Meet'cha Halfway!

In exactly one month, my BFF Alex and I will be three days into our 11-day road trip out West!

Her and I have taken several road trips over the years — including our infamous Route 66 Road Trips (yes, we went twice, back-to-back years — more on this down below!)

No lie, up until the very first road trip, we were planning on going to Disney World for New Year’s Eve. We both had some time off at the end of the year, and thought, what better way to bring in 2015 than over fireworks at the most magical place on Earth?

Well…24 hours before our trip, I remember Alex asking me, “Ashley, if you could go ANYWHERE, where would you want to go?!” You see, gas prices were at an all-time low (like $1.50 / gallon) which is just unheard of these days! We had an entire week off. We could do ANYTHING.

It was like her and I both read each other’s mind….”The Grand Canyon!” we both exclaimed.

Without much time to think about it or plan, Alex asked her mom if she could borrow her SUV, and then came to Indy to pick me up. We had the car! We packed the car with a bunch of stuff! (Mind you, this was a couple days after Christmas and it was mighty frigid outside, so lots of coats / clothes / blankets made it into the vehicle). And then we started driving West.

The only thing with this plan, was that we didn’t have one.

We planned the trip as we went! We used Pinterest and blogs and Instagram tags to put together our road map. And sometimes, we just stopped along side of the road because we saw something we wanted to check out, and could.

The other stipulation?
We were trying to do it as affordable as we could!

We actually calculated what we spent after the whole trip was over, and it was around $300 / person. (I know, right?!) The beauty about traveling along Route 66 is there are a bunch of roadside attractions that are free to see. Things like the:

-Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
-Blue Whale of Catoosa
-Cadillac Ranch
-Midpoint
-World’s Largest Bottle of Ketchup

Every other night, we would pay for a place to stay. On the nights we weren’t sleeping in an actual bed? We turned the backseat of her mom’s Ford Escape into a bed. Meaning we moved everything from the backset to the front, put the seats down, and then layered blankets / pillows across to form our “makeshift bed”. It was quite a sight! We stopped at an awesome Rest Area in Oklahoma that treated us very well. We made sure to park the SUV in a safe, well-lit place. Where we could high-tail it if we needed to. But honestly, no one ever bothered us. Except Mother Nature when the car got so cold we had to turn it on for a tad to heat it back up before falling back asleep.

Oh, the memories!

During that first Road Trip, we made it all the way to Holbrook, AZ and stayed in the Wigwam Motel (otherwise known as the Cozy Cone Motel in the movie Cars). It was New Year’s Eve and we watched the ball drop on the tiniest TV screen. We went to bed knowing that tomorrow, the first day of the year, we would finally make it see the Grand Canyon!

Joke was on us, though….Ha Ha…because we woke up to inches of snow on the ground. They actually closed the road that you take to get to the Grand Canyon because of all the snow! All of that driving across the US to not even made it to our final destination?!?

That’s when we realized….it’s not about the destination, at all, really. It’s about the journey to get there!

The song “Find Yourself” (from the Cars Soundtrack) puts those feelings into lyrics that explain exactly how we felt! We decided next year, we would make the trip again, so we could finally see the Grand Canyon! But in the meantime, we would enjoy the rest of the trip headed back home.

And that’s what we did! The next year, we took Route 66 Road Trip - Round #2, and it was JUST as good. We did take a detour off Route 66 on the way out, and drove more through Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado, before trucking it into Arizona and witnessing the Grand Canyon. We got to skip along the Yellow Brick Road, sled the sand dunes, dip our cold feet into the warm hot springs, step in four states at once, experience Flinstone’s Bedrock City and more. Another amazing trip, for having very little of a plan.

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But here we are now! Road Trip #3!

And this trip, is a tad different. Here’s why:

• We’re going more NW not SW!
  Our trip includes seeing the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Bemidji, MN and some other places along the way! We didn’t realize when we started planning, but have soon learned that these National Parks have seasons, and some of the parks only have sections that will be open when we are traveling there.

• It’s quite a bit longer!

  The last trips we took were maybe 5 or 6 days. This trip, though, is twice that!

• We have a little bit of a bigger budget.
  Which translates to: We’ll most likely not be sleeping in the car! Camping, AirBnbs, lodges, hotels are all on the list. But Pearl (my dear Kia Soul), I think you’re just going to be used as a mode of transportation this time and not an accommodation! You deserve that! (Especially because you are almost paid off….EEEEEE!!!!)

• It’s during May! Not December!
  Meaning there are going to be more people out exploring, and things fill up fast, especially when you aren’t sleeping in your makeshift bed. Did you know reservations for Yellowstone usually fill a year in advance?!? Pray for us that we don’t freeze that night, if we cannot secure a room and try to camp in the 40 degree weather (YSNP will actually not let you sleep in your car). Hahah.

