Kickin' it in Cali!

A big loud HEY! to you all from Westminster, California!!

We had a great big day traveling from Barstow to Westminster and exploring Orange County and the beach.

Early this morning we packed up the car and went over to the IHOP down the street for breakfast. Everyone had a great breakfast and it was a great start to our short travel day. But, on the way towards I-15 we got into a minor accident. No one was hurt, the cars were OK, and we were only delayed an hour while we exchanged information and waited for the authorities to arrive.

When we got back on the road we were all ready to get far away from Barstow! We drove through more beautiful desert and here and there wee began to see more palm trees. We also saw a really cool, old Chevrolet being towed by a bigger van. It looked like it was in relatively good condition and we all hoped that the owner was going to restore it to its former glory or better!

Even though we were only traveling about 120 miles today, it was still rough. There were more turns and divergent roads and confusing signs than we knew what to do with! But in the beautiful rolling hills of California we figured it out and were able to get to the hotel we'll be calling home for the next few days. 

About an hour after we were settled in our room, a little blue car came rolling up and who should it be? None other than Mom!(aka Amy) She had a great flight from Philly to Denver, a three hour layover, and a not so great flight from Denver to the airport in our area in California. We all got caught up and moved her things into our room and began thinking of places to go for dinner and what we were going to do afterwards. We decided we would eat at In-N-Out Burger, watch the sunset at the nearest beach, and do a bit of shopping at Walmart since we were running low on a few items. 



In-N-Out Burger was a great place to eat. It was inexpensive, the burgers are good, and the service was great! 

The ride over to the beach was a bit confusing but we got there in plenty of time to see the sunset and dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean. The beach we went to was spectacular compared to the beaches in New Jersey. It was clean, it wasn't as crowded, and we found free parking! The sunset was very beautiful. It filled the sky with oranges, reds, and yellows we don't get to see reflected off the ocean on the East Coast. 

While we were dipping our feet in the ocean we saw pelicans, which we don't get to see to often at the Jersey beaches. We were even able to see them bomb diving the water to get fish for dinner. It was amazing to see them plunge into the water and see the splash that followed.

After our time at the beach and our excursion to the nearest Walmart, we all collapsed in our beds for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will be just as eventful and fun-filled as today since we'll be spending most of the day in Hollywood! It will be my, Mom's and Emily's last full day on the trip. We can't wait to see what Hollywood has waiting for us!

Galloping to the stars,

Kim

A Grand Post

Hello!!

We are in Barstow, California and we finally have good WiFi! 

As the title suggests, this will be a grand post and will include our adventures in and around the Grand Canyon over the past three days and our travels to Barstow today.

Grand Canyon Day 1

This was the day we left Holbrook, Arizona and traveled to our hotel in Valle, Arizona. In the morning we passed a "tourist trap" (as Granny calls them) called Geronimo. Granny and Brenda said they were there during a previous trip and said it wasn't worth stopping. We did take some pictures and it looked pretty cool with the teepees and petrified wood. If we weren't on a schedule, I would have loved it if we stopped just so I could see everything for myself.

When we got to Valle and secured our hotel room we went over to the Grand Canyon Airport to see Granny's nephew Ronnie who works for Grand Canyon Helicopters. Before we even left home Emily and Brenda knew they were going to fly in a helicopter. I am afraid of heights so I opted out as soon as I heard about it. When we got in Emily and Brenda were checked in and we met Ronnie and his grandson Cody. They assured them that the ride is safe and much smoother than an airplane and that they would love the view. When Emily and Brenda got in the helicopter I got kind of jealous; It looked like it was really cool! When they came back I started wishing I went with them. Emily and Brenda were both speechless and to get a glimpse of what they experienced I looked at their pictures. After looking through the pictures I could see why they were speechless. 


That night we had dinner with Ronnie, Cody, and Ronnie's wife, Andy. We had a great time eating and talking. We probably stayed in the restaurant for two or three hours! While we were eating Ronnie asked me from across the table if I would like to go on a helicopter ride. I knew that this might be my only chance to try something like this and fear of heights or not, I was gonna try it! I said yes, as long as someone went with me. Emily and Brenda gladly volunteered to come with me. 

