Moving! Road Trip - Pittsburgh, PA to Mountain View, CA by way of Mt. Rushmore

'Wanna know what it's like to drive 7-11 hours daily for 5 days in a car crammed to the gills with stuff, and a cat?! Exhausting.

Everyday we woke up tired, and drove until we were too tired to drive anymore. Some days there were specific destinations, like our first day where we needed to hit Madison, WI so we could have lunch with a good friend. I do not recommend driving 9 hours after hurriedly finishing up packing and cleaning that same morning. It was rough.

Did the U-Pack guy come earlier than expected, forcing us to donate our microwave, vacuum, baskets, wicker hamper, and cleaning products to family? Why, yes, yes he did. Did we leave four hours later than planned, because we constantly underestimated how much time/effort everything would require? Yes, of course. Did we take the cat to lunch in her carrier at the Double Wide Grill in Cranberry. Why not?! What can possibly go wrong?

At some point outside of Chicago, a nearby traffic jam neighbor alerted us to the fact that our bikes (in a strap-on bike rack) were nearly touching the highway. Seeing as we knew we'd be in Madison, we scheduled a hitch install at a Madison U-Haul for the next morning, and then purchased a bike rack at the local REI. More reasons to be exhausted.




Once we got the bike rack, everything went much smoother. We adjusted to driving a bajillion hours a day and partook in the usual roadside attractions. Corn Palace. Wall Drug. A very foggy Mount Rushmore, resulting in a hilariously bad Mount Rushmore selfie. A drive on pitch black Bonneville Salt Flats. Intense rain. The highway out west is just beautiful, desert reds and oranges.

Did you know that Park City, UT appears to be a town made entirely of REIs?













A salad at an Arby's, because I'd had my fill of fast food. And more desert, punctuated only by Nevada casino towns. Eventually we made it. Palm trees. California.