Miles Traveled (in Altima) – 3939 miles.
Best Palindrome – 66666 on the odometer, Richview, Ill.
Best Opportunity to Test Michael’s “Jacket of the Year” (Worst Weather Day) – Tornado (this time a real one) in Champaign, Ill. Note: Gab bought her own “Jacket of the Year” during their trip to Harrisburg.
Thank God We’re Not Here Next Month Award – Everywhere. August is prime tourist and vacation season. These places, particularly the East Coast beaches, are going to be hot, sticky and packed.
Most Curious Billboard – Watch a Man Escape from a Pickle, Lincoln, Nebr. Advertising Lincoln’s minor league baseball team, the Saltdogs.
Most Interesting Sign – Welcome George’s Birthday Party featuring Wilson’s goat, outside the Community Center, Fallsview, W. Va.
Most Interesting Name for a Roadside Attraction – Nellie Bly Amusement Park, “The Family Entertainment Center”, Coney Island, NY
Most Talked About Natural Phenomenon – Tornadoes on the road in Champaign, Ill and at home in Lebanon County, Pa.
Most Beautiful View – From the raft on the New River, W. Va.
Most Scenic Drive – the entire state of West Virginia. Entering on Interstate 64 from Covington, Va. Leaving via U.S. 19 from Ashland, W. Va.
Longest Day – July 28th, 593 miles from Fayetteville, W.Va. to St. Louis, Mo.
Ugliest Capitol Building – Des Moines, Iowa. That’s quite a gold dome.
Most Beautiful Capitol Building – Tie
Charleston, W. Va. Plain, simple, elegant. (Gab’s vote)
Jefferson City, Mo. Includes the incredible Thomas Hart Benton mural Social History of Missouri (Michael’s vote)
Most Vitriol Inducing Site – Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebr. Home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, alleged 1994 College Football National Champions.
Biggest Disappointment – Free Fourth of July Doobie Brothers and Three Dog Night Concert in Omaha, Nebr. cancelled due to thunderstorm. Note: one girl was struck by lightning. She’s fine now.
Most Pleasant Surprise – Spending the Fourth of July with our friend Bruce in Omaha, Nebr. and seeing all of our pals back East during the Week of Weddings.
Most Unpleasant Surprise – Crashing Gab’s parent’s extra long golf cart (a.k.a. the Jolly Trolley) during our visit to Bethany Beach, Del. We’re really, really sorry, Aunt Bonnie.
Most Gluttonous Day – July 10th, Gering, Nebr. Statewide CASI Chili Cook-Off.
Most Diverse Day - July 30th.
1.) Breakfast with Michael’s Uncle Dave and wife Mary;
2.) Drive to Jefferson City to visit State Capitol;
3.) Drive to Hannibal, Mo. to see the boyhood home of Michael’s favorite American author, Mark Twain;
4.) Surprise stop in historic Nauvoo, Ill., final resting place of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints (more on this later); and finally
5.) Dinner and fun at the Burlington Bees minor league baseball game in Burlington, Iowa.
Cheapest Ballgame Ticket – $6 Box Seats, Burlington Bees, Burlington, Iowa
Most Expensive Ballgame Ticket – $22 for Plaza Box Tickets, Kansas City Royals v. Chicago White Sox. Worth it for the shade on this 105 degree evening. Best Sporting Experience – St. Louis Rams Training Camp, Macomb, Ill.
Best Day Hike – Up the bluff at Scotts Bluff NM, Nebr. Quite a workout. We took the shuttle bus back down.
Highest Price for Gas – $1.89 at the Sheetz(es) in New Stanton, Pa. and Bentleyville, Pa. and at the 7-11 in Charleston, W. Va.
Lowest Price for Gas – $1.69 at the Flying J in Haubstadt, Ind.
Best Pizza – Shakespeare’s Pizza, Columbia, Mo. Thanks Uncle Dave and Mary! It was even better the next day.
Best Local Cuisine – Beef and more beef in Nebraska. Burgers, Steaks, BBQ. This state is completely responsible for plumping up Michael and Gab by at least five pounds.
Best Bartender(s) – Or should I say worst? The guys at Legends Bar and Grill, Champaign, Ill. They entertained us while we waited out the tornado and mega storm. Unfortunately, most of the jokes were at scared Gab’s expense.
Best Tour Guide – Wriston, our white water hero, Appalachian Wildwater, Fayetteville, W. Va.
Worst Acting in a National Park Service Film – Lincoln Home NHS, Springfield, Ill.
Most Unexpected Local Pronunciation – Beatrice, Nebr. Pronounced bee AT’ ris.
Celebrity Sightings – St. Louis Rams Training Camp, Macomb, Ill. Gab was this close to Kyle Turley and got to talk with Marshall Faulk! “Good morning, guys! Can I take your picture?” “You sure can.”
Worst Campground – Stone Cliff Campground at the New River Gorge NR, Thurmond, W. Va. In the middle of nowhere down a one lane mountain road. Being in between a fast running river and a steep foothill is NOT where one wants to be during a torrential downpour. It rained 3 inches in one night. When we finally did sleep, we dreamt of flash floods, mudslides, lightning strikes and falling trees all night long.
Bayard, NE • Bethany Beach, DE • Bloomington, IN • Burlington, IA • Champaign, IL • Charleston, WV • Columbia, MO • Council Bluffs, IA • Dagsboro, DE • Des Moines, IA • Dover, DE • Fayetteville, WV • Gering, NE • Gothenburg, NE • Grinnell, IA • Hannibal, MO • Harrisburg, PA • Jefferson City, MO • Lake Ronkonkoma, NY • Lexington, VA • Lincoln, NE • Louisville, KY • Macomb, IL • Morehead, KY • Nauvoo, IL • New Cumberland, PA • Oak Hill, WV • Omaha, NE • Papillion, NE • Paxton, NE • Peoria, IL • Rocheport, MO • Scottsbluff, NE • Sidney, NE • Springfield, IL • St. Louis, MO • Sutherland, NE • Thurmond, WV • Urbana, IL • Washington, PA • West Branch, IA
Chimney Rock NHS • Herbert Hoover NHS • Jefferson National Expansion Memorial • Lincoln Home NHS • New River Gorge NR • Scotts Bluff NM • Western Historic Trails Center