Our Cross Country Roadtrip Adventure

Our Cross Country Roadtrip Adventure

• 6.03.2009

With all of our stuff safely stowed away on a truck, Bron and I commenced our trip East in our red Impala on Friday May 22nd. Armed with our Garmin navigator and a big fat atlas, we knew it was going to be an adventure; just the two of us on a road trip, seeing and doing things we'd never done before!

Day 1:
We began our trip by driving North and East through Yellowstone National Park and then on through Wyoming.

These are REAL mountains. Not some wussy things they have further East.

The Grand Tetons

French translation...The Grand ummm

We encountered buffalo trekking up the road. We were no more than 3 feet from some in our car. Cool! Can I please ride it??

I'm not sure what people are complaining about when they say that Wyoming is boring and desolate. Maybe we were on a scenic highway, but I thought parts of Wyoming were actually quite beautiful.

Day 2:
The Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands, here we come!

My Honey and Me at Mt. Rushmore

This was one of my favorite days of our trip. It was a lot of fun! We took a tour using hand-held recorders through the museum and around the mountain at Mount Rushmore. I'm not sure if I would have been for or against the project back in the day, but it sure is cool to see! I only wish the artist was able to finish it all.

The Badlands

The Badlands were SWEET to see! So desolate, beautiful, and fragile all at once. Bron and I hiked around on and off the trails. We had a great day!

Day 3:

After a terrible night camping without getting any sleep, Bron and I drove through Omaha, Nebraska. We lived there when I was a little kid and it didn't even dawn on me to call my parents for the address so we could stop by. But we did stop at the site of Winter Quarters. We slowly walked around and read the tombstones in the graveyard next to the temple. Then we took a tour of the museum with a sister missionary. Man, did it make me feel grateful for all my many, many temporal blessings and for the tough men and women who survived the winter there. I'm sure many doubted at times, but the early Saints had such great faith! It's good to remember that this life isn't "it" and that there is a greater purpose for each one of us; this life isn't the end. Their stories really put things into perspective for me. It was Sunday and a very appropriate day to feel the spirit.

Des Moines, Iowa

Bron was tired of driving (he drove the ENTIRE way) and saw this building on the side of the road. So we stopped. Because we could. This building is obviously the capital. Surrounding it were various war memorials from American history. Bron loves history. We stopped by every memorial. Quite appropriate for Memorial Day weekend, huh?

Day 4:
NAUVOO!!!

We could have spent two more days here. There is so much to see and do! Bron and I went to the temple in the morning and saw some artifacts and other bits of history there, including Joseph Smith's saber.

The Nauvoo Temple

Then we toured through the various homes and stores in town. What a blast! I learned how bricks, tin, guns, and wagons were made. I got to bring home a red brick and each of us now have prairie diamond rings. Fun, huh?

No kidding, THE Browning Gun Shop and Home

Real Oxen

Have you ever wondered exactly what an ox is? These are red Holsteins, but any breed will do. The cow must be a steer and it must have horns. He must be at least 3 years old and have started training with a yoke on his neck at a young age. Didn't you always want to know that? A haunting mystery now solved.

Hawaiian Fire Sword Dance

That night we enjoyed ourselves at an outdoor theatre. We watched a Hawaiian family dance and then stayed for Sunset on the Mississippi. If you like dry humor, I'd recommend the show. It was hilarious!

Day 5:
Nothing interesting. We drove and drove and drove... You get the idea. Very boring.

Day 6:
We were in Kirtland, Ohio and saw the first gathering place of the Latter-Day Saints. Their ingenuity was awesome! And their stories were even better.

The Original Newel K. Whitney Store Still Stands

After touring the town, we went up to the top of the hill and toured all 3 stories of the temple. We even sat in the pews. It was really neat. (I bought postcards, sorry no pics)

Lovers at Niagara Falls

Unless you plan on spending an entire day at Niagara Falls, I wouldn't recommend it. It is waaaay over commercialized. Bron and I both have passports so we ventured to the Canadian side where we could get a better view. After driving around in circles and trying to find parking that was ridiculously overpriced, the falls didn't seem quite so incredible. But to the falls' credit, it is beautiful, wide, and magnificent. To us, however, it was comparable to Shoshone Falls in Idaho. No biggie. :) hehe Just kidding.

That night we drove until 12:30 AM where we finally found ourselves at our new home. We slept on the floor, but I didn't care; I was sick of the car. I will post all about our new surroundings later. Until then, this is what we are doing...

Proof: My Husband Loves Me!

We're organizing and buying our very first sets of furniture together. It's been a ton of fun, but the house is still in shambles.