Homeward Bound

Our husbands missed us. I know this because at least two of the three indicated that they expected us to be on the road driving home before we were even out of bed. When I talked to mine he said, "So you'll be home by 6:00?".... oh, honey, don't give me a time! This was our last hurrah and I wanted to be open to whatever the day might bring. So I was a little snarky and said we might find a bar in Chicago to celebrate. I didn't mean it, but then again.....

The last day of driving was sunny and clear once again. We really did feel as though we were being given the red carpet treatment the whole way home. Well, with the exception of the gas station where all the pumps were out of order. Even going through Chicago was a breeze.

As it turned out, we did stop for one fantastic last dinner. Vivian's uncle and his family own the Popolano's restaurants so we stopped at the one in Chesterton, Indiana. Not to be cliche, but OMG. The food was outstanding. Stella had the Crespelle which was incredible, while Vivian and I had the Eggplant Strata. Soooo delicious. Seriously thinking we need a road trip back to Popolano's! I took home half my meal and ate it Sunday night for dinner while my family ate whatever. I don't even know. All I cared about was my strata. Hmmm.... who's free for a road trip to Chesterton on Friday?

Then it was back in the car for the last hour and half home. Even that went fast. We cheered when we saw the Michigan sign and Kristen made note when we hit the big hill just past Constantine. We cruised through Three Rivers with mixed emotions. Obviously, the greater part was longing to see our families and hear about their week, give them hugs and stretch out in our own beds. But a small part was sad to see the trip end.

I do take some comfort in the fact that we're talking about the next road trip already. Whether we can convince someone to buy a car in Maine -near Acadia would be nice- or we can find an excuse to head to the gulf to do a little research for a novel- I know there is another Operation ___ in our future. If it is Operation A, Vivian has already called dibbs on being Amelia...

Nebraska to Iowa

By the time we reached Nebraska, V was showing her miles in terms of dirt. Don't get me wrong, she wears it well, but she was a little camera shy after that. Not that there was a ton of things to take pictures of, anyway. I did steal a couple pictures out the window of the frost, though- because even though it couldn't compare to the day before, it was still pretty. Plus we had blue skies and sunshine, so no matter how cold it was outside it at least felt cheerful.

We ate at Quizno's in Kearney, then stopped in Underwood, Iowa for gas. The attendant there, Joni, asked us how we liked Iowa. How to answer that diplomatically? I'm sure Iowa is a fine place to live but we had just spent the last two days seeing mountains and monoliths. In comparison...... well, I think I just responded with something like we'd only seen 17 miles of Iowa, in the dark, so it was hard to say. She was sweet enough to step outside and show us that we could see Mars right next to the moon. Seriously, even Iowa held super friendly faces and natural wonders!

We stayed that night in Des Moines and had a midnight pizza call into Domino's. Did you know they had a fantastic vegetarian thin crust pizza? I didn't, and I didn't even think I was hungry. But it was fantastic- with fresh spinach and feta cheese. This did not even remotely resemble the greasy Domino's pizza I remember from my college days.

With full tummy and weather channel promises of sunshine and clear roads, the last night was the first night I slept hard. If I snored, girls I apologize.

Grand Junction to Denver

When we reached Colorado it was dark, but that full moon continued to illuminate the snow on the mountains and I can't say enough how gorgeous the landscape was. We hit patches of fog and finally stopped for gas when it was really thick. We decided to grab a bite to eat at the AandW in the gas station and even the service and food there was better than we expected. It is always nice when someone willingly goes out of their way for you and we experienced that more often than not throughout this trip.

When we got back on the road the fog had mysteriously lifted. About the time we started hitting tight curves and tunnels, we also hit light snow. We noted how pretty Vail and Breckenridge were as we passed them in the night, but Vivian kept one eye on her rear view mirror as we turned and descended to make sure none of the semis got too close. I give her some major props because 30 miles of that would have been a little nerve wracking for anyone but you'd never know it to see her.

We arrived in Georgetown (just west of Denver) and decided to stay there for the night so we could see Denver in the daylight. The Super 8 was even cute with its chalet feel. That night we wanted to update but for some weird reason I could get wifi on my ipod but Viv couldn't get it on her laptop. So we checked the weather and sighed with relief that everything seemed to be clear the rest of the way home. Then turned in so we could get a decent start the next morning.

