DAYS 27-30...THE FINAL FOUR!

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's come at last.  At last it's come.  The time we knew would come at last, has come at last.  (Bonus points if you can name the movie that quote is from...without googling it!)  The road has finally come to an end!  *Cue tears and sappy exit music*  Thirty days.  8,600 miles.  Twenty states.  And countless cups of coffee.

The final four days have been something of a blur, so we just chose to do a single final blogpost summarizing them all.  And actually, our road trip was supposed to be thirty one days total, but we ended up cutting out the last day out and driving straight through Ohio to get back to Pennsylvania.  To be honest, since leaving the Black Hills area of South Dakota, there wasn't a whole lot to see in the way of tourist attractions.  We stuck mostly to the highways, and got off to get gas, eat, and pee when needed.

Wall Drug Store in South Dakota

On day 27 on the way out of Rapid City, per Nancy's request, we stopped at the very touristy area known as Wall Drug.  Nancy remembers stopping here as a kid on a family vacation, lured in by the dozens of billboards along the highway offering such things as "free ice water" and "5 cent coffee".  What was once a single tourist stop surrounded by dirt for miles around back some 40 years ago has now turned into a small town with a whole business block dedicated to little gift shops and restaurants.  We took about an hour to do some shopping and take a breather from driving.  This actually turned out to be quite a nice area, and we took advantage of some of the bargain shops.  Then, just as we were leaving, we witnessed an unfortunate event- an older woman was walking to her car when she tripped and fell over a curb, landing face-first onto the pavement.  Her husband was there to assist her, but it was clear that she had taken a pretty hard hit and needed some more help.  Dan and Andy rushed to her side being the good samaritans that we are.  She had some bad cuts on her head and arm, but thankfully was going to be alright.  We stayed with her until a nurse arrived to give her proper care, then left after making sure everything was okay.  She took quite a fall, but we're sure glad she is going to be alright.

Our mascot for the last week, 'RT' the buffalo

After having done our good deed for the day, we felt like it was time for a little gambling.  We were, however, in South Dakota where casinos and lottery tickets were quite frequent.  At one point we looked for a casino that was supposedly right off the highway.  When we realized it was actually over thirty miles away through desolate farm country, we decided to stick to the gas station lottery tickets.  We didn't win any big money, and after spending over half an hour at a single gas station where the attendant seemed to be getting quite a kick out of our new found addiction, we decided it was time to give up and get back on the road before we did any more damage to our already near empty wallets.

The last exciting stop of our trip was in the bustling windy city of Chicago, which took up most of day 29.  Upon arrival, and keeping with our plans of sticking to a cheaper budget, we grabbed lunch at Panera Bread, which never lets us down.  Then we took a stroll around the beautiful Millenium Park and the downtown business/shopping district.  The park is filled with beautiful gardens and unique art sculptures.  We really liked the vibe and people here, who all seemed fashionable and smart, but a little more laid back and friendly than New Yorkers.  From the downtown, we took a taxi over to the famous Navy Pier.  The weather was simply gorgeous, and we just couldn't pass up a ride on the 100-foot-tall ferris wheel which dominated the skyline of the pier.  After this, the only logical thing to do was to find a cute outdoor restaurant on the pier and split a bottle of Pinot Noir, of course.  We sat and enjoyed the lovely breeze off of Lake Michigan while sipping our deliciously smooth wine and reminiscing over how wonderful the last 29 days have been.  Chicago was a very inviting city and we hope to get back here soon to spend some more time!

Neat sculpture in downtown Chicago's Millenium Park

Day 30 got off to a late start, as we continued our new habit of sleeping in until at least 10 or 11am.  Mind you, we continued to lose an hour every couple days of our journey back east.  Once we got our Starbucks and got on the road it was about noon.  We checked out our ever-so-handy RoadTrip USA book and consulted our maps checking out what fun things there were to see on our route today.  We were somewhat disappointed.  With the only somewhat interesting thing between here and our final stop in Pennsylvania being the city of Cleveland, we all came to a mutual decision to just plow through the final 10 hours of our drive and make it home a day early.  Sorry, Ohio, but you just didn't look too appealing...and the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame will always be there.  Plus, we all agreed it would be a good way to save some money, and we were definitely excited for some much needed rest.

The ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier 

So, at 10:55pm, on Thursday, May 24, 2012, we drove into the driveway of the Martin residence in Ephrata, PA, bringing our massive adventure to an end.  We did it.  Somehow, we all managed to make it home in one piece, with our car about to burst from the massive mound of souvenirs, tabloids, and half empty water bottles piling up in the backseat.  I'm surprised that mound didn't grow a mouth and decide to eat the unfortunate unsuspecting victim who just happened to sit beside it.

Like looking back on any chapter in one's life, it seems both like an eternity and only a split second at the same time.  When thought about as a whole, a month doesn't seem like too long, but when you stop to consider all the incredible things we got to see and do, it almost seems like a month isn't nearly enough time to fit it all in!  But, we somehow did.  And it turned out to be the trip of a lifetime.  We hiked through the Grand Canyon, walked along the sandy beaches of California, and saw the famous geysers of Yellowstone National Park.  We slept in luxurious rooms at Shutters in Santa Monica, a cave in New Mexico, a concrete teepee in Arizona, and some of the kitschiest Route 66 motels you can imagine.  We ate probably over 16 different burgers (some delicious and some...ehh, not so much), chili hot dogs in Cincinnati, fried lamb testicles in Oklahoma, pepperoni rolls in West Virginia, and probably more iced coffees than Rachel Zoe on her period.  We walked the golden gate bridge, canoed through an under ground river in Illinois, and got a close up of sea lion life in a Pacific Ocean cliff cave.  We defied gravity at the mind intriguing Mystery Spot, drove through a giant redwood tree, and came face to face with more buffalo than old Buffalo Bill himself probably saw....and of course, made memories to last a lifetime.

We're so glad that we took a leap and went through with the road trip.  It was a big commitment of both time and money, and to just pick up and leave for a month takes a lot of guts.  It's something that most people dream of doing but only a few actually are lucky enough to be able to do.  Nancy is happy to be back at home with her husband, daughter, and dog, Otis, but already missing the adventure and freedom of the road.  Dan and Andy are anxious to get back to New York City where they live and continue on to the next chapter which awaits them there.  We've taken advantage of our time on the road to gather a lot of inspiration.  The peacefulness and free time has also been nice, and we've been able to write a lot of music for our upcoming EP for our pop duo, KICH.  KICH is an exciting new venture for us, and we can't wait to bring our music to New York City and eventually the world.  Be sure to look for our pages on facebook and twitter to follow our pop duo and what we're up to.  Who knows, you may be witnessing the birth of the music industry's next breakthrough pop stars!      

We're so grateful to everyone who has read our blog, and followed our posts on facebook and twitter.  It was so nice to be able to share our journey with everyone while it was happening.  Yay technology!  And to anyone who might read this in the future, we hope that our stories will maybe inspire you to want to take a trip of your own someday.  Feel free to contact us with anymore questions, or if you just want to share an adventure of your own!  We are blessed to live in one of the most culturally and scenically diverse countries in the world, and you'd be a fool not to take advantage of the beauty which lies right outside your doorstep.

So, who knows, maybe in a few years we'll get the itch again to pack our bags and head out the door for another ultimate road trip, but for now, we bid our goodbyes and thank you again for following our story.

So long!

-The Roadtrippers: Andy, Dan, and Nancy
                               








              

DAYS 25 and 26 - CODY, WY to EVANSVILLE, WY to RAPID CITY, SD

Cow in Wyoming

Hello Blogosphere! We started yesterday from Cody Cowboy Village at 11:20am. Unfortunately the town had NO STARBUCKS so we were forced to drink a starbucks double shot energy drink from the local drugstore. The drive consisted mostly of bleak terrain, with very few memorable stops (lots of gas stations and rest areas). The one exciting thing we encountered was a collection of ancient petroglyphs on a cliff face wall. Some of the Native American pictures on the stone are estimated to be 11,000 years old. Unfortunately the camera didn't pick up these ancient drawings well, but we did get some great shots of cows crossing the open range on our way to the site.

The Crazy Horse Memorial being built

The rest of our drive yesterday was uneventful. We made it into Evansville (a suburb of Casper), checked out the local mall, ate taco bell, and slept. When planning our trip, Casper seemed to be the biggest and best city for a respite between Cody and Rapid City. Unfortunately our travel books failed to inform us that Casper is in essence a truck stop multiplied by 55,316 people. One cannot fathom the greatness of a hotel whose amenities include but are not limited to: hand-made cigarette burn holes for bedspread, artisanal rust water for shower, craftsman built paper-thin walls and doors, and deluxe 20-ply sheets conveniently pre-stained for sleeping pleasure. Evansville is a true gem. On the bright side, they do have Starbucks.

