Jessica and Orit's Cross-Country Road Trip

The End of the Road

2007-06-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

A Rough Sketch of the Complete Road Trip

We took this road trip to learn more about the country we live in. Until now, Australia and Western Europe were our areas of expertise. Now we can truly say we know America more than ever! Thank you to everyone who kept up with us and posted comments. It was really exciting to see everyone's interest in the trip. We've vowed to do another trip in the future, so we will be sure to let you know. We are interested in what posts/places were your favorite to read about, and what places in America you would like to see that we didn't get to. Let us know in the comments!

Thanks again!
~Jessica and Orit

Final Day- CA

2007-06-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

Our "Coast to Coast" trip would not be complete without a visit to San Francisco. Traffic was backed up on the Nay Bridge, but once we got to the heart of town, everything moved smoothly.

A View of San Francisco

Crossing the Bay Bridge into San Francisco.

It looked like most big cities, with financial, cultural and commercial districts. We looked up a few things to do while we were there. The Italian district had its annual North Beach Festival.

North Beach Festival.

The festival had a bunch of tents set up for local artists to sell their craft. There were alot of paintings, jewelry and homemade soaps being sold. We weren't walking around for that long when we noticed into the Republican table. The gentleman at the table was handing out Schwarzenegger stickers, which Orit refused to put on.

A sign that caught our eye.

After taking a walk to the tower on Telegraph Hill, Orit was determined to see the famous (or infamous) parrots. The birds were around because we could hear them, but seeing them was another story. It took awhile, but finally Orit saw one. We set on the side of the hill for awhile admiring the view of the Bay and the bridge.

We had some time before Orit's flight back to New York, so we took a trip down the cost on California Highway 1. We drove through a couple of small beach towns, even stopping at one to get some ice cream!

We made it from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Eventually, we made it to SFO and dropped Orit off for the flight back to her home. Jessica and John made their way back to Davis.

Day Sixteen through Eighteen- CA

2007-06-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful to the Chevy Equinox for getting us cross-country with zero problems, no flat tires, no oil leaks, and no empty gas tanks! The next day in California, we decided we would reward it with a carwash. The front of the car looked so disgusting from all the bugs we hit along the way. One day in Idaho it got so bad, we found birds gathering around the car for a free meal!

A much needed car wash!

Driving down the road to Wal-Mart, to pick up a few items for the apartment, we recognized an old familiar sign. We were back on the Lincoln Highway! We had followed the Lincoln Highway from New York all the way to California. This road has become our Mother Road! It's amazing how much history one paved highway can carry with it. For more information on it go to : http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/. We would definitely suggest checking out the history on this road. Now that the roadtrip is coming to an end, we find ourselves looking at every historical marker and sign at the side of the road. You would be amazed at how much stuff is out there (even in your own backyard) if you just look for it!

Our old friend, the Lincoln Highway.

Orit had some friends in nearby Folsom, California, so we decided to have lunch with them and explore the surrounding area. During lunch, we shared stories about the roadtrip and talked about all of our individual travels. It was surprising how many we had! This blog is only the tip of the iceberg.

Orit and David and Heather Hacker

Johnny Cash and his music has always been a 'must have' for any road trip we take together (no matter how small). Folsom is perhaps best known as the location of the famous prison because of Cash. The prison was built in 1880 on private farm land in exchange for prison labor. This labor was used to create a hydro-electric powerhouse for nearby Sacramento. Folsom prison was one of the first maximum security prisons in the United States.

Folson State Prison

"I hear the train acoming, its rolling 'round the bend..."

Like many other small towns in California, Folsom was founded by a handful of gold miners looking for their treasure. After they left, the town prospered through the railroad industry.

A mural in Folsom, CA

As far as the weather goes in Northern California, it is very hot, and the wind that blows only makes things worse. The past couple of days the temperature has been pushing 100 degrees!

California is hot and dry!

San Francisco will be our final stop on the road.

Day Fifteen- ID/NV/CA

2007-06-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

We drove out of Twin Falls, Idaho with an open mind about our schedule. There were two options: 1) We see something we like in Nevada and stop; 2) We drive straight through the desert to California. The desert landscape was breathtaking -- seriously it was so hot! Our stopping was limited to pit stops. We used this time to refuel, buy sunflower seeds, diet coke, coffee and alternate who was driving. When we started out the day, we were only 2 hours away from the Nevada/Idaho border. The second we crossed the border, there were tons of casinos and hotels along the side of the road. One border town was even named Jackpot, Nevada! Almost every gas station we stopped at had tons of slot machines lining the walls. Neither of us have much interest in gambling so we were one of the few who got through the state without betting a dime!

Welcome to Nevada sign.

The famous Union Pacific Train and Nevada landscape.

Driving down the road, we see a lot of interesting things. One sign we came across read "Prison Area: Hitchhiking Prohibited." Thanks to the Nevada state government for the warning!

Nevada mountain ranges and a Maximum Security Prison.

After not seeing much along the interstate through Nevada, we finally reached California. We went through Reno, Nevada and Lake Tahoe, California. With us only being two hours from our final destination, we decided to drive until the end!

Welcome to California!

We made it to Davis, California around 6pm on day fifteen of the trip. John was excited to see us both even though we caught him in the middle of finals week. After resting for an hour or so, the unpacking began!

John and Orit unpacking the stuffed car.

