Sadly, I left one game off of the original list.
Thunderbird:
Thunderbird was developed in late 1995, by Brianne Greenwood and Karrie Goebel. Upon seeing a Thunderbird, lightly (because I'm not into pain) slap the other person and say "Thunderbird". This game originated because Brianne and I unabashedly had a crush on the same guy. He drove, you guessed it, a Thunderbird.
But we did make up a new one...
3:
Upon entering Arizona on 15 we noticed an interesting phenomenon...Semis pulling 3 trailers. I bet you can guess what happens next. When you see a semi pulling 3, say, "Three!" This game has yet to take off in states such as Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Trip stats:
Total Miles Driven: 4,805.7
Total States: 13-- Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa.
Friends we saw along the way: 7 -- Arta, Lynne, Tiffnie, Matt, Aaron, Aunt Marsey and Uncle Rog
Total number of fights: 0--Yep that's right! Zero!!! There were some potentially fightable moments, but we pulled it together.
Most disappointing moment: Not finding the end sign
Best little kid moment: Teeter Tottering in Kansas. Yes, we did.
Worst moment in the trip: Needles, CA ("It's 9:30 at night! If it's this hot, I should at least be getting a tan!")
Best moment: Too many to mention. Although, Kate loved seeing the burros and I liked eating at the pier.
Interesting animals:
- 4 maybe 5 dead Armadillos
- 5 Wild burros
- 3 Coyotes
- those things with horns
- and one unexplained animal that we call the chupacabra
Best Photos of Rt 66:
Total States: 13-- Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa.
Friends we saw along the way: 7 -- Arta, Lynne, Tiffnie, Matt, Aaron, Aunt Marsey and Uncle Rog
Total number of fights: 0--Yep that's right! Zero!!! There were some potentially fightable moments, but we pulled it together.
Most disappointing moment: Not finding the end sign
Best little kid moment: Teeter Tottering in Kansas. Yes, we did.
Worst moment in the trip: Needles, CA ("It's 9:30 at night! If it's this hot, I should at least be getting a tan!")
Best moment: Too many to mention. Although, Kate loved seeing the burros and I liked eating at the pier.
Interesting animals:
- 4 maybe 5 dead Armadillos
- 5 Wild burros
- 3 Coyotes
- those things with horns
- and one unexplained animal that we call the chupacabra
Best Photos of Rt 66:
Sweet Home Chicago...
Well, Kate and I have made it home. Safe and sound and almost all rested up. Several years ago, we did New Years Eve in Times Square. Kate came away from that vacation saying, "That was the best vacation I'll never take again." The Cruise of the Mother Road has joined those ranks. It was a great trip. Each day was a new adventure. But after those last three days of driving, I really do love to fly. And it shows.
On Saturday, we left Cedar City, UT and headed toward Colorado. Utah was exceptionally beautiful. I am sad that we didn't get to take in the national parks there. The landscape was always changing. It seemed we would go from desert to mountain in ten miles. We saw a sign that said, "No services for 110 miles". They were not joking. There was nothing but untouched beauty out there.
We were very grateful when we did a googlemaps search (thank you Blackberry!) and found that Grand Junction, CO did in fact have a Chic-fil-a. It was Saturday, so we knew it would be our last time to indulge in the wonder that is Chic-fil-a.
Then, we made the great trek up the Rockies. I will say this about Clark, he does not like the West. He started making a funny noise at the beach. We did have it looked at and they weren't concerned--because of course, he did not make the noise while the guy drove it. Clark worked hard to get through those mountains, so we gave him a rest Denver. And he has not made the noise since.
In Colorado, we made a stop in Central City. Central City is an old mining town. I spent many days in that town as a kid while visiting my dad. So, we made a short detour. We bought a piece of fudge and it was delicious. Then, we headed to Denver where we met up with our Aunt Marianne--or as we more fondly call her, Aunt Marsey--and Uncle Rog. It has just been within the last year that we have been able to reconnect with her. It was so wonderful to see her again...two times in less than a year! That's a record. We didn't stay for long though. We got back on the road to get a few more driving hours in to lessen our drive on Sunday.
Every motel, inn, hotel in North Platte is booked on a Saturday night in North Platte. I called everything my phone would bring up. We finally found a room in Ogalalla. We missed the Wigwam, and that's all I have to say about that experience.
