The Church Hideout

Today was a FOUR state day, but the East coast states are more compact and it seemed that we blinked and were in the next state down. We woke up in Maine. Our preparation the evening before made for a smooth morning, aside from some technical difficulties with Tyler’s remote program. Fortunately, us waking up at 6:30 am means he had 3 solid hours to work it out before scheduled meetings and calls.

We gave ourselves a little grace this morning and took some time to enjoy breakfast and I set back up the Keurig machine to make Tyler his morning cup of joe! Before we left on this adventure, I had got into the habit of making Tyler coffee EVERY morning. Early in our trip, we set up the coffee maker and were making coffee regularly in the mornings but with no hookups more times than not, and a lot more miles, we have had to stow it away. It felt nice to stop and smell the…coffee!

After breakfast, we loaded up and began heading South. Our end game for today was a Harvest Host located in Connecticut. We made quick work of our trip and as we left Maine into New Hampshire and Massachusetts we realized the original route didn’t include Rhode Island. We both agreed we needed to re-route and see what the state had to offer.

From state to state there were very few scenic differences. We made it to Rhode Island in time for Tyler’s first meeting. We stopped off at a Walmart where we knew we could park and replenish a few items. Tyler sat in the pickup while the kids and I went inside. Rhode Island has been the busiest state thus far. Traffic was more congested and drivers were impatient and reckless.

Guilford, CT was a little under 90 miles away, but Tyler set his sights on the original hamburger from Louis’ Lunch in DOWNTOWN Connecticut. This was 15 miles past our campsite for the night, but according to him, WORTH IT! The burger itself was said to be first created in 1900 by Louis Lassen. It is still cooked in the original broiler and consists of 2 slices of bread, cheese, and a ground beef patty. The burger includes tomatoes and steamed onions, but no sauce. I wasn’t nearly as enthused as Tyler, but supportive of his quest nonetheless.

Tyler seems to forget we are pulling a travel trailer when he plans these excursions, so when we made it to the area it became quickly realized there was no place for us. He tried to retreat, but like any good wife, I suggested dropping him on the corner and told him I would drive around downtown until he was ready. In less than 10 minutes, I was picking him up on the corner with burgers in hand! The kids and I even saw Yale University while we were aimlessly wandering.

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We backtracked the 15 miles to Guilford, CT where we are staying at Bishops’s Orchards Farm Market and Winery. After getting set up, we ventured up to the market to see what they had to offer. The offerings were farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and local meats and baked goods. There is also a small petting zoo. We have an entire field to ourselves in front of the vineyard. Have I mentioned we LOVE Harvest Hosts?

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When we made it back to the trailer, we worked out and settled in for the night. Even Addi didn’t get out of the workout tonight! Today we traveled 289 miles, but with several stops along the way, it was more like a casual stroll. We have begun planning our next trek for the return, but the back half may very likely be longer than the first!

Total state tally as of today: 21

Tonight, we lay our heads down to rest in a little campsite in Biddeford, ME, but today was all about Portland, ME. We awoke early to an alarm in hopes to get to the big city before Tyler’s workday began. We were out of our Harvest Host site by 6:40 am and on the road. With only a little over 90 miles to travel, I knew the ride would be smooth.

We made it to Portland before 9 and immediately found a beach to enjoy. I think the appeal of Portland for us is all in the name. It’s fun to see Portland through two very different states. Portland, ME was charming. The beach was beautiful and like many other places along our adventure, it was mostly open and bare. It’s almost as if we had the place to ourselves.

I encouraged Tyler to move his office to the beach with us and since he was on hold with tech connect for much of the morning, he happily obliged. We watched Addison as she submerged herself in the Atlantic Ocean! It was frigid, but it didn’t seem to phase her. She was the only one daring enough to take the plunge. Tyler dipped his toes in and nearly shriveled up!