Our room at the Super 8

The view. Wanted to check out Mad Mike's but either the snow was fresh or the river was high and he was closed- at least that's what it said on the sign.

In the morning we admired the view and grabbed our free breakfast at the motel before setting our sights on Denver. We stopped at a Walmart to get the essentials: cheap sunglasses, trashy magazines, sangria. We didn't realize that 76 was going to come up before Denver so we missed out on actually seeing Denver itself. We expected to see foothills most of the rest of the way until we got to Nebraska but we were wrong. We weren't on 76 long before the scenery turned into flat grasslands. It felt like we left Colorado without saying a proper goodbye even though we hadn't actually left Colorado. I believe it is one place we're all destined to return. We all grabbed a tourist magazine at the hotel and I bet we each plan a future vacation there. Maybe someone else could buy a car so we could get a vacation? Any volunteers?

Little Colorado River

Almost as soon as we left the park, the sky grayed over and soon the cloudy fog was concealing the canyon. I don't know whether it was just due to our location or if the fog was moving across to obscure all of the south rim, but I do know we were instantly transported back to winter. We took 64 to 89 and stopped at a scenic overlook of the Little Colorado River Gorge. It doesn't look very little, and you really can't even see a river, but it was a very beautiful, although barren, landscape.

By this point, my eyes were feeling pretty tired and gritty. I tried to snuggle up with my blanket and pillow and nap, but I couldn't help but feel I was missing everything. The drive was gorgeous! Foothills, mountains, rock monoliths... varied, unique, and beautiful. We stopped in Cameron (best gift shop) and made our way toward Moab. My cell service was out from the time we left the Grand Canyon until we hit Moab. Then we turned onto another scenic byway and my signal disappeared again.

Stella and Vivian could probably fill in a lot of details from this day, but I want to mention the 42 mile jaunt on twisty-turny road around Arches National Park. The full moon lit up the snow on the rocks and unfortunately none of us have a camera that would have been able to capture it so we didn't even try to get photographs. But it was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the drive... singing, laughing, river on one side- surrounded by rock formations, bathed in the light of the moon.

The Vault of Heaven

On our way to the Grand Canyon we were struck by a few things. First, that stopping at Chloride set us up to stay in Williams instead of driving on through and deciding to skip the Grand Canyon because the timing didn't work out. We very well could have kept driving, thinking we stop somewhere neat in New Mexico. If we had driven into the storm we probably would have been stuck. It easily could have been miserable. That stop in Chloride caused us to spend the night in Williams where we got the warning to go north before it was too late.

 We talked about the signs: three butterflies on the wall at the Volvo dealership, three butterflies on a house as soon as we turned into Williams. V's everywhere we looked. It felt very much as though we were being guided on this trip and it was up to us to believe that we would encounter clear roads and safe travels.

Can you see me now? V's in the power lines.

Finally, we were awestruck by the sheer beauty of the day. The sky was a vivid blue with spots of fluffy clouds. We knew it was going to be a great day to see the Grand Canyon. And we were right.

As we approached the observation area, the only word that would come out was "breathtaking." No photograph ever fully captures the canyon. You can't appreciate just how vast it is without standing on the edge and having that first hand perception. It was amazing. It was worth every inconvenience we might experience getting home. It was incredible.

Stella doing her What about Bob impression.

From the top, the railing looks about two feet high. We all joked there is no way we're taking our kids here!

We watched this guy leap from the edge of the canyon and take flight. It was quite a sight. Having ate at the Red Raven, then seeing ravens pop everywhere (even in terms of how many miles the canyon is across: "as the raven flies..."), Stella was feeling that they were a good omen, one of God's provision for us on our journey.

"And He said to His disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!" (Luke 12:22-24 RSV)

While talking with other travelers at the canyon we learned that the day before there was snow and heavy fog and it was impossible to actually see the canyon. Had we made it there the day before we would have left disappointed, like the bus tour they told us about that had traveled from Vegas to see the canyon but instead saw only snow and fog which created a veil concealing the view. We got chills when we talked about seeing the flooding in Vegas on the news, the flooding which we had just escaped. Then we walked into the gift shop and saw a photo book titled, "Grand Canyon, Vault of Heaven." Maybe you will dismiss it as coincidence, but of all the words in the English language, vault? a V word? Then another called the canyon the Veil of the Soul. I'm not making this up. It is hard to not wax a little spiritual in a place of such overwhelming grandeur and beauty, especially when there were so many little things pointing to a larger message. 

