Cross country roadtrip.

I want to go back in time a few weeks to talk about our roadtrip across the United States because it was actually a pretty fun (yet exhausting) experience. (I know my brother Tim was jealous.)

Day 1 [August 2, 2011]
Destination: Omaha, Nebraska
Distance: 926 miles
Hours in car: 13
States driven through: Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska

Let me tell you, Wyoming and Nebraska are NOT exactly the most exciting states in the U.S. We got so sick of looking at corn fields, so we had to rely on our iPod, our snacks, and each other to stay entertained. I drove the first leg of the day, and by the time it was Mike's turn to drive I found these awesome self-portraits on my phone.

This curled-up moustache picture is such a classic. We both laughed pretty hard when Mike did this.

Day 2 [August 3, 2011]
Destination: Chicago, Illinois
Distance: 475 Miles
Time in car: 7.5 hours
States driven through: Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois

We decided to take it a little easier on day 2 to make sure we made the whole experience an enjoyable one. The drive to Chicago was also full of LOTS and LOTS of corn fields, but it was definitely a cool feeling to drive across the Mississippi river.

You can't really tell just how big the river is from these pictures, but it is BIG.

Soon after crossing the Mississippi, we arrived in Chicago. Mike and I both LOVED Chicago. It is such an awesome city. We tried to cram in all the classic tourist attractions in the short time we had there.

We took the short train ride from our hotel into the city and started with Millennium Park.

The Bean!!!

 

There was an outdoor symphony performing that evening, which definitely added to ambiance of the park.

Next, we ate some Chicago-style pizza for dinner at Giordano's which was recommended by my sister Carin AND the concierge in our hotel. It was delicioso.

After dinner we enjoyed a banana split in the park and then walked down to the Buckingham Fountain. By this time, we were beat, so we decided to head back to our hotel to relax and gear up for the next LONG day of driving.

Day 3 [August 4, 2011]
Destination: Gaithersburg, Maryland
Distance: 754 miles

Time in car: 12.5 hours
States driven through: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland

By the third day of our trip, I was EXHAUSTED. Luckily, Mike still had energy to drive so I let him do just that. Mike drove 3/4 of the distance on this day and I was sooo grateful. The scenery was much more exciting, especially as we got to the eastern part of Ohio and into Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Lots of HUGE, green trees. Beautiful.

My sister and brother-in law, Kari and Matt's friends, the Peo's, were kind enough to let us stay with them for a few days. However, the situation was complicated by the fact that Mandi was 9 months pregnant at the time! We were very fortunate to find our house, AND move in on the FIRST day we went out looking. So things worked out perfectly.

This was our speedometer when we finally arrived in Maryland (which is only a 20 minute drive to our place in Arlington). That is a whole lot of miles to drive without getting lost (not even once) or having car problems!! What a blessing.