Three trips in one summer#

This past summer our family drove from Denver to Maine, returned to Denver, and then headed back to Maine again as we considered and then finalized a return to my home state. Our daughter (age 3) and son (age 1) were our patient passengers as we traveled over 6,500 miles through 14 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The following is an entirely unscientific Power Ranking of what we encountered (we’ve done our own research).

The Rankings#

25. I-70 through Missouri#

Too many angry billboards.

24. 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM#

This was truly the witching hour, when the kids were done with driving but we still had 200 miles to go.

23. Packing Milk and Yogurt#

We really thought we could make it across the country with a cheapo cooler full of dairy products.

22. Rest Stop Dinners#

Difficult to get anything other than a cheeseburger and fries. Decent the first time, but tough on back-to-back nights!

21. Pennsylvania#

Skirting past Erie on I-90 left few memories this time around.

20. Toll Booths#

Someone needs to invent an EZ-Pass that works on any highway in the country!

19. A Deli somewhere in Michigan#

On the plus side, we did find a deli. On the negative, everything about the sandwiches. Way too much mayo.

18. Hail Mary (audiobook), by Andy Weir#

A few thrilling moments, but nowhere close to The Martian. The main character was way too winy, and a total coward at the critical moments.

17. Foot-High Pies at the Blue Springs Cafe in Highland, Illinois#

Good for the first few bites, but a sugar overload by the end. Couldn’t finish!

16. Staybridge Suites, Toledo, Ohio#

In a very quiet mall offering little to see of the city, but just what we needed on our mad dash back to Colorado. Easy access to a P.F. Chang’s for take out, which our daughter said was “the best meal I have ever had.”

15. Schenectedy, New York#

Faded glory, but some nice old buildings as we wound through town, and signs of life with multiple weddings happening outside our hotel.

14. The Archway in Kearney, Nebraska#

Most impressive highway overpass West of of the Mississippi.

13. Credit Card Points#

In our mad dash back to Denver after learning our offer on our new home was accepted, we were very grateful to be able to put three separate hotel rooms on points! And the icing on the top was a two night stay at the Fairmont in Chicago during our return trip to Maine.

12. Continental Breakfast#

My mental image of my mornings on a road trip is: waking early to scour the area for a good coffee shop and maybe a breakfast burrito. But when trying to make time with two kids under 4, you cannot I repeat cannot beat a continental breakfast. Bring on the bagels!

11. Boogie Drawing Board#

This magical little drawing tablet kept our daughter busy for untold hours on the trip. I still have no idea how the “erase” button works.

10. Des Moines, Iowa#

The only city we slept in on two of the three trips, with a nice riverwalk and some surprisingly tasty vegan burgers to sort us out.

9. Hotel Beds#

Great for jumping onto, and between.

8. Our Thule Cartop Carrier#

No way we could have done the trips without it. Our strategy was simple: long-term clothing up top in duffel bags, and smaller bags for the road. With the space saved, we were able to fit our double-wide stroller in the trunk for the first trip to Maine. And for the second, enough household items to tide us over until the moving trucks arrived.

7. Peanut Butter M&Ms#

A large bag of these from CVS was surreptisiously shared by Kristen and I on the first leg of our journey. A reliable snack for the late afternoon hauls.

6. PCR Tests and Open Borders#

Canada was off limits on the first two legs of our trip, but things were back open during the final go in August. We took advantage, getting PCR tests for COVID-19 in Des Moines (<72 hours before our planned border crossing), and enjoying a two-day stopover at my uncle’s cabin in Ontario.

5. The Guest List (audiobook), by Lucy Foley#

The first audiobook we broke out on the journey was a huge success. A murder mystery that was definitely not appropriate for our children, but seemed to go over their heads (we hope). Just the right amount of intrigue and atmosphere to keep the journey moving. I will never look at cormorants the same way again.

4. Kansas#

Our first new state on the trip was a pleasant surprise. Rolling hills, green as far as the eye could see, and the excitement of the start of our trip together. This state greatly outperformed against expectations.

3. Docusign#

Our hidden agenda of spending six weeks in Maine from June to July was to test the waters and see if we could imagine living here. We could, and put an offer in on a house we loved, but just missed out on winning it. We’d just about given up hope on finding someting during the trip when we heard about another home in the same area that looked perfect. We made an unplanned detour on our last day, driving two hours out of our way to the town we’d been staying in the weeks prior. Hooked, we called our realtor to put in an offer, and had filled out the mortage application on our phone not an hour into our return trip back. We learned our offer had been accepted just outside of Syracuse the next day, and were on our way!

2. Seeing Friends and Family, Planned and Unplanned#

A text message to a business school friend of Kristen’s (saying “hi” as we passed Cleveland) turned into a spontaneous overight stay at their cabin in Chataqua, New York. A stopover in Chicago enabled us to catch up with two old friends from Boston / New York. A visit to Cincinnati broke up the first trip and yielded some quality time with cousins. Our kiddos met their great-grandparents in Syracuse (our youngest being the namesake of my Opa). And the family cabin in Canada was a welcome break with Uncle Brendan.

1. The Family#

The true heroes of the trip were our two kiddos, and Kristen of course. 6,500 miles, 16 states/provinces, and 18 total days on the road was a lot to handle. The kids put us through the ringer a few times for sure, but we couldn’t have asked for more patient travelling companions given their age and interests. Our daughter found hidden delights along the way, from wildflowers at rest areas, to freshwater shells on the banks of the Mississippi. Our son was crawling when we left and running around by the time we returned to Denver. I rode shotgun most of the way, reaching back with my longer arms to ply the kids with snack. Kristen took the lead on driving, but would cram in between the car seats and keep the two of them entertained as we made a push to our hotel room for the evening. Despite the tight quarters, it was truly a joy to spend so much time together as a family, and I can’t wait to do it again (minus the moving part).