Road Trip Re-Cap

This post has been staring at me for 2 months now, just mocking me. So here it is, our final re-cap of our Great American Road Trip!

The final route

Some of our final journey stats:

• 38 Days on the road (thanks to all the friends with washing machines along the way!)
• 22 States and 2 countries visited
• 6,539 miles traveled 
• 100 (ish) hours spent side by side in the car - that's a lot of radio lab podcasts! 

The final speedometer photo before we sold the Jetta in Tucson and continued to LA in a rental car

• 61 friends and family seen along the way in the order we saw them and lots of new friends that we didn't list
• Emily, John & Graham; Marlene & Bill; Julie & Ben; Nick & Marie, Dan & Steph, Scott, Sarah, Ava & Ella, Bowen, Rebbie & Chuck; Layla, Jeff, Jammi, Kathy, Mary Beth, Nanny, Ant the Man & his lovely girlfriend Marisa; One last fill of Alex; Uncle Ray & Aunt Susan; Tom an SAE brother and great friend; Alejo & Marcela for the amazing wedding; Max & Meng, Brad & SK, Jessie & Katie (the cutest couple); Melissa, George & Ryman, Glynn; Ian, Emily & hot mess Hattie; an unplanned next-door camping visit with Kyle in the Grand Canyon; Chris, my Mom, Bone Crusher & Reily; Uncle Nicky, Sue, Jerry & Holly, Lisa, Colin & Rob, Jude & Payton at Pastiche; Shane in his new SD home; Katie K & Charlie in LA!  
• 1 successful license plate game - we saw all 51, can't forget about DC
• A few notable finds....Alaska was one of the first we spotted outside of Columbus, OH, I speed down the Rocky Mountain Highway after a PT cruiser from Delaware, we found Hawaii rolling into Austin and the last plate we found 1 hour outside of Tucson - South Dakotan's need to travel more.  
• 113 was the hottest temperature we hit in good ol' Yuma Arizona

Our trusty Jetta made it the whole way with no breakdowns. The human travelers also made it all the way with no breakdowns, just a few minor hangry moments (mostly from me). Our little Jetta was heavy on the first leg to Cincinnati where we dropped off more stuff at Chris' parents house (thanks!).

La Jetta will be missed, I do wonder who has her now! 

We also learned a few valuable lessons along the road (as you can tell, I started this list, but never really finished it!): 

• Texans like to speed, which should really be no surprise to anyone, the top speed limit was 85 mphs (137 kmph), yowzer! 
• You never know when you will come across an old friend. We randomly camped next to Kyle and his Grandma in the Grand Canyon North Rim, which is pretty remote. Kyle is an SAE Chris met at Leadership school years before.
• Skunk sprays don't take the cut out of a dog & two baths also do not take the skunk smell off a dog. Poor Ryman! 
• Desiel cars give you street creed with truckers, even if its a Jetta.  

It seems so long ago, but we had a blast and I am so glad we did it! If you ever get the chance to road trip, do it!