The trip includes the countries of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. Sarah and I will be using all forms of transportation including horseback, chicken buses, melon trucks and the soles of our feet. We have created this blog so that those interested in our journey can follow the hilarity that will most certainly ensue, the amazing sites and interactions and of course see photos of these things.

So check in periodically, we should be updating it about once a week. Enjoy your winter, be safe and have fun!!

Hobbit

Sarah:
We've arrived in Hollywood, Florida and are spending some time with Hobbit's parents, doing last minute shopping and preparing to leave in the morning.
Our roadtrip from Minnesota took a long detour through North Carolina, where I got to meet many of Hobbit's friends from college and we dropped off Mr. Bojangles (Hobbit's very special dog). As it turns out, all of the stories are true. The hippies and rednecks were all so welcoming, kind and funny! Thank you for your hospitality and for keeping Hobbit alive through graduation! I look forward to seeing you again.
The reality of what we're about to do is finally starting to sink in. I've basically been roadtripping around the country for work since May, so this whole thing has been a little surreal, like every other time I pack up the car and head to another state. But now, I'm setting aside my car keys, and tomorrow my phone; you know, the things I'm never without. It's pretty wierd. I think I'll start to get nervous tomorrow.
I hope to see some of you on the trail in the South American summer. For all the rest... Keep warm this winter!
Peace,
Sarah