Rocky Mountain High

After two long travel days we made it to our first extended stop last night. We're parked at our old next-door neighbors' house, which is the absolute highlight of the trip for Maggie. I wish I could have captured the looks on their kids faces last night when we rolled in (Maggie was asleep which was so disappointing to them), and then Maggie's face when she saw them first thing this morning. It was so precious.

Then there's the scenery here. It's cliché to say pictures can't do it justice, but they can't. I went for a run this morning (made it a whole quarter mile before I had to stop and walk because I was panting for air... this altitude is no joke), and you start to understand why so many people want to live here and home prices are just insane (despite the wildfire dangers and winter snow). Can't wait for our trip up to the National Park on Friday!  

Thanks to our friends' kindness, Maggie spent the day playing today while Marianne and I got to do something almost unheard of these days... go on a date! We rode our bikes into Boulder from our friends' place up one of the canyons (downhill all the way!). The first stop was a quick hike up Sanitas Mountain (or, most of the way up), then an outdoor lunch on the Pearl Street Mall. It was delightful. Then we had the long bike ride back up the canyon to get home (I realize it wasn't actually longer... but it definitely felt that way). Maybe not so delightful, but not too bad either.

A Mid-America Kind of Morning

 When you own an RV, you start to notice RVs, and there are a lot of them. Just sitting in places, like fields and lots. It’s kind of weird.

We decided to do this trip in an RV because of COVID, and scattered amongst the books, stickers and markers that flood our cabin are masks and tiny bottles of hand sanitizer. We’ve had to be thoughtful about where and how to visit people and places, which is a bummer. But the visits have been rich and meaningful, nonetheless!

It was such a blessing to visit Mandi and Ben, dear friends for over 20 years! Seeing Uncle Rich push Maggie in the swings was a joy. And a quick stop in Omaha this morning meant we got reconnect with our loved friend Lauren; we missed you, Bill!

And now, on to Boulder/Denver, where more dear friends and family await. The rolling plains outside our window, road snacks in our bellies, and road trip soundtrack in our ears (well done, Matt!) make me content, but it’s the people on this trip that bring me joy.

Making Time

Yesterday was supposed to be a somewhat leisurely trek across Indiana and Illinois, ending on the banks of the Mississippi just short of the Iowa border. Instead, we wake up this morning all the way on the other side of Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. Day three and our plans are already out the window (not really... we're just 4 or 5 hours ahead of schedule!).

Since most of the day yesterday was spent on the road, not a lot of fun pictures, but there were two notable stops. Three hours or so out from Fort Wayne (where we stayed last night - thanks, Ben & Mandi!), we met Uncle Rich and Aunt Elsa for a far-too-brief visit at Centennial Park in Tinley Park, IL.

It was so good to catch up after such a long time! And then for dinner we parked at Millenium Park (moving up from hundreds to thousands) in Moline, IL. It was even windier there than in Chicago.

(Side note: all that wind is making the driving a pretty interesting challenge - I'm learning just how aerodynamic these things are not.) We'd planned to stop in Moline for the night, but I was feeling good, so the ladies went to sleep and I kept on trucking. It was a bit sad to go through the entire length of Iowa at night - my colleague, Bailey, will be so disappointed in us. But it's nice to wake up in Council Bluffs, ready to make some more time today!

On The Road!

 And we’re off! A heartfelt thanks to everyone who sent us off with snacks, gifts, prayers and well-wishes. What a powerful thing to know we take such a rich community with us 😊

A Bit of Background

T-minus two days to departure! We're in the midst of the whirlwind right now, packing, planning, and, of course, cleaning, because your house always has to be pristine when you leave on a trip. So, why not take a few moments now to share some of the background on this trip we're taking?

The idea of a cross-country trip has been percolating in my (Matt's) mind for a while. I took a few of these with my family when I was a kid and they left indelible memories: seeing the Grand Canyon, sliding through tunnels at Mesa Verde, my Mom trying to read every historical marker we passed while my Dad refused to slow down, eating amazing pancakes at some bear-themed diner outside Yellowstone, read-aloud of The Hobbit by first my Dad and then my Grandma in the car, getting stabbed in the leg by a particularly aggressive yucca plant somewhere in Utah. These are the memories we hope to give Maggie!

This wasn't the original plan for the sabbatical I've been granted this semester by my employer. But the global pandemic forced us to rethink our options, and it seemed like this might be the time for the cross-country roadtrip. Of course, staying in hotels and visiting crowded cities seemed unwise, and even using campground bathrooms made at least one of us uncomfortable. So, we started looking for a home on wheels to rent. We quickly realized that wasn't a wise financial move, so we found a well-loved older model we could buy and re-sell after our journey (please let me know if you're in the market!).

Our home for the next 40 days

There are so many people we could visit along the way on this trip, and in a different time we would. But because we haven't been vaccinated yet we're mostly keeping to ourselves, other than a couple of important pit stops. We are instead going to experience the great national parks of the west (the current plan includes 15), starting in Colorado with my old friend Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll meander southwest through Utah into Arizona, before heading north through the California Sierras all the way to Seattle for a much-anticipated family visit. Then it's back east along the northern route through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, etc. Yes, the plan ended up being 40 days. No, it wasn't meant as a Biblical allusion. But I certainly don't mind the reference. Wilderness journeys are transformative - even Olaf says as much in Frozen 2. We can't wait to see what's ahead in this one.

Ackermans Across America

Hello, family and friends!  

On Sunday, March 28 we embark on a trip of a lifetime!  We'll spend 40 days in an RV, driving across the country and stopping in almost a dozen states.  We'll document our adventures in words and pictures using this blog, so pop in from time to time to see what we've been up to!