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We spent several hours there at both the beach and inside our trailer. It is so convenient to have a trailer with us for the moments we need a restroom, office, resting place, or safe dog keeper when we venture away. Adversely, there have been times where we are unable to go see places because we are attached to a trailer. Sometimes it is a challenge to park, but ultimately, we make it work.

After the beach time today, we set out to find Tyler lobster rolls and fried clams. He was told they were all the rave in Maine and he had to try them. He researched a few places and decided on The Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth.

When we came to the end of the road entering the restaurant property, it became uncomfortably clear we were not going to be able to park. The road ended in their small lot and the beach. There was not even a place we could turn ourselves around to leave. Tyler switched me seats and a friendly bystander helped us get backed around. Since the bystander moved his vehicle, it freed up the fenceline so we decided to park and enjoy what we had come for.

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Tyler is our only seafood enthusiast. While he had a lobster roll and fried clams, the kids and I had burgers. He was dying to share and with no takers, he had to resort to bribes. Addi agreed to eat one fried clam if she didn’t have to work out today. He plated one for her and she began to eat it cautiously. She immediately began gagging. I felt her discomfort as she tried to get it down. She had wrapped the remainder in fries and tried to mask the taste. Her eyes were watering and the clams were a mere seconds from coming back up. With the clam still in her mouth, she nearly drank her entire water. Tyler almost lost it, but in the end, we all laughed. It’s amazing what extent some people will go to get around a workout!

We finished and took a moment to enjoy the rock area lining the beachfront. It was a beautiful day! Then we headed towards our campsite for the night. We are staying at Shamrock Campground in Biddeford, ME. We arrived here in the early afternoon which allowed for the kids to play basketball, swim, and enjoy a campfire. I enjoyed a NAP and then Tyler and I set up our barbell to do a partner workout!

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Tomorrow we will venture towards Connecticut. We have made it to the furthest point from our home and now we begin our return…the LONG WAY!

I’ve always said, if I could live every day like a specific day of the week, it would be Sunday and today did not disappoint. It was a beautiful day of travels. We didn’t really do anything noteable, but there was just something about the day that was relaxing and refreshing, something we needed after yesterday!

We made it through the night in the dirt lot off of the side of the road in Gurn Spring, NY., without interuption. There is always a small part of me that worries someone will come and tell us we have to move. For the short year I worked in law enforcement, I know all too well about relocating campers from the county. I never want to be that person!

When we awoke, we set our sights on getting to the next place. We had reserved a site with a Harvest Host in Meredith, NH which was only a few short hours away. The drive was AMAZING. In all three states we were in today (NY, NH, ME), the scenery was breathtaking. There is so much lush, green landscape with trees for miles. The roads were windy and the speed limits were set between 35-45 MPH. While the speeds were slow, the time went by quickly. I am not sure if it was because of the scenery, good company, or the fact we were watching/listening to the Rogue Invitational. It could also be the fact that instead of traveling 300+ miles, today we only traveled 170!

There were a few stops along the way for fuel and bathroom breaks but we arrived to Meredith in the early afternoon. This was the first day in a while we had time to stop and enjoy some down time. Tyler’s navigation led us to a laundry mat where we could catch up on our weeks laundry. While the laundry was in progress, we took the time to do a family workout! Our trailer was parked in the corner of the lot, near the ATM drive through of a bank and we solicited quite a few wondering stares. For me, a good day will either start or end with a good sweat session and some cleaning. Today we had both!

We have settled into our Harvest Host at Twin Barns Brewing Company in Meredith, NH. This has been one of our favorite hosts. We arrived to a full lot, live music, food trucks and outdoor games to challenge our competitive spirits! The family took on cornhole with teams of Addi and Tyler vs. Ashton and I. Between the two games, we are 1-1…but Ashton and I argue we were the winning team coming out of a 20-4 deficit to WIN!

When the sun went down, we went head to head in our evening ritual of Sequence. Addison and I are 9-4 and Tyler and Ashton are finally questioning their partnership!

