road trip 2011: the way out

11 August 2011

Hello, West Virginia!july 2011 003 1
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What’s up, Ohio?
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Thank you for the beautiful sunset!
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Buddy, this is just the first day. We’ve got a loooong way to go….july 2011 012 1 
You don’t need money, don’t need fame, don’t need no credit card…july 2011 039 1 we got a free month of xm radio on my husband’s phone and it was a lifesaver while the kids were watching their movies in the back with headphones..
Good Morning, Indy!july 2011 031 1
     We had never eaten at ajuly 2011 081 1
How come no one ever told me about this place?? Yummmmmm. So wish we had one in VA.
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Well, hello Illinois!july 2011 047 1
Road Trip Bingo. We got everything but a runner. Not too many of those on the Interstate…the kids wanted to yell at a construction guy to run for them :)
july 2011 073 1
My husband woke me up just in time to catch the corner of the Iowa sign…
july 2011 089 1
Bless you people in Iowa with all of the flooding. We couldn’t believe it. Our favorite hotel of the whole trip was in Sioux City.july 2011 097 1
Someone bought some goggles from the storejuly 2011 122 1
So many cool bridges!
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and beautiful flags flyingjuly 2011 002 1
and corn and windmills.july 2011 090 1 
South Dakota! I didn’t get a state sign picture, but we had fun at Wall Drug july 2011 010 1
He just wanted me to tickle his feet again and again and again…july 2011 036 1
Mt. Rushmore was so, so cool.
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And, I have to say our FAVORITE sign was:july 2011 067 1 almost to Grandma & Grandpas!!july 2011 071 1
Did we pass by any of you along the way??
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26 comments

  1. The longest road trip we ever undertook was from Michigan to Kansas and back--a mere jaunt compared to your journey!  And we just had two kids at the time!  But it really was wonderful.  We went to Branson, MO and saw the Sons of the Pioneers. . . went to Springfield to the original Bass Pro Shop. . . visited Laura Ingalls Wilder's home and museum. . . saw the real "Little House on the Prairie" way out in nowhere, Kansas. . .stayed in Mark Twain's town in Illinois--all things we would never have done if we'd just flown from Detroit to Wichita. 

    I think y'all should both the "Parents of the Year" award for taking your kids on this trip, and the "Children of the Year" award for taking your kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa!  I'm so glad you got to do it.

    One more thing--in that top photo--isn't he just the spittin' image of his dad??

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  2. Gracefullkari1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    Yep, in Illinois and God bless you for road tripping with five kids. I just did it with two and it was not always fun. :)

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  3. Raggedyamy241/8/14, 1:28 PM

    You pass me! I am 45 minutes from the beautiful West Virginia capital in Charleston.  I was excited to see it made the it to the top of your pictures! Love you blog! Amy in WV

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  4. You passed right by me in Indiana.  I was also on the same bridge over the Mississippi last month, and was right up by Sioux City visiting my Mom.  Small world!  You are brave for traveling that far with small children.  Indiana to Iowa for us is a 12 hour trip and a LONG one. 

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  5. Hello from Illinois!  Hope you enjoyed miles and miles of corn and flatness!  Ha!  And yes, Culvers is the bomb-digity!  Cheese curds and frozen custard!  YUM! Safe travels!

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  6. That's a long road trip to take, especially with kids!  We took a 15-hour-each-way road trip a couple weeks ago, and the trip home, after all the fun was over, was brutal.

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  7. I'm in Indiana and have lived here my entire life.  I've not been to a Culvers yet.  Maybe one of these days:)

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  8. Yep!  We're in Indiana.  Never heard of Culver's either until we moved here.  It's the Midwest's best kept secret...yum!

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  9. Nichole Smith1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    I'm here in South Dakota ( all the way on the other side of the state as Mt. Rushmore though)!  Culvers is soo good!

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  10. Victoria Smith1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    Didn't pass us. :(

    Love the family pic at Mt Rushmore!  I want to go there one day too.

    I still read your blog religiously but don't comment much (busy, busy I guess).  Still enjoy reading and seeing all your projects!

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  11. yep. you passed me in iowa. happy travels.

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  12. Laine Chambers1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    We took the teens in our church on a missions trip to South Dakota three summers ago.  It was a blast!  We had so much fun browsing Wall Drug.  Did you see the corn palace?  =)  I absolutely loved that trip and seeing all of the different states.  We hope to take our kids someday.  Glad ya'll are having a great trip!!

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  13. What a great idea to take pictures of the state signs!  We drive from Indiana to Utah every year, and have taken several different routes.  Our favorite so far has been through South Dakota.  I worked at Wall Drug for 3 summers during my college years, so it's really fun to stop there and show off my kids.  The managers still remember me (funny, it's been 15 years...maybe I'm infamous?) so they give us free meals at the Cafe'!  Anyway, I love finding out that people have stopped there.  Did you get your free ice water?

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  14. Kaity Storer1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    I've been to Wall Drug, home of the free ice water! Did you see lots of signs for it leading up there?

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  15. Stop by for some lemonade while going through Billings, Melissa! 
    Be safe, we are here if you need a bed and breakfast
    The Bowmans

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  16. Yup, you passed me in Illinois! Hope you had a great trip! Sounds like quite a drive! Have fun!

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  17. Well you started in the state (VA) that runs thick in me...

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  18. I'm in Illinois! :) I loooove the store idea.. Now if only I could implement that for my fiance... haha :)

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  19. Mybellarose_sandra1/8/14, 1:28 PM

    Wonderful pictures!  And what beautiful memories you have created for your kiddos. Thank you for sharing with us.
    Sandra

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  20.  Hope you enjoyed miles and miles of corn and flatness!

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  21. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    I love that there are crazy people like us that drive! We probably did pass you :)

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  22. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    Wow! I didn't know they let anyone do that. So cool! Sorry, we didn't make it to the Corn Palace...we'll have to put it on our itinerary for next time...if we muster up the courage to do it again :)

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  23. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    I would love to see those sites! Because I imagine LIW house to be exactly like the one on TBS and I need a little reality shot.. :)

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  24. melissa*320 sycamore1/8/14, 5:36 PM

    We really couldn't believe it. We had seen it on the news, but seeing it in person was unreal. You would love Glacier and Mt. Rushmore!

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  25. We probably passed you along the way!! We just returned from our epic road trip...from Spokane, Washington...to Kansas City...to Salt Lake City and home again. We also went to Montana, hit Mt. Rushmore...stopped at Wall Drug...stayed the night in Sioux City (took nearly the same pictures of the flooding there)...traveled through Iowa, stayed in KC a few days,  drove through Nebraska and Wyoming to Utah (stayed there a few days) drove through Idaho and Montana again back home to Spokane!! Crazy!!

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  26. **Waves** Hello from Iowa!!! :)

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