I didn’t cry for the entire month of June.  Every mile we drove across the United States was exactly what my mind and body needed.  Our home renovation went from bad to worse before it started getting better.

We literally worked straight for two days before we left, moving furniture, ripping out the stairs, and I honestly don’t even remember what else.  Matthew took off his toolbelt, laid it on the ground and we walked out of the house.  Dust covered, unsure if we forgot something important, or if we did, where that thing even was in our house.  Every single item had been packed up, moved around, thrown out or disappeared into the place where half of all my favorite earrings go.

We slept a few hours at Matthew’s parents’ house before hitting the road before dawn the next day. Moe came along and loved every second of it (except the few times we had to leave him alone in the van or house for a few minutes).  He was a fabulous traveler.

Already a couple days later than we had wanted to leave, we wanted to make it to Ohio to see our dear friends.  So grateful we arrived before supper and were able to enjoy a meal together and play in one of Columbus’s many fantastic parks.  After a delicious breakfast the next day we headed out for one of the longest stretches of our journey: Ohio to Arkansas.

We arrived in Arkansas in the middle of the night, and to what we thought was Shelly & Phil’s driveway.  Silver Belle barely made it without a popped tire or dislocated wheels as we maneuvered down the most rocky driveway I had ever experienced.  Because of the hour, it wasn’t past imagining if we were indeed at the wrong house, how a shotgun would remind us.  After turning around, we discovered we were a mere few yards from their driveway when we turned down the wrong one.  We not-so-quietly unloaded into the sweet camper guesthouse they had set up for us, and crashed into one of the best sleeps ever.

The next day we were introduced to Arkansas beauty.  Walking near the Buffalo River and discovering an Indian rock house, which was basically a gigantic cave, was an incredible highlight for us all.  Swimming in water holes, eating BBQ, and relaxing with another cup of tea overlooking the Ozark mountains… it was all so breathtaking.

From Arkansas we drove to Texas.  The big sky swept us away with its stunning colors as the sun was setting when we arrived at our campsite.  We ate at a fun Texan restaurant with cowhide tablecloths, and all the girls found cowgirl hats.  We couldn’t explore as much as we wanted to as we had to set off for our next stop right away the next morning.

From Texas we set out for Arizona.  We arrived at our KOA campsite and it turned out to be a wild and windy evening for an hour or two.  Once it settled down, Matthew and I found a grocery store and brought back some supper and breakfast items and we had our first true cookout with our handy little solo stove. One night there and the call of the Grand Canyon beckoned us to keep driving West.