On Sunday, we woke up in a haze just to get on the road again. I don't think we spoke much until we found a Starbucks in North Platte. We pressed on, only stopping every 300 miles. All we could think about was home and that kept us going. Our only adventure on Sunday took place about 150 miles outside of Chicago. We were driving behind an SUV pulling an old '38 Buick. When suddenly the ball came loose and the trailer began to swerve erratically over the road. At one point it nearly flipped the SUV over. Finally the trailer separated from the SUV. It spun through the air, did several rolls before landing in a deep ditch. It looked like a moment on Destroyed in Seconds (the coolest show on the Discovery Channel). Kate and I sat in silence as we watched it unfold. We are very fortunate that we were in the left lane far enough back that nothing hit us. AND no one was behind us when I slammed on the brakes. Amazingly, no one came around the corner until the SUV and Clark were safely on the side of the road. No one was hurt, only the Buick. God has been very good. He's kept us safe from LA driving all the way to runaway Buicks.
Photos
On Saturday, we left Cedar City, UT and headed toward Colorado. Utah was exceptionally beautiful. I am sad that we didn't get to take in the national parks there. The landscape was always changing. It seemed we would go from desert to mountain in ten miles. We saw a sign that said, "No services for 110 miles". They were not joking. There was nothing but untouched beauty out there.
We were very grateful when we did a googlemaps search (thank you Blackberry!) and found that Grand Junction, CO did in fact have a Chic-fil-a. It was Saturday, so we knew it would be our last time to indulge in the wonder that is Chic-fil-a.
Then, we made the great trek up the Rockies. I will say this about Clark, he does not like the West. He started making a funny noise at the beach. We did have it looked at and they weren't concerned--because of course, he did not make the noise while the guy drove it. Clark worked hard to get through those mountains, so we gave him a rest Denver. And he has not made the noise since.
In Colorado, we made a stop in Central City. Central City is an old mining town. I spent many days in that town as a kid while visiting my dad. So, we made a short detour. We bought a piece of fudge and it was delicious. Then, we headed to Denver where we met up with our Aunt Marianne--or as we more fondly call her, Aunt Marsey--and Uncle Rog. It has just been within the last year that we have been able to reconnect with her. It was so wonderful to see her again...two times in less than a year! That's a record. We didn't stay for long though. We got back on the road to get a few more driving hours in to lessen our drive on Sunday.
Every motel, inn, hotel in North Platte is booked on a Saturday night in North Platte. I called everything my phone would bring up. We finally found a room in Ogalalla. We missed the Wigwam, and that's all I have to say about that experience.
On Sunday, we woke up in a haze just to get on the road again. I don't think we spoke much until we found a Starbucks in North Platte. We pressed on, only stopping every 300 miles. All we could think about was home and that kept us going. Our only adventure on Sunday took place about 150 miles outside of Chicago. We were driving behind an SUV pulling an old '38 Buick. When suddenly the ball came loose and the trailer began to swerve erratically over the road. At one point it nearly flipped the SUV over. Finally the trailer separated from the SUV. It spun through the air, did several rolls before landing in a deep ditch. It looked like a moment on Destroyed in Seconds (the coolest show on the Discovery Channel). Kate and I sat in silence as we watched it unfold. We are very fortunate that we were in the left lane far enough back that nothing hit us. AND no one was behind us when I slammed on the brakes. Amazingly, no one came around the corner until the SUV and Clark were safely on the side of the road. No one was hurt, only the Buick. God has been very good. He's kept us safe from LA driving all the way to runaway Buicks.
Photos
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Headed West is now heading east...
We have turned back towards home today. We said goodbye to Wigwam 119 and our new friend, Kumar. We ate In N Out for breakfast (totally true--our first In N Out was for breakfast). We began the long journey home. The desert was hot, so we gave Clark a little rest in Barstow. We spent a little time shopping at the outlet mall. Kate and I split up for about 20 minutes just to have some time apart. Then, it was back to the 15.
