Sunday September 11
Dad and I woke up at five in the morning and packed the car. Then we started our road trip.
When we got on the Verrazano Bridge, nothing was moving due to a collision. But finally after a long ten minutes, traffic started moving smoothly.
After a long eight plus hours of driving, we made it to Cleveland, Ohio.
We settled into the Best Western hotel, then we drove thru downtown Cleveland and found Progressive Field where the Guardians baseball team plays.
Then we went to Wendy’s Park and walked on the path as we looked at Lake Eire. As I was walking back next to the lake, I tripped and almost fell into the water. Thankfully that didn’t happen.
After the lake, we had Wendy’s for dinner then we went to Walmart.
At Walmart I got a Cleveland Guardians T shirt. Something to remember Cleveland.
We went back to the hotel and relaxed till bed time. We were exhausted.
Monday September 12
Dad and I drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in North Field, Ohio. Just thirty minutes from Cleveland.
We got to see Brandywine Falls which was beautiful. Took a trip to Kendall Lake which was pretty. Lots of geese wandering around on the grass.
After lunch, Dad and I took the train into the city, and looked at the famous ex baseball player statues outside the stadium.
Unfortunately we got to the stadium four hours too early and had to sit on the bench till the gates opened at five.
When we got in we took a look at the different food venues. Grabbed dinner at the Fat Rooster and sat in our seats which was in section 134 row T. The view was awesome and the Guardians won.
Tuesday September 13
We left Cleveland and drove the short three hours to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
My friend Katie met in person for the first time. We went to Applebees for lunch. First we exchanged gifts, then we ordered our food. I got grilled chicken and soft pretzels. It was delicious. I got to learn more about Fort Wayne and got to know Katie a lot better.
After hanging out with my friend, dad and I drove up to the Sand Dunes National Park.
First we drove down to Beverly Shores and walked on the beach. We saw a couple of nice houses that tenants rent out. My favorite one of course was the pink Florida Tropical House.
We drove back up to the Sand Dunes and hiked up on the sandy path. Going up hill was tough but we made it. The view reminded me of a scene from the animated Lion King movie.
Going down hill was easier except some of the sand had hidden tree branches and parts were slippy. But we took our time and made it back to the bottom.
Wednesday Sept 14
Dad and I started our five hour trip to St Louis, Missouri.
We made a couple of stops to stretch, use the bathroom and have lunch.
First we stopped at this Indian Historic Mound. We climbed up five steep flight of stairs. It was worth being out of breath cause the view was really cool. We could see St Louis and the famous St Louis Arch.
After we checked in at the hotel, we drove around St Louis, saw Busch Stadium where the St Louis Cardinals play baseball. Then we parked the car and walked down to the Arch. It’s such a beautiful structure.
Thursday Sept 15th
We started our day in the city. Walked through the Museum inside the St Louis Arch, then we took the pod which is a small elevator, six-hundred and thirty feet to the top of the Arch. Takes a total of four minutes and three minutes to come down.
We got to spend seven to ten minutes at the top where we got to see the Mississippi River and downtown St Louis through the windows.
After the Arch we got lunch then took a trip to Walmart. I got myself a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat.
The Cardinals had a really nice outdoor seating area while we waited for the gates to open in the stadium.
Dad and I had great seats at the Reds vs Cardinals game. We sat in section 132 row 1 and we had aisle seats.
Busch Stadium has the best chicken tenders and fries in my opinion. Unfortunately the Cardinals lost at home but it was an awesome game.
Friday Sept 16th
We drove five hours to Nashville, Tennessee. We stayed in Symra which is twenty minutes out of the city.
We picked mom up at the airport that night. Then we stayed up for a little bit and chatted.
Saturday Sept 17th
The three of us drove to downtown Nashville. We went to the Johnny Cash Museum which was fun and filled with great history.
Fun fact about Nashville: Nashville is full of bars, loud music, people who love to party and drink.
We found a delicious bbq joint called Jacks Bbq. I am a big fan of pulled pork it was yummy.
After lunch we walked to the Country Hall of Fame Park where the had different names of country artists on stars on the sidewalk. That was really cool to see.
We went back to the hotel to take a break from the heat. Then we had dinner.
After dinner we went to GO USA Fun Park where we played mini golf. Unfortunately my parents beat me. But it was tons of fun. I really liked the different holes and difficulty levels.
Sunday Sept 18th
We slept in and listened to a great sermon by Pastor Tim Keller.
Then we had lunch and drove to the Opry Resort and Convention Center. Great indoor activity to do since it was another hot day.