Mount Rushmore

Today was a much more pleasing day. Though it started out with more of the wide open (and sometimes boring) terrain, we had the opportunity to see both the Crazy Horse construction site, and the famous Mount Rushmore Memorial. Crazy Horse is an amazingly huge undertaking, and this privately run and funded memorial is a testament to the power of a strong vision and hard work. Near the monument is a fabulous visitor's center that offers an informative movie, a Native American museum, lots of hand-made jewelry, and a restaurant. Mount Rushmore is equally striking, though after seeing the epic Crazy Horse, the four presidents look small in comparison. It was exciting to experience this national landmark in person however, and it's definitely worth a visit.

This evening we met up with one of Nancy's friends from her college years. Steve had us over to his house for a few drinks and Nancy and Steve shared some funny stories from the past. It's pretty cool to drop into people's lives for a night and spend some time with them. Tomorrow we continue to head east. It's hard to believe, but only five more days till our trip comes to an end.

Miles covered both days: 535.9

Day 24- Yellowstone National Park!

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the entire road trip!  We got to spend the entire day at the beautiful Yellowstone National Park.  We woke up bright and early at our hotel in West Yellowstone, MT, ate a quick breakfast, and was out the door by 8:00am on our way to the park.  Our hotel was literally a 5 minute drive from the west entrance of the park- how convenient!

Buffalo right by our car

Andy at Old Faithful

We had a busy day planned at the park with lots to try and see, so we headed right for our first stop- the famous Old Faithful Geyser.  On the way, we had our first wildlife spotting of the day.  We passed multiple herds of buffalo grazing in the fields near the road.  We also saw a grey wolf and a grizzly bear about 300 feet from the road.  That was pretty cool!

Mammoth Hot Springs

When we got to Old Faithful, we had just missed an eruption by about 10 minutes, so we had some time to kill before the next one.  They happen approximately 75 minutes apart and the rangers are able to predict very accurately the occurrence of the eruptions.  So while we anxiously anticipated the geyser's next blow, we explored the nice hotel and checked out some of the exhibits on display at the visitor center.  There was also a short informative film which talked about all of the activities and wildlife in the park.  Then it was time for the eruption!  It lasted about 3 minutes and shot maybe about 100 feet into the air.  Honestly, I was prepared to be a little more amazed considering all the hype surrounding this geological feature, but it was still a neat experience to get to see it.  Maybe Old Faithful was just a little tired this time...

Mammoth Hot Springs

From here, we grabbed a muffin and headed to the very northern section of the park for Mammoth Hot Springs.  It was about an hour drive and on the way it started raining and hailing, so we didn't stop to see much, but the landscapes were beautiful.  The hot springs themselves were one of the strangest things I think I've ever seen.  There was a small dirt road which took you above the main formation as well as through a couple of other springs.  Then we headed to the base of the springs where we were really able to get a good look at these bubbling pools of minerals.  The colors and textures created by these features were just unbelievable.  Definitely check out this spot if you ever visit the park.  There was a restaurant in the hotel adjacent to the hot springs, so we decided to eat there for lunch.  The food was standard, but tasty and the staff was all very friendly.

Nancy and Dan at Lower Yellowstone Falls

Our next destination was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone which took about another 45 minutes of driving to get to.  (A lot of our day was spent driving from one feature to the next).  This is the canyon where the park gets its' name from, as the 1,000-foot walls are made up of a sandy, yellow stone.  Also located here are the famous Upper and Lower Waterfalls of the Yellowstone River.  First Andy and Dan checked out a hiking trail which led you from the top of the canyon to the brink of the Lower Falls.  What a sight this was- to be directly beside the 300-foot falls.  A little ways down the road there was a nice overlook to view the lower falls.  These are not to be missed.  The upper falls, though not as impressive as the lower, still are a sight to see as well.  They are a short distance up stream from the lower ones and drop about 100 feet into the canyon.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

A mother grizzly bear and her cub

After viewing the falls we made our way down to the gigantic Yellowstone Lake, which we found was partly still frozen over due to the higher elevation of this area of the park.  On the way, we passed the quite smelly, but very cool looking Sulfur Springs and Mud Volcano.  These hot springs were huge gurgling pools emitting some of the stinkiest fumes of the entire park, and we could barely stand to look at them for 30 seconds before getting nauseous and having to leave.  Our drive around the lake led us through some breathtaking forests of burnt trees, high up mountains, and through some swamp lands.  The highlight was when we spotted a mother bear and her cub strolling right along side the road, less than 50 feet from our cars.  We watched them for a couple minutes (from the inside of our cars) and really appreciated how wonderful this place is.  Yellowstone is truly a special gem- a wild terrain where nature and animals exist in their real form, and we are lucky to be able to experience it.

