101 Things

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liveuponatime.com

I guess it’s time to start planning our coast-to-coast road trip (Thing 53), even though it’s still a couple years away.  I’d hate to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity in a state in the middle of nowhere and have to buy a plane ticket to re-visit.  My husband and I have decided to explore the northern part of the U.S., since we were both raised in the south.  Growing up in Texas, I was able to make road-trips to the east and west coast of the southern states.  I also made several trips to Missouri for family reunions and one to Wisconsin for a Green Bay Packers game.  Now that we live in Florida, we’ve gotten to see much of the east coast – from the southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states (Key West) to New York.  I can’t wait to see how the north compares.  Get this – our family of four is planning to travel the entire way in a camper van (see Thing 97)! Our tentative plan is:

Maine:

- Start in West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine (the easternmost point in the 48 contiguous states)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Quoddy_Head

-  Drive down to Acadia National Park to explore more than 120 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads

http://www.acadiamagic.com/welcome.html

New York:

- Kayak or hot air balloon through a section of Adirondack Park

http://visitadirondacks.com/

Ohio:

- Chow down at Chrissie Hynde’s The Vegiterranean Restaurant, Bar, Coffeehouse, and Bakery

http://www.thevegiterranean.com/

Indiana:

- Ransack The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

http://www.childrensmuseum.org/

South Dakota:

- Dig for fossils in the Badlands National Park

http://www.travelsd.com/placestogo/badlands.asp

- Stroll the half-mile Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore

http://www.travelsd.com/placestogo/rushmore/index.asp

Wyoming:

- Catch a glimpse of bison, elk, bears, and wolves at Yellowstone National Park

http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Idaho:

- Pretend like I’m training to be an astronaut and walking on the moon at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve

http://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

Washington:

- Officially complete our coast-to-coast trip in Cape Alava, Washington, the westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states

http://www.experiencewa.com/attraction.aspx?id=1513

I’m really excited that our journey starts at the easternmost point and ends at the westernmost point of the 48 contiguous states; although, I hate that we’ll probably have to miss the northernmost point, Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.  Other than that, what other must-sees should we add to the agenda?

Do you know someone that is difficult to shop for? Meet my husband, Matt! After 6 1/2 years together, I still haven’t managed to find a gift that he didn’t return or claim he could find cheaper on eBay.  So this year, I really stressed about what to get him for our 5th Anniversary…until I heard a friend at work bragging that his wife got him a NASCAR driving package from XperienceDays.com. Perfect! My husband loves speeding.  We rarely complete a road trip without getting pulled over at least once. As a matter of fact, I just put a money order in the mail today for a ticket he got on our last vacation. I spoke to all my male co-workers and called my brother to get a “cool-factor” rating on my gift idea.  The consensus - any guy would be crazy not to love it. So, I browse the available NASCAR packages at XperienceDays.com and settle on a $365 package that includes classroom training, five laps with an instructor, and eight glorious laps in the driver’s seat at our choice of track - Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, North Carolina Speedway, or Darlington Racetrack.  I’ll admit, I also bought one for me since it’s my 5th Anniversary, too.

A few days after ordering online, the sleekest black box arrived in the mail.  In it was a gift card for the experience, a picture of a NASCAR with a description of our race day, and a personal note from me that read, “Matthew, I wanted to give you the best ride of your life - hope you like it!” His much anticipated reaction? “Cool…how much did you pay for this?”

Anyway, we’ll be checking off Thing #64 soon.  I’m pretty sure my husband will come to terms with his non-eBay gift when we’re driving 165 mph in a NASCAR stockcar around Atlanta Motor Speedway.