Thank you all so much for your replies. You can rest assured that I will do nothing to spoil the vacation. I'm kind of excited about the trip myself: Two two elderly adventurers setting out to discover the new world, what a time they will have!!
I worry of course. I keep emailing them that this is a VERY long drive and while they will find helpful friendly people along the way, they will be sitting (driving) for days seeing almost no one. I've made the trip 6 or 7 times and even when I was 22 on my first trip, it hurt getting out of the car sometimes; and these two are 76 and 78. But I've warned them, given them the numbers of all the state police on their way, and told them how to flag down the cops if their phones don't get any reception. I've told them that almost anyone they see will be willing to help them if they say, "I'm visiting from England and I need ....." They have arranged to have every kind of car insurance known to man and a big comfy car. They are competant adults and I have to trust them to handle themselves.
The real bottom line fact is probably that I'm annoyed at my happy-go-lucky sister who is finding relatives all over the world and not checking anything out!! I admit that I sometimes follow my sister around behind pointing out the truth of things and ruining her joy. These folks ended up on the tree during a time when I was dilligently explaining to my sister that we very likely were not descended from some Duke somewhere.
But I hadn't thought about them feeling hurt or deceived. That's a very true point. So. The decision is made. I will not say a word at least till they leave. Then maybe in 6 months or so, I might say something.
Thanks again for all your help. Talking it out with you folks really crystalized my thinking.
