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It’s a wrap… for now

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The Ultimate Route 66 Adventure: From Chicago to Santa Monica Thirty Eight days and countless adventures later, Janet and I finally picked up the keys for our road trip—two weeks of laughter, mischief, and discovery along the historic Route 66. Starting in Chicago, Illinois—the birthplace of this legendary highway—we couldn’t wait to dive into the ultimate American road trip. The first stop: the Museum of Ice Cream, followed by a visit to Chicago’s famed Second City. As we posed for pictures and explored, we met some friendly faces and even used a “get out of jail free card” in true road-trip fashion! Everything about Route 66 is big, bold, and fun. From the towering St. Louis Arch to the eccentric, larger-than-life roadside attractions, there was never a dull moment. We even ran into a pink elephant and a blue hippo along the way—random? Yes. Fun? Absolutely. We couldn’t resist making a stop at the Uranus Fudge Factory, grabbing a couple of sweet treats. After all, what’s the point of...
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The Detour that told a Story

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The Detour That Told a Story As we were driving through Iowa, we noticed a few signs—one in particular caught our attention: “Hannibal” That sparked something in us. Hannibal? Isn’t that Mark Twain’s town? But we were in Iowa... weren’t we? Turns out, we were closer to Hannibal, Missouri than we thought. Curiosity got the better of us, so we took the exit to check it out. And we were glad we did. Hannibal is a charming little town—almost like stepping into a time capsule. The whole place feels preserved, like history held its breath. Each old building proudly displays a sign out front telling its history: who built it, who bought it next, who lived there—stories layered on top of stories. We stood where Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher supposedly grew up. It was surreal. Naturally, we had to stop into  Becky’s Ice Cream Parlor . Inside, we were spinning a rack of bumper stickers, laughing and reading them aloud, when we met a couple on their way out. They told us about a special even...
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Filling the Gap

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Filling the Gap, Closing the Circle As we continued our road trip adventure, we realized something unexpected: a  hole  in our map. Somehow, we’d completely skipped Nebraska—a state right in the heart of the country. While we could justify skipping places like Washington or North Dakota as outliers, missing  Nebraska  felt like a real oversight. A gap. A hole. So we changed our plans. We rerouted and ended up staying in  Pottawattamie County, Council Bluffs, Iowa , just across the Missouri River from  Omaha, Nebraska . While looking for something fun to do, we stumbled across the  Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge —a 3,000-foot curved suspension bridge that connects Iowa and Nebraska. It turned out to be more than just a footbridge. Lit up at night with shifting colors, the bridge sparkled like fireworks against the evening sky. We laughed, played with our cameras, took silly photos, and just  soaked it all in . Standing over the river, with one foot i...
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The Magic of Route 66

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The Magic of Route 66: A Journey Through Time and the movie  Cars Driving along the iconic Route 66, we couldn't help but think of the beloved Disney Pixar movie  Cars . As we rolled through small towns, stretching desert landscapes, and towering rock formations, it became clear just how much the movie draws inspiration from this historic highway—both visually and thematically. The adventure of  Cars  feels like a mirror of the adventure we followed the "Mother Road," a highway rich in history, culture, and nostalgia. The Fading Towns and Vibrant Landscapes: As we cruised down Route 66, the comparison to  Cars  was almost impossible to miss. In the movie, Radiator Springs is a once-thriving town that’s seen better days, much like many small towns along the real Route 66. As the new highways bypassed these communities, they began to fade into the background, just like Radiator Springs did before Lightning McQueen rolled in. Along the route, We saw firsthand ...
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Giants, and a Whole lotta of Weird

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Giants, Dinosaurs, and a Whole Lotta Weird: Our Route 66 (and Beyond) Roadside Adventure This blog is all about the  giants  — the statues, sculptures, and wild roadside monuments w e spotted on Route 66 and beyond. And let me tell you, we saw it  all . If it was big, strange, or animal-shaped, we probably pulled over and took a picture with it. We saw  dinosaurs . So. Many. Dinosaurs. We saw  buffaloes ,  bowls ,  birds in giant nests ,  pink elephants , and a blue hippo, the college students used to move him around the university. The city made him a forever home, he is bolted down so tight no one can move him. There were  lizards ,  rabbits , and even  Bigfoot  (yes, really). We walked inside a  giant blue whale , saw a  massive gas pump , and even spotted a  giant leg lamp   straight out of  A Christmas Story . There were  coal miners ,  pirates ,  cowboys , and mysterious men with a...
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Family, Friends & Poco Loco

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Family, Friends & a Little Bit of "Poco Loco" (Aunties, Cousins, and Filling the Nebraska-Sized Hole in Our summer Vacation.) While driving through Minnesota, we made a stop at Janet’s Aunt Peggy’s house, which turned into an evening of sharing stories and laughter. Aunt eggy picked one of her friends and we headed to the local Bowling Alley for Dinner, the town is so small it’s one of the only places to eat out at. The stories and memories were flying, and time just went by to fast. ñ From there, we went up to visit my dad’s older sister, Aunt Lorraine, who lives near Lake Prior. She’s 98 years young and turning 99 this September! Sitting and chatting with her was truly a gift. My cousin Nancy joined us, too, and as if that wasn’t already wonderful, we had a fun little surprise: my third cousin Tanner happened to be in town and stopped by with a friend. Made the trips more memorable. 🎭 A Little Restaurant Trickery After the visit, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant to g...
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