We stayed a little longer than the Griswold's, but we knew we had to head north. We had a message from my friend Linda in Colorado that there was a chance of snow but no ice and that the weather there should be pretty clear. We decided to head toward Utah and take a scenic byway through Monument Valley and around Arches National Park toward Grand Junction. We'd try to get outside Denver then the next day head up to I80 and come home through Nebraska and Iowa. It was the route deemed most beautiful but also the most potential for bad roads. I80 across the plains is notorius for drifting and even freezing rain, and we knew there wouldn't be much to see once we got to Nebraska. At that point we didn't have many options, though, so we stole one last glimpse before venturing north.

Get your kicks

The next morning (Thursday, if you are keeping track) we woke up to sunshine. Oh, it was cccc-old, but the roads were clear and the sun was shining. We had packed french vanilla creamer to make the weak hotel coffee drinkable and even the two-day-old danish from the continental breakfast couldn't bring us down. It was gorgeous.

Before we left Williams, we had to get pictures of Route 66. Stella started a trend of getting her kicks which Vivian followed:

Stella

Vivian

I knew without a doubt that I'd fall flat on my ass if I tried to be clever so I'll spare you my half-hearted effort from this photo op. I will say, though, that who wouldn't be having the time of their life with friends this fun?

Williams, Arizona

True to the advice from the welcome center in Chloride, we arrived in Williams, Arizona, after dark. January is clearly the off season as many of the businesses were closed. We got a cheap room in a little motel and headed out for dinner. Because we were on historic Route 66, we had it in our heads that the best place to eat that night was the Route 66 diner. We drove up and down Rte. 66 in Williams looking for it and then realized why we hadn't seen it. The place was closed, dark as the cloudy night.

We went back to a little place that was open, the Red Raven. The Red Raven looks pretty unassuming and the tin ceiling and exposed brick reminded me of Paisano's in our home town. They had an extensive wine list and fine dining. Our meals were divine, really delicious. The server/chef/owner had a dry sense of humor. He gave Vivian a hard time for a simple request, stopping just short of being annoying, but when he brought out dessert I think he redeemed himself. I personally didn't have room for a single solitary bite of the heavenly chocolatey creation, but Vivian and Stella assured me it was pretty much orga- well, you know. Delicious.

During dinner we got the alert from Stella's husband. GO NORTH. Go north now. I had seen a little snippet while surfing online on my phone earlier about ice storms in Oklahoma City and he warned us that it wasn't just Oklahoma, it was our whole planned route. GO NORTH!

Of course we went right back to the motel, turned on the weather, and it was all they could talk about. A 2,000 mile storm, settled right over our entire way home. We were all thinking, "you've got to be freaking kidding me!" We're all Michigan girls so if it was snow, it wouldn't have stopped us. But no, they were calling it the triple threat: freezing rain, sleet, then snow. Oh joy. Closed roads, power outtages, emergency shelters. No thank you.

Vivian spent that evening pouring over the maps. How far north do we need to go? Could we head up to Colorado then over through Kansas? Or did we need to go further north? If we went to Salt Lake City to pick up I80, would it be open? How was the weather up north? That evening and the next morning were a flurry of texts and phone calls to help us map out the safest and fastest route home from the Grand Canyon. Sleep was a little elusive that night, wondering what the next day would bring.

Hoover Dam

Neither Stella or Vivian had seen the Hoover Dam in person so we stopped to take a look. It never fails to amaze me that something so immense, so huge, was constructed in five years. Two years ago when I toured the dam with my family, the construction on the bypass had nothing in the middle. Two roads ended at the edge of the earth, the gaping void between the two seemed impossible to fill. Now there is a middle indeed, we even saw workers climbing up there.

While we were at the dam, Vivian siezed an opportunity to be a photographer for another traveling trio, in hopes that they would then return the favor. They were obviously having a blast on what we assume was their own little side trip from Vegas. I wish I could copy their Jersey accent in type, but I'd fail. Stella nails it in person, so ask her to do her impression next time you see her. "I gotta tawk to ya about dat camra."

