Day 4!

We’ve officially gone 2/3rd’s of the way to Stony Brook! We technically could finish out the trip tomorrow, but instead are choosing to break it up over two days in order to fit in some epic sightseeing…

Today we drove through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio – bringing our state count up to 9! It was our most intense driving day, but we survived, and had a few adventures along the way.

Highlights of day 4:

Cracker Barrel! We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Davenport, Iowa, and after a few excited text messages to friends, we loved it! (On a side note – Jill, we looked all through the gift shop for wax lips, but couldn’t find any. But don’t you worry – we are on a mission now.)
Illinois doesn’t have a “Welcome” sign, making it our least favorite state.
Today we listened to David Sedaris, the Rock of Ages soundtrack, my “a capella” playlist, and a CD of dads.
Word to the wise: when you leave the rest stop – make sure your door is closed all the way. Nothing scarier than trying to drive your dad’s truck down the indiana highway while also trying to close the door.
Ohio has the best rest stops we’ve seen on our trip. Seriously – these rest stops are like mini-malls. So fancy.
My cell phone has officially been switched to East Coast time.
It’s funny getting in and out of the truck now at each stop. Each of our bags is perfectly packed in the backseat, and all of our stops are routine at this point. I know what bags to grab, and what bags to put away. Everything has it’s own little spot. Makes it easy to find things while you are on the road!
Bringing the book atlas remains one of the best decisions we have made in planning this trip.
So far, my favorite states are Iowa and Wyoming.

Photos from day 4: