Event Coverage UPDATED WITH PHOTOS! Going For Broke...50 day Cross-Country Road Trip Family Style

Posted up in Lombard, IL for the rest of the week. Anyone in the area with a jack, stands, and tools that would be available to spend a couple hours with me repacking my front wheel bearings this week? Feel free to text me (805) 354-4846 or send me a PM.

 

Just now seeing this thread. Love your road trip stories. God Speed!!!

 

I am feeling your pain I lost an axle in Bowling green last Thursday at the Hot Rod Reunion. there links to the pics in the thread that is linked to my signature.

 

Subscribed , will hold you up in prayer for a safe trip with no more car problems .

 

So I have class in Lombard for a week and as I pull into the school parking lot I had a tire go flat making me 20 minutes late for class! Kinda funny!

 

Goodness gracious ... Never fails does it ?? Good luck with class.

 

Day 5: Bryce Canyon, Utah to Fruita, CO (330 miles)
Before you all give me crap saying we were driving to much and not enjoying the sights, I need to explain that I had to make it to Chicago by Sunday June 22nd for a one week class for my doctoral program. Since we goofed off and enjoyed Utah, we were in a bit of a rush now to make up some miles and get to Chicago!

Day 5 was by far my favorite day of driving on the trip so far. We drove beautiful 2 lane highways for the majority of the day! Rather than jump on the interstate we cruised Highway 62 to Highway 24 before meeting up with the interstate for the final jaunt into Colorado. We drove though such a variety of microclimates it was fascinating, from beautiful green farm land to areas that looked like the surface of the moon (they were filming a movie and I bet it is a space movie)!

We camped at James M. Robb State Park on the Colorado River! After setting up our tent (which I will highlight one of these days since it is so easy to set up and has saved a lot of marital strife in the process) the kids and I headed over to the campground lake where they each proceeded to catch 20 blue gill each. Kenna then brought us Taco Bell for dinner to eat while fishing. After a beautiful late night sunset we hit the tent after a long day of driving.

Nothing like peeing wherever when no one is around!



A little rest stop baseball!

Lots of roadwork through Utah, so we got a chance to let the engine rest.

Pee Break!


Gotta Mail Postcards home to family and friends!





Kenna found the first open Thrift Store in Green River Utah!

Colorado greeted us with the first rain of the trip!




The Wagon Posing next to the Colorado River!

 

Day 6: Fruita, CO to Ogallala, NE (470 miles)

Before heading East, we spent the morning visiting my uncle’s old ranch in Loma, Colorado. Every summer as a kid my family would spend a couple weeks at “Loma Ranch” pretending we were cowboys. I had to go and show my kids all the wonderful places I remembered from my childhood. After that, we hit up a great thrift store in Fruita, where I made the foolish decision to buy Cormac a Recorder. (I am sure Kenna is going to blog about my stupidity)!

My Uncles old Ranch!



The old Loma School next door to his property.



Overview of his ranch.



I used to ride horses to this general store to buy candy!



Downtown Fruita





It seemed like a good idea at the time!




“That John Denver is full of $h!t”


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Dinner at Casa Bonita in Denver thanks to the suggestion of a Hamber! If you have not been here do it! So much fun!


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Go Dodgers!


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AAfter dinner we pressed on East since the kids fell asleep! Since it was nearing 12am I decided we would rent a motel room for the night as a “morale booster.” Word to the wise, don’t think it will be easy to find a hotel room on father’s day week near a prison! We had to drive 100 miles farther than we wanted to because all the hotels in Sterling, Co were booked! Today was a long day of driving, but after crossing over the Rockies, I felt like the wagon got a second wind in flat Eastern Colorado.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post the updates. It is great to go along on the ride!

 

GREAT THREAD I AM ENVIOUS

 

Loving the coverage. You have another follower.

 

When I look at your pictures I can't help but start singing "America the beautiful" in my mind. It's just like the intermission video at the drive in!
@ 1:00 mark


Where are you stopping in Columbus Ohio?

 

I'm subscribed to the thread. Thanks for posting the pictures and the updates. I'm glad to be riding along with you.

 

Looks like you guys are having a ball,I can imagine the recounting of the epic tale sitting at the holiday table in years to come when your children are married with kids of their own and the amazing clarity of details will astound you all. HRP

 

Family Road Trip, old style ! This is nice!

 

This trip around the country looks like a blast. On Monday the 29th you're going to pass within half a mile of our house in Kentucky when you're driving from Columbus to Nashville. Since it should be around lunch time would you like to stop by for a free meal? My wife said she would make some grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches and we have plenty of chips, yogurt, diet sodas and milk for everyone too. We're at exit 17 of I-71 (Buckner) just before you get to Louisville. You can email me at [email protected] for my address and phone number. My name is Dave. Please let me know either way. Thanks and good luck....

 

KQQL Jesture Lebowski.,
And does this guy relieve himself enuf ? Just kiddin.
Great trip to follow.

