15 January 2012

Cross Country Day 12

Start: Forest, Virginia
End: Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington
Miles: 2913

Our cross country move has officially come to a close. It's a bitter sweet ending, because it's been an awesome time of vacation for our family, yet we're happy to have this trip behind us. Washington is a beautiful state, and I'm very happy to be here! The drive from Gresham here was amazing. We passed through forests that still held the marks of destruction from the explosion of Mt. Saint Helens 22 years ago. Snow had fallen over night, turning much of our drive through forests into an expedition through a winter wonderland. It took us two hours to arrive from Oregon, and we immediately headed to the vet to get Scotty updated on his shots, since he will have to be boarded for the next ten days. Then we headed to a hotel for the night, and are planning on moving to Post lodging in the morning, provided the boarding place is open to put Scotty in. We drove into Joint Base Lewis - McChord for the first time together, in the snow. Our first stop was the PX to eat some lunch and to buy me a new pair of shoes (my snow boots were accidentally packed up with our home goods, so I only have my very soggy moccasins to walk through snow and ice in). Then we went to the library to print off a couple of items. We met up with one of John's friends for dinner (he's a blast!), and now we're getting ready to turn in.

This vacation has been rewarding in so many different ways. It's amazing to be a family again and to be able to spend a few days of uninterrupted time together. I loved seeing the different views and sites each state afforded, and it was amazing to see the differences state by state. I have also gleaned a more full appreciation for the United States as a whole from this drive. This country in which we live and work and play is so amazing, and there are so many hidden treasures tucked away to be found (I mean, who really thought that there would be awesome waterfalls in Idaho, potato capital of the world??).

Tomorrow begins our days of work in trying to get everything organized for us. Soon we will be moving into a new home, and I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to see what these next two years will hold for us!

Cross Country Day 11

Start: Pendleton, Oregon
End: Gresham, Oregon
Miles:  198

Today was very short mileage wise. We decided that, since we were going to be driving through Portland on our way up, we'd stop in Gresham to see a couple of my most amazing friends. The drive through Oregon started out, again, somewhat questionable. The factories in the area really detract from the natural beauty of the state, which is a very big shame. The factories soon faded away, however, and were replaced by beautiful mountains and a gorgeous, long, river. Most of the drive was alongside said river, with cliff walls on the opposite side. It was some of the most stunning scenery I'd seen, and also the scariest drive. The wind started picking up as we came closer to Gresham, sometimes knocking my poor car to the other lane. Then the rain/snow hit. It wasn't near as bad as driving through the blowing snow in Wyoming, but it was much much wetter. Waterfalls sprang up on the cliff faces as water coursed down the rock walls. As beautiful as it was, I was incredibly grateful to reach our destination. I'm not a fan of driving in rain. At all. We checked into our hotel and rested for a few hours before heading to dinner. We met two of our friends, Jonathan and his wife Amy, at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch some UFC fights and catch up. We never really "caught up" so to speak. Just picked up where we left off. They're pretty amazing friends, if I haven't said so already.

After the fights were over, it was back to the hotel to get ready for the last day of driving on our cross country tour.

14 January 2012

Cross Country Day 10

Start: Twin Falls, ID
End: Pendleton, OR
Miles: 346

Our morning started out with a brief trip to Shoshone Falls. Who knew that Idaho had such beautiful scenery! The falls were stunning! I crept down to a viewpoint (the stairs were covered in ice) to grab a few shots. There was a double rainbow stretching over the falls, and tons of birds! The entire area was a beautiful and grand way to begin our day.

Our next stop was in Oregon, which meant driving through more of Idaho. I truly loved watching the scenery pass by. I've already said that each state we pass through is more lovely than the last, but Oregon seemed to want to test that theory out. We crossed the state line in Ontario, Oregon, and it was one of the smoggiest, grossest places that we've passed through thus far. A lot of factories and smoke, and almost no scenery. I was incredibly happy to get past that town, but I didn't think Oregon could recoup from that. I was (gratefully) proven wrong. More mountains encompassed us and a very large national forest with some of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen! We stopped for a bit in La Grande, Oregon, where we were planning on spending the night. After a fruitless search for a suitable hotel, we drove another fifty miles to Pendleton. We ate dinner at Hamley's restaurant and Saloon (food was AMAZING) and we walked around downtown for an hour. I picked up some books at a local used book store and John bought me a beautiful new ring from a curio shop. Then it was back to the hotel to relax in our jacuzzi tub and sleep.

