on the road again

11:30 am CDT

{Departed Monticello: 10:40 am}

Mileage: 0

   

First, some catching up...The 1400-mile (round) trip to Cincinnati this past weekend was a success. Considering it was Dad's last chance to tweak my car before heading to the West Coast for a few months, Clay and I took Mom's car, leaving mid-afternoon on Thursday with our sights set on Champaign, IL for the night. The drive was fast and smooth, and relatively construction-free. We arrived in Cinci at 1pm on Friday, and immediately hit the zoo. Ever since a spur of the moment stop at Como a few weeks ago, we're a bit gaga for gorillas and gibbons...and all the other animals, of course (but mostly the monkeys). One of the top-rated zoos in the nation, highlights included: the playful polar bear, the un-caged peacocks, the river otter, and those monkeys brave enough to endure the outdoors (even though it was a gorgeous 72 degrees). That night, we stayed with my great aunt and uncle, enjoying some delicious salmon, March Madness on the projector in the movie room, and great hospitality. Saturday, we hit up the University of Cincinnati bright and early for my 8am interview. The facilities were outstanding; Clay and I were treated to a tour of the football field, locker room, fuel room (Gatorade galore), and of course the athletic training room (complete with x-ray room and pools). After a stop at Big Boy for breakfast, we put in a solid 12 hours on the road to make it back to Vadnais Heights. 

If only I could take him with...

With three days' rest under our belts (which was spent mini golfing, playing horseshoes and Bocce ball, seeing fam and friends, and grilling out in the 77 degree weather... as well as packing), we hit the road again this morning after the Monti Times went to press. With an unlimited supply of music, Kim's and Grandma Marilyn's cookies, and a desire to make it to  Moorhead by lunchtime...

We've decided that (thanks to Clay's phone being a WiFi hotspot) live blogging from the car will be the way to go these next few days. And we promise that it will be more exciting than the scenery we anticipate passing through come North Dakota. So, here goes. 

Au revoir, Mighty Mississippi

3:10 CDT

Mileage: 291 miles

Welcome to Anna and Clay's live blog! We have decided to attempt to live blog our entire five day trip from Monticello, MN to Seattle, WA. For us that means: Finding occasional internet hook ups and remembering or writing down as many funny/memorable moments as possible. We expect it at times to be an overwhelming amount of work. But for you guys it means: endless joy. And that's why we do it.

So anyways, we are currently coasting through God's country (somewhere between Valley City and Bismark... it's North Dakota, does it really matter?) at a cool 80 miles per hour . Our conditions are blue sky and a slight northeasterly breeze (ok fine, I don't know what direction it's from. Cardinal directions aren't a strength of mine. Heck, I'm impressed I even know they're called Cardinal directions) But I digress.

The trip has been pretty low key so far. Our first stop was in Moorhead, my old stomping grounds. As a Concordia grad, I had to show Anna my old house (just a drive by) and take her to quite possibly the best sub place she will ever eat at, Grand Junction. Their subs are greasy and unhealthy, but downright delicious. After we each devoured a Chicken Cordon Bleu sub and split an order of fries, we pumped some gas and hopped back on the freeway. I continued to drive until we got to Valley City, which is when we made our first transition of the day. Anna is now behind the wheel until Bismark. Which of course is a blessing for you all, as you've gotten to enjoy the writing stylings of moi.

Well, think that's about it for now. Thanks in advance to any poor soul who actually decides to tune into this blog and follow along. Please feel free to leave comments!

PS: Clay's random thought of this stretch: Do you think people will notice in pictures that I only packed one pair of jeans for this trip??

5:55 MDT

Mileage: 497 miles

Ahh, so much excitement to document over the past 200 miles. And by that I mean that we've seen one town with a population you couldn't count on two hands (Bismarck, the capital) and one gigantic grass fire (we couldn't be sure if it was controlled or out of control...until we saw the firetrucks). I did get a kick of Bo Burnham on Spotify (seriously, they should pay me for all the publicity I'm giving them), a comedian/singer. As deep as my love is for a good tune, time passes by much more quickly when you engage your brain-- by talented, wordplaying comedians, by podcasts, or by the athlete game. This game, introduced to me about 400 miles ago, involves naming a professional athlete who's first name starts with the last name of the previously mentioned athlete. While it passed the time and certainly challenged my brainstorming skills, for all I know Clay could have been cheating, claiming he was naming little known basketball players, and for all he knows I could have been cheating, naming players in the Wild's developmental system. The iPod came in handy when we scanned through the FM radio stations-- and there were none.

We're currently driving through Teddy Roosevelt National Park, where Dad and I spent several days mountain biking at Maah Daah Hey a few summers ago. Though NoDak gets a bad rap for consisting of miles upon miles of flat and occasionally rolling land, this stretch of Badlands is hands down beautiful. Resembling the Grand Canyon at times, and full of crevices, riverbeds, red rock, and brush, we were impressed, even though we failed to spot any wildlife. If North Dakota can be this beautiful, I am thrilled to see what wonders Montana, Idaho and Washington hold...

Random thought: Changing time zones is crazy. I mean, how often have I wished for 25 hours in a day? Well, today I had it (and I will tomorrow, too). I feel like I'm stealing, and I like it. 

10:19 MDT

Mileage: 800 even

Twas a long night, though much ground was covered. We are nice and cozy at the Country Inn in Billings, MT, where we'll get some quality shut eye before embarking on a more-complicated-than-planned second day of driving thanks to Mother Nature. Our original plans were to traverse Lookout Pass at the MT/ID border, see Coeur d'Alene, and get to Richland in 8 hours or so. But, a severe winter weather warning at Lookout Pass has forced us to drive through Boise and northeast OR, adding 4 hours onto the drive. But, as is life. 

We realize that the live blogging hasn't been working as well as we thought- but we promise to keep up as our internet capabilities allow. Night, all!

--A & C