Second Leg of Tour, May 23 to 26

The Alabama/Mississippi leg. This one was all driving. Lulu met us in Auburn on Monday, and off we went! First stop, Birmingham, where we went to a mall (Pete is very experienced in the ways of malls; my sister says that's the price he pays for being a DiSclafani boy) and I saw Keya and Rebecca!; then Oxford, where Lulu and Pete mainly stayed in the hotel; then Jackson, where Pete went swimming for the first time!

Hotel rooms were an unexpected source of fun for Pete. Everything is bolted down, so he could basically roam free. He discovered a new passion, second only to the pleasure derived from holding a remote control: the hotel safe. He spent hours (more accurately, several minutes) pressing the buttons and closing and opening the door.

The drive from B'ham to Oxford to Jackson is one my mom and I have made before; it's beautiful. That part of the country feels very remote. There's not much in between cities in the South.

Selfie at The Summit in B'ham (Pete's poor face!)

We don't need no highchair!

With Keya after my Alabama Booksmith signing

With Rebecca, who I've known since she was a little girl!

At Square Books, in Oxford

Latergram from the Booksmith

Poster outside the Booksmith

Breakfast at a biscuit place, following the worst night of sleep Pete has ever had. He woke up every hour.

At the beginning of the worst night of sleep. He looked so peaceful.

On our way to doing what we do best: eating!

Oxford! Where Faulkner was a postman.

Jackson, at an oyster place! The fun thing about being on tour is eating.

And...Pete spent a lot of time on a hotel bed, flopping around.

This tractor was enormous. I made my mom and Pete pose in front of it.

Right before our first swim, in Jackson (he loved the water!).

A bad idea?

From Lemuria Books, where I did my reading in Jackson

All suited up