Departed Belle Fourche, South Dakota: 7:45 a.m. MDT Hours driven: 10:40 Miles driven: 791 Average speed: 74.1 mph Fuel mileage: 32.4 mpg States: South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho Other VW Jetta wagons spotted: 2 (white, black) Weather: heavy rains and wind through Wyoming and eastern Montana, which made it a little scary passing semis on the two-lane Read-Aloud: the first…

My fans (a.k.a. my kids and my mother) are complaining because I haven’t been keeping up with my blog. I hate to disappoint anyone, so here is today’s update. Departed Nashville, Tennessee: 9:08 p.m. CDT. Hours driven: 19.5 Hours slept: 4.5 (in the car just east of St. Louis) Miles driven: 1,332 Average speed: 68.3 mph Fuel mileage: 36.4 mpg…

On a gray Sunday morning.

…at the Teach Them Diligently conference. Set-up today was not without its challenges but we did manage to finish getting the booth put together before the vendor hall opened at 6:00 p.m. We had a busy evening visiting with homeschoolers. I’ll be working long hours the next two days, so I probably won’t blog again until Sunday. The leisurely part…

Departed Rolla, Missouri: 11:05 a.m. CDT Hours driven: 5:05 Miles driven: 331 Average speed: 45.6 mph Fuel mileage: 40.1 mpg States: Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky Wildlife spotted: toad, turtle, squirrel (we see more “dramatic” wildlife out west, I think!) Other VM Jetta wagons spotted: 0 Weather: sunny and hot… and humid Car Talk podcast: 1 episode Rivers crossed: Mississippi, Ohio Arrived…

Departed Mulberry, Arkansas: 11:20 a.m. Hours driven: 7 Miles driven: 331 Average speed: 47.2 mph Average fuel mileage: 39.7 mpg States: Arkansas, Missouri Other VW Jetta wagons spotted: 1 (black, like ours) Wildlife  spotted: turtle, possum (which may or may not have been dead, with possums it’s hard to tell) Point of interest: drove past the church where we got…

Departed Tucumcari, New Mexico: 8:00 a.m. MDT.Hours driven: 9Flat tires: 1Hours stopped to change the tire and get it fixed in Amarillo: 2.5Miles driven: 590 (including 44 on Old Route 66)Average speed: 50.2 (including stops)Fuel mileage:  39.7 (40.259 on one tank!)States: New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, ArkansasWildlife spotted: 2 snakes crossing the road in New MexicoOther VW Jetta wagons spotted: 1…

Departed Montrose, Colorado: 7:30 a.m. MDT. Hours driven: 9.5 Miles driven: 503 Average speed: 52.9 Fuel mileage: 39.9 mpg (still hoping to see 40 mpg!) States: Colorado, New Mexico Wildlife spotted: deer, burros (though the burros may or may not have been “wild”) Other VW Jetta wagons spotted: 0 Weather: sunny and warm Bicyclists going up the mountain as we…