Transcontinental Adventure

In early July, I sent 3 boxes west and soon hit the road myself. With Malibu packed comfortably full and about 2,500 miles of road ahead, I was ready for some transcontinental adventure...

• Thursday: Alexandria, VA to Newark, NJ (4 hours) - Picked up Mom from the airport, then drove to Cortland, NY (4 hours)

Leaving around 1:30 pm, I was about an hour behind my desired departure time. I had my third and final box to mail in the front seat, and I decided to go to the Arlington/Pentagon City post office. That way I had one last goodbye to my favorite neighborhoods. I admittedly cried as I drove along the Potomac with DC across the river and my favorite running trail along side George Washington Parkway. I am grateful for the memories and inspirations that came in that neighborhood and along that trail. Running, cycling, and walking, with friend and solo, in the sun, rain and snow, long distances and short. No regrets, only gratitude.

Day-end Total: 8.0 hrs

Goodbye Manhattan (from a distance)

• Friday: Cortland, NY to Palmyra, NY (2 hours) - Hill Cumorah, Palmyra Temple, Sacred Grove and Smith Farm, and the evening pageant.

• Then to W. Henrietta, NY (45 min)

Day-end Total: 2.75 hrs

Smith Family Farmhouse

Sacred Grove (rainy day)

• Saturday: W. Henrietta, NY to Niagara Falls (2 hours) - Maid of the Mist

then to Kirtland, OH (3 hrs) - N.K. Whitney Store and Kirtland Temple

Kirtland to Toledo, OH (2:30 hrs)

Day-end Total: 7.5 hrs

This was the schoolhouse for children in Kirtland!

We arrived at the church visitor's center just in time to join a group for a tour of the store!

(Was the) Kirtland Temple

• Sunday: Toledo, OH to DesMoines, IA (9:30 hrs) - dinner with Shelley and Nick Thompson
• Then Des Moines, IA to Omaha, NE (2 hrs)

Day-end Total: 11.5 hrs

Beautiful Fields in Iowa

Iowa State Capitol (vote #2 most beautiful in the nation!)

• Monday: Omaha, NE to Rock Springs, WY (11:30 hrs) - IA/NE bridge run, Winter Quarters Temple, Visitor Center and Cemetery

Day-end Total: 11.5 hrs

Joseph Hyrum Skeen (2 yrs old) was buried in this cemetery

Winter Quarters, NE Temple

• Tuesday: Rock Springs, WY to Pleasant Grove, UT (3.5 hrs)

Day-end Total: 3.5 hrs

Welcome to the west!

Welcome to Utah

TOTAL Driving Hours: 44.75 hours = great Mom time