After dinner, we said good-bye to our family and went straight to our room and fell asleep. We had a really long, eventful day!

Grand Canyon Day 2

This was the day I got my turn to ride in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. We woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel and went to the gift shop close to the hotel since we had extra time to kill before our 1:00 flight. There were some really interesting things in the store including Native American pottery and crafts, petrified wood, and other Grand Canyon themed gifts. 

When it was time to go to the Airport for our flight I was really nervous and excited. Brenda and Emily were just excited to be going on again and were telling me during the car ride and our wait in the building that it was amazing and I wouldn't regret it. They were right!

When we walked out to the helicopter, got in and strapped ourselves in I was smiling like I've never smiled before, giddy with excitement. Waiting for take off was excruciatingly long but when Ronnie gave the OK and we finally took to the air I was swept off my feet and the air was taken from my lungs. I never thought I'd ride in a helicopter but this was just amazing. 

The pilot had to turn the helicopter around to get us going in the right direction. After we were going the right way, the pilot flew us over the Kaibab National Forest which is one of the largest in the country at 1.6 million acres and surrounds the Grand Canyon. 

As soon as the forest ends, you are swept into the Canyon itself. An immense chasm stretches before you and it's hard to believe that you're awake and not in some wonderful dream. When I got my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon I was on the verge of tears; never before in my life had I seen anything so compelling and awe-inspiring. 

As we flew over the formations carved by the Colorado River there was a narrator telling us more about this amazing wonder of the world. The narrator shared a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt which I whole-heartedly agree with. He said, 

"In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is...You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it."

I can only agree with his statement after seeing the Grand Canyon with my own eyes from the air. The next logical step for us was to see the Canyon on the ground!

But alas, twas not to be. 

After our helicopter ride we were all hungry chicks and went to McDonald's. During lunch we talked and discovered Emily wasn't feeling all that great. We decided that the best thing to do was to get back to the hotel and have a restful evening since all of us were still very tired from traveling and needed to decompress. 

We all had a very peaceful night whether we stayed in the room or relaxed outside after the rainstorm that passed through the area. That was when I was able to post to the blog and tell all of you we were OK!

Grand Canyon Day 3

This was the day we actually saw the Grand Canyon!

We woke up early and ate our breakfast so we could spend as much time as possible at the Canyon. In the car we were all excited and itching to see what Emily, Brenda, and I saw from above. When we finally got in the park and parked at the visitor's center we saw the free movie they had on a continuous loop. It was very informative and got us ready to see the Grand Canyon up close! After the visitor's center, we walked over to the bookstore to check out what they had. There were some great books and postcards, and I saw a brochure for Adopt-a-Lion that I was very interested in. We didn't buy anything yet since we didn't want to carry it with us as we walked around.

We walked over to the bus terminal area and figured out where we wanted to go. We decided we wanted to go to Hermit's Rest and found that we needed to take two buses in order to get there. The first bus ride was relatively short and it wasn't long until we were at our transfer. And the view from the stop was amazing! We really got our first look at the Grand Canyon from this stop. It was beautiful!

When we got on the bus to Hermit's Rest we decided that we wanted to stop at a look out called the Abyss on our way. As we approached the Abyss it started to drizzle. Brenda, Emily and I still wanted to get off but Granny elected to stay on the bus and ride the rest of the way to Hermit's and would meet us there. When we got out at the Abyss it was raining much harder than it was before but the view was stunning! We could see why it was called the Abyss; it dropped straight down and definitely looked like it was bottomless. 

The rain did let up for a while but when the three of us got back on a bus to take us to Hermit's Rest the light drizzle had become a torrential downpour! As soon as we got on the bus we were informed that it was highly recommended that we not get off the bus. When we got to Hermit's Rest we could see Granny from the windows and started to move towards the doors. Again, we were told that it was highly recommended that we stay on the bus as lightning was spotted in the area. But being who we are we insisted that we get off and catch the next bus with Granny. They finally let us off and the next bus wasn't too far behind. We just couldn't leave Granny alone at the Grand Canyon!

