Like the highway lines rolling rhythmically under our wheels, the past 10 weeks since we left Boyne City for our nine-month trip around the country have sped by. At times, people, places and images blur like the passing scenery out our windows.
As we headed east to Maine and then down the East Coast, our pace was nonstop.
For example, in New York City alone we saw the...
Timely circumstances and life-altering events made our adventure possible. What made it different from other extended explorations of our country was our use of technology.
In 1996, we incorporated use of the Internet, a family Web site, e-mail, and computer software in our journey. We like to point out that at the time Internet connections were scarce; Google did not exist....
The story of our epic adventure in 1996-97 is best introduced by this entry written almost 14 years ago. It was about 5 months into our journey; we had traveled over 15,000 miles and become seasoned travelers. Enjoy…
After a week in the great city of San Francisco, we left on March 23 for Yosemite National Park. It was a typically beautiful sunny day in California as we...
Please enjoy the article we wrote for Parent Soup. We were hired for a short stint as travel consultants. One element of that position involved an online chat session which for the time (1998 — Google was born that year) was pretty progressive…
The world’s longest field trip. A virtual school year. Road scholars. Whatever you call the educational adventure our...
We wrote the following article for Road to Adventure magazine…
A solitary motorhome winds its way up and down steep hills and around sharp curves as it makes its way toward green, flat land. The sun goes down in red and orange flames behind rugged peaks as five weary, but fulfilled travelers head east and say goodbye to the Rocky Mountains.
After months of traveling...
Cleveland was the first major stop of our journey and we made the most of it, visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Natural History Museum and the Great Lakes Science Center. After our rocky departure from Flint, we discovered in Cleveland that our story resonated with many people and could open doors for us as we traveled.
Here is a journal entry from...
Our family returned to Michigan in June 1997, settled into our home in Boyne City, Michigan, and proceeded to reopen the Yogurt Shoppe for the summer season to generate some income.
School placement, long-term employment and relocation were all being considered as we shined the Shoppe and went through the familiar steps to open for the tourist season.
In those busy weeks...
Betsy’s “goodbye” to Boyne as published in The Citizen, September 1996
Acorns scattered on the ground and cool, misty Northern Michigan air welcomed me to fall one recent morning while I hiked at Avalanche Preserve.
I knew that soon squirrels and other creatures would be hurrying to store food for winter, and people would be preparing for the season in their traditional...
October 10, 1996, 7:12 p.m.
We are staying in the parking lot of an Ames store. It is a lot like K-Mart. The name of the town is Wells River and it is located in northern Vermont on the banks of the Connecticut River. We have traveled from Bennington across Hwy 9 to Brattleboro and then on Hwy 91 north. The mountains are spectacular. It has been a cool, rainy day and the mist...
BLONDINS’ ASSIGNMENT AMERICA
Geographical list of educational places and activities
Our Journey begins on September 30, 1996, Boyne City and October 4, leaving Flint, Michigan . . .
Cleveland, OH (10/5-10/7)
Places: Great Lakes Science Center
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Botanical Gardens
Physical activities: walking, football in...
October 4, 1996, was the official day our adventure began. Last-minute preparations were put in place. Excitement ran rampant and spirits soared.
We removed a captain’s chair and replaced it with a cabinet that would house our desktop computer and purchased a car dolly to haul our van. The last two pieces were finally in place.
We enjoyed farewells and well wishes with...