Tomorrow we head for Portland, ME where Tyler intends to seek out Lobster rolls. The kids and I have no intentions on joining him, but hope to find something we can also enjoy. The drive should be much like today and we have a campsite reserved in a park where we will finally be able to hook up!

Since the week is starting over, we are hoping Internet will be good for Tyler as he will continue to work remotely. If not, I AM DEAD!

We will nearly be as far away from home as we can possibly be and will take a different route back. The question remains…where will be end up next?

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With a bit more rest last night, we got a later start this morning! We knew we needed to get to Niagra Falls early. Tyler read that in order to find adequate parking, it was recommended to be there first am. By the time we read that, it was already after 9:30.

We left Lockport, NY, and backtracked slightly to the Niagra Falls State Park. It was only about a 20-minute drive and when we entered the park, we wound through various parking sections and into parking lot #3 where trailers and buses could park. There was no one in the lot and the $10 parking fee was waived.

The dogs were moved into the trailer to spend their time comfortably in their bed and we set off towards the falls. There were various viewing areas to see and we, of course, stopped at every single one of them. I took pictures and video snippets trying to capture the breathtaking views. We walked through the entire park and stopped to see all three falls: Horshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

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The views were incredible and I wanted to be able to capture every detail to look back on. At one viewpoint, we stood and the mist from the falls dampened us. Even though it was cold and we were getting wet, I couldn’t bring myself to step away. Inside the waterfall was the most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen.

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After walking through the park and seeing everything there was to see, we went back to the trailer and made lunch before getting back on the road. Today we traveled another 368 miles. It was a long day of driving and when we thought we would call it a day, we were in the wrong town. The campsite we reserved earlier in the day was named the same as another in a neighboring city 70 miles away. Since it was getting dark, we decided to try to find something local. Unfortunately, without reservations we struck out…so we are parked off of the side of the road in a dirt lot that looks to be used for commuters. It may not be ideal, but we have everything we need and we are enjoying some wind-down time.

I won’t lie, Tyler and I had to hug it out as we were both quite frazzled by the end of the day. It’s day 16 and if we would have stuck to our original plans, we would be home by now. Instead, we are having the time of our lives! The kids are seeing and learning more than they could ever learn from a school field trip and Tyler and I are adding states to our list to check off. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend this crazy time in our lives and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

Tomorrow we will be heading towards New Hampshire. We have already secured our place for the night so, pending any surprises, we hopefully will avoid the chaos we had tonight.

We didn’t play Sequence tonight, but for the inquiring minds, Addi and I are up 8-3. Now Tyler and Ashton are saying best of 17!

Jerry and Rhonda kept us up into the wee hours of morning talking stocks which left us all quite tired this morning! They were doing their research and trying to find stocks that would yield high returns in the longterm while still offering dividends. Ashton (AKA Jerry) asked a million questions and was even making notes on his phone for later. As a quiet observer, I got a good chuckle, but I knew the morning was going to come quickly and I would be depended on to drive regardless of fatigue! If you haven’t read about Ashton and Addison’s new alter ego’s check out “Day 12, Marion, OA – Lannon, WI.” There is never a dull moment with these two, and the self-proclaimed names are just icing on the cake!

We were up early and ready to roll out towards our next stop before 8 am! I have had no trouble adapting to the time change, while Tyler and the kids have struggled to get up. We were on the road an hour and a half before Tyler logged in to work for the day.

From Ohio, we traveled through Pennsylvania and into New York. We were looking for a place to fill our propane tank, which was not as simple as we thought it was going to be. Navigation led us to Westfield, NY where we located a KOA and got it filled. On our way back to the road, there was a boat dock and lot next to Lake Erie. The water looked amazing so I made the executive decision to stop.

The kids and I got out to take pictures and go see the water, while Tyler stayed back and had his 2nd call of the day. It’s easier for us to be stopped and out of the car while he conducts his meeting and this was the perfect opportunity for us to get out and stretch our legs. After the kids saw the water, they were insistent on getting their suits on and taking a quick dip. I went back to the car and Tyler gave us the go ahead. He had another meeting so the timing was perfect. It’s not nearly as warm in New York as it has been in previous states and today, I was chilled. The kids wanted me to join them in the water, but it was much too cold for my preference.