And because of this, we decided we needed a bit more of a plan than “just winging it”. Though I’m sure there will be some things we do, that are “off course” :)

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So, what do you do when you + your BFF have pretty jammed packed schedules, but need a good day or so to plan?!

YOU MEET HALFWAY!

I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before. You see, she lives in South Bend, IN and I live in Plainfield, IN. Which translates to an almost 3-hour trip. But if we met half way, we could have a whole day together that wasn’t consumed of driving back and forth!

We discovered a little winery that’s drop dead center in between her house and mine, and took an entire day dedicated to one thing: Planning Our NEXT Road Trip!

Oh, how weird this felt. Alex and I are both planners by nature. But the fact that we hadn’t planned the last two trips….made us wonder if we should be planning this one in so much detail!

After sitting there, from when the winery opened until the winery closed, and several glasses of wine later, our 9-page Google Doc itinerary had a pretty great start! We finished our meet up by getting dinner at a local pizza shop, and sharing our thoughts of our upcoming trip, while the adrenaline of our next big adventure rushed through our veins!

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I remember driving back home that night, and thinking, “You know what, meeting halfway is genius. We should really do this more often!”

Do you ever have those days that you just really need to talk to your BFF?
Or you need some of your Ma’s loving?
Or you’d like to catch up with someone you haven’t talked to in awhile?

Consider saying:
“I’ll meet’cha halfway!”

I think a lot of us get in the habit of thinking “they are ‘too far’ away” or “it’s their turn to come to me” or “I’ll see them during the holidays.”

But what I’ve learned lately: Community is SO important! Friendships ARE much needed! Having time to chit chat with those you love can really turn your day / week / month around. You don’t HAVE to wait until “later”. Why don’t you get together now?!

IF you are close enough (a couple hours away from one another), maybe you can MEET HALFWAY and enjoy a nice day together or at least do dinner?! Heck, you don’t have to plan a big, elaborate road trip. You can just visit with one another! Give it some thought!

I have a feeling as I get older and my time becomes more consumed with “adulting” activities (marriage and kiddos), our BIG road trips won’t happen every year. But perhaps, these mini-road trips AKA “meeting halfway” are going to become the cornerstone of our friendship <3

12 Things You'll Learn While Traveling on Route 66

1. Single lane bridges DO exist, and your heart will beat faster than normal when you drive across one.

The feeling that someone from the other side might “run the red light” and drive on the bridge at the same time as you, HEAD ON, can be a bit much to handle! Especially when the bridge goes from a concrete structure to a metal frame. Not to mention it’s approaching dusk. But once you make it across that “long, stretch,” you’ll feel as if you can conquer anything in this world. Including driving across the country on Route 66! #OldChainOfRocksBridge

 

2. Diner food really isn’t that great, but the service and milkshakes will make up for it!

Maybe it’s the fact that no one should ever order a big, juicy chiliburger. Or that the chicken and fries are sprinkled one too many times with salt and pepper. But the milkshake will definitely make up for it! Also, the friendliness of the waitress will put the cherry on top of your Route 66 diner experience. #Route66Diner

3. Sleeping in the car isn’t half bad!

When you’re on a $500 (or less) budget, you’ll find ways to make the trip cheaper. Hotel rooms add up, so if you travel in a van or SUV, pack at least 10 blankets and a half-dozen pillows to make your very own “blanket bed” in the back of the vehicle! It’s actually pretty comfy, and will save you a couple bucks. Just be sure to pull over in a well-lit rest area. Or Walmart. It’s legal to park overnight at Walmart. #BlanketBed

 

 4. But sometimes it’s okay to splurge and spend $66 to stay in a wigwam.

When you’re traveling on Route 66, there are so many unique places to stay. One being the “Wigwam Motel.” So yes, split the cost with your travel buddy and stay somewhere out of the ordinary! You won’t regret it. (Especially if that’s how you’re bringing in the New Year.) #WigwamMotel

 

5. Bring a notebook to scribble down things you want to do!

When you’re traveling on Route 66, there’s a plethora of attractions to see and places to visit. You may want to do a little research before you leave (that’s how I knew how to bring 4 cans of spray paint I had at home for Cadillac Ranch). Or, have your travel buddy look up some things when you’re on the road (I used Pinterest to find the majority of things we did). It may be helpful to break up each “big stop” (Ex: St. Louis to Tulsa), and write down things you’re interested in doing in between the two cities. Please note: You don’t have to have it all figured out when you leave! It’s okay to change things around. When you’re headed West, I might encourage writing down some nice rest areas or things you may want to see on the way back. For instance, some things we wanted to check out had to wait until going back home because it was dark out on the way there. This will (1) prevent your from driving hundreds of miles before the next rest area (if you’re sleeping at one), and (2) serve a reminder of things you can do on the way home! Because after all, this trip isn’t over when you head East. You’re just getting started! #HandyDandyNotebook

