BACK HOME IN SOUTHERN NEVADA – Kenny and Kerry Freeman are back home in Southern Nevada following a 31-day trip covering 5,014 miles that took the couple back to Crandon, Wisc., for some of the most exciting off-road racing in the world before heading home.

It was one of those trips that every one of us thinks about taking but few of us actually do it. But this time, the Freemans carried out their wish and returned home refreshed and revitalized after a trip in a motor home while towing a trailer complete with a 1600 off-road car.

Vegas is hard to leave for a pair of reasons. First off, there is extensive planning required when thinking about a trip to Wisconsin and back. There is a substantial monetary commitment along with proper planning to make certain that the family’s Freeman Carpet is properly manned during the absence.

You don’t plan a trip like this overnight. During the planning process, there are undoubtedly countless concerns to address along with the packing and planning the route to and from the destination.

Then, too, there is always the concerns related to bumps in the road during the trip. On one occasion en route to Wisconsin, the Freemans found a softball-sized bubble on one of the trailer tires but a good pit stop combined with a quick trip to a parts store rectified the problem.

For the record, Kenny Freeman finished seventh and ninth in races at the legendary Crandon International Off Road Raceway where some of the world’s top talent provided an incredible show in front of tends of thousands of fans in party-happy Crandon about 100 miles north of Green Bay.

There are not enough photo albums to capture the memories of the trip taken with the couple’s family mascot, Maxie, who is undoubtedly one of the most energetic Yorkshires in history.

Wisconsin provides a fascinating element primarily because the citizens there are light-hearted individuals who work hard and play hard in a setting unlike most any other area of the country. Good old down home fun is part of life and when you combine the beautiful scenery in Wisconsin with the competition of Crandon, the only problem may be the trip home.

In a sense, this particular trip was a teamwork effort in which several friends and family members followed the Freeman couple to Wisconsin. Well-known fellow off-roaders Tommy and Kelly Bradley flew back for the event and if there was a problem, it was probably the fact that long-time competitor Tommy Bradley wasn’t competing in Crandon after several years of top-notch efforts.

When the competition in Crandon was completed, the Freemans pulled up stakes and headed for the return trip which undoubtedly had them in awe the entire time considering the endless miles of farm land and everything else that makes people from the desert gawk at the change.

Stops included the Mt. Olympus amusement Park in Wisconsin where the Freemans spent five hours cooling off. Then, the couple did a jet boat ride on the Wisconsin River in boats with 1,200 horsepower that run 70 mph.

After all, would you ever believe that a couple whose first date was Craig Road Speedway in North Las Vegas could possibly turn down the chance to go peddle-to-the-metal on the water?

From there, the Freemans did 300 miles to Iowa, the heart of the nation’s farm land before heading on to Nebraska to Broken Arrow Wilderness RV Park where they waited out the weather for two days. And while there, the couple learned all about what is called Tanking on the Cedar River.

In short, tanking is a form of competition where people pile into tubs on the river equipped with everything from water hoses to enough booze to service the Fifth Infantry. Non-stop battles pit the heartiest of souls and just as was the case at Crandon, the Freemans held their own as Maxie perched herself on the bow of the tug to watch out for attacks by the enemies.

Once the Freemans had dried their clothes and survived the two days of battles on the Cedar River, it was on to North Plate, Neb. Then, it was on to Denver for another 300 mile trip before running I-70 in the Vectra motor home with 8 percent grades.

After another 550 miles of cruising in the Vectra, the Freemans found their way to Salina, Utah and Butch Cassidy RV Park. Finally, they journeyed to Papa Ken Freeman’s cabin east of Cedar City, Utah.

And while they were in Southern Utah, the Freemans checked on the status of their own cabin under construction just southeast of Cedar City, the home of gorgeous country not to mention endless outdoor activities.

The Freemans arrived back in Las Vegas July 3 and after the trip back, it’s likely their last 200 miles had to be the longest considering the fact that temperatures in Southern Nevada were soaring and the beauty of the trip was suddenly replaced with the brown of the desert.

“We would not trade a trip like this for anything,” Mr. Freeman said adding that the journey was made possible thanks to great dedication on behalf of many employees at Freeman Carpet. “It’s not easy to leave behind a business to take a trip like this, but we have some awesome people working for us that made it possible. I can’t say enough how much we appreciate everyone for making this possible.”