We hit a thunderstorm in the desert of Nevada. (Is that supposed to happen--it rained when we were in Needles, CA and all the way through Nevada?!) All those crazy Californians flying passed us at speeds upwards of 95 mph, suddenly didn't know how to drive. In the rain, they were even more erratic and unpredictable. And to top it all off we were on a 6% downgrade. Then, we landed ourselves in Las Vegas for fill up. We drove the strip and that was enough of Vegas for us. After Vegas, all the crazy drivers were off the road and we were free to enjoy the drive. We have been in four states today...CA, NV, AZ and UT. Which brings our total state count to ten. We have found ourselves in Cedar City, UT. There are two things happening in Cedar City this evening. One is the Shakespearean Festival http://www.bard.org/ and, as a double bonus, it is July 24th. July 24th is a state holiday in Utah. Man, we are some lucky chicks!
We hit a thunderstorm in the desert of Nevada. (Is that supposed to happen--it rained when we were in Needles, CA and all the way through Nevada?!) All those crazy Californians flying passed us at speeds upwards of 95 mph, suddenly didn't know how to drive. In the rain, they were even more erratic and unpredictable. And to top it all off we were on a 6% downgrade. Then, we landed ourselves in Las Vegas for fill up. We drove the strip and that was enough of Vegas for us. After Vegas, all the crazy drivers were off the road and we were free to enjoy the drive. We have been in four states today...CA, NV, AZ and UT. Which brings our total state count to ten. We have found ourselves in Cedar City, UT. There are two things happening in Cedar City this evening. One is the Shakespearean Festival http://www.bard.org/ and, as a double bonus, it is July 24th. July 24th is a state holiday in Utah. Man, we are some lucky chicks!
The Soundtrack of California
You won't find the Bobby Troup's song on this list. But here are a few of the California songs we've heard on our journey:
- Beautiful in Los Angeles by Garrison Starr
- California by The Alternate Routes
- California by Rufus Wainwright
- Hollywood by The Alternate Routes
- (More Bounce In) California by Soul Kid #1
- Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- California Love by 2Pac
- Grey in LA by Loudon Wainright III (Thanks to Matt for the new song that we must itunes!)
- Hotel California by The Eagles (This was my favorite song to hear--It was stuck in my head from when we passed the Hotel California in LA. As we were walking up to Matt's a truck drove by blaring the song for all of North Hollywood).
- Beautiful in Los Angeles by Garrison Starr
- California by The Alternate Routes
- California by Rufus Wainwright
- Hollywood by The Alternate Routes
- (More Bounce In) California by Soul Kid #1
- Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- California Love by 2Pac
- Grey in LA by Loudon Wainright III (Thanks to Matt for the new song that we must itunes!)
- Hotel California by The Eagles (This was my favorite song to hear--It was stuck in my head from when we passed the Hotel California in LA. As we were walking up to Matt's a truck drove by blaring the song for all of North Hollywood).
Friday, July 24, 2009
Livin' It Up at the Hotel California...
Well...yesterday was day 6 of The Cruise of the Mother Road. It was one adventure after the next.
We slept well and late into the morning at the Wigwam. But we had 77 miles left of Route 66 and we knew that it was going to be a long day on the road in California. So we got on the road about noon. We saw some sights along the way. One being "Bono's Historic Orange". Back in the day, growers would have citrus stands along the journey. Bono's is located just down the way from the Wigwam. It's in excellent condition and quite a sight to see! We also made a stop at the Aztec Hotel. It has a beautiful lobby and Ladies Lounge.
Three hours later--that's right, 77 miles in 3 hours. It was a looooong journey. But we can say we completed it. Route 66 took us through all the classic LA sights. We passed Rodeo Dr, the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills...And then, we finally arrived. We celebrated with a late lunch/early dinner at the restaurant at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. Unfortunately, the end of the road turned out to be a little anti-climatic. Supposedly, there's a plaque marking the end of the road, but it was elusive to us. Furthermore, the Route 66 souvenirs at the end of the road were lacking. It was a little sad. The long awaited journey and dream had finally come to an end. A great feeling of accomplishment, but slightly melancholy too.
On a funny note, Kate and I have logged a lot of hours together. With no good old fashioned squabbling. We ate our meal in silence out on the pier.
