Home Sweet Home!

We're here! We're here! We arrived about 8:30 pm after driving a total of 3,788 miles! Whew! Can't believe it but we're here! It was an amazing road trip! My dog was happy to see me, Ben's cat was happy to see me, and my family was there to welcome me home with balloons and a cute banner! So tired so we are off to bed! Night!
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Pics from Labor Day Weekend!

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Day ???: Last Day of Driving

We are off for our Final Day of driving (thank god)! It was great to get a good break in (especially since we have driven 3,159 miles so far) , but we still have about a 11 hour drive ahead of us. We are currently on Highway 95 down through Idaho, the corner of Oregon, and now Nevada as we make our way to Interstate 80 to Winnemuca. There really is NOTHING out here for 246 miles. Only a few little gas stations and a few towns that give us both the heebie jeebies. These are the roads that you pray you don't break down on, especially cuz our phone haven't been working. But we are almost to the main Interstate where we can finally get food and pee! Then we pretty much stay on I-80 west through Reno and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to our home! As much as I love roadtripping, we are ready to reach our final destination!
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Pics from Labor Day Weekend

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That's one dirty car...

As you can see above... One of the downsides of driving such great distances is that your car becomes super bug demolisher! If you look closely, it almost looks like splatter paint art full of a variety of colors and textures! LOL! Luckily Ben's cousin had a free car wash coupon we used. We'll still collect bugs today, but it won't be as bad.

TIP for cleaning: Use Bug & Tar removal to successfully get everything off and be prepared to do it a few times. Then wash your car completely. Also, be prepared to have some minor minor rock scratches and dents in your front end.
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My Labor Day Weekend in Idaho!

Hello there! It feels like its been forever since I wrote on this dang thing because this weekend has been amazing here in Idaho! We arrived last Thursday night to Ben's cousin's house here in Boise where we were also accompanied by some of his extended family. Then on Friday in the early afternoon, Ben and I drove up Highway 55 to McCall, Idaho to prepare for his brother's wedding. Making the drive up there along the Payette River, finally made me realize how much more there is to Idaho than just potato and corn fields along the interstate. Then once we were actually in McCall, a favorite vacationing spot for Boisians, I realized how much there is to do there. The rest of Friday was devoted to all those pre-wedding activities and meeting many of the family and friends of the bride and groom that would be at the wedding.

On Saturday, we wanted to explore McCall a little. So we joined his sisters, Tania and Joanna, and Joanna's fiance, Matt, this really good outdoor restaurant for lunch and then Ben and I walked around the little downtown area next to the lake. There was a really good candy store there and a lot of yummy looking restaurants, but not as many shops as I was expecting - a lot of real estate companies actually. Ben had to get over to the wedding earlier than me since he was a groomsman so then I got ready with his sisters. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and sweet as they said their own vows to each other. It was just one of those beautiful days, not a cloud in the sky, with mountains in the background that was meant for a wedding. We did the usual wedding things as we ate and danced the night away. The amazing thing was that we could see every star in the sky. There is something magical about that which makes you think about how we take life a little too fast sometimes. We said goodnight to the bride and groom by making a tunnel lined with sparklers. It almost felt as if the stars were down on the ground with us.

On Sunday, we got up real early to go Jetskiing in Payette Lake. At first Ben thought this was the best idea his little sister ever had, but when he realized it was only 45 degrees when we woke he changed his mind about that. LOL. We watched the corny safety video, put our wetsuits and life-jackets on, and made our way down to the lake. Ben was the only one who had gone jetskiing before so we all wanted to follow his lead, but how can you follow someone when they keep stopping to whine about how cold they are! Haha! I'm just giving him a hard time- it was pretty cold! It was only 55 or 60 degrees with a 30 degree windshield considering we were getting up to speeds of 40 mph. So Ben and I stopped for about 45 minutes to warm up with some coffee. By that time it had warmed up a lot more and we went out for the last 20 minutes so he could share some fun tips about turning real fast! Hehe! Pretty good adrenaline rush! After we cleaned up at the hotel, we made the 2 hour drive back down to Boise. Ben showed me the capital building and took me to this yummy pizza place called Piehole. We chilled at his cousin's house in the pool and then went to another yummy restaurant called Ram.

