Just a little shy of 25 years ago we started an adventure . . .

The standing record set in 1991 was 127 hours and 15 minutes - we were convinced we had a better route and could beat it!

So here we are today- a little older but still up for an adventure! \240Leaving about 9pm tonight from our 1st state - Vermont!

And we’re off! \240Left Vermont (State #1) and have crossed the New Hampshire line (State #2)!

Check out the Blog of our trip - 48 State Drive - 3 Days All the Way, going for another Guinness World Record!

http://journohq.com/journo/3-days---all-the-way-67711

Well, best laid plans . . . we determined a start time that was to our advantage. We’ve started at theVermont/New Hampshire line at 11:55 pm (States 1 & 2), now on to Maine . . .

While you were sleeping, we’ve been busy! Jay had a nap as we drove to Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and most of Connecticut where we woke him for our first 3 min fuel stop. \240Ted got in a little nap until we got to the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River in New York City. We asked Ted to get a pic of the New York skyline at dawn, this is what we got?!

Philly - Tom & Betsy, this one’s for you! \240Home of the Eagles!

Just left Maryland, been to Delaware and just entered West Virginia (State #12)! \240Had our second fuel stop - about 4 minutes this time - we need to pick up speed on those - one guy pumps gas, one gets snacks and I get to go to the bathroom 😊! \240

Crossed the Ohio River and headed back to Kentucky -

Through Kentucky and into Virginia (State #15).

Made it through the extremely winding highways of Tennessee through the mountains and in North Carolina now (State #18!). At 15 states, we were officially through 1/3 of the number of states! 😁

And South Carolina is completed (State #18) - 25 miles from Georgia 😎 Beautiful!

Georgia was on our minds and we’re glad to be though it! \240Atlanta can be tough!

Mississippi and Louisiana visited! \240We’ve been the recipients of some rain from Barry - not too intense. \240Louisiana @State #23 - almost at the halfway point for number of states! 🇺🇸

Currently in Arkansas - our 24th State! Barry was with from one tip of Mississippi to the other - lots of rain - here in Arkansas as well.

Well, we’ve hit Missouri and are currently in Illinois (State #26) one of our longest state drives - 357 miles.

Made our 6th gas stop, had breakfast and I know that Jay & me brushed our teeth - we’re not sure about Ted!

Whew! Long drive but, we finally have blue skies and outran the remnants of Barry. \240Had our 7th fuel stop - on to Michigan.

Yay! Michigan (State #28), back through Illinois and now headed to Wisconsin. \240Tracking well as long as we make it through Chicago okay!

Chicago was a little rough but we made it through to Wisconsin (State #29!)

State #30 - Minnesota - a huge milestone - 3300 miles - exactly 1/2 of our projected trip! \240Another HUGE thunderstorm!!!

We’ve made it through North Dakota and are currently in State #32, South Dakota. \240We completed our 8th fuel stop in about 3 1/2 minutes. Ted’s shift to drive and Jay is napping. \240We have a long drive of 253 miles to get to Iowa - maybe a little nap for me as well! 😆

Iowa is complete and we’re in Nebraska (State #34 - seriously only 14 to go!). \240It’s raining AGAIN! \240We can’t blame this one on Barry - huge fronts coming in from the northwest and they just don’t quit. \240Jay and I both got a good nap and provided Ted with some snores to drive to! 😴 Fuel stop #9 - coffee!!!

Finally - sunshine & blue skies - seems like it’s been a long time since we’ve seen that!

This was a fun stop where we got “3 in 1” at the “Three Corners” down a dirt road no less! \240Thank goodness it hadn’t rained here - we had visions of a van stuck and finding some of that farm equipment to haul us out!!! 🚜

And big #38 - Texas! \240Only 10 more states to follow!

Two big states added Texas & New Mexico only NINE to go!

We can’t believe it - it’s at least our 6th storm and a heavy one again. \240It only rains like 2 times a year in New Mexico and it had to be today?! 🌧

Well, all the rain was worth getting a double rainbow (always a sign from heaven for me!)

State #40 - only EIGHT more to go!!! 😁

Nevada and California making 42 states!

Utah is sooo beautiful but has been fun early this morning - my oldest, Slade , his wife Erin and 4 grandsons live in Salt Lake - they drove to Orem to cheer us on as we passed by! \240Thank you Slade, Tayden, Evan & Brady for getting up so early to wish your Nana Split good luck! 🍀

Wyoming -the 44th State! \240Did I say we only have FOUR more states to go?!

Jay had the late night shift and it was his first leg of the trip since South Carolina that he didn’t have to drive through pounding rain storms. \240(Ted is the master route planner and personally I think it was a set-up!) 🌧

And we’re in State #45 - Idaho. \240Idaho has always been our choice for the most beautiful state on our journeys. \240It’s a beautiful day - hopefully we can send some pics.

We’re not the same folks we were 25 years ago - our adventurous spirits are still there . . . Our bodies are betraying us! 😳

And, heres’s #46, wide open spaces in Montana! Montana’s State line is basically the Continental Divide.

We’ve had a rough afternoon and evening! \240State #47, Washington, was almost the hardest to get to as we had to make the trip back through Iowa where we’ve had no cell service since my last post this afternoon.

The last One! \240State #48, Oregon, WAS the hardest state to make it to the state line! \240Looking at a map, you’d never know that the state line was on top of a mountain and that you had to drive winding switchbacks to get there! \240That slowed us down too!

Many Thanks to so many - first of all to the good Lord who watched over us, protected us, guided us and brought us through this challenge safe and sound.

Second, to our spouses - thank you to Sherry, Beth and Wayne for understating our adventurous spirits and being willing to allow us to go on these types of adventures. \240(For me, Wayne and I met on an adventure so he “get’s it” and one of his favorite phrases is, “you have to enter to win!).

We had great witnesses at our starting and ending points and we are grateful to them for working with us - especially the ladies who drove to the top of the mountain at our finish!

Thanks again to all of our family and friends who followed us and cheered us on - it meant the world to us to have your support! \240Until the next adventure ...