We are glad to be home after 20 days, 9 states, 4205 miles, and 90 hours of time in the car. Like many of our trips, this one was about extremes- 114 degrees (in the valley in California) to 55 degrees (on the Oregon coast), sea level to 10,000+ feet, and sweltering heat to snowball fights. Through it all we enjoyed the adventure of discovering new places, trying new things, and meeting some wonderful, kind, and interesting people.
As we played "Trip Trivia" during the last 100 miles we came to the unanimous conclusion that meeting up with family is always a highlight of the adventure. Though we did not pick the most touristy place to land with the Seattle and Baltimore Maules, we found some fun and had a great time in the process. Other highlights were the clam dig and driving the Beartooth. Even in a car, there are roads and views that never get old. Though there are certain family members who love to remind us that it would be better on a motorcycle (Ali). We were sad that some of our favorite places have been discovered by the city folk but kept driving and found some new ones.
We continue to learn things as we travel together. The girls still love water, though their brand of fun has changed over the years. Hiking is at the bottom of the list of preferred activities. If we do hike, there needs to be something significant along the way or it is deemed "pointless" and elicits more complaining than any other MFA activity! Sam is our food adventurer and Ali smiles most when eating or planning to eat ice cream. Camping is a necessity for exploring some things along the way, but not our preferred way to travel.
Once again we are grateful for many things along the way. We could not do these trips without our trusty Rand McNally atlas. This was a big year as we purchased a new atlas before the trip. Interestingly, more than any other time, we found errors in the 2022 version including roads marked as paved (NOT) and towns not even represented on the map. In the age of digital, we are sad that the accuracy of the paper map is yet another thing lost to technology. We used the wacky, wild, and weird app (Roadside America) to find some of the bizarre places that we love to see, but have added a few sites to our repertoire. (Atlas, Obscura, and Only in Your State). Sadly, none of them are very thorough so it takes 3 to find the less-traveled spots. Reading local pamphlets is still one of my favorite trip pastimes and I am not shy about asking the locals for recommendations. Roll that all together and you get a good guide to exploring the corners of the country.
Thanks for traveling along with us. Until next time...
PS Trip Trivia is a game we started many years ago. At the last gas stop of the trip I buy a few packs of M&Ms. The grown-ups ask the kids trivia questions about the trip and other trips we have taken. Correct answers earn M&Ms. It's a great way to reflect and remember and we roll towards home.