Today we travel to Portland to see friends and watch the UFC fights, and tomorrow we arrive in Fort Lewis, Washington. Our trip across the country is nearly over!

Here are some of the pictures of the falls in Idaho. If you ever get the chance, visit them! They are well worth the trip!






12 January 2012

Cross Country Day 9

Start: Rock Springs, WY
End: Twin Falls, ID
Miles: 365

Mountains, mountains everywhere! It was a beautiful day for a long drive through some amazingly beautiful mountains. After showering and finding out that wet hair freezes when it's less than 10 degrees outside, we decided to eat some breakfast at IHop, where it took four cups of coffee to warm me back up. Balian had a Nutella and banana crepe, which was very very good (Mommy stole a couple of bites...). Then it was off into the wilderness for another 356 miles interstate travel. We stopped for a rest break in Ogden, Utah after crossing some very beautiful mountains. Instead of eating lunch, we walked around Target, FYE, and Petsmart. Balian fell in love with the guinea pigs and the parakeets! It was also Scotty's first time in a store like that, and he had a good time and received a few treats for being a good boy! Starbucks was right beside the exit, so we stopped in for a couple of coffees and scones (pumpkin!!). Then it was back on the road for another 175 miles. I have decided that Utah is now my number one favorite state, and am convinced that the further west you drive, the more beautiful this country becomes. Utah has the best of everything, plains, mountains, even beach (alongside the Salt Lake, which was completely frozen over). Idaho is just as pretty, especially at sunset. We came to the town of Twin Falls after sunset, crossing over a vast canyon to get to the city. We stopped at the hotel and ate a quick bite, then went to Barnes and Noble to walk around for a bit. Balian loves that place almost as much as his momma does. Upon walking through the door, he sighted an Angry Birds set up, and rushed over saying, "angry birds! angry birds!" He then proceeded to pick up and carry every stuffed animal he could possibly get his little hands on.

Tomorrow we're going to visit a waterfall and a canyon, then head further north to La Grande, Oregon for our third to last stop. Until then!

11 January 2012

Cross Country Day 8

Start: Sidney, Nebraska
End: Rock Springs, Wyoming
Miles: 356

O...M...Gosh... Last night I was up at 2 am listening to the wind threaten to tear the building apart. This morning, we drove in that same wind. That same wind was also blowing freshly fallen snow across the roads, making it nearly impossible to see in spots. Thank goodness I wasn't driving! There were spots on the roads where the sand had mixed with the ice to the point you could not see the lines of demarcation on the road. Pure insanity. And it was COLD!!! It dropped to about 4 degrees, and was only 11 when we stopped to eat in Laramie, Wyoming. Laramie was the valley in between mountains. We passed through part of the Rockies on the way there, then through a few more patches of mountain (just small ones) afterwards. In Laramie, the sun was beautiful and shining. On either side through the mountains, it was like a blizzard. The blowing snow did stop long enough for me to get a few pics of the mountains (below). The weather started clearing nicely after the second set of mountains we passed through, and by the time we dropped from elevation 9000 to elevation 6000, the sky was a brilliant blue again. Wyoming is an absolutely beautiful and wild state. I saw a type of deer I have never seen before (called a prong deer) and a few wild horses. We arrived in Rock Springs and found a hotel for the night, then ordered pizza (which John bought while I gave the puppy a bath) and watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1. Tomorrow we advance to Salt Lake City. It's supposed to be a clear and beautiful day, so hopefully snow won't slow us down!


Driving in the mountains



Hey look! More mountains!

Caution: Blowing Snow

Our trip at one point (John was going so slow...)

Could any cross country trip be complete without windmills??