One of the many inside jokes between Orit and Jessica was about the importance of Jessica's crock pot. When we left Mount Vernon, NY, the only place the crockpot could fit was at the feet of the passenger. Not good for a long car ride! Orit threatened many times to leave it on the side of the road. It finally found its home in the back of the car once things were packed in properly (say around Indiana or so). We are pleased to report it made its way safely to California. Any respectable Southern lady knows what all the fuss is about!

The Crock Pot has arrived!

Unpacking the car was alot easier than packing it back in New York. No one has a sprained ankle! While we are at our final destination, the roadtrip is not over yet! There are a few days to go before Jessica drops Orit off at the San Francisco Airport for her flight back home to New York. Stay tuned :)

Day Fourteen -- ID

2007-06-11T21:12:00.001-07:00

We chose to stay in Idaho Falls because it was the first city in Idaho near the border of the Grand Teton Park. It was to our surprise that we found a hotel right across the street from the Idaho Falls.

Idaho Falls.

Then, there was Arco. A small town that is known in history as the first to be lit by nuclear power.

Arco, Idaho

With our sights set on getting to Ketchum, Idaho -- Hemingway's old stomping ground -- and the fact that there's only mostly farms along the way, we only made stops for pictures and lunch. The first was at the Craters of the Moon National Park where the black rocks stand out among the greener landscape. This was the site of much volcanic activity millions of years ago. It was a fairly clear day so we were able to stay the lone mountain in the distance which -- according to the signs -- is sometimes not visible due to air pollution/smog.

Near Craters of the Moon.

The first thing that one thinks about when in Idaho is potatoes! Since we were not sure what a potato plant looked like, we took this picture to confirm later. Turns out it was!

A potato field in Idaho.

After lunch (and milkshakes to-go) in Carey, we were back on the road to Ketchum. We drove through a few small towns in the Sun Valley area. In the winter, most of these towns are packed with skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, this region is a good place for biking, hiking and rafting. Our first stop in Ketchum was the Vistor's Center to find out what sites where important for the Hemingway enthusiast. Our first stop was Hemingway's grave in Ketchum Cemetary. Here, Hemingway was buried along with his fourth wife and one of his sons, Jack.

Hemingway's grave

Sun Valley was a resort town founded by a man who made his wealth from Union-Pacific railroad ventures. He wanted to create a ski lodge that would rival all the ones in Europe. In the 1930's, celebrities would come to lavish in stardom. Some of the celebrities included Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe and Ernest Hemingway. It was here, in Room 206, that he wrote, "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Later, he decided to live and die here. The house where he committed suicide is not open to the public.

Sun Valley Lodge

Room 206 at the Lodge

The restaurant he ate at the night before he committed suicide.

On the drive to south Idaho, Jessica decorated the dashboard with her collection of thimbles and smushed pennies.

Jessica's thimble and smushed penny collection.

Next stop on our trip was Twin Falls, Idaho. This was going to be our last stop for the night. There were beautiful waterfalls in town caused by the Snake River.

Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Snake River Canyon.

Jessica and Orit at Shoshone Falls.

Drawing of a Yellow-bellied marmot seen leaving Shoshone Falls.

Day Thirteen- WY/ID

2007-06-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

As if being woken up by noisy children wasn't bad enough, we were also freezing because we had forgotten to turn on the heat. (Oops!) But getting up early worked in our favor. We were able to pack up the car and drive into downtown Cody for some breakfast and coffee to-go. While waiting for our breakfast wrap and fresh coffee, the funeral procession for U.S. Senator Craig Thomas drove right by us. There were a lot of people along the route from the airport to the cemetery in Cody, where he grew up, holding up American flags. Then, we drove through Cody and passed by the location of the famous Cody rodeo.

Stampede Park in Cody, Wyoming.

The road to Yellowstone from Cody is about 50 miles and the landscape is beautiful. We made one stop along the way at the Buffalo Bill Dam. It was interesting to learn about the history of the area and its development. Initial deadlines of the dam's completions weren't met. There were many obstacles along the way including extreme weather -- freezing temperatures, snow, and floods -- coupled with financial and managerial problems. At the time of the dam's completion, it was the tallest in the world.

Buffalo Bill Dam.

Jessica demonstrating what not to do on the dam.

The next stop was Yellowstone. Since it was already noon by the time we got the East Entrance we chose to do the Lower Loop. The park's speed limit was 45 mph, which made for slow going around the loop.

Welcome to Yellowstone National Park sign.

A breathtaking view of Yellowstone Lake.

A sign warning us of the dangers ahead.

A buffalo standing beside the road.

An elk resting by a creek.

Yellowstone is the site of the most active geysers in the United States. Around the park, there are numerous basins that emit steam and smell like sulfur.

The North Geyser Basin.

Our last stop in the park was to see Old Faithful erupt. Eruption times vary anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, and we lucked out when we showed up 30 minutes before the next expected eruption. It gave us just enough time to grab a sandwich and soda in the lodge and get a front seat. There were tons of people there most of whom were sitting or standing along the semi-circular platform they have set up around the geyser. (If you would like to see the video of the eruption, let us know.)

Old Faithful erupting.

We passed over the Continental Divide three times along our trek through Yellowstone.

Passing the Continental Divide.

The Grand Teton National Park is located just south of Yellowstone. We figured we would drive through it since it was still daylight outside.

