Journal

Our Daily Journal

July 21	Well we planned to get to Milwaukee and finish our trip aboard the ferry to Muskegon but the 7pm Friday and 12:30pm Saturday ferries were booked for cars. Who wudda thunk? Sooo we drove... and drove, and drove, and drove (hmmm, this looks familiar). We decided to make it back to Muskegon. It was our second longest drive of the trip and we finally got home just before midnight after stopping in Wisconsin for some cheese. Sad to see the journey end but what a ride it was! We met so many nice people along the way, saw so many beautiful sights and learned a lot about each other. And you know what? We got along famously, all through the trip. There are so many places we want to go back to and spend more time. This trip provided such an opportunity to see a lot of the country. I'm so glad I was blessed to be able to do this with my son. Thanks for all your emails, comments, tooting horns, smiling faces and waves along the way. We are glad you were able to take the journey with us. God Bless, Dominic and Dominic III

July 20	Today we drove... and drove, and drove, and drove. On the way there we were stopped by some guys in a car during construction and they asked us how many states we had left to hit. Also a guy talked to us while in the passenger side of car on our website at the time. We got to Minneapolis, MN and went to the Mall of America. Then we took off toward Iowa. We're staying in Austin, MN, home of the SPAM Museum.

July 19	Got up and finished the east side of the park which I think was much more scenic. Then we took Rt. 212, Bear Tooth Pass. I think Charles Kuralt said this was the most scenic drive he took (Ashley (sp) and Sid, it was worth it). We really liked the drive. We got up over 10,000 feet and it was beautiful. Somehow all the words we've been using to describe this trip fall short of explaining the beauty we've seen. On the way out we drove thru a neat little town called Red Lodge. Continued on thru Montana into North Dakota on US94. Went to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We checked out the south park. It was smaller than the other parks we've been to but still beautiful. We decided to make Bismarck and stopped there for the night.

July 18	We got up and drove to Yellowstone NP today. The park is configured like a figure 8 with an north loop and a south loop. We drove along the west side of the park, checked out Old Faithful (no we didn't see erupt), then drove to the halfway point of the east side and made camp. Made some friends...Ashley (sp) and Sid. Be safe and enjoy your journey. Had a couple of buffalo walk right thru our campsite. Kinda cool.

July 17	It was nice waking up a few feet from the lake. Shower cost me only 25 cents for 5 minutes. Drove north, had lunch at a nice little bookstore/cafe. Entered Glacier NP around 2pm and was just awestruck by the scenery. We spent about 3 hours going through the park. It was (in my opinion) the most beautiful place we've been to. The Drive to the Sun was amazing. I got some cool videos of the drive up the mountain...along with some great pics. Stayed in Great Falls, MT and had a great dinner at Bert and Ernies.

July 16	Left Seattle for a long drive towards Glacier National Park. Took US90 east thru Washington, Idaho and into Montana. Some beautiful scenery along the way. Made it about an hour south of GNP to a place called Big Arm. We camped at a state park on Flathead Lake. Met some friends, Melanie and Troy from Oregon, and John from Pennsylvania. Take care on your drives home.

July 15	A beautiful night for camping. I even got to sleep inside my sleeping bag. Found out the snows just left the rim of the crater and there were still patches of snow throughout the campground. We drove through some beautiful country...tmountainside rapids with lots of people fishing, rafting and tubing. Hopped back on US 5 north past Salem, Portland, Tacoma and into Seattle. Snow-capped mountain tops along the whole journey. We went to Qwest stadium (where the losers of the last Super Bowl pretend to play...just for you Denise) and watched a USL soccer game. Like watching the Fury after watching the Redwings. A lot of fouls and the play wasn't as good. But it was fun to watch. On the way back to the hotel, Mt Ranier hovered over the freeway like an apparition. The base was the same deep blue as the sky and all you saw was the snow. Quite the sight. We stopped by a high school that had a basketball court lit up and stretched our legs a little. Then off to the hot tub to relax. Oh yeah, almost forgot. You can't pump your own gas in Oregon UNLESS you have a CFN card, whatever that is.

