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

  

DAY 19 - Fortuna, CA to Coos Bay, OR

Carson Mansion in it's splendor

Happy Mother's day! Hope all the mom's out there had a nice day. We sure did. We left our hotel at 10:30 this morning and were our way up the coast of California. We drove through the town of Eureka and saw the historic Carson Mansion. It is a beautiful old building that is the site of a private club. We also saw the Occupy Eureka movement.

Paul and his babe

Next we were on to Redwood National Park. We drove through the park and saw some elk grazing in a meadow. The next site up the coast was Wedding Rock in Prairie Creek State Park. This is a massive rock over looking the coast and a perfect spot for whale watching. Though there weren't any whales in the water, the scenery was beautiful and inspiring.

A couple miles up the coast we were greeted with the massive statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Nearby were the Trees of Mystery and the Native American Museum of Arts and Artifacts. We then had lunch with the locals across the street at the Forest Cafe. Then is was on to Oregon!

Andy modeling

There are riveting views to be seen right off of US-101. One particular turn-off has a quarter-mile trail that leads to an incredible vista views of the beach hundreds of feet below. Dan has tempted to throw Andy off the cliff, but he decided not to.

We drove another 90 miles into the town of Bandon where Nancy decided to celebrate mother's day with a chocolate malt at Dairy Queen. We walked around old Bandon and saw locals catching crabs. Now we are in our hotel for the night in the cozy town of Coo's Bay. We are drinking Jack Daniel's on the rocks and getting ready to do laundry. Life on the road is exciting.

DAY 18- Northern California

The three road-trippers slept in later than intended this morning.  Maybe it has something to do with all the coffee and energy drinks we've been drinking lately that kept us up so late....hmm.  We left our hotel in North San Francisco around 10:30am and after a McDonald's breakfast run (you know you love it too) day 18 had begun.

Saint Teresa of Avila Church in Bodega, CA- seen in "The Birds"

We had quite a long drive ahead of us- still traveling on the scenic Highway 1.  Our first pit stop of the day was at the quiet town of Bodega.  It was in this town and the surrounding foggy bay that Alfred Hitchcock filmed a lot of his famous horror film "The Birds".  We were able to walk through the exact church seen in the film as well as the old schoolhouse.  Very cool and a little creepy at the same time!  Still traveling along the ocean, we twisted our way up the coast through some very breathtaking scenery of hills and valleys- a little more tame than the wild cliffs of Big Sur, but still beautiful.  One of the most prominent spots along this drive were the Sonoma Coast Beaches- small, rocky beaches that were filled with local families and surfers out enjoying their weekend.

The lovely town of Mendocino, CA

We continued along until we came to one of the prettiest towns on the California coast, Mendocino.  This picturesque small town is an ideal upscale vacation spot for big city dwellers looking to escape for a while.  We peeked in some of the shops and cafes along the area, which were very cute with friendly attendants.  By now, it was nearing dinner time and we were pretty hungry.  We wanted someplace with a little more reasonable price range than the restaurants here, so we headed about 10 minutes up the road to the blue-collar, lumber town of Fort Bragg, quite a different feel than Mendocino.  Most of the restaurants here looked pretty sketchy, but we took our chances on a Denny's-esque place called Perko's.  After ordering our drinks (water), Nancy asked the scrappy looking waitress about the soup of the day.  She responded in a mumbling, fussy tone that she "wouldn't recommend the potato soup" because it looked kind of "brown and gross".  At this point she awkwardly said that she wasn't our waitress and that she would try and find our real waitress to tell her we were ready to order (even though we weren't).  Scared of the possibility of food poisoning from the "brown and gross" soup and annoyed at the horrible service, we immediately left and headed for some always reliable fast food.  All I can say is, if you ever happen to pass through Fort Bragg, avoid Perko's at all costs.

Driving through the Chandelier Redwood Tree

It was about an hour later before we came to our next stop of the day- the famous drive-through Chandelier Redwood Tree in the sleepy town of Leggett.  This giant stood a massive 315 feet tall and was estimated to be as old as 2,400 years.  The experience was so cool, we drove through it not once- but two times!  We snagged a few small things at the gift shop (including some surprisingly pleasant smelling redwood cologne) and hurried to try and make it to our hotel before it got too dark.  The last leg of our long drive took us through the astounding Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and along the appropriately named Avenue of the Giants.  Just as the sun was setting, we twisted along a dark, narrow road through some of the most massive redwood trees in the entire state.  I must say, seeing these amazing trees and being up so close to them was one of the highlights of the trip so far.  What a way to end our day!

Total travel time:  11 hours
Total miles:  314.3

          

Day 17 - SAN FRANCISCO

Andy at the Golden Gate Bridge

It was a lovely day in San Francisco! We had the whole day to explore the city and enjoy all it has to offer. How can you start a day in San Fran but with a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge? We hightailed it to this spot to get our first look at the landmark. At first clouds and fog covered most of the area and we couldn't see much, but after a few minutes the clouds blew out and we had a terrific view of the iconic bridge.

Fortune cookie in Chinatown

After snapping a few pictures, rumbling stomachs reminded us how hungry we were. The city has the largest population of Chinese people in the United States, so we figured it would be a perfect opportunity to grab some first rate, authentic chinese food. We checked out a restaurant in the heart of Chinatown - we were not disappointed! Then it was on to Coit Tower. This tower sits on a hill high above the city, offering breathtaking views of the landscape below.

By mid afternoon we were on to Fisherman's Wharf. This area is a collection of shops and restaurants,  similar to boardwalks on the east coast but with a laid back California feel. The highlight of this place is at Pier 39. Sea lions can be seen sunbathing on the pier through the winter season and into spring. We were lucky to see about 50 of the sea lions, catching a few rays and warding off annoying seagulls.

The famous windy roads of Lombard Street

Our last stop in the city was at the Castro district, San Francisco's notorious gay neighborhood. We were greeted by a completely naked man chatting with his fellow neighbors on the street corner. It was pretty shocking to see this and we were a little confused how this is even legal. We asked a local shopkeeper about this anomaly and he informed us that nudity was considered a form of free speech that the hippies of the 60s started. As long as no one complained about the man, he was free to dress or undress as he felt. Who knew?!

San Francisco is an absolutely gorgeous city and one of our favorite destinations so far. California in general has been a great state offering beautiful scenery, entertaining cities, and kindhearted people. Definitely visit here if you get the chance! We're spending the night in a small town a few miles north of the bay area. Tomorrow we head to the most northern section of California for one last night in the golden state. Then we head to Oregon and turn east on our journey home.

Distance Today: 70.4 Miles


Peace and blessins!

DAYS 13, 14, 15, and 16- California!

The hot, dry deserts of Southern California

Lucky day number 13 of the road trip saw us saying goodbye to Sun City West after a relaxing two days visiting Nancy's family and getting our tan on by the pool.  We headed out pretty early for San Diego for the longest drive of the trip so far.  There wasn't a whole lot to do as far as sight-seeing along this stretch, so we mostly just stuck to the highway and aimed to arrive in San Diego as early as we could.  We did however, pass through some pretty intense landscapes along the way.  Southern California greeted us with the biggest, sandiest desert in the country- stretching along both sides of the highway as far as the eye could see.  We climbed up some very steep, rocky mountains in the middle of the state before coming back downhill and arriving mid-afternoon in the bustling city of San Diego along the Pacific Coast.  We couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as we gazed at the ocean- we had, after all, conquered over 3,000 miles of our journey thus far.  After another tasty lunch of unique burgers (this one was topped with spicy gyro meat), we decided to explore a little of the city.  It was too late in the afternoon to check out the world-famous zoo, so we just spent a little while walking around the lovely Balboa Park, before stopping in a couple of shopping malls, which proved to be a little underwhelming.  By this time in the evening we all felt pretty exhausted, so it was back to the hotel for an early night in.  Andy and Dan took advantage of this time to work on some music for our upcoming album.

Total travel time:  7 hours

Total miles:  375.1

Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica

The following day (Day 14) we turned our direction due north and headed up the coast towards Santa Monica, where our hotel for the night was the luxurious Shutters on the Beach, a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the Santa Monica Pier and a stone's throw away from the beach.  This was a place well worth waiting for.  After some not terrible, but not all that great, hotels along the way, Shutters was very welcoming indeed.  Unfortunately for us, the weather wasn't all that great, so we didn't get to enjoy the beach, but we did have some time to relax by the pool and hot tub.  After a nice healthy lunch at the Urth Cafe, we ventured into Beverly Hills for some retail therapy on El Rodeo drive.  Although we didn't catch a glimpse of any celebrities, we still loved walking through the boutiques- Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, and Dan's favorite- Dior.  Dan got some new jeans and Andy got a new swim suit which he debuted that afternoon at the hotel's hot tub.  Later that evening, we walked over to the Santa Monica Pier for some yummy pizza.  Luck just wasn't on our side that day, because by the time we got there most of the attractions and rides were closed.  Oh well...the pizza was still good and so was the bottle of champagne we brought back to our room.  ;-)  Dan and Nancy called it a night soon thereafter, and Andy went out to meet up with his friend Vivian for a fun night out on the town exploring LA.  It's always nice seeing people we know on the road, especially when they know the area and can show us around!  

Total travel time: 3 hours

Total miles:  159.9

The ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier

We were so bummed to have to leave Shutters the next day, especially the most comfortable beds we've ever slept in.  But, a McDonald's breakfast and Starbucks run were just what we needed to perk us up and give us the energy we needed to hit the road.  Day 15 was another long travel day on Highway 1 up the coast to Big Sur.  We had left kind of late in the morning, so we didn't stop much on the way to Big Sur.  The one town we did stop in was Ventura, a decent sized city at about the mid-point of our drive.  Ventura was noted in our travel books for it's quirky thrift shops, something Nancy just couldn't pass up.  We parked along Main Street and explored a few of the stores.  A lot of them held some really unique and interesting collectibles, but after having spent a lot of money in LA the day before, we decided it was best to keep our wallets shut.  The mexican restaurant we were planning on eating at, La Super-Rica, was one of Dan and Nancy's favorite spots from when they had visited California before, so they were naturally very excited about stopping here again.  But as our luck would have it, the day we were there also happened to be the one day of the week they were closed.  So, it was another In N' Out burger for lunch...which isn't too bad of a second choice.  It was about another hour of driving before we hit the area of the state known as Big Sur.  Now this is the part of the drive that makes Highway 1 famous- the rugged 5,000-foot mountains towering above you to the right, while the steep cliffs fall to your left to meet the waves of the Pacific crashing onto it's base.  Every once in a while you could catch a glimpse of a gorgeous secluded beach along the shore.  This drive was completely breathtaking, but be sure not to gaze too long at the scenery while driving, because the extremely windy and narrow road could prove fatal.  We stopped for dinner at a very nice restaurant on a secluded cliff overlooking the water.  The delicious food, pleasant waitress, and view of the ocean made for a very enjoyable meal.  By now the sun had fallen and we were anxious to get to our lodge about half an hour up the dark, windy road.  We checked into the rustic but very comfortable Big Sur River Inn and it wasn't long before our heads hit the pillows and we were out like a lamp.  

