I’ve always wanted to get to use “The More Cowbell Tour” in a sentence. Thanks to the summer roadtrip and my extraordinary friends and readers, 2015 was the year! Sadly, I didn’t make it to the East Coast or the Deep South. However, I had so much fun, I know I’ll be doing this again. 🙂
The More Cowbell Tour spanned 29 days and 15 states. It was wild and memorable and fun. And tiring. The back half of the summer slipped away from me. But the Little Bean started kindergarten last week and I am BAA-A-A-CK.
I missed you guys!! And I’ve been having to sit on amazing tidbits like Orlando Bloom’s underwear habits for days. It’s just not right.
The More Cowbell Tour 2015 Map
Basically, I did a big oval across our fine country. We missed Iowa and Nebraska, but touched most of the rest of the middle somewhere. Just imagine my little Honda following (approximately) that black line.
And, from Minneapolis on, this was a mother/daughter trip. She did great – that girl can travel. Much better than Mommy. Did I mention I hate driving?
However, I love my family and my kid saw about 80% of her immediate relatives on this trip. After last summer of all hip rehab-all the time, I was overdue to see my family.
Plus, we got to ride the party bus with a bunch of Hubby’s family during his family reunion. This thing had strobe lights and a privy. It was radical.
(And yes, that’s my hair flying out the window on the right.)
Here are a few of the highlights:
Getting the chance to visit with so many of my online pals LIVE was seriously amazing! I’m saving more pics for a future post, but here are a few.
Piper Bayard and Margie Lawson were the only two I was able to see in the early part of the trip. And Colorado was soooo beautiful.
My little one adored Margie’s granddaughter, Scout, and (once we got her over the “bitching about bugs” part) she loved hiking on Margie’s mountain.
I was only able to spend an hour with the effervescent Jess Witkins, but she fed me for the entire rest of the road trip. She’s so much fun!
Important question: How come I didn’t know cheese curds existed before? OMG.
My gal LOVED Gene Lempp and his wife. Not only did she commune with his cat, she treated him to an entire dance Frozen dance recital, which gave me a chance to catch up with my Wonder Twin.
We have been ROW80 buddies and partners in crime across the interwebz for four years, but finally I got to give him a hug! I’m hoping he gets back to blogging soon.
There was much much more, but I’ll stop for now. I have an Undie Chronicle and a post on the Bag Whore in the hopper, to help make up for taking the summer off. I didn’t necessarily plan it that way, but it ended up being a family-first kind of summer.
I have missed y’all dreadfully. What was the most amazing thing you did this summer? What is on deck for the Fall? Which section of the country should I pick for the next More Cowbell Tour?
~ Jenny
That looks like a lot of travelling Jenny and yet you’ve hardly dented the Country. Maybe to save driving next time, you should come abroad.ha ha. Actually, it looks a lot like you could tour eith the West or East coasts and be nearer home.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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It was a TON of traveling, David. Really, a bit more than I bargained for, but it was really good for my Little Bean. I’d love to do an East Coast extravaganza, from say Virginia, all the way up to see Natalie Hartford in Canada. That would be awesome. 🙂
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It was so great to see you and your family!
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I had so, SO much fun with you and your family. And look at how good you are doing with your knee! Obviously I left great healing vibes at your house. 🙂
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Duuuuuuuude so glad to hear your back from your Cowbell Tour. Thought I missed out on your posts by coming late to the party. So glad I didn’t. Liked that party bus pic, looked fun! Welcome back to Cali 🙂
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I am back! I’ve even been to the beach since then. 🙂
And here’s something you should know – I know your name from around the web and visiting your blog and hearing about you from Susie Lindau. So, when I saw you come across my subscription list, I was all fan-girl, like “No way! I got the Guat?!!”
Just thought I’d let you know (and WELCOME TO MORE COWBELL). If you want to get all caught up, just follow those two links in the last paragraph. Those will give you the essence of More Cowbell in 10 minutes or less. LOL.
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Ahhhh. You crack me up, fan girl. 🙂 who youuuuuu talkin to? I used to stop by sporadicly and really liked your stuff don’t know why I just hit the subscribe button, should have happened a while ago when I also discovered you through Susie at one of her blog parties 🙂 better late than never 🙂 rock on glad you’re back 🙂
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Thanks, girlie!
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Welcome home and back! It was so good to see you and meet the bean. I can’t believe she’s in kindergarten now. I just picked up more wisconsin cheese today. You’re missing out. LOL
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Thanks, Jess! And I can’t believe she’s in kindergarten either. How did this happen so fast. *wails*
Will you squeak a cheese curd and make yummy noises for me? Pretty please…
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You’re back, you’re back!!! Let the cowbell ring and then let’s add more 😀. I think it’s marvelous you took the summer off and had adventures and spent time with family. The summer flew by, but I’m ready for fall. I adore the s hoop pic!
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Uh…s hoop is actually supposed to be SCHOOL. *sigh*
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I knew that, but since you corrected it so cute, I’ll leave it. I usually correct stuff like that. 🙂
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Tillian sniffed around for a day trying to determine into what carpet fiber the magic dancing Bean had vanished. Wild how Little Girl enraptured my familiar. *smile*
It was absolutely fantastic to spend an evening with you in person, only wish it could have been longer, which only gives me reason to call, text, email, and send whispering snowflakes through the Frozen message network.
