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Day 0
Sept 04, 2002 @ 9:22 PM EST
We are currently in Somerville, Massachusetts (N 42^o 23.673'  by W 71^o 7.137'  Elevation 51 ft).  Somerville is a suburb of Boston, MA.  We live here.  We are scheduled to leave for Philadelphia, PA via Freehold, NJ tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM EST.  Are hope is to update this as much as possible.  So check in once a day.  Later, Bill and Laurie.

Day 1
Sept 05, 2002 @ 08:12 PM EST
The day started fine. We were on the road by 10:00 AM. It took over an hour just to leave Boston! We arrived in Freehold, NJ (N 40^o 13.401'  by W 74^o 17.061'  Elevation 125 ft) to visit Bill's mom around 3:30pm. Bill got a few middle fingers from passersby along the drive down, but otherwise, the drive was smooth. We then left for Bala Cynwyd, PA (N 40^o 1.098'  by W 75^o 13.792'  Elevation 300 ft) and got to Laurie's parents just around 6pm for Philly cheese steaks.
See link below for map of first leg. We promise...it will get more interesting.
Later, Bill and Laurie.
Leg One Map

Day 2
Sept 06, 2002 @ 10:40 PM EST
Again, not too much to report. We ran some errands and finished checking the car for any last minute bugs. Basically, just trying to relax before we have to start our journey at 3 am Sunday morning! We finished the night with a big meal to get ready for the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah that started tonight. We're tired and stuffed, so that's all for now. Good Night!

Day 3
Sept 07, 2002 @ 7:05 PM EST
Woke up this morning and realized that Bill did not have dress shoes for his suit. So on the way to services we stop in and got shoes. We must wake up in 7 hours to pack the car and head to Cedar Point, so that's all for now.

Day 4
Sept 08, 2002 @ 8:55 PM EST
Both of us are tired. We managed to get up at 2 AM and were on the road by 3 AM. The ride to Sandusky, OH (N 41^o 27.011' by W 82^o 42.734') was not that eventfully. The most interesting sight was the mountain tunnels in PA. We walking through the amusement park main gate at 10:45 AM. By 3 PM we had rode all the rides we were interested in and had a nice tan from the blazing sun. The best ride by far was Millennium Force, a 310 foot height, 90+ mph steel coaster. After returning to the hotel and picking up our key, we checked in early, we took a dip in the pool. It was still warm. 'Sex in the City' is on HBO so we write more later...
Leg Two Map

Day 5
Sept 09, 2002 @ 3:32 PM CST
6:30 am Wake up
7:30 am budget hotel breakfast!!!
8:15 am On the road
11:00 am Stop for gas
11:56 am pass into new time zone!!!
12:05 pm enter Chicago
12:10 - 12:50 pm Drive haphazardly through town
1:55 pm Make a poor decision to see Rockford, IL
2:45 pm Get back on the interstate.
3:00 pm Enter Wisconsin!!!
3:45 pm Laurie is now driving. I am updating the log...
6:30 pm Arrive in Wisconsin Dells, WS
Leg Three Map

Day 6
September 10, 2002
Well, we just left Wisconsin Dells (N 43^o 37.644' by W 89^o 46.696') after a night of water park fun and loads of cheesiness, if that's a word. We stayed at a hotel/ theme park called Fantasy Island that has the world's largest indoor water park. I imagine that it would be pretty popular with the locals in the winter, since it is in the middle of Wisconsin. We have been eating the poor man's dinner of cup of soups and bringing our cooler into the hotels....pretty classy, right? Anyway, we are now heading over to Rapid City, South Dakota(N 44^o 4.968' by W 103^o 13.454'). This should be a fun day since our drive is over 750 miles! Not a whole lot of time to stop and look at the flowers. But we did get to stop and enjoy Mitchell, S.D.. Now you may be wondering what is in great 'ol Mitchell. And the answer is......the world's ONLY corn palace. It was built in 1892 and is still a roadside attraction worth seeing. The entire facade is built from corn. And that's all I'm gonna say about that! After Mitchell, we didn't stop again until we hit Wall, S.D. (N 43^o 59.526' by W 102^o 14.323'). Wall is right before the Badlands and the only thing there is a block long old drugstore/restaurant/knick-knack type place. They begin advertising along the highway, miles and miles before you even get to South Dakota. So of course, you have to stop. If anybody has ever driven down to Florida, it would remind you of the South of the Border signs. Unlike South if the Border though, this is a bit more exciting. We walked (and played) in their backyard that had giant size animals and had some buffalo burgers and 5 cent coffee before we hit the road again. When we finally got to Rapid City, the campground we wanted to stay in was closed, so we wound up staying in a nice little motel called Town House. And right next door was a lovely little gentlemen's club. Bill of course objects to gentlemen clubs, but it was too late to change motels, so he just sucked it up...such a trooper!
Leg Four Map