Total travel time:  10.5 hours

Total miles: 304.9 

Andy and his friend Vivian out in LA

Cliffs along the coast of Highway 1, Big Sur, CA

Once we finally dragged ourselves out of bed at 9:30am (yes, 9:30 has actually turned into sleeping in for us) the next day (Day 16), we actually felt very rested and refreshed and decided we needed a hike!  We drove a few miles down the road to the Pheiffer Big Sur State Park.  Here a two mile trail boasted some nice views of the valley as well as a small, but pretty set of waterfalls.  The park also contained one of the oldest redwood trees in the area- The Colonial Tree.  Although the diameter of the trunk wasn't as large as some others, this tree was notable for both its' height and age- at about 1,100 years old, this tree stood over 300 feet tall!  Now pretty hungry after our hike, we grabbed some pizza at a cafe near our hotel and headed back out on the road towards San Francisco.  It was this part of the drive that we came across probably the most spectacular vistas of the trip so far.  Turn after turn provided the most stunning views of the cliffs and the ocean you could ever see.  After a while, the road flattened out again and we were back in civilization.  Our one stop for the day other than the state park was in Santa Cruz, at a place called The Mystery Spot.  After reading about this place in the books, we just had to stop and check it out.  This was a small area on a hill in the woods where the laws of gravity and physics just didn't seem to apply.  Our small tour led us to a little cabin purched on the side of a hill where weird, unexplainable things happened- like, you would find yourself leaning over to the point where you normally would fall on the ground, but somehow were still lifted up.  Or, you would stand beside someone taller than you, switch places with them and then seem taller than them.  Or, balls and water seemed to roll uphill.  You could definitely sense some sort of very strong magnetic pull in this place, but scientists over the years haven't been able to figure out what exactly causes it.  Some guesses are a fault line deep under the earth, high levels of carbon dioxide gases leaking out, or perhaps the most radical of all- alien spaceships which crash landed here several years ago and part of their remains are still underground.  Whatever the reason may be, The Mystery Spot is still a very unique place which you should check out if you're ever in the Santa Cruz area of California.  After this, we were just mystified out, and decided to head straight for our hotel in South San Francisco to rest up for a long day tomorrow of heading in to explore the city!  

Total travel time:  8 hours

Total miles:  147.2             

   

DAYS 9, 10, 11, 12!

World's largest Kokopelli

We've an amazing week on the road! It's been awhile since we updated, partly because we've been enjoying a great time and party because our hotels haven't provided us with internet. On Thursday we reluctantly left the amazing cave and headed south. We stopped for some great Mexican food in Santa Fe before a long drive to our super-fun concrete teepee in Holbrook, Arizona. We settled in for the night and got lots of rest in preparation for the next day - the GRAND CANYON!

Our Teepee motel in Holbrook

We left our hotel at an early 6:30am on our way to the canyon. We arrived at the park and were met with incredible views and breathtaking weather. Once we settled into our room, Andy and Dan went on a six mile hike into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. This was one of the most memorable parts of the trip to date. We traveled the trail 3,000 vertical feet into the canyon, making it about halfway to the Colorado River. Unfortunately we didn't have the time or means to make it to the bottom of the canyon and meet the river, but the 4 hour hike we did was incredible and gave us memories to last a lifetime. After the hike we took some long hot showers and relaxed from the dry dusty climate. As day came to a close we took the opportunity to drive to one of the best lookouts in the park to watch the sunset. It was so breathtaking it was almost hard to believe anything on earth could be so beautiful. The Grand Canyon is a magical place and we highly recommend visiting this wonder of the world! Pictures can only give a faint impression of the canyon's true majesty and splendor.

Andy at the Grand Canyon

THE GRAND CANYON

After a restful night of sleep we said goodbye to the canyon and got on the road toward Surprise, Arizona. Nancy's parents live in the Sun City West, a town close to Surprise, so we had the privilege to eat with them and visit at their place. We were in Surprise for two whole days! It was a welcome rest from the weary road and the only time on the 31-day trip where we stay in the same hotel two nights in a row. It was a welcome relief. Besides hanging out with Nancy's parents, we enjoyed swimming in the pool, reading some books, and sunbathing! The days there were incredibly relaxing, and it was the perfect time to rest up for the next part of our trip. We'll be updating the blog soon to recap our last four days on the road!

The Grand Canyon at sunset

Total distance over four days: 835.2 miles
Total driving time over four days: 14.5 hours

DAYS 6, 7, AND 8!

Greetings loved ones!  We're finally in civilization and have some time to write a few blogs. YAY! As you saw with our last short post, we've been having an amazing time so far. There were a few days where our hotel didn't have internet (or we were staying in a cave...for real), so we weren't able to update. But, now we're settled in Phoenix for two whole days. We're really looking forward to some rest, relaxation, and pool time!

But for now, let's go back to last Monday, April 30, day 6 of the road trip.  We woke up in Tulsa, OK en route to Clinton, OK. But before we left, we just felt like we needed a little fix of some big city shopping. With iced coffee from Starbucks in hand, we strolled into Saks Fifth Ave just as they opened for a quick taste of New York City style.  Then before heading out of Tulsa, we checked out a cool Indian Outlet Store for some neat finds.

