What this Arizona Native Learned on her Trip

The Top 21 Things I learned on my Travel to the Midwest

1.I never realized Indiana was actually the Midwest. I always referred to it as back there.

2.When people say fall is in the air, I now know how that feels.

3. In the Midwest a "creek" or "spring" has water in it.

4. Traffic lights are not always hung on big metal poles.

5. Fire hydrants have large poles on top to be found in the snow.

6. Blue Jays are real birds.

7. Neighbors really do sit outside on their porches.

8. I have never seen so many people mowing lawns.

9. The trees are so full of color and life and so soft! Yes I touched!

10. A person can wear a light sweater in September.

11. A rock front yard is out of he question.

12. Neighborhoods exist without fences.

13. If the weather man says 20% chance of rain, its going to rain.

14. It was nice seeing an umbrella used for rain instead of keeping the sun off ya.

15. A traffic jam is not 2 hours sitting in traffic.

16. Correct change at a toll booth is awesome!

17. Rolling hills filled with grass and trees is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

18. The sound of locus, crickets, and frogs still does NOT appeal to me.

19. One story homes are not as popular as two story homes.

20. A barn sale really does take place in someone's barn.

21. Watching and listening to my hubby talk about childhood places he grew up, filled my heart to over flowing!

RV and MH Museum

Elkhart Indiana was on of the most greenest places that we traveled through

on our road trip.

I really wish we could have spent more time there. 

The museum had some very old Rv's, I am talking back from like 1913.

The museum was very nice and laid out well.

Yep there is it made in 1913. The inside was really neat.

Look at these beauties! I will admit I think I would like one of these.

The insides of them were NOT redone, all original and let me tell you

time has been good to these.

This one reminded me of my childhood. My grandpa had a blue truck like this but the camper was a bit different.

We spent many vacations in that camper!

Here is me in a wonderful photo op they had. 

Oh hubby and I enjoyed this place!

If you ever get to Elkhart, Indiana it is a must see!

Potawatomi Zoo

I will have to admit. During our travels I had a bit of a hard time learning new words.

Being in Arizona my whole life,

I am used to certain names and that is how it goes. *sigh*

We went to ummm the zoo listed below.

and yes that is hubby in the monkey cut out. And yes I made him do it LOL.

There were some animals that I have seen before. Isn't that tortoise beautiful!

Wonder how he likes the snow. :)

And there are some I have never seen like this red panda.

This tractor hubby use to play on as a kid when he would come to this zoo.

I think that is pretty neat!

And there is me, I don't care what kind of barn it is, if I see it I gotta have a picture.

I will tell you for this Arizona native the humidity was up on this day and I was noticing it.

Didn't bother hubby at all.

Atleast there was a cool breeze which made it a million times better!

Indiana Dunes

On our adventure one place that I had to see was lake Michigan. 

I figured hey I am traveling 1800+ miles I really want to see

all that I can see.

Luckily, Indiana shares some of the shore line of Lake Michigan.

The only other "beach" that I have been to is the ones in California.

This beach was different for sure.

The waves were much faster, larger.

Unlike California, you can see cities in the distance.

If you look close you can see the Chicago skyline.

There is me and hubby. It was so so windy!

Lots of pretty grass lined the beach shores. 

The sand was also really soft and NO seashells anywhere.

All in all we had a great time there. It s really wonderful to see other places that you have only seen in movies and not you can say yep I have been there!

Notre Dame Indiana

It has been over 30 years since my hubby has been back to his home state.

He doesn't have family there anymore so visiting really never crossed our minds.

Until as of late, when we have been talking about moving to somewhere greener, 

and less brown and dirt.

The first place we visited, after getting the hotel and taking a 5 hour nap, was

Notre Dame University.

I have never in my life seen such a beautifully green campus before. All the trees and 

the beautiful buildings.

The pictures do not do this justice at all. When we got there it was getting to be a little dark.

That dome lights up so beautiful!

I think hubby said this building is  newer one. But man oh man it is so nice!

This one lights up at  night. I was not able to get a good one of it lit up.

The day we visited there we lots of new students and scared parents. I know it has to be hard sending kiddos off to college.

When we were parked taking quick pictures a few students walked up to us and asked if we were lost.

I smiled and said no just taking pictures.

I think the Arizona plate on the car..gave us away. :)

First stop Cadillac Ranch and Oklahoma

We left Sunday late about 8:40 pm. I don't know why we always start driving at night lol. Are we the only ones? 

The first gas up was in Alburqueque New Mexico. And as of that night that was the furthest East I had ever been. Yes this Arizona native has not travels much.  There was excitement,and I will admit Was a little scared. Going on an 1800+ mile road tr can be intimidating.

As soon as we left hubby looked at me and said, Hey you have now been past Alburqueque.  He was right.

The first photo stop was in Texas. Cadillac Ranch. 

It was very very dry, flat, and windy! This is hubby posing for one of my many many pics. These Cadilacs are in the ground and have been for a long time. There is spray paint everywhere on them. Yes for a few minutes hubby was tagging up one. 

If you ever travel through Armarillo it would be a great place to stop.

Next state was Oklahoma. Very green, not as flat as I thought it would be. 

Lots and lots of farms. Rolling meadows of grass and COWS!  I have never seen that many cows I. My life! They seemed to be happy cows too! Just out eating and soaking up the sun.

Oklahoma was also mine and hubbies first adventure with toll roads. We don't have them back home lol. We pull up and it's one where you put money in the bucket and it counts it, once the fee is paid the light turns green and you go. After digging frantically in my purse,glove box,floor boards,hubby's pockets for change, hubby was tossing coins in and dollar bills lol I look over and there are bills just flapping in the wind, and he is saying why isn't it counting here as he is tossing more coins. Hahaha! I am laughing so hard I finally say it doesn't take dollar bills lol. He is laughing so hard  getting out to get is dollar bills. 

I honestly don't think the five cars behind us found it that funny! 

America Road Trip

Hubby and I are embarking on a wonderful wonderful, and maybe crazy, rad trip to the Midwest.

We are starting out from Arizona..and heading to his home state of Indiana.

Yep...3,000 + miles round trip!

Even when I say that i get a big ole lump in my throat.

But I am so excited!!

I have not been east of New Mexico.

I am super super excited.

Excited to see others states, and just enjoy my time with hubby.

I am taking along lots of hand sewing to keep my hands busy on the long trip!!