We're shacked up for the night in the cowboy town of Cody, WY ready for a good night's sleep!  And wouldn't you know it- apparently today was the first day of rain they have had at Yellowstone for over a year- figures it would be the day of our visit!

Total travel time:  11 hours (spent at the park)
Total miles: 214.9                                  

Day 23 - Boise, ID to West Yellowstone, MT

Andy taking a ride in a covered wagon

Today was a long one. We crossed the great state of Idaho and headed into Montana. We started our day at 9:30 by eating some breakfast, grabbing our much needed Starbucks coffee and shopping at Walmart. By 10:15 we were officially on our way. We had many miles to drive, so we didn't have a lot of stops planned. Around 1:00 we stopped into the town of Twin Falls for a quick bite to eat. We had lunch at Kelly's, a nice little place on Main Street. After a few more hours of driving we went to the Three Island State Park. Here is the exact spot where pioneers on the Oregon Trail crossed the Snake River. There is also a great visitor's center with lots of well laid out information on the Oregon Trail. It made Andy and Dan remember fun times playing the computer game 'The Oregon Trail' in elementary school.

The Devil's Washbowl

After another half hour of traveling we pulled over for our last sightseeing stop of the day, the Devil's Washbowl. This amazing 250 foot gorge is barely visible from the highway. Thankfully our guide book, Road Trip USA gave us insight into finding this almost unmarked park. Over the gorge is a narrow bridge where you can walk directly above the river and the waterfall that carved out this nice landmark.

From then on we were putting the petal to the metal on our way to West Yellowstone, Montana. We are seeing Yellowstone National Park tomorrow, so it will be an early morning and a long day. We can't wait for the beautiful sights we will see. 

On that note, 

Goodnight!

Total time: 11 hours

Total distance: 417.3 miles

P.S. Today we made our own version of Serpent Mound:

What the backseat of our car now looks like....

DAY 22 - MADRAS, OR to BOISE, ID

                                      Another town, another toilet
                                                         Another day, another diner
                                                                           Another overlook, another over-it
                                                                 

                                                                                                                       -Nancy Anne Pellett Martin





















Driving time: 11 hours
Distance: 401.2 miles

DAY 21- Portland and the Oregon Wilderness

Nancy at the beach in Seaside

So....we're sort of losing track of our days here.  At one point today we weren't sure which day of the week it was, how many days of the trip we had left, or even what town we were in....good lord I think we are all going a little nuts!  Honesty, I think all the traveling is just starting to wear on us and we find ourselves in a constant state of tiredness.  Time to up the dosage of coffee and energy drinks I guess.  All in all, we actually did have a pretty nice day in Oregon.

A lot of people in Portland like to ride bikes

We woke up early in Seaside to explore the coastal town during the daytime.  The weather was just gorgeous and we walked down to the beach and browsed in some of the local shops where Nancy again picked up a few souvenirs.  I swear our car is so full it's going to overflow any day now, leaving us all stranded on some highway somewhere in North Dakota.  After the morning ritual of picking up some Starbucks and tabloids, we left Seaside bound for Portland.  Seaside was the northern most point of our road trip, and from here our direction turns due east as we head back across the states for the last leg of our journey.  When first arriving in Portland, we checked out the world's largest new and used bookstore- Powell Book City in downtown.  This was quite an amazing place and we spent about an hour roaming through the multi-story building.  After picking up some good new reads, we went across the street to a local pizza shop for a surprisingly very good lunch.  From here we had some time to kill before we were scheduled to meet up with a friend of Andy's for some drinks, so we walked around the section of the city known as Old Town/Chinatown.  Not very impressed, we soon headed back to the main area of "downtown" to meet up with our friends John and Oscar at a bar for a couple of drinks and catching up time.  It was a lot of fun seeing these guys and we enjoyed some pleasant conversation over a few drinks at a not-so-crowded bar.

