Driving Cross Country (Day 3)

Driving cross country from Lakewood, CO, to Mechanicsburg, PA


DAY 3 – Monday, Sept. 24

Effingham, IL to Mechanicsburg, PA

One word described the day: Hard rain.

We were lashed by Hurricane Florence and it wasn’t pretty. And the winding highways, with no breakdown lanes and often concrete barriers on both sides (or construction) seemed to be covered with trucks. Huge trucks. But we only had to travel 10 hours and had no kitty accidents. Fortunately, despite the challenging weather, we ran into minimal delays and made it to Grandma’s in Mechanicsburg, PA (outside Harrisburg) by 10:45 PM.

Welcome to Ohio
Columbus

Welcome to West Virginia
Wheeling, W. Va.
Lunch at Panera
Welcome to Pennsylvania
Dark and rainy
More dark and rainy

Almost there! Treating ourselves at Ruby Tuesdays with Lexie’s favorite maple glazed salmon. She is such an awesome traveler!

1,660 miles. We are here!

Homeless now

We are now officially homeless, and calling Grandma’s house home for the next three months as we make our forays to Europe and then Vermont. The cats will be calling Rebersburg home for the first five weeks as they are cared for by Lisa’s sister Julie and niece Catherine, while bro-in-law Mark enjoys the furry companionship.

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, Part 6: Driving Cross-Country, Episode 2

Driving Cross-Country (Episode 2)

ELLIE SMOIT

(Later that day)

Maybe I spoke too soon. And maybe I shouldn’t have mocked Noxy about having an accident in his cage.
Because hours and hours and hours later, I just couldn’t hold it anymore. And with a long, pitiful, humiliated groan, I let loose.

O-o-o-o-h.

There’s nothing worse than sitting in your own pee. For more than an HOUR.

Because the first gas station bathroom we visited to clean me up had a broken bathroom door. And the second one wouldn’t let cats in. And the first pet-friendly hotel was too disgusting to check in to. And the second was an hour and a half away.

She dried me off ni the litter box

And once we got there, I had to endure the worst experience in life: a BATH. As soon as I could, I leaped from the bathtub, soaking wet, right into the litter box, where I proceeded to cover myself with cat litter that stuck to my wet fur. Then I shook it all off, spraying Mommy and Grammy with a sweet combination of water, wet litter and pee. I showed them!

Then Mommy took a shower.
And Grammy and PopPop (Lisa and Bob) had to go wash every blanket in the car (which were under the cage) AND the seat cover. Because my pee dripped down onto my brother’s cage underneath me – PopPop had us stacked double-decker and strapped into the car. But PopPop said that seat cover was amazing. It did a great job of protecting the actual seat of our new truck.
So I was half wet and miserable, but my mommy was there, and I cuddled her. And I head-butted her a lot. And I slept next to her.
And I made sure I used the litter box before I got into the car the next morning.

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.


I can clean MYSELF, thank you very much


Driving Cross Country (Day 2)

Driving cross country from Lakewood, CO, to Mechanicsburg, PA

DAY 2 – Sunday, Sept. 23

Burlington, CO – to Effingham, IL

Sun in our eyes

Blogging on the road

Awesome moon shot
Cleaning Ellie after her accident
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