July 14	Off to the Redwood Forest. It was magnificent! The forest was okay but we took the Coastal Drive through part of the forest and that was spectacular. Drove right along the Pacific ocean. Met some guys from Chattanooga on their road trip having lunch at one of the turnouts. Met some Native Americans camping right next to the ocean on a ceremonial weekend. They had netted a huge sturgeon. We continued on until we got to the Crater Lake National Park. We set up camp at one of the campgrounds there. Next off to the lake. There is a lodge right at the southern rim of the crater (actually not a crater but a caldera) and we had dinner there. They have a large porch with rustic wood rocking chairs overlooking the lake. We got back to camp around 9 and went to bed.

July 13	Hit the road this morning. Passed through Reno, Sacramento then turned north. Got a good view of Mt. Shasta, Check out the pics. By the way, we added another page for videos. You need Quicktime player to view them and I provided the link for that too. Got on Rt299 and what a drive this was. Winding 2-lane roads up and down the mountains. D3 did very well driving his part. It gets tiring driving like that. We wanted to make camp in the Redwood Forest but did not get in until late so we camped at a hotel instead. We are getting up early to get to the Redwoods then get to Crater Lake to make camp. Wanna try to relax for half a day for once.

July 12	Today we took off at about 11:00. Dad drove first to get to Death Valley National Park. After we got into the park a little ways we switched off. It was scorching hot. We can now say that we drove through Death Valley, the lowest point on the continent, -190 feet, during the hottest time of the year (117 degrees today). Or we could say we were fools. Well once we got out of the park we were taken on a wild, winding, and fun mountain road. The mountains were the Sierra Nevada and the Inyo. Then we drove on route 395 through Mono county where there was a beautiful rapid running along side the road with a couple of nice campgrounds. Then up into Carson City, Nevada. We are staying at a Super 8.

July 11	Got an early start to the Grand Canyon. Took the road to the South Rim and followed it all the way around to the North Rim then continued on through Utah and into Las Vegas. The GC was awe inspiring. We stopped taking pictures after awhile because they just didn't do it justice. It's hard to describe but it really is amazing. We took the scenic route around and saw a lot of neat things along the way. Then we drove straight to the Hoover Dam. The area has been under construction since 2002 and will be until 2008 so it wasn't as "wow" as we thought it would be. Ended up near the road we're taking tomorrow into California at Boulder Station.

July 10	Got to the VW dealership by 7am. The car has been a little sluggish lately going up the mountain hills. Also, the gas mileage has been worse than I thought it should be. So besides an oil change, headlight bulb replaced and recall notice checked out, I got a new fuel and air filter. Runs great again and met some new friends. Drove through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest Park today. Beautiful place to see. Michael, they want that piece back. Stopped in Flagstaff for the night and had a great dinner of Corn Artichoke Spinach Dip, Crab Cake and I had the Blackened Honey Mustard Salmon and D3 had Shrimp Diane. Met some new friends there in the parking lot. Off to Grand Canyon and more tomorrow.

July 9	Left around 11. Didn't know the World Cup started as early as it did so we ended up in a town called Trinidad. Thanks to Brian at the local brewery we were able to see it from the 75th minute. The pub wasn't open but he let us come in and watch. Nice folks there. Way to go ITALY!!!!!! We came straight down US25 from Denver right into Albuquerque. Going to get the Jetta's oil changed and headlight fixed tomorrow at the local dealership here. Wanted to say that I'm so glad we have XM radio. We got to listed to part of the soccer game before we found the pub and I got to hear the Tigers lose today 3-2. Plus there are so many music stations you can listen to depending on your mood. Night for now.

July 8	Another good day. Ran into a little rain in Wyoming and Denver but nothing more than a drizzle. We went to a Colorado Rapids MLS soccer game. They won 1-0. Staying at a Hampton just south of Denver. Off to NM tomorrow.

July 7	A real nice day today. We only had to drive a couple of hours total. Went to Thunder Mountain, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Drove south to Hot springs and had a soak and a rub. Great after all the driving of the past few days. We really love the area. The scenery is just beautiful and we've met some cool people along the way. Thanks for all your comments!