The Grand Tetons

Jessica and Orit in front of the Grand Tetons.

Leaving the Grand Teton National Park we entered into the Jackson Hole area -- a popular ski resort. In order to get from this area to Idaho we had to drive through Teton Pass. At first it was a long, steep, winding road up and then it was the same thing but down. It scared us both!

Welcome to Idaho sign.

Day Twelve- WY

2007-06-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last night, we were at a restaurant in Buffalo, Wyoming. It was like we just stepped into the scene of a movie! Every man's attire consisted of a cowboy hat, belt buckle, and boots. It was amazing. Since we got there kind of late, the middle of the restaurant had been turned into a dance floor. There was a wonderful country band, and a lot of western partner dancing was going on! One guy came up and asked us to dance. We were not familiar with this type of dancing, but Jessica eventually agreed and Orit, too.

We met some people who were in Buffalo to do some fly-fishing. This was a wonderful opportunity and ideal location -- in the heart of the Big Horn Mountains -- for Jessica to learn how to fly-fish! The following morning, we made our way up to their cabin, which was surrounded by evergreens and had a beautiful creek running rapidly right behind it. Jessica stood on the bank for awhile trying to master her cast. Fly-fishing is harder than it looks! Orit didn't want to take part in the fishing, so she did some bird-watching around the area. The hummingbirds weren't timid and in fact there were somewhat aggressive. Often buzzing right by us and singing up a storm. They really wanted the sugar-water that was on the cabin porch. Also of interest were the friendly squirrels who ran alongside the creek and were able to cross very easily on the small metal foot bridge. Jessica finally got restless on the bank, so she decided to get in the water! Due to a pretty hard snow/rain the night before, the creek was cold and extremely swift! Jessica borrowed some 'waders' and felt-bottom boots and got out in the creek. Each step she made took 2 minutes of careful planning so not to fall or be swept away by the rushing water. In the end, Jessica spent more time fixing her pole and line, then actual fishing! People make it look so easy on television.

Jessica fly-fishing in the creek.

Jessica fixing her line.

After we left the cabin, we climbed through the Big Horn Mountains on our trek to Yellowstone National Park. The scenic highway (US-16) did not disappoint us. We saw snow-capped peaks, plenty of dear, lots of trees and cattle.

The Big Horn Mountains

Once we cleared the mountains, we were surprised to see the varying landscapes. It went from snow-capped mountains, to rolling hills, on to clay mounds.

A view from the car of the landscape.

Finally we made it to Cody, the supposed "Rodeo capital of the world." We walked around the downtown area, which had a lot of western-themed shops. On an even higher note, we found a Chinese restaurant! We had been craving it for the past week, so we were extremely happy! We decided to stay in Cody because Yellowstone was asking $200 for a hotel room, and $100 for a cabin. We slept well in our $50 cabin!

Buffalo Bill Cody Hotel

Tomorrow, we make our way to Yellowstone to see Old Faithful, Little Grand Canyon and hopefully a lot of wildlife!

Day Eleven - SD/WY

2007-06-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Our room in the Wall Econo Lodge was downstairs -- the basement. It did have a small window above the bed, closer to the ceiling, that we could escape from if need be. But in the morning after waking up we packed up the car and drove towards Mount Rushmore. Right before getting to Mount Rushmore we drove through Keystone which is the start of all the tourist attraction with wild west themed restaurants, hotels, and activities. The drive up the mountain is a long, curvy, steep road and it provides remarkable views of the monument. Therefore, instead of paying the park fees we pulled over onto the side of the road and took a self-portrait. In order to do this though, we first had to turn around in the Mt. Rushmore parking lot which is guarded by National Park Service (NPS) officers. Jessica thought it was going to be strike 3 with NPS!

Jessica and Orit at Mount Rushmore.

There are several different natural wonders in the area, but we had to make some choices based on time and level of interest. Our next stop was Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills. When completely finished -- building began in the 1940s -- it will be the largest sculpture in the world.

Crazy Horse Memorial (right) and replica (left).

Next stop was the city of Deadwood -- home of the famous Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. At the Mt. Moriah Cemetary located just south of the city lies their graves side by side. To our surprise the cemetery also had a Jewish section and a description of the Jewish community of the area.

Wild Bill Hickok's grave.

Calamity Jane's grave.

The town still preserves a lot of the wild west culture. The building facades were preserved and some of the people dress up in old western attire. The sites where Wild Bill sat, was shot, and played cards are all highly publicized.

Saloon where Bill Hickok was shot and killed.

The drive along I-90 West was fairly uneventful (often times we were the only car on the road), but the Wyoming landscape kept our interest the entire way.

Welcome to Wyoming sign.

We were determined to make it to Buffalo, Wyoming but we had one stop on the way -- Devils Tower. What we failed to realize that it was at least 30 miles from the exit. After about 15 miles we noticed a scenic view stop and pulled out the camera for another self-portrait. We turned around and back on the interstate.

At this point, Orit was driving and Jessica was reading out loud the book 1776 by David McCullough. And somewhere in between driving, reading, and looking at the landscape the low gas light came on and there was no gas -- or even a town -- in site. We both envisioned the car going "Kaput, kaput, kaput" and waiting at the side of the road for help. We did everything we could think of in order to make the gas last just a little bit longer (including going 55mph and throwing it into neutral when going down the hills), and finally after an agonizing 30 miles of wondering if we'd make it to Buffalo or not the exit appeared. The first stop we made was for gas and the next was our cabin.

