Driving Across America’s Heartland

When I first made the decision to drive across the country it was based on necessity. Rather than just “wanting” to do it.  And so the story of Driving Across America’s Heartland became something more than I expected but wanted to share!

Driving across America’s Heartland

The Why

The need to driving across America’s heartland was due to my son being in Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA.  When he left on June 1st he did not take his truck and we figured when he graduated we would get it shipped out to Virginia.  Long story short, when the time came to graduate the fastest and easiest way to get it there was for one of us to make the drive!

Mapping it Out

I used Google maps to determine my course across our beautiful country.  From Denver I had two options that were almost direct shots.  I70 or I80.  Interstate 70 goes to the south and Interstate 80 angles a little north.  I choose I 70 to I 64 as it saved me about 50 miles and it would take me through Kentucky where I have family.

When I realized the drive would be about 25 hours I decided to take two and a half days to make my destination!  Ten hours each of the first two days and five hours on the last day.  I had my plan in place!

Day one

Can I just say, I love Colorado. But the eastern side of it is not attractive.  And I wasn’t a big fan of Kansas either.  All I saw were cows, corn and wind turbines.  Seriously, almost the entire first day that was my view.  And it took FOREVER!!!  Why are there states that big?

What to Eat

And as much as I like an egg McMuffin or a cheeseburger every once in a while, I didn’t want to eat that for two and a half days.  But apparently McDonald’s owns the interstate!  Some variety from truck stops or McDonald’s would have been nice, but there was not much to choose from on that first day!!  Luckily, I had packed a small cooler with some snacks to munch on while I drove!

Music Anyone?

Another tip is Sirius XM radio is a must!  Because after a couple hours, even my favorite play list was getting repetitive!

It’s a Bug’s Life

And just for the record, the bugs that smashed into the windshield, were the biggest things I have ever seen!  Every time I stopped to fuel up, I had to scrape and wash the windshield.

I made it!

My first day destination was Columbia, Missouri.  I made it there at 6:15 p.m.  Although it was a long day (I started driving at 6:10 a.m.) I was thrilled to be there and have one day under my belt!

The Drury Inn was my hotel of choice when I got to Columbia.  Honestly, it was the first hotel I saw when I got off the interstate and they had availability.  I was an easy sell!  But what was pleasant to find out was that they included a buffet breakfast and dinner with your room! It smelled delicious, but I have to admit, I skipped dinner and went straight to bed!  And I left too early the following morning to try the breakfast buffet.  But it would be worth a try if you are looking to save money!

Day Two

The morning of day two I set out at 5:30 a.m. My goal was to arrive in Huntington, West Virginia by that evening. After a couple of hours I entered St. Louis.  And what a beautiful view it was!  I saw the Gateway Arch and crossed the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge!  They are both stunning!  And no, I did not take the pictures!  I found them on the internet, but I had to include them because they were amazing!!!

St. Louis was the only area on my trip where I hit a small amount of traffic.  And that was due to a 10 car accident.  But overall, even with all the construction zones, my drive was easy and had very little traffic.  Something I am not used to in Denver!

Day 2 Destination Change

By 4:10 p.m. I was pulling into Ashland, Kentucky.  This is where I have family!  And I decided to spend time enjoying myself and spend the evening with my uncle and his wife.  As you may remember my original goal for day two was Huntington, West Virginia.  That is only a short drive from Ashland and by the end of day two, I was tired and wanted to see some familiar and friendly faces!  So I decided to cut my drive a little short and enjoy the evening!

Below was my view after a lovely dinner at the Kentucky Cafe.  Which if you have an opportunity to try, do so!  It was great food with an all American menu!  And they have a fabulous party for the Kentucky Derby!  And below was my view for the evening from my what my uncle affectionately calls the River House.  I could not have asked for a better way to spend my evening on day two!

Day 3: Final Destination

After a great nights sleep I got up early and left the River House (which was close to Ashland, Kentucky) at 5:30 a.m.  I was in Huntington, West Virginia in less than 45 minutes.  So even though I cut day two a little short, I still made great time!  The bonus was I had finally found an easily accessible Starbucks for breakfast!

Day 3 ended when I made it to Quantico, Virginia by 12:15 p.m.  Honestly, there was nothing remarkable on my final leg of the trip.  No traffic.  There was a little as I got closer to Quantico, but not enough for it to be detrimental to my drive.  I 95 was the last major highway I needed to drive to get to my destination.  It definitely had more cars and trucks than what I was used to the two previous days, but in the end, it wasn’t bad.  I feel very lucky that I was able to spend almost three full days on the road and not experience any type of heavy traffic!

As timing is everything, my husband few into Dulles airport as I was arriving at our hotel!  I wasn’t able to pick him up from the airport, but I was checked in and had everything put away when he arrived by Uber!

Some Final Tips

Here are some final tips on things I did to stay comfortable and safe while driving!

• I brought bath salts with me!  Each night I soaked in a tub with the bath salts to help relieve the soreness in my shoulders and back from driving.  I got stiff spending all that time in one position.
• A lumbar back support pillow for my seat while driving.  Yup, it made a huge difference having that extra support!
• And lastly, I bought a car phone holder.  It was a holder that went into the cup holder but it held my phone up so I could see who was calling (or see the navigation!) and I didn’t need to fumble with it.

Conclusion: A Time to Reflect

Let me be very clear before I start, I have a habit of beating myself up in my head.  So there was a part of me that was very worried over how I would do with my own thoughts while driving alone.  I think my family was a little worried too.  But in the end, I actually did very well.

Although I love my family very much, I realized on this trip just how much I have to be thankful for.  My kids I could not be prouder of.  I am still not sure how my hubby and I raised such awesome, responsible people.  We really had no idea what we were doing when we became parents! But somehow  we managed to raise two kids who are empathetic towards others, believe in the value of life and know how to stand up for what they believe in.  I could not be prouder!

My Husband

As for my husband, I never give him enough credit.  For standing by my side.  For supporting me in all my ventures!  Although I found my passion in this blog, it took time and some exploration to finally land on something that makes my heart sing!  And my hubby was by my side the whole time.  Supporting me not only financially, but emotionally too.  I don’t think I tell him enough how grateful I am for him and his support.  After all, family is the most important part of my life!

In the end driving across America’s heartland was one of the best things I could have done for myself. This trip helped me understand how grateful I should be for the life I have been given.  Not all things are perfect and turn out according to how I want, but in the end, I am living the best life ever!

Looking for a great rate on a hotel?  Check out Hotels.com my go to website for great rates!

More importantly, thank you for spending your time here at Colorado Kelly!  I love having you here and appreciate everyone that visits and look forward to having you back soon!

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