Coffee is essential for long drives on the road

In Oklahoma City, we had one of the best lunches of the road trip so far at Cattlemen's Ranch- a three course meal consisting of a juicy filet mignon, heavenly strawberry shortcake, and by far the most interesting appetizer we've tried so far- lamb fries (aka FRIED LAMB TESTICLES!!). And you know, they were actually pretty tasty- sort of similar to popcorn shrimp. We spent a couple hours in the Stockyard City area doing some MORE shopping at cowboy and indian outlet stores...we just find the coolest stuff at these places! Our last stop was the Oklahoma City bombing memorial in downtown. This was a very tranquil place which very respectfully and tastefully honored the tragedy of bombing. It was a beautiful outdoor memorial in the very spot the building once stood. It was nice to walk around the site while paying our respects.

Don't go out of your way to try these burgers...

Halfway between Oklahoma City and Clinton, we stopped for dinner in the little town of El Reno. Our multiple road trip books had recommended a place called Jonnie's Grill for their juicy "onion burgers", that apparently didn't need any extra condiments or anything because they were just THAT tasty. Well, we weren't that impressed. The most memorable thing about this place was its' retro Route 66 feel and decor. Our last stop before checking into our hotel was...yet ANOTHER...indian outlet right off the highway, which drew our attention due to it's advertising of LIVE BUFFALO! Nancy just couldn't resist her first opportunity to see them, so we stopped for some more accessory shopping, and to see the three live buffalo they had outside. They were pretty cool, we do have to say.

Surfing on a buffalo in Oklahoma

Our night in Clinton was uneventful, minus a few tornado watches that were posted for the area, which kept Nancy on the edge of her bed for a little while. Apparently there were a few sightings of funnel clouds north of us in Kansas, but we all we got was rain. 

Total travel time: 9 hours
Total miles: 217

150-foot cross in Texas

Day 7 was a pretty long day of driving through the western most part of Oklahoma, the panhandle of Texas, and on into Tucumcari, NM. After a quiet morning on the road (with the one cool highlight being a huge 150-foot cross along the highway...Nancy loved this) we parked at the historic Goldenlight Cafe in Amarillo, TX for lunch. Dan tried their specialty, the Frito Pie, and I enjoyed a buffalo burger wrap. Both were very excellent, but the Frito Pie was by far the highlight of this place- fritos chips topped with a spicy chili, cheese, lettuce, onion, and tomato...MMM MMM GOOD!

Welcome to Texas!

From here, we took about an hour detour south of Amarillo to Palo Duro Canyon- the second largest in America. It was certainly a beautiful sight to behold. Unlike the Grand Canyon, this one actually has a road which allows you to drive into it. So after Dan and I hiked about a mile around the top, we decided to take the drive with Nancy to the bottom to get a full view of the canyon. It was really neat to be able to see it from both the top and the bottom...the colors of the rock formations and plants were really breathtaking. Some of the rangers at the visitor center said that a lot of people actually like this one better than the Grand Canyon, but after having seen them both now, I think those people must have been crazy. Palo Duro was nice, but personally, I don't think it even comes close to the Grand. We'll tell you all about our visit there in the next blog.

Then it was back north towards Amarillo for a photo shoot at one of the most interesting places we've seen so far on Route 66- Cadillac Ranch. Here right off the highway were about a dozen old Cadillacs covered in spray paint sticking straight out of the ground. Dan and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to throw on some of the fun western accessories we bought yesterday and take a few pictures of us posing in and on top of the old cars. We kind of felt like superstars shooting a music video out in the desert with the wind blowing dust around us...it was pretty cool.

Dan at Palo Duro Canyon

Cadillac Ranch in Texas

It had already been a long day, so naturally Starbucks and Dairy Queen were a necessity to get us through the last leg of our drive. The very nostalgic Route 66 town of Tucumcari, NM was our stop for the night. The Blue Swallow Motel was a quaint and well-kept place with very friendly owners. We checked out the local "strip", lined with old looking motels and restaurants, but decided that Pizza Hut sounded like the most filling option for dinner. After our meal, we spent a relaxing evening sitting outside our motel, enjoying a couple of drinks, watching the cars go by, while chatting about all the amazing adventures we've had thus far. We can't believe we're 1/4 of the way done our trip!