Day Ten- NE/SD

2007-06-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Deciding to go to Omaha, Nebraska wasn't difficult. But difficulty arose when we tried to figure out the best way to get to the Badlands in South Dakota. Then, the level of difficulty was dramatically increased when we decided to take local routes through the state instead of the interstate and couldn't find a decent place for coffee and breakfast. Eventually though we came across the small town of North Bend, Nebraska that had a quaint cafe with real charm and good food. As Jessica placed her order requesting mushrooms instead of meat the waitress's face took on the funniest quizzical look which made sense when she told us no one had ever made such a request. We figured that Nebraska is famous for their steaks and there probably aren't too many vegetarians around. It was a great surprise after breakfast to find out that we had come upon the Lewis and Clark Trail and at one point we were back on the Lincoln Highway.

Corner Cafe in North Bend, Nebraska

The Lincoln Highway has become our home.

A sign indicating we were on the Lewis and Clark Trail

While driving through Nebraska, we noticed an odd thing about the price of gas. The Unleaded Plus was up to 10 cents cheaper than regular Unleaded. The first gas station we saw we figured it was just a mistake, until all the ones after it where the same. We finally asked one of the ladies working behind the counter why it's like that. She informed us that Unleaded Plus contains 10% Ethanol. Some states, including Nebraska and South Dakota, no longer tax the ethanol, which results in a lower gas price for the Plus.

The odd gas prices

The wind was horrible again today driving through Nebraska, but driving the back roads was enjoyable because often times we were the only ones on the road. There were also periods of rain, but we got through it well. There was one scary moment though. We were driving a ways behind a trailer hauling some equipment and containers. There was a big gust of wind that took one of the containers off the trailer, and we had no choice but to hit it. We ended up running over it, and we had to stop to get it out from under the car. No damage was done though. It was only a 2-gallon container, but it sounded horrible. It gave us a chance to take pictures at the border though!

Welcome to South Dakota!

The South Dakota Interstate is lined to the max with billboards advertising each and every stop you can make along the way. The countryside is beautiful, but is ruined by these billboards. As we entered the park, we were blown away by the unique landscape and the wind. It was so cold and windy that we only got out of the car at a couple of viewpoints. The rest of the time we pulled up to a spot, rolled down the window, and took a picture. With the binoculars Orit brought along we were able to see a variety of animals common to the park: deer, rams, birds, and prairie dogs. Since we couldn't find a room in Interior -- Population 63 -- we continued on through the park, hoping that we had enough gas to get us to Wall.

Rams on the cliffs.

Prairie dogs and their mounds.

Badlands landscape.

More Badlands landscape.

6 ton Prairie Dog.

Tomorrow we are off to Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. Then, on to Wyoming!

The Bridges of Madison County, Iowa

2007-06-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

We thought a seperate post would be good for all the bridges in Madison County. There are six in all. Originally, we got a map that told us where all the bridges are located. To get to most of them, you had to go down mazes of dirt/gravel roads. They were all marked with signs though, so that made it pretty easy to find them. Here are just a few of the pictures from all the bridges:

A somewhat detailed map showing us where to go

Cedar Bridge
-Cedar Bridge was built in 1883, but it was destroyed by arsonists in the 1990's. Luckily, they rebuilded it and rededicated it in 2004. It was the only bridge that we could actually drive across. All the others were blocked off.

Hogback Bridge
-This was our first bridge on the stop. It was built in 1884. It measures 97 feet in length.

Imes Bridge
- the Imes Bridge is located at the very eastern end of the county. It sits right outside the town of St. Charles. It was built in 1870.

Holliwell Bridge
-This was the longest covered bridge we saw. It measures 122 feet in length. It was built in 1880 and featured in the movie.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge
-This bridge was moved and placed in the Winterset city park. It is 79 feet in length and was built in 1870.

Roseman Bridge
- Considered the most famous bridge of all in Madison County, it was built in 1883. It was the focal point of the movie and book, the Bridges of Madison County. It is 107 feet in length.

Day Nine- IA/NE

2007-06-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

This morning the weather was insane! It completely ruined our initial goal of getting an early start for Madison County. The winds were gusting, the rain was coming down heavy, and it was cold. Instead, we spent the morning waiting out the storm in the tent thinking that we were the only thing stopping it from blowing away. As soon as the rain stopped we jumped into the car and drove to the main office where we drank a few cups of free coffee -- wasn't good but at least it was something hot -- and wrote yesterday's blog. After that it was back in the car and on to Winterset, IA looking for the Bridges of Madison County. We had a map of the six covered bridges which are scattered around the county, but we couldn't start our day after noon without something to eat. In the center of the town of Winterset, there is the county courthouse square surrounded by cute antique shops, restaurants, and other local businesses.

Madison County Courthouse in Winterset, IA.

We ate lunch at the famous Northside Cafe which was featured in the movie. Outside we first ran into some polite locals who took our picture out front but also expressed a couple of strange remarks that still have us baffled.

Orit and Jessica in front of Northside Cafe.

In addition to the covered bridges surrounding Winterset, the town is also well-known as the birthplace of John Wayne. The star's home can be seen and soon visitors will be able to go through a museum. We learned later on that the town had just celebrated his 100th birthday and his children came, too.

