The GGA Project -- Day #223 "Get Your Kicks..."

Last night Nicole and I commenced our first ever roadtrip together as Moms.  Nika and I have done a lot of traveling together, and I can scarcely imagine a better road partner.  We used to have this master plan to be team truckers together, traipsing all over the U.S. together and getting paid for it.  We had it all figured out.


But then settling down happened, and boyfriends and marriages and kids, and while I don't really think we ever would have been truckers, I was looking to recapture a bit of that freewheeling on-the-road spirit we embodied back in the day.  The question was whether or not we could do it with the kiddos.  Nicole has taken her girls on long drives to and from Arizona, and I also took Monkey (with my Mom and Aunt) out to AZ last year, but those were just direct trips...not extended days on the road.  This would be interesting...


We set out late last night in Nicole's car (since it seats 7 and the two carseats took up the entire middle bench) and landed early this morning in Bakersfield, CA, where we stayed the night.  The babies slept a good part of that trip and also slept well in the hotel, but it was yet to be seen how they'd fair for the 5-hours it would take us to get to my cousin Erin & JD's house in Lake Havasu City today.


Today's New Activity: Driving, Driving, Stop Off on Route 66, Driving, Driving


I've done plenty of driving from California to Arizona and vice-versa, but not along highway 58, which turned out to be a really nice drive.  It turned into highway 40 near Barstow, and *that* was a familiar route, but the whole trip was made different and special because of the kids.  We stopped at a super podunk little town called Something Springs (forgive me, Something Springs...I can't remember your full name and I tried to look you up but (bless your heart) you're not even on the map!) for lunch and a break, but for the most part they weathered that 5 straight hours incredibly well, with no crying or fighting or even protesting of any kind.  Maya was a super trooper, sitting in the way back and entertaining herself, too.


When we got to Erin's, the kids and Erin & JD's son Mason all got down to their diapers and cooled off in a little pool in their backyard.  They were instant buddies and formed the sweetest little Getalong Gang.

JD whipped up an awesome dinner out of nowhere, while we watched the kids play.  And I got the chance to catch up with my cousins into the wee hours.  It was a fantastic start to a week on the road!