We’ve been here in Portland for just five days, and already specifics of our road trip—where we were and when, etc—are starting to get hazy. We were on the road for two weeks, but it seems much longer. We shed Brooklyn and our old lives and routines as we went, and by the time we arrived in Portland, we’d forgotten how to be still. It’s strange now to wake up in the morning and not pack the car and hit the road. Strange not to get in the car with the goal of traveling a certain number of miles that day. Strange not to scan the roadside for motels when we get tired.
Last I reported in, we’d left Billy’s brother’s house in Austin and were headed the hell out of Texas. (Apologies to any Texans out there. I don’t like heat or direct sunlight, so….yeah. Not so much into Texas.) It took forever to get out of Texas. I thought it would never let us go. As Billy’s brother said, “Texas is no joke.” Seriously. Ridiculous how big that state is. Miles and miles and miles and miles (and miles) of it, and it mostly looks the same. Though by the time we reached Amarillo we were rewarded for our patience by the landscape we Easterners expect from the southwest. Sagebrush, tumbleweeds, dry rugged hills. (By the way, what’s the difference between a gulley and a gulch?)
Wichita Falls, TX
What we saw of New Mexico was great, but we only saw a very small part of it as we cut across the northeast corner to get to Colorado.
New Mexico did provide the only photo-worthy rest stop sign of the trip:
Once we left Texas (again, itÂ’s all a matter of taste. No offense, dear Texans) each state we passed through was more beautiful than the next. First we oohed and ahhed over New Mexico, and then we gasped at the beauty of Colorado.
But then Wyoming went and kicked ColoradoÂ’s ass. IÂ’m sorryÂ…but it did. It really did. WyomingÂ…oh how I loved Wyoming. The best part of Wyoming was the approach to the Rockies and then first passing through, when you drive a curvy narrow road into the mountains with the rock shouldering up all around you, and a river winding through it. Of course we passed through at dusk, so no photos of that. Just memories. We slept in Thermopolis, WY, that night. (Great pancakes at the Thermopolis Cafe, but no wifi to be found, which is how the road dispatches started to get away from me.)
We camped one night in Yellowstone, and then did some light baby-friendly walking to check out the geysers before heading out again that afternoon.
WeÂ’ll definitely return to Yellowstone and next time weÂ’ll stay longer. We were anxious to get to Portland this time, and didnÂ’t really have warm enough clothes for comfortable camping at that altitude, so we cut it short.
And next was Idaho. Surprisingly lovely Idaho. We stopped for the night in Burley, Idaho, and expected that to be our second-to-last hotel before reaching our new home. The next morning we set out and made good time, and when we crossed the border into Oregon, we realized there was no way we could stop just a hundred miles or so short of Portland, so we decided to make a big push for home. It was our longest driving day of the trip. We set out at 11 am, and got to the new house in Portland at 11pm. It was worth it, because the next morning we woke up at home.
Total miles traveled: 4333
Total time: 14 days
Learned: how hard it is to take a decent photo from a moving car. Sorry for the lack of evidence of how gorgeous this huge country is
Ate: More scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner than strictly necessary
Friendliest people: found in Virginia and Tennessee. Absolutely delightful. Everyone was so kind and welcoming
Best accent: Tennessee. We should all speak with Tennessee accents. The world would be a better place. Or at least sound better.
Strangest stop: Memphis, TX. We thought we’d stumbled across a ghost town, but then there was one guy with his feet up on a desk at a bail bonds place. And then we found three people (and some spectacularly bad coffee) at the Sonic Burgers attached to a gas station on the way out of town.
Thumper’s new favorite toy: his collection of motel key cards
What handsome boys you have in your life. Welcome to the PNW, we are all the better for having you three (four) here. A little bit of Brooklyn in the Northwest is a good thing- keeps us on our toes. Cannot wait to hear more. Thumper grows more amazing every day. Again, WELCOME!
Posted by: KT
What handsome boys you have in your life. Welcome to the PNW, we are all the better for having you three (four) here. A little bit of Brooklyn in the Northwest is a good thing- keeps us on our toes. Cannot wait to hear more. Thumper grows more amazing every day. Again, WELCOME!
Posted by: KT
But wait…you missed Utah. That was the most delightful surprise on my drive back here. The Grand Canyon was a bit of disappointment, not that it wasn’t grand, but because we knew what to expect. Zion was incredible.
I worked with a guy from rural Tennessee and his accent was cringe-inducing. Think Gomer Pyle. Only inbred. I hope he was an exception.
