From Kentucky to Colorado 

After leaving Fellowcould Farm, we had two solid days of driving before we were due to arrive at the home of dear friends in Denver, Colorado. We had a rigorous schedule of miles ahead of us, but Kevin and I wanted to make sure that we allowed the flexibility to incorporate experiences to help us enjoy the ride.

Adding New States

Over the course of this trip, we planned to travel through 20 states (including our home state of North Carolina). While I had been to all of these states previously, Kevin would be adding a couple of new ones. Sophie would be adding 16 new states and Ellie and Rachel would each be adding 13. It was definitely the most significant trip, to date, for us as a family.

Shortly after leaving the farm, we drove through the southern part of Indiana (a new state for Sophie) before entering Illinois. At this point, Rachel and Ellie would start adding new territory and it was fun to celebrate with them as we crossed each state line. We found ourselves in Mt Vernon, IL around lunchtime and stopped to eat at an old family favorite: Fazolis. We frequented Fazolis when we lived in Louisville but had not been to one since moving to North Carolina. We enjoyed introducing Sophie to our favorite Italian fast food restaurant.

Filled up on carbs, Kevin handed the keys to me and I steered the van in the direction of St Louis. Crossing over the bridge to the west side of the Mississippi was a milestone experience for all three girls. We didn’t have a stop planned, but Kevin convinced me to take a quick detour into downtown St Louis so that the girls could have an up-close view of the famous Gateway Arch.

Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.

Ozarkland

Almost two hours later, it was time for a bathroom break and some food. We decided to stop at Ozarkland which is a roadside stop with a gift shop where travelers can stretch their legs, do a little shopping, and purchase candies and snacks. We spent about 45 minutes browsing through the store. Kevin even treated us to a box of fudge to share and enjoy for the rest of the trip. I know that some people avoid these rest stops but we find ourselves gravitating to them more and more as we travel. They bring some color to long travel days and give us way more than just a restroom to mark the passing of the miles.

Holiday Inn Express – Kansas City, MO

Kevin took over the driving again and we set out to reach Kansas City, MO before calling it quits for the night. Both of the Littles settled in for a nap and the time passed quickly and quietly. We arrived at our Holiday Inn Express and checked in just after sunset. We all ate a deli sandwich and chips, took turns in the shower, got into some comfy pajamas, and watched an episode of America’s Got Talent (thanks to our Roku) before turning out the lights and going to sleep.

This was our first stay, of many, at a Holiday Inn Express throughout this trip. We chose to stay loyal to this brand because Kevin had Diamond Elite status thanks to an IHG credit card. This made it easy for us to show up in the evening at any Holiday Inn Express Hotel along the way and feel confident that they would have a room for us (even if they were “fully booked”) due to the Guaranteed Room Availability perk for Diamond Elite members. Purchases made with this card as well as nights stayed at IHG properties earn us points to be put toward free or reduced stays in the future. Holiday Inn Express hotels also offer complimentary breakfast and coffee, which greatly helped to reduce our food cost on this trip!

Changing Landscape

After a good night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast, we were back in the van by 8:30am for a long drive to Denver. Our GPS estimated our arrival time to be 5:30pm before accounting for any stops. We crossed the state line into Kansas at 8:45am and began the long trek across the flat plains. The girls were excited to see the giant windmill farms on the rolling hills sections of the plains. At first, we saw just a few but then we saw hundreds across the horizon.

Most of our ride through the state was fairly uneventful, though we saw some ugly storms in the distance and we encountered a major accident that involved a 5th wheel trailer. We crossed the Colorado state line at about 3:20 mountain time. I texted my friend to let her know about our ETA. She was planning to have dinner ready for us at 6pm so we decided there would be no more stops before arriving. Kevin was driving and I was sitting behind him while Ellie rode “shotgun.” Kevin and I soon caught the first glimpse of the foothills on the horizon. Our view got blocked for a few miles by trees but, then, Ellie got an unmistakable first look. All the way into Denver, she had her eyes wide hoping for her first look at the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, it was really cloudy so the visibility wasn’t great. It didn’t keep her from being super excited.

Reconnecting with Old Friends

Back in 2001, Debbie and I worked together when I started a new job at the corporate offices of KFC in Louisville. She was in the Finance Department and I was in Marketing. We worked together on a team that brought new product promotions to market. Later that year, Kevin joined our team and the three of us became friends as well as co-workers. Several years later, Debbie had met John and gotten married and Kevin and I married a few months later. Since then, they had their daughter Laura and we had Rachel. A few years after that, Debbie and John welcomed twins, Sarah & Caroline. Soon after the twins were born, work opportunities sent each of our families in different directions. Kevin and I left Louisville for North Carolina with our family and Debbie and John moved their crew to Denver. We had Sophie a year after moving and Debbie had met her only briefly when business brought her to Raleigh. None of the rest of her family had met Sophie.

We arrived at the home of our friends a little after 6pm. Debbie and I embraced for a long awaited hug and I broke down in tears of joy as the emotion got the best of me. We introduced Sophie and reintroduced Rachel to all three of Debbie & John’s girls. In spite of Rachel saying that she didn’t remember much about Laura, Sarah, and Caroline (she had just turned 3 the last time we were all together in Louisville), they were all fast friends.

John gave us all a tour of the house (including a great view of the mountains) while Debbie finished making dinner. She served us a delicious meal and we shared an ice cream cake to celebrate both Kevin’s and Debbie’s recent birthdays. After dinner, Rachel and Laura went off to play while Sarah and Caroline made Sophie part of their tribe for the night. It was so nice for Sophie to have some playmates that were a bit closer to her age. The two couples, along with Ellie, sat on the back patio talking and reminiscing for hours.

The next morning, Debbie was on hand with a wonderful breakfast casserole and bacon. We filled our bellies and loaded up our van. Laura had gymnastics practice so I offered to French braid her hair, which made her so happy. We grabbed some photos on their front porch and said our goodbyes. We were so thankful to have this little bit of precious time with our friends and only wish it could have lasted longer.

While spending these days driving through our country’s beautiful landscapes and visiting good friends, we all started wondering how we could make these travels a more regular part of our lives. Our priorities were changing all while discovering new adventures as a family. What adventures do you dream of having? What steps could you take now to make those dreams come true?