July 6	"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." What a state to drive through. Completely flat, hardly any trees and it made for tedious driving. Nebraska was cool. A lot of open spaces but they had rolling hills. Love to see that in the winter. You know the Route really doesn't tell you how we got where. We took Route 83 from Texas all the way to South Dakota. Check it out on a map. It goes from the bottom of Texas to SD. Mostly 2-lane traffic with some passing lanes thrown in for fun. Problem is that we haven't had phone reception since we left Trophy Club. Josh, you're going to hear from me when I get back ('cause I can't CALL you now.) We made it to the Badlands a couple of hours before sunset. The pics are beautiful and I have many more I didn't post. It is an amazing place. We think that Dom's scout troop needs to come here for a trip. We could spend a lot of time in this area. We stayed in Wall, SD, famous for Wall Drug Store. The name is misleading as it has everything from socks to a shooting range, agates to xylophones. Really commercial around the little downtown area. We are heading to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devil's Tower if time allows.

July 5	Thanks Brian and Michelle. You were great hosts and we enjoyed our short but sweet stay. Took us forever to get outta Texas. Zipped through Oklahoma and landed in Kansas. Found Dorothy's house, check out the pics. Went to see Superman Returns. Holy cow! It was over 2 1/2 hours long. By the time we got to the hotel, there was just enough time to jump in the jacuzzi and go to bed.

July 4	Drove through Dallas to Trophy Club where Brian and Michelle kindly offered us lodging and more. Beautiful house, enjoyed the pool and the party at the neighbors for the 4th and the fireworks. It was a relaxing day coming off that long drive.

July 3	We decided to get up and go and go we did. 749 miles, 3 gas fill-ups later we arrived in Shreveport, LA (which is the Las Vegas of the south). We wanted to get down here quickly to be able to spend more time camping. Which is why, if you check the Route page, we got worse gas mileage than before. We have a roof rack and a cargo bag on top and we were going faster than we did on the East coast trip. But that was just to get here so now we should see a little better mileage coming up. We missed a turn and stumbled onto Jim Henson's museum in MS. Always liked him and the Muppets. Check out the pics. Sorry to disappoint you Cara, we love you.

July 2	Packed the car and hit the road for our West coast trip. If you check out the Route page, you'll see we changed our plans, just a little. We stayed in Effingham, IL tonight, I prefer effingsalmon, D3 wanted effingchicken but we settled for Effingham. Bryan and Rhonda...couldn't ask for better friends. While we were munching the delicious goldfish mixture you made for us, we suddenly tasted red tissue paper. Thanks. Sneaky but thanks.

Fiddler	Saw five performances of Fiddler on the Roof. My dad got better and commanded the stage in each successive performance. It was an honor to see him on stage again. So many relatives and friends young and old were brought together by this play. Makes me want to learn how to sing...Nancy, dare to take the challenge? Check out July 2 Photos for pictures of friends, family and cast members. Way to go Dad!

June 22	Got the oil changed in the car, roof rack installed, Thule carry bag purchased, laundry washed and unpacked before noon. Totaled up some things about the trip. We took 1033 pictures and videos. Click on Route to get the rest. Getting ready to go up to Manistee to watch my father perform as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. It's his fourth time in four different decades performing this role, and he's 84 this year! Break a leg, Dad.

June 21	Got up and went to see Niagara Falls. Took the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the center of the Horseshoe Falls and got wet. It's such a powerful site to see, hear and feel. Took off to Cleveland but decided to hoof it all the way back to Muskegon. It was our second longest drive (567 miles). We crashed when we got home.

June 20	Finally out of Quebec. Decided to detour to Niagara Falls instead of going to Toronto. Before crossing over into the U.S., we stumbled across the 1000 Island area. What a beautiful place. The guy who invented 1000 Island dressing owned on one of the islands up here (thus the name) and built a castle on it. Didn't get a chance to take the boat tour before the rain came but went up the tower for a great look around. Drove to Niagara and got a room near the Falls. Got in early enough to catch a 7:30 showing of Fast and Furious, Tokyo Drift. Going to do some sightseeing around the Falls tomorrow before heading over to Cleveland.

June 19	Drove through the most scenic area of our trip thus far in my opinion. Route 112 in New Hampshire in the White Mountain Federal Forest. Mountains and streams and rivers. All very nice. We're in Montreal right now and going to head out to dinner. I think we found a Japanese Steak house we're going to try. Went to California Pizza instead. We both decided we don't like Montreal or Quebec and will not come back here.