10 January 2012

Cross Country Day 7

Start: Lincoln, NE
End: Sidney, NE
Miles: 346

We thought we were going to be able to get out early, however, we've been very messed up on time since changing time zones. At 7 this morning, it was still very dark outside, so we slept in a little longer than originally intended. We ate at the lounge, where Balian promptly threw up all of his breakfast, which sent us scrambling back to the room for a quick shower. After that fiasco, we jumped on to I80 for all 346 miles, stopping in a small town to eat lunch at a Chinese buffet. John and I switched driving at this point, and he drove for the last two hours to our final destination (for the day) in Sidney, Nebraska. After bringing clothes and the dog inside, we went out the original Cabela's store, which, after visiting the original Bass Pro in Springfield, left much to be desired. They did have some pretty impressive taxidermied animals, including a polar bear and a moose! Moose are much bigger than I had ever imagined, and I don't think I would ever want to see one in person. Maybe from a distance, but definitely not up close. Afterwards, we went to walmart to pick up some dinner, then back to the hotel room to chill for the rest of the evening. We are now two hours behind everyone in the east coast, with one more time zone to cross before reaching Washington. Tomorrow we're hoping to cross most of Wyoming, and maybe enter into Utah. Until tomorrow, then!

09 January 2012

Cross Country Day 6

Start: Springfield, MO
End: Lincoln, NE
Miles: 368

We had a later start than I had wanted this morning, but it was good to be able to spend a couple more hours with my grandparents. We talked about the education system in America over breakfast, then it was time to repack the car and head out. The drive out of Springfield was uneventful. The scenery north of the area is beautiful as the Ozarks began to turn into large expanses of farmland. John got into an argument with the GPS in Kansas City, resulting in an extra 15 miles. As the sun started setting, we crossed into Iowa for all of 10 miles, then crossed into Nebraska. The area is absolutely beautiful, with stretches of little mountains and lots of farmland. I was awestruck as the setting sun set the fields ablaze and the mist rolled in. We stopped at the hotel to unload some, then headed out to Applebee's for some dinner. Now we're back in the hotel and ready for another long stretch of driving tomorrow!

Cross Country Day 5

Rest Day

For some unknown reason, Balian has decided he likes being an early riser. We woke around 7 and breakfasted with my grandparents. Grandfather had made cranberry and walnut bread and muffins, ly which were absolutely scrumptious. After showering and dressing, John, Balian, and I headed to Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, where the world of Bass Pro began. This Bass Pro is also the largest in the US. It's huge. And I love it. We walked around, ate a snack, and looked at the ginormous gar that were on display in the various aquariums. John saw a fleece he liked, so I snatched it and bought it for him. I should have looked at it first, though, because the one I bought him was a women's size!! Back in I go to exchange it for a man's size, then back to the grandparents house for some ham, potato salad, rolls, and brussell sprouts. For dessert, we had homemade pumpkin pie and coffee. Balian adored his piece, and especially the whipped cream! I started a load of laundry and we sat with Grandmother and watched some of The Good Wife, then off to bed for an early start.

Cross Country Day 4

Start: Jackson, TN
End: Springfield, MO
Miles: 329

The morning started out late. I unpacked then repacked the car in order to get everything to fit, then we headed  on our way. We stopped by Starbucks for breakfast, then jumped on the interstate, became very turned around after the GPS couldn't decide where it was going, then finally started on our long stretch of road. We entered Missouri and the Ozarks around noon. That was marked by a large suspension bridge over the Missouri (or Mississippi River, depending on where you're from) and a large amount of duck hunters and their dogs. We passed through some of the smallest towns I've ever seen and came within 20 miles of the Missouri/Arkansas state line. The south has Rednecks. Missouri has hillbillies. We stopped for lunch at a McDonald's in Van Buren, Missouri. The inside of the convenience store attached to said McDonald's was filled with taxidermied deer heads and maybe one or two boar heads. Yup. Two hours later, we landed in Springfield, however on the hopposite side of town from where my grandparents live thanks to some mayor's decision to combine "Valley" and "Road" and then put an "ave" behind it. Regardless, we made it, and had a lovely dinner with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and my cousin. 

