Friday, March 16th
Well, we're in Tennessee tonight at Katie's aunt and uncle's house. Yesterday we had intended to leave NY early in the morning, go to Lancaster, see some Amish people and then go to our hotel in Virginia. But, I woke up very sick and was pretty much immobile. After throwing up 17 times and praying through it with my travelling companions, I was able to fall back asleep at 11am for a short bit. We didn't leave until about 1pm, so we decided just to go to Virginia. I slept most of the way and the Lord was faithful and I was practically well again that night. We had a chill time at the hotel in the jacuzzi, watched part of a corny movie, and just chatted and relaxed. We then got up this morning and headed to Nashville.
Nashville was pretty much what we expected! Live music, cute downtown and big hair. It was great. Pictures to come!
We are now in Jackson, TN. All the girls are konked out. Katie got sick on the drive here from Nashville. She seems to be plagued with possibly a cousin of what I had yesterday.
Well, anyway, tomorrow, rather than drive to Hot Springs and then drive to C-stat on Sunday, we're going to just do the 12 hours back to C-stat tomorrow so everyone can get rested up and all better! We will be sure to write a bunch during our car ride tomorrow and post them on Sunday. I was planning on doing pictures tonight, but the connection is slow. So, you'll just have those to look forward to (even though our trip was only 8 days, you get to enjoy this blog for longer!).
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Driving through 6 States!
Monday, March 12
(Pictures to Come!)
On Monday we started in Washington DC, going to Arlington National Cemetery and the Marine Corps War Memorial. Then we moved on to Philadelphia, which was so much fun! We went to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, but they closed a few minutes before we got there, so we simply observed. It was wonderful! Such a relaxing break in the midst of our day! We ate Philly Cheese steak for dinner, which was delicious and needed to happen, but once we got back in the car we all felt the heaviness. However, we made it to New York by that night and got to meet Taya, Hannah's roommate from this summer in her apartment. After absolutely overwhelming her apartment and parking the car, we set our stuff up a little bit and crashed. It was so much fun to meet Taya, but we really were so exhausted that it felt wonderful to just go to sleep. Sorry for the short recap, but we'll update more later! It's been difficult to find time and keep up- we all feel so bad!
P.S. - We drove through Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and then New York! All in one day!!!
Love you guys!!
Lauren
(Pictures to Come!)
On Monday we started in Washington DC, going to Arlington National Cemetery and the Marine Corps War Memorial. Then we moved on to Philadelphia, which was so much fun! We went to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, but they closed a few minutes before we got there, so we simply observed. It was wonderful! Such a relaxing break in the midst of our day! We ate Philly Cheese steak for dinner, which was delicious and needed to happen, but once we got back in the car we all felt the heaviness. However, we made it to New York by that night and got to meet Taya, Hannah's roommate from this summer in her apartment. After absolutely overwhelming her apartment and parking the car, we set our stuff up a little bit and crashed. It was so much fun to meet Taya, but we really were so exhausted that it felt wonderful to just go to sleep. Sorry for the short recap, but we'll update more later! It's been difficult to find time and keep up- we all feel so bad!
P.S. - We drove through Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and then New York! All in one day!!!
Love you guys!!
Lauren
Washington DC
Sunday, March 11
(pictures will be added soon)
We thought we had found a place to pay and park in DC, but do to the St. Patrick's Day Marathon, a random protest, and the St. Patrick's Day Parade we were drove in circles looking for parking. God is so good! We found parking right next to most of the sights for FREE! First we headed over to the National Archives where there was no line to get in. We saw letters to the president, early bills that referenced the Bible, and Mark Twain in the old records. Hannah then found out that her great great great great great great....gr...t... grandfather and uncle came over on the Mayflower. She found out that her uncle actually fell out of the Mayflower, and they had to pull him back on. She has now been dubbed "Miss Mayflower" or "Martha Washington". Then we went into the Rotunda and saw the original Bill of Rights, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. We had fun discussing the theories, conspiracies, and mysteries behind National Treasure.
Next we went to the National American History Museum. The First Lady exhibit with all of the inaugural dresses was definitely a favorite among most of us. We also saw the original Star Spangled Banner. We had no clue it was as big as it is, 30 by 42 feet! In the pop culture section where they had different movies across time, Wizard of Oz was a big hit. Hannah was dissapointed that Dorothy's slippers were on tour.
As we walked outside there was a parade! The St. Patrick's Day parade was going on. There was green everywhere across the city. It was so cool to see all of the Irish dancers and some HOT men in skirts/kilts made a debut. Lauren was able to talk to this trumpet playing guy on the side of the street who played some Louis Armstrong upon request . We passed a guy playing the drums on buckets, shopping cart, and trash cans. Then walked back to the car to grab our sandwiches for lunch and ate a picnic lunch in some grass by the car. I think we all found it very relaxing, especially after walking all around earlier.
