New Blog!

As we travel the globe we decided to document those adventures as well. Please visit our new sister blog Patrick and Katrina do the Globe!

Sojourn Superlatives

After nearly 70 days on the road, we spent a few days reflecting on our journey. Below are some of our favorite memories from the trip.

The Numbers:
Miles Driven - 11,775.9
Gallons of Gas Used - TBD
Average Miles Per Gallon - TBD
Interstates Travelled - 39
States Visited - 34
Countries Visited - 6

Hotel Room:
Best - MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
Worst - Economy Inn, Las Cruces, NM

Meal:
Best Overall - Via Cavour Ristorante, Rome, ITA
Worst Overall - JB's, Hurricane, UT
Best Value - Spaghetti Warehouse, San Antonio, TX
& Waffle House, any Interstate exit in the South
Worst Value - Sharky's, Waikoloa, HI

Dessert:
Best - Brownie Sundae, Ghiradelli's, San Francisco, CA
Worst - Ice Cream and Cookies, Golden Buffet, Carlsbad, NM

Cocktail:
Best - Strawberry Margarita, Margaritaville, Las Vegas, NV (Bonus points awarded for being to-go)
Worst - Fuller's Beer, London, ENG (Negative points awarded for being warm)

Natural Attraction:
Best - Carlsbad Cavern, Carlsbad, NM
Worst - Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, HI (Negative points awarded for inactivity)

Historical Attraction:
Best - Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA
Worst - Spanish Governor's Palace, San Antonio, TX

Best Free Attraction:
St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, Vatican City (Free only on the last Sunday of every month)
Best U.S. - The Alamo, San Antonio, TX

Worst Value Attraction:
Westminster Abbey, London, ENG (Though it was fascinating and we are glad we went, the cost was an astronomical $30 apiece)

Museum:
Best - Vatican, Vatican City
Best U.S. - Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Worst - Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL

Wildlife Experience:
Best - Everglades National Park, FL
Worst - St. James Park, London, ENG (Home to hundreds of fearless pigeons)

Beach:
Best - Puako, HI
Worst - Santa Monica, CA

Attraction Surprises:
Most Pleasant Surprise - Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX
Most Disappointing - Central Market, San Antonio, TX

City Hall:
Best - Montreal City Hall, QC
Worst - Rapid City City Hall, SD

Public Transportation:
Best - Denver, CO
Worst - Toronto, ON

Drive:
Best - Pacific Coast Highway, CA
Worst - Interstate 69, MI

Traffic:
Easiest - Ranch Route 652, West TX
Worst - Malibu, CA to Westwood, CA (An hour and a half to go 10 miles)

Billboard:
Best - Wall Drug's 100+ billboards on Interstate 90, SD
Worst - "Support Hunters, Wear Fur", Interstate 90, SD

Gas Prices:
Best - $1.74, Upstate SC
Worst - $2.69, Northern CA

Elevation:
Highest - 11,013 ft above sea level, Eisenhower Tunnel, Interstate 70, CO
Lowest - 6 ft below sea level, 9th Ward, New Orleans, LA

State Sign:
Best - Wyoming
Worst - New Hampshire

Road Trip Item:
Most Useful - 2007 Rand McNally Atlas
Least Useful - Collapsible snow shovel

Road Trip Snack:
Best - Trail Mix (Unsalted peanuts, raisins, reeces pieces)
Worst - Bananas (Too temperature sensitive)

Weather:
Best - Big Island, HI
Worst - Grand Canyon, AZ (Camping in 19 degrees made for a long night)

Temperature:
Coldest - -9 degrees, Caribou, ME
Warmest - 80 degrees, Miami Beach, FL (Bonus degrees awarded for humidity, edging out Hawaii)

Best Sunset:
Hapuna Beach, HI

Skyline:
Best - New York, NY
Worst - San Diego, CA

Timing:
Best - Happening upon the Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace, London, ENG
Worst - Just missing the Three Kings Day Parade, Little Havana, Miami, FL

Overall City/Town:
Best - San Francisco, CA
Worst - Los Angeles, CA

Day 69: End of the Road

Start: Cambridge, MA
End: Caribou, ME
Miles Driven: 415.7 (11775.9 total)

Today we reached the end of the line for our US road trip. (If we drove any further north we would be in Canada and starting the trip over again.) Greeted by the lowest temperatures we have yet seen, we arrived in Caribou to spend a few days with Patrick's family. We got to celebrate our third Christmas of the season and our first with snow on the ground.

With that we bring the blog to a close. Stay tuned in the next few days as we post a "Best Of" entry.

Days 67-68: Familiar Territory

Start: New York, NY
End: Cambridge, MA
Miles Driven: 245.6 (11360.2 total)

Yesterday morning, we made our return to New England and were greeted by frigid temperatures in the teens. We finally saw a Rhode Island license plate in Connecticut; it was the only license plate we had yet to see on our trip.

Tuesday's highlight was a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. Parts of the museum are under construction, and there were also hordes of young children on field trips, but we still were able to enjoy extensive collections of paintings, sculptures, and a special exhibit on Paris runway fashion.

The rest of our time in the Boston area was spent riding the T, hiding from the cold, and eating lots and lots of Katrina's grandmother's cooking.

Day 66: Super Sunday

Start: Berwyn, PA
End: New York, NY
Miles Driven: 116.9 (11114.6 total)

This morning we hit the road again and were in Manhattan in an hour and a half. It took almost as long to find a parking spot. We joined Katrina's friend Olivia for brunch and then all hopped on the subway to the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Of the many museums we have visited on this trip, this definitely held the most abstract exhibits and featured works from artists ranging from Picasso to Andy Warhol.