The traveling trio

Waking up in Vegas

Ha! Did you really think I was going to tell you about what happened in Vegas?

Here's all you get to know: we arrived at the Four Queens and met up with one of Vivian's besties and the crew she was visiting Vegas with. We had fun at Fremont Street and then cabbed it down to the strip. We had lots of warnings to stay away from jagermeister on the rooftop and I can assure you the only rufie on our trip was Stella's pet Rufus.

There were no tigers or Mike Tyson sightings. We woke up with red eyes from lack of sleep and walking through smokey casinos- "that's what you get for waking up in Vegas" -but visine vanquished that.

Ate breakfast at the Four Queens then headed out to walk around in the rain. We did hit the $10 store at the Californian and came home with a few goodies before loading up and setting our gps for the Hoover Dam.

California to Vegas

My niece and nephew graciously gave up their rooms for us to sleep in. They are such sweethearts, I wish we'd had more time to visit with them and my sister-in-law than just in the morning before school.

Victor had picked up V earlier in the week for us, in the torrential rain (who says it never rains in California?). He was a big part of making Operation V work, I volunteered him for all of it without asking first and he rose to the occasion like a champ. Thanks, Vic! We all oohed and ahhhed over V while enjoying the California sun. Here is the view from Victor's house in Corona:

Michigan is pretty, but even I'll admit we don't have this kind of view from our driveway.

After snapping a few pictures we loaded up and headed to Ontario to the Volvo dealership. We figured we'd grab a bite to eat while we waited for the official 'she's ok to drive 3,000 miles.' As we mentioned in an earlier post, there were no restaurants in the area, just car dealership after dealership. The Volvo guys suggested the cafe at the Toyota dealership which turned out to be wonderful.

J.T. at Volvo was great. He was honest, informative, and went out of his way to make sure we had exactly what we needed to get on the road, even giving us a crash course in what some of the many buttons are for. Vivian's car has got a LOT of buttons!

Finally we were off to Vegas. We stopped in Victorville to get loaded up with water and snacks. I had mentioned stopping at the Mad Greek on the way, but lunch was so good no one was hungry and we had dinner plans in Vegas. I think it was leaving Victorville where I felt like the road trip was really in full gear.

"road trippin' with two of my favorite allies

fully loaded we got snacks and supplies.

It's time to leave this town it's time to steal away,

let's go get lost somewhere in the U.S.A.

Let's go get lost, let's go get lost...."

Chloride, Arizona

After leaving the Hoover Dam, our next stop was Chloride.

The road to Chloride

We saw the official blue Welcome Center sign and had certain expectations of what that would mean. We didn't expect it to be 4 miles off the main road. We didn't expect it to be in an authentic ghost town. We weren't expecting 'Pack Rat's' front porch inviting us to come sit a spell, the bizarre cow catcher, or the outhouse. No, folks, I can say with complete honesty that Chloride may well have been the surprise of the trip.

In a good way.

The tourist information was off to one side of the gift shop/general store. It was staffed by a wonderful woman who didn't mince words. There was no way we were going to see the Grand Canyon that day because by the time we'd get there it would be dark. Sometimes you just know that you take a detour for a reason and other times it becomes apparant after the fact. This was the latter. Driving to Chloride, we were a little skeptical, wondering if maybe we shouldn't just turn around and head back to the main road. This stop probably saved us more headaches than we can ever imagine.

We asked for recommendations and she suggested we consider staying in Williams. That would put us close to 64, less than an hour from the canyon, so we could get up to see it in the morning. She explained when we'd be on Route 66 and sent us on our way with maps that proved to be better than what they gave us at the park entry the next day. Chloride, for all the misgivings I had when it didn't meet my expectations, was proof that sometimes the best stops are those you stumble upon by accident.

the facilities...

cow catcher (found art? recycled junk? you decide)

The Details: Getting There

I've mentioned we have a few stories to tell so I thought I'd try to share those today. To make it a little easier for anyone reading the blog in the future, I think the best thing will be to break it up into locations. That will keep this from being one novel-length entry and break it into smaller chunks.

