It took over a year from ordering to pickup but we finally got our van. Here’s what we did and saw on the ride home in our new rig.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures on this trip. But here is the travel log:
- Day 0 Fly from Seattle to Kansas City (Tuesday)
- Huge line at airport to check bags. Guy tried to cut line. 1st day since pet embargo lifted (due to snow/bad weather in Seattle) so lots of animals traveling back home from their xmas vacations
- 1st class flight was nice
- Hotel was great. Huge jacuzzi room. Thanks to VanDOIt for putting us here!
- Walked to Duluth Trading Co and Bass Pro Shops
- Walked to dinner at pizza restaurant. Ordered too much, took leftovers with us but forgot about it and left it in the hotel fridge
- Saw 100s of geese that were living on the frozen lake behind the hotel.
- Day 1 pick up day (Wednesday)
- Shuttle driver picked us up at 10am and took us to VanDOit
- Everyone was so nice.
- Signed paperwork, paid, and got the tour
- Left around 1pm
- Went to Target to get essentials (e.g. wine and snacks)
- Ate a late bbq lunch at Jack Stacks
- Drove south
- Got gas in Wichita KS
- Drove to Oklahoma City and stayed the night in a hotel. It was after 10 and restaurants were closed so we just ate snacks in the room.
- Day 2 drive to Austin (Thursday)
- Stopped at Bucky’s in Ft Worth. Got some beef jerky and a Bucky’s wine glass
- Stopped in Waco to check out Magnolia (Chip & Joanna Gaines shops). Got Schlotzky’s for lunch
- Arrived in Austin ~4pm
- Stay with Tom & Michelle until Monday
- Day 3-5 hang out in Austin (Friday -Sunday)
- Day 6 drive to San Antonio (Monday)
- Drop Tracey off at Austin airport. She had to fly home for work
- Mike Drove alone to SA
- Day 6-8 (Monday-Wednesday)
- Hang out in SA with dad
- Go to Camping World bought some chairs and mats
- Day 9 Mike & Dad start drive from SA to Las Vegas (Thursday)
- SA to El Paso
- Saw an emu while getting gas
- Day 10 (Friday)
- El Paso to Flagstaff
- Took a scenic route thru Tonto National Forrest and Sedona. Very pretty more direct route but longer than interstate. Would definitely do this route again.
- Day 11 (Saturday)
- Flagstaff to Las Vegas
- Drove over Hoover dam
- Valet parked the van at Mandalay Bay. They stored it on “the beach” with the fancy cars since it doesn’t fit in their parking garage.
- Watched football in sports books with dad
- Emeril’s @ MGM for dinner
- Day 12 (Sunday)
- Caesar’s Buffet for brunch
- Wolfgang Puck Pizza for dinner
- Watched football in sports books
- Day 13 (Monday)
- Breakfast
- Take dad to airport
- Rest
- Pick Tracey up at airport
- House of Blues for dinner
- Day 14 Tracey and Mike in Vegas (Tuesday)
- Walk all over LV strip. Saw all the good casinos.
- Dinner at Wolfgang Puck
- Won $17 on slots
- Day 15 start drive from Vegas to Bothell (Wednesday)
- LV to Salt Lake City
- Got a hotel in SLC, ate at Applebee’s
- Day 16 (Thursday)
- SLC to Pendleton Oregon
- Stopped in Boise for gas and to buy an ice scraper. Snowed hard for a bit but cleared up. First time driving the van in snow.
- We were going to go a little further but it was so windy and dark, we stopped in Pendleton
- Day 17 (Friday)
- Pendleton to home in Bothell
- Stopped for lunch in Ellensburg, good pizza
- Looked at Central Wash Univ (Tracey is an alumni)