Chai Babies

John + Vivian

2011-12-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

My entry to win a wedding atop the Empire State Building. Vote daily at http://ccwed.me/thrX1x

Home (almost)

2011-08-09T17:23:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania welcomes you!
Odometer: 62793

We have one more stop in Pittsburgh first before heading home and sharing our adventures.

Happy 3rd anniversary to us!

Minnesota

2011-08-05T23:08:00.002-04:00

Howdy. Since Monday morning, we have driven 1,800 miles from San Francisco to Adrian, Minnesota. A few long days, but it's worth it. Tonight's campsite was $14, with free showers (yes!) and free wi-fi. The forecast says no thunderstorms, so hopefully, no rain will awake us in the middle of the night.

Tomorrow's agenda is Minneapolis, then Wisconsin by Sunday. I hope to eat fish from a fish boil:

http://www.fitzgeraldsfishboil.com/

Gluttony in California

2011-08-01T15:59:00.001-04:00

Hola. The odometer says 59,510, so we have bee driving about 6,000 miles. During the last 10 days in California, John and I have joined friends and family on a food tour (with the exception of camping in Yosemite). From delicious thai food and dim sum in LA to tapas and crawfish in San Francisco, my belly is full. The several fresh home cooked meals will last through the rest of the trip. As we are minutes away from Reno, John and I will dine on takeout from SF's chinatown. Thanks to all the asian people in Cali for their delicious food.

Hoover Dam

2011-07-21T19:43:00.001-04:00

Hoover Dam was lame. More on that later when we get to Vegas tonight.

Tucson Addendums

2011-07-20T13:41:00.001-04:00

I wrote my previous post in a hurry, and did not get a chance to share details of my adventures in Tucson. For example, when we hiked the Saguaro National Park, the sun beated down on us throughout the hour long hike, as the cacti and short trees offer no shade. The Saguaro, by the way, is the name of the tall cactus with none to many arms characteristic to the Southwest. I also learned that a cactus my age has grown to about 2 feet. In fact, it is illegal to kill a saguaro cactus. On my hike, I also was fortunate enough to get stung by the teddy bear cactus.

As I type this on my peek device, the Arizona Highway Patrol on Interstate 10 is looking for truble. There has been at least 20 cop cars since our 45 minute departure from Tucson.

I hope to regale you with more tales of the roadtrip soon. We are headed for the Grand Canyon, and the odometer is at 57238.

Tucson, AZ

2011-07-20T11:27:00.006-04:00

Tucson was a beautiful city in the Southwest, exactly I had imagined it (and more). We hiked many hills during the cooler monsoon season, and we dined on delicious and authentic Mexican food. The photos below are courtesy of Chris Summitt, who was kind enough to host us in his hometown (friend him on Facebook).

We arrived at dust, and did a strenuous hike up what I will call "B" mountain in an attempt to see the sunset. This mountain has a real name, but it is adjacent to the famous "A" mountain below:

Both mountains are located right downtown, but "A" mountain is claimed by the University of Arizona. Freshmen at the school re-paint the "A" every year.

The view from atop the mountain overlooks the city of Tucson:

More photos are available via the slideshow below, including our visits to restaurants like Cafe Poca Cosa and El Guero Canelo, and our hike up the Saguaro West National Park.

Nighttime in New Mexico

2011-07-17T23:34:00.003-04:00

The stars are out tonight in New Mexico! The bats are also out trying to feast before dawn. Per the last post, John and I drove from Forth Worth, Texas to Carlsbad, NM today, with minimal stops along the way for food and gas. The last 2 days have been spectacularly surprising.

Yesterday, we began the day by diamond hunting in Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. For a $7 admission fee and a $8 rental fee, you can get a bucket, 2 sifters, and a shovel to search your way through the park for that mineral made of carbon. The temperature was 108 degrees, according to a nearby bank, but we stuck to it for a couple of hours. That night, we drove to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for camp. The campsite left much to be desired. However, before we headed to bed, we went out to the town of Fort Worth. While Dallas seemed like a sleepy town, Fort Worth was popping! People were hanging out and walking around a 5 block by 5 block radius (at least!) with restaurants and bars open for entertainment. Even the Barnes and Noble was open to midnight! The downtown area reminded me of Chicago's Michigan Ave. Another area for nightlife was the old stockyards for cattle. Interested in going to Billy Bob's Honky Tonk, I cranked down my window to inquire about the cover charge. A young man ready for a night out said "fifteen," and pauses. He restates, "That's fifteen American dollars, you know." John and I wondered if he was making a joke, or if he thought I was Mexican. Who knows what he was thinking. All I know is, Fort Worth might just be worth moving to.