Yesterday, on Monday, we spent the morning/ early afternoon showing me all around Boise and what it has to offer. We ate breakfast in the North End at a little neighborhood restaurant where the houses were gorgeous and from all different decades. Then we drove by the capital building again and Boise State University and then went walking around one of their many parks. I learned that they have bike paths everywhere that go along the Boise River on their own little road called the Greenbelt. Then we went up of the hills in Boise where the old train station is which overlooks the downtown area. There were also some gorgeous houses up there. Then we lounged some more in the pool, played some dice games and went to dinner at the place called Donnie Mac's. This restaurant was made out of an old car garage and had an awesome menu! We enjoyed playing some more games after walking to a homemade ice cream place!

Spending time in Boise definitely made me realize that you can't just drive through a state and truly say you have been there. You need to check out what the locals do in order to adequately judge the place. I'll definitely be coming back!
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Day Six

So we slept in a little this morning since yesterday was a long day of sightseeing. We drove through the windy Snake River Range on highway 22 and 31 as we made our way into Idaho. It actually was a very pretty drive until we got to the interstate here in Idaho then it just got boring! We'll be driving I-15 south to I-86 to I-84 to Boise, Idaho where we will be staying with Ben's cousin and meeting up with a lot of his family to prepare for his brother's wedding. We are ready for a mini-break from roadtripping because we have driven 2,483 miles as of this morning.
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The Grand Tetons at Dusk!

We weren't able to get out of Yellowstone until almost 7 pm and then by the time we made our way to the overlooks that give you an amazing view of the Grand Teton range, the sun was just about to go down behind them. I had never seen the mountains with that effect before and it was breathtaking. With the sun setting behind the mountains it made the Snake River look purple and change the shade of every green in the grasses and blues in the sky to colors I can't even begin to describe. I felt bad that Ben wouldn't see the sun shining bright on the mountains, but he was in just as much awe as me. This picture doesn't even begin to show all the colors present along the range as the crescent moon came out. We even saw another moose after we left this overlook. By the time we go to my favorite overlook (the Snake River Overlook) where you see the famous image of the Snake River making S-curves towards the Tetons, the sun was pretty much set with just a hint of purple and orange left along the mountain range. Sitting there, just Ben and I, reminded me of how lucky we all are to have had the insight to preserve the beauty that our very own country has to offer. I know I'll be back soon!
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Yellowstone!

The first (and I believe the grandest) National Park! For those that don't know about Yellowstone's history on its formation- thousands (maybe millions) of years ago it was a huge volcano that erupted and blew it's entire top of forming a caldera (the outline shown on the park map and by the surrounding mountains). The caldera has formed into a variety of sights: rivers, lakes, valleys, canyons, forests, hot springs, mud springs, and geyers. The park is so large that we really only saw about a fourth of it today in the six and a half hours we were there. We came in the East Entrance, stopped for a yummy lunch, walked around all the mud springs and geyers and sulphur caldrons, then saw some waterfalls that lead into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, some more waterfalls, drove along Firehole Canyon, then watched Old Faithful blow! And to top it all off it was a beautiful day and we saw a mama moose and her baby!! My dreams are complete!! <3
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Some Pics in Yellowstone

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Our Little Log Cabin Last Night!

We stayed in the Cody Cowboy Village located in Cody, WY, about an hour outside of Yellowstone, last night. It was such a quaint, little place in this rodeo town and it was so awesome to stay in a mini log cabin. The only downside is that they are not very insolated from the sound outside so when our neighbors (these douchebag guys) came back from the bars at 1 in the morning yelling at the top of their lungs and walking on the gravel we were instantly awake. We tried to go back to sleep, but it was difficult when we could here their entire conversation about how they were looking for some cowgirls but all they saw were some cows. Luckily one of our other burly neighbors got up to tell them to quiet down and then our AC kicked in and all was quiet again!
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Day Five: Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks

The most exciting day ever is ahead of us! So far we have driven 2,252 miles! We stayed the night only an hour outside of Yellowstone and are currently driving through this beautiful valley next to the North Fork and Shoshone Rivers. Our plan is to spend most of the late morning and afternoon in Yellowstone going around the lower circle where Old Faithful, some hot springs, canyons, and waterfalls. Then we will spend the afternoon to late afternoon driving down through the Grand Tetons (my favorite of all). Then we will be staying in the beautiful tourist town of Jackson Hole, WY.
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Two-Thirds Of The Way Across The Country!

