When my Mom offered to fly to New Mexico and drive east with us to Ohio, Brian and I both thought she was absolutely INSANE for subjecting herself (voluntarily) to such craziness. After gathering our two dogs and our kid and stuff and moving into Temporary Lodging in New Mexico I think her exact words were "You're one gigantic zoo!!" After moving in and out of a few hotels she edited her previous statement to "You're one great big crazy circus!!!"
Watching our things be packed onto the truck with her Baby. Before I went to get the camera she was facing the truck holding her Baby in the sitting position. TOOO CUTE!!!
Brian and I always seem to have a system for craziness (like living in your cars and hotels all over the country). We know exactly what needs to happen... how, is always another question. We'd done a move before with Jake, we've traveled with Emma, but never had we attempted Jake, Gus and Emma, as well as having an outside person. Neither one of us is very good about asking for help (pulling a suitcase, carrying what you can in your arms as you hold a dog or a child or sometimes both). Fortunately my Mom figured out our system and was great about keeping track of the dogs and Emma. She did discover one morning that keeping track of a two year old, two 70lb dogs and trying to get her bag into the car while holding a coffee cup was a just a wee bit more than she could handle and who could blame her!!
We left Holloman August 7th and drove to a small town just west of Amarillo, Texas. Brian and I were hoping to have made it further east the first day, but alas that was where we could get a pet friendly (let me edit that to say - a pet friendly hotel, who allows LARGE dogs!) hotel with a room. Of course we some how ended up in a hotel, with a room on the second floor, with get this, NO ELEVATOR. We were quite a sight to be hold I'm sure. (Its been awhile since I've been stared at quite as hard as we were on this trip, but I find that as a comfort, as maybe I'm not as funny looking as I sometimes think!) This hotel was located in a VERY small farming town, and after driving around to find a place for dinner we ended up at Dairy Queen. When Laura (Brian's Mom) heard we ate at Dairy Queen she asked "Do they serve meals other than ice cream?!" Well, they say they do, but I wouldn't count on it alone, you definitely need the ice cream to call it a filling meal - maybe they designed it that way to make their money.
Cadillac Grave Yard
(They are arranged at the same angle as the pyramids in Egypt)
August 8th we spent the day driving across Texas, up Oklahoma to Wichita, Kansas. Those of you who have your map out checking our travels might be asking themselves why we went up Oklahoma and not across Oklahoma towards Tulsa?! Well, we hadn't yet been to Kansas and we lived in Oklahoma for 10 months, so it seemed only fair to take a bit of a detour to see Kansas.
I can tell you right now I didn't have high hopes for Kansas. Remember we lived in Oklahoma, and I didn't much care for it while we were there. Oddly enough though as we found ourselves driving through Oklahoma and then the next day through Kansas, I actually found it to be pretty, I actually told Brian I'd move back to Oklahoma more willingly then I would New Mexico. Kansas I expected to be as flat as a sheet of paper and be able to see for miles. It wasn't like that at all. It is filled with beautiful rolling hills and much greenery (UNLIKE New Mexico).
When booking our reservation in Wichita we were only able to get a smoking room, we figured NO Problem, we just switch the reservation when we get there. Mistake! They were totally booked, and the smoking room was less than pleasant, though we soon discovered eventually your nose just stops smelling. I did feel terribly guilty for exposing our beautiful girl to such a place, after being so careful about smokers and such through her life, but we didn't have a choice and we did the best we could.
We are big Choice Hotels people, we stay in Choice Hotel chains when we're paying or we have the dogs, and when the government is paying we stay in Marriott Chains. I must say I've been a bit spoiled by the Marriott chairs, though for the most part we've had little issue with the Choice Hotels. We stayed in a Comfort Inn, which we normally find to be very clean and inviting. I can say this room was not that at all. I'm not sure if it was just because it was a smoking room or the hotel as a whole, but the attention to detail was just not there. (There was no Bath Mat, among other things).
Day three had us driving from Wichita, KS to St Louis, Missouri. This was certainly our longest day, and I'd say one of the harder drives too. To get from Wichita to St Louis you drive straight through Kansas City. Any fear I had of driving in traffic was quickly dissolved on this drive. Brian was the lead in the truck and I got to follow in the car for most of the trip and keeping up in traffic helped to wash my fears of traffic away.
We were in a hotel near the St Louis Ram's Stadium and minus the bathroom door being hung upside down and having to use your full body weight to open and close the hotel room door it really wasn't a bad place for an Econo Lodge. It was certainly better than the one we stayed in when we came to Ohio to house hunt.
We found a nice place to eat some dinner and then took a walk down to the arch. The view with the sun shining off from it was a much different view than the first time Brian and I saw it in a snow storm. We also got to go on a horse and buggy ride (thanks Mom!) which was pretty cool and Emma had a fun time once we told her it was okay.
Our Studious Emma. Doesn't every two year old put their Grammy's reading glasses on while they wait for their meal?!
When Granny and Gramps came to visit us in May they taught Emma the "One, two three, Swing game" and it is her FAVORITE! (She sometimes skips to three just so she can swing sooner). Please ignore my obnoxiously orange shirt... I was dressed for comfort not photo opportunities.
Checking out the horse after our ride
Day four found us driving from St Louis through Indianapolis through Dayton to our new home. One of our shorter days, and we of course hit some rain leaving Indianapolis. But we all survived the trip, with little drama and mostly still in good moods, minus a few tense moments here and there.
Oddly enough, Gus, who we were worried about the most was the most well behaved of our dogs and Emma. He hoped in the truck the first day and it took him maybe ten minutes to settled down and from there on out he was just thrilled to be with us. Jake had a need every time we slowed down to get up and move around (making it difficult in traffic because his head or butt always ended up right in the way), but as soon as Brian or I yelled at him, he'd lay back down. Emma did amazingly, she definitely had a few "I'm tired of being in the car" moments, but she never once fought us on getting in her seat when we told her it was time to get going again.
I'd say it was a success! My Mom also said she'd do it again for us too, so it really must not have been bad!!!
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