Our final leg of the trip back to the Pacific Northwest had us make our way through the western plains, into the mountains and then to the strange and beautiful expansive lands of Yellowstone. From the Black Hills of South Dakota, we took the long route so… Continue Reading…Jackson, WY and Yellowstone

It was the strangest feeling to go from driving eastward (away from our Pacific Northwest home) for so long to suddenly switch and come back westward. It put us all in a chill/let’s make the most of this/we’re almost done/slower pace and it was a really… Continue Reading…Des Moines, Omaha + Mt. Rushmore

We finished up our time in the Northeast and did something a bit inefficient and traveled south and then back up north in a big ‘U’ shape. The reason: there is much to see in the middle of America! Admittedly, we missed much of it… Continue Reading…The Middle-ish Of America

Two and one-half months into the road trip, we made it to the Northeast. Our pace was quick, but doable, up the east coast and we stayed for longer periods in Washington, D.C. and New York City. By the time we finished that leg of the trip,… Continue Reading…The Northeast

New York City. There is just no other place like it. Here’s a little piece of trivia: On our first trip to NYC, Ryan took the FDNY firefighter test. One year before, the fire service in the city was devastated by the events of 9/11.… Continue Reading…NYC

Our travels up the East Coast continued into Philadelphia. The city was such a pleasant surprise to me. It feels small, full of history with a gorgeous mix of old and new architecture.  But first … I mentioned in the D.C. post that my parents… Continue Reading…Philadelphia

For months we were keeping a secret from the kids … My parents were flying in to Washington, D.C. to surprise the kids and spend a few days with us! They met us at our campground and when we pulled up, the kids literally sprinted… Continue Reading…Washington, D.C.

Oh boy, you guys. You are in for a TREAT. Well, that is if you are curious about many things regarding a big family road trip. We’ve compiled a bunch of questions we’ve received as we’ve traveled and answered them all there … in this… Continue Reading…All your family road trip questions answered

We continued our journey up the East Coast from North Carolina into Virginia. The first stop was America’s Historic Triangle with three towns that are important to colonial America – Jamestown (the first English Settlement), Williamsburg (the capitol of Britians’s largest and richest colony) and… Continue Reading…Virginia

When we think about what our kids will remember about this road trip, there have been a few stops that have made a particularly memorable impression. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is one of those. Kitty Hawk, if you remember from long ago and brief mention in… Continue Reading…The Wright Brothers + OBX

As I mentioned a few posts back, we loved New Orleans. And Savannah was as wonderful as they come. But Charleston – with its Southern charm, deep history, lovely homes, overflowing window boxes and coastal location – it won us over BIG time. We started our… Continue Reading…Charleston

I was most excited to visit a couple of southern cities on our trip. Savannah was right up there at the top. Our original itinerary included a stop after St. Augustine in Naples, Florida. A few things fell through, the weather wasn’t looking great, the… Continue Reading…Savannah, Georgia

After our fabulous time on the Gulf Coast, we headed east to the historic town of St. Augustine, Florida. We camped right across the street from the beach and took an evening walk to dip our toes into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.… Continue Reading…St. Augustine, Florida