Then we traveled on to Capitol Hill, the White House, and the mall (the area where most of the memorials and the Capitol are). Unfortunately, there was still a lot of construction going on from the earthquake awhile ago, but it was still great to see! We took pictures, met some great people (including a man from the Dominican Republic who gave Lauren some advice for her internship this summer!), and felt very cultured. The White House was definitely a lot smaller than we expected, but we were extremely interested in the sniper actions. There was a goat that was involved in radioactive testing or something that was hanging out by the White House "protesting." We were a little confused, but it was funny at least! There was also a woman in a tent across from the White House who had been there since 1981. She was basically protesting against nuclear weapons by sitting there with all these signs and crazy stuff. It was great to talk to her! Taylor and Lauren got to talk to her for a few minutes before we made reservations and headed back to the mall to see the Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Washington Monument, and the World War II Memorial. I could talk about these for a very, very long time, but suffice to say each memorial has its own unique personality and feel that gives a specific feel. World War II presents an extrememly united front, mostly optimistic, but provides a cool picture of the culture of the US during that time whereas the Korean Memorial is haunting with the empty, hurting facial expressions of soldiers set up to be wandering in the jungles. The Vietnam Memorial makes me (Lauren) cry every time I visit it. A volunteer told us all about the symbolism and history of its creation, which was extremely interesting and helped us appreciate it more. We saw a Vietnam veteran visiting the names of his friends who had fallen with his daughter and recounting how he knew them and their stories. It reminded me to be extremely grateful for what we have been given. It was and is not free. What a cool picture of Christ's sacrifice for us! For the undeserving, paid for with the highest price, but given freely. Wow. Thank you, veterans. Another one of my favorite memories was just laying in the grass in the front of the Washington Monument for a little bit and relaxing/people watching (a group favorite). It was lovely. Then we realized we had spent way too long at the memorials (no regrets!) and had to basically speed walk/sprint to make our reservations at Old Ebbits Grill. FANTASTIC! Such a great experience and SUCH good food! Ohmyword. We then met up with Hannah's cousin and her husband to go to a free concert at the Kennedy Center. That also was so fun! But after such a long day it was honestly a little hard to keep our eyes open... But the music was wonderful! It was tribute to Austrian music and was more dark and dissonant than I was used to, but was still a delightfully "eye-opening" experience haha. The music itself (and the playbill some..) told stories of Austrian history and past pain. Now we're back in the hotel room and about to crash, but realized we hadn't updated the blog in a couple days, so here it is! Kind of jumbled, but its been a WONDERFUL day overall, glory to God! :) Night!
Love, us!
(pictures will be added soon)
We thought we had found a place to pay and park in DC, but do to the St. Patrick's Day Marathon, a random protest, and the St. Patrick's Day Parade we were drove in circles looking for parking. God is so good! We found parking right next to most of the sights for FREE! First we headed over to the National Archives where there was no line to get in. We saw letters to the president, early bills that referenced the Bible, and Mark Twain in the old records. Hannah then found out that her great great great great great great....gr...t... grandfather and uncle came over on the Mayflower. She found out that her uncle actually fell out of the Mayflower, and they had to pull him back on. She has now been dubbed "Miss Mayflower" or "Martha Washington". Then we went into the Rotunda and saw the original Bill of Rights, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. We had fun discussing the theories, conspiracies, and mysteries behind National Treasure.
Next we went to the National American History Museum. The First Lady exhibit with all of the inaugural dresses was definitely a favorite among most of us. We also saw the original Star Spangled Banner. We had no clue it was as big as it is, 30 by 42 feet! In the pop culture section where they had different movies across time, Wizard of Oz was a big hit. Hannah was dissapointed that Dorothy's slippers were on tour.
As we walked outside there was a parade! The St. Patrick's Day parade was going on. There was green everywhere across the city. It was so cool to see all of the Irish dancers and some HOT men in skirts/kilts made a debut. Lauren was able to talk to this trumpet playing guy on the side of the street who played some Louis Armstrong upon request . We passed a guy playing the drums on buckets, shopping cart, and trash cans. Then walked back to the car to grab our sandwiches for lunch and ate a picnic lunch in some grass by the car. I think we all found it very relaxing, especially after walking all around earlier.
