The road trip officially kicked off with the truck packed to the absolute limit. Computers, rope access kits, cots, camping gear—every square inch is packed! Functional? Yes. Lightly unhinged? Also yes. 🏕️
Our first push brought us to St. Louis, where we grabbed a hotel just a few blocks from the Gateway Arch and right in the middle of downtown. The location couldn’t have been better, especially with our first national park stop waiting for us the next morning.
Tomorrow: The First of Many National Parks
We’ll kick off our National Parks adventure tomorrow morning at Gateway Arch National Park, and we’re excited to start collecting those stamps!
But today had its own highlights…
Caitlin discovered Menards—for the first time—and immediately understood why it’s a Midwest personality trait. Home improvement supplies, seasonal inflatables, and bulk snacks. She gets it now! 😂 A field trip was promptly added to the itinerary.
Missouri also delivered a crash course in sinkhole plains, courtesy of our resident geologist, Marc. The explanation was educational. The reaction was immediate: Eeek. 😶Caitlin
Marc, meanwhile, was introduced to the legend of Lambert’s Café, home of the famous “throwed rolls.” Now he fully grasps why it’s considered an American institution—and why a future stop at the Foley, Alabama or Sikeston, MO is now inevitable.
To emotionally prepare for the next night’s Outlaw Music Festival, we wrapped the evening by watching A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic. The consensus? Dylan is…a vibe. Here’s hoping tomorrow’s live performance is slightly more decipherable—but either way, we’re ready.
The road trip was officially underway, and if day one was any indication, this journey was already shaping up to be memorable.
UPDATE: We made it!