If you didn't catch what Operation V is all about, you have to go back to the beginning and read the first post. That will give you the what and why. To get from Southwest Michigan to California, we had to get a flight. We found $103 flights on Orbitz ($130 with taxes) on US Air. First we flew from Detroit to Phoenix, then on to Ontario. Vivian's husband Vinnie drove us to the airport. We made great time and after we bought our luggage tickets ($25 per bag on US Air), we breezed through security. I wasn't sure how tight it would be since the bomb attempt last month but for our domestic flight it wasn't crowded at all. After consulting Gate Guru (love that app!), we grabbed a snack and a drink at Ruby Tuesday while we waited for our flight.

The flight itself went fantastic. Viv doesn't really love to fly so I thought I'd distract her. However we pulled away from the gate practically onto the runway. Takeoff was almost instantaneous. It was kind of like ripping off a bandaid... it might have stung a little but she didn't really have time to be anxious. I could tell that my attempt to distract her wasn't working anyway. "Are we really taking off right now? We didn't even taxi? Seriously, we're taking off? Are we in the air?" Yep, it was that quick.

US Air gives you a soda. If you think you're going to get a bag of pretzles or peanuts, you are very mistaken. When Viv asked the steward if there were any snacks provided he practically laughed at her. Then something about they are in the red and have been in the red all year.... TMI!!! Was there enough friggin' money to fuel this plane? Good gosh, man- SHUT UP. Alrighty then.

Landed in Phoenix and our flight to Ontario appeared to be leaving out of the same gate we just landed at, but there was going to be a 40 minute delay. After a quick text to Victor, our ride in Ontario, we went to the Tequileria for a snack and a drink. We were almost done when I glanced over and saw that there was no one, not a single person sitting over at our gate. Now, that seemed a little odd so Viv jumped up to check the departure screens. Flight changed gates, now on time, pay and dash to the end of the concourse where we had to hurry up and wait.

When they ask you to hurry, why do they load the plane from the front?

Finally got on board, buckled in, ordered to turn off electronics then they decided we needed to fuel the plane to get to Ontario. Sure, sounds like a plan. Finally it was time to pull away from the gate and then -stop- a pin broke on the tow vehicle. Nothing major, just a little more waiting. During that time, Vivian found out that the guy sitting next to her was not exactly thrilled with flying, either. So when it came time to lift off she counseled him through it like an old pro. Now we know what Viv needs: someone who has a harder time with take-offs and landings than she does.

We landed in Ontario and then I think it hit us all. We were in California. There were palm trees. We were really doing this!

Home Sweet Home

My own bed... nothing tops coming home to a happy family and your own bed. Operation V was successful, no headaches, emergencies, close calls- really I don't think a road trip could go more smoothly. The testament to that is the fact that none of us ever felt like saying, "get me out of this car, NOW!" Picture meeting your friends for coffee and having that conversation last for five days, continually changing, lots of laughs, but with breathtaking scenery and you have an idea of what our trip was like.

Traveling in modern times is awesome too- how amazing and wonderful it is to live in a time where we can call home almost any time we want, where we can text pictures to friends around the country and especially on Wednesday: get local weather reports so we could adjust our route. We had every intention of taking 40 across the south to see states and sights none of us had ever seen. Ultimately, though, we were destined to go north. I was tempted to say to all my Texas friends, gee you really know how to make a girl feel welcome, shutting her out with a storm like that. But it is hard not to see it as divine intervention. We were meant to see Utah and Colorado. We were meant to be able to sing with conviction, "I've been everywhere, man, crossed the deserts bare, man, breathed the mountain air man, travel I've a had my share, man, I've been everywhere..."

There are more stories to tell, though, because typing on a phone has its limits. We will work on that soon, but for today we are enjoying time with our families. Stella is road trippin' to Detroit to see her daughter honored as a Michigan Hero at tonight's Pistons game. Thanks to our families who encouraged us to go, who supported this spontaneous adventure, and who greeted us with open arms when we returned.

Back in Three Rivers, V seems to like it here. :)

Hello, Michigan! Wow, what a ride. Seriously, this road trip has ROCKED!

Waiting for a table so we popped into the junk- antique store. Looked really cute from the outside. Seriously, we expected the place to house all kinds of little treasures but it was well displayed over-priced junk.