06 January 2012

Cross Country Day 3

Start: Gatlinburg, TN
End: Jackson, TN
Miles: 349

So much for starting early. It took us nearly an hour to get the car packed from our hotel room. I swear we didn't acquire that much stuff while were in Gatlinburg! So why won't it all fit??? After a trip to the post office to  drop off a couple of packages (including a package for two amazing boys who live in Georgia), it was off to Jackson, which is halfway to Springfield, Missouri (where my grandparents live). We stopped for lunch in Arby's after becoming thoroughly confused on why it was still 11 am when it was supposed to be 12 pm (hooray for time change!). Our next stop was Wal-Mart to pick up a sun shade to use in the car for Balian, who had been crying because he couldn't properly see Despicable Me. While we were there, we also picked up a handy dandy backpack leash for the boy. He promptly fell on his face after it was put on. That was our last stop before arriving in Jackson, Tennessee. John even let me pick the hotel for the night (which is a nicer one than he would have picked). After unloading shower stuff and our clothes, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for a delicious dinner. Back at the hotel, Balian enjoyed a nice bath and wrestle time with mommy and daddy. Now, time for bed to get ready for another day of driving, and two days of rest. 

05 January 2012

Cross Country Day 2

Day of Rest

This morning started earlier than I would have liked, but it worked out to our benefit. After getting ready to head out for our day exploring Gatlinburg, we discovered that our hotel room door didn't lock. That made us feel spectacular (not). We left before the maintenance guys arrived, but the door is working properly now (hooray!). We headed up the mountain into the Smoky Mountain National Park, where we drove around for an hour or two, stopping every once in a while for me to take pictures (some of which will hopefully be up tomorrow!). Afterwards, we went out to Sevierville (Dolly Parton's birthplace in case you ever wondered) and at a delicious meal at Zaxby's. Balian fell in love with the onion rings. He ate two of them! Then it was off to the Ripley's Aquarium! It was stunning and beautiful! There were penguins, underwater tunnels, and some fun things for kids to do! Balian hated the shark room, mainly because of the giant mechanical shark's head taking up most of it. The aquarium has been one of the highlights of our trip so far. We drove back to the hotel for a quick rest, then walked back out into the town, down one side of Gatlinburg to the Hard Rock Cafe (good food, good music, good time) then back up and into a sword store. If you know John, you know there's no going to a sword store without buying a sword, or in this case, two! I am now the proud owner of my very first sword (Hadhafang, Arwen's sword from Lord of the Rings) and John now owns Anduril. We're dorks, and I love it!

Tomorrow we're stopping in Jackson, Tennessee for a night before heading onto Springfield. We were thinking of heading out early, but somehow I doubt that will happen. :)

See you all in Jackson!!!

   

04 January 2012

Cross Country Day 1

Starting point: Forest, VA
End point: Gatlinburg, TN
Total Miles: 305 miles


This morning started out with a bad stomachache for me and lots of cleaning. The movers didn't get done until late, so we left the cleaning for today. BIG mistake. SO MANY DUST BUNNIES!!! We cleaned and cleaned, and still wasn't able to get it perfect (thanks to Balian's "art" on the walls...). And then came the packing. We bought a 10 cubic foot car top carrier to help with the bulk. Even so, we barely have room in the car. Hooray for partial-dity moves... That and the backseat crammed with food from some of the most loving people in the world (you are all AWESOME!). We left Lynchburg around 5 after dropping off the keys to my townhouse (the people moving in were there waiting on the keys) and getting some gas. We stopped for some Taco Bell about halfway, which was awesome. I haven't had Taco Bell in ages. Balian did well on the trip. He slept some, then after dinner we put his new DVD player to use and let him watch Despicable Me. He started crying a little, so we turned it off thinking he would sleep. Nope. Just screamed louder. Needless to say, Despicable Me stayed on for the rest of the trip.

Now we are in our hotel in Gatlinburg, ready for some sleep and some relaxation.