Well, it’s been a whirlwind month, but thirty days after Dan drove away from Cody to begin his 8,000 mile drive around the country, we’re all back with our families in familiar surroundings! What an excellent adventure – and here are a few pictures to show just how much fun we had!
LANDSCAPES
Dan drove from Texas to Virginia to Arizona… and boy, did we see some country!
PLAYING TOURIST
From the Antietam Battlefield in Maryland to downtown Nashville, Tennessee, we really tried to experience our country’s varied cultures!
VENUES
We played in some AMAZING theatres! And churches… and RV parks… and in hotel rooms and friends’ homes!
ON THE ROAD
The longest we stayed at one hotel was three nights – otherwise it was every day or every other day that we drove and moved into another hotel. We got really good at living out of our suitcases!
PERSONALITIES
And we had FUN! Stephanie is our “class clown” – Shelbi is always up for adventure. Wendy is the den mother – Dan is our fearless leader.
So now we’re going our separate ways again – Shelbi is spending the winter with her family in California; Stephanie is studying for her real estate exam and hanging with her folks in Billings, Montana; Wendy is reporting news from northwest Wyoming; and Dan is getting ready to hit the road again in a couple of weeks to host National Finals Tonight in Las Vegas. We look forward to joining up again in February and bringing the show to venues in Texas and New Mexico!
In Culpeper, Virginia, we explored the beautiful historical downtown, and took a few hours to hike around the woods and trails of that lovely town.
The morning of the 3rd we loaded up Dan’s truck and made our way to Harwood, Maryland, about two hours down the road. Our mid-afternoon performance was also well-attended, and Wendy and Stephanie were thrilled to have friends come to the matinee!
we once again drove two hours, this time to Hagerstown, Maryland. What a bustling city, with a very different – yet equally historical – downtown.
it was her college education come to life… and the rest of the group was equally interested in spending a couple of hours immersing themselves in America’s past.
And what an AMAZING venue – the Maryland Theatre is by far the most classical location we’ve played.
Jackie is one of THE premiere bluegrass fiddlers/mandolin players in Nashville, and is also one of the most highly respected luthiers in the business! He restores fiddles, guitars, mandos, anything with strings… and he took a few hours Tuesday evening to give a fiddle lesson to the girls!
Lower Broadway, the Parthenon, J. Alexander’s for lunch and a brisk walk through the Opryland Hotel Atriums! Steph and Shelbi took in the night life, listening to a fabulous band perform at one of the honky-tonks downtown.
She’s been practicing with us for the last month, preparing for the remainder of the tour, beginning in Terrell, Texas at the end of this month! Stephanie played an evening with Wendy and Dan on Sunday evening at the Holiday Inn. She’s going to do great!
has capitalized on the appeal of Amish goods, and draws thousands to the theatres, shops and restaurants.
Diner Cruise with last year), and although the owner of the Blue Gate had never heard of us, our fans, family and friends made sure that he will remember us after Saturday’s show!
