I did not do too well starting our blog before we were married, but I will definitely have to make up for it now...
Ben and I had a wonderful honeymoon in Arizona for a few days and then on a cruise to Mexico for a week. We got back to Arizona Saturday, January 9th, and hit the floor running. We had one and a half days to buy things, go to the bank, and get ready for our drive across the country. Those two days flew by and before we knew it Monday morning crept upon us and we were in the car leaving the East Valley.
Our destination was Ithaca, New York. Google maps predicted a 36 hour drive. The battle in front of us was ten states and four days of driving, as we planned on arriving Thursday afternoon. Here is a play-by-play on what happened during the trek.
Monday-January 11th-
Forecast: Sunny and chilly
*8:20 a.m. Left 2143 E. Norcroft St.
*1st pit stop, Holbrook, AZ. Gas station sketchy. Have to pay an extra .08/gallon for using a credit card. The bathroom door barely closed and the sinks didn't really work. Stay classy AZ.
* Lunch in the car. Ben putting peanut butter on bagels trying to balance a purse, knife, bagels, and a towel. I'll just say men are not multi-taskers.
* Saw five separate moving trains.
* Entered New Mexico and Ben did the Lewis tradition (make Indian noises when you enter a new state)
* Tried to make it to Santa Rosa New Mexico without stopping for gas but I got nervous and we filled up 20 miles out.
Ben and I had a wonderful honeymoon in Arizona for a few days and then on a cruise to Mexico for a week. We got back to Arizona Saturday, January 9th, and hit the floor running. We had one and a half days to buy things, go to the bank, and get ready for our drive across the country. Those two days flew by and before we knew it Monday morning crept upon us and we were in the car leaving the East Valley.
Our destination was Ithaca, New York. Google maps predicted a 36 hour drive. The battle in front of us was ten states and four days of driving, as we planned on arriving Thursday afternoon. Here is a play-by-play on what happened during the trek.
Monday-January 11th-
Forecast: Sunny and chilly
*8:20 a.m. Left 2143 E. Norcroft St.
*1st pit stop, Holbrook, AZ. Gas station sketchy. Have to pay an extra .08/gallon for using a credit card. The bathroom door barely closed and the sinks didn't really work. Stay classy AZ.
* Lunch in the car. Ben putting peanut butter on bagels trying to balance a purse, knife, bagels, and a towel. I'll just say men are not multi-taskers.* Saw five separate moving trains.
* Entered New Mexico and Ben did the Lewis tradition (make Indian noises when you enter a new state)
* Tried to make it to Santa Rosa New Mexico without stopping for gas but I got nervous and we filled up 20 miles out.
*Ben busily studies for his CPA test
*Made it to Texas at night, and again the Lewis tradition was sounded.
*Stayed the night in Amarillo, Texas at a Days Inn.
*Were given the wrong key
*Had Scholtskys for dinner
*Woken up at 2:00 a.m. by loud hammering on the building
Tuesday- January 12-
*Made it to Texas at night, and again the Lewis tradition was sounded.
*Stayed the night in Amarillo, Texas at a Days Inn.
*Were given the wrong key
*Had Scholtskys for dinner
*Woken up at 2:00 a.m. by loud hammering on the building
Tuesday- January 12-
Forecast: Sunny and chilly
*Start driving, reach Oklahoma (state 4 out of 10)... and yes the Lewis traditional chant
*Stop in Oklahoma City at my grandmother's old home
*Stop by Oklahoma City Memorial -April 9, 1995- well educated now thanks to the park ranger
*Reach Missouri, Ben is still busily studying so he does not remember the tradition (I do not remind him)
*Pass by St. Louis
*Pass by St. Louis
*Drive a bit out of the way to find the Pei Wei...but received a great fortune pertaining to the circumstances. 
Then... we go to Ben's old apartment to pick up our boxes, and that is a whole other story in itself...
*Stayed the night at Holiday Inn Express (thank you Tyler) in Troy, Illinois (State 6)
Wednesday- January 13-
Forecast- Sunny and cold
*Progressively got colder and snowier as we moved east, and was frost/snow on our car this morning
*Reach Indiana... state eight! (the Lewis traditional chant was getting a little old by this time)
*Reach Indiana... state eight! (the Lewis traditional chant was getting a little old by this time)
*Stop in Indianapolis at the Speedway ... much larger than we imagined
* Made it to Cleveland where it had been snowing the past 8 days but gave us a sunny day :)
* Stayed at Ben's friends' house in the outskirts of Cleveland
Thursday- January 14-
Forecast: Mostly sunny but cold
* Head to Kirtland first thing in the morning, and stop by the visitors center
*Had a personal tour of the Newel K. Whitney home and store
*Saw the Kirtland temple from the outside (FYI- only open on weekends during winter)
*Enter Pennsylvania and stay for an hour
*Finally enter NEW YORK... state 10 out of 10!
*Paige drives (while Ben studies of course) until Elmira
*Reach the Ithaca sign...
*Arrive at 700 Warren Rd....apartment 16-3A.... empty !!!
*Arrive at 700 Warren Rd....apartment 16-3A.... empty !!!
Then... we go to Ben's old apartment to pick up our boxes, and that is a whole other story in itself...
