Markels Making Magical Memories–Day Two

Bowling Green, KY to Alexandria, VA—716.4 miles. KY, WV, MD, VA

The second day of our trip was also the second-longest drive we would have on our vacation, as we made our way through four states, and way too much of the Appalachian Mountains. But first, brunch at Tudor’s Biscuit World. We decided that we would try as many regional places as we could while we were out of town, whether that meant chains that aren’t local to us or truly one-of-a-kind regional specialties.

Another local favorite, the pepperoni roll, was found at a gas station of all places. Normally I turn up my nose at gas station food (except the Wawa…stay tuned!), but I made an exception. It tasted kind of like the Stromboli I make!

Did I mention the mountains? On a good day, I’m nervous driving through higher elevations (I think we topped out around 3,000 feet), but our brakes started making a horrendous noise when we were going downhill, making it the second time we’ve driven through the mountains only to discover our rotors weren’t in the best of shape. It made enjoying the view and crossing the Eastern Continental Divide a bit challenging, but even I had to admit it was pretty!

We finally made it to our hotel in Alexandria, VA, which was located pretty much in George Washington’s backyard. No…seriously. It was adjacent to Fort Belvoir and Mount Vernon, and if I had to guess, the original estate probably included the land the hotel was built on. Our room had a ton of floor space, which is something I’m always grateful for when we’re trying to cram seven people in a space meant for…fewer than that!

Up next: A day exploring Washington D.C.!

Markel Family Summer Vacation–Days Six and Seven

Our last two days of vacation involved a lot of driving. We left (not at all) bright and (very) early on day six to start our journey back to Bowling Green. We stopped at Waffle House for breakfast along the way (a first for me), and it was just as delicious as Ryan had promised.

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We drove through Asheville, NC and more mountains, which were beautiful and terrifying, and then drove through Tennessee and Kentucky to get back to Ryan’s parents’ house.

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Once we got there, we worked on washing everything we could, and steaming the rest, to make sure we didn’t bring any hitchhikers back from our hotel with us. It was an exhausting way to end a long day of driving for sure!

On day seven, we all went to Ryan’s parent’s church. The children loved having a chance to see Grandma play the organ!

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After church, we packed up the car one more time and hit the road AGAIN. Fortunately, the drive from Bowling Green to St. Louis isn’t too long, and we only stopped twice along the way…once to fill up the gas tank, and once for lunch at McDonald’s.

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It was an amazing vacation, and we had an awesome time, and made tons of memories, but it was very good to see our house again!