Well…we made it!  Across the midwest to California.  Memories that will last a lifetime.

We left on a Monday and by Tuesday we were 1/2 way across the midwest to our destination.  With a stop to see family we also enjoyed the hot springs for detoxing and an open jeep ride in the hills of Colorado.

The things we have seen thus far in the week and a half we’ve been on the road:  Glenwood Hot Springs and Glenwood Canyon, Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake Desert (Amazing), Tahoe Forest, Lake Tahoe, Half Moon Bay, Napa, Mount Tamalpais, The Red Woods in Muir Forest, Lombard Street, Fisherman’s Wharf, the seals off of Pier 39, China Town, Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Teton National Park….

I would say that I am physically tired, however, I am also having the best time with the kids.  Sharing the driving, laughing, listening to loud obnoxious music, and watching the sights through their eyes as well as mine.   I cannot imagine a year ago that I would be doing this.  I remember being too sick to even climb the stairs of our house let alone being able to drive across country.  The blessings of the Lord are abundant and we are most content.

Today we enjoyed seeing the buffalo and a moose in the Tetons.  We have only eaten one meal out and have been creative with a crock pot and coolers to keep our healthy whole food meals cold.  We’ve been checking the bed bug registry so as to stay only places that are “clean”.  One hotel we checked into, we checked back out of 10 minutes later as there was a bug on the sheets.  From then on I checked the registry.  Of course, as all adventures go, we also checked into one motel only to have to ask for a second non smoking room because the first non smoking room they gave us smelled like smoke.  The second room they gave us hadn’t been cleaned yet, so we ended up with a third room that also had a kitchen and eating area.  This of course should have cost us a boat load more, however, they still gave us our discounted price off of booking.com.

I look forward to sharing some of our helpful travel hints that got us through our two weeks (that is what it will be when we get home) however, for now here are some pictures of our fun.  Hope you feel as though you’ve been with us:

Selfie with the my brother and the kids in the jeep.  This was GREAT!  No doors, top off and riding on the back roads.

Western CO near Grand Junction.  Crazy beautiful!

Salt Lake is behind us.  (Salt Lake City Utah)

Great Salt Desert.  This is amazing.

Seals off of Pier 39 in San Francisco.  So fun to watch.

Wine Tasting in Napa. (Silver Oak was our favorite.)

Half Moon Bay where the waves were the biggest I had ever seen.  People were seriously being toppled over.  My husband went to get his feet wet on the sand when a wave came rushing in and nearly took him down.  He was soaked from waist down.  It was a priceless picture that was not taken due to all of us being so surprised over the event as it unfolded.

Mount Tamalpais overlooking San Francisco.

Red woods in Muir Forest.

Snake River in Idaho before heading into Wyoming.

Buffalo in Teton National Park.

 

Yes, two days it hit 96 and 97 degrees while we were driving.

We still have more of our adventure to report on so we will share more when we get back to the home front.   Thanks for looking.