The Last Post

7.5 weeks.  12,274.5 miles. 31 states driven through.  21 states explored. Too many adventures and memories to count. This has been a summer for the books. One we will always remember and talk about. 

For those of you wondering why this space does not hold a picture of the odometer showing 12,274.5 miles it's because it resets to zero at 6,000. This was the most devastating discovery.

This is the last post in Snapshot of America. This adventure has come to an end. Thanks to all our followers. All the likes, comments, phone calls, and texts along the way. Thanks for the prayers for safe travels. We hope you enjoyed traveling with us!! And if you're ever in the market for a Chevy Impala, talk to us. We can give you an extensive review. 

We thought this last blog could be a reflection of sorts. Here are our final thoughts. 

From Mindy with a y:

I've tried to think of words to describe this trip. I'm having a hard time. We have seen so much. We have done so much. We have laughed, cried, made new friends, and tested ourselves. I can tell you that God's fingerprints are all over this country. There are some majestic sights in America. I encourage you to take a different vacation the next time you decide to get away. Go somewhere new. Explore this glorious country you live in. 

Everyone has called this the trip of a lifetime. That sounds so final to me. Like there can only be one great trip in a lifetime. Alaska was a trip of a lifetime. The trips to Europe were trips of a lifetime. Australia? Trip of a lifetime. You see, there are lots of trips. Lots of life to live. This trip...I don't want it to be 'the' trip of a lifetime. I want it to fuel even more trips during my lifetime. 

Mindi, your 'mid-life crisis in your thirties' brought an incredible adventure. I can't wait to see what your mid-life crisis in your mid-life brings! Count me in whatever it is!!

As I've traveled around I've found many jobs I would like to have when I grow up. In no particular order they are; park ranger, own a bed and breakfast, operate the Storyland ride at Disneyland, own a campground, rent kayaks at a lake. Until then, I will work at Simmons Elementary. 

From Mindi with an i:

I joke that I have had a mid-life crisis and this was the reason for the road trip. Obviously, Mindy thinks so :). I guess it's true to some extent. To be honest, I'm pretty happy with my life. I have Jesus, a supportive family, and fabulous friends. Not many people can say that their family said "go for it" when I said I'm quitting my job and going to travel. Plus, who has a friend like Mindy Logan who agrees to take her whole summer to travel the road with me! Especially when she is going to be the new librarian! Who needs more than this? 

The trip came to be because I came to a point in my life where I was not happy with my job/career. Think about it. A person spends most of their waking hours working at their job. And if you're not happy, it becomes pretty miserable. So I decided to change that and said "WHY NOT!" So here I am pretty much two months later giving my reflection.

So you wonder if I have figured out my life or had an epiphany. Well, I have a few ideas! Rootbeer, biscuits, boutique, and even speech-language therapy come to mind. It's ever changing! But I feel everyone's evolving, trying to figure themselves out on different levels. Not because of being unhappy, but for the yearning of passion for something. Whatever that may be. This makes me think of a young man I saw at the zoo. I'm assuming he has autism, just by observing some unique characteristics. He continuously walked back and forth on a pathway picking up leaves and throwing them up in the air. He just smiled and laughed. He was happy. It was simple. 

This trip made my life simple. This trip made me even happier! So thank you for joining us on one of life's adventures.

We will leave you with this last thought. :)

Until the next adventure...

Being Kids Again

Connecticut was a drive through state. NYC was beckoning our early arrival. But then we found this. 

  

The PEZ Factory. So many dispensers! So many tiny artificial sugar rectangles! So much fun! I bet you didn't know that PEZ tablets began in Austria as breath mints for adults and were used to help people stop smoking. The name PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint, pefferminz. The P from the beginning, E from the middle, and Z from the end. I know you are glad you know that now. Of course we have PEZ dispensers in the back seat. I like those artificial strawberry candies. 

Two things that do not make a good combination are New York City and road construction. After what felt like forever, we made it to our hotel. Great location. Close to Central Park. Close to a subway station. Good price. European feel. And by that I mean we stayed in a shoebox. We have this same hallway picture from Ireland. No wasted space here. Just the necessities. Which, in NYC, is all you need anyway. 