Just arrived at Popolano's in Chesterton, IN. Viv's family ows the restaurant so we thought one last fantastic meal was needed

126 miles to Chicago. Can't hardly believe we've been in the car since Tuesday because this trip has gone fast.

Crossing the Mississippi and now officially in Illinois!!

232 miles to Chicago- we're in the driveway now!

Pictures!!!

We know you've been living vicariously through our travels so here are some views so you can visualize where you've been (and you've "been everywhere, man").

The traveling trio in Vegas

Cow catcher in Chloride, AZ (go Mudbugs!)

Stella gettin' her kicks on Route 66

The 'Vault of Heaven' - 'Veil of the Soul'

Vivian vamping with V

V- halfway through her Grand Adventure.

(she needs a bath now, so you aren't getting pics from Nebraska or Iowa)

MARS! Stopped in Underwood, IA for gas and Joni the cashier showed us we can see Mars tonight right next to the moon. Cool!

Leaving Kearney

Dinner at Quiznos and back in the saddle. Everyone should buy a car and get a vacation.

Looking out on a sea of white- all the fields dusted with a heavy frost. Not majestic like yesterday's view but still pretty.

Blue skies- sunshine- what more could you ask for on a road trip? Great friends to share it with? Got it covered.

Very brisk this morning

But what a view! Off to breakfast and then on the road again to see Denver in the daylight. So much we wish we could share! Must.. Find... Wifi...

Georgetown

Just arrived at our hotel outside Denver. Would love to ad pictures but for some reason I'm only getting wifi on iPod, not laptop. Roads were mostly good but Viv had a long spell of dense fog and another from Vail here with slightly snowy roads. It wasn't the snow as much as the speeding semis coming down through the twisty pass in the dark that made the last 30 miles seem to stretch on and on. But ladies and gents, I gotta say that Viv is da bomb and V drives like a dream.

I would love to shoot you some catchy V words tonight, but in all honesty my eyes are tired, iPod is almost out of juice, and I really want to wait until we can upload pictures. Thanks for the prayers for safe travels, we've definitely seen evidence that they are being answered.

Movin' movin movin'

Just left Grand Junction, looking to make it to just outside Denver tonight, then onward tomorrow. Grand Canyon today- wow. More once we have wifi.

Almost 8 hours without a cell signal! Hope to update tonight.

Had a fab dinner last night @ the Red RaVen. Got our kicks on rt 66, going to canyon then north... W/ eyes on the weather.

Errrrr- route change!

Need weather volunteer to text updates. It is looking like freezing rain all along 40 so now we are looking at heading north. Linda B- does it look fair in Colorado the next couple days?

Possibly stopping for night in Williams, AZ. None of us have seen the canyon before and so we'd hate to miss it.

Good morning, Vegas! Hello Visine!!!

Goodnight Vegas! What a vondervul evening!

Just had the best thin crust pizza @ the 4 Queens. Heading out soon to see the city. It's raining men... (the song is playing)

We have arrived! :-D

20 miles from Vegas. We can see the halo of light in the sky. Saw a coyote along hwy 15 earlier, donkies, and one bunny.

Stocked up in Victorville, because it was a V after all. In Nevada now, about 100 miles to Vegas. Get the party started!

On the road again!

Ok, one more

Aw, Vivian loves her new V!

Buy a car, get a vacation...

On the back of the complimentary US Air in flight magazine was Vivian's car, no joke, with the caption 'buy a car, get a vacation.' Oh, all right, if you insist! So we figured you'd need to see a picture of our vivacious beauty. Presenting V:

And the pit crew:

Pleasant surprise

Pleasant surprise... We dropped off the Volvo for a pre-voyage inspection and minor repair of steering column adjuster. We figured we'd eat somewhere nearby while we waited except when we turned on auto center boulevard it was clear there were no food options. Just lots and lots of cars. The folks at Volvo told us there was a cafe at the Toyota dealership so we walked around the block and figured we'd take our chances. It was fantastic! Baja wraps were big, fresh and delicious!!! The gentleman there who waited on us and prepared our food was so friendly, impeccable service. John Elway Toyota- who'd have thought??!

Now Vivian, Stella & I are waiting back at the Volvo dealership for her car, then it will be we three vixens headed to Vegas.

