There’s only one way to travel and that’s the Leathers’ way. I realize most Brentwood folks think tooling down to Destin or Gulf Shores at the drop of a hat or flying off to the Aspen or Big Sky or Vail is the way to go, but not my family.

No, we managed to hit seven states in four days, staying in three hotels and racking up close to 1000 miles on the ol’ mini-van. The adventure started on Friday and ended early Monday afternoon. And we saw not a ski slope or beach – unless you count the brown hills of Gatlinburg or the low lakes of Georgia.

First we headed west to The Peabody Hotel and the Liberty Bowl. Brentwood did Beale Street proud, let me tell you. Every time I turned around I saw someone I know. But that paled in comparison to the actually bowl game. I saw more locals in Memphis than I’ve ever seen at a home Vandy game.

Who should wave between the handrails of the stadium’s ramp but Vice Mayor Rod Freeman and his  bride, Dinah. Former Tennessean editor Frank Sutherland was there with his 91-year-old mom. Dr. John  Bright Cage and a slew of Drumrights were seen in the mix. As were Porters, Petiphers and Pastinas. Rick English was there with former Brentwood banker Chuck Lassing, whose son Fitz is a Vandy tight end.

Waiting at the top of the stairs for the rest of my party to make their way up section 122 stairs, who should I see but fellow members of the Iroquois Dinner Club – Marcella and Godwin Harrison and Susan and Bob Lyons.  The list goes on.

At next year’s Chick Fil A or Gator or Capitol One Bowl, maybe we’ll have an official BHP tent to welcome everyone. That would be for a Vandy game, of course. We’re not talking an Orange bowl. I’ll leave that for my BHP partner Kelly to host.

So, how did we spend the next 48 hours?

Ninety minutes after the game was over (congrats to Cincinnati by the way), the Town & Country was headed southeast toward Tupelo but there was no time to stop and check out any of the advertised Elvis Presley landmarks.

We sped through Birmingham, hit Atlanta right at midnight and kept going until we arrived in Commerce, Ga. Never knew there was such a place but can heartily recommend the Best Western if you’re desperate for four hours of sleep. That’s how much we got before headed east again for a 10:30 a.m. appointment at Berea Friendship United Methodist Church.

You see, son Martin was giving the sermon in Greenville, S.C. and we were determined not to miss it. A Brentwood High and recent Furman University grad, he’s youth pastor at the small church and was filling in for the vacationing senior pastor.

We made it. With five minutes to spare.

If you’ve never been to Greenville, you really need to put it on your destination list. That’s where I’m planning to retire in about 10 or 15 years -- or sooner if this BHP thing doesn’t work out.

Early Monday morning, we headed home, with North Carolina being the last state to travel through before reaching the Volunteer one.

Exhausting? Yes. Next road trip: The beach. But never Destin. Siesta Key’s calling my name.

Seeing everyone I know in Memphis in the middle of winter is one thing. The beach in bathing suit weather is an entirely other matter…

 Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com