Only a few blocks away is the world's premier toy shop: FAO Schwarz. We went inside to play and see piano dancers, lego wookies, and enormous (and expensive) stuffed animals.

After masterfully navigating the expansive New York City subway system, we landed in Greenwich Village. As we hopped from bar to bar we took advantage of superbowl drink specials and complimentary wings which made the usually expensive nightlife scene surprisingly easy on our wallets.

Day 65: Amish Paradise

Start: Berwyn, PA
End: Berwyn, PA
Miles Driven: 126.6 (10997.7 total)

Pennsylvania Dutch country is only an hour west of Katrina's house so we drove out for the day for an Amish adventure. The road took us through snowy fields and farmlands and the journey was made a bit slower when we encountered more than one horse and buggy along the way. We stopped often at the many roadside farmers' markets to sample the array of homemade cheeses, jams, and fudges for which the region is noted.

The highlight of the trip (for Patrick at least) was our lunch at the Bird-in-Hand Smorgasbord. Here, we were able to get full size samples of the local specialities including Shoofly Pie, the famous sugary and gooey Amish dessert. The pie was the first time on the trip we found something that Patrick would eat that Katrina didn't.

Before calling it a day we visited nearby Valley Forge, the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment under Gen. Washington in 1777-1778. It was so windy and cold that we had trouble spending 5 minutes outside there...we can't imagine spending an entire winter.

Day 64: Freedom (Fries) for All

Start: Berwyn, PA
End: Berwyn, PA
Miles Driven: 19.8 (10870.7 total)

In need of some brotherly love, we spent the day in downtown Philly. At Independence Hall we brushed up on our US history and saw the room in which the Declaration of Independence was debated, edited, and signed.

Across the street is the building that houses the Liberty Bell, which is normally packed with people in line to see the American relic. Luckily, we were in and out in five minutes. We are not sure if this was because it was a weekday in February or because the entire building smelled like a bathroom.

Philadelphia is home to one of five US mints in the country. Its focus is coins and medals, and we found the free tour very informational. A little too informational in fact as Patrick is still contemplating a quarter counterfeiting scheme.

We couldn't leave Philly without getting a real taste of the city: cheesesteaks of course. The only question was Geno's or Pat's. In the end, we opted for Geno's cheesesteaks and freedom fries due to better celebrity photos. If it's good enough for Justin Timberlake it's certainly good enough for us.

Days 62-63: Back Across the Pond

Start: Frankfurt, GER
End: Berwyn, PA
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

Yesterday, much to our chagrin, our time in Europe came to an end. We spent most of the day in the air, and most of today recuperating and readjusting. We were able to upload the photos from our week in Europe which you can find on the left.

Day 61: Wurst City

Start: Rome, ITA
End: Frankfurt, GER
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

We caught our early morning flight from Rome without a hitch and were in downtown Frankfurt by noon. Immediately we stopped at a stand to sample the finest German meats, a bratwurst and rindwurst, before sampling what Frankfurt had to offer.

Our first stop was the Kaiserdom, the church where the Holy Roman Empire's emporers were coronated. The suprisingly simple interior was much different than that of the other coronation spot we visited, Westminster Abbey. Other highlights included the Romer (City Hall) and St. Paul's Church, which served as Germany's first Parliament building. Thirsty for more sightseeing we stopped to read a guidebook for the city and found that we had covered everything in an hour and a half.
In search of a traditional German restaurant for dinner, we found more Italian and Indian food being offered than the national fare. We finally found a place in the square in front of the Romer where we enjoyed beer, Handkase, a local cheese specialty that is rather pungent and only tolerable in small quantities, and apfelstrudel.

Our hostel was conveniently located across from Frankfurt's main train station, and directly above one of the many strip clubs in the area. We prepared for a cozy night in our bunks to the soundtrack of our roommate who sereanaded us with the sounds of his sweet snoring mingled with "dance" music from below.

Day 60: Rome-ing Around

Start: Rome, ITA
End: Rome, ITA
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

Our third day in Rome began with a visit to one of the most popular sites in Rome, the Colosseum. Two thousand years ago, the Colosseum hosted day-long spectacles of wild animal scenes, plays and contests--each performance usually ending in a slave, actor, or gladiator being slain in a gruesome manner. Thousands of Romans would gather for the events and admission was free, a tradition we wished they had kept up for current visitors.

Continuing our tour of Ancient Rome, we made our way to the Palatine and Roman Forum. Walking around the ruins was amazing. We saw columns and arches, the remains of temples and even an athletic stadium.

Next we set out in search of the Catacombs of St. Domitilla. We took the bus to the southern edge of the city...and then got thoroughly, utterly lost. The excursion included dodging crazy Italian drivers, hiking through a muddy field, and narrowly escaping angry guard dogs. Finally making it back to the outskirts of Rome, we were relieved to hop on a bus headed downtown. Unfortunately, five minutes into the drive, the bus driver seemed to be having trouble with the ignition. He put his hands in the air exclaiming "Morto!" and all us passengers were forced to disembark. While trying to decide our next step, we were approached by an Italian woman who insisted on helping us. She dragged us on a bus with her, then pulled us off and dragged us on another, and gave us further detailed instructions of which we did not understand a word. Luckily, Patrick eventually spotted the Colosseum and we hopped off the bus to make our way downtown by foot.
In need of rejuvination, we stopped for a taste of our first Italian gelato--which was absolutely delicious--before finding a restaurant for dinner. We savored every bite of the fresh pasta and bread at our last Italian meal.