Arrived at dealership, first taste of freeway was fine. We almost grabbed a pylon for a souviennere- j/k!

We woke up in CALIFORNIA! Beautiful weather! venturing to volvo dealership for a final check then on toward Vegas

In phoenix, waiting to board flight to Ontario. Flight here was good, hope my bag enjoyed its $25 flight.

Vivian's got a vino, on vacation to voyage x-country for a volvo- then on to Vegas for victory, the Venetian, a video, and any other v's we can think of before we venture toward home.

Not quite 2 hours into the trip and Thelma has changed her name to Vivian. Vava voom!

Calendar Wisdom

A couple years ago, Thelma got me a girlfriend's adventure calendar. I thought a few from this week were especially appropriate...

Jan 24-
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
 ~Mark Twain

Jan 25-
Happiness is... opening the door to see the smiling face of an old friend.  (just over two hours, Thelma!)

Jan 26-
A life without adventure is likely to be unsatisfying.
~Bertrand Russell

Jan 28-
Adventures with your girlfriends build memories while nurturing a deep appreciation for their friendship.

Jan 29-
The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.
~Amelia Earhart

T-minus 5 hours and counting...

Thelma's got our e-tix printed and I can almost close my suitcase so I believe we are about ready to roll.

My poor friends are going to distance themselves from me once they see that instead of a backpack, I've loaded all my stuff for the plane into a soft-sided cooler. Well, what can I say? It will come in handy for the road trip. So I look a little goofy walking around the airport. They may make me walk 10 paces ahead or behind so that no one knows I'm with them. That's ok, when I'm able to keep drinks cold in the desert they will forgive my (lack of) fashion sense. I see myself in the back of Glamour now with the black bar across my face: "Don't -just don't."

Operation V's official theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11GYvfYjyV0

Would love to embed it but that feature has been disabled. You'll have to click the link, sorry!

18 hours and counting

I'm almost packed. I think. I could certainly take more, but I'm trying to pack light. I did throw in a pillow and small blanket for sleeping in the car (sleep? really? nah, I overpacked). Stella called me wondering what to take. Stella, I promise you- I've got my Mudbugs tshirt, a couple long sleeve tshirts, a hoodie and jeans for the trek from Vegas. I will clean up for Vegas, but the rest of the time it is all about comfort.

Mr. Louise had told me if we went the south route we'd head over to Memphis then go north from there. I finally took a moment yesterday to look at a map and I wondered if we wouldn't be better off to head north in Oklahoma. So I called a professional, my friend Terry who was a long haul driver in a previous life and he told me yes, by all means veer north east in OK. Okee-dokie. He was full of other info too.... like Nebraska and Iowa always get miserable freezing rain and that we might be interested in detouring to see the crater. Or Cadillac Ranch. Terry! We'll probably skip that last attraction, but hey thanks for the insight. Good to know it is just outside Amarillo. Wish you could see me rolling my eyes right now.

I should have called my man Terry sooner, though. I can think of so many great road trip songs but I don't have them and don't want to pay $1.29 per song on iTunes. He probably has them all, though. I bet I could have made a great trip cd. Speaking of which, that isn't going to burn itself. Time to quit yammerin' and get busy so I can try to herd all my ducks into a row AND make a cd.

Twenty Four hours

Let the countdown begin!

First it is the two hour trek to Detroit, then catch a flight to Phoenix, and finally arriving in Ontario. Does this gig really start tomorrow? Whoooo hoooo!!!

Planning

Yesterday the three of us met for coffee to discuss a tenative plan. We got to talking about lots of other stuff too, but by the time we left we set up a time to leave town to catch our flight and discussed everyone's opinion on the best route. Thanks to Stella's brother who sent her great info on four different routes. We were able to discuss them and - YAY- we all prefer to take the same route. Of course, we're going where the best weather and scenery is so we reserve the right to go where the spirit leads us but a tentative plan is a good thing. We can always deviate dramatically should the need/desire arise. In fact, I just sent Thelma & Stella a text asking if I should pack my passport *just in case* we find ourselves on a wayward jaunt to Mexico. Hey, a girl's gotta cover her bases. Wonder if I need to pack a bathing suit in case we find a hotel with a hot tub?