2,000 miles down!! WoW! And so much left to do and see! :)
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Day Four: Wind Cave National Park

Our itinerary for the day: Eat a good breakfast, drive the scenic route through Custer State park (where we saw Bison, cool looking deer, a coyote, and prairie dogs) to Wind Cave National Park to do the Cave Tour (which was AWESOME!), then back to Custer, SD for lunch, and now we are driving up Route 16 back to I-90 in Wyoming, then we'll take Route 14 through this wInDy road over the Bighorn Mts. (I've driven this road in the past and at night it is Terrifying which is why we are doing this during the day time!) And then we will be staying in Cody, WY about an hour and a half from Yellowstone!
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Mount Rushmore Last Night!

Yesterday was a nice relaxing day that we didn't have to rush around or drive a million miles. We drove through Badlands National Park, I showed Ben Wall Drugstore in Wall, SD which is this drugstore from back in the cowboy days (I think...), then we found Culver's again in Rapid City, SD and went to Mount Rushmore last night. Luckily we got there an hour or so before the lighting ceremony so we were able to snap off some good pictures and take in the sculpture and then we sat through the lighting ceremony which consisted of a park ranger telling us all about how Mt. Rushmore came to be and what it represented (including a shout out to George Mason!), and then a 20 minute video about Freedom and each of the presidents, but by the time we got to the lighting part, clouds covered the sculpture :(. Oh Well! It was still great to participate in it and honoring all the veterans in the crowd. Then we found our way back to our hotel as lightening was lighting up the whole sky (although I thought it was some kind of light show... Lol) and then a crazy big storm hit as I crashed! The Comfort Inn in Custer, SD was super nice and I had the best sleepo I've had in a long time. By last night we had driven 1,831 miles!
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Badlands National Park

We didn't think they would be this pretty! As Ben has decribed it over and over again "it just looks like another planet". More pics to come!
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Comforting... Real Comforting...

Just the kind of sign I wanna see at my rest area... And I wonder how close the nearest hospital is?! And why aren't there any emergency call boxes here?? Lol
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Officially in Mountain Time Zone!

So we officially just crossed over into Mountain time zone, making us 2 hours earlier than east coast and only 1 hour later than the West coast! Almost to the Badlands, but I hope this rain goes away!
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Econo Lodges... SMH...

We stayed in an Econo Lodge last night in Sioux Falls, SD and after many bad experiences at Econo Lodges I really didn't want to stay in this one but the price is right. (BTW for the older folks out there (i.e. Mom and Dad) SMH stands for "Shake my Head") Let's just say that they are definitely the lowest of the low within the Choice Hotels chain. It seemed okay at first and it was defintely the quietest one I've been to. But as we entered our room we noticed a weird smell, but tried to think nothing of it. A little bit later as Ben was running the water, he made a sound of disgust. I thought there was gonna be a bug or something, but it was really because the water smelled like rotten eggs. I got up to make sure he wasn't crazy, but sure enough the water had a sulphur like smell. Eeeeccckkk! Good thing to know before either of us got in the shower! So then a little bit later as we are trying to fall asleep after a long ass day I think Ben and I were thinking the same thing- about how uncomfortable and square the pillows were. I just felt too tired to go out to the car to get my comfy pillow, but when Ben said "I think I'm gonna go get your pillow outta the car." I sprung right up and replied "If you bring that pillow in here, I'll fight you for it!" Hahaha! But being the Gentlemen he is, he handed it over! :) Then the breakfast this morning was all carbs and nothing served hot unlike all the other choice hotels. Let's just say I am done with Econo Lodges! Okay vent over! :)
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Econo Lodges... SMH...

