The past few days I have been reflecting heavily on where my life was this time a year ago, where my family's life really. Looking back, planning the road trip was one filled with excitement and hopeful anticipation. Upon returning from this nearly three week long escape, we have often talked of doing more trips. Being on the road had a profound positive experience on us. We bonded well for being stuck in the car for ten or more hours per day.
As for the ultimate goal of finding where we belong, we have stayed put in the Portland Metro area for now. Barely two weeks after our return home, I was employed with a wonderful company with a much better opportunity for growth in my career. Coming back, there are many qualities of my home I appreciate after passing through so many different regions and cultures of our country.
What is most interesting is some of the news events that have happened to the different regions we passed through. For example, hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma twister all happened in areas that left an impression on us. The devastation these storms have left has broken my heart.
I feel fortunate that we not only had the chance to make this trip a year ago, but also that my daughter was able to experience so many different sights to add to her growth and memories. I never forgot the cross country trip I made in a car on I-40 at age five, even if it was just a long distance move rather than a family vacation. Still to this day, that trip made a big impression on me as it marked the beginning of my formed memories.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The End
The end.
On this amazing trip, we drive 7900 miles through the United States through 25 states. Maggie saw some amazing and significant sights in America. This trip was to help us regain perspective of our lives in Oregon. We needed to see the country to either appreciate Oregon or to speculate if another place is better for us. The memories we made have bonded even closer as a family, and I am grateful we had this opportunity to make this trip.
On this amazing trip, we drive 7900 miles through the United States through 25 states. Maggie saw some amazing and significant sights in America. This trip was to help us regain perspective of our lives in Oregon. We needed to see the country to either appreciate Oregon or to speculate if another place is better for us. The memories we made have bonded even closer as a family, and I am grateful we had this opportunity to make this trip.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Day 18-Coming home
Day 18
Hitting the road again, it was more the same of plain Montana. Butte was sort of cute with the exception of the carved cliffside. Missoula was even better, but not how I imagined. In this part of Montana, I was expecting more trees, but instead the landscape was more barren.
As we moved north and west, then Montana became beautiful. The Rockies ruled here, with rock formations and evergreen trees. Then, we came to the border of Idaho..
Of all the places we drove through, the beauty of this area captured my heart. northern Idaho is nothing like the I-84 drive. Couer d'Alene Lake is extremely beautiful, and those who live by it are so lucky in my opinion. I was so busy admiring the beauty, I forgot to get a picture.
We were now in the home stretch once we crossed into Washington. The drive from Spokane to Tri-Cities is extremely uneventful. I highly recommend taking a nap if you are the passenger.
The last 3 hours of our drive was in Oregon, and a familiar one. It seemed like the longest 3 hours of our trip, but once we came into the Columbia Gorge, we had a great appreciation of Oregon's diverse beauty.
Driving through Portland during rush hour took another hour! But it was good to come home.
Hitting the road again, it was more the same of plain Montana. Butte was sort of cute with the exception of the carved cliffside. Missoula was even better, but not how I imagined. In this part of Montana, I was expecting more trees, but instead the landscape was more barren.
As we moved north and west, then Montana became beautiful. The Rockies ruled here, with rock formations and evergreen trees. Then, we came to the border of Idaho..
Of all the places we drove through, the beauty of this area captured my heart. northern Idaho is nothing like the I-84 drive. Couer d'Alene Lake is extremely beautiful, and those who live by it are so lucky in my opinion. I was so busy admiring the beauty, I forgot to get a picture.
We were now in the home stretch once we crossed into Washington. The drive from Spokane to Tri-Cities is extremely uneventful. I highly recommend taking a nap if you are the passenger.
The last 3 hours of our drive was in Oregon, and a familiar one. It seemed like the longest 3 hours of our trip, but once we came into the Columbia Gorge, we had a great appreciation of Oregon's diverse beauty.
Driving through Portland during rush hour took another hour! But it was good to come home.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Day 17-Super awesome South Dakota!
Day 17
Our road trip is coming to an end here soon, but not before we explore some real gems of the west.
