Welcome to Los Angeles

It's Thursday, October 24, 2024 and as we await Todd’s surgery on Tuesday, October 29th, we figured we’d share the journey from New Jersey to Los Angeles. We were due in LA on October 14th.

We had a little over a week to prepare for what will likely be a three-month stay in the Golden State. Allowing four days of driving, we left on October 10th with a first stop in Cleveland, Ohio.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Before you grab a map and double check our route, we know Cleveland isn’t exactly the most direct route to Southern California. It was a smidge out of the way…but well worth it. Todd’s Uncle Bob, 88, his late mother’s brother, and all of his cousins, showed up to see us and show him amazing support. Thanks Uncle Bob, Bob, Anne-Marie, Joey, Lisa, Sue-Ann, Cherie, and sweet little Ava. Special thanks to Tommy and Laura for hosting and dinner. After lots of laughs and hugs, and Lisa Jones’ amazing dessert, we drove to our first hotel in Columbus, Ohio.

The OHIO Willever Family

Friday, October 11, 2024

We headed out early, driving through Cincinnati and Louisville on our way to our next stop, Little Rock, Arkansas. Again, there were shorter