Cross Country Trip Day 6

We crossed through 6 states on our last day of traveling: Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. This was my favorite day of traveling since the end was in sight and we were going through so many different states and cities. We traveled for about 12 hours so it was a long day but we agreed that the best part of the trip was that we didn't have to turn around and go back :) It was a beautiful drive. It was so wonderful to be back in the South and back in country that is completely green and covered in trees.

I didn't take very many pictures today since I drove a lot but I did get some in Alabama. (Mississippi was a lot like it)

Birmingham, Alabama

I also got a picture of Atlanta :)

Finally, our last stop. It took 3000 miles total and 13 states but we made it to South Carolina. As we pulled into the driveway the only thing that crossed my mind was "and on the 7th day they rested" it perfectly describes how we felt on arriving home.

Their really is no place like home :)

Cross Country Trip Day 5

Let me set the stage for you and explain how we were feeling by this point. I was so sick and tired of traveling by this point. I was tired of hotels and cars and I was so sick of living out of a suitcase. So needless to say but this was the hardest day for me personally. I know it was Mike's hardest day simply because it was a 15 hour drive and it was almost 900 miles of driving. We started our journey in New Mexico, then into Texas, then Oklahoma and then Arkansas.

I didn't get any other pictures of Texas since I was driving through half and sleeping the other half but Amarillo was fun to see and it was a pretty place.

So if you don't already know, I was born in Oklahoma and lived there until I was two years old. I don't remember much about it but it was great to go back and see it. I didn't expect Oklahoma to be so green. It was beautiful. Their were rolling hills and emerald green trees. I loved it there until.....we noticed storm clouds on the horizon and a huge line of stopped cars in front of us. It really didn't help that my mom and mike's dad were sending texts like crazy telling us that a huge storm, complete with tornadoes, was heading in our direction and we were stuck in traffic. Anyway, long story short we finally got through Oklahoma City, away from the storm and out of Oklahoma. Not before getting a picture of the Muskogee sign...that's where I was born

"The Natural State" was our last stop today. I was so very happy to be at the hotel. I didn't do very much driving today since I was scared of the storm and you don't want a nervous person behind the wheel. All I could think about when we got to the hotel and I was trying to sleep was that we only had 800 miles to go.

Cross Country Trip Day 4

(When we left Las Vegas it was the third day of our journey...the first three days were getting us from Rexburg to Vegas.) After we left Las Vegas, Stacey, Mike and I began the 2,300 mile journey to Ladson. The first day we went to Albuquerque, NM. The first day was about 10 hours of driving and the three of us rotated drivers every 2 hours. The backseat of the car quickly became the place you go to sleep and rest. It was a beautiful drive through Arizona and New Mexico (and a little of Nevada). It was great to see a new part of the country for me. We began our journey in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We decided to go to the Hoover Dam while we were in Nevada. It was extremely impressive to see. It was so much bigger than I thought it would be but it was awesome. We go to drive across it and we also drove across the bridge above it.

After Nevada, we entered Arizona, the centennial state.

While we were in Arizona we decided to stop at the Grand Canyon. I was so excited to see this! It was totally worth the extra time it added to our trip! The canyon is 10 miles across and is 1 mile deep and it is beautiful! It looks like a painting and doesn't look real no matter how long you stare at it but if you ever get the opportunity to go then take it! Its awesome!

Our last state that day was New Mexico----The Land of Enchantment

I wish that we could have spent more time sightseeing in Albuquerque. It seems like a great city and I think it would've been a lot of fun to explore but I guess we'll have to go back someday. Anyway, when we stopped that night we were exhausted. Stacey went to McDonalds and Mike and I got fried chicken at Walmart. After dinner, we went down to the hot tub and relaxed. Then we fell asleep for some much needed rest before the long day ahead of us.

Viva Las Vegas

Mike's family recently moved to Las Vegas. So Mike and I decided that we would make a stop in Vegas on our way across the country. It was just a few hour detour and definitely worth it. Mike and I had never been to Vegas before so we were pretty excited. I had been told prior to our trip that the strip was an "interesting and crazy" place to say the least. Let me start off by saying that Las Vegas is a nice place as long as you're not on the strip. The people were very friendly and its beautiful and warm (which after rexburg was a welcome change). The temple is beautiful and it was great to see the city. Our first stop was to visit Mike's grandparents. It was great to see them and spend time with them.

We also went to the temple with Mike's mom and his sister Stacey. It's beautiful and we had an awesome view of everything from up there.

Now to the Strip...the place people think of when they hear 'Las Vegas'. We went once at night to experience it all lit up and once during the day. It was almost like going to two different places but I did enjoy it more during the day than at night. We walked the strip pretty late at night and I have never felt more out of place. While the Bellagio fountains were impressive and so were the lights, I didn't like the overall atmosphere. I can see why people don't go to the strip unless they're tourists or with tourists.

The stratosphere

The Excalibur

Mike on the Brooklyn Bridge

Huge chocolate fountain :) (Can you tell that its after midnight and I'm exhausted?)

Doug, Stacey and Mike at the Bellagio

Inside the Bellagio

All in all we had a lot fun and it was great to finally be able to say that I had been to Las Vegas. We enjoyed spending time with Mike's family too. Hopefully we can be back to visit soon.