We packed out of our lovely Council Bluffs suite where we stayed over the past four days and hit the road. On the docket today was to get to Sioux City to visit my favorite Aunt. The skies were sunny and warming up as we loaded the car. It would eventually get to 75 by the end of the day.

So, along the way, following the Missouri River north, I couldn’t help but notice all the leaves were turning – brilliant yellows and reds. It was beautiful. We saw the bluffs where the Native Americans once met for their councils, hence the name “Council Bluffs.” I guess I had never noticed the bluffs before.We stopped at a rest stop for a comfort stop and saw on the map a sign that advised: “Don’t Just Travel to Get There, Enjoy the Drive.” That’s exactly what we are doing, I thought. My driver agreed. We are enjoying each moment; each landscape; each historical marker; each stop along the way.

Realizing we would get to Sioux City earlier than we had originally planned (since we made some last minute adjustments and skipped a couple of stops) my driver called ahead and changed our Toyota appointment from tomorrow morning to this afternoon. They were happy to accommodate us.

We found a “Chick Fil-A” and grabbed a quick sandwich and cup of soup before dropping the car off for it’s regular service appointment. I walked over to a nearby Wallmart while my driver waited in the customer lobby at Toyota.

With a fresh oil change, new spark plugs and a tune up we pulled out of Toyota just in time to make our scheduled meeting at my Aunt’s apartment complex. She was sitting by the phone waiting for us to call and was surprised we were already there. Her directions were to go to the “back door” where she would meet us and show us in.

It was so good to see her and hear all about her family and what my cousins are doing. We went to “Culvers,” for dinner (a new place we had never before been to) and I was delighted to find their menu had one of those essential Midwest sandwiches – the pork tenderloin. It was delicious. Can’t get enough of them. Soon we’ll be home and there will be no pork tenderloins in Seattle. We all had ice cream for desert and enjoyed each others company. Since my Aunt no longer drives, we offered to take her anywhere she might want to go. She requested “Dollar Tree” – since everything there is only a dollar – and she wanted to pick up a few items.  I had no problem accompanying her into “Dollar Tree” as I love that place, too.

Back at her apartment we made plans for tomorrow and called a cousin and another Aunt to arrange for possible visits. We shared some pictures and laughed about the last time she had been at our house when she remembered I had made Ruben sandwiches which we took on a picnic to the park by our house.

We parted with plans set to pick her up in the morning at 9:30 to go visit the town where she and my father were born and grew up. We will not just be traveling to get there, but will be enjoying the entire drive; the visit; and the memories we will make together.