John Wayne's home in Winterset.

The City Park in Winterset contains other features, such as a bridge from the movie and other sites of historical significance. In particular, Clark Tower was built in the 1920's to honor one of the first pioneer families in the county who setttled here in the 1840's. We climbed up to the top of the tower and saw the beautiful view of the Middle River Valley.

Stone Bridge

Clark Tower

We headed back into town and stopped at Frostees for a refreshing snack before heading to the last covered bridge on our itinerary.

Next, we made our way West and then North along local routes in order to see the largest Herford Bull in the country in Audobon, IA.

Jessica in front of Albert the Bull.

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing to Nebraska. The winds were very strong (some weather reports suggested gusts upwards to 50 mph!) and kept pushing the car to the right. From Iowa we crossed over the Missouri River into Nebraska.

Missouri River sign at the Iowa-Nebraska state line.

We settled at a KOA in West Omaha. Our original plans didn't include Nebraska, but we said why not?! Tomorrow's blog will not be that long because we are driving through the state to get to the Badlands in South Dakota. Take care!

Day Eight- IL/IA

2007-06-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

We woke up early this morning from a refreshing night's sleep at the Moline/Rock Island KOA. Today was the first day we were really on a strict schedule. We had a lot to do in Moline before heading to Iowa. First, showers were necessary but we soon ran into a problem -- we didn't have any towels. We had become slightly accustomed to hotels providing these in the room for us. A little creativity on our part was necessary but for future travels, remember: Campsites don't come with towels! Pulling out of our campsite, we noticed two rather unusual objects on the side of the road. The first was a huge particle board castle which is the site of the annual renaissance festival. And the second was patriotic rocket in a company's parking lot. We love it!

A rocket in Moline.

Our first stop of the day was a little coffee shop in town called Dead Poets Espresso. A cute little shop that served all kinds of coffee, truffles and pastries. They had pictures of poets lining the room (i.e. Shakespeare, Dickinson, Poe, etc.). The coffee was excellent with our egg and cheese bagel and a cinnamon roll.

Our next stop of the day was the John Deere Pavilion. Jessica was like a kid in a candy store. On display were John Deere agricultural equipment, new and old. We were able to see antique tractors and even the first corn harvester! Best of all, we were able to check out the latest and greatest models of cotton pickers, tractors, combines, and hay bailers! Yes!

Jessica standing in front of an unbelievably large combine.

A 6430 tractor model pulling the mega-wide 468 model hay-bailer.

Orit started chatting with one of the guys who worked for John Deere. He informed us that there is a farm in Iowa with 100 of those 4-row cotton pickers which are needed for the 80,000 acres of cotton grown there. Wow!

Jessica in the four-row cotton picker, retail $265,000.

After the Pavilion it was on to the John Deere Store. Jessica stocked up on t-shirts, hats, and a thimble but this phrase on a t-shirt in particular caught her eye. (We are not going to say who this is intended for, but you know who you are!)

A special John Deere saying.

Next on our to-do list was a 2 hour ride on the Celebration Belle that took us up and down the Mississippi. We had lunch, entertainment, and a narration of the historical significance of the area and its surroundings.

Orit on the Celebration Belle.

Then, we were back in the car ready to cross over the Mississippi on the I-74 bridge into Iowa to see the Village of East Davenport. Jessica managed to stick her hand out the window and place the camera on top of the car in order to capture the picture of the welcome sign.

Once in East Davenport we came across an old time candy shop and soda fountain. It was filled with chocolates and sweets, but there was only one thing we wanted.

Cherry Coke Float.

It was back on the road to Des Moines, Iowa for an overnight. We were forced to take the interstate the entire way because there weren't any other remotely direct routes. We survived the drive on music, sunflower seeds, diet coke, and fudge. We're all smiles in the car!

We found the KOA without any problems and quickly got our tent set up and laundry started. The nearest town was Adel which was 7 miles away and it was here that we had some dinner -- Subway -- and saw some of the locals. Jessica and Orit always feel like they are traveling with a billboard on top of us with the word, "Outsiders." We picked up a couple of citronella candles at Family Dollar so that we could sit outside without getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes once back at the campsite. Our tent site had an electrical hookup which enabled us to sit out and communicate with everyone from a cornfield in Iowa.

Day Seven- IL

2007-06-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning at our KOA campsite in Springfield. The air mattress that has a hole -- somewhere -- completely deflated leaving us on the damp, cold ground. We roughed it last night! We had breakfast/lunch at Bob Evans and went on our way exploring the land of Lincoln. Illnois sure is proud of him. So much so that we don't know what they would have done without him. Each little town boasted on their welcome sign, "The Land that Lincoln surveyed" or "The bridge Lincoln help build." We were waiting for a gas station to say, "Where Lincoln stopped for a cold Coca-cola!" But it never came. Nonetheless, Springfield was a nice town. We learned alot of history and even saw a re-creation of the town back in the 1800's. Around mid-afternoon, the rain came upon us indicating that it was time to hit the road for our northern track to Iowa.

State Capital Building of Illinois

We didn't waste anytime driving through Springfield looking at all of the sites and jumping out to take pictures. We were so eager that we entered Lincoln's house without a National Parks tour guide and were soon apprehended by a ranger instructing us that the only way to view the house was with a guide. Strike 2 with the NPS! (National Park Service) With Jessica's thick accent and Orit's detailed description of our road trip we were escorted into a group that was entering the house at the time and were not made to wait.