We walked around the different areas. It was absolutely gorgeous. Basically an indoor garden with fountains and different plants.
We found an Aunt Annie’s and a Carvel. Yes, I actually got both for a snack but my we shared the soft pretzel. Mom and I shared the ice cream.
Afterwards, we drove to the Grand Ol Opry and took pictures of it from outside.
Later that evening we went to a Remember Rich Mullins concert. He’s a Christian artist who sadly died in a car crash twenty-five years ago. The concert was okay. We only new two songs. My expectations were set too high and it ended up being slightly different and not as enjoyable.
Monday Sept 19th
The three amigos got up early and drove nine hours to Myrtle Beach.
We arrived in the evening and checked into our ocean view hotel. Our hotel room had a balcony where we could see the ocean.
For dinner my parents and I went to to the Ol Irish Pub. A taste of Ireland for my dad. The food was delicious and the service was great.
We took a walk past the different shops and then on the board walk. The ocean looked beautiful. Not many stars in the sky.
The three of us took an evening swim at the hotel resort. They had two pools, both indoor and outdoors, a lazy river and a hot tub. It was a great way to end a long day.
Tuesday Sept 20th
We got lunch at Walmart, after we ate we went got our suits on and walked less than a second to the beach.
The waves were awesome. Not too rough and not too calm. The water was warm.
We road the waves and had a snack as we sat in our chairs and watched the waves crash onto the shore.
Two hours later, we went to the hotel resort and enjoyed the pools. The hot tub wasn’t that hot. It was cold. Mom texted the hotel and they said they would get maintenance to fix it.
After the pools, my parents and I went to Golden Corral for dinner. That place is delicious. Very tempting to eat everything.
After dinner we took a walk on the board walk to see the different hotels. Then dad and I rode the Sky Wheel which is similar to the London Eye only this one is smaller. Only one hundred and eighty seven feet tall. Great view of Myrtle Beach. It goes around multiple times before it lets you get off.
We went and did some shopping at the a small shop near the wheel and at a bigger store called the Gay Dolphin.
I got postcards for my friends and myself in every state I stayed in.
But in Myrtle Beach I got my brother an engraved wooden pocket knife that had had and on it. Got myself a small license plate that had my name on it and an owl key chain too.
To end a great evening, we had ice cream at Mad Myrtle’s. I always get chocolate and vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. It’s hard to resist.
Wednesday Sept 21
It was our last full day at Myrtle Beach.
We slept in a little bit past ten. At one in the afternoon we went back to the beach and enjoyed the waves.
The second time we went in the ocean again, there was this HUGE, TALL wave that knocked all three of us under water. It was a tad scary because we weren’t expecting anything that big.
We had fun, and went back to the hotel resort. The hot tub was fixed. Oh man it felt so relaxing.
After dinner that evening, we went to Captain Hook Mini Golf place. Very fun and creative.
We finished our last day with ice cream from Dairy Queen. I had my first m&m blizzard. It was really yummy.
Thursday September 22
We got up early and drove to Pittsburgh, PA. Once we checked into our hotel, we went to the Longhorn Steak House for a late dinner. It was the best chicken tenders I ever had in a while.
The three of us planned what we were going to do the next day. Then we went to sleep.
Friday September 23
We didn't get up too early. We drove to Dequesne Heights where we got to see the city from a higher elevation. The view was beautiful.
Then we took the tram up to the top. and saw another awesome view of the city.
Afterwards, Mom and I walked in the park and saw a big fountain and lots of ducks in the water.
We drove around to the to the other side of the park and took a quick picture of Mr. Rogers statue. That was pretty cool. I grew up watching him on TV.
Later that evening, we went to PNC Baseball Stadium to watch the Pirates play against the Cubs.
We had great seats. Section 8 Row H. What a spectactular view of the field and of all the players on both teams.
I was cheering for the Chicago Cubs because as a Dodgers Fan, I can't cheer for the Pirates. The Cubs won. But it was a fun game and a great experience.
After the game, we drove to see the city at night back at Dequesne Heights. You can still see the lights on in the baseball stadium which is pretty cool. The lights were also on in the Steelers Football Stadium which was weird because they weren't playing at home.
It was a great day.
Saturday September 24th
On our way home, we went to see the Flight 93 & 9/11 Memorial. Well put together. Extremely heartbreaking to replay in your mind.
Afterwards we stopped at Denny's for lunch then we went to Walmart. Since we don't have a walmart in New York City. To end a great vacation, we had Chinese for our late dinner.
It was a great trip. My favorite city was tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I like how easy it is to get around without feeling lost. And it was clean and friendly. I liked Cleveland's RTA transit system too.