cross country road trip day 1 – boston to buffalo

This week we’ll be chronicling our journey from Boston to Denver to keep all of our family and friends updated. Enjoy!

We are officially one day into our road trip to Colorado! Things like this are bittersweet in the toughest way possible. The good byes that took place over the last few days were really tough. But, this is also such an exciting time for us and we can’t wait to embark on this adventure. So, our emotions are currently all over the place!

Day one of traveling went pretty well. We bought a new car a week before we hit the road, which has been great. We had some issues with the cargo carrier on top of the car. We tried out three different ones and not one of them fit properly. By the third one we had to just make it work because we needed the additional space on the roof. That lasted about two hours. We got to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and knew we had to do something. Our gas mileage was comparable to a small box truck and the car felt like it was dragging pretty badly.

This world of technology we live in is amazing. Within minutes I was able to use my computer connected to the Internet from my phone, look up a store, use one phone to call to have them hold a new cargo carrier while using the other phone to map the directions.

We usually buy everything through REI or LL Bean (lifetime guarantees!) but neither had a store anywhere in the vicinity so we found a Sears and was able to get a much better cargo carrier. The whole process set us back a little over an hour but it was totally worth it. Gas mileage was better, it was larger, so fit more in it, and the entire ride felt so much smoother. It was hilarious trying to get it installed. I literally had to climb in it to get it secured to the roof. But it worked and we felt a lot better about the rest of the trip.

After stopping at the Sears we decided to take the scenic route back to the highway. I was so glad we did. It was absolutely gorgeous. The foliage, the lakes, the barns. All of it was so beautiful. I did my best to capture photos but it was tricky to do while driving

We didn’t hit any traffic so overall the drive was great. Our friends Maria and Jack hosted us for the night in their new home in Buffalo. By the time we got there we were ready to stretch, eat and have a beer! We had a great time with them, and even though it was nighttime and pitch black out they still gave us a great tour of the city, showed us the beautiful Lake Erie and shared their new city and home with us.

The best part for me yesterday was the fact that when we got off the highway to go to the Sears we were in the exact area we were when we got engaged. We passed the restaurant we ate at, hotel we stayed, stores we stopped at and the mountain Al proposed at. What are the odds?! We had no clue until we were driving along the route and it was all so familiar. I also loved driving through western Mass. I know I’ve been as a child but I don’t think I’ve ever been (or if I have I don’t remember it) during the peak of the fall season. It was amazing.

More later, to fill you in about day two!