Number of miles traveled total: 1,781
Number of miles traveled today: 822
Total time in the van: 25 hours, 36 minutes
Total time in the van today: 11 hours
Average speed (thanks GPS): 66.9 mph (75 mph speed limit in South Dakota!)
Total in tolls: $39.10 (not including the one I missed north of Chicago despite my very best terror inducing deceleration / swerving maneuver). They might bill me for that one.
Total in gasoline: I'm not keeping track, though the credit card companies might have an accurate number (lowest price observed so far $2.59 in Wisconsin only 10 minutes after I paid $2.75 in Illinois. Lowest price paid - $2.73 on Highbridge Rd in Schenectady)
Number of full tanks of gas used today: 2 plus the last 90 miles out of the 3rd
Total meltdowns:
Emma - 3 (6)
Malcolm - 2 (5)
Jacob - 1 (I am keeping this one though he is having a meltdown about it)
Shelly - 0 (1) (but it was a big one...)
Daddy -0 (blogger's prerogative)
Time spent in creepy, smoky bar/casino in Wall South Dakota: 42 minutes (we needed dinner and carsick pills)
Time spent in Wall, South Dakota: 45 minutes (did i mention we needed carsick pills?)
Number of big yellow cicada bugs killed on the grill and windshield: lots, very gross
Titles of Movie Viewed so far:
Incredibles
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1
Finding Nemo
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Speeding Tickets: 0
Number of days in same bower shorts: ahem... 1
Number of crazy, impossible and ultimately hard to see pictures of the vastness of the Great Plains taken by Shelly out the window of a van, in the rain, going 80 mph: 0 (all the pictures that Shelly takes are awesome).
Coolness ratios:
- Crossing the Mississippi River (1st time seeing it!) between Wisconsin and Minnesota - 10 out of 10
- The 3 hours of today spent "white-knuckled" in the pouring rain and thunderstorms - 2 out of 10
- Seeing Wall, South Dakota - 4 out of 10
- A 75 mph speed limit in South Dakota - 8 out of 10
- Being able to see 10 miles in either direction on the Plains - 10 out of 10 (just amazing, how flat the land is, and how quick it can change)
- Deciding back in February to skip the Badlands National Park - 0 out of 10
- Finally getting the kids to pay attention to stuff outside of the van - 10 out of 10
Good Morning Chank Family from the train to NYC, where it is expected to be well over 100 degrees today (I may not live through my subway system commute to work, so figured I'd post a comment to you guys early today!). The heat wave of the last day or so is continuing - it was oppressive from western NY (yes, Mike & I spent Sunday night in Buffalo too after a day at the American Falls (we forgot our passports) with Uncles Larry and Mike). It HAS to be cooler where you are, so enjoy the relative coolness! I'm so envious of what you'll be seeing today (Tuesday, July 6th) as Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower were stops I made in my travels to MN, WY & SD in the mid 1990's. I had regrets about missing Crazy Horse, so will look forward your pictures and perspective. Car sick pills, eh? Great Grandpa was right - - you are drugging the children?! (Or were they for Shelly?!) Love being along with you guys for the ride, via blog. Travel safe - - Love you guys! :)
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