The End of Our Adventure and What We Learned Along the Way- Day 27

After a 6 hour drive from Chicago to Bellefontaine, we are home!

The car went straight to the car wash when we got home!

We had a blast on our trip. We learned so much about our country, people, ourselves, and each other. It was such a great trip that we will remember forever. 

Here are some things that we learned that could serve as advice for others:

1. America is huge and looks vastly different throughout the country!

2. After being out West, we will never again say that Bellefontaine, Ohio is out in the middle of nowhere. 

3. We learned from a local man in Oakhurst, California to go to a lumber yard for firewood. It's a waste of money to buy firewood at a store.

4. Waiting to schedule campsites at the last minute allows for flexibility in the trip. I wouldn't advise waiting last minute during Holiday weekends and busy seasons.

5. Smartphones are necessary for finding places to eat, sleep, and rent equipment.

6. Even with technology, you still need an atlas!

7. People are generally nice and if you are open to meeting interesting people on a trip, you will meet interesting people!

8. Keeping a blog during a long trip is a big commitment and can be time consuming but friends and family will appreciate it. Also, it's great to read back through it to remember all the memories you made. 

9. Camping is the way to go!

10. Go on long hikes! Our favorite National Parks were the ones where we got away from the crowds and went on a long hike. It allows you to experience the beauty of the park on a personal level.

11. Peanut butter on s'mores is ridiculously good.

12. Bring something other than your phones for cameras. Our phones made it easy to share our pictures but we had to delete some of our pictures because of space!

13. Wear sunscreen, always.

14. Talk to park rangers at National Parks. They can tell you which hikes are the best and interesting facts about the park. Also, do research ahead of time as to what state the park is in during the time of year that you're going.

15. Try new things and do things that scare you.

This trip made us so proud to be Americans. Traveling all over America gave us a deeper sense of patriotism and understanding for our country as a whole. It was also humbling and convicting to see foreigners love our country more than we do.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog! Thank you for suffering through my poor grammar and spelling mistakes. It is surprisingly tricky to write a blog on a phone while in a moving car! Thank you for taking this journey with us and for supporting us along the way.

Next adventure: our trip to the alter!