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We started back on the road and made it to Lockport, NY by early afternoon. We found a small post office to mail some postcards and a gift for our new little nephew. Then we located our Harvest Host, Freedom Run Winery! We are nestled into a small rural community surrounded by a vineyard and are close to Niagra Falls. The space is quiet and refreshing. We worked out and enjoyed another Traeger meal from our personal chef!

Tomorrow we will go see Niagra Falls and spend some time enjoying the scenery before shooting up towards Vermont. We did a state tally and thus far we have made it to 14 states. Everyone is still in good spirits and as of today, both kids have completed their schooling!

Let the summer fun begin, or in our case…CONTINUE!

As we walked towards the second Travel Center for the day, Tyler exclaimed, “our trailer is so cool!” He went on to say there was no way we would have ever made this trek had we rented a trailer. He was right, and it validated me and my decision to push for buying vs. renting.

This experience has been an incredible opportunity for our family! We have never been into traveling or road trips, frankly because we get along most of the time, except while in cars 🙂 I also learned growing up that when you get in the car, you sleep. Thus, I get sleepy in the car which makes for a terrible driving experience.

While this has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, I have been enjoying every minute of it. As we drive through each state, I observe the landscape, traffic, people, drivers, billboards, and wildlife. I like to compare each state and pick favorites! As we venture further East, I haven’t been oohed and aahed as much.

Today we woke up in a Walmart parking lot. As crazy as that sounds, it was really quite pleasant. If you read our blog yesterday, we settled into a Walmart in South Bend, OH, after being kicked out of a casino parking lot. We had read about boondocking at Walmart and knew at some point we needed to try it out and last night was the night!

This particular Walmart was clean and the parking lot was vacant. Outdoor speakers were playing good music as they opened in the morning. Tyler and I ventured over there before waking the kids to get a few necessities. As we walked across the parking lot, I realized there was a Sam’s Club in the same lot. I knew we would want to stop in for water and meat just as soon as they opened.

We woke the kids when we got back to the trailer and readied ourselves to venture towards Sam’s Club. We only had 30 minutes before Tyler’s workday would begin. We made our way in and around the giant store in less than 30 minutes and without breaking the bank. We chalked that up as a win!

We came back to the trailer, had breakfast made by Addi, and got to the grind on work and school. Tyler had a meeting at 11 so we waited to pack up until after he was finished. Once his meeting was over, we started towards Notre Dame College where we were told to check out the “Touchdown Jesus.”

We made it to the campus, parked, and started walking around. The campus was huge and everything was built in bricks. I do not think I’ve seen as many bricks in my entire life while on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend. Since we weren’t certain what exactly we were looking for, we relied on Google to show us the way! We finally made our way to the infamous building outside of the stadium displaying what some describe as the Touchdown Jesus and then decided since we were there we should also see “First Down Moses!”

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After seeing all the things, we began our day of travels towards Akron, OH. In Akron, Ashton and Tyler wanted to see the school that Lebron James attended as well as the one that he built. We arrived at St. Vincent – St. Mary High School a few hours down the road. Ashton was excited to see where Lebron attended high school. Just a few blocks away, we saw the IPromise School.

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Our campsite was about 20 miles down the road and we arrived just before 7 pm. Tonight we are staying at another Harvest Host, Maize Valley Winery and Craft Brewery in Hartville, OH. Since we arrived late, we were unable to enjoy any tasty treats from their kitchen. We set up our trailer and Tyler started on dinner. We all spent some time organizing and reorganizing our cozy space and prepared ourselves to take off early tomorrow morning. I was finally able to clean the shower and mop the floors.

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Today was Addi’s last day of the 5th grade! It was quite lackluster really. Yesterday she was able to participate in a Zoom call with the 5th grade teachers and other classmates. Tomorrow will be Ashton’s last day of 7th grade. Then it will just be Tyler working away while we all play!