Our first stop for today was of course Mt Rushmore. I was hoping it wasn't too touristy like The Grand Canyon, and it wasn't. I really appreciated Mt Rushmore. The little town of Keystone nearby looked super fun, and we vowed to come back to this area.
After Mt Rushmore, we headed to Deadwood. Mark had been a fan of the HBO show, and wanted to see this historic town. Unfortunately, it was a letdown, unless you like gambling and shopping.
Devils Tower was next, and on our way through Sundance, we got pulled over for speeding. Obviously not much is going on in this town, but the officer let us off without a ticket. I think having a child in the car helped.
You can see Devils Tower from a distance, so we opted not to spend the money on going into the national park. Instead, we stopped at a trading post, got some ice cream, and snapped some photos of Devils Tower. Then we were off to Montana.
For some reason, I had the idea that Montana was pretty. Not the eastern half! Around Livingston, we encountered a thunderstorm with high winds and an intense downpour. Then, we saw smoke in the distance and could see it was a fire probably started by the lightening.
Bozeman is where we spent the night, and we were lucky to find a decent room. This town was booked! At this point, I was glad this was our final night on the road as I was eager to get home.
Our road trip is coming to an end here soon, but not before we explore some real gems of the west.
Our first stop for today was of course Mt Rushmore. I was hoping it wasn't too touristy like The Grand Canyon, and it wasn't. I really appreciated Mt Rushmore. The little town of Keystone nearby looked super fun, and we vowed to come back to this area.
After Mt Rushmore, we headed to Deadwood. Mark had been a fan of the HBO show, and wanted to see this historic town. Unfortunately, it was a letdown, unless you like gambling and shopping.
Devils Tower was next, and on our way through Sundance, we got pulled over for speeding. Obviously not much is going on in this town, but the officer let us off without a ticket. I think having a child in the car helped.
You can see Devils Tower from a distance, so we opted not to spend the money on going into the national park. Instead, we stopped at a trading post, got some ice cream, and snapped some photos of Devils Tower. Then we were off to Montana.
For some reason, I had the idea that Montana was pretty. Not the eastern half! Around Livingston, we encountered a thunderstorm with high winds and an intense downpour. Then, we saw smoke in the distance and could see it was a fire probably started by the lightening.
Bozeman is where we spent the night, and we were lucky to find a decent room. This town was booked! At this point, I was glad this was our final night on the road as I was eager to get home.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Day 16-In the midwest
We headed out early this morning as we wanted to get as far west into South Dakota as possible. Our drive through southern Wisconsin was quite pretty-too bad I didn't get any photos. I was surprised at the scenery here, I would love to further explore Wisconsin someday.
Minnesota is another state I had wanted to know more about, but unfortunately this trip is just passing through. We drove right along the southern border of Minnesota, almost into Iowa. We stopped for gas and food in a little town called Blue Earth, and this is who we met:
The Jolly Green Giant!
We got into South Dakota in the afternoon, and it was HOT. One of our stops along I-90 was a town called Mitchell. This town is famous for the Corn Palace. The outside structure is made from corn cobs, and the intent is to promote the usefulness of corn.
Next stop was Wall South Dakota, but not before a detour into the badlands. This was a completely spontaneous stop, and a great one too:
We got into Wall later in the evening. What a fun town! Of course we stopped at Wall Drug, and that place is amazing (if you like to shop and want free ice water).
So far, South Dakota has been my favorite stop along the road.
Minnesota is another state I had wanted to know more about, but unfortunately this trip is just passing through. We drove right along the southern border of Minnesota, almost into Iowa. We stopped for gas and food in a little town called Blue Earth, and this is who we met:
We got into South Dakota in the afternoon, and it was HOT. One of our stops along I-90 was a town called Mitchell. This town is famous for the Corn Palace. The outside structure is made from corn cobs, and the intent is to promote the usefulness of corn.
Next stop was Wall South Dakota, but not before a detour into the badlands. This was a completely spontaneous stop, and a great one too:
We got into Wall later in the evening. What a fun town! Of course we stopped at Wall Drug, and that place is amazing (if you like to shop and want free ice water).
