{"id":14355,"date":"2017-02-19T07:48:10","date_gmt":"2017-02-19T14:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/?p=14355"},"modified":"2017-02-22T18:11:50","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T01:11:50","slug":"are-we-there-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/?p=14355","title":{"rendered":"Are We There Yet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The most time-consuming part of MegaTrip II is over. \u00a0That would be the planning part. \u00a0It started last year a couple weeks after we came back from MegaTrip I and I booked reservations in the National Parks. \u00a0Which needs to be done almost a year in advance. \u00a0Then I started collecting Fodor’s and Frommer’s and Lonely Planet from the used bookstore. \u00a0Then I spent hours online with Google Maps and TripAdvisor and Yelp.<\/p>\n

But the hardest part isn’t figuring out which path to take and which stops to make along the way. \u00a0The hardest part isn’t finding sites and activities that appeal to the interests of 6 very different people. \u00a0It isn’t juggling the National Parks pass, Groupon, Yipit, and other discounts to keep down the costs. \u00a0It isn’t searching through hotel sites, and VRBO and airbnb.<\/p>\n

The hardest part starts now. \u00a0The waiting.<\/p>\n

Because once you have looked at all the pictures and read all the reviews and have printed your 12 page travel guide—-with mileage and drive time; sites and hikes; restaurants and lodging—-you need to go. \u00a0Now.<\/p>\n

As a matter of fact, it seems like every minute that you are not on MegaTrip II is a waste of your life. \u00a0If it wasn’t for the fact that it takes 6 months of work to afford a MegaTrip, I’d be on the road right now.<\/p>\n

So I guess waiting is the only option. \u00a0In the meantime, please review my trip plans. \u00a0Let me know if you have any tips for the sites we are visiting. \u00a0Please pass along any coupons or discounts or free activities in the areas we’ll be traveling. \u00a0Restaurants or cool places to eat; food we absolutely need to try. \u00a0Whatever you think we are missing. \u00a0Because I left a margin on my 12 page planner for all your advice. \u00a0And The Other Half’s favorite part of the trip is trying to read all those scribbles I put in the margin for him to decipher while I’m driving.<\/p>\n

Here goes:<\/p>\n

King’s Mountain National Military Park, Blacksburg, SC \u00a0 Battlefield trail<\/p>\n

Caesar’s Head State Park, Cleveland, SC \u00a0 Raven Cliff Falls hiking trail<\/p>\n

Atlanta, GA: Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, Margaret Mitchell Sqaure, Tabernacle, SkyView Atlanta, Georgia Dome, CNN, Centennial Park, Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site, World of Coca Cola, Atlanta History Center, Walking Dead film sites<\/p>\n

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Tuskegee, AL<\/p>\n

Biloxi Lighthouse, Biloxi, MS<\/p>\n

New Orleans, LA: \u00a0Jazzy Pass for trolleys, Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum, Bourbon St, New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, Gallier House, Old Ursaline Convent, French Market, Jackson Square, Pirate Alley, Cafe Du Monde, Washington Artillery Park, Frenchmen St, Barataria Preserve (Plametto Trail, Bayou Coquille Trail, March Overlook Trail)<\/p>\n

LSU Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge, LA<\/p>\n

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Beaumont, TX<\/p>\n

San Antonio, TX: River Walk, Alamo<\/p>\n

Carlsbad Caverns, NM \u00a0 Natural Entrance trail<\/p>\n

Roswell, NM: International UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell Museum and Art Center<\/p>\n

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, Tularosa, NM<\/p>\n

Eagle Ranch Pistachios, Alamogordo, NM<\/p>\n

White Sands National Monument, NM \u00a0 Dune Life Nature trail<\/p>\n

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Silver City, NM<\/p>\n

Tombstone, AZ: OK Corral Historic Complex, Boothill Graveyard<\/p>\n

Saguaro National Park, AZ \u00a0 \u00a0Red Hills Visitor Center, Scenic Baja Loop, Valley View Overlook trail, Signal Hill Petroglyph trail<\/p>\n

