8/30/13 - 20 Years and Counting...

Twenty years ago on this very date, September 18th, I married my best friend and "Love of a Lifetime" at a beautiful ceremony at the PA Grand Canyon.  I thank God each and every day that HE placed Bob in my life!

Back then, we were incredibly blessed to have honeymooned in Hawaii.  What an amazing dream come true for each of us!  Unfortunately as life happens, vacations sometimes take a backseat.  It's hard to imagine where the past 20 years have gone but looking back and considering the many medical obstacles we've gone through/overcome, it's no wonder that vacations weren't a priority.

About 3 years ago, Bob mentioned to me that he wanted to plan an "out west" trip for our 20th.  I appeased him (as any good wife would do) and said that if he'd make it happen, I'd go wherever he wanted to go - NEVER really thinking we'd actually go through with it!

When the time rolled around last September for us to actually meet with the travel agent and book the trip I have to admit, I was pretty shocked that Bob's "dream vacay out west" was on the verge of being realized! 

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Fast forward to 8/30/13 -  8:00 a.m. departure out of Harrisburg International Airport (HIA), connecting through Chicago, IL to our final destination Rapid City, SD.

Over the course of our 15 day vacay we've jotted down notes and highlights and hope to share some of those memories here.  Today we start an adventure that will take us over 5000 miles, through at least 15 states (counting our flights) and encompass a 15 day vacation that has been a dream in the making for over 3 years!

2:30 a.m. - Let me just say, it should be illegal to get up at this hour in the morning! Even though you'd think we'd have plenty of time to finalize packing and get the car loaded, we scurried around trying to make sure we I didn't forget anything...

• bags packed - check
• personals packed - check
• meds packed - check
• wheelchair in the trunk - check
• dog/house sitter in place - check
• car packed - check
• ON THE ROAD at 4:15 a.m. - check

Approximately 5 miles into the trip, something popped into my mind that we I forgot to grab!  Back to the house we went for the grab and go-all-important medication that I knew I'd need for the trip!

Finally, we arrived safe and sound for an early check-in at HIA! Upon arrival at the airport, Bob realized that he left home without our ca$h!  Thankfully, there was a MAC machine in the airport...saved the day!

As we approached the check-in counter, I prayed all the way that my bag (a.k.a. "the volkeswagon") would NOT be over the weight limit of 50 lbs.  My bag barely squeaked through weighing in at 50.3 lbs!!  Thankfully, we didn't have to pay the $100 over-size bag fee!!

We had an easy flight into O'Hara but practically had to run/wheel through the airport dodging people and luggage all the way across what felt like the entire airport!  We finally reached the gate and had to walk/wheel out onto the tarmac to catch our connecting flight to Rapid City (yeah, unfortunately, it was one of those puddle jumper-type planes)!

We arrived in Rapid City, SD and settled into our hotel room then decided to head out and check out the town.  As we were cruising around (I was cruising in my wheelchair - Bob was pushing me), we decided to grab a bite to eat a a local eatery, The Firehouse Brewery, in the outdoor seating BUT thankfully under the roof part of the seating area.

Part way through our meal, the sky opened up and DUMPED on the city and surrounding area!  The storm threw down some serious hail AND a tornado even passed through nearby!  We ended up staying at the restaurant for about an hour after we finished our meal because the weather was so horrible.  We shared "cover" with some wonderful folks, Paul and Rowena, who were in the states on holiday from Scotland. 

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Sitting with our new friends chatting in complete amazement while watching the hail bounce off the roof of the building across the street - what a joyful way to begin our memory making journey!

NEXT POST: 8/31/13 - Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore