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Published: September 11th 2008
Link to our pictures on Snapfish:
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=479111221151502693/l=428821215/g=3844306/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Joe and I are having an amazing time. It is such a fun thing to get in your car every couple of days and drive to a new place. If you ever get the opportunity to do something like this, I would jump on it. There is so much of this world to see and so many beautiful people to meet. It is such a nice feeling to live in the moment and not worry about what happened yesterday or what is supposed to happen tomorrow. That is one thing I have learned from being on the road and I hope that lesson stays with me forever because you truly can't be anywhere then where you are in that moment...so enjoy it.
We have already been through at least 14 states. Right now we are in Boulder visiting with Joe's Brother and wife, Brian and Gretchen but I'll write more about Boulder in a future post.
Below are some details of our adventure.....Hope you enjoy!
ASHEVILLE, NC-
We stopped just outside of Asheville to visit with Joe's G-d Mother, Judy. Had dinner with her met her new puppy (a golden doodle) who was full of energy. We headed on to Asheville and stayed with two retired professors, David and Deanne, that we met on Couch Surfer. They were awesome. We were greeted at the door and sat on the back porch chatting it up over a glass of wine. We had the whole upstairs to ourselves. Deanne even cooked us breakfast each morning. They were also nice enough to show us around Downtown Asheville where there are many interesting places and people. You will see the silver people that were out on the streets that day/night, just standing there like statues. There were also many people later that night that were playing instruments and singing on the different streets for money. They were really good...Joe and I thought we might do that in one of the cities during our travel. We ate at a really yummy vegetarian restaurant called, "The laughing Seed Cafe". It is a nice feeling to have so many options and to know that anything you can order you can eat....although it did take us a little longer to decide because everything looked so good. After dinner we headed off to this little park to listen to a band that was playing outside and then went to sevearl other places before we ended up a bar called, "Jack of the Wood" It was a bluegrass bar. So we sat and drank on some yummy micro brews and listened to the band. It was a lot of fun.
PITTSBURGH, PA-
Our next stop was to visit with our friends, Scott and Kathie in the Burgh. The first night we met him at his parents house in Hookstown which is right outside of Pittsburgh. They live in the middle of the woods which was a fun drive at night. We got a little lost but found our way eventually. As we pulled up there was a big bonfire in the front yard. His family had a picnic earlier but by the time we arrived there were only a few troopers left, Scott, his dad and mom, brother Todd, friend Brandon, and Kathie. There were still plenty of IC Light (which is the beer of choice there) and homemade sangria so we stayed up visiting and later on broke out the guitar. It was so much fun being outside with friends, a fire, and the guitar. Even I played a song or two. I was exhausted so I went to bed while Joe and Scott stayed up until much later. They came in around 3 AM, giggling like little girls so I assumed they had a lot of fun. The next day, Scott's dad gave us fresh peaches and tomatoes. They were so yummy. What a difference from the regular store bought kind. It makes me want to start a garden.
We headed into Pittsburgh that morning which was pretty cool. You go through a mountain tunnel and then right on the other side is the city. We stopped by Kathie's house so we could see her place and then headed over to Scott's to get ready. Scott and Kathie lived on the Mount which over looked the city. It was a really fun place to live because there were coffee shops and restaurants all around. They drove us all around the city and then we went back to Scott's house to park the car. Took the Incline into downtown. (The incline was used to transport coal down the side of the mountain but is now used to transport people down). We played in this really cool fountain that was right next to the river and then headed to a Rib festival...(funny right...vegetarians at a rib festival). We walked right through it and into Heinz Feild...well at least the portion of the stadium with all the memorabilia. Later that night we went to a really good restaurant that had a lot of veggie options which we always love. It was called the Doublewide Grille. It used to be a gas station and was converted into a restaurant. It had a ton of outside seating and the food was really good. The next day Joe and I got some coffee at the local shop and walked around Mount Washington. Found a bench that overlooked the city so we sat for a while and enjoyed the moment. Scott came home from work so we grabbed lunch and then headed off.
SOUTH BEND, IN-
We were originally going to go to Chicago but because Joe and I had both been there, we decided to go to Madison, Wisconsin instead. South Bend was a midway point and we wanted to see Notre Dame so we stopped for the night. We searched for a cheap hotel and came across, The Knights Inn which ended up being a perfect fit for us. I went in to see if I could get a deal. So I told the girl we were travelling across country and it just so happened that her and her husband had just done the same thing. Her name was Jennifer and she was so nice. We both made necklaces but I told her I didn't bring mine with me so she put together a goodie bag full of beads,wire, and clasps so I could make some on the road. She was so thoughtful. It was a welcoming introduction into South Bend. She called us a cab and told us where to go. We ended up at an Irish bar and then an Oyster bar that had Hookahs in it...a weird combination but we were there so we decided to get an apple flavored hookah. The next morning we went to Notre Dame, had lunch in the student union and then walked around campus. The courtyard area had these squirrels that were so cool. They let you get so close to them. It was very neat. We saw the golden dome and touchdown Jesus. Headed to the car chanting, "Rudy...Rudy...Rudy" I love that movie. You have to see it if you haven't already.
Madison, WI-
We arrived in Madison around 7pm so we headed staight down to "State Street" which is where alot of the shops, restaurants and bars were located. There was a free jazz concert in front of the capital so we stayed and listened for a bit and then walked around trying to decide where to eat. There were a ton of good restaurants of all different ethnicity. We decided to eat at a Nepalese restaurant....once again, lots of veggie options and terrific food. We were staying with a couple through Couchsurfer, Bridgette and Matt. It was Bridgette's birthday and they happened to be at another Nepalese restaurant so when they were through eating, they walked down to meet us. They were such nice people. We were happy to meet them. They were originally from Washington State but Bridgette was going to grad school in Madison so they had just moved there. She was a conservationist and he was a geologist. We went back to there house after dinner and got to know each other. It was awesome talking with them. They had a lot of insight. After hearing about Washington, we decided to change our plans a bit..so we will be going to stay with Matt's sister and brother in law in Port Angeles. Joe is excited because you can surf there. The next morning it was cold and rainy. We went and bought Jackets at a recycled clothing shop, had some cheese curds (which taste like string cheese) and met them for ice cream on campus. Figured we were in the dairy state so we had to get our fix.
Omaha, NE-
We stopped by Omaha to visit with some friends. Mysti and Eli just had a new baby who is adorable. His name is Dash. They also have a 3 year old Dylan who is absolutely hilarious and wonderful. He is very shy with me but always asks where I am and where I'm going so I think he has a little crush 😊 We also got to see Jake, Doug, Heather, and Justin while we are there. We went out one night to a couple of fun places. Mysti was our DD...it was an absolutely hysterical car ride with us all piled in the mni van...it's too much to explain so you'll have to just watch the video when we get back.
Wall, SD-
We stopped in Wall South Dakota on the way to Mount Rushmore to see a tourist attraction called Wall Drug. It was an old pharmacy that wasn't doing so well so they started offering free water. It worked because now it is a big tourist trap. They have statues you can sit on, tons of stores, water spouts, silly games, and of course free water. We had fun goofing around.
Rapid City, SD-
Mount Rushmore was really cool. To think that someone was that forward thinking to carve the presidents into the mountain side. It is amazing to think about and see. Sorry Noah...I thought it was neat. We went to crazy horse too which is another monument on the side of the mountain. A man started it and then passed away so it's not completely done. He had 10 kids and 7 of them are continuing their dad's dream to have it created. Unfortunately we got there one day late because the night before they had a laser light show and a blasting. We then left and went to Custer's state park. It was this really cool wildlife loop that had all these different animals. You drove around it in your car. We were able to see buffalo, deer, burros, and a lot of birds. The Burros were our favorite. they were like little donkeys and they came right up to you in your car. They were fun.
Casper, WY or somewhere near there-
AMAZING....we met Michael (my brother in law) out there. He is developing wind farms there so he was there on business. We stayed with him at the "C'mon Inn" and no that's not a nickname for the Comfort Inn. It is actually called the "C'mon Inn". Regardless of the name it was a very nice hotel. Had 2 pools and 5 hot tubs. Extremely comfortable beds and a balcony that overlooked the inside of the hotel. We had breakfast with the guys in the partnership both mornings at a restaurant called Eggingtons that had so many choices and really good food. Michael had a lot of meetings the first day we got there so we went with a couple of the guys to pick up the 4-wheelers so we could take them onto the property. They were actually called Razors which were side by side 4 wheelers. They were lower to the ground and had roll bars and seatbelts which came in handy...(I'll tell you about that in just a minute). There was also one that was a little higher of the ground and could fit four (more like a golf cart on steroids). That is the one we took on the first day. The guys we went with ended up wanting to hunt prairie dogs which was of course torture for me but they only did it for the first little part of our trip so I was very thankful they stopped. Regardless of that, it was awesome...we saw a coyote, a ton of deer, and prairie dogs. Reggie who takes care of the ranch for Michael and Jeff took us to this beautiful place called the Narrows. He was a great tour guide and really nice person.
On to the second day...back to Eggingtons for breakfast then we went to the Pathfinder Ranch. It was this beautiful ranch with property for as long as you can see. There were deer on both sides of the car when you drove in and then you pull up to this huge ranch house. It had probably about 20 rooms a huge bar area with a pool table, poker table and a shuffle board. The office had a rack of guns which was weird but expected for a ranch I guess. The view was just amazing...I can't explain it, you just have to see it. After we visited the ranch we drove to miracle mile and took the razors out. This time Michael was our guide. We had six people with us. Two in each Razor. It was the most fun we have had and the most beautiful and amazing place I have ever experienced. You look around and realize just how small you are in this big big world. We drove them around for a couple of hours. We saw a ton of animals again...even a rattle snake this time. We climbed on these huge rocks where you could see for miles and miles. We went down so many trails at one point Michael tried to make his own (well he thought it was the way to go). It was a huge incline and they ended up flipping over. Thank goodness for the roll bars and seat belts they were both okay. We continued on the trail for a little longer, even I got to drive. If you know Michael and have the opportunity to go out there, all we have to say is GO...you will be thankful you did. We had dinner with everyone at the Silver Fox (and no it's not what it sounds like, it is actually a steak house). Joe and I ate dinner and then headed out to Boulder, Colorado. Michael, Thank you for showing us such an amazing time. Make sure to thank Jeff, Reggie, and the rest of the partners for their hospiality. We really appreciate it.
Boulder, CO- We got here late last night around 1 am. Filthy from the 4 wheelers and exhausted, I took a shower and went straight to bed. Today we are going hiking and down to Pearl Street. I will write more as soon as I can. We are having so much fun, it is hard to keep up with. We miss and love you all.
Thanks to all the people that have shown there love to us across the states so far:
David and Deanne
Scott and Kathie
Eli and Mysti
Matt and Bridgette
Michael and Jeff
Brian and Gretchen
Lots of love,
Jess and Joe (The Newlywed Travelers)
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Jimmy
non-member comment
Incredibly Jealous
You guys know how to live it up. Wyoming looks amazing and we all know how much fun 4-wheeling can be...even if you do end up tumbling down a hill (no harm, no worries). I'm glad you got to see Brian and Gretchen. How close are we to being uncles? What a wild ride...I love your attitudes! I feel my travel vacation coming up in the near future...I'm fully inspired. Travel Safe and Keep On Truckin'