So far, South Dakota has been my favorite stop along the road.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Day-15-heading out
Today was the day to begin our long trip home. We packed sandwiches and drinks in our cooler to not spend a lot of money on junk food. Mark bought Lebanon bologna and farmers cheese from the market on Friday, and what delicious sandwiches that made.
Our departure was tearful, especially for Maggie. Jared and Valerie vowed to come visit in September. Goodbye Hamburg!
Instead of taking the main interstate through Pennsylvania, we drove through coal country. Central PA is hilly and beautiful. This area can take you to another time, away from mainstream culture and back to a simpler time.
Ohio was pretty too, and although there was a $15 toll on the entire ride, there were planned service plazas with clean restrooms, food and other goods necessary for road trips. It was hard to complain about a toll with these planned amenities. Oregon, you can take a lesson and charge a toll on I-5 for all those passing through.
Indiana was a short drive, and I must admit I was disappointed to not witness the greatness of Gary, Indiana (sarcasm). The sun was setting, and we entered the Chicago metro area...
We felt that driving through Chicago on a Sunday night was a wise choice rather than a Monday morning. Traffic was still crazy at 10pm there. We saw the skyline of Chicago at night, and drove by the Sears Tower. Other than that, I wished to get out of the metro area as soon as possible.
We arrived in Rockport IL for the night. We rank it right up there with Shawnee OK, minus the bugs and humidity.
Our departure was tearful, especially for Maggie. Jared and Valerie vowed to come visit in September. Goodbye Hamburg!
Instead of taking the main interstate through Pennsylvania, we drove through coal country. Central PA is hilly and beautiful. This area can take you to another time, away from mainstream culture and back to a simpler time.
Ohio was pretty too, and although there was a $15 toll on the entire ride, there were planned service plazas with clean restrooms, food and other goods necessary for road trips. It was hard to complain about a toll with these planned amenities. Oregon, you can take a lesson and charge a toll on I-5 for all those passing through.
Indiana was a short drive, and I must admit I was disappointed to not witness the greatness of Gary, Indiana (sarcasm). The sun was setting, and we entered the Chicago metro area...
We felt that driving through Chicago on a Sunday night was a wise choice rather than a Monday morning. Traffic was still crazy at 10pm there. We saw the skyline of Chicago at night, and drove by the Sears Tower. Other than that, I wished to get out of the metro area as soon as possible.
We arrived in Rockport IL for the night. We rank it right up there with Shawnee OK, minus the bugs and humidity.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Day 14-Our last day in PA
Day 14
Our morning was slow and relaxed with our gracious hosts Jared and Valerie. We are so thankful to have them as family, and shared so many laughs and smiles with them. It is great to see brothers like Mark and Jared have a great relationship. Valerie was so accommodating for us, and I am grateful to have her as my sister-in-law.
For our last meal with Mark's mom, we went to her favorite Thai restaurant. Normally I brag about the great Thai places in Portland, but this place is really good.
Once we arrived back at the house, the festivities endured. As we sat watching a cheesy horror flick, the doorbell rings. A big surprise arrived, and her name was Penelope! I adore Penelope, and Maggie was so happy to see her cousin. More eating late into the evening, and then a huge thunderstorm arrived! This storm was perfect in lowering the heat, and I was grateful we didn't lose power.
By 10pm, all but the kids were ready to crash. I slept great on our last night in Pennsylvania.
Our morning was slow and relaxed with our gracious hosts Jared and Valerie. We are so thankful to have them as family, and shared so many laughs and smiles with them. It is great to see brothers like Mark and Jared have a great relationship. Valerie was so accommodating for us, and I am grateful to have her as my sister-in-law.
For our last meal with Mark's mom, we went to her favorite Thai restaurant. Normally I brag about the great Thai places in Portland, but this place is really good.
Once we arrived back at the house, the festivities endured. As we sat watching a cheesy horror flick, the doorbell rings. A big surprise arrived, and her name was Penelope! I adore Penelope, and Maggie was so happy to see her cousin. More eating late into the evening, and then a huge thunderstorm arrived! This storm was perfect in lowering the heat, and I was grateful we didn't lose power.