 

Day 7: Ogallala, NE to Kearney, NE (178 Miles)
Sleeping in a bed spoiled us! We didn't wake up until 9am to hurry down to our free hot breakfast, and then we hit the pool for a few hours! After the pool, we ate lunch, checked out the swolen Platte River, and then we headed east. We thought we were going to stay at Pioneer Village, but that place is an abandoned relic of the 50's, no overwhelmed with tweakers, It felt like we could be murdered and our bodies hidden in an abandoned hotel room. After a few quick photos, we ended up at a KOA 60 miles down the road.

Making up for the money spent on the hotel with some PB&J


A Pony Express Station in Guthenburg, NE


Most of West and Central Nebraska looked like this.

 

We love a good road trip here at ACME and this is a GOOD ROAD TRIP! I am sure that this trip will be life changing and will make an imprint on each of you and will become part of the fabric of your family. It really warms my heart to follow allong. Please keep us "posted".

 

Day 8: Kearney NE, to Arrowhead Lake, Iowa (210 miles)
After breakfast in camp, we decided to hit the road to try to make it to the College World Series in Omaha by 2:00. We made it to TD Ameritrade Stadium around 2:20, and Cormac and I caught a game while the girls visited the Omaha Children's Museum. After the game we stumbled upon an amazing old biker style bar in Council Bluffs, Iowa. We ate pizza, chatted with the locals, and then they turned on the disco ball for us and the four of us tore up the dance floor for over an hour. It was one of the highlights of the trip, and I even scored a new Sugar's Bar muscle t-shirt! Stoked! Since we crossed a time zone, the sun wasn't setting until after nine, so we spent the evening fishing and setting up camp at a wonderful little lake called Arrowhead Park. It was one of the best campgrounds of the trip and only cost $10.


Lighting up the dance floor!



The view from our campsite.

 

Day 9: Arrowhead Park, IA to Iowa City, IA (225 miles)
I needed to make it to class in Chicago by the 21st, so we had some miles to pull off! After a morning of fishing and peddle boating, we hit the road! After a little more than an hour of driving the kids said they were hungry. As I pulled off the Highway in Walnut, IA we stumbled upon a once a year antique festival! This town is actually called Antique City! Over a mile long and 3 city blocks wide, we ended up hanging out for close to 4 hours. We ate homeade ice cream, the kids played in the amazing splash park, and Kenna searched for a good deal (only a baby doll for birdies birthday was to be had.)
Around 4 we decided we needed to get back on the road. This where things got interesting for a couple of Californians. First off, a friend of ours saw we were in Iowa and told us we could probably stay with her sister and brother in law who had just moved to Iowa City the week before. I made a phone call and boom! We had a place to stay and they were going to have dinner ready for us! This was perfect and a major Budget Win! We were 2 hours away. Just east of Des Moines, my phone started sending me alerts that there was a tornado warning in the area. The sky looked gnarly, and there was a tone of lightening in the distance. It started to worry me a bit. We decided to call our friends in Iowa City and ask what we should do! Now why I thought people who moved from California a week before would have a suggestion was beyond me. Realizing this was the blind leading the blind, I opted to call a photographer friend who is a tornado chaser. He asked me to drop a pin and send him my location. His reply was "You better put the pedal to the metal!" I replied "Why?" He answered, "You're about to get mowed over!" I quickly exited the highway at a truckstop and found a trucker coming from the east. I explained that I am a clueless Californian who had no clue what to do! After laughing at me and checking out my wagon, he assured me that I would have no problem making it to Iowa City as I was about 75 miles east of the the storm. About this time Cormac woke up, and we all enjoyed the free light show all the way to our friends house. We arrived, ate Olive Garden to go, caught lightening bugs, the kids enjoyed having other kids to play with, and then we crashed in a bed for the second time in 4 days. We must be getting soft!








Uh Oh!


Safe and fed!

 

I'm really enjoying the updates and all the pics (love the cannonball action shot of the kids at the pool - you got it perfect !) . Keeping you guys in my thoughts for a super-safe trip .

 

Day 10: Happy Father's Day! Iowa City, IA to Naperville, Il (197 miles)
Since it was a Sunday, we decided to go to church before making our final jaunt into Illinois. After church we went to Applebee's and used a gift card for lunch. Kenna is an event planner, so holiday and celebrations are a big deal. I got a rad new pair of trunks and my Sugar's muscle T-shirt!
After lunch we headed east, and arrived Naperville right around dinner time. What else for dinner but Deep Dish Pizza? We went to Giordano's, met up with a friend, and watched the Dodgers vs. Giants game (for those in Los Angeles you know how annoying the whole Dodgers blackout is.)
Thanks to the power of social media, my wife reconnected with a friend from High School who was generous enough to host our family for 5 nights while I attended class! Not only that, they cleared out a parking space in their garage so the wagon would not be out in the weather!
The first 300 miles of the trip started off ugly with the axle problem, but the next 2,000 miles were rather uneventful. I do have to say with the extreme heat for this first portion of the drive, I am incredibly thankful for the oil Driven Racing Oil (http://www.drivenracingoil.com/ ) provided for the trip. There is peace of mind knowing that their is oil in the engine that can handle the extreme 100+ temperatures.