On the way back to the visitor's center the rain got harder, we could see lightning, and we could hear loud rumbles of thunder. But the little baby boy sitting with his parents in front of me and Emily wasn't deterred in the least. He was giggling and smiling the whole ride back. We knew he didn't speak English (if he could speak at all), but he could certainly understand the universal language of funny faces! On the ride back we also saw a lot of elk out and about next to the roads. It was shocking how many small herds we saw on the way back. We tried to take pictures of them every time but we were either slow with the draw or the pictures came out blurry. Those elk are elusive animals!

Safely back at the visitor's center, we went back to the bookstore to make the purchases we didn't feel like carrying with us. Granny and Brenda both got some great stuff and I, after thinking about it for a bit, adopted a mountain lion! It was a one time donation and I can go online and see what's up with the ones they tagged. The woman at the counter told me that there were five new cubs born this year. For a bit more information on tagging mountain lion cubs you can click here. Did I mention that I got an adorable plush mountain lion for my donation?

By the time we got in the car it was still raining and all of us were hungry since we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. On the way back our eyes were peeled for anything that looked good. One of the first things we saw was Yippie-ei-O Steakhouse and we thought that would be one of the best choices since our other options were either too expensive or McDonald's. The food was very good; it was probably the best food we had eaten in a while.

As we were walking towards the car after our meal in the light rain we saw a double rainbow which Emily was very excited about. We took lots of pictures of it since it was a beautiful rainbow that stretched all the way across the sky. 

After our rainbow photo op we piled into the car and went back to our hotel. We were tired from trekking in the rain and standing in the buses but there was one thing we had to do before we could go back to our room: laundry. We asked the woman at the front desk where we could accomplish our task and we were told to go across the street to the Flintstones Bedrock Campground. Long story short: it was not a great experience and we would recommend it as much as a bus driver would recommend getting off the bus during a thunder storm at the Grand Canyon. 

After our laundry was "done" we hightailed it over to our hotel room where we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

Today - To Barstow!

This morning we woke up after a grand night's sleep and packed up the car. It was nice to stay in one place for a while but it was even better to be on the move again. Before leaving we stopped in at the gift shop/convenience store for some souvenirs and shampoo (Emily and I were running dangerously low). Then, instead of having breakfast at the hotel for the third morning in a row, we stopped at a Denny's in Williams. After our meal our ride to Barstow, California was relatively uneventful. But I will say that the clouds in Arizona are absolutely beautiful! Since you are still about 5000-6000 feet above sea level the clouds were so close you can see every minute detail. And with the vivid blue of the sky, vibrant green of the scrub, and the stunning red of the soil it made for the perfect scene. 

We crossed into California around lunch time and drove through the Mojave Desert where rest stops and gas stations are far and few between. When we finally did find something and got out of the car we tried to make it to the building without melting. The temperature was well above 100 degrees. Barstow isn't much better; at 8:00 at night while the sun was going down it was still about 102! 

We traveled about 350 miles today from Valle, Arizona to Barstow California. Emily and I have also counted how many states we have been in: 23 (and that's not just this trip). We are realizing that we are so lucky to be able to travel as much as we do and to see as much as we have seen. 

If you would like to see more pictures from our Grand Canyon adventure, you can go to our new tab titled "Grand Canyon." For more pictures from today's journey, you can go to the tab titled "More Pictures."

Before we head off to bed we wanted to thank everyone who is following us on our gallivanting and praying for us as we travel. We love you all and wish you were here!

Galloping with love to the West Coast

Kim

Grand Canyon Fun

Hello all!

We are at the Grand Canyon having a great time!

We haven't been to the Canyon itself but we did fly over it in a helicopter! Our cousin Ronnie works at one of the companies and he got us a great discount. We loved every minute of the ride. Emily and Brenda loved it so much they went on it the first time without me and when I got jealous they went again with me!
The view was absolutely wonderful. We can't even describe the beauty. All we can say is that you have to see it for yourself. We are convinced that the best way to see the canyon is by air!

This is the first post we could publish for a while since there isn't a great WiFi signal out here. 