The Colombia River Gorge, as seen from Vista House

By now we had had our fill of Portland and decided to head out of town to drive along the Colombia River Gorge.  This is one of the most famous drives in the northwest and we were sure glad we took the time to check it out!  The Colombia Gorge Scenic Highway winds along the Colombia River for several miles, passing many high cliffs and lookout points, most notably the Vista House, rising some 700 feet above the river.  A little ways on down the road, we passed several breathtaking waterfalls.  We checked out a couple within walking distance of our car, but the most amazing one by far was the 650 foot Multnomah Falls.  These are one of the most photographed falls in the world and it was incredible to get to walk right below them and cross the bridge.  The drive through the gorge was definitely one of the best so far!

Multnomah Falls

Dan at Multnomah Falls

From here we headed for another scenic drive, which took us around one of the most massive peaks in the northwest, the 11,000 foot Mount Hood.  Our route took us pretty far up the mountain to the point where there was even snow in the woods along both sides of the highway and the temperature dropped more than 20 degrees from what it was at the base!  Once back down the other side, we stopped for dinner at the Ice Axe Cafe, part of the Mount Hood Brewing Company.  Our food here was pretty excellent as were the couple local beers we sampled that were made at the brewing company.  By this point it was pretty late in the day and after dinner we high-tailed it through the night to the sleepy town of Madras....we really are in the middle of nowhere.  Our hotel for the night is definitely the sketchiest one of the trip so far...so pray we wake up tomorrow morning with no bed bug bites!

Mt Hood, Oregon

Until we meet again,

The Weary Road-Trippers



Total Travel Time: 10.5 hours
Total Miles: 256.1
                    

 

DAY 20- The Oregon Coast

Happy Monday!  Today we continued our journey up the beautiful coast of Oregon.  It's become tradition in the mornings to hunt for the closest Starbucks to give us the kick start we need for our day.  It's also become tradition for us to sleep in later and later each day...today we didn't get on the road until almost 11:00am!  Geesh.  The roadtrippers have become a little lazy.

Nancy at Sea Lion Cave (we promise there were real ones)

Once we got our coffee and breakfast, we felt rejuvenated enough to head out for Seaside, OR.  Our first stop of the day was about an hour up the road at the world's largest Sea Lion Cave.  This was a really neat experience!  After the tacky gift shop, we walked out to an elevator which lowered us 200 feet below the steep cliffs to the inside of the cool, damp cave where we got to see about a dozen wild Steller Sea Lions resting on the rocks.  There was also a nice informational video which chronicled the creation and discovery of the cave, as well as a nice lookout point to the northern shore and picturesque Heceta Head lighthouse.  Back on top of the cliffs, there was also a viewpoint which you were able to see about 100 more of the sea lions basking in the sun on a rock ledge outside the cave.  It was really amazing to get to see these magnificent creatures in their wild habitat.  Sea Lion Cave is definitely worth the stop!

The view from Cape Perpetua

We then continued our drive up the coast through many small lumber and fishing towns- all looking way too alike.  This was definitely a spectacular portion of our drive, though; right along the coastal cliffs and beaches, which looked a little similar in places to Big Sur, CA.  One of the best views was from Cape Perpetua.  We took a small detour off Highway 101 up a two-mile windy road which took us to a cliff 800 feet about the Pacific.  Wow, what a breathtaking view this was.  It was so cold and windy at the top, we only stayed long enough to grab a couple pictures and get back in the car!

Otis Cafe in Otis, OR- YUM!

Now it was time for a late lunch at a spot recommended in the Road Food Book- The Otis Cafe in Otis, OR.  This tiny cafe boasts for serving the most calories within the smallest square feet.  Sounds like our kind of place!  Seated beside a tiny post office, this intimate joint is famous for it's huge portions of deliciously flavored home-style cooking and it's extraordinary desserts- including the yummy marionberry pie (a cousin to the raspberry).  We tried the biscuits and gravy, breakfast omelette, and buffalo burger- all which we highly recommend.  The marionberry pie and pumpkin bread we got for dessert were also delicious and the waitress was very friendly and accommodating.

It wasn't too long after our meal until we arrived at our destination for the night- the charming town of Seaside right along the coast.  The town is famous for being the end of the Lewis and Clark trail and is full of neat shops and places for us to check out.  Our hotel also has a heated pool, so if the town doesn't prove too interesting, that's where we'll be (most likely with a drink in hand).



Tomorrow we head onto Portland!

Cheers!            

Total travel time: 9 hours
Total miles: 224.8