And egad, Thumper just keeps getting cuter. How adorable is that?!?
Posted by: Andi
Yellowstone looks fantastic! I am glad you arrived safely without incident, as that was quite the journey.
Posted by: loriz
Wow, those pictures are beautiful! Glad you had safe and fun travels!
Posted by: yaiAnn
Welcome to the Gray NorthWet.
Don’t fret about the picture thing. Even good non-blurry pictures don’t begin to capture the feeling of being out there.
Posted by: delf
I had so many of the same feelings during our cross-country drive, it’s uncanny! We also got used to the pace of driving and going, even though we were only on the road for about 5 days. The place that I’d never thought twice about but surprised me with its beauty was Montana. Keep settling in and feeling good.
Posted by: Jenna
Wow. Thank you so much for the travel letters. There sure is a lot more to the US than we non-Americans get the impression of sometimes. Beautiful, beautiful country. I hope I’ll get the chance to see it for myself someday.
And good luck with settling in!!
Posted by: Rippedoffknitter
Oh man, those pics of Yellowstone made my heart hurt. I think I need to go borrow my dad’s car. See y’all in a month.
Posted by: Lizbon
I know I’m not alone when I say I’m kind of sorry to see your trip end! (Though I am happy to see you’re home.) These blog entries have been so interesting, especially to someone like me who has serious wanderlust, but no time for wandering. Thank you for sharing your travels with us.
Posted by: Marlena
But wait…you missed Utah. That was the most delightful surprise on my drive back here. The Grand Canyon was a bit of disappointment, not that it wasn’t grand, but because we knew what to expect. Zion was incredible.
I worked with a guy from rural Tennessee and his accent was cringe-inducing. Think Gomer Pyle. Only inbred. I hope he was an exception.
And egad, Thumper just keeps getting cuter. How adorable is that?!?
Posted by: Andi
Yellowstone looks fantastic! I am glad you arrived safely without incident, as that was quite the journey.
Posted by: loriz
Wow, those pictures are beautiful! Glad you had safe and fun travels!
Posted by: yaiAnn
Welcome to the Gray NorthWet.
Don’t fret about the picture thing. Even good non-blurry pictures don’t begin to capture the feeling of being out there.
Posted by: delf
I had so many of the same feelings during our cross-country drive, it’s uncanny! We also got used to the pace of driving and going, even though we were only on the road for about 5 days. The place that I’d never thought twice about but surprised me with its beauty was Montana. Keep settling in and feeling good.
Posted by: Jenna
Wow. Thank you so much for the travel letters. There sure is a lot more to the US than we non-Americans get the impression of sometimes. Beautiful, beautiful country. I hope I’ll get the chance to see it for myself someday.
And good luck with settling in!!
Posted by: Rippedoffknitter
Oh man, those pics of Yellowstone made my heart hurt. I think I need to go borrow my dad’s car. See y’all in a month.
Posted by: Lizbon
I know I’m not alone when I say I’m kind of sorry to see your trip end! (Though I am happy to see you’re home.) These blog entries have been so interesting, especially to someone like me who has serious wanderlust, but no time for wandering. Thank you for sharing your travels with us.
Posted by: Marlena
I’m glad you’ve arrived safely at your destination. Enjoy this time of settling in.
Posted by: Carole
Wow. Yellowstone. Really, wow.
Posted by: Michelle
You certainly had a grand adventure. Sorry you didn’t make it to Utah, but you are close enough you can visit. Come anytime. Enjoy settling in to your new home, you new life.
Posted by: margene
As a born and bred Texas who doesn’t seem to be able to move out of state for very long, I got a huge tickle about your comments on having an aversion to heat and direct sunlight. You hit it spot on. The thing that I miss when I move anywhere else is all the sun and the huge sky.
A gulch is a much bigger gully. A gulch is basically a small valley that is usually v-shaped from flash flooding. Gullies are more like big ditches (also caused by erosion).
You took some lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Posted by: liz
Thumper makes a very appealing little papoose. What a very American migration you undertook; imagine doing it in a wagon train a century or more ago!
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
What an adventure! Glad to see you all made it safely – but I too will miss the pictures & stories! Congratulations on surviving!
Posted by: Rebecca
Its hard to transition from road trip mode to home mode, especially when home is pretty darn unfamiliar. Have fun exploring your new digs!
Posted by: claudia
I’m glad you’ve arrived safely at your destination. Enjoy this time of settling in.