Day 7
September 11 2002
Well, we are now off to see the Badlands and Mt Rushmore. The Badlands, which are about an hour outside of Rapid City, consists of an area of amazing rock formations and interesting wildlife. Considered bad and worthless land in the 1800's by French fur traders and the Sioux Indians living in the area, the name Badlands seemed the best description for this inhospitable landscape. However, it is now recognized as a geological treasure. After, we went over to Mt. Rushmore and walked around. As you may or may not know, Mt Rushmore is a enormous rock creation of four of our past president's, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. The carving time took 14 years and costs were over a million dollars. It seemed appropriate to be at a National Monument on Sept.11th and even though we will be gone, they are supposed to have a special ceremony later in the evening to the acknowledge the day. That evening, we camped out in Custer St Park (N 43^o 49.094' by W 103^o 27.894'). It is 73,000 acres and is one of the largest state parks in the US. The camping was good and the scenery was even better. Pictures to come....
Day Trip Map

Day 8
Sept. 12 2002
Today we spent driving around Custer State Park and took a drive along needles highway. Tons of twists and turns tiny tunnels. Bill was loving that (as you could imagine). Then it off to Crazy Horse Monument. Deadwood and Lead. Did a bit of gambling (which is legal in S.D.) After that we drove towards Sturgis, the place of motorcycle mania for one week in the summer. It was pretty calm when we were there, but at least we saw it. Then it was off to Devils Tower...located in Northeast Wyoming. Devils Tower is the nations first natural monument, and is actually the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion brought on by the Belle Fourche River and the weather. But for some of you, it is best remembered by the 1978 movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" It's now off the Buffalo, Wyoming (N 44^o 20.581' by W 106^o 43.192')....no reason, just a place to sleep.
Leg Five Map

Day 9
September 13 2002
We are now in Yellowstone Park (N 44^o 25.005' by W 110^o 34.770') and will spending the next two nights here camping. It is a bit cold, but well worth it (although I haven't spent the night yet!). I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it all is. Our campsite is by Yellowstone lake (just to make it that much colder) and for today we are just relaxing....well... you saw how much we have been doing, we need some down time. Ta Ta
Leg Six Map

Day 10
September 14, 2002
Well, this is now our second day at Yellowstone and there is so much to see. Of course the first thing we saw was Old Faithful. This geyser is the most predictable of all the geyser.
Day Trip Map

Day 11
September 15, 2002
Ok, so we left Yellowstone this morning and headed for the Grand Tetons. An impressive mountain range, but I'm glad we didn't plan to spend the night. We are in desperate need of showers and we have things to see further along. After about 5 hours, just as I was typing up the journal, we heard a loud noise only to realize that we had lost our tire tread. I think Bill was just excited to take pictures as this was the first time this had ever happened to the two of us. Of course being Sunday and being stranded in a hunting region, we had zero chance of getting someone to come out to help us. So Bill put on the doughnut and off we went. We wound up driving a few hundred miles to get to a major city...Butte, Montana and wound up spending the night since there was nothing open until morning. So we had an all-you-can-eat dinner down the road and relaxed for the rest of the night.
Yellowstone to Butte

Day 12
September 16th 2002
After about 2 hours at the mega Wal-Mart, we left for Washington with a brand new tire! We decided to take US-2 which runs along the major highway, but a little bit off the beaten track. We saw lots of wheat fields but no hippies? We stopped at Grand Coolee Dam and drove on until we got to Tumwater campground. It is about 2 hours outside of Seattle, so it was just a good stopping point. We were exhausted, but when we finally got to the pitch dark campsite, we found out one of our tent poles had come apart. Bill saved the day...but there always has to be something...
Butte, MT to Tumwater Creek, WA

Day 13
September 17th 2002
We left early this morning for Seattle, our first major city since driving thru Chicago. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Express, which is right near the Space Needle. After we checked in, we walked over to Pike Place Market, the waterfront where they throw fish while making it into an act. We ate at local (touristy) restaurant right in Pike Place and then walked around. We were planning on walking over to the historic area, but to our surprise....we went and ate some more! We discovered that the very expensive chain of McCormick and Schmicks has a happy hour in their bar that has food for $1.95. This will be our new favorite place and got a directory of all McCormicks in the US. For being on a budget, we are eating very well. Later on we took the trolley that runs along the river back to the Space Needle. We were able to be up there in time for sunset. So it was perfect way to end the day.
Tumwater Creek, WA to Seattle, WA

Day 14
September 18th 2002
Surprise...... it's raining! Anyway, for our second day in Seattle we started with an underground walking tour of the city. It was fascinating to be able to walk underneath where the city is today. After we walked over to Chinatown, but was slightly scared, so we left. Then it was off to see the first Starbucks. Not that impressive, but I'm not sure what we were expecting. I think the highlight of the day for Bill was the Russian submarine we went to. It was open to the public, and the best thing we did in Seattle. After another "dinner" at McCormick and Schmicks, we went back to the hotel.