By 10pm, all but the kids were ready to crash. I slept great on our last night in Pennsylvania.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Day 13-in Reading
Day 13
Reading PA has an awesome farmers market indoors. We took Mark's mom there to shop and I will always be impressed with how cheap fresh food is here. For breakfast I enjoyed the most delicious soft pretzel ever.
Since our day in New York was a long one, we decided today would be more laid back, and it was extremely hot. As I endured a sweaty nap, Mark took Maggie to the community pool. I really like the Hamburg pool, but I was running on just a few hours of sleep, so a 3 hour nap was the only thing that would help.
For dinner, we drove to a village called Lenhartsville to experience fine Pennsylvania dining. Maggie had spaghetti, I had a fish fry, and Mark had traditional pot pie. The name of the restaurant was called Dietsch Eck, or 'Dutch Corner'. I always get a chuckle of how the culture is called Pennsylvania Dutch, but in reality it's very German.
This is about the time we realized our time in PA was coming to a close. Tomorrow we would spend the day eating and drinking with family.
Reading PA has an awesome farmers market indoors. We took Mark's mom there to shop and I will always be impressed with how cheap fresh food is here. For breakfast I enjoyed the most delicious soft pretzel ever.
Since our day in New York was a long one, we decided today would be more laid back, and it was extremely hot. As I endured a sweaty nap, Mark took Maggie to the community pool. I really like the Hamburg pool, but I was running on just a few hours of sleep, so a 3 hour nap was the only thing that would help.
For dinner, we drove to a village called Lenhartsville to experience fine Pennsylvania dining. Maggie had spaghetti, I had a fish fry, and Mark had traditional pot pie. The name of the restaurant was called Dietsch Eck, or 'Dutch Corner'. I always get a chuckle of how the culture is called Pennsylvania Dutch, but in reality it's very German.
This is about the time we realized our time in PA was coming to a close. Tomorrow we would spend the day eating and drinking with family.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Day 12 in New York
Day 12
The drive to New York City felt rather short, and we arrived at about 9:30am. I had my eyes closed most of the time we were driving in Manhattan as driving in large cities scares me just a little.
Our first destination was The American Girl doll store. I think I was more excited than Maggie to shop there. Yes, I want my own doll, as ridiculous as that sounds. We bought three outfits plus a school backpack for Hannah/Rita. Looking back, I regret not having any tea there.
We took a cab back to our car to drop off the doll stuff and hopped on the subway to the southern part of Manhattan. When we surfaced, we were right at the new World Trade Center under construction. Vendors were pushing booklets of photos of the destruction for the tragedy of 9/11. Being there brought me back in time when our nation was in great pain. I could feel the heaviness of sorrow there still. Someday I would like to come back to the memorial.
We walked through Wall Street and the heart of the financial district. Nothing is exciting about this area unless you consider the huge impact this place has on our country.Next we arrived in Battery Park to board a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. This is an impressive statue, but the pedestal was closed for remodeling. It seemed that a lot of places in NYC were under construction. We stayed for less than an hour and boarded the ferry back to the city.
Another subway ride took us up to the upper west side and sat down for a slice of genuine New York pizza. As I sat looking out the window, suddenly I spot who I am quite sure was Penny Marshall! After I did some digging on the internet of where she lives, I found that we weren't too far from the neighborhood that she lives in. After our awesome thin pizza, we went to the bakery next door for us to purchase cupcakes for dessert. The Red Velvet cupcake was amazing.
Central Park wasn't too far, but walking didn't seem like fun, so why not take a pedicab? Our driver was polite and informative of the various spots in the park that were featured in various movies. He even offered to take our family picture in the park. Personally, I could have spent a couple of hours just roaming this park, but Mark was eager to show Maggie Times Square.
This was about the time I had had enough of the big city. As we stopped to purchase overpriced bottles of water, Maggie complains about something that hit here. Next thing I know, a giant splatter of bird crap was on the top of her hair. I was the least amused by this, but apparently this is good luck. So those $2 bottles of water went to rinsing out bird poop. At least Maggie kept her sense of humor about it all.
Times Square was very close to us, and the crowds began to annoy me. The smell of vomit, tar, and various foods linger in the air in New York. I actually found myself missing the yuppiness of Portland, but only for a minute.