Posted by: Carole
Wow. Yellowstone. Really, wow.
Posted by: Michelle
You certainly had a grand adventure. Sorry you didn’t make it to Utah, but you are close enough you can visit. Come anytime. Enjoy settling in to your new home, you new life.
Posted by: margene
As a born and bred Texas who doesn’t seem to be able to move out of state for very long, I got a huge tickle about your comments on having an aversion to heat and direct sunlight. You hit it spot on. The thing that I miss when I move anywhere else is all the sun and the huge sky.
A gulch is a much bigger gully. A gulch is basically a small valley that is usually v-shaped from flash flooding. Gullies are more like big ditches (also caused by erosion).
You took some lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Posted by: liz
Thumper makes a very appealing little papoose. What a very American migration you undertook; imagine doing it in a wagon train a century or more ago!
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport
What an adventure! Glad to see you all made it safely – but I too will miss the pictures & stories! Congratulations on surviving!
Posted by: Rebecca
Its hard to transition from road trip mode to home mode, especially when home is pretty darn unfamiliar. Have fun exploring your new digs!
Posted by: claudia
“The sun had ris. Th’ sun has set. An’ we aint outta Texas yet!”
Posted by: Lawrence Quigley
As a west-coaster, I always feel a little proud when east-coasters find themselves among real mountains and are suitably impressed. You’ll have to cut back on the photos, though, or you’ll make me miss that side of things.
I love the rest stop photo.
Posted by: alison
I’m glad you guys made it home to Portland but as a born and raised West Tennessee girl now living on the Florida Panhandle, I’m happy to see my home state did me proud. I love, love, love Tennessee accents and my husband and I always comment about how we automatically know when someone is from Tennessee and can even tell you which part of the state they are from.
Posted by: Melissa
I’m so glad you had such wonderful adventures on your road trip! I miss doing those, but they’re not easy with two grade-schoolers. Hearing “are we there yet” every ten minutes kind of detracts from the scenery. Have i ever mentioned that I have a brother in wyoming? Hugs to all.
Posted by: regina
great pics of the wild wild west. 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
So, so glad you made it! It’s funny, I’ve been to Witchita Falls more times than I’d like to remember, as my dad’s sister and first husband and my cousins lived there while I was growing up!
Posted by: Kay
Happy to hear you made it safe and sound!
Posted by: melissa
Wa-hoo! You made it! And, yes, I too think Wyoming is America’s best-kept secret. Cabnt’ wait to hear about the house.
Posted by: anina
“The sun had ris. Th’ sun has set. An’ we aint outta Texas yet!”
Posted by: Lawrence Quigley
As a west-coaster, I always feel a little proud when east-coasters find themselves among real mountains and are suitably impressed. You’ll have to cut back on the photos, though, or you’ll make me miss that side of things.
I love the rest stop photo.
Posted by: alison
I’m glad you guys made it home to Portland but as a born and raised West Tennessee girl now living on the Florida Panhandle, I’m happy to see my home state did me proud. I love, love, love Tennessee accents and my husband and I always comment about how we automatically know when someone is from Tennessee and can even tell you which part of the state they are from.
Posted by: Melissa
I’m so glad you had such wonderful adventures on your road trip! I miss doing those, but they’re not easy with two grade-schoolers. Hearing “are we there yet” every ten minutes kind of detracts from the scenery. Have i ever mentioned that I have a brother in wyoming? Hugs to all.
Posted by: regina
great pics of the wild wild west. 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
So, so glad you made it! It’s funny, I’ve been to Witchita Falls more times than I’d like to remember, as my dad’s sister and first husband and my cousins lived there while I was growing up!
Posted by: Kay
Happy to hear you made it safe and sound!
Posted by: melissa
Wa-hoo! You made it! And, yes, I too think Wyoming is America’s best-kept secret. Cabnt’ wait to hear about the house.
Posted by: anina
I stayed in Burley once too!! Charming little town. I thought Idaho was beautiful. Boise was a sweet little town, nice little co-op grocery, too. Then the drive on I-84 through eastern oregon is amazing. Glad you made it here safe!
Posted by: Lorajan
Congratulations on completing your odyssey! I can’t wait to see pictures of your new house and hear how your new life unfolds.
Posted by: Elizabeth
Welcome to your new home! It sounds like you made quite a few memories on the trip.
Posted by: Amy in StL
Your bison pics are gorgeous!