Lincoln's House in Springfield

Orit noticed squirrels along the way that seemed unusually large and tame. This one in particular was not camera shy.

The Lincoln Neighborhood Squirrel

Inside Lincoln's Tomb we both remarked on the uniqueness of his 2nd inaugural speech which was displayed prominantly on a plaque in the front entrance. The kind of speech he gave where he continously mentioned God could never be found in today's poltical arena.

The Lincoln Memorial and Tomb

As we made our way along several routes, winding our way through the beautiful countryside we came across towns that held similar names to other cities, states, and countries. There was a Philadelphia, Havana, Virginia, Bath, Milan and Marietta among many, but one of the funniest was the one below.

We drove how far?

Once arriving in Moline, we found another KOA and decided to rent one of these cute little cabins. It's all two girls could ask for... bed, swing, electricity, and of course, wi-fi!

Our Kozy Kabin at KOA in Rock Island/Moline

In preparation for our journey through Iowa -- specifically through Madison County -- we bought the movie, Bridges of Madison County. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day filled with riverboat cruise and all the John Deere memorabilia we can handle! See you then!

Day Six- MO/IL

2007-06-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

We left St. Louis around lunch time after taking a walk around the Gateway Arch. It took us a while to find Route 66. It was decommisioned in the 1980's by the federal goverment and so each state took over sections and renamed it. We finally found some historical markers and were on our way!

We were standing on the original 1920's Road!

Some sections of the original highway were either repaved into a bigger highway, turned into an interstate, or bypassed all together. We stayed on the 1920-1933 roads and saw the 'Mother Road' in all its glory! We would find old sections of the road across the ditch from the actual highway. There would be bridges (which you couldn't drive over) that had plaques telling of its importance. We can't stress how awesome it is to stay off the interstate and really see America! In Illinois alone, there are so many American flags which remind us how awesome it is to be an American! Here are some pictures from along the road:

A Rainbow outside our Supper Stop

Jessica and Orit standing on Sugar Creek Covered Bridge.

Eat your heart out Mr. Smith

I bet they're Baptists or Christian scientists...

For the first time on the trip, we decided to finally camp out! Concurrently, it was the first time it rained on the trip, go figure... More pictures tomorrow

Day Five- IN/IL/MO

2007-06-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

After making it through the night unscathed, we left the Motel 6, got our usual Starbucks and headed down the road. Originally our plan was to spend the day going to Springfield, Illinois, but when we saw St. Louis on the map we headed in that direction. What’s one more day on the road? We got back on US-40, which runs parallel to I-70. (We are trying to stay off the interstate as much as possible.) We drove through all these small towns, seeing the coolest things: covered bridges, beautiful farmlands, and wildlife.

Our car going through a covered bridge.

At the Toll Sign of the Covered Bridge

Covered Bridge in Illinois

The most eye-catching attraction was a giant 181-steel ton cross that stands 198ft. tall and spans 113ft alongside the interstate. You really have to see it in person to believe how big it is! Even though we saw it clearly from the town of Effingham, Illinois it was a little tricky to get to. We wound up eating at The American Bagel Cafe which advertised free wi-fi. After lunch we asked for directions which indicated we were simply around the corner from the site we had probably spent almost twenty minutes trying to find.

Jessica at the Cross at the Crossroads

Then it was on to Vandalia, Illinois where we came across more Abe Lincoln history. Vandalia was the state capitol from 1836-1839 and the statue below marks the original end of the National Road.

Orit in front of the Madonna of the Trails Statue.

As we approached St. Louis from the Interstate our Let's Go guide book suggested a Taj Mahal-esque motel and with an open mind we got off the interstate to check it out. After witnessing the neighborhood and Jessica was asked for money at the gas station, we got back on the interstate and into St. Louis. The view of the city was great. We immediately saw the Arch. baseball stadium, and the river filled with barges and river boat casinos.

Busch Stadium

We tried one more suggestion from the travel book : a hostel in the Soulard district. The sight of the hippy woman running the place and the tenament-like set up of the rooms we practically ran out of there. Despite, the scary steps, the bad smell, and the deafening silence, there was fire hazard written all over that place and we weren't going to risk it. After that intense experience we felt we deserved better and got a room at the Adam's Mark hotel :) With a room on the 10th floor our view was incredible. Anyone wanna contribute to the hotel fund? haha!

The view to the East.

The view to the West.

We got ourselves together and made our way to Laclede's Landing which is a small area along the river filled with bars, breweries, and restaurants. We were so happy last night to have a swanky hotel to come home to :) Until tomorrow! We will be heading Northeast back to Springfield for some Lincoln heritage, then west to Moline, Illinois, home of John Deere!

p.s. Thank you to everyone who has left comments! They really keep us coming back to the blog!

Day Four- OH/IN

2007-06-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

We left Days Inn outside of East Columbus. We got on the highway towards downtown Columbus with one goal in mind: find a Starbucks. There wasn’t that much in Columbus that we were interested in, but there was a small area in downtown called German Village that was highly recommended.