Then we traveled on to Capitol Hill, the White House, and the mall (the area where most of the memorials and the Capitol are). Unfortunately, there was still a lot of construction going on from the earthquake awhile ago, but it was still great to see! We took pictures, met some great people (including a man from the Dominican Republic who gave Lauren some advice for her internship this summer!), and felt very cultured. The White House was definitely a lot smaller than we expected, but we were extremely interested in the sniper actions. There was a goat that was involved in radioactive testing or something that was hanging out by the White House "protesting." We were a little confused, but it was funny at least! There was also a woman in a tent across from the White House who had been there since 1981. She was basically protesting against nuclear weapons by sitting there with all these signs and crazy stuff. It was great to talk to her! Taylor and Lauren got to talk to her for a few minutes before we made reservations and headed back to the mall to see the Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Washington Monument, and the World War II Memorial. I could talk about these for a very, very long time, but suffice to say each memorial has its own unique personality and feel that gives a specific feel. World War II presents an extrememly united front, mostly optimistic, but provides a cool picture of the culture of the US during that time whereas the Korean Memorial is haunting with the empty, hurting facial expressions of soldiers set up to be wandering in the jungles. The Vietnam Memorial makes me (Lauren) cry every time I visit it. A volunteer told us all about the symbolism and history of its creation, which was extremely interesting and helped us appreciate it more. We saw a Vietnam veteran visiting the names of his friends who had fallen with his daughter and recounting how he knew them and their stories. It reminded me to be extremely grateful for what we have been given. It was and is not free. What a cool picture of Christ's sacrifice for us! For the undeserving, paid for with the highest price, but given freely. Wow. Thank you, veterans. Another one of my favorite memories was just laying in the grass in the front of the Washington Monument for a little bit and relaxing/people watching (a group favorite). It was lovely. Then we realized we had spent way too long at the memorials (no regrets!) and had to basically speed walk/sprint to make our reservations at Old Ebbits Grill. FANTASTIC! Such a great experience and SUCH good food! Ohmyword. We then met up with Hannah's cousin and her husband to go to a free concert at the Kennedy Center. That also was so fun! But after such a long day it was honestly a little hard to keep our eyes open... But the music was wonderful! It was tribute to Austrian music and was more dark and dissonant than I was used to, but was still a delightfully "eye-opening" experience haha. The music itself (and the playbill some..) told stories of Austrian history and past pain. Now we're back in the hotel room and about to crash, but realized we hadn't updated the blog in a couple days, so here it is! Kind of jumbled, but its been a WONDERFUL day overall, glory to God! :) Night!
Love, us!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Oaks House
Friday, March 9th
(pictures to be added at the next place with good internet)
On Friday we visited The Oaks House Museum in Jackson, MS. We had searched online for a plantation, but found this home was more on our route and decided to check it out instead. We met Kathy there, who gave us a tour of the home and showed us a short video. It was so fun to hear her stories about the owners of the house. Currently, The Colonial Dames of America own the house, but before that the house only had one owner, the Boyd family. As we explored the rooms, Kathy informed us that this home was one of only five standing buidlings in Jackson after the Civil War. Almost the entire town was burned down and completely destroyed, but some mystery lies in how these five buildings survived. Much of the furniture and floors were miraculously original and the decorations the Dames added truly made it feel like we'd stepped back in time. It was so interesting to learn a little about this family and what might've taken place in the rooms we walked through. The main hallway went all the way from the front of the house to the back, with four rooms off of it. Each room had a fireplace that shared a chimney with the room next to it. There was a room with a piano and card table, the master bedroom, a second bedroom, and a dining room. Kathy told us how it was all originally set up, what furniture pieces were original to the house, and where others came from. Conversation lead to the importance of tracking your family's lineage and how interesting it is to see where you came from. (Mom, I was sure to tell her some of the things you've found, don't worry! I just couldn't remember much.) All the talk got us thinking about the future as well as the past, and although we can't rewrite history, history is being made every day. What kind of legacy do we want to leave for our great-great-grandchildren? We haven't even put a dent in our "plan," but we've already driven through battlefields and Lexington and Bull Run, and talking about visiting the Liberty Bell and all sorts of sites in Washington, DC. Call me a nerd, but I am so excited to explore these things! It is so neat that we can walk the exact same steps that someone else did hundreds of years ago.
Woops, this was supposed to be a short, quick, summary of the Oaks House. Looks like I'm the last one awake, so I'm going to join the other girls. I'm excited that you're journeying with us, I hope you're having as much fun as we are! (If that's even possible.)
