#1,016 The Big Trip Day 3.

Ben and I have been in 9 states today. North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts. Can you believe that? Let’s take it from the top:

Breakfast at 5:30 am at Reid’s House—Reidsville’s mom and pop-owned version of Waffle House. Possibly the best waffle I’ve ever tasted.

Then we headed north, through Virginia which was some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. It didn’t feel like it took more than an hour and we’d driven through the entire state. The further north we went, the colder it became.

 Near the Shenandoah Valley

We made a short stop in Winchester, Virginia for gas, coffee and internet access so I could show all you good people what we’ve been up to.

And in Winchester, we stumbled upon the Apple Harvest Festival! Y’all know we’re major apple fans.

They were giving away free apples for tasting all the native varieties.

And it was here that I tasted my first honey crisp apple. And now I’ll be forever ruined, because no apple will ever compare. 

They were having a car show at the apple festival, too!

And because we love y’all, we’ll be coming home bearing gifts.

The next stop was West Chester, Pennsylvania. I’ve heard it’s such a fantastically quaint town, so I had to see it for myself. And it was true. I could live there, for sure.

You might recognize the name as Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn’s hometown. It’s no coincidence that I made it a stop on our New England road tour. You know, that crush and all.

And as we were passing right by, I spotted the crosses at the site where Ryan Dunn’s fatal car crash happened so we pulled over to see. It was spooky and very sad.

 The skidmarks from his Porsche are still there. Isn’t that crazy?

And then we were back on the road again for another stop. This time, in Manhattan to see Josh and Anne. We get to see them once a year, and this time I had a surprise waiting for Ben since it’s the eve of his birthday. The traffic became more and more intense the closer we got.

We did it! We drove in New York City and didn’t die!

So we finally got to Josh and Anne’s apartment and…

Surprise!

Anne conspired with me to get the cake from New York’s famous Magnolia Bakery. Red velvet, Ben’s favorite.

I wish I could see this girl more often. She’s become a mommy since last year’s visit and I got to see little Liam sleeping like a rock in his crib.

We had Lombardi’s pizza and they gave him a cool vintage-inspired Brooklyn Bushwicks baseball cap. Ben loved it, and it actually fit his head which was the biggest surprise.

 The view from their windows.

These dudes. It’s too bad they live on the opposite end of the country because we love hanging with them both so much.

And by 10:00 it was time to get back on the road for our final destination of the day, Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the Red Lion Inn.

As we were passing below this HUGE stone and steel structure, Ben was driving and said, “Oh dude, look at this cool church or something…” And then I realized it was the base of the Brooklyn Bridge and Ben was thrilled. We’ve never been so close to it, and he swears this made his birthday. If the rest of this trip bombs, it was the best trip ever because we drove below the Brooklyn Bridge.

And after 2 and a half hours with drooping eyes and aching backs, we finally pulled into Stockbridge for the night. I’ve never felt such relief. This inn is older than the United States and is our favorite place we’ve ever stayed overnight.

Our room has a fireplace and I can’t wait to light it and get at least 10 hours of sleep tonight.

God has had his hand on us this entire trip, keeping us safe and sound. I’m feeling very thankful tonight. Happy early birthday, Mitter Ben.