Road Trip Recap: From Seattle To Chicago
Six days with two kids, one cat, and some good ol' American family summer fun (mostly)
There’s nuthin’ like a summertime family road trip across the country with two kids under ten and one very untraveled cat. To back up, we moved from Seattle to Chicago last week. Here’s a blog post with more details on the why of it all if you’re curious. We could have driven this trip in three days, but we decided to take it slower and see some sights along the way. This post is a recap of our road trip including what I wore, what we ate, and sights we saw.
Day One: Seattle, WA to Missoula, MT
The morning we left, we were sent off with an amazing homemade brunch with friends and a tearful goodbye. Needlessly to say, the first leg of our trip was met with mixed emotions. All of us sat in silence, alone with our thoughts. I couldn’t muster the motivation to take an outfit photo but I wore this sweater tee with these jeans.
Day Two: Missoula, MT to Billings, MT
Everyone was in better spirits for day two. Before heading out of town, we stopped into the cutest bakery for a pastry (we did this every morning of our trip; we live for baked goods.) The line was several people out the door so you know it’s going to be good. From the little we saw of it, Missoula seems like a charming city and worth a visit.
I wore this simple jeans and tee outfit paired with flip flops. I loved this color combo of red, ecru, and chocolate brown. I recommend sizing up in these jeans for a more comfy fit.
We pulled into Bozeman, Montana for a quick lunch, and a short drive later, we made it to Billings, Montana for the night.
Day Three: Billings, MT to Rapid City, SD
We stopped by the health food store on the way out of town to grab provisions for a picnic halfway through our daily travels. We would let the kids play for awhile during our lunch stop to get the wiggles out. They did pretty well the whole trip considering how long it was (32 hours in total.) We set them up with audiobooks, and they each spent hours each day listening to them. Along with a movie each leg and some car games, they were entertained enough.
Leaving Seattle, we were wearing jeans and sweaters, and, as we got closer to Chicago, we shifted into shorts and tank tops. I have to say this next look feels a little fancy for a road trip, but it was actually really comfortable. I wore my Everlane tank, my Na Nin raw silk shorts, a Gap cotton sweater, and some black sandals.
Day Four: Rapid City, SD to Sioux Falls, SD
This was a big sightseeing day for us as we stopped at some tourist spots in South Dakota. First up, Mount Rushmore. which was my first visit.
And then to the Badlands National Park. The rock formations here make this area look like you’re on another planet.
I was not dressed for hiking (and we didn’t have time anyway) so we drove the Badlands Loop Road, stopped to take a few photos, and then headed out of town to our next stop.
After a couple nights, we realized our cat, Prue, REALLY loves a good view so we starting requesting rooms on the upper floors of the hotels we stayed at. Shockingly, she did amazing in the car and slept almost the entire drive.
Day Five: Sioux Falls, SD to Madison, WI
We stayed in the downtown area of Sioux Falls, and it was such a charming area. We stopped into this bakery which was a beautiful space with good food and good coffee.
This combo of a sweater tank and boxer shorts was super comfortable, and this button down is really lightweight so I didn’t overheat at all (which I tend to do in the summer months.)
After leaving Sioux Falls, we drove to Madison, Wisconsin for the night. We ended up getting caught in a terrible rainstorm that we basically followed for four hours straight. It was a white knuckle, flashers on, 40 miles per hour slog, and we breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived into town.
Madison is such a delightful city. We have friends who live there so we caught up at dinner at a local chicken restaurant. I, of course, only took pictures of the food. Insert head slapping emoji here.
Day Six: Madison, WI to Chicago, IL
Our last day was a quick two hour drive into Chicago. We arrived at our new home tired and happy. We’ve spent the last week unpacking and getting settled. It feels surreal to live in a new city with our own home. It’s definitely challenging to start over here, but I’ve got a good feeling about this place.
Thanks for bearing with me on this sporadic writing schedule. Next week, I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled posts!
This felt like an artistic yet insanely fashionable adventure of a read. Love all of these photos. Favoriting those Everlane jeans!!
Hi Ashley, Danny, children and Prue, nice to catch up with you. Peace and Blessings conveyed from us to you on your new adventure! Love all the photos! Geography, History, animal care, travel, information about the sites presented so intelligently, and, of course, all the new fashion ideas…simply beautiful…stay in touch! Sharon Soetaert. (Love the cuisine, too!)