-Hannah
(pictures to be added at the next place with good internet)
On Friday we visited The Oaks House Museum in Jackson, MS. We had searched online for a plantation, but found this home was more on our route and decided to check it out instead. We met Kathy there, who gave us a tour of the home and showed us a short video. It was so fun to hear her stories about the owners of the house. Currently, The Colonial Dames of America own the house, but before that the house only had one owner, the Boyd family. As we explored the rooms, Kathy informed us that this home was one of only five standing buidlings in Jackson after the Civil War. Almost the entire town was burned down and completely destroyed, but some mystery lies in how these five buildings survived. Much of the furniture and floors were miraculously original and the decorations the Dames added truly made it feel like we'd stepped back in time. It was so interesting to learn a little about this family and what might've taken place in the rooms we walked through. The main hallway went all the way from the front of the house to the back, with four rooms off of it. Each room had a fireplace that shared a chimney with the room next to it. There was a room with a piano and card table, the master bedroom, a second bedroom, and a dining room. Kathy told us how it was all originally set up, what furniture pieces were original to the house, and where others came from. Conversation lead to the importance of tracking your family's lineage and how interesting it is to see where you came from. (Mom, I was sure to tell her some of the things you've found, don't worry! I just couldn't remember much.) All the talk got us thinking about the future as well as the past, and although we can't rewrite history, history is being made every day. What kind of legacy do we want to leave for our great-great-grandchildren? We haven't even put a dent in our "plan," but we've already driven through battlefields and Lexington and Bull Run, and talking about visiting the Liberty Bell and all sorts of sites in Washington, DC. Call me a nerd, but I am so excited to explore these things! It is so neat that we can walk the exact same steps that someone else did hundreds of years ago.
Woops, this was supposed to be a short, quick, summary of the Oaks House. Looks like I'm the last one awake, so I'm going to join the other girls. I'm excited that you're journeying with us, I hope you're having as much fun as we are! (If that's even possible.)
-Hannah
Riding in Style
Saturday, March 10th(pictures will be added at the next place with good internet)
Hey friends!
I'm writing to let you know about another facet of our trip. Taylor had a WONDERFUL idea: presents!! One per day, each wrapped beautifully, containing a surprise that only she knows! So I opened the first one for Ella (my car's name, after Ella Fitzgerald- look her up!). After I got through the rocks meant to throw us off, inside a paper towel tube was a pair of enormous eyelashes for Ella!!! After I finally figured out what they actually were and translated the supposedly English explanation on the package, we all died laughing! Such a funny, creative gift- perfect for a car carrying 5 girls across the country! Although I opened it yesterday, they finally got put on today at a super cute rest stop in Virginia.Side note- the man who worked there, Harry, was so helpful and fun to talk to! He showed us around the old historic house that was the visitor's center and gave us a few brocheres for when we come back through. We had picnic lunch outside at a table under a tree, sandwiches and strawberries and trail mix! Perfect! Then we stopped into a consignment store across the street just for fun (as if we had a spare inch to keep anything!) But it was fun!
Anyway, Taylor, Katie, and Hannah curled the eyelashes using pens and Ella was officially dressed up with a LOT of places to go. Apparently it was a hit because the next gas station we stopped at, Ella definitely made a new friend. A camo-laden, crooked-toothed Virginian man started laughing, waved at Ella, and asked, "Can I kiss your car?? Because she's SEXY." Naturally, we all died laughing. And drove away rather quickly. And decided this blog needed to be written right away. So I'm sitting in the car on our 10th hour in the car writing this. Guess those eyelashes do quite a bit for those beautiful headlights?As an addendum: Hannah opened our second present today- jolly rancher lollipops to give out to random people we meet! It was so fun! We're going to bring them to DC with us tomorrow!
Good night, friends! Big day tomorrow. :)Don't forget to save that daylight!
-Lauren
Alexandria, Virginia
Saturday night, March 11th
After 25 hours of driving we finally made it to our hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. It didn't even seem like we were in the car that long actually. We made random stops throughout today at Starbucks, a visitor center for a picnic lunch, and scenic view.
The great conversations and positive attitudes everybody had made it so much fun. It has been so encouraging to be surrounded by Godly woman who constantly exude Christlike patience and joy in every situation. Once we checked into the hotel we decided to head over and get some BBQ at Famous Daves. I know, really, we got barbeque outside of Texas, but it was actually really good! The restaurant was known for its world's best sauces, and they just made the Georgia pork, sausage, and brisket that much better. Tonight has been a relaxing, restful evening to end our two intense days of driving.
-Katie
After 25 hours of driving we finally made it to our hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. It didn't even seem like we were in the car that long actually. We made random stops throughout today at Starbucks, a visitor center for a picnic lunch, and scenic view.