Posted by: knittripps
I stayed in Burley once too!! Charming little town. I thought Idaho was beautiful. Boise was a sweet little town, nice little co-op grocery, too. Then the drive on I-84 through eastern oregon is amazing. Glad you made it here safe!
Posted by: Lorajan
Congratulations on completing your odyssey! I can’t wait to see pictures of your new house and hear how your new life unfolds.
Posted by: Elizabeth
Welcome to your new home! It sounds like you made quite a few memories on the trip.
Posted by: Amy in StL
Your bison pics are gorgeous!
Posted by: knittripps
What an amazing trip you’ve had! Best wishes in your new Home!!
Posted by: chris
Welcome home!
I’m glad you guys made it safe and sound. And don’t worry, no offense taken – Texas is kind of an acquired taste. You kind of have to enjoy sweating and the company of insects that are poisonous.
Posted by: David
Great pics! Driving cross-country four years ago was one of the best experiences of my life! I completely agree with you about Wyoming-it was so much more beautiful than I expected it would be. Camping in Yellowstone for two nights was wonderful. But it got COLD. And, by the second night, it was not so much fun. I came down with a sinus infection/fever and ended up paying a visit to the Yellowstone Infirmary on the way out of the park!
Posted by: Marisa
its amazing that you did all that with a 15 month old! i can hardly get out of the house between the hours of 11am-1pm, then 2:30-4:00pm and then if i do get out, i have to be back by 6:30pm or my little dude doesn’t sleep at night. still wakes up at least once every night and will only sleep in his bed…in his room.
Posted by: Cambria
Welcome home lady! Good luck with the unpacking!
Posted by: melanie
Thank you for the “postcards” Cari. So glad you arrived safe and sound and still smiling!
Posted by: delia
Your pictures of Yellowstone are beautiful.
Posted by: Sharon
What an amazing trip you’ve had! Best wishes in your new Home!!
Posted by: chris
Welcome home!
I’m glad you guys made it safe and sound. And don’t worry, no offense taken – Texas is kind of an acquired taste. You kind of have to enjoy sweating and the company of insects that are poisonous.
Posted by: David
Great pics! Driving cross-country four years ago was one of the best experiences of my life! I completely agree with you about Wyoming-it was so much more beautiful than I expected it would be. Camping in Yellowstone for two nights was wonderful. But it got COLD. And, by the second night, it was not so much fun. I came down with a sinus infection/fever and ended up paying a visit to the Yellowstone Infirmary on the way out of the park!
Posted by: Marisa
its amazing that you did all that with a 15 month old! i can hardly get out of the house between the hours of 11am-1pm, then 2:30-4:00pm and then if i do get out, i have to be back by 6:30pm or my little dude doesn’t sleep at night. still wakes up at least once every night and will only sleep in his bed…in his room.
Posted by: Cambria
Welcome home lady! Good luck with the unpacking!
Posted by: melanie
Thank you for the “postcards” Cari. So glad you arrived safe and sound and still smiling!
Posted by: delia
Your pictures of Yellowstone are beautiful.
Posted by: Sharon
Here you have it:
Main Entry: gully
Etymology: obsolete English gully gullet, probably alteration of Middle English golet ravine, throat
1 : a trench which was originally worn in the earth by running water and through which water often runs after rains; 2 : a small valley or gulch
Main Entry: gulch
Etymology: perhaps from English dialect gulch to gulp, from Middle English gulchen
: a deep or precipitous cleft : RAVINE; especially : one occupied by a torrent
Posted by: Juliette
Wow–what a trip. I just found your blog from Kate Gilbert’s link. I love that you loved WY, ID, and Yellowstone…my stomping grounds. We travel somewhere in the area almost every weekend.
The next time you go, let me know and I’ll hook you up with the Yellowstone/Grand Teton adventure of a lifetime! And I’ll show you where the good knitting stores are in Jackson Hole and Driggs.
-Anna
Posted by: Anna
Your pictures make me want to hit the road again and go on another long road trip! Glad you got to see some of these amazing places.
Posted by: Kathode Ray Tube
I love Wyoming, too…………and, I’ve been meaning to email you – I SO love your sweater on Knitty – it is gorgeous and I can’t wait to knit one!
Posted by: christine
Born and raised in the Hill Country of Texas. Austin is and has been “changed” over the last few years, the REAL small town accents are every bit as glorious as Tennessee’s. You missed the good time of year, spring or late fall!! Bluebonnets and wildflowers. Texas does go on forever, for a reason!