Phoenix, AZ: Just spending the night here. \u00a0Places to see? \u00a0Places to eat?<\/p>\n

Joshua Tree National Park, CA \u00a0 Black Rock Nature Center, High View Nature Trail<\/p>\n

Bakersfield, CA: Just spending the night here. \u00a0Places to see? \u00a0Places to eat?<\/p>\n

Sequoia National Forest, CA \u00a0 \u00a0 Giant Forest Museum, Big Trees trail, Moro Rock, General Sherman Tree, Congress trail, Big Stump trail<\/p>\n

Fresno, CA: eat dinner at In-N-Out Burger<\/p>\n

Yosemite National Park, CA \u00a0 \u00a0Sentinel Dome trail, Glacier Pt trail, Tunnel View, Birdalveil Fall trail, Cathedral beach, Mist trail to Vernal Falls, Ansel Adams Gallery, Lower Falls trail, El Capitan, Grove of Giant Sequoias trail, Olmsted Pt trail, Pothole Dome and Tuolomne River trail<\/p>\n

San Francisco, CA: Union Square, Dragon’s Gate, ChinaTown( Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory , Golden Gate Bakery \u00a0for egg custard), Little Italy, Washington Square Park, North Beach, Filbert St steps, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, Embarcadero, Pier 39 sea lions, Pier 45 Musee Mecanique, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Coroked St, Nobb Hill, Golden Gate Bridge<\/p>\n

Muir Woods, Mill Valley, CA \u00a0 \u00a0Ben Johnson trail<\/p>\n

Lake Tahoe, NV \u00a0 Sand Harbor Beach, Sand Pt Nature trail<\/p>\n

Death Valley National Park, CA \u00a0 \u00a0 Darwins Falls hike, Mosaic Canyon trail, Sand Dunes, Mustard Canyon, Harmony Borax Works trail, Zabriskie Point, Twenty Mule Canyon, Dante’s View<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Strip, NV: Bellagio Fountains, Caesar’s Palace Fall of Atlantis and aquarium, Mirage volcano, Treasure Island outdoor show, The Ventian\/The Palazzo waterfall\/atrium, LINQ Promenade, Paris Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas Sign at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino<\/p>\n

Hoover Dam Bypass\/Mike O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge, NV<\/p>\n

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ South Rim trail, Desert View Dr<\/p>\n

Cliff Palace Mesa Verde National Park, CO \u00a0 \u00a0Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum, Spruce Tree House, Park Point Overlook<\/p>\n

Albuquerque, NM: Old Town tour of Bottger Mansion, Rattlesnake Museum, La Placita, San Felipe de Neri, Guadalupe Chapel, Museum Sculpture Garden<\/p>\n

Petroglyph National Monument, NM \u00a0 Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail<\/p>\n

Sandia Peak Tramway, NM<\/p>\n

Amarillo, TX: Cadillac Ranch, Ozymandias on the Plains, Floaitng Mesa, Combine City, Historic Rte 66, The Big Texan Steak Ranch<\/p>\n

Paris, TX: \u00a0Eiffel Tower<\/p>\n

West Monroe, LA: \u00a0Duck Dynasty Warehouse, Willie’s Diner, Black Bayou Lake Nature trail and overlook<\/p>\n

Vicksburg National Military Park, MS<\/p>\n

Birmingham, AL : Civil Rights Heritage trail, Vulcan Park<\/p>\n

Chatanooga, TN: Just spending the night here. \u00a0Places to see? \u00a0Places to eat?<\/p>\n

Rock City, Lookout Mountain, GA \u00a0 \u00a0Lover;s Leap, See 7 States, Fairyland Caverns, Swing-A-Long Bridge<\/p>\n

That’s it. \u00a0That’s enough.<\/p>\n

Are we there yet?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The most time-consuming part of MegaTrip II is over. \u00a0That would be the planning part. \u00a0It started last year a couple weeks after we came back from MegaTrip I and I booked reservations in the National Parks. \u00a0Which needs to be done almost a year in advance. \u00a0Then I started collecting Fodor’s and Frommer’s and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14355"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14396,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14355\/revisions\/14396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}