Cross Country Road Trip

Earlier this month Shelley and I spent four days driving from Utah to Virginia. In case you are wondering, that is 32 hours or 2,200 miles of driving. We went in advance to empty our storage, furnish the house we are renting, register the kids in school, and all the other tasks that are difficult to get done with kids hanging on your leg.

Even though we love our three energetic children, it was a much more enjoyable drive without them. We were able to drive for long stretches, talk to each other (a rarity with kids around), and see sights throughout the country. Along the way we stopped at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It is an amazing site - the pine forests and rock formations surrounding the monument are impressive. Even more impressive are the portraits of the four presidents carved into the mountain.

At Mount Rushmore we also experienced the Harley Davis sub culture. Coincidentally we arrived during the yearly "rally" that brings motorcyclists from around the country to South Dakota. We saw thousands of bikers, mainly baby boomers, dressed in black leather and with weathered faces. Even though they seemed to be enjoying themselves while hanging around the bars and loitering around their bikes, we much preferred our air conditioned ride in the mini van.

As we drove across the country, we were impressed by how many unique stops/sites there are along the way. Each town seems to be famous for something or have some claim to fame. Perhaps the most unique town along the way was Mitchell, South Dakota. I was initially adamant that it was not worth our time to stop and see the Corn Palace. However, as usual, Shelley got her way and we pulled off the highway. This little town in South Dakota has built a large meeting hall that each year is decorate with a different facade. The intricate artwork on the facade is made with the kernels (of every color), husks, and stocks from corn.

Adventures in Hagerstown

At the end of the film Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Ark of the Covenant is placed into a large U.S. government warehouse. The camera zooms out to reveal endless rows of wooden crates packed tight, deep, and high in a dimly lit warehouse.

I am almost certain the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant is at Hagerstown, Maryland. This is a long-term storage warehouse run by the State Department. Foreign Services officers heading overseas are allowed to send their personal household belongings to this warehouse. Their belongs stay frozen in time until they return to the U.S. to take a domestic assignment or leave the State Department.

Five years ago, as we were preparing to leave for Mexico, Shelley and I sent our furniture and many of our other treasures to this warehouse. Now that we are returning to the U.S. and needing to furnish a large house, we went to the Hagerstown warehouse to pick up all our belongings. I was impressed with the size and efficiency of the operation.