All in all, we traveled 308 miles today. It was a long day and I broke the 3000 miles threshold on our adventure (solo driving, btw!). Tomorrow we will head towards Niagra Falls! We hope to get an early start so we can enjoy the scenery going into the weekend.

Two weeks into this trip and we have nearly made it across the United States! How cool is that?

It’s been a day…a long and tiring day, but another good one nonetheless! We were up and at em relatively early in our campsite. We were pleasantly surprised that we didn’t float away overnight with the amount of rain that poured down and when we awoke, the large puddles in our campsite were gone.

We have crossed into the 3rd timezone of our travels and are now in Eastern time. The kids think it is some kind of trick to get them in bed earlier, but I am FEELING it. It definitely feels 3 hours later than my typical clock! With that said, I also feel more awake earlier than usual and I have been the first to rise for much of this adventure.

Once we all got moving this morning we got into our typical routine. Tyler working, the kids working on school, and me tidying up. I tell you what, it is difficult to keep this tiny space clean but I make it my mission every day.

Tyler wanted to find the restrooms in the park so we set out away from camp to scope it out. We were told there was a “beach” in the park and we took the opportunity to see if it were true. After a short walk, we located Menomonee Beach and knew it would be perfect to bring the kids back to.

We returned to the campsite and began packing up. Since we had a long day planned for sightseeing, I thought it was best for us to get in a good workout before we left. We did a fun campsite workout, packed the rest of the pickup, and set off for the beach.

The kids enjoyed the beach and it was beautiful much of the time we were there. Tyler and I sat out in our chairs, him working and me taking pictures. Once the clouds began to cover, we decided to head for Milwaukee, WI.

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It was a short drive to Milwaukee and once we arrived, we were amazed at the cleanliness of the city. The roads were nice, the underpasses and overpasses were all painted a deep blue and the bridges were beautiful. There was no graffiti or homeless camps littering the sidewalks. We found the riverwalk we intended to see. The Lakefront Brewery that sat just in front of the river was not opened for dine-in so we walked along the river just behind the brewery and returned to our pickup. While we were trying to find the best place to get custard, Tyler’s business partner gave us a client recommendation.

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We headed for Kopp’s Frozen Custard per the recommendation and walked a short distance to the restaurant. We each got a small cone and stepped outside to walk back to our vehicle. Before we could get anywhere, it began pouring. We stood outside and enjoyed our custard and when we thought the rain lightened up, we set out for the pickup. By the time we arrived back, we were all soaked. We sat in the pickup and started mapping out our next stop. While we originally intended on staying in/near Chicago, accommodations for our trailer were slim to none. We also struggled to figure out how we would take in the sights with the trailer attached. We opted to travel through Chicago, IL, and venture on!

Tyler settled on a casino in Michigan City, IN. The casino is listed as a Harvest Host and reviews said they were accomodating and easy to work with. When we arrived, the casino was closed and there wasn’t a single car in the lot. We decided we would go ahead and park there knowing our past experiences with Harvest Host has always provided a good experience. After letting the dogs out of the pickup, putting down the stairs, and kicking our shoes off to get settled in, a loud knock came at our door. We were told by the casino security that we had to leave. He was unpleasant, but we happily obliged.

We gathered ourselves back up and headed towards the state of Michigan. We knew we wanted to at least make it there to check another state off on our list of travels. After not locating any good places along the way, Tyler and I decided to try out the boondocking experience at Walmart. The nearest one was 45 minutes away in South Bend, IN.

We will stay here for the night and tomorrow we intend to head further East towards Akron, OH. Today we ventured another 240 miles and we are slowly making our way across the United States. We have been enjoying our travels and seeing the different sites and scenery. While we have mostly experienced rather hot temperatures, today the rain reminded me of the PNW. I think we are all missing home, but not enough to come home…just yet!