At this point, the only thing that could lift my spirits was a beer. We found the Celtic Pub close by, and found it necessary to sit and sip. After this goodness, we stopped at a tourist shop and purchased souvenirs to prove we were in New York.
I like New York, but got my fill of it for awhile. It was time to head back to the slowness of Dutch Country.
The drive to New York City felt rather short, and we arrived at about 9:30am. I had my eyes closed most of the time we were driving in Manhattan as driving in large cities scares me just a little.
Our first destination was The American Girl doll store. I think I was more excited than Maggie to shop there. Yes, I want my own doll, as ridiculous as that sounds. We bought three outfits plus a school backpack for Hannah/Rita. Looking back, I regret not having any tea there.
We took a cab back to our car to drop off the doll stuff and hopped on the subway to the southern part of Manhattan. When we surfaced, we were right at the new World Trade Center under construction. Vendors were pushing booklets of photos of the destruction for the tragedy of 9/11. Being there brought me back in time when our nation was in great pain. I could feel the heaviness of sorrow there still. Someday I would like to come back to the memorial.
We walked through Wall Street and the heart of the financial district. Nothing is exciting about this area unless you consider the huge impact this place has on our country.Next we arrived in Battery Park to board a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. This is an impressive statue, but the pedestal was closed for remodeling. It seemed that a lot of places in NYC were under construction. We stayed for less than an hour and boarded the ferry back to the city.
Another subway ride took us up to the upper west side and sat down for a slice of genuine New York pizza. As I sat looking out the window, suddenly I spot who I am quite sure was Penny Marshall! After I did some digging on the internet of where she lives, I found that we weren't too far from the neighborhood that she lives in. After our awesome thin pizza, we went to the bakery next door for us to purchase cupcakes for dessert. The Red Velvet cupcake was amazing.
Central Park wasn't too far, but walking didn't seem like fun, so why not take a pedicab? Our driver was polite and informative of the various spots in the park that were featured in various movies. He even offered to take our family picture in the park. Personally, I could have spent a couple of hours just roaming this park, but Mark was eager to show Maggie Times Square.
This was about the time I had had enough of the big city. As we stopped to purchase overpriced bottles of water, Maggie complains about something that hit here. Next thing I know, a giant splatter of bird crap was on the top of her hair. I was the least amused by this, but apparently this is good luck. So those $2 bottles of water went to rinsing out bird poop. At least Maggie kept her sense of humor about it all.
Times Square was very close to us, and the crowds began to annoy me. The smell of vomit, tar, and various foods linger in the air in New York. I actually found myself missing the yuppiness of Portland, but only for a minute.
At this point, the only thing that could lift my spirits was a beer. We found the Celtic Pub close by, and found it necessary to sit and sip. After this goodness, we stopped at a tourist shop and purchased souvenirs to prove we were in New York.
I like New York, but got my fill of it for awhile. It was time to head back to the slowness of Dutch Country.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Day 11-Happy Birthday America!
Day 11-The 4th of July
Today is my favorite holiday, but we didn't celebrate much due to needing rest from yesterday. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Smokey Bones restaurant with Mark's mom. I had an Angus burger with red pepper and blue cheese, Mark had a steak salad, and Maggie had a grilled cheese.
After lunch, we made a stop at Mark's uncle's house. Mark was a teenager last time he saw his uncle. Uncle Dan had done a beautiful job on landscaping his backyard with a Koi pond (the fish were huge,), all sorts of turtles roamed the yard, and he had done a beautiful job with planting a variety of trees.
We didn't get out to see fireworks as tomorrow is a busy day in The Big Apple.
Today is my favorite holiday, but we didn't celebrate much due to needing rest from yesterday. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Smokey Bones restaurant with Mark's mom. I had an Angus burger with red pepper and blue cheese, Mark had a steak salad, and Maggie had a grilled cheese.
After lunch, we made a stop at Mark's uncle's house. Mark was a teenager last time he saw his uncle. Uncle Dan had done a beautiful job on landscaping his backyard with a Koi pond (the fish were huge,), all sorts of turtles roamed the yard, and he had done a beautiful job with planting a variety of trees.
