May 2009
5 posts
The end is near
We’re getting to the end of our little adventure. I just spotted a sign saying 45 miles to New York. Today I discovered just how beautiful Pennsylvania is and why the Poconos is a vacation spot. Gorgeous! I’d totally visit there…not sure if I’d want a heart-shaped bed or a champagne glass hot tub, though. While driving through the rolling hills of PA, we passed over the...
The last leg
We woke to hazy sun and a mild case of conjunctivitis in my right eye. Needless to say, I swabbed the entire cab of our truck with antibacterial wipes before we got on our way. A hot compress and the thought of spending tonight in a clean bed have cause minor improvements in my eye already - I just have to stick to a firm “no touching” rule today. I’m not a travel expert by any...
Holy Toledo
We’re having dinner at Olive Garden. ‘Nuff said.
April 2009
28 posts
No Chi-town for me
Today is the first day it rained. It was a pretty sparse rain throughout eastern Iowa and most of Illinois but we got caught in a downpour just outside of Chicago. That didn’t stop me from wanting to go visit campus. As we flew by I55, then I94, I thought about pulling off of I80 and making my way up to 57th Street. But Evan was right: where would we park? The monster we’re driving...
Are we there yet?
Western Iowa is just as beautiful as I’d imagined - pastoral, with rolling fields and huge farms. We made it to Des Moines last night, just as it started to drizzle, and this morning, it’s still pretty wet. So far, we haven’t seen much of eastern Iowa because the fog is quite thick. It does feel like we’re getting closer to “civilization,” though. Towns are...
The longest stretch
We’re still in Nebraska, which I just learned is the state with the longest stretch of I80. Who knew?? We just stopped at rest area near Grand Island. The rest stops in this state are wonderful - kind of reminiscent of those on the Merritt Parkway - sparkling clean, with maps and pretty “pet exercising” areas. It looks and feels like it’s going to rain. And if your nose can...
It is such a gorgeous day in Nebraska. We left Laramie, WY, this morning and I drove through the eastern part of the least populated state, through western Nebraska, and until we stopped for gas and lunch in Ogallala. This is the part I was most excited about when we left San Francisco: Nebraska. Mountains I could imagine, the rough land of Wyoming I’d experienced a few years ago in college...
Wyoming Is Like Whoa
Definitely the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen from an interstate, but lord, it is aggressively sparse. The landscape quickly confirms that, yes, this is the least populous state and it shall ever be so. Mountains and buttes abound, with no evidence that anyone has ever even thought about inflicting some sign of habitation on them. What signs you do see are just remenants; abandoned...
Rollin, rollin, rollin
We’re heading steadily eastward on I80, through Utah. Wyoming is a mere 20 miles away. We got on the road yesterday morning after Budget finally provided us with the dolly we needed to hitch our Prius to the truck. (Sidenote: if anyone knows anyone who needs a Prius, let’s talk…).
I continue to be in awe of the West. California is certainly in a class of its own, but Utah - wow....