Posted by: Kay
I really enjoyed all of these pictures, though the North Texas ones were especially ‘happymaking’ for me! Thank you for posting those! I have always liked Wichita Falls and I was thrilled about you mentioning it and Memphis. I was born in Memphis (remember your view of it and imagine in the 70’s it was one of the best places in that stretch of Hwy 287 to go have a baby, weird huh?), you probably passed through Quanah too, right? 😀 Seeing recent photos was great. Also, growing up there the long drives seemed like nothing to me but after being in Oregon for 7 years now any drive seems so long! You could cross all of Oregon and past Seattle for the drive from Austin up into the Texas Panhandle.
And yay! (again) that you’re here in Oregon now! If you haven’t had some Stumptown coffee yet, you must, it is THE BEST.
Happy unpacking 🙂
Posted by: Jaime
Congratulations! You’re home!
Personally, I’ve lived in New Mexico, and visited most of the states you’ve driven through. My favorite of all was Wyoming/North Dakota/South Dakota/Montana/Yellowstone. No, soryr, I can’t narrow it down futher. It’s all a big blur of beautiful to me, and I want to take my son out there some time. While Michigan is home, and I can’t seem to live for long without large bodies of open water, given my d’ruthers – I’ll go visit out there any time!
Posted by: HistoricStitcher
Here you have it:
Main Entry: gully
Etymology: obsolete English gully gullet, probably alteration of Middle English golet ravine, throat
1 : a trench which was originally worn in the earth by running water and through which water often runs after rains; 2 : a small valley or gulch
Main Entry: gulch
Etymology: perhaps from English dialect gulch to gulp, from Middle English gulchen
: a deep or precipitous cleft : RAVINE; especially : one occupied by a torrent
Posted by: Juliette
Wow–what a trip. I just found your blog from Kate Gilbert’s link. I love that you loved WY, ID, and Yellowstone…my stomping grounds. We travel somewhere in the area almost every weekend.
The next time you go, let me know and I’ll hook you up with the Yellowstone/Grand Teton adventure of a lifetime! And I’ll show you where the good knitting stores are in Jackson Hole and Driggs.
-Anna
Posted by: Anna
Your pictures make me want to hit the road again and go on another long road trip! Glad you got to see some of these amazing places.
Posted by: Kathode Ray Tube
I love Wyoming, too…………and, I’ve been meaning to email you – I SO love your sweater on Knitty – it is gorgeous and I can’t wait to knit one!
Posted by: christine
Born and raised in the Hill Country of Texas. Austin is and has been “changed” over the last few years, the REAL small town accents are every bit as glorious as Tennessee’s. You missed the good time of year, spring or late fall!! Bluebonnets and wildflowers. Texas does go on forever, for a reason!
Posted by: Kay
I really enjoyed all of these pictures, though the North Texas ones were especially ‘happymaking’ for me! Thank you for posting those! I have always liked Wichita Falls and I was thrilled about you mentioning it and Memphis. I was born in Memphis (remember your view of it and imagine in the 70’s it was one of the best places in that stretch of Hwy 287 to go have a baby, weird huh?), you probably passed through Quanah too, right? 😀 Seeing recent photos was great. Also, growing up there the long drives seemed like nothing to me but after being in Oregon for 7 years now any drive seems so long! You could cross all of Oregon and past Seattle for the drive from Austin up into the Texas Panhandle.
And yay! (again) that you’re here in Oregon now! If you haven’t had some Stumptown coffee yet, you must, it is THE BEST.
Happy unpacking 🙂
Posted by: Jaime
Congratulations! You’re home!
Personally, I’ve lived in New Mexico, and visited most of the states you’ve driven through. My favorite of all was Wyoming/North Dakota/South Dakota/Montana/Yellowstone. No, soryr, I can’t narrow it down futher. It’s all a big blur of beautiful to me, and I want to take my son out there some time. While Michigan is home, and I can’t seem to live for long without large bodies of open water, given my d’ruthers – I’ll go visit out there any time!
Posted by: HistoricStitcher
The mountain states, especially Montana, slap you across the face with beauty. The Great Plains are more subtle. It took me years appreciate the beauty of that big, flat horizon and the wild weather it brings. I’m glad you got to see a bit of the country, though. There is so very much to see.
Posted by: ellen
The mountain states, especially Montana, slap you across the face with beauty. The Great Plains are more subtle. It took me years appreciate the beauty of that big, flat horizon and the wild weather it brings. I’m glad you got to see a bit of the country, though. There is so very much to see.
Posted by: ellen