Hi it’s Livi and I’m going tell you about what I will be talking about the next 24 days. I’m on this cross country trip that will last 24 days for me and my sister and it will last 28 days for my parents. Along the way we are going to go to A lot of national parks, we are going to go to a few beaches, we will see some orcas and go to go to a zoo. That’s all for today bye.

After an early morning swim meet, we began our much anticipated journey!! It was surreal to think that after a year of planning it was actually time to go. Our first day was easy – only 3.5 hours to get us a bit closer to our first sightseeing stop.

A few weeks ago, we discovered a site called Harvest Host. Essentially, you pay an annual fee and you have access to thousands of small business across the country who allow you to stay on their property – free of charge! – for the night. The only caveat is you are encouraged to patron whatever their business is… sure, twist my arm and I’ll force myself to drink some wine or buy something at a gift shop. 🍷 🤩🛍

Our stopping point for the evening was at a Christian W. Klay Winery in Ohio. Unfortunately, they were closed when we arrived so we did not get to check it out, but the other 2 campers there were super friendly and greeted us when we arrived. The property was very clean, too! We’re officially hooked on Harvest Hosts and have reserved several others along our route!

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The day started off normally. We ate cereal, watched church, and then left the winery. About an hour into our drive, my sister noticed something leaking from the fridge. Turns out, it was my Mom’s iced chai from the day before. We cleaned it up quickly and we were back on the road in no time. Lesson learned: don’t put open containers in the fridge!

After that little setback, it was smooth sailing to The Wilds. At The Wilds, we saw so many cool animals including: Cheetahs, Rhinos, Parakeets, Camels, Painted Wild Dogs, Zebras, and Ostriches (I actually got bit by one of those). Afterwards, we drove to our campsite and prepared for our zoo trip the next day.

Day one may have been one of the longest days ever. We got up at 5:00 AM to get to our last swim meet of the season, and after we said our bittersweet goodbyes, we immediately set off on our adventure. The drive itself was uneventful but I was thinking the whole time about what I could’ve forgot, what was to come, and what would happen when I got back.

Once we arrived at the Winery, we quickly set up and went to sleep thinking about the adventures ahead of us.