Day 15
September 19th 2002
Well, we're off on another long day. But it's worth it. We are now driving along the coast and will be on either highway 101 or 1 for the next few days. Aside from stopping every other minute to take pictures, not much to report. We did stop in to see the end of the Lewis and Clark trail in Seaside, Oregon. We spent the night in this lovely little dump called Four Winds Motel in Depoe Bay, Oregon. We have the pictures to back it up.
Seattle, WA to Depoe Bay, OR

Day 16
September 20th, 2002
We are now spending the day driving to the Redwood forest in California. As with everything on this trip, it is impossible to describe how amazing these redwoods are. Their sizes are just massive. We were able to camp right in the national campground. Bill finally got to light a campfire.
Depoe Bay, OR to Redwood National Park, CA

Day 17
September 21, 2002
Today we headed down the Northern Cal. coast. We drove through several Redwood forest and took a short hike through the trees. Spent the night in a state park near Fort Bragg, CA. Eat dinner at a local place called Jenny's Giant Burger. We had burgers... and a shake.
Redwood NP to Fort Bragg, CA

Day 18
September 22, 2002
Today we are heading down to Dublin, CA, which is east of San Francisco. We are going to visit with friends of Laurie. They were very generous to us. We got to shower (first in 72 hours), rest, eat and shower again.
Fort Bragg to Dublin, CA

Day 19
September 23, 2002
Departed from Dublin around 11:00 am. We needed to get more supplies and food/ice for the cooler. Or destination is San Luis Obispo (SLO). The coast of California was fogged in for the second day. We could hear the ocean but could not see it. The only exception was at sunset. We stopped and watched the sun dip below the Pacific. On arriving in SLO we heeded a tip from a friend and got a tri-tip steak sandwich at a local bar.
Dublin to San Luis Obispo, CA

Day 20
September 24, 2002
Today we spent time driving along the coast before cutting in to see Los Angeles and Muhulland drive-where all the mansions are. We had a little detour and wound up on some dirt road going nowhere. Good ol' GPS system. We had a picnic at one of the viewpoints overlooking the city before heading out for a surprise visit to Bill's brother and family in Las Flores. We spent the night hanging out and went out for a decent meal instead of the soup we were used to.

Day 21
September 25, 2002
We were supposed to leave early to get a head start to Legoland, but instead spent the day bowling and eating pizza with Bill's niece and nephew. Around 2:00 we left for the park only to realize that it isn't for adults and much more money than we thought. So off we went..time to start heading east. We drove thru the California desert, with sand dunes and all only to wind up in what we thought was the armpit of America. The town was called El Centro and was only a few miles from Mexico. Their claim the fame was that Cher was born there, but there isn't much going on except for a few nasty hotels and a Wal-Mart.

Day 22
September 26, 2002
Today we drove to Williams, Arizona. Our goal is to spend the night in Williams and wake up early enough to go the Grand Canyon. The highlight was our stop in Lake Havasu City to see the original London Bridge. Quite out of place it was def. a must see. The story goes... when the city of London auctioned off its 1831 bridge in the late 1960's, developer Robert bought it for $2.5 million, disassembled it into 10,276 granite slabs, transported the 10,000 tons of stone and reassembled it at Lake Havasu City. One of the oddest experiences is seeing this English village in the middle of Arizona! Then it was off to the Grand Canyon Caverns. Lots of stalagmites and other rock formations. Tomorrow we visit the Grand Canyon.

Day 23
September 27, 2002
We woke up early and along with tons of RV'ers and extremely slow drivers, we finally wound up at the Grand Canyon We spent a few hours there and drove to several different viewpoints. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long , roughly 10 miles wide and a mile deep. Between the North and South rims, the South is the most popular of the two, mostly for it's accessibility. Without actually hiking, there is only son much you can do...so, we took our pictures and left by way of Desert View drive the scenic road out of the Grand Canyon. A few hours out we stopped at Crater Monument and then drove along old route 66. Tonight stayed in Gallup NM, had an authentic New Mexican meal and spent the next few hours searching for a place to stay. That's all.