The great conversations and positive attitudes everybody had made it so much fun. It has been so encouraging to be surrounded by Godly woman who constantly exude Christlike patience and joy in every situation. Once we checked into the hotel we decided to head over and get some BBQ at Famous Daves. I know, really, we got barbeque outside of Texas, but it was actually really good! The restaurant was known for its world's best sauces, and they just made the Georgia pork, sausage, and brisket that much better. Tonight has been a relaxing, restful evening to end our two intense days of driving.
-Katie
Friday, March 9, 2012
Birmingham, Alabama
Wow, long day in the car. We broke it up, though. With little stops along the way and one stop for lunch and a tour of the Oaks House in Jackson, MS, where we met a lovely woman by the name of Kathy who was the guide and curator of the house museum.
We left at 5:30am today. I drove the first 3 hours, then zonked out for a couple after as others drove. Those first three hours were probably the sweetest part of my day. My mind wired with adrenaline, even though my body was tired from only getting 3 hours of sleep because I had woken up at 3:45. I was cheery, excited and hopeful for our trip. We prayed as we left the driveway and hit the freeway that the Lord would truly be the one who rules our time on this trip. We thanked Him for the companionship of each other that he has blessed us with. Then, slowly but surely, the three girls in the back seat dropped off to sleep. Lauren, in the passenger seat, was still very much awake and kept me company. We listened wonderful songs and hummed gently along. Then, as the sun started to change the shade of the sky, and the light slowly increased from there, we conversed in soft voices, so as not to wake the others. Its funny how you can be good friends with someone and still have new things to talk about every day. I absolutely love finding out more about the people in my life whom I love... hearing about their families, their pasts, understanding maybe a slight bit more why they tick the way they do. She is truly a vibrant person who lives her life oh so graciously. Oh, and did I mention the picture perfect farmhouses, green pastures, picket fences, towering pines and fields of yellow flowers that were passing as we spoke and the sun rose? Wow, God was showing off, that's for sure!
The rest of the car ride today was all a blur to me. At one point we were all talking about this book we're reading together. At another point we were listening to some NPR podcasts. It was long, but all of it very enjoyable. The conversation was deep at times, and silly at others. Each of these women blow me away with their wisdom and beauty in both their words and demeanor. I'm so excited that I get to do life closely with them for the next 8 days!
Starting tomorrow evening we really start to get into the meat of the adventures we have planned, and I am PUMPED!
For tonight though, everyone is focused on getting some good rest to get up at 4am; most all of them have been asleep for half an hour now. I should probably join... especially if I'm planning on doing some yoga before we actually leave in the morning... pshh we'll see if that actually happens. But, writing this record of my time so far is worth any missed sleep.
-Taylor
We left at 5:30am today. I drove the first 3 hours, then zonked out for a couple after as others drove. Those first three hours were probably the sweetest part of my day. My mind wired with adrenaline, even though my body was tired from only getting 3 hours of sleep because I had woken up at 3:45. I was cheery, excited and hopeful for our trip. We prayed as we left the driveway and hit the freeway that the Lord would truly be the one who rules our time on this trip. We thanked Him for the companionship of each other that he has blessed us with. Then, slowly but surely, the three girls in the back seat dropped off to sleep. Lauren, in the passenger seat, was still very much awake and kept me company. We listened wonderful songs and hummed gently along. Then, as the sun started to change the shade of the sky, and the light slowly increased from there, we conversed in soft voices, so as not to wake the others. Its funny how you can be good friends with someone and still have new things to talk about every day. I absolutely love finding out more about the people in my life whom I love... hearing about their families, their pasts, understanding maybe a slight bit more why they tick the way they do. She is truly a vibrant person who lives her life oh so graciously. Oh, and did I mention the picture perfect farmhouses, green pastures, picket fences, towering pines and fields of yellow flowers that were passing as we spoke and the sun rose? Wow, God was showing off, that's for sure!
The rest of the car ride today was all a blur to me. At one point we were all talking about this book we're reading together. At another point we were listening to some NPR podcasts. It was long, but all of it very enjoyable. The conversation was deep at times, and silly at others. Each of these women blow me away with their wisdom and beauty in both their words and demeanor. I'm so excited that I get to do life closely with them for the next 8 days!
Starting tomorrow evening we really start to get into the meat of the adventures we have planned, and I am PUMPED!
For tonight though, everyone is focused on getting some good rest to get up at 4am; most all of them have been asleep for half an hour now. I should probably join... especially if I'm planning on doing some yoga before we actually leave in the morning... pshh we'll see if that actually happens. But, writing this record of my time so far is worth any missed sleep.
-Taylor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)