Cross Country Road Trip – Day One

I suppose we’ll start from the beginning. I know a lot of you followed along thru Instagram stories and that was awesome. I loved interacting with you all and hearing recommendations and all about your hometowns and special places. That was so cool. I didn’t realize how many new friends I would make along the way.

So a quick little back-story. As many of you know, my sister Julianna moved out to California about four years ago. She accepted a job on the West Coast and we were so bummed to see her go, but beyond excited for her opportunities. Luckily for us, Julianna accepted a new job back on the East Coast. Not just on the east coast, but right in our hometown. Did I mention she will literally be working AND living two miles from me? How exciting is that?  Not only do I get my sister back, but she’s so close and life couldn’t be better!

Anyways, on February 1^st, the journey began. I’ve always been a good packer. I am not an over accessorizer and knew this trip wouldn’t be glamorous. How many fancy outfits do I need for sitting in the car for 8 days straight? Exactly – so I took Juliannas advice and went for a more “ath-leasure” look. Aka leggings, t-shirts and a jacket. Literally….leggings, t-shirts, and a jacket. A jacket that didn’t end up being warm enough because it was freezinggggg out – thanks a lot polar vortex. Shout out to my girl, Mother Nature for giving the East Coast a beautiful taste of spring while I we were away!

Before she gave Maryland and the East Coast nice weather, she decided to help turn my 8 hours travel day into a 15 plus hour travel day thanks to the random snow storm she blew our way while I was on the tarmac and airport runways – that was a blast!  After finally making it to California, fifteen hours later, I knew the trip was finally here!!! My father actually flew out and met us the next day, which was a nice addition to this extremely, thought out trip!

We couldn’t leave California without a little going away party for my sister. I was so nice to catch up with her friends that became family over the past four years. We took a gorgeous ride to Cupertino, California and visited a beautiful winery named Picchetti Vineyard. We spent the afternoon tasting delicious California wines and reminiscing about great memories. I love a good California Red. My favorite! The atmosphere was rustic. The tasting room was very cool and eclectic. The property was covered with smaller barn type buildings – the perfect place to bring a picnic and hang out. Unfortunately for us, it was raining that day. Apparently the property has really cool hiking trails through the California hills, but it was too muddy. I don’t normally need an excuse to visit winery’s, but this sounds like a good reason to take another trip back! After that we headed to a lovely “so long” dinner that ended in hugs and a few tears. It was sad, but I knew Julianna had some great adventures in her near future!

Day One started February 3^rd. We said goodbye to San Jose California and hit the road. First Stop: Vegas. Approximately 8 Hours, but It was Super Bowl Sunday. Name a better place to watch this game? This was my first time to Vegas. My father and sister had been years prior on a family trip. Let me just tell you, the eight-hour car ride was more exciting then that football game. What was that? BORINGGGG!!!!

After the game it was time to hit the strip. Being a lot smaller then I imagined it to be, we walked from one end to the other taking in all the lights and sights. We stayed at the MGM Grand, which if you can picture Las Vegas, was at the far end of the strip. I knew my end destination would be seeing the water show at the Bellagio. I know, I’m such a tourist, but who doesn’t love a good water show? After that we took our time walking back, stopping and taking photos along the way. We didn’t stay out super late in preparation for the several day trips we had ahead of us. It was a perfect start to this unknown of a trip we were about to embark on. I seriously felt like Bilbo Baggins getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

Stay tuned for the next stop in this Cross Country Road Trip series. I can’t wait to share more exciting details on where our journey let us.