Leaving on a Jet Plane

So I was looking around earlier and I started thinking about how my bags were getting packed and we're nearly ready to go (less than 72 hours actually) and the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" came to my my mind.  Except we aren't leaving on a jet plane...we're driving...6,000 miles...on secondary roads!  Mom and I were talking earlier and we were thinking, what we were thinking, are we crazy?  And the answer is, we weren't thinking, and yes we are crazy!  I was thinking about watching NL's Vacation as a send-off but then I was like, wait, I don't want to end up on the wrong side of St. Louis and eating sandwiches from a gas station.  

Making Lists and Checking them Twice

So today I sat down to try and make a list of everything I need for this trip.  We're leaving a week from Saturday...A WEEK FROM SATURDAY, this is me yelling because I'm so not ready!  How do you make a list for a six year and a baby for five weeks.  If anyone has any ideas let me know.  I got as far as writing "fan" on the list and that was about it before I got bored and moved onto the next thing.

If you know me at all you know that I'm very easily distracted (yes, I can see all of you nodding your heads...even if I can't see you, I know you're doing it.)  I never even thought about how hard it was going to be to pack all of this in a tiny CRV until a friend of mine pointed it out a couple of weeks ago.  I laughed it off at the time and then shortly after realized it wasn't funny.  Backroads Bessie keeps reminding me that I only have a little bit of space.  I wonder if I can magically transform her car to hold more stuff like Mary Poppins did.  No, you say?  Darn...

Bessie is packed and ready to go.  I have my knitting, my atlas, and a few clothes.  Bring it on.  Let's go!!

Countdown to Departure

We are leaving in 2 weeks and 6 days and there's so much to do.  Back Roads Bessie has her large print atlas that she just got in the mail so she can find the most out-of-the-way random roads possible with as few trucks as possible.  I think the first time she sees a triple tractor trailers she's going to, I'm really not sure what she's going to do!!!  But I can't wait to see it!!! 

I saw my first TTT (triple tractor trailer) in Nevada and it wasn't pretty.  They drive along at 65 or 70mph, swaying in the breeze.  It's crazy!!  Fortunately, anytime we saw one they were on the other side of the road, or I know we would have been passing them.  I shudder at that thought!!

The Journey Begins

Come follow Back Roads Bessie, a.k.a. my mom, across the country for the summer.  Bessie is deathly afraid of highways, speed limits larger than 40 MPH, tractor trailer trucks, and flying.  Here's the problem, Bessie's younger daughter moved to Oregon last summer and Bessie desperately wants to see her, so she enlisted me, her older daughter with two kids, to drive her across the country.  Our destination is in southern Oregon.  We will take you with us on our extraordinary journey across mountains, rivers, plains, and deserts.  We will be meeting my dad, a.k.a. Left Lane Joe in Denver, Colorado.

Check in daily to see our progress and make sure I haven't left Back Roads Bessie on the side of the road somewhere while I go looking for a highway!

ETD: July 2, 2011

State of Departure:  Massachusetts

State of Destination: Oregon