The Skyline of Columbus from the Interstate

We parked at the Starbucks and walked around town -- cobblestone streets -- with our iced coffee. The German Village was mainly a residential area with old restored houses. There were German shops including the famous Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Schmidt’s Fudge Haus where we dined and bought fudge -- so did Martha Stewart. Jessica ordered pretzel bites and German potato soup, while Orit got the haus buffet complete with all types of sausage, cabbage and sauerkraut. We finished it off with some nice German fudge, which had the consistency of homemade chocolate icing. The twenty-something guy behind the counter had a thick German accent. We tried to make him talk more but his answers were always so brief. Before leaving the area, we walked through the Book Loft -- a cool, independent bookstore.

German Pretzel Goodness

Orit's Plate o' Goodies

Everyone loves the Buckeyes

WEINERSCHNITZEL!!!

After traveling West on US-40, the National Road we decided that the road which was first built in 1811, should be renamed the National Yard Sale Road. No joke, we must have driven past at least one hundred junk sales.

The National Road

From Columbus, we made our way to Indianapolis, Indiana. We got word from one of our road trip books that there was a National Cookie Cutter Museum in Knightstown, Indiana. With both of us having a sweet tooth, we said ‘Deal Howie!” When we arrived in the small town, there was no museum in sight. The only people around were those running stands at the fair so we asked a few local Methodists selling BBQ for directions. Unfortunately, they informed us that the museum was long gone. We jumped back in the car and went on to Indianapolis.

Welcome!

We stayed at a Motel 6 near the Speedway which was frightening. Jessica asked the woman behind the desk if they had internet. She replied with "Honey, you aint in no Hilton. What do you expect for $35?" Followed by "Do you see what I'm wearing?" So we took that as a no. Since we weren't interested in spending any time in the room, we simply dropped off our bags and headed straight towards downtown. We had dinner and saw a movie at the Circle Centre Mall area, which despite being crowded with families and professionals, was still kind of sketchy.

Jessica still prefers Daytona

As close as Jessica was going to get to Peyton Manning.

When we got back to the hotel, there was a cop car sitting outside. Now we had true reason to worry. So we walked up to the cop and asked him if this place was ok to stay in... He started off with "Well, I'm not going to lie to you. There have been some problems here." But he said that he would stay on patrol here until 3:30am until he gets off work and then ask the next guy to drive by for the rest of the morning to check in on the place. Nice! Drama for only $35.

See if we survived the night...More to come! haha (we did, no need to worry!)

Day Three- PA/WV/OH

2007-05-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

We were out the door by the early time of 9:30 am this morning. After a couple of cups of coffee and Tiki on The Today Show, we were ready to hit the open roads. Because we couldn't make it to our campsite, we had about an hour drive to the rafting outfitter at Ohiopyle State Park.

We forgot to mention that we were initially going to raft the Cheat River in West Virginia on this trip, but they didn't have any trips out on Thursday so we couldn't do that one. There was a women back in Lancaster that overheard Jessica's convo with the rafting people and suggested we try Ohiopyle. So here we are! Learning cool new sites from strange new people :)

Ohiopyle State Park Sign

When we arrived at the rafting place, the women behind the desk became very interested when we told them we were on a road trip. One of the girls even said she did a roadtrip, just her and her dog, from Washington State to West Virginia. Thankfully, Orit and Jessica are in better company.

Both of us were pretty excited about the rafting until at about 11:30 (we were supposed to put in the river around 11:15am) a caravan of about 5 buses rolled up carrying ~70 adolescent, obnoxious boys from a Baltimore Middle School. True to form, they were a bunch of wild bannchis all day jumping from raft to raft while going down the river.

Nonetheless, we had loads of fun. We teamed up with a couple from Pittsburgh. They were an old young couple. The guy was muscular and very outdoorsy, but the girl looked like she had never seen a tree before. Once we got in the water, Jessica was wondering why we weren't moving that fast. We turned around and there was this girl starting at the water with no paddle in hand. Her boyfriend said that she wouldn't be paddling, so from there on out we were carrying this girl downriver. It kind of made us mad.

After lunch on the rocks, we came to our only Class IV rapids on the trip, Dimple Rapids. It was an intense rapid with a rock right in the middle of it. You had to hang a sharp right coming down the left side of the river to avoid it. Needless to say, we made friends with that rock and totally flipped the boat. When you have this one girl not paddling and the guy in the back not knowing how to steer, major 'flippage' is inevitable :) Jessica now has a total of 6 bruises on top of the ugly ankle. But to our secret happiness, the prissy girl fell out and got her first taste of river water, and we were there to witness it!

After an all day river adventure, we were determined to reach West Virginia even if it was just for supper. We were really close and we wanted to add one more state to our list!

West Virginia Welcome Sign

From there, we had a good 3.5 hour drive to our hotel right outside of Columbus. The crossover into Ohio was a really cool tunnel and a bridge into Ohio. The interstate to Columbus was fairly uneventful. But while continually looking out for deer, Jessica spotted a frog. We arrived at hotel in Ohio around 10:30 pm.

Just so you aren't bored from no rafting pics, we added some pictures of the strange things we have come across so far on the trip.

A Shirtless Bicycler on a Major Highway

Orit thought the ram was loose in Princeton

Jessica asked for white gravy and mashed potatoes and this is what she got!

More strange things to come! We are off to Indiana today. See you tomorrow!

Day Two- PA

2007-05-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Believing we were going to wake up early was optimistic. Believing we were going to get out of the hotel on time -- early -- in order to make three stops was VERY optimistic.

Jessica and Orit at breakfast.