Today, the weather in New Mexico is extremely breezy despite the heat. I thought I was going to roast under the sun, but the wind makes it feel like 70 degrees!

You might be wondering why I can blog right now. The campsite in Whites City, NM has free wifi! Good night - we are going caving tomorrow in Carlsbad Caverns:

7 Hour Morning Drive

2011-07-17T12:21:00.003-04:00

Fort Worth was a surprisingly hip city on a Saturday. I'd love to post more, but it is clear that I will have to update after the fact. Camping 7 nights out of our now 11 day trip does not help.

We are heading to Carlsbad Caverns through Texas interstate 20. Abilene is at Church on Sundays. Chat soon!

Change to Route

2011-07-15T20:19:00.001-04:00

John and I had intended to stop by Albu-kirkie to visit Captain Kirk, but it appears that he will be MIA. So, we may change our route from Arkansas to Dallas (& Austin?), then to Southeast New Mexico to see Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands Monument before Tucson, AZ. It will be a game time decision tomorrow.

PS - Texarkana is a town in Arkansas. Guess what state names it uses!

Tennessee

2011-07-15T20:13:00.001-04:00

Odometer: 55660

This will be a (or a series) of short posts. A rock just hit the windshield, and made a small crack.
We spent 3 nights in Nashville under a roof, and I did not get a chance to post. I will have to follow up later. Today, we did Graceland in Memphis, and is heading to Crater of Diamonds Park in Arkansas to dig for a gem tomorrow. Here's to a safe 2 hr drive!

Let There Be Light!

2011-07-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

It is easy to stay up late when you have the power of electricity and the light bulb. Last night, I was trying to read by flashlight, and the night before, I tried to sleep during a thunderstorm. So, I was easily ready for bed by 10:30PM, as it gets dark at around 9PM. Tonight, however, I have the luxury of sleeping in a hotel, so I find myself watching Twilight, Hoarders, and surfing the internet with this blog and Google +. Does this count as wasting time?

Roadtrip Part 1

2011-07-11T23:33:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia, PA -> Shenandoah National Park, VA -> Blue Ridge Parkway, NC -> Asheville, NC

Yee Haw!

2011-07-09T21:33:00.001-04:00

Lawnmower races in Galax, VA (pronounced "Gaylax") and Ribfest in Asheville, NC. I am in the South!

Shenandoah Park

2011-07-08T16:08:00.001-04:00

John and I spent the night camping near Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. We spent the $80 for unlimited Nationals Parks for a year, and I am psyched (we have plans to visit Yosemite and Yellowstone, for instance). Shenny was the first time I've been camping in a while, and the park programs made the trip. At 7:30PM last night, a park ranger led us to play games indulging our 5 senses in the Big Meadow. Another program involved taking the temperature and pH of a creek, then looking for crayfish and bugs in the creek. John had the biggest catch of the day - a crayfish of 3 inches. We also did a quick hike this morning to see 2 waterfalls! Skyline Drive itself is beautiful as a 2 lane road overlooking the green valleys and hills.

Right now, the odometer says 54,268 and we are en route to Asheville, North Carolina via Rt 81 and/or the Blue Ridge Parkway. Happy weekend!

Everybody drivin'

2011-07-07T13:52:00.001-04:00

Everybody drivin' (to to tune of Teach me how to dougie).

About 1 hour into the trip, we have seen the following license plates:
Delaware
Pennslyvania
Virginia
Florida
North Carolina
Maryland
Massachusetts
Quebec
New York
Texas
Wisconsin
New Hampshire
New Jersey
South Carolina
And a plate with a sunny orange background (I don't have my glasses on).

Start

2011-07-07T13:30:00.001-04:00

Odometer at 53890: Maryland welcomes us! We are making good time. So far, we had a quick spill, and we finished all the blueberry mint ice tea. NPR and 104.5 entertains us.

Begin

2011-07-07T12:41:00.001-04:00

Mile 0: 53843 on the odometer!

The Map

2011-07-04T15:07:00.001-04:00

Here is the map for our trip, starting from Philadelphia, PA:

View 2011 XCountry Road Trip in a larger map