For starters, our kids are FUNNY! Since visiting Warren Buffett’s residence, they have been bound and determined to become stockbrokers. Maybe this isn’t where I mention their dad has been doing that for years. Sharing stories about Mr. Buffett and his lifetime of success ignited a spark in them. He is now referred to as, “Uncle Warren!”

Yesterday, they determined they would be partners and Ashton came up with the names “Jerry and Rhonda” to go by. Now they refer to themselves as Jerry and Rhonda and talk all things stock. It makes me chuckle. It also makes me super proud that they are finding joy in something their dad is very passionate about!

Last night at bedtime, they just wouldn’t stop talking about stocks and what they intend to invest in. Tyler told them that it’s extremely important to get a good night’s rest if they want to do well as investors. Addi didn’t hear him but heard the word stock and she immediately quipped up saying she was just too excited to sleep.

This morning we were up and out in record timing. We wanted to get on the road early enough to make it to our first stop before Tyler’s meeting. We made it to Madison, WI. Tyler had researched Lake Mendota and thought it would be a great place for us to hang out while he worked. When we arrived we found parking easily since the University of Wisconsin is closed, and the kids, dogs, and I took off towards the trail to the water.

Unfortunately, the water was not in any shape for people and a danger sign warned the kids away from submerging themselves in the Lake. It was a nice walk and a great place to stretch our legs and allow Tyler time to meet with his clients. The kids dipped their toes in and playfully joked around before we returned to the trailer.

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We looked for other things to do while in Madison and didn’t come up with much so we decided to venture towards Milwaukie, WI. Our travels led us through downtown Madison where we noticed many of the business’s windows boarded up. It was a ghost town and the few businesses that were opened had signs displayed in their window asking for support.

Eventually, we made it out of Madison and continued our travels towards Milwaukee. My only request for the day was to visit a laundry facility and we found the perfect one in Sussex, WI. The place was nearly empty and there was a large enough lot for us to park right out front. Tyler continued to work away, Ashton made his way to the trailer to play video games and Addi assisted me with the laundry.

We hadn’t found a facility since we were in Keystone, SD. so we were overdue to get it done. I could hardly contain my excitement when we went inside and found washing machines that could hold up to 60 lbs of clothes! I, however, am much to type A to put everything in one load and opted for 5 smaller loads of perfectly sorted laundry. Since we haven’t had luck easily accessing places, I took the opportunity to wash towels, rugs, and our bedding. There isn’t much that feels as good as clean feels so it felt great to get back on track!

After I got everything back situated in the trailer, we headed for our campsite at Menomonee Park in Lannon, WI. Our site does not have hookups and is very tightly nestled into the trees. The weather hasn’t been as nice today and although it was in the mid 80’s, there was no sunshine in sight. After we set up camp, the rain started to pour and has nearly flooded our site.

It didn’t stop us from unloading the Traeger and our generator and making another incredible meal. Tyler definitely will not ever let us starve! After dinner, Addi and I went head to head with Ashton and Tyler in Sequence and sadly, Addi and I took our first TWO losses! We have an ongoing joke that it’s best out of 11 🙂

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Tomorrow we will venture into Milwaukee, WI, where we plan to spend the day seeing some of the sites and trying out the infamous custard we keep hearing about and then we head for Chicago!

Today, I was commended for the terrific driving I’ve been doing and my family gifted me… MORE MILES! While we only traveled a little more than 200 miles today, the list of states we will visit continues to grow!

We packed up from our little campsite in Adair, IA, and headed East towards Des Moines. On our agenda was a visit to a popular eatery, Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop. We made it in time for lunch so we treated ourselves to delicious tenderloin sandwiches. The kids and I went for the “Queen” (small) and Tyler chose the “King” (HUGE). We also tried the cheese curds which did not disappoint.

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Tyler was able to work while I drove with perfect internet. Since leaving South Dakota, we haven’t struggled nearly as much to have cellular service and WiFi. We did stop at Walmart in Des Moines for Tyler to have a meeting. While he was on his call, the kids and I checked out all things 3M that we could add to our trailer! We also checked for Iowa souvenirs and came up empty handed again!