Crossed the Mississippi!


We made it!!!

Dodger Baseball on Television? WHat?

 

I'm enjoying your trip. Thanks for taking us all along.
Pat

 

Day 11-14 Chicagoland

Oh the irony. I drive 2,500 miles and then I literally get a flat tire as I pull into my schools parking lot for the first day of class! Of course I didn't check to see if my jack would fit under the car when the tire was flat. Thankfully Kenna knows here way around a AAA card, and since we have a bunch of tows left, she told me to get to class and she would figure it out. Turns out the valve stem tore, and the Discount Tire fixed it for free! After class the first day I headed to the Harbor Freight and picked up a $29 jack to use for the rest of the trip. (I know it is junk I am only keeping it in the car for an emergency on this trip)

How perfect is it that the Dodgers were playing the Cubs while we were in town! We took a bus to Wrigley decked out in our Dodger gear to cheer on the boys in blue! Unfortunately they lost in 10 innings.


After your butt has been in a seat for 10 days and 2,500 miles, a nice 5 day break from driving served the whole family well! It reenergized the whole family. The kids loved getting to go to parks, play, visit downtown Chicago and their wonderful children's museum, and go to the Lego Store. After Chicago, we have another 9 days until we have to be anywhere, so this middle part of our trip will involve more time with friends, more sightseeing, and less days on the road. I am sure the wagon's and our rear ends will appreciate the break!

 

Day 15: Naperville, IL to Springboro, OH (330 miles)
Class was over at noon, and after filling up with gas we hit the road. A word to the wise, carry a lot of quarters and dollar bills in Chicago because the toll roads add up fast! You would think for all the money we paid the roads would be smooth as glass!
About 25 minutes into Indiana it started to rain. I called a friend who was 2 hours ahead of us on the road and asked him how the weather was near Indianapolis and he answered "Monsoon!" The farther south we went the heavier the rain got. The combination of rain, big rig spray, and huge pot holes on I-65 made the drive rather scary! We had been warned by some HAMBERS earlier in this thread that the roads in south Indiana can be downright awful, so we opted to take 2 lane highways across the middle of Indiana. We got off in Frankfort, topped off with gas, and then drove highway 38 all the way across central Indiana. At first this seemed like a bad idea as the rain was coming down so quickly that the road had a lot of sections it was flooded on the sides. As we approached Sheridan, Indiana I had decided we needed to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up, but just as we reached town the rain stopped and there was some blue sky ahead. We enjoyed the next 3 hours cruising beautiful Amish Country (though we saw no buggies because of the rain I assume) driving through beautiful old midwest towns. We met up with interstate 70 and made the final jaunt into Springboro arriving in time for a late dinner! The kids were excited because our friends have 3 boys under the age of 7, and more LEGOs than they have ever seen.


Central Indiana Goodwill!


Ohio!!!


Not only do they give us a bed, they also gave the wagon a spot in the garage next to their 55 chevy truck!

 

Day 16: Hanging out in Springboro, Ohio
Today was a lazy day catching up with old friends! We did sneak out and visit the Wright Brother museum. It was pretty interesting to see a replica of their "B" flyer plane. I guess they usually fly it but the weather was pretty bad today so they were keeping it in the hanger.






After lunch our friends took us over to their parents house. Their dad has a rather impressive shop and collection of old Chevys.
64 Impala


57 Corvette with a Z28 302 that he painted Candy Apple Red in the late 70's. He plans on doing a frame off restoration, but i tried to convince him to drive to snot out of it as it is.

Frame and engine for his 63 Corvette Split Window!'

Anyone ever been to this show?



After hanging out for an hour or two, when we got ready to leave they told us about this "Spaceship House" around the corner in Carlisle, Oh. I had to back the wagon down the driveway for a picture. I couldn't help but think that the 59 chevy design looked right at home in front of this space age bachelor pad.

 

Awesome, totally awesome!

 

What an unreal trip....Can`t Thank You enough for taking us along...

 

Thanks for catching us up on your family's adventure. Some great places you've visited are now on our list when my wife and I head over to the US in August.
My son and his girlfriend left on their own road-trip to Melbourne on Friday morning. Perth to Adelaide in nearly 3 days. That's 1700 miles.
Over here in Oz, with very few people outside the big cities, not so many people cleaning up the roadkill. On Saturday morning from Balladonia (pop 20) to Madura (pop less than Balladonia) - an easy 200 miles, they saw 157 dead animals mowed down by trucks and cars. Lots of kangaroos and emus (which can weigh up to 200lb and do a LOT of damage). You don't drive at night in the outback or you WILL hit one.



Anyway, safe journey and keep updating us on your trip. So much fun.
Cheers.