Total travel time: 9.5 hours
Total miles: 377.8







Now onto day 8! Before leaving Tucumcari, I really wanted to check out the local dinosaur museum! (I've been really into dinosaurs since I was a little kid). The museum was worth checking out, but after having been to the Smithsonian museums in DC multiple times growing up, I felt a little spoiled by those and this one paled in comparison. Nevertheless, it was neat to check out some of the fossils and replicas they had here, and it was cool to be in a part of the country where a lot of them were originally found.

Burger at the Bobcat Bite

Next, we were bound for Sante Fe. Just outside of the city was a tiny place called the Bobcat Bite where we had lunch. The place got it's name because years ago the workers would literally leave scraps of old food laying out the back door, and hungry bobcats would come down from the mountains and enjoy the leftovers. Nowadays, they'll feed the birds and squirrels, but they decided to play it a little safer and leave the bobcats to feed in the wild. And you can guess what we decided on to eat- yep, another burger! But we were sure glad we did because this one was the most amazing one of the road trip so far (sorry Steak n' Shake, you've been beat). It was a huge portion, perfectly seasoned, topped with white cheddar cheese, chili, and green salsa...AMAZING.

From here we ventured into the city of Sante Fe for a lovely afternoon of shopping and strolling through the downtown Plaza district. The architecture here is incredible and the weather to die for. The city definitely has an upscale feel to it, while still remaining very laid back and relaxed. We felt right at home while enjoying pleasant conversation with the bar staff at a local hotel over a couple glasses of wine.

Our plan for the night was to go to our hotel in Albuquerque and do some sight-seeing in the city. But, our plans changed when Nancy got ahold of her old college friend, Shell, who lives about an hour north of Sante Fe and invited us to come stay with him for the night. To be honest, at first we were a little reluctant, seeing as we had no idea what was in store for us, and it would push back our plans for the next day a little bit. But Nancy was eager to see her old friend, so we agreed to go along with it! And boy, were we glad we did, because what an experience it was...

The outside entrance to Shell's cave

The drive to Shell's was an adventure in itself.  After about an hour on a scenic highway, we turned onto a dirt road that led down to Shell's house in a small canyon beside the Rio Grande River.  The road was extremely narrow and steep, and hugged the edge of a 100-foot cliff just above the river.  EEK!  After the nerve-wracking drive, we were greeted by Shell at his place and he showed us around his property which consisted of two houses- one which is his and one he rents out, his art studio, and a man-made cave they use as a guest house.  Shell is an artist who makes beautiful and unique pottery and ceramic pieces.  It was really cool looking around his studio and seeing all of his really amazing work.  Then he treated us to a delicious home-cooked meal and we sat and chatted while he and Nancy caught up and reminisced about their college memories.  They hadn't seen one another for 37 years!  Then the three of us road trippers settled in for our night in the cave.

Nancy and her college friend Shell

Now, I just have to talk about this cave a little bit. I wish I could post pictures of the inside, but I want to respect Shell's privacy and it's such a special place I feel like it deserves to be kept a little hidden gem. One of Shell's artist friends built the cave himself, with just a pick and a shovel working about 20 hours a week for 2 years. It had several rooms, including a bathroom with a gorgeous bathtub, a kitchen, a living room with hard wood floors, a study, several skylights, and a bedroom on a upper level which overlooked the rest of the cave. The walls were covered in beautiful carvings and Shell's artwork. Shell's love of music was also present throughout the cave- unique Native American instruments sat on the shelves, little outcoves built into the walls held amazing acoustics, and my favorite part was an actual drum built into the living room floor- all of which just begged you to experiment and make music with them.


All I can say is- this place felt really special.  The experience of walking outside at night, watching the stars, listening to the sounds of nature all around you, while jamming with musical instruments is one I will never forget for the rest of my life.  It wasn't very hard to feel inspired by the spiritual tranquility of the area.  I'm so glad I got to see this place and I definitely left the next day feeling like a changed person.


Total travel time: 10 hours
Total miles: 220.2

 -Andy