We stayed in an Econo Lodge last night in Sioux Falls, SD and after many bad experiences at Econo Lodges I really didn't want to stay in this one but the price is right. (BTW for the older folks out there (i.e. Mom and Dad) SMH stands for "Shake my Head") Let's just say that they are definitely the lowest of the low within the Choice Hotels chain. It seemed okay at first and it was defintely the quietest one I've been to. But as we entered our room we noticed a weird smell, but tried to think nothing of it. A little bit later as Ben was running the water, he made a sound of disgust. I thought there was gonna be a bug or something, but it was really because the water smelled like rotten eggs. I got up to make sure he wasn't crazy, but sure enough the water had a sulphur like smell. Eeeeccckkk! Good thing to know before either of us got in the shower! So then a little bit later as we are trying to fall asleep after a long ass day I think Ben and I were thinking the same thing- about how uncomfortable and square the pillows were. I just felt too tired to go out to the car to get my comfy pillow, but when Ben said "I think I'm gonna go get your pillow outta the car." I sprung right up and replied "If you bring that pillow in here, I'll fight you for it!" Hahaha! But being the Gentlemen he is, he handed it over! :) Then the breakfast this morning was all carbs and nothing served hot unlike all the other choice hotels. Let's just say I am done with Econo Lodges! Okay vent over! :)
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Day Three: The Beginning of our National Parks Adventure!

So we were able to sleep in a little this morning, which was very much needed after our long day yesterday! Today is a straight shot down I-90 West through South Dakota. It will take us about 4 and a half hours to get to Badlands National Park. Then we will have dinner in Rapid City (probably at a Culvers again) and then we plan on seeing the evening lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore! I'm excited to see this because I have already seen Mt. Rushmore three times, but this will be diffferent! :) And we'll be staying in Custer, SD in the Black Hills right by Mt. Rushmore.
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Day Two Completed... Whew!

WOW! Now ya'll know how much I love road trip but that was a long day of about 800 miles (I'll get an odometer reading tomorrow morning). We drove for about 14 hours today and drove through 4 states and just over the border into Souix Falls, SD. But luckily we are back on schedule! Yay!

How did we make it through such a long day, you ask?! (1) Take a lot of breaks- More than you think you need, like every 2 hours or so. (2) the passenger is there to keep the driver awake and get them whatever they need. (3) Snacking does NOT help the time go by faster even though you will have the urge, it just makes you feel bloated and gain weight since all you are doing is sitting. (4) Establishing mini-goals for destination points along your route, so counting down the miles doesn't seem so overwhelming. (5) Music! Music! Music!

National Park traveling begins tomorrow with the Badlands! :) Night! We will be sleeping in!
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HAHA! Let me know if you need more info...

This is what we found at one of the rest stops in Minnnesota! Makes sense since we really were in the middle of no where. What makes this group different from regular singles groups?? [Insert funny hillbilly joke here... Hehe]
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Skys of Iowa and Minnesota

So I warned Ben that it would be all cornfields today and I think he finally believes me now! LOL! But the skys were beautiful today as you can see from the pics above! One of the downsides of driving west is that you are driving into the sun making signs difficult to see, but you get to enjoy the sunsetting right in front of your eyes. This picture doesn't even begin to show how every color of the rainbow was present. As Ben described it- it was the midwest version of Aurora Borealis! Looking forward to some more beautiful sights!
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Updated Odometer Reading!

Yay! We hit 1,000 miles completed! I guess we are a third of the way done?!
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Officially West of the Mississippi!

Just crossed over the Mississippi river a few miles back! Still about 6 hrs of driving to go!
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Mmmm... Culver's!

We were looking for lunch and Ben was trying to find a White Castle or Chik-fil-a but no such luck. We were gonna settle for a Wendy's when we saw the Culver's Frozen Custard place. I had eaten the frozen custard but never the food. You can see the pic above to see how good Ben though it was. His only comment: "Dude if there was one on every corner who the f*** would eat McDonalds?!" Truly DeLiCiOuS!! Custard is just so much creamier than ice cream or frosty's! One of the things I love about this area!
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The "Not-so-emergency" Emergency call box!

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One more thing about that rest area...

It was also very comforting to know they had these blue emergency call box until Ben said in a southern accent, "oh you're in trouble sir?? I'll be right there in bout 45 minutes."

-__-

Ruined all the feeling of security since we were kinda in the middle of no where!
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The PRETTIEST Rest Area!!

I am always amazed at how different Rest Areas are from one another, but this one was officially the prettiest one I have ever been to. This rest area came complete with colorful flowers surrounding the building, modern restrooms, an actual person to get information from, the BEST and freshest hostess cupcake from the vending machine, a lake with a fountain in the middle, and a nice little wooded hiking path with some historical markers! BeAuTiFuL!! So stop at the rest area just past Danville, Illinois on I-74 West! Okay... Excitement is passing! :)
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