June 18	Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's. D3 drove all day today. My Father's Day present. We stopped in Newberryport, MA. A great little town that reminded us of Manistee. Then we drove to Kennebunkport, ME to have some lobster. Another great little town. A lot of quaint shops and the people were really nice and helpful. We drove by GeeDubya's house. There's a picture of it in the photo gallery. This whole New Hampshire, Maine area is just gorgeous. We decided to stay the night in a little town called Conway. It's a tourist town in the winter for the skiing. Lots of great little shops. We're staying right at the bottom of Mt. Washington. We had to blow off some fireworks tonight so we can cross into Canada tomorrow and not have to worry.

June 17	Had no problem getting out of New York City. Getting out of the state was a different story because of the US Open. A lot of traffic congestion by Winged Foot. D3 said I was made to drive there. Crossed over the Triborough Bridge and off to Connecticut, Rhode Island and into Massachusett. We're staying outside of Boston by Gillette Stadium (where the New England Patriots play) so we could take in a MLS game, NE Revolution vs. DC United with Freddy Adu. Game ended in a tie 1-1. Early day so we're going to kick back and relax.

June 16	I was a little nervous about driving in New York but in was pretty easy. Drove through the Holland Tunnel, came out the other side, hit a couple of side streets and ended up right in front of our hotel. It's right across from Ground Zero. We have a corner room and can see the Statue of Liberty. This hotel was closed for 2 years after 9/11. We got here with some time to site-see so took the E-train to the Empire State building. I've been on the 86th a couple of times so this time we went to the 102nd floor. It's up in the sphere part. It was only 18' or so wide. Then we checked out the 86th observation deck. Took a cab to the theater district and grabbed some dinner. After a walk around Time Square we went to the Schubert Theater to see Monty Python's *Spamalot. It was a very funny and we both enjoyed it..."always look on the bright side of life*." Found the entrance to the subway and took the E-train back to to our hotel after Dominic III picked up some trinkets.

June 15	Great day today. Sunny and in the 80's. We had to go west to hit West Virginia and double back to Philadelphia. Nice ride, beautiful scenery. Make sure you check out the photos. We got here before 6 so we did some sight-seeing. Checked out the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ben Franklin's grave and finally the Art Museum where D3 ran the steps like Rocky but he did it 3x and was barely puffing. Came back to the hotel, hit the pool and jacuzzi. *To Glenn, Nancy and Bethany...Be safe on your journey, our thoughts and prayers are with you as you go. We'll miss you but plan on seeing us June 21 or 22. Love you!

June 14	What a day. We drove 581 miles today. Seemed all but 81 miles in the rain. Started in South Carolina, thru North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and ended up in Annapolis MD. What made the trip worth it was the Chesapeake Bay crossing. It was Awesome!!!! about 15 miles starting with a bridge, then a tunnel, then another bridge, then another tunnel, finally one last bridge. One of the world's longest roller coaster I think. Visibility was poor but that made it all the more exciting. Nothing but mist and water surrounding you. Cool. D3 drove the last couple of hours at night and he got to cross the Bay Bridge into Annapolis. Calling it a night.

June 13	Alberto kept the rain coming for most of the trip to Myrtle Beach. D3 drove over 3 hours today and did very well. The rain was just a drizzle in MB so we went to Broadway on the Beach, a collection of stores and restaurants. We wanted to eat at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville but a 5 hour wait!!!!!!. So we went to the NASCAR Cafe. Shelley and Denise...I got something for you both. Got a free stay here at La Quinta. That always makes the room seem better, cleaner and comfy'er.

June 12	D3 started us out driving today. Did very well going through the heart of Atlanta. Seven lane freeway just after rush hour. Wasn't a lot of sites to see today until we got to Jacksonville. Tropical Storm Alberto dumped a lot of rain and continues to do so but poses no real threat. Off to Myrtle Beach where the weather is still expected to be rainy. One problem...my car clock is stuck at 4:44 pm. Thanks to everyone who sent emails and keep them coming. It seems we have a lot of people following along on our trip.

June 11	From Lexington to Atlanta. We first got on the road and took a detour to Daniel Boone's Tavern for a quick pic. Then we took off again. Not even an hour later we took another detour to a civil war battlefield. Then we drove all the way to Atlanta and hit some road construction on the back stretch. We ate some dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and now we're in La Quinta Hotel.

June 10	We're on the road. We left Bethany's open house and got on the road at 2PM. Dominic III took over driving in Ann Arbor until south of Dayton. We got a room in Lexington KY at 10PM and now just trying to relax.