Driving Across the United States - part 4

The next morning, feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep and a big fat cup of coffee, Steve checked out the weather report for the last leg of the trip. According to his online research, he discovered that there would be some difficult conditions from central Iowa all the way into Minnesota. Undaunted by this, Steve recommended they continue on their way in order that they might finish this drive and reach America's most German little town - New Ulm, MN.

Thanks were expressed to the friends for providing a warm couch and loveseat and the Coronas were on the road again. The roads were as clear as freshly cleaned glass; not so much as a strong wind to deter them. Approaching Iowa City, a highway sign warned of severe winter weather in central Iowa (right where they were headed). But Steve, determined as a bear is to get honey, stubbornly pressed on - even though Bridgett's uncle lives just outside Iowa City and would have gladly let the two spend the night to wait out the storm. A short distance north of good old Ames, the sun was just setting on the horizon when the winds picked up and began blowing snow off the fields and across the interstate. It got so bad at times that it was impossible to see more than ten feet in front of the car. Steve also noticed that on either side of the road, ice had formed close to the line and sometimes into the lane. This made him nervous, knowing that if he hit that ice going his current speed, very bad things could happen. And to make matters worse, the sides of the highway looked like automobile graveyards with more than the usual amount of vehicles buried in snow and parked in the ditches. Steve's tenacity won out over his fear and he followed as close as safely possible behind a semi and used the red lights as a guide to help him through this treacherous blizzard.

After hours of battling the blizzard with sporadic shouts of "bring it on!!!" Steve had made it to Minnesota. The roads were still covered in snow, but the wind had died down. The rest of the trip was calm in comparison to Iowa, and they arrived in New Ulm that night - just as they hoped they would.

(To be Continued in part 5)

Driving Across the United States - part 3

Continuing their journey into the wonderfully empty Kansas, the Coronas eventually pulled up to the tollgate of the Kansas Turnpike. This stretch of I-35 seemed unending as they just kept driving relentlessly onward toward their destination. Noticing that the car was running low on fuel and that his bladder was uncomfortably full, Steve decided to pull off the road at one of the rest stop-style gas stations along the turnpike. It was here that Steve received a call from his friend Nick, who happened to be driving back to Minnesota from his honeymoon in Colorado. This conversation made the windy 10 degrees of Kansas feel much warmer to Steve after hearing that his friend's heat had gone out in his vehicle...in Colorado...in December. Nick had covered his entire body with various hand, foot, and body warmers and wrapped himself up in all the layers of clothes he could until he looked like the little brother in "A Christmas Story". Steve was glad to hear his friend's voice and was excited to meet up with him in Minnesota, but that excitement soon gave way to the dread and loathing at the idea that tomorrow (if all went according to plan) he would be driving into negative temps.

Refueled, refreshed, and reinvigorated, the Coronas continued to drive...and drive...and drive. Steve's eternal optimism was beginning to fade when he saw a sign for Kansas City at last. Delighted at the sign, he consulted with Bridgett to see if that was the exit the blessed people at Rand McNally saw fit for them to use. Alas, it was not. So, determined to follow those brilliant directions, convinced that the people at a map company should know what they were talking about - Steve drove on.

Hours later, another sign appeared for Kansas City - this one was for real. So, after coughing up a hefty TEN ridiculous dollars for the privilege of using Kansas' premier roadway, the Coronas were closing in on their final stop for the day. As they got nearer and the familiar sights of the city greeted them, they rejoiced that after an incredibly long day on the road they were almost in the company of friends...friends who offered a warm, cozy place to pass out from exhaustion. But they weren't there just yet. Kansas City is a fairly confusing maze of interstates and highways all intertwining and resembling something of a transportation heart; valves and tubes exiting and entering from all directions. In order to reach their friend's house, they needed to complete a series of complicated exits, merges, and direction changes that would be challenging for the most experienced of drivers. Steve felt sorry for the poor cartographer who had to map this crazy place. So, after crossing the river into Missouri, declaring "we're not in Kansas anymore! (thank God)", and following those amazing directions from the good people at Rand McNally, the Coronas had arrived at Kansas City, MO. It only took them 16 hours!

(To be Continued in part 4)

Driving Across the United States - part 2

So the Coronas bravely continued their journey heading into Oklahoma. It was at this point that Bridgett started questioning if they were still going the right direction. She began to worry that they would not reach Kansas City before tomorrow. Steve, always the pragmatist, reassured Bridgett that "that's what the directions from Rand McNally say." This seemed to be a small comfort to Bridgett, as they were still a long distance from Oklahoma City, where they would take a Northern turn.