We didn't get out to see fireworks as tomorrow is a busy day in The Big Apple.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Day 10-Hershey Park and Troeg Brewery
I wasn't prepared for the greatness of Hershey Park. Take a swimsuit if you go in the summer! There were so many rides, we didn't do many of them, but I did do the Farenheit ride. Yes, I was scared.
Maggie's favorite was the Frog Hopper. She rode it three times. Look at her joy!
Of course you can't leave Hershey Park without a stop at the grand candy shop. Not only did we buy a lot of chocolate, but we had a delicious York Peppermint Patty milkshake.
Who says Oregon is the only state with good beer?? We stopped at Troegs Brewery and drank some great brews.
I am falling in love with Pennsylvania!
Maggie's favorite was the Frog Hopper. She rode it three times. Look at her joy!
Of course you can't leave Hershey Park without a stop at the grand candy shop. Not only did we buy a lot of chocolate, but we had a delicious York Peppermint Patty milkshake.
Who says Oregon is the only state with good beer?? We stopped at Troegs Brewery and drank some great brews.
I am falling in love with Pennsylvania!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Day 9 at the Crystal Cave and Kutztown Festival
The Crystal Cave in Pennsylvania is quite a place to see. It was nice and cool inside for a warm day. Maggie wasn't so keen on it once they turned out the lights to demonstrate just how dark it gets.
Another great local thing we did was attend the Kutztown Folk Festival. What a great time! We spent hours here looking at the crafts, I got to sit down and hand quilt a community quilt, and Maggie got to ride a pony.
I highly recommend this festival if ever visiting the area this time of year.
Another great local thing we did was attend the Kutztown Folk Festival. What a great time! We spent hours here looking at the crafts, I got to sit down and hand quilt a community quilt, and Maggie got to ride a pony.
I highly recommend this festival if ever visiting the area this time of year.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Day 8 in Hamburg Pennsylvania
I have to admit, I love this little town. It's all American, small and super cute. We spent the day reconnecting with Mark's family, enjoying a great barbecue meal. I took no photos today unfortunately. After all the driving, we were glad to stay put and eat great food.
We bought burgers, chicken skewers, scallops, shrimp, veggies for Valerie's awesome broccoli salad, fruit and so much more. I am getting hungry just typing all of this!
Yes, I do love the rural Pennsylvania areas.
We bought burgers, chicken skewers, scallops, shrimp, veggies for Valerie's awesome broccoli salad, fruit and so much more. I am getting hungry just typing all of this!
Yes, I do love the rural Pennsylvania areas.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Day 7 leaving North Carolina arriving in Pennsylvania
Day 7
Today was a little sad for me, my time with my family was very short. I was glad to spend a couple of hours with my dad and Nic.
Baxter and Smoochie didn't quite get along. I was sad to have to keep him in his crate while we visited. Smoochie is the sweetest dog, and really loved Maggie.
We left Wilmington about 11am for Pennsylvania. In Virginia, we crossed a cool bridge, but during this time there were power outages throughout the area because of storms. For awhile there, our gas was low and some of the gas stations couldn't give gas. We got lucky and found some in Northern Virginia, but had to wait awhile.
Arriving in DC was a trick as we kept going in circles. Once we parked, we did a short tour of the Washington Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
Today was a little sad for me, my time with my family was very short. I was glad to spend a couple of hours with my dad and Nic.
Baxter and Smoochie didn't quite get along. I was sad to have to keep him in his crate while we visited. Smoochie is the sweetest dog, and really loved Maggie.
We left Wilmington about 11am for Pennsylvania. In Virginia, we crossed a cool bridge, but during this time there were power outages throughout the area because of storms. For awhile there, our gas was low and some of the gas stations couldn't give gas. We got lucky and found some in Northern Virginia, but had to wait awhile.
Arriving in DC was a trick as we kept going in circles. Once we parked, we did a short tour of the Washington Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
Next was the long drive into Pennsylvania. The power was out still in Maryland as we departed DC which held us up on getting to Pennsylvania. There was a derecho storm that hit the Mid-Atlantic area causing power and phone outages. We arrived in Hamburg Pennsylvania at midnight and then stayed up until 3AM talking with my husband's brother and wife!
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