Saturday, July 12, 2008

There's No Place Like Home



Well, we're home now and a little sad to be off the road. We've covered 5,800 miles, averaging 225 miles a day. Some days were longer and some places we lingered, but the pace was reasonable for us. It was a great adventure and we loved just being together for such an intense period of time. We know from experience that the best way to recover from a great trip is to plan the next one. We've been talking about flying back to Chicago to do the last leg of America, West through the Dakotas, Montana, Utah, and Idaho to Oregon. In fact, we spent a brief moment at O'Hare considering this option -- just before we checked our bags. Maybe next year.

With some relief we return to the farm which is beginning to look like that film of what would happen to the earth if humans cease to exist. The house is full of dust bunnies to which we've added piles of dirty laundry. The grass is knee high and the blackberries are trying to take over the back porch. Our cats don't know us and skitter away when we pull in the drive. They come back at dinner time and we renew our bonds. Everything is safe and sound and we happily turn in for the night, snug in our own beds. Instantly, it feels like home and almost like we never left.


Epilogue: Here's our day-by-day rundown for anyone interested in details.

June 5th - test interviews in Portland; 3 consumers -- successful test
June 6 - 12th -- close up the farm; pack; dog to the kennel; etc.
June 12 -- kids' last day of school; fly to Los Angeles, pick up Honda Pilot, drive to Hollywood
June 13 -- tour the Petersen, do 3 consumer interviews, drive to Barstow; USA Today Interview
June 14 -- drive to Needles, take a left and end up in Las Vegas (Venetian)
June 15 -- leave Las Vegas, see Hoover Dam and sunset at the Grand Canyon
June 16 -- drive through the Painted Desert and visit the Petrified Forest
June 17 -- leave Albuquerque and stop in Amarillo to graffiti the Cadillac Ranch
June 18 -- arrive in Dallas, tour TX Motor Speedway
June 19 -- Good Morning TX T.V.; 3 consumer interviews, kids visit friends, drive to Oklahoma
June 20 -- see Spider Bug, Purcell OK (nice town) and eat at Van's - the best ribs in the U.S.
June 21 -- hike in the Ozarks, tour the American Old Timey Auto Museum, Memphis Dreamtown ribs
June 22 -- Tupelo Buffalo Park; Elvis Birthplace -- where the kids play guitar on the porch
June 23 -- tour Honda Manufacturing of Alabama; 3 consumer interviews in Atlanta
June 24 -- a day on Lake Murray, SC -- everyone is sunburned. Ribs from Piggy Park.
June 25 -- Blue Ridge Parkway; Luray Caverns; walk on a rickety bridge over a river -- yikes!
June 26 -- Philadelphia: Liberty Bell; Independence Hall; South Street; Arts District
June 27 -- Gran Arlene visit begins; 3 consumer interviews in Freehold NJ; videographer :)
June 28 -- New Jersey Boardwalk Extravaganza at Seaside Heights -- world's best pizza
June 29 -- Sea Island State Park NJ -- beautiful day on a beautiful beach -- more pizza
June 30 -- Hackettstown NJ - Steve's Soccer Trophy at North Warren High School; Miss Belvedere; Birch Beer; Blairstown Diner; Schooley's Mountain General Store
July 1st -- Punxsutawney PA; Groundhog Winery Trail; Amish Butter; drive to Detroit
July 2nd -- Henry Ford Museum; awesome middle eastern food
July 3rd -- Fox 2 Morning News in Detroit; Business Week Interview; 3 consumer interviews
July 4th -- Chicago! Navy Pier Fireworks
July 5th -- Chicago! Wrigley Building; Chicago Art Institute; scooter/wave board the city
July 6th -- Chicago! Architectural Boat Tour; Field Museum; head to the suburbs
July 7th -- Schaumburg Illinois; 3 consumer interviews; kids play at amazing waterpark
July 8th -- kiss the Honda Pilot goodbye! sniff. Fly to Portland

1 comment:

Dalaimamma said...

Wow! That was a great trip. I feel like I was right there with you. Now I want to go everywhere you went...well, almost everywhere. They could've let you keep the car...bummer.