So we decided to drive….

How is it that we find ourselves in these adventures? Is it our personalities? The path chosen for us? Maybe we are just plain wacky?

The Strader’s were on the move again. We took a break, a hiatus of sorts, Allison isn’t as “easy” a traveler as Natalie was and frankly I think we just gave up for a while. Then Ben and I went away on an anniversary camping trip – two night away from the girls (thanks Nana and Papa) and we reminisced about road trips and adventure. We decided right then and there, a few days before departure to drive. 1500 miles up and who knows how many miles home. Why? Who knows? For Ben, he was burned out on flying, he wanted to really SEE Idaho. For me, well with a full size truck I could pack half the house to take with us.

So we switched gears, instead of flying for 7 hours to the cabin we drove, almost 30 hours instead. Interesting fact, not only would we have used less fuel it would have been cheaper had we flown. But to those who pack like I do, I would have only been able to bring the bare essentials.

We left and drove day one to Reno, uneventful, through Bishop, passed Mammoth, and got free breakfast in the morning. Day two drove to Boise via Oregon, lunch at a roadside diner not worthy of a Guy Fiori write up. Spent 3 days in Boi”see” searching for the perfect house – did not find it, not yet... although the plan is coming together. Day five, drove to Priest Lake – 11 hours. Not because of mileage but because of everyone else trying to celebrate the 4^th in the mountains….

Things we learned along away:

a. You can drop a MAC laptop on the ground from about 2.5 feet TWICE and it still works flawlessly.

b. You can eat tacos and fried chicken from the same fast food joint.

c. If it stays light out until 10pm you do forget to feed your kids dinner and put them to bed.

d. There are a LOT of place we don’t want to live!

e. Sometimes it is worth the long way home....