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??

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!

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. 

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!!!

   

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.