We continued East through Cedar Rapids and are staying at Squaw Creek Park in Marion, IA. The park offers full electrical hookups and water. It is a beautifully maintained park and was quite affordable at only $23/night. They have showers and since I have been confined to such a small shower with restricted water use, I took advantage of the ones in the park tonight. Let’s just say, my legs were starting to look like Tyler’s face 🙂

Since we arrived earlier than we have been, we took some time to wind down after setting up our site. We made dinner and enjoyed a few more games of Sequence. Ashton and Tyler talked a big game but came out with 3 more losses tonight.

The kids have walked to the playground located within the park and Tyler and I are sitting in silence. It’s been another wonderful day. It’s hard to believe that I have driven over 2,500 miles thus far and I can still say that I am enjoying every moment of this adventure. Tomorrow, we will be hanging out in Madison, WI and then, well, you’ll just have to wait and see!

Today was a scorcher and we spent much of it yoyoing between Nebraska and Iowa. We left Pawnee City this morning after gathering ourselves up from the Harvest Host location and leisurely made our way towards Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Our navigation took us from Nebraska, into Iowa and then back to Nebraska where the Zoo was located.

After several recommendations from the locals, we knew we wanted to see the zoo while we were here so we did as we were guided to do and purchased tickets online to secure a time slot. With Covid-19 restrictions, the zoo required tickets to be purchased in advance. The website stated they were offering discounted tickets at nearly $21/per person. We arrived and found sufficient parking for our trailer in the shade where we could leave our pups.

As we entered the zoo, it became clear that we were one of the only few visitors for the day. The normally packed zoo was a ghost town. We soon learned why. Unfortunately, many of the exhibits were closed. We were unable to see the aquarium, the jungle, or any exhibit that required entrance to a building. We were bummed, but we walked through the zoo and enjoyed the change of scenery and the few animals on display. I do wonder what the original admission to the zoo was because, with nearly 2/3 of the park closed, it hardly seemed worth the small fortune we paid to get in. I suppose people pay more to run a 5k and we did get in a nice walk!

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We left the zoo and Tyler decided he wanted to check out Warren Buffett’s home so in true stalker status we went to his residence and took pictures. As a fellow stock market enthusiast, Tyler couldn’t pass up an opportunity to scope out one of his idols’ homes. We then headed back towards Iowa where we planned to stay for the night, but as we crossed back over the border, we remembered the Camping World we wanted to visit on the Nebraska side. The kids have also been collecting a souvenir from each state and we had failed to get one in Nebraska, so back we went!

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Once in Nebraska, we stopped at Camping World where we were able to pick up a few items for the trailer. We then set out on our quest for souvenirs and after stopping at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and CVS we decided we would forego souvenirs in Nebraska since we could not find any. We stopped at a local brewery where Tyler could fill his growler and back to Iowa we went.

Our travels today led us about 237 miles Northeast from Pawnee City, NE to Adair, IA where we are staying in a local City Park. The park is very accomodating and offers both electrical and water hookups. We are unable to dump on-site, however, there are plenty of dump stations along the road we can hit in our travels. There is also a basketball court and a huge play area with a zip line. The kids used the last of the daylight to goof off in the park while Tyler prepared dinner on the Traeger and I straightened up the trailer.

After dinner, we played Sequence together. I saw the game while we were stopped at a store earlier today and knew we had to get it. Tyler and I recently learned how to play the game and enjoyed it so much we wanted it for our own collection. The kids both picked up relatively quickly and Addi and I issued Tyler and Ash their first whoopin!

We are headed for bed as it is after midnight here. Tomorrow we are back to the grind. Tyler will resume work and the kids with start their last week of school! Once we get moving, we will venture towards Kansas City. We have made a rough draft of our travel path and change it daily to add more to our adventure. It seems as long as we are all still having fun and Tyler is able to continue his business, we can continue to see the USA and the beauty it offers!

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