We were having way too much fun working on the blog and figuring out our plans for the next few days that we weren't motivated to rush. In addition to that, we had such interesting interactions with some other guests. First two couples who said they had been watching us both on our computers wanted to take our picture. I guess the sight of two girls sitting in front of their laptops and on their cellphones was CUTE! We both felt like an odd roadside attraction! After they took a picture of us, we asked that they take one with my camera phone but this was the best the gentleman could do -- after four tries.

Our next encounter involved a woman who was eavesdropping on Jessica's conversation with the whitewater rafting outfit. As Jessica left the room she began asking Orit more questions about our trip. As soon as she heard Orit was from New York, she began talking about September 11th, which Orit found somewhat shocking.

Packed up and ready to leave we headed off to Amish country for a famous horse and buggy ride. The first issue was finding an ATM issue. Jessica (a vegetarian) was skeptical of the whole thing because of the treatment of the horses and Orit was worried about the horses trotting on the hard pavement and the cars/trucks passing alongside us on the busy route. It started off with all smiles and we enjoyed our deep conversation about the Amish community and farming with our driver. He had 7 daughters, 4 sons and 40 grandchildren, and the average family farm is only 50 acres!

Jessica in the buggy.

Farmer spraying his field.

After all this we realized that time was not on our side and we decided to skip Hershey. Instead we headed directly to Gettysburg but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop for lunch at the Country Corner restaurant on the Lincoln Highway.

Jessica and the Country Corner menu.

As we approached Gettysburg, we were really surprised at the high-level of commercialization of the area. It was more reminiscent of the Jersey Shore than a historically signficant site. We walked through the cemetery and the visitors' center where we bought a 2 hour cd auto tour. Due to a lack of time, we listened to the majority of the cd but selectively stopped at sites. In this small town there are over 1700 monuments! Enough was enough.

Soldier Memorial

Georgia's Confederate Soldier Memorial
Incredible Quote

Pennsylvania Memorial

With Ohio on our minds, we couldn't leave Pennsylvania without stopping at the famous Rita's. Jessica spoke so highly over their "water-ice" coupled with "gelati." We were so happy to find one before getting back on the interstate.

Orit at Rita's.

Taking 30 West (Lincoln Highway again) through the mountains took a lot of time, but the views were worth it. There was no way we could make it to the camp site near the white water rafting outfit in time to set up the tent before dark so we decided to get off the interstate in Somerset, PA and find a hotel. Luckily there were a number of hotels to choose from and Super 8's slogan, "take a right and spend a night" won us over. We're going to set out in the morning for white water rafting (Class III and IV rapids baby!!).

Next time we post we will be in Columbus, Ohio!

Oh, and no need to worry or comment about the foot anymore! Jessica ran a marathon today :)

Day One- NY/NJ/PA

2007-05-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica Elephantitis: stairs + moving out without Orit = sprained ankle
Yes, this is how we started our trip. Moving Jessica out of her apartment, 3 floors up, was not the best thing, but we both survived, with a few bruises!

Jessica's Sprained Ankle

After getting kicked out of the Fleetwood post office (the mail lady refused to lift one more of Jessica's boxes), we went over to Bronxville where Jessica was almost grossly overcharged for shipping. A total of four hundred dollars later in shipping charges, we were on our way!! The car is completely packed but we can still see out the windows (no need to worry dad!).

Started off at 11:30am and drove to NYMC, Jessica's grad school. Orit got a chance to meet the famous Dr. Visintainer and saw the campus.

Jessica: "Pulling out of the parking lot of NYMC was actually quite depressing. It finally felt weird to be leaving!!! Dr. Visintainer walked us out to our car and almost made me cry!!"

We crossed over the Tapan Zee Bridge and drove down the Palisades Parkway making a quick stop at the beautiful overlook of the Hudson River.

At the Palisades/Hudson River Overlook

We got off the interstate and made our way along the Lincoln Highway -- the oldest highway in the country. This was a slow route that gave us a tour of Edison, Highland Park, and Princeton. We stopped in Princeton admiring the campus and neighborhood. We loved it there. During our walk around the campus we observed some intriguing architecture but were somewhat surprised at how quiet the campus was -- there didn't seem to be many students around. They were probably on their way back from anti-war protests on Memorial Day heeding the calls from John Edwards :)

Princeton Campus

Then, it was back onto the interstate with the goal of getting to Valley Forge before sundown. This is Jessica's old stomping ground when she worked at GSK. We drove into the park -- Jessica took over the driving. You have no idea what we went through in order to take this picture. All we will say is it involves a park ranger on a power-trip.

Valley Forge

After Valley Forge, we drove down towards Lancaster. Downtown Lancaster resembled the Bronx. And, our suspicions intensified when we passed by the prison. When the prison is the nicest building in town, you know there is a problem.

Lancaster Prison

After some searching we found a place to stay -- Country Inn, which provided us with the most important amenity -- wireless internet. Somehow we've got to figure out the rest of our plans and post this great blog of ours. :)

Why we are taking this roadtrip...

2007-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica and Orit just graduated!!!! Orit got her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. Jessica got her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from New York Medical College. What better way to celebrate than a cross-country road trip? Jessica's fiance, John, out in California has a little to do with it too :)

Mrs. Sklar, Orit, and Ilan

Dr. Visintainer, Jessica, John and Mr. Smith