But we wanted to let you guys know we were ok. Pictures and video of the helicopter ride and the canyon on the ground is coming soon!

Galloping and looking for WiFi,

Kim

Galloping Past Gallup

Yup! We went the extra mile today (or should I say 90 miles!) and drove on to Holbrook, Arizona. The reason why we went farther than we originally planned is because we decided we wanted to have more time at the Grand Canyon and  we felt that we could add an hour to our drive time without getting too tired. 

We also added some travel time because of some of the stops we made. We stopped at a shop called the Flying C Ranch. We could see it coming a few miles off because of all the signs just like the trading post we stopped at yesterday. As the sign suggests, there was some pretty cool stuff there. We saw some desert themed gifts, pottery, lots of knives (there was even one shaped like a gun!), and some great postcards. After we were all done shopping we treated ourselves with some Dairy Queen ice cream. 

After some shopping we drove through all sorts of things today: rain, construction, rain and construction at the same time, and some really spectacular scenery. The mountains in New Mexico were beautifully colored. It was as if someone had painted them to look like sunsets. Many of the ridges and plateaus seem to pop up out of nowhere.

We also crossed the Continental Divide today. For those of you who aren't sure what that is (like all of us here were), the Continental Divide is a hydrological separation of the nation and it tells the rivers where to go. It is because of the Continental divide that the rivers on the eastern side of the divide all flow into the Atlantic Ocean and all the rivers on the western side flow into the Pacific Ocean. 

After crossing the Continental Divide, we passed through Gallup, New Mexico and then we crossed yet another state line that took us into Arizona. When we got into our hotel for the night we were pooped! We drove around 400 miles total and we had unknowingly crossed into another time zone. We are now in the Pacific Time zone and that's 3 hours behind our home state. It's a good thing our drive tomorrow isn't too long! We'll be headed for the Grand Canyon and will stay there for a few days to explore one the most amazing sights of our country. I can't wait!

Ready to gallop to the Canyon!

Kim 

PS. Yesterday's answer for the joke of the day (how much did Tucumcari?) is:

A WashingTON!

Today's joke is more like the funny thing of the day. Arizona has some crazy laws and we thought we'd share some with you. For example:

Hunting camels is prohibited,

Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs,

You cannot play cards in the street with a Native American,

and

In Mohave county there is a decree that declares that anyone caught stealing soap must wash himself with it until it is all used up. 

Id' hate to be caught stealing soap; it's a good thing I brought enough to last for the whole trip!

Trekking to Tucumcari

Greetings from Tucumcari, New Mexico!

We drove a whopping 375 miles (and then some) to get here. It took just about 8 hours to get here with all the stops we made in between. However, the stops we made were all fun!

After we left the hotel we got back onto I-40 and were on our way. Almost as soon as we got on the interstate we began to see signs for the Cherokee Trading Post. We thought it would be fun to stop and see what they had. Stopping was a great idea! We had a good time walking through the store looking at all the Native American themed gifts. We got presents for family, jewelry, stickers, and I got a stuffed bison! 

After our stop at the trading post we drove for a while and decided we wanted to go to the Route 66 Museum. This was a really cool stop too once we found it! We saw a working juke box, classic cars through the decades, and some really great gas pumps. The gift shop was, of course, all things Route 66. Brenda got a really cool t-shirt and I got some red dice to go in my car (when I get one).



During breakfast at the hotel this morning, Brenda mentioned she wanted to see Shamrock, a small town in Texas that became famous for it's Conco Tower appearing in the movie Cars. That was a really awesome stop. We were only going to stop long enough to take some pictures but we found a Dairy Queen and stayed longer than expected. Also going through Texas, we saw the world's largest cross. They aren't lying when they say it's the biggest. You can see it coming miles away and when you finally get to where it is you can hardly believe your eyes! If you want to find out more about the 19 story cross you can click here. 

Something else that was really mind blowing about Texas was that you could see even farther because of the gently rolling hills. It was 
amazing how far you can see. I would have loved to spend some more time there, maybe even take a horse back ride through some of the area. 

We finally reached New Mexico after a long day of driving. But what we didn't realize until we got to our hotel room was that we went through another time change. That's right, we are now in the mountain time zone! While it's only 11pm here, it's 1am at home. I don't think I will ever get tired of that novelty!

Tomorrow we will be headed toward Gallup. That's another 300 miles and we won't even be going into another state! 

Galloping in New Mexico,

Kim

Joke of the Day

Hi! Emily here with the joke of the day while Kim writes the big blog entry for the day's travel.

The answer for yesterday's joke of the day (What state isn't feeling to well?) is:

ILLinois!!

Today's joke is:

How much did Tucumcari?

For the answer, check in tomorrow!

Bye for now!

Emily

The Bye Bye Blues

As we were leaving our hotel in Oklahoma City we saw this blue VW Bug. Even though we all loved the hotel last night we had to say good bye this morning and seeing the bug got us motivated to find other unusual or unique things on the road.

Galloping to see the sights,

Kim

OOOOKLAHOMA!

Hello from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma! 

What a day it's been getting here!

We left our beautiful hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas after a continental breakfast. Our stay was very comfortable. The room had everything we needed and was absolutely gorgeous. It was the most modern styled hotel room we've stayed in thus far. I mean, everything in the bathroom was square! If that isn't modern I don't know what is.

When we left the hotel we got right on to I-40 and headed toward Fort Smith which would take us over the boarder of Arkansas into Oklahoma. I was able to drive for a little more than 100 miles from Arkansas into Oklahoma and that was definitely a drive to remember. As we got closer to the boarder we started looking for the "Welcome to Oklahoma" sign. We were ready and waiting for five miles to see that sign. We almost thought there wouldn't be one but we found it!

Almost as soon as we entered Oklahoma we noticed a change in the landscape. It got a lot flatter and we could see for miles ahead of us.  We also saw more farmland and areas of land where the fire that has been on the news passed through. It is truly an all American scene with the blue skies above and the amber fields below.

About 200 miles later we arrived in Oklahoma City. Like all the other major cities we went through we could see it long before we got to it. We were taking pictures of it left and right  as it got closer. 

When we arrived at our hotel we were very relieved because we took a few wrong turns trying to find it! They really need to invest in a larger entry sign. But other than that, the hotel is absolutely beautiful! The decor is very southwestern and it fits the area perfectly. We had a very filling dinner at the hotel's restaurant before putting all our belongings into our room. As we settle down for the night, we are watching Shark Week. It's really interesting how Jaws the movie impacted our view of sharks.

Tomorrow we will be on our way to Tucumcari, New Mexico and pass through Amarillo, Texas on our way. Granny and Brenda say they aren't looking forward to going through Amarillo because of the smell. I can't wait to see (and smell) it all!

Galloping towards dreamland,

Kim

Longhorn skull in the lobby

It's so flat!

I've been saying that ever since we got into Oklahoma and that was 75 miles ago!

It's just so flat!!

The answer to yesterday's joke of the day was:

MISSissippi!

Today's joke of the day is:

What state doesn't feel too well?

Find out the answer tomorrow and check out the blog later for details from today!

Flat out galloping,

Kim

Adventures in Arkansas

Good evening from Little Rock, Arkansas!

Today has been some amazing, adventurous day! 


We started our day off with breakfast in the hotel. and then went straight to the Honda dealership so we could get our roters resurfaced. We spent a good three hours in that waiting area. It's a good thing they had free WiFi and food! We also entertained ourselves without electronics. I was doing Emily's hair towards the end of our stay. I braided braids! I think it turned out pretty good in the end.



While we were in the dealership there was a big storm rolling through Nashville and for a while we didn't know if we would be able to make it to Little Rock. It's a good thing the fix for Granny's steed was so easy or else we could have been there of hours!

Once we were back on the road we were able to make up for the lost time. There wasn't much on the road that was very interesting. When we got to Memphis we thought we would see the city, but we could hardly see anything! However, right before we went into Arkansas we saw the building pictured on the right. It was really cool to see it. We still know what it's for or what it's name is but we thought it was amazing. There aren't any pyramids close to any of us!

Right after the glass pyramid we crossed a bridge into Arkansas. As we were going over the bridge we almost didn't realize it was the Mississippi River! Once we recognized it for what it was we could really appreciate it's history and significance in American history. We even saw a steamboat paddling along the bank. It was quite picturesque despite the rain that greeted us on the other side.

Along the road to Little Rock there was an endless amount of farmland. Almost everywhere you looked there were fields of corn and cotton and other crops growing in the summer sun. I was also stunned by how flat the area was! Coming from a very hilly area it's been very hard to imagine a very large, flat landscape. Now I don't have to imagine anymore! The rain also gave way to some beautiful scenery upwards as well. The sun shining though the clouds was a breathtaking sight.

When we finally made it to our hotel for the night we were all tuckered out from driving; but not too tired to forgo dinner! We ate at Panara Bread and it was just enough good food to fill our bellies for the night. After dinner we took all our belongings into our hotel and now we are settling down for the night. 

We all can't wait to get back on the road tomorrow and head toward Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain!

Galloping in the Midwest,

Kim

The Great Mississippi and the Joke of the Day

We just crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas! This is the farthest Emily and I have ever been west and we are loving it!

The answer to yesterday's joke of the day is:

Her New Jersey!

Today's joke is:

What state is an unmarried woman?

To find out, check in with us tomorrow! You can also see all the fun we've been having on our more pictures page where we put all the pictures we don't have room for on the main blog.

Galloping over water!

Kim

Back on the road!

The rain has cleared and our brakes are back to normal! We are all relieved to get back on I-40 and on our way to Little Rock.


Galloping at full speed,

Kim

Uh-oh

Hello from the Honda dealer in Nashville!

Yup! The Honda dealer. Granny and Brenda felt the brakes vibrating while we were on the road yesterday and thought it would be a good idea to get it checked out today before we leave. So here we are at the Honda dealer eating hotdogs and popcorn while they check out Granny's not-so-faithful steed.

We'll keep you updated with what's happening but we should be on our way to Arkansas really soon.

Almost ready to gallop again,

Kim

Bye bye Hotel

Emily's Teddy here! Kim let me do a blog entry!

I had a great stay at the hotel behind me, even though I spent most of the night on the floor. But that's just another night with Emily for ya!

Loving it on the road,

Ziam Palik

Tramping in Tennessee

Nashville at last! It's amazing to be in such a famous city for the night. And it was a fun journey getting here!

This morning we woke up in Falmouth, Kentucky at Aunt Doris and Uncle John's house. They were kind enough to let us stay the night and feed us breakfast in the morning. We had a wonderful time visiting family! When we left, we gained a galloping girl; Granny's niece Brenda joined us on our trip and boy were we glad to have her today! 

When we got on the road today, Granny made an executive decision and took us back to show Emily and I where some of our cousins live and the area where she grew up. We saw her elementary school, her church and we couldn't quite see the house and the farm she grew up in, we saw the road that lead to it. That was really cool to see. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer and wondered down the road to see her house but we had to keep going. 

After some twisting, winding roads, we finally got on to a major highway. Almost as soon as we got on, we all decided we were hungry for some lunch. We looked for a Cracker Barrel to settle down in but we found that it was packed to the gills. It's a good thing a Golden Corral was close by! I have never been in a Golden Corral but I've seen commercials on television and I've always wanted to try it out. Today I got my chance. I was really happy with what I got: a nice salad, some mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, a bit of fish, a bit of chicken and cottage cheese. It was all great, but it was nothing to me in comparison to the cotton candy and the chocolate  fountain. If Emily and I weren't awake when we went into the restaurant, we sure were when we left! 

After our amazing lunch we went along our merry way. We had a good way to go and the weather was perfect for driving. We saw some beautiful Kentucky hills and some really cool cars on the road (but they were going too fast to get any good pictures of them!). We also saw Oak Ridge, where Granddad worked for a while. That was really cool to see too. 

