The second leg of the Great Alaskan Adventure is officially underway.
Before the convoy ever left Maryland, there was already a story to tell.
Sam volunteered to pick up lunch for everyone before departure. Due to construction, the only practical parking option near the sub shop was a parking garage. The Bronco, loaded with bikes on the back, sits just under seven feet tall. Conveniently, the garage entrance was marked with a seven-foot clearance.
After successfully picking up 6 correct sub orders, as she exited the garage, one of the bikes caught the exit gate and knocked it completely off.
At that exact moment, a police officer happened to be pulling into the garage and seemed more than a little excited about the opportunity to write a ticket.
Fortunately, the garage manager came over, took one look at the situation, noticed the clearance bar was actually hanging lower than the posted seven-foot limit, reattached it to the lever, waved off the officer, and sent everyone on their way without incident.
With lunch secured and the first adventure behind us, the convoy finally hit the road.
For this leg of the trip, Zed had the van pulling the camper with the littles (Zoe and Dax), while Sam drove the Bronco hauling the bikes with the bigs (Mia and Ana).
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that life runs smoother when the kids are paired off. We rarely keep the same groupings for long. Depending on the situation, they become the bigs and littles, evens and odds, or ends and middles. It gives everyone a chance to spend time with different siblings, creates some one-on-one time, and usually keeps the peace.
The drive itself was smooth and uneventful, highlighted by two mandatory Buc-ee’s stops. For those unfamiliar, Buc-ee’s started as a small Texas convenience store in 1982 and has somehow evolved into a road-trip institution. Part gas station, part department store, part barbecue restaurant, and part social experiment, it has become famous for spotless restrooms, endless snack options, and enough beef jerky varieties to make decision-making a legitimate challenge.
Naturally, the Davies Herd could not pass two Buc-ee’s locations without stopping at both.
After a long first day, both vehicles rolled into Sevierville, Tennessee, ready to rest up and prepare for the miles ahead.
Herd Stats Round 2
Miles Driven: 485
States/Provinces Traveled: 2
Tire Blowouts: 0
Animal Sightings: 0
Running Stats
Hotels Occupied: 12
Herd Morale: High
Sanity Level: Optimistic
The Davies Herd 
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