So here we are in the Centennial State, kids. (Go ahead, quiz me. Edward has been learning facts about each state we’ve driven through on this trip to date – that’s 18 so far and more to come!)

I have put off blogging. Sorry about that. It’s just so hard to capture the essence of our extended time away from home. Time to take a deep breath and jump in.

First there was the two day, two VERY LONG DAYS, drive to Florida. Then our 6 days there, in a lovely 2-bedroom condo overlooking the beach. I mean, literally, you could jump off our balcony and walk (assuming you didn’t shatter your ankles when you jumped) straight into the Atlantic. We swam in the ocean. We swam in the pool. We cavorted with family. The cousins were delighted with each other. It was a sandy, hot, wonderful time. Dex and I even managed a few relaxing evenings with only wine, the crashing waves, and each other for company on our moonlit balcony.

Back in the car, we headed northwesterly and arrived in St Louis a day and a half later. We beat my in-laws to their house by about 5 minutes. We spent two nights there, Dex flew home to return to work and my dad flew into Lambert to join me and the kids for our two day drive to Denver. I know most people would be horrified at the thought of driving across Kansas. I’m sure my New England born and bred friends can’t even comprehend it. But honestly, though there is little in the way of human landscape in vast parts of Kansas, the landscape is fascinating and beautiful. The whole drive from Florida to Colorado was an unending story of the physical makeup of our country, from scrubby pines to rolling green Tennessee valleys to flat Illinois farmland to prairie bluffs to golden plains. We’ve crossed river after river on this trip, from the Hudson to the Mississippi and the Missouri.

The day we drove into Denver (July 4th, actually), the mountains were indistinct against the horizon, but since then have revealed themselves. One day, as I drove toward the western horizon, I said to my mom, “The mountains look really tall today.” They do, they seem to rise much higher than I remember. Has it been that long since I’ve gazed on the Rocky Mountains? Yes, yes it has.

To be continued….

P.S. I have to give kudos to my kids for enduring long days in the car. They have done amazingly well. Hopefully they have it in them to go another 4 days on the way home.