It is a good thing we don't travel like this normally, because I would have a mutiny on my hands months ago. We have covered hundreds of miles each day, in the stereotypical "family road trip" style, visiting roadside eateries and gas stations and convenience stores ... and not much else.

People ask us how we can tolerate being "on the road" all the time. They think we do nothing but drive every day. What a life that would be! I often find myself explaining the difference between traveling and driving, and all the while I'm thinking, "You poor person. You've never really traveled at all."

Fortunately, our driving episode is coming to an end soon. We are only about 90 minutes from Lafayette IN. Emma has tolerated the long car rides fairly well but I think we'll all be glad to get out tomorrow and set up at Airstream of Indiana for a couple of nights.

We haven't done this sort of stop since last November. It's fun, like a rally or a party. We get to talk aluminum with fellow Airstreamers (and Airstream wannabees) all day long, show pictures of our travels, check out the new units on the lot, and kick back for a couple of days.

In the meantime, I am thrilled with our new battery bank and the Tri-Metric readout that David Tidmore installed. We have twice as much reserve power as before, and the Tri-Metric tells us exactly how much we are using, how much we need to charge up, and the exact status of our batteries. It's going to be even cooler when we get the solar panels on top.