6. Spray painting in a white coat isn’t a wise idea. Or with your glasses on.

And here’s why:

Don’t worry. The paint will come off your glasses. The white coat on the other hand… #CadillacRanch

7. If you “run” into a cactus, it will prick you through the two layers of pants you have on.

You know those cacti that you can buy at Lowe’s? Well, you’re missing out on the real deal. Because when you’re climbing the Sandia Mountains in the desert, and you run into a cactus, it’s more painful than you attempting to “prick” your finger on a Lowe’s cactus. A half-dozen pricks will get stuck not only in your jeans, but your leggings and skin! It will hurt so bad that you will have to hide behind a rock in the mountains to individually pull each prick from your skin before you move forward on your journey. #SandiaPeakCactus

8. When your “Low Pressure Light” comes on and one of your tires won’t take any air, it might be because the valve is frozen.

I’m just saving you the trouble of going to an Auto Body shop, and two men telling you more about your car than you know. And a $10 tip, because although “air is free,” the kindness of others is worth passing along an Alexander Hamilton. #LowTirePressureProbs

9. When you’re in Mountain Time on New Years Eve, don’t expect to watch the ball drop with the millions of people in New York City.

Or hear Taylor Swift’s performance, until 2 hours later. Because your TV channel will cut to local news until it’s 11:30PM (your time) and will THEN play a re-run of the “live” ball dropping. You’ll hear the 10-9-8…countdown but the ball actually falling will be cut from the picture. But it’s okay, because you were able to enjoy an “extra” 2 hours of 2014 before bringing in the New Year! #BallDropOnNewYearsEve

 

10. When you get this text from a friend, you’ll start watching the weather more carefully.

I may have checked the weather the Sunday before we left, and saw that there was a 90% chance of snow at the Grand Canyon (our “last” stop on this road trip). But the weather always changes. And it takes the adventure out of things if you plan too much or overthink things. But when your friend texts you a photo of the Grand Canyon’s Instagram update, your Grandparents message you on Facebook and tell you to turn around, and you discover that part of Route I-40 is closed (the  route that we needed to get to the National Park) because there’s 12 inches on snow in Flagstaff, you’ll reconsider what your “last” stop is before turning around and heading East on Route 66. #SafeTravels

11. The 5 Most Important Things to Pack:
Comfy clothes, toothbrush, phone charger(s), throat spray and a mini-tripod stand

(1) Comfy clothes – You’re going to be in a car for 72% of your trip. You have no one to impress. You want to be comfortable! So bring lots of sweatpants, sweatshirts, gloves, hats and a coat if it’s winter, and don’t forget your tennis shoes!

(2) Toothbrush – Yes, it’s okay to brush your teeth in the bathroom of a rest area. If you’re not showering for 1-2 days at a time, it’s essential to at least brush your teeth!

(3) Phone Charger(s) – Your phone is useful for a lot of things: GPS, attraction looker up (yes, I just made that word up), a flashlight, communicator, camera, etc. You’ll want to keep it charged.

(4) Sore Throat Spray – If you have even a 10% inkling that you may feel under the weather before you leave, grab a bottle of throat spray. 2-3 sprays every time your throat feels like it’s going to close up does wonders. Trust me.

(5) Mini-Tripod Stand – Ever wonder how we took some of our “together” photos? Not once did we ask someone to take a photo for us. Bring a mini-tripod stand, and use a wireless remote or download a self-timer app on your phone. Set your phone on the tripod, and snap away!

#TheEssentials

12. Even though the speed limit is 75 mph, you’ll find that most people rarely go over it.

It’s refreshing to know that parts of this world don’t have a “rush hour” or a “hustle and bustle” kind-of mindset. On Route 66, you just kind of mosey across the country. When you stop somewhere, people ask you where you’re from and where you’re going. They are TRULY curious! They get as just excited about your travels as you are. Traveling on Route 66 is not about any sort of destination, and that’s the best part. You can drive for 3 hours, and then pull off on the side of the road and find something to do. It breaks the journey up into small parts. Before you know it, you’ve traveled 1,520 miles in three days. You’ve been in 8 states and have gone further West than you’ve ever been in your life. And that’s what will make this trip, the most incredible adventure you’ve ever taken. #Route66RoadTrip