Just over a month ago we left our home in Oregon. We started out two days behind schedule for our travel plans. Speaking of plans, we never got time to really plan our trip so did not have any hotels booked, except for our extended stay in Herndon, Virginia. It’s amazing how many memories happen in a home in four years, especially considering we had our daughter there. Leaving was sad, especially going to the unknown, but we kept ourselves strong so our little one would not get more upset than she already was.

We drove out on a dark rainy afternoon, the day after Christmas. Our cars were packed so tight that we could barely find room for a water bottle. I got Mackenzie all setup with toys and books within her carseat reach, and followed Dan. We already had two stops to make, Uhaul to buy walkie talkies, and Fred Meyer (btw, we miss you and your on-site daycare while we shop) for a bike lock. Our bikes were tied to the back of hubby’s red Taurus but we packed the key to our bike lock in our Relo-Cubes.

Not the best start.

As we drove south and started heading up in elevation, snow threatened. I pictured I5 south to be this interstate with flat wide lanes all the way (probably due to growing up in New Jersey taking the turnpike and parkway). Our goal was to make it to Ashland but scared of hitting bad weather on a dark mountain highway, and a crying kitty in hubby’s car, we stopped in Medford.

We pulled over in a rest area about 30 miles before the town. This was my first road trip with gps and a cell phone that worked pretty much everywhere. Wow, what a difference! While hubby was using the restroom, I looked up a hotel on my phone, called and made a reservation. After doing this it just hit me how much technology has changed things.

The little one had fallen asleep so I let hubby watch her as I checked into a Motel 6, and then we carried her in. Of course she promptly woke up to run wild in the room, snack and watch her Dora dvd. Luckily we had a first floor room with parking right outside. It turned out I packed so disorganized that we had to bring in about 8 trips worth of stuff!

Hubby and I have taken three cross-country road trips together now, and countless 12-14 hour journeys. These are some of the things we try to stick to.

Rule 1: Pack one bag for everyone that can get you by for 3 days. Then change to the next bag. Broken
Rule 2: Don’t leave after dark! Broken
Rule 3: On short nights, go for inexpensive motels… splurge on the nights when you are driving shorter days and will have time to enjoy.
Rule 4: If you are coffee addicted like us, do not under estimate being able to get that first cup in the morning (and maybe breakfast) before packing. Semi-Broken: Not very good coffee

And don’t leave your Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered espresso beans in the car overnight in freezing temperatures… they will never be the same.

More to come…

Continue to Part 2 – Oregon to Cali