Day 24
September 28, 2002
This morning we headed up to the Four Corners Navajo Tribal Park. Basically, you can put your foot into Arizona, another into New Mexico, a hand into Utah and another into Colorado. It is the only place in the US where four states come together (and all for the low price of $2.50) So we took our pictures and proceeded on. After another one of Bill's great driving adventures thru dirt roads we spent some time at Los Alamos. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to get on any tour, but just walking around and going to the bookstore was interesting. Los Alamos is home to the atomic bomb and is perched atop of a mesa. We spent the night camping in Santa Rosa, NM.

Day 25
September 29, 2002
Today begins our journey into Texas. We are trying to get thru it as quickly as possible, since we have no real interest in going there. But before heading out of New Mexico we went to Roswell, the alien capitol. There is a free UFO museum so we went there. After spending some time looking at martians we were off to Fort Stockton. Not to see anything, just a place to spend the night.

Day 26
September 30, 2002
The only thing we really wanted to see in Texas was the Alamo in San Antonio. The story behind the Alamo is as follows: In the early 18th century, the Spanish constructed five San Antonio-area missions as way stations for colonial expansion. In December 1835, Texan troops captured the Alamo, and occupied and fortified the Alamo throughout the winter. IN 1836, a Mexican General. led 2500 Mexican troops in an attack against it. The Mexican troops pounded the Alamo for 13 days, before retaking it and executing almost all of the surviving defenders. Interesting enough, even if it was as hot as anything. Tonight we are spending the night in West Houston before our long trip to New Orleans---straight for the hurricane!

Day 27
October 01 and 2nd, 2002
We get up early to be able to visit the Tabasco factory on Avery Island in Louisiana before catching the hurricane in New Orleans. The tour was interesting enough, but not as great as the store that sells everything you can imagine with hot sauce in it! Laurie's dream for sure. Then we were off for two nights in New Orleans depending on the weather. We stayed at a cute hotel called Prince Conti, right off of Bourbon St. The hurricane was keeping a lot of people away so we were lucky to get such a great place so close to everything. Well, good thing we had two nights, so that Bill could rest after our night of drinking. We went to several bars and ended the night at Cafe Du Monde for coffee. So far the weather is holding up, but the storm is on it's way. The next day, I (Laurie), went out to explore on my own since Bill was still feeling under the weather from the night before. I went to the market and just explored around the streets until it was time to get Bill for an afternoon of touring. The clouds are starting to roll in, so we are trying to get all of out sightseeing out of the way in case we have to leave sooner than later. We took the trolley to the Garden district and went to see some old cemeteries. Normally this wouldn't be of any interest, but because of how low the city stands, all the bodies are buried above ground in above ground coffins. So different. We finished the night with a nice dinner (no drinking tonight). Because we hear the storm is coming in the morning we plan on leaving at the crack of dawn for 2 nights in Memphis.

Day 28
October 03 and 4th, 2002
We arrive in Memphis and head out for BBQ! We have been holding out this entire trip for decent BBQ. After dinner we walk along Beale St which is famous for blues music. Tomorrow we are off to Graceland. Graceland, which is on Elvis Presley Blvd is a sight to see. The house itself isn't that big, but extremely tacky. The jungle room is everything you can imagine it would be and more. After, we toured around the city and later went out for more BBQ. I think we are all set with BBQ for awhile.

Day 29
October 05, 2002
Before getting to Nashville we stopped in quaint ol' Lynchburg for a free tour of the Jack Daniel's distillery. Even though Lynchburg is a dry town, the fumes alone will make you feel a little woozy. It was fun though and now we are heading on. Tonight we are in Nashville, the country music capitol of the world. After checking into another lovely establishment, we went downtown to walk and explore. Our night ended at the Parthenon, a full-scale plaster reproduction symbolizing Nashville as the "Athens of the South"

Day 30
October 06, 2002
Today is one of our last days of our journey. We drove thru Kentucky and stopped in Louisville at the slugger factory where they make baseball bats. We were both surprised how pretty the state was and wish we had more time. Before heading out, we went to Jim Beam. Not as interesting as Jack Daniels, but we're glad we went. Tonight we are in Charlston WV (the capitol)

Day 31
October 7, 2002
After spending the night in WV--not much to report, we are going home. First we stop for a quick visit with the Mendels before a night of good food and company in Freehold, NJ, to stay with Bill's mom.

Day 32
October 8, 2002
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Day 32