Day Sixty

Austerlitz, NY to Berwick, ME

200 Miles

Sadly our journey has come to an end. 

Here is a breakdown of the entire adventure in numbers:

60 Days

10,000 Miles

4,256 Blog Views

1,428 Gallons of Gas

27 States

13 National Parks and Monuments

8 Time Zones

-10-11,000 Feet in Elevation

Endless memories that will last a lifetime

This truly was a trip of a lifetime. It was extra special to be able to spend the entire trip with my Dad. The trip was a dream of mine that came true.

When we first took off, I had no idea what the country had in store for us. To me it was a complete unknown. I never could have imagined the vastness of the desert, the distance one can see on the flattest of land, the enormity of the Rocky Mountains, the fear a mountain pass can induce namely Wolf Creek Pass, the intensity of color and delicate nature of Bryce Canyon, the beauty of the cliffs on the Pacific Ocean, the enormity of a buffalo herd, the poverty resembling that of third world country, but most of all the power of water.

I’ve grown up and lived near water my entire life. It is something I can’t live without. This trip gave me a new respect for water. In the desert it brings life. A green strip of land will follow an active or surface dry river. Yet, water can bring massive amounts of destruction and death. As we saw in the Big Thompson Canyon and New Orleans. Chills run up your spine when you see a flood search team marking on a house; the date, number of bodies, number of survivors, and water height. It is a circle symbol forever in my mind. All from the beautiful means we rely on for life.

Throughout the entire trip, we only met one couple who was traveling across country as well. They were from California and were taking our Southern route home in the next four weeks. It was fun to share stories and travel notes with them.

One thing I am still stunned by is the lack of recycling in this country. It appears only the Northeast recycles and the National Parks. No where else has single stream recycling or even makes an attempt. There is a massive amount of resources that are wasted each day.

The blog has been a lot of fun for me. Thank you to all who have read and shared the trip with us. Each day I write in a journal as well, just as my Dad did 53 years ago. Reading his experiences and comparing them with mine each day was very special. For now, the two journals will remain together on a shelf until the next journey West.

A

Day Fifty Nine

Stockbridge, MA

Today was an awesome day. As I said before, I was really anxious to explore this area as I had heard so much about it before. The Berkshires were and are a place where many vacation. It is really beautiful.

Norman Rockwell’s Museum was excellent. He truly had a way of capturing everyday moments with humor and exquisite attention to detail. Here are some of my favorites.

A young girl holding a picture of Marilyn Monroe and contemplating her beauty:

A young boy finding Santa’s suit:

Yes, we do get this excited about the first crocus:

Just beautiful:

The trust moved Rockewell’s studio to the museum grounds. It was impressive how immaculate the studio was for all the paintings he did. It was spotless. Overall, it is a really enjoyable museum.

Next was Chesterwood. This was the home of Daniel Chester French, most well known for his sculpture of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. The home was interesting, but his studio the most impressive and was left just the way it was when he died.

These tracks allowed French to move his sculptures outside. This allowed him to see the sculpture in a new light in order further his perfection.

We had lunch at the Red Lion Inn. The Inn was opened in 1773 and was a common stagecoach stop. As many of you know, I collect Wedgewood plates. Mrs. Plumb (the second owner) did as well, and it was so fun too see all the plates she had. She had at least five of the Red Lion Inn scene and I am now on the search for one!

The best way to finish off an amazing day!

It’s very bittersweet, but we are headed home tomorrow.

A

Day Fifty Eight

Day Fifty Eight

Niagara Falls, NY to Austerlitz, NY

328 Miles

It was the right decision to leave Niagara this morning. The rain was heavy at times and lasted most of the day. The drive was easy, but seemed long today. Cornfields must make the time go by faster.

The first sign of home:

Austerlitz, NY is just outside the Massachusetts border. We are about fifteen minutes to Stockbridge. I am excited to explore the town tomorrow!

A

Day Fifty Seven

Huron, Ohio to Niagara Falls, NY

259 Miles

It was an easy drive to Niagara, with only a little hold up in Cleveland due to an accident. Cleveland drivers are comparable to Boston drivers except they don’t use their horns. True city driving.

It is supposed to pour tonight and tomorrow. Dad and I decided we would see Niagara today in the sun to enjoy it. 

I was at Niagara Falls six years ago, and I don’t remember it being nearly as commercialized as it is today. It was $10 to park, walk inside to get a map, ask the best direction to the falls viewpoint and are approached to be sold two different trip packages, and finally get directions to the falls. In order to get to the viewpoint you have to walk through an entire gift shop (2 levels) before being able to continue down the trail. There is a viewing deck to see Horseshoe falls as well. It is a dollar to get onto the deck, and the only way out, you guessed it, is through another gift shop. It is incredible how commercialized the falls have become, but their beauty never changes.

This is the river leading to the falls:

One section of the falls:

Horseshoe falls:

International Bridge:

Tomorrow it's going to pour, so we changed our plans and decided to travel to the edge of Western Massachusetts and Thursday spend the day in Stockbridge and Tanglewood. A surprise addition I am really looking forward to!

A

Day Fifty Six

New Carlisle, IN to Huron, OH

222 Miles

It absolutely poured this morning. We were almost able to hook the Jeep up between the storms. Our drive to Ohio was easy traffic wise and we are really glad that we stayed past Chicago.

The land is still flat, but the crops are slightly more diversified now. Approximately 85% are corn and the remainder is wheat. I never thought I would be so glad to see a wheat field. 

We are back in Eastern Time now, and will be off to Niagara Falls tomorrow.

A