Cross Country Trip - after Christmas

New Year's Eve morning we loaded into
2 cars and a 26ft. moving truck and started our cross country trip.
In the van we had Jade, Mayci, Kanyon and Will, Grandma and Heidi,
Leisa is driving her car and
Grandpa is driving the moving truck, towing another car.

We traveled through the cold, windy canyons of Utah...

across Wyoming with below zero temperatures...

the kids entertained each other, watched videos,
colored, ate snacks, played with Grandma, fed Kanyon bottles,
and took naps - we took multiple potty breaks.
At one point Heidi had to crawl in the back to help Kanyon
get out of his car seat and then he was fine again!

into Colorado

where we stopped for the night in Denver.

Dealing with snow and parking by the hotel
in the dark in downtown Denver was a challenge.
We ate pizza in our 2 hotel rooms and all fell asleep.

New Year's Day, bright and early
driving across Colorado.

Wes driving the truck, towing the extra car with
Leisa following in her car going about 60mph.
Heidi and I driving 75mph or so.  We would pass everyone
then stop for potty breaks and stretching, then catch up and
pass again only to have to stop again for the kids.  :)

 

we had great weather and great road conditions
other than going into Denver

Into Kansas!

all the way across Kansas...

and after another long day of driving we made it to
Ft. Riley and Heidi & Sam's house!
We spent the night and part of the next day relaxing
but left after lunch to continue our trip.
Now it is just Leisa, Will, Wes and I driving...

 

through Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri
(tough freeway interchange)



into Missouri



It was fun checking out all the new sights across Missouri.

We stopped for dinner at Cheddars just as it started to rain
in Columbia, Missouri.

January 2nd - leaving Missouri

crossing the Mississippi River

into Illinois.
 We drove around St. Louis and then all the way
across Illinois...

it rained off and on most of the day

 

crossing the Wabash River into Indiana

the trees were interesting -it's winter and the trees have lost their leaves -
but amidst the dark trunks were smaller trees
with light colored leaves still on them.

I thought they were really pretty.

We finally reached Indianapolis, Indiana
and our hotel for the night (where parking again was difficult).
Dale flew in,
after working out of Washington D.C. all week,
and met us at the hotel.

 

January 4, 2015
We left Indianapolis, Indiana early in the morning -
driving right past Lucas Oil Stadium where Doug's team the COLTS
were playing later that day.

into and through Ohio

 

Columbus, Ohio

crossing the Ohio River into Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia was a cool little town.

we drove through West Virginia (it was only about 15 miles)
into Pennsylvania ( approx. 55 miles)
back into West Virginia.

into Maryland

Leisa and I have been playing the license plate game.
We saw ALL 50 states plus Washington D.C.'s!
AMAZING!
(We got Hawaii finally in West Virginia)

driving through the hills of the
Appalachian Mountains

Cumberland, Maryland

crossing the Potomac River

 

back into West Virginia only about 23 miles



then, finally, into Virginia!

Potomac River

10 miles into Virginia we arrived at
Dale & Leisa's new home in
Winchester, Virginia

 

we went for a walk in "Old Town"
It was SO bitterly COLD
(I have a hard time describing it)

George Washington's canon

George Washington's Office

Will helping to make hot chocolate after our walk!

On the way to the airport to fly home we passed
Arlington Cemetery

Reagan International Airport
Washington D.C.

the Washington Monument in the distance

January 8, 2015

flying right past the Washington Monument



and right beside the Pentagon

layover in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Pennsylvania to Salt Lake City and back home.
It was a great adventure!