Appreciate your wish, and think you will see it fulfilled soon, Wonder Twin. By the way, we never did tell them what we turned into when the Wonder Twin rings finally met…perhaps another day. *wink*
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That’s so sweet! I love that your kitty pined. 🙂
Now start putting out some new material dude. And stay tuned for a grand story about the Bag Whore. He slayed me.
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Pick the Deep South! We”ll find a clogging group in traditional dress and take pictures of their gingham bloomers on display as they lift their A-lined skirts in the air. Yeah, I used to do that. 🙂 Your little bean is so adorable!
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I want to come to the Deep South, Deb! I have pals in Texas, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia. In fact, Patricia Rickrode just bought a B&B with a stupendous writing porch that is calling my name. 🙂 The Baer House.
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What a great trip, Jenny. So glad you had a blast and got to see friends and family. You already know about my amazing first-time-to-Europe cruise this summer. We don’t have any trips planned for the fall, but someone we both know and love (Kelly Roberts!) is coming for a visit next month and I’m hoping we’ll be able to see you while she’s here. 🙂
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I think that’s so wonderful that you cruised Europe. I’ve heard the best things about that trip. I’d love to come up and see The Kellys. Y’all are amazing. 🙂
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Fantastic. I’ll keep you posted. She’s in town from October 5th till the 10th. 🙂
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Ohmygawd, you’re going to have so much FUN! Aren’t you in Santa Monica?
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Yes we are! And no, we live in Hollyweird. 🙂
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Wowzers…no wonder you’ve been dying in this heat.
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That is so cool. Doing a road trip like this is on my wishlist. I travel a lot for biz but it’s not the same. Guess I’ll have to settle with the cruise we’ll be on in December.
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Phil, I traveled for business for years and the difference is that you can only do little short things – go to a museum (I did the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland) or a restaurant or a shop. You’re always fitting it in around a business agenda. It was very bizarre to do this kind of loose plan like I did with my Baby Girl.
Of course, toward the end she was so homesick for her daddy, we jumped on the fast track for the drive back. Still, it was an amazing trip for her and she and I totally bonded.
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Looks like an incredible trip of a lifetime. WOOT WOOT!
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It was very fun! And it made me want to do a trip that involves the Eastern seaboard, all the way up to New Brunswick. 🙂 I would so love to do that during the Fall foliage time. Squeeee!
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Yay! So good to have you back girl! I loved that More Cowbell tour. (Maybe it’s because I got to see you. 🙂 ) I am also happy the “Bean” did so well on the trip. She’s a natural traveler. And it was so great to see you two. It was a bummer about the hubby, but we won’t go there. Can’t wait to hear more…Cowbell! ❤ ((Hugs))
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Thanks, darling! She did really well, but man was she ready to get home. More photos are forthcoming. Including some cute ones of you. 🙂
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Well put me down for the deep south trip. You know there’ll be some exciting thing happening here at the Baer House in Vicksburg.
Thanks for sharing the pix and the fun. Looking forward to more.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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Now I need to look up Vicksburg! No Starbucks, but surely there’s a ton of OTHER cool sights. I need to see if Kait Nolan is anywhere near you. Y’all can visit on that kickass porch I want to sit on. 🙂
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I was very happy to catch the Phoenix performance of “The More Cowbell Tour”.
I especially loved the Cheerios art & the Cirque du Action Figures. Twas great to see you on your way through AZ!
-Jay
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The Phoenix performance was a highlight! I totally wish I’d had more time. And it was fun to see my favorite DDK in person. I had no idea you were a kid whisperer..
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So glad you’re back, Jenny! Sounds like a fab time – hit the east coast next time! Lots of us peeps are here and we’d love to see you! ❤
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I would love to hit the East Coast for a Fall foliage tour at some point. Or for Spring in DC – those cherry blossoms are so pretty. 🙂
No trip to the East Coast would be complete without seeing my beloved Owens in Virginia. We WILL get to hug live some day!!
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What fun! I love road trips! I’d rather drive than fly since I am a total white-knuckle passenger. Cool pics, looks like you had a great time!
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We did have a wonderful time. I really like flying, but I dislike the security lines and crabby people at the airport. I think to get to see the people I want in the future, I’m likely to fly somewhere in the US and rent a car the next time. By the time I got all the way across the country, I’d be ready to just fly home!
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You could spend 29 days and not get through all of Texas! 😉 We’d love to see you around here, though. Bring Little Bean, and maybe we can find some cowgirl boots for that girl! (Pink?)
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OMG, she would LOVE pink cowgirl boots! I noticed, just with dipping down to see Laura at the top of Texas that the state takes forEVER to drive through. I don’t know how the locals ever see every part of their home state. California is big, but Texas is massive. 🙂
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Great sharing of your tour, Jenny. Next year, get that black line to include upstate New York. My neighborhood in Syracuse would be welcoming! 😉
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