After Santa Monica, we headed to the Valley. We met up with Tiff Jackson in Sherman Oaks for a light dinner. Tiff worked at Trinity while Kate and I were students. She moved out of the Chi-town area quite some time ago. It was refreshing and wonderful to be able to meet up with her while we were in CA! As someone fairly new to the LA area she was able to empathize with our adjustment (or lack thereof) to the LA way of life.
Then, we met up with our friends Matt and Aaron. Matt and Aaron our friends from back home that are making a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. They do some really cool things...so cool, their names are in the credits of shows. Matt also gave us a condensed tour of things we missed...Like the view from Mulholland Drive and the Grauman's Chinese Theater.
We were exhausted when we got back to the Wigwam, but it was well worth it.
Just like our feelings towards New Year's Eve in Times Square, this vacation has been the best vacation we'll never take again. It has been a long journey. It has been fulfilling. And we are ready to head home.
More Photos
We slept well and late into the morning at the Wigwam. But we had 77 miles left of Route 66 and we knew that it was going to be a long day on the road in California. So we got on the road about noon. We saw some sights along the way. One being "Bono's Historic Orange". Back in the day, growers would have citrus stands along the journey. Bono's is located just down the way from the Wigwam. It's in excellent condition and quite a sight to see! We also made a stop at the Aztec Hotel. It has a beautiful lobby and Ladies Lounge.
Three hours later--that's right, 77 miles in 3 hours. It was a looooong journey. But we can say we completed it. Route 66 took us through all the classic LA sights. We passed Rodeo Dr, the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills...And then, we finally arrived. We celebrated with a late lunch/early dinner at the restaurant at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. Unfortunately, the end of the road turned out to be a little anti-climatic. Supposedly, there's a plaque marking the end of the road, but it was elusive to us. Furthermore, the Route 66 souvenirs at the end of the road were lacking. It was a little sad. The long awaited journey and dream had finally come to an end. A great feeling of accomplishment, but slightly melancholy too.
On a funny note, Kate and I have logged a lot of hours together. With no good old fashioned squabbling. We ate our meal in silence out on the pier.
After Santa Monica, we headed to the Valley. We met up with Tiff Jackson in Sherman Oaks for a light dinner. Tiff worked at Trinity while Kate and I were students. She moved out of the Chi-town area quite some time ago. It was refreshing and wonderful to be able to meet up with her while we were in CA! As someone fairly new to the LA area she was able to empathize with our adjustment (or lack thereof) to the LA way of life.
Then, we met up with our friends Matt and Aaron. Matt and Aaron our friends from back home that are making a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. They do some really cool things...so cool, their names are in the credits of shows. Matt also gave us a condensed tour of things we missed...Like the view from Mulholland Drive and the Grauman's Chinese Theater.
We were exhausted when we got back to the Wigwam, but it was well worth it.
Just like our feelings towards New Year's Eve in Times Square, this vacation has been the best vacation we'll never take again. It has been a long journey. It has been fulfilling. And we are ready to head home.
More Photos
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Coming Clean...
Today feels like the longest day. We woke up at 5 am this morning. We slept in Needles, CA. Needles is one of the hottest places in America. And we wanted to get through the desert before the heat became unbearable. So, we were on the road by 7.
Here's what I have to say about the desert...it's boring. It's boring, lonely and desolate. The sky blends into the mountains and it's nothingness for a long time. I love the Midwest, but my love grew deeper as we watched the same scenery go by for miles and miles.
And then, we came down the mountain. The scenery soon changed into the backdrop for the set of 24. We got off of 15 and followed 66 right to the Wigwam Motel. That's right, we're sleeping in a Wigwam. Don't worry. It's a safe structure. It comes complete with two double beds, a tv, a fully functional bathroom and even a table and chairs. When we checked in, we made friends with the guy at the front desk, Kumar. (Yes, just like Harold and Kumar). He is very friendly and even showed us the Wigwam behind the office. It has a second floor. Originally, all of the Wigwams had a second floor. You got to the second floor up a very narrow spiral staircase. The second floor was small, but very warm. It was easy to see why they closed them off. Checking into the Wigwam we realized what a gem of a motel we found. We decided to go ahead and reserve it for two nights.Then, Kumar gave us directions (without tolls) to get to Laguna. And we were off.
