In denial...

The girls don't head back to school until September 3rd, but I'm crazy busy with my new semester start-up at my University, so I decided to give my blog an "academic" makeover.

The leather bag of marbles is from my childhood.  I love gathering bits and pieces of my personal collection to make my monthly blog headers.  I'm totally in denial that summer is nearly over.  

Wasn't it just June?

Weren't we just on vacation at the Wigwam motel on Route 66?

 

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

We put in a long day of driving on Friday and made it home in time to sleep in our own beds. 

Penny was very glad to have Chris back in his favorite chair.

Total miles put on the van  = 4,236

Order of states driven through in 13 days = MI, IN, IL, MO, TN, AK, OK, TX, NM, AZ, (4 corners UT, CO, AZ, NM), CO, NE, IA, IL, IN and MI.

This road trip far exceeded everyone's expectations (especially our 15 year old).

Exactly 30 years ago, my parents had done a similar trip when I was Emma's age.  However, in 1983 smart phones didn't exist. Neither did portable dvd players, Or, instagrams.  Or texting. Or facetime.  Or vines for sharing videos. I was completely cut off from 15 year old friends.  My sister and I drove each other crazy in the  backseat of my parent's Buick sedan.  

In 1983, I made a scrapbook of our family's road trip vacation and have held onto it all these years.

Although we used quite a bit of technology to record our trip, I also brought along a 3 ring binder with plastic sleeves.  In the binder were our daily driving routes (which included how many hours we would be in the van each day), along with our motel reservations/addresses, and some suggested sights to see along the way.   The notebook was used to keep us organized, and it also helped the girls see visually how far we were traveling each day. 

 As we picked up postcards and paper souvenirs along the way, I slid them into the plastic sleeve for that day of traveling.

As you probably guessed,  I'm planning on helping the girls put together their own scrapbooks later this summer of our trip.

In our addition to our reference book,  EZ66 Guide for Travelers, we also used the Roadside American App on Chris's cell phone to find additional roadside attractions.  

My goal was to find at least one kitschy photo-worthy stop in each state. 

Despite the 107 heat, some of my favorite memories were around the Holbrook AZ area.  

 


If I would have had more time off from work, Chris and I would have liked to complete the entire Route 66 journey all the way to CA.

I can't say enough about the Junior Park Ranger program.  

Josie loved earning badges and learning more about our national parks.

Emma did a fabulous job driving...especially in Oklahoma city under rush hour traffic and construction zones.

The United States is such a beautiful country. 

I am happy to report that we were with each other 24 hours a day for 13 days and survived.  

The girls were troopers with time zone changes and hundreds of miles logged every day in the car.

It was definitely a family trip of a lifetime. 

Wonderful Wigwam Motel...

When Chris and I plotted this trip out West, we were determined to take in as much of the Route 66 as we could.  One of our favorite reference guides has been the Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers, 2nd Edition  written by Jerry McClanahan.

 The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook AZ totally lived up to my kitschy standards. 

It has been one of  our most memorable motels on our Route 66 tour.

 The Wigwam Motel is owned by the original family since they were built in 1950.

Look how cozy our wigwam looks at night!!

 They are bigger on the inside than they look and feature the original furniture.

 Many of the family's personal cars are parked around the motel and add a 50's feel. A definite photo opportunity even if you don't spend the night. In case you are wondering, we paid with taxes $64 for a family of four. Well worth every dollar.  Yes.  It had A/C.
 
Here is a short video tour of the wigwam for our family back home.  Enjoy!

Getting our kicks on Route 66!

 

We've traveled another 660+ miles since my last post.  

If you have any reason to be in Clinton OK, their Route 66 Museum is fabulous. 

Since Memphis, we've made our way through AR, OK, TX and we're now in New Mexico. 

 A few of my favorite photos from stops along the way.

Big Texan Steak House in Amarillo TX

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo TX

Cherokee Trading Post in Calumet OK

Indian Muffler Man in Calumet OK.

The buffaloes were also at this trading store.  Their prices were great. 

Cactus Inn McClean TX

Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari, NM

Mural also in Tucumcari NM.

Old Town in Albuquerque NM

Old Town in Albuquerque NM


It's been extremely hot (the van has been showing 105 on average).

A less expensive version of this headdress is now with us.  It was found at Clines Corners in NM.  We're now on our way to AZ to stay in the Wigwam Motel Thursday night. More heat and adventures await!