Road Trip (version 2.0)

When Mark and I planned our move, we had to leave our 8-year old sheltie, Joule, with his parents.  Our temporary home would only allow for two animals, so Joule had a mini-vacation in Wisconsin while we spent six months trying to find a forever-home for our family.  While we were sad to be without one of our dogs, we knew Joule would enjoy her temporary home.  Mark’s parents have Joule’s litter sister, Ginger, and we knew the two would love being together for a while.  When Mark and I finalized the details of our new home, I immediately made plans to pick Joule up from Wisconsin.  Instead of flying, my mother-in-law suggested a leisurely road trip.  When Mark and I made our cross-country trip from Raleigh, North Carolina to Portland, Oregon in February, there was no time for us to really enjoy the quintessential American sightseeing that comes with a long drive.  There were no stops to try the “World’s Best Pie” or see the “World’s Biggest Ball of Twine“.  So, when my mother-in-law suggested we enjoy the drive from Wisconsin to Oregon, I was so pleased to find out that we would be making a few interesting stops along the way.  On our 2,031 mile drive, we walked around the Mitchell Corn Palace, drove through Badlands National Park, visited Mt. Rushmore, made a stop at Wall Drug, and walked through the Occidental Hotel.  These stops really made our drive enjoyable, and I’m so very glad we didn’t zoom through our trip because I would have missed out on some fantastic photographs.

On an interesting side note, I’ve been on the road for over 6,260 miles (there was a road trip to California as well) this year.  I think it’s safe to say I won’t be driving any long distances any time soon.