We’re still alive!
Logistically things are going well. The van is holding up although is absolutely filthy. We managed to set up the EZ Pass toll for the northeastern states. This was a huge money saver. Hertz will forward you the toll costs, plus charges you $6 USD for every day you use a toll! The pass costs $20 and the actual toll charges are less. We had a bit of trouble setting it up because the car had previously been registered to a different transponder. EZ Pass refused to release the plates and Hertz said there was nothing we could do. Turns out it doesn’t matter which car is registered to the tag as long as it’s still a “passenger vehicle”. Once we got to Florida we bought a different transponder without issue.
We’ve managed to lose a few things along the way. A whole grocery bag with Ollie’s coat, our Nanopresso coffee machine and other stuff went missing in Appalachia. Hanika has been suffering through pots of Folger’s in the morning. Last week we lost my travel adapter that’s come around the world countless times through Africa, Turkey, Europe. 4 weeks with the family is all it took to get rid of it.
We’ve also managed to gain a lot of things! The van doors barely close every time we set off. We’ve got 2 massive bags that are carrying clothes we haven’t used yet. We’ve been blessed with excellent weather the whole way so haven’t needed jackets etc. I’m hoping they’ll come in use when we get to California!
The kids are travelling better than expected. Both seem happy enough to be sleeping in a new place every couple of nights. Ollie’s settled into his portacrib thanks to ACB! We’ve got the right balance of hours on the road when we drive. Late checkins are difficult to deal with but somewhat inevitable. Pensacola had a 5pm check in!
Our latest conundrum is what to do between Vegas and San Fransisco. We need to get over the mountains and I’d love to see Sequoia/Yosemite. Unfortunately it’ll be mid December and road closures are unpredictable. Plus some roads require tire chains which invalidate your rental car insurance. No doubt we’ll take the risk of we need to!