We picked up Lynne in Newport Beach. I met Lynne VandenBranden in 2004 when I began volunteering with the high school youth group. She was a spunky Junior in high school at the time. Some of my greatest youth group memories take place with Lynne (and of course Jill). She has been attending Westmont in Santa Barbara. I am so glad that we were able to spend the day together. It is always such an honor when a former student becomes a friend. I love ya, Lynne!
Anyway...We picked up Lynne and headed south on Pacific Coast Highway. We had the windows rolled down, the ocean breeze blowing through, and we were listening to The Hills playlist. It was a perfect moment as we rolled into Laguna Beach. We ate at a light lunch and headed to the beach. It was spectacular. I really do love the beach. And then, to top off the afternoon, we grabbed some frozen yogurt at The Golden Spoon (or Go Spo Fro Yo). And for all of you who were wondering, we saw many locations from Laguna Beach. It was awesome.
We dropped Lynne off in Irvine, and headed back to the Wigwam. Where we dined on Chick-fil-a. Oh, how we love Chick-fil-a. We have been waiting for the 8pc piece meal, Chick-fil-a sauce and Lemonade. Absolutely delicious.
To cool off we took a little dip in the pool. And while hanging out at the pool, we met Toby. She has done Route 66 about ten times. She actually worked on the first edition of a book I purchased several years ago in the hopes this trip would become a reality. It was really great talking with her. She told us "untold" stories of some of the places on the long way. What another interesting person we have met along the way.
Then, we snuggled into our Wigwam. And it was a great night of sleep. Have you slept in a Wigwam lately?
Day Five Photos
Here's what I have to say about the desert...it's boring. It's boring, lonely and desolate. The sky blends into the mountains and it's nothingness for a long time. I love the Midwest, but my love grew deeper as we watched the same scenery go by for miles and miles.
And then, we came down the mountain. The scenery soon changed into the backdrop for the set of 24. We got off of 15 and followed 66 right to the Wigwam Motel. That's right, we're sleeping in a Wigwam. Don't worry. It's a safe structure. It comes complete with two double beds, a tv, a fully functional bathroom and even a table and chairs. When we checked in, we made friends with the guy at the front desk, Kumar. (Yes, just like Harold and Kumar). He is very friendly and even showed us the Wigwam behind the office. It has a second floor. Originally, all of the Wigwams had a second floor. You got to the second floor up a very narrow spiral staircase. The second floor was small, but very warm. It was easy to see why they closed them off. Checking into the Wigwam we realized what a gem of a motel we found. We decided to go ahead and reserve it for two nights.Then, Kumar gave us directions (without tolls) to get to Laguna. And we were off.
We picked up Lynne in Newport Beach. I met Lynne VandenBranden in 2004 when I began volunteering with the high school youth group. She was a spunky Junior in high school at the time. Some of my greatest youth group memories take place with Lynne (and of course Jill). She has been attending Westmont in Santa Barbara. I am so glad that we were able to spend the day together. It is always such an honor when a former student becomes a friend. I love ya, Lynne!
Anyway...We picked up Lynne and headed south on Pacific Coast Highway. We had the windows rolled down, the ocean breeze blowing through, and we were listening to The Hills playlist. It was a perfect moment as we rolled into Laguna Beach. We ate at a light lunch and headed to the beach. It was spectacular. I really do love the beach. And then, to top off the afternoon, we grabbed some frozen yogurt at The Golden Spoon (or Go Spo Fro Yo). And for all of you who were wondering, we saw many locations from Laguna Beach. It was awesome.
We dropped Lynne off in Irvine, and headed back to the Wigwam. Where we dined on Chick-fil-a. Oh, how we love Chick-fil-a. We have been waiting for the 8pc piece meal, Chick-fil-a sauce and Lemonade. Absolutely delicious.
To cool off we took a little dip in the pool. And while hanging out at the pool, we met Toby. She has done Route 66 about ten times. She actually worked on the first edition of a book I purchased several years ago in the hopes this trip would become a reality. It was really great talking with her. She told us "untold" stories of some of the places on the long way. What another interesting person we have met along the way.
Then, we snuggled into our Wigwam. And it was a great night of sleep. Have you slept in a Wigwam lately?
Day Five Photos
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