New York City never gets old. It's one of my favorite cities. We began our short stay in the city with a bike tour of Central Park. Just so you are aware, Central Park is not flat! Our two hour journey led by the cutest man from the Dominican Republic left our legs tired! All that pedaling deserved a yummy dinner. Straight to Shake Shack we headed. This was our first time. Oh. My. Goodness...Best. Hamburger. Ever. Add fries and a chocolate shake and it becomes the perfect meal. 

A visit to Times Square is always a must. After breakfast from the street corner cart, we went to Toys R Us. Here you will find the best Ferris wheel of all time. Wondering what car you will end up in is excitement in itself. We landed in My Little Pony. We relived childhood play dates while going round and round. After some shopping we stumbled across a Times Square icon. He's been standing in the same place for years! Good to know The Naked Cowboy is still going strong. 

I find museums fascinating. Some are interesting. Some intriguing. And some leave you emotionally drained. I always leave the Holocaust Museum feeling drained. Too many emotions to process. The National September 11 Memorial Museum was one of these emotional museums. But it was worse. I think it was because we lived it. We remember. We couldn't tear ourselves away from those same images and stories on our televisions. The museum is a beautiful tribute to the lives lost. To the events of that day. To our country.  Having just opened fully, this was our first time visiting. We will go back. There was still much to experience and take in. 

Our time in NYC ended with a Broadway show. Once. A great love story with great music! We loved it. After dessert at Serendipity, a favorite, we said farewell until next time. And now that we have successfully biked and driven the streets of New York City, we are pretty sure we can conquer the world. 

Pennslyvania brought all sorts of entertainment!  We started at Yuengling, America's Oldest Brewery. This stop was especially for Brittany Ehrlich...she's the reason I know this beer even exists. It was probably the most interesting brewery tour we've been on. Since it's been around since 1829, there is a lot to learn. There are caves dug underneath that acted as storage before refrigeration. Among these caves are brick walls built by the government during prohibition. Apparently this didn't stop the Yuengljng family and the day prohibition ended, a truckload of beer was shipped out. 

When I was little, I loved Mr. Rogers. My favorite episode was when he took me to the Crayola Factory. I can vividly remember every detail. I have been beyond excited since realizing this very factory was on our route. Off to Crayola we went!  It's not exactly a tour of the factory. They have a demonstration of the crayon making process. However, it was just like I remembered. Same machines. Same steps. I wasn't entirely disappointed! We also had loads of fun being artists with all the kids! We made all sorts of fun things!!

It was a very artsy day! But the best part was the make your own coloring sheet. Mindi and I went on a cruise once. On formal night we thought we would humor the picture people. Why yes, we would love to pose for your photo session. We recreated our picture on a coloring sheet. The middle couple pose is straight from the Caribbean. :)

A little chocolate was next up. Hershey's Chocolate World. A Disney like ride takes you through the candy making process. But the best part was the create your own candy bar. You pick your base and add ins then watch it go down the assembly line. While it's in the cooling tank, you create your custom wrapper. Super fun!!

 

They also have a Hershey Kiss vending machine. Great invention. 

As we were leaving Hershey Mindi says, "The car stopped working." I reply with a "What?!"  "The car, it's not working anymore." she says. We pulled over and gave her a little rest. She started right back up with no problems. I think Pauley will be ready for retirement when we are finished with her. 

From Hershey we headed to Amish Country. After a yummy lunch we took a buggy tour out to an Amish farm. The Amish truly live fascinating lives. Sometimes I think it wouldn't be so bad. 

Gettysburg. The turning point of the Civil War. The location of a speech still talked about today. A sweet town rich in history. We toured the battlefield. We paid our respects to the fallen soldiers just as Lincoln did in his address. We marveled at the buildings in the town, many still with bullet holes in their structures. We walked the streets at night looking for ghosts while hearing tales of their existence. 

We also stumbled across a restaurant that causes you to choose sides with your burger order and encourages your inner child with a fresh pack of crayons.  Crayola, of course. 

Bohemian Rasphody has come on the radio twice. I wish you could experience this. We put on an epic performance.