Driving today was really nice with all the blue skies and sunny weather we had but it seemed like we were on the road for a really long time! It was a relief when we saw the sign that welcomed us to Tennessee. This is a totally new state to Emily and me. We've never traveled this far and we were really excited to be somewhere new. This wasn't the only change we experienced today either; we are now in a completely different time zone than our home state and we are officially on I-40, or Route 66! This will take us all the way to California. No more changing interstates and highways!

From the state boarder it was a little under 150 miles to Nashville. All together we drove about 300 miles, again! When we settled down for the night in our hotel it was a lot later than we anticipated, but at least we are all here in one piece! And we still had some fun with it. We have a lot of baggage between the three of us and we had to get it all up to our hotel room so we thought we would use one of the carts they provide at the door. Well, Emily and I had trouble maneuvering it in the hallways and Granny was making trouble with it when we finally got all our belongings in the room. She thought she would give the youngest traveler a ride to Narnia! Little did the youngest daughter of Eve know that she was getting a ride from the white witch. Don't worry, they didn't crash and we don't owe anybody money; we were just laughing a bit too loud! 

Now we are all calm and settling down for bed. To us it feels like it's after 12 but we are an hour behind what we're used to at home. Those time changes are definitely going to throw Emily and I for a loop. It's another thing we've never experienced before. 

We can't wait to get started tomorrow back on I-40 and continue our trek west with more new states and time changes! 

Galloping off to bed,

Kim

Come on Emily, smile!

Bye bye Kentucky...

...hello Tennessee!!

We just crossed the state line and we thought we would have a laugh.

The answer to yesterday's joke of the day is:

OREgon!
Today's joke of the day is:

What did Delaware to the party?

The answer will be posted tomorrow. And don't forget to check in with us tonight for an update about our first day with Brenda joining as a galloping girl. It's been a blast so far!!

Galloping to the birthplace of county music,

Kim

Our Adventure to Kentucky

Hi all!

Last night we had a great stay in Bentleyville, PA. Emily and I got to sleep in a king sized bed and we watched Animal Planet as we fell asleep (what a treat!). After a continental breakfast this morning we hit the road.


Only after a few miles we left my and Emily's home-state of Pennsylvania and entered West Virginia. We stopped long enough to switch drivers and grab some sodas. We may have been in West Virginia long enough to comment on it's lovely mountains but that was about it. We went straight into Ohio!

Entering the state of Ohio was an amazing experience as the driver. You have to drive over the Ohio River on a beautiful bridge and just as you are exiting the bridge, the sign welcoming you to Ohio is the very first thing you see.

But of course, all of this is paradise compared with the traffic and threatening rain clouds we saw today! At one point as we were making our merry way through Ohio, traffic came to a full and complete stop because of all the construction on the road. While we were in all that traffic, we had some time to ponder the ways of life. Granny said something we thought was very profound at the time. We were trying to figure out how long it would be until we reached Columbus and she said "As far as it was, it is." Who knew Granny could be so philosophical!

Not only did we discover Plato on the road today, we also found a horse with a nose for adventure. Now, we were driving behind a horse trailer for some time today and after we had been behind it for a good number of miles, we noticed something odd about the trailer; every once in a while we would see an object stick out on the side. It took us a minute to realize that what we saw was the nose of a horse riding in the trailer! The horse didn't stop at just his nose either, it wasn't long before we saw this horse stick his whole head out of the window of that trailer like he was a dog. The only thing that would have been funnier is if his tongue was sticking out!

We even saw our first city during this trip: Cincinnati. It was definitely smaller than Philly but that doesn't mean it wasn't beautiful. Just from looking at it, it looked as if it would be cleaner than our Philly streets. The perfectly blue sky in the background may have helped a little. The skyline we saw may have been different, but it was still something worth seeing.
After all our adventures and about 300 miles of driving, we finally reached our Uncle John and Aunt Doris' house. The picture on the right is the view from their driveway. We ate a fantastic meal and saw some family Emily and I haven't seen for almost four years! It was so much fun getting to see everyone and playing and talking with some of our younger cousins. This has definitely been my favorite part of the trip thus far.
Tomorrow we will be heading out with Brenda to Tennessee. Now there's a state I've never been in! I can't wait to drive into and explore a new state!

Galloping in the Blue Grass State,

Kim