After our pow-wow it was back to being mom. Last night was a school dance for me, basketball game for Stella, and family trip to Indianapolis for Thelma (road trippin' back to back, she's the bomb!). Today is was more kid/family time. Now I'm trying to catch up on a few things while they are all busy and hopefully I'll get a little packing done before family game night. I'm thinking that after this weekend they are going to have had enough mom time they will be glad to be rid of me for a week. Come Monday at noon I take my mom hat and shove it in my back pocket basically until Friday. I'll have to whip it out to call home every day, but the freedom of not being tied to a schedule, of not HAVING to do much of anything except drive, laugh, take pictures, and eat food other than mac n cheese/pizza/hot dogs is positively intoxicating!

Thelma just told me the biggest snow storm in 20 years hit Arizona. Lovely weather- rain in CA & Vegas... Hmmmmm.

Can I post a picture this way? Nope, guess not. hmmmmm.... my Virgin mobile phone is presenting a few challenges. I can send pics to facebook, really this shouldn't be so much different!

Testing posting from phone- convenience :) A++++ msg size :( tough. Maybe email works better than txt.

The Map!

I don't think it is quite as handy as Dora's, but I added a map. You'll notice it stops at Vegas. Now, that isn't because we don't plan to return, it is because last time we talked we were still kicking around which route to take back. Through Utah and Colorado and see amazing scenery? Or through the southern states where the weather should be warmer and hopefully dry.  The route might be a game time decision so keep checking to see what route we'll take. Which route would you choose? Vote in the poll.

Leaving, on a jet plane~

Monday is our official launch date. Woot! Tomorrow we are having coffee to discuss the trip and who knows what else.

There are probably tons of things I should be thinking about or looking at to prep for this trip but so far I have put my free moments into setting up this blog and next I want to create a road trip playlist. Do you know how many California songs there are? Of course we'll be headed to Vegas and parts unknown pretty quickly into our adventure so  I need to focus on songs about the open road. And V songs. Hmmm. wonder how many songs starting with V there are on itunes?

The goal is to update somewhat frequently from the road. Now, we will need to sleep at some point and you know: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so you won't be privy to ALL that we experience. But hopefully we can share a lot of our mid-winter's journey with you. So call shotgun, grab those sunflower seeds, and put your feet up on the dash. Follow us on a trip we'll never forget.

What is Operation V?

Quite simply, it is a car quest turned road trip a la Thelma & Louise. It started a few months ago with a hunt for a used volvo suv. Now, I'm going to spare you a lot of back story here and say that eventually, the right model was found for the right price. Oh, there were other contenders. Thelma was growing frustrated and disheartened by the search though, until a beauty from Hawaii popped up on the radar. For three weeks, no one wanted her. Thelma & her husband made an offer, it was accepted, then rejected over some red tape, and they were told to wait a week. It was while we were talking about shipping it from Hawaii that I, Louise, suggested meeting the car half-way. See, when you buy a vehicle from Hawaii, they have to ship it to the mainland, in this case Long Beach, CA. It might not save a whole lot of money, but it would sure be fun. Plus I have family within an hour of the dock so we have a free place to sleep in Cali.
Of course the husbands, being the practical sort, thought of lots of reasons why that might not be the best idea. It's a long drive. Do you really know the car will be ok? It's January- not the best time of year for a road trip. It isn't really going to save much money. Blah, blah, blah.

 But then something really fun happend: the timing of picking up the vehicle magically coincided with another friend's trip to Vegas. Ok, ok, I know I originally tried to sell Thelma's husband on the idea by claiming we wouldn't go to Vegas, but come on.

 Sadly, Hawaiian V slipped through their fingers. Amazingly enough though, another volvo surfaced in Riverside, CA. Then that one sold the next day, over budget. Crud!


Just when hope of Operation V seemed in vain, another volvo appeared in Riverside. Cue the heavenly laaaaaaa music! Could it be? Finally? After months and months of searching? so close... sooo close.... yes... Yes! YESSSS!

 To make it all even more fun, we managed to convince Stella to come along for the ride too. So there you have it: three friends flying to California and road tripping it back to Michigan, with a little detour in Vegas and lots of silly V jokes. Hope you'll come along for the ride!