As the traveling duo approached Oklahoma City, Bridgett became nervous as she was in the driver's seat. Now, Bridgett was never much of a fan of driving through any bigger city, especially those she was unfamiliar with. So, it came as no big surprise to Steve that she began to slip into fear mode. She kept her eyes locked on surrounding traffic - trying not to get hit by passing vehicles, while Steve was on lookout duty - constantly checking adjacent lanes to make sure it was safe to get over. This whole stressful process consumed both of their undivided attention, until Bridgett realized she was unsure of which exit to take in order to keep going the right way. Instinctively, Steve grabbed the road atlas and directions and began scanning frantically as they were quickly approaching what he thought was their exit. But he couldn't see in the dark, so he switched on the overhead light to read faster. Nervous and eager to find the answer, Bridgett glanced over at the papers Steve was holding and together they found where they thought they were and where they needed to exit according to Rand McNally.

Out of nowhere, a police siren could be heard and the Coronas froze with panic as they both looked behind them to see flashing red and blue lights approaching fast. Hoping the police officer was just trying to pass them in order to get to his intended target faster, Steve recommended getting into the right lane. It was at this moment that they realized the police officer was after them as he followed their lane change. Bridgett pulled over and slowed down on the interstate's shoulder. Steve, having had more experience than his wife with being pulled over, began to coach her on what would unfold and how she should behave accordingly. He was certain that she hadn't been speeding (as other cars were passing them), she wasn't driving too slow (as she maintained a steady speed near the limit), and she certainly wasn't doing anything else illegal that she should be worried about. So, he told her that the officer would stop his vehicle behind them, which he did. He wouldn't get out right away as he would be processing the license plate and gathering all the necessary safety precautions, which he did. He would then approach the car and shine his flashlight in the window, which he also did - except Steve didn't expect the officer to come from the passenger side. Steve rolled down his window and proceeded to do most of the talking in a calm, respectful manner. The officer explained that he had pulled the car over because it appeared that the driver was showing signs of driving under the influence (which was obviously not the case once he took a look around inside the vehicle and talked to the Coronas). He asked for license and registration, so Steve reached for Bridgett's purse to get it out. This seemed to make the officer nervous and out of the corner of his eye, Steve was sure he saw the officer reach for his gun. Steve slowly brought the requested pieces of identification up and offered them to the officer. It was at this point that the officer knew he had made an honest mistake and he helped these two find their exit and sent them on their way into Kansas.

(To be Continued in part 3)

Driving Across the United States - part 1

It was a Saturday in December. Steve and Bridgett woke up early so that they could get a big part of the drive out of the way today. Their goal was to drive from their home in Rio Rancho, NM to a friend's in Kansas City, MO on the first day. Unfortunately, they weren't quite prepared yet. They both waited until the last minute to finish packing and making sure their house would still be there when they returned. So as Bridgett packed her suitcase, Steve ran around making sure the blinds were all closed, windows locked, timer set on the living room lamp, garbage taken out, dishes washed, etc. Down the checklist they went until three hours had passed and they finally set out. After double checking and triple checking to make sure they hadn't left a faucet running or a light on or anything plugged in that might start a fire, they decided they were finally ready to drive.

The first stretch of the drive wasn't too bad - Steve drove for a few hours until he got tired and needed to recharge. Eager to get a picture of the giant cross in Texas, he asked Bridgett to only wake him up if: she was getting tired and needed to switch out, they were going to stop, or if they drove past the big cross...otherwise he wanted to get as much sleep as possible because he knew there was a lot of driving ahead of him. If only he knew then just how much more there would be than expected.

It wasn't too long before Bridgett woke Steve up and he got his picture of that gigantic cross outside Amarillo, TX. It was about this time that they were getting hungry for lunch, so they decided to stop and grab a bite to eat at the Amarillo DQ...bad decision. After getting out of the car, stretching, refilling their water bottles, and enjoying some fresh air, the two wandered unwittingly into the worst DQ in America. As they stood in line, waiting patiently for someone to come to the counter and take their order, they witnessed a young man (probably in high school) walk slowly from behind the counter to the area by the soda machine and fill up the straws, which weren't running all that low in the first place. As he meandered back, a worker from the kitchen looked out and saw the line of hungry people growing and shouted out for all to hear "Do I have to cook and take orders too?!" To which the young man replied, "if you want." WOW....seriously? They eventually got their food, which wasn't cooked all that well and were glad to be leaving this town.

(To be Continued in part 2)

Time to Blog

So, after viewing friends' blogs and realizing that it's a good way to keep people updated who care enough to read about your life, I decided to finally publish my own blog. I enjoy reading my friends' Dan & Andi's blog not only because they're my friends and I'm curious what they've been up to on the other side of the world, but also because of the way they write their blog. They've decided to write in the third person, which makes it read more like a story that's unfolding. This is a great way to capture people's attention and get them more involved in what they are reading. Inspired by my friends, I'll write some blogs in that storytelling way - the ones about the random adventures in my life. I'll also probably write some (like this one) from my own first-person perspective - those will be my rants on things. Anyway, I hope this blog keeps anyone who reads it updated on my life, intrigued, and entertained. Enjoy.