Half the Fun?

While our journey out to Colorado was uneventful and even enjoyable in parts, I certainly hope it is not true that - as the old adage goes - getting there is half the fun. If that saying is correct, this may not be an overly fun trip!

Debbie and I had an important decision to make before setting out on our western odyssey. Would we take Debbie's 2010 Toyota Sienna minivan or Jon's 2015 Honda CR-V? Originally, we were planning to take our van, as we had done on previous trips, to ensure that we had plenty of cargo space. However, with gas prices skyrocketing as a result of Operation Epic Fury (why do these trips always end up happening with $4+ gas?), we did some recalculations. Without taking any kids this time, we would have more room. Even with taking the stuff for Adam and Patti, we knew the CR-V could work, and with about 50% better mileage efficiency. That really made the decision for us. A couple of days before our trip, Jon got the Honda serviced with an oil change, tire rotation, and new front brakes that it had been needing. 

On Wednesday, May 20, with all the preparations made and shopping done and packing completed, we left our home at 12280 Beeson Street shortly after 7 am. We made it over an hour before our first stop for a fine breakfast at the Bob Evans in Wooster.

When we got to the Dayton area, we knew we had to make a stop at the legendary Buccee's!

Sadly, Debbie wouldn't let us stop here in Indiana:

Debbie made the call for lunch. She happily picked one of her favorites - Culver's.

The rest of the day continued without incident. We ate at a Raising Cane's for supper. Our stop for the night was in Columbia, Missouri, logging 697 miles for the first day.

After a hotel breakfast, we continued west. Topeka was a little challenging in that we were looking for the cheapest gas which wasn't easy to find. We ended up stopping for lunch at a Chick Fil A there. Then it was time for our looong drive across Kansas. Supper was at an Arby's in Goodland where we also filled up before crossing the border into Colorado. It felt like a marathon to make it all the way to Manitou Springs where our night's stay was booked. I experienced a little nausea and headache after supper which may have either been from two full days of driving or possibly some altitude sickness setting in. Maybe both? In two days, we had travelled 1,431 miles and gone from 1,181 feet to 6,306 feet for an increase of 5,125 feet. Whew!

We went to bed on Thursday evening looking forward to spending some time the next day at the nearby Garden of the Gods before meeting up with the Lees in Longmont for Addison's graduation weekend.

Go West, Old Man!

America's West beckons once again, and Debbie and I are heeding the call. Thus we are embarking upon a 17 day, 5000+ mile driving adventure starting Wednesday, May 20, through Friday, June 5, 2026. We figure this will be a great way to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday!

The impetus for the trip is our niece Addison's high school commencement and graduation party.  The Lee Family has been there for important moments in our family's life, and we would like to be able to celebrate the achievements of their oldest daughter with them in Longmont. There are also some heirloom items from the Immel house that we can deliver to them since we are driving.

We will be revisiting some of our favorite destinations from previous trips (Colorado Springs, Yellowstone) as well as journeying to some new sites from our bucket lists (Jon's: Dinosaur National Monument, Craters of the Moon, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and Debbie's: DeSmet.) Our route is anticipated to be I-70 from Ohio through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado, then on various roads through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin before returning home via I-80.

With Debbie now retired, traveling in late May and early June is possible, so the timing works.  We hope that the earlier trip will mean lower crowds. Of course, with some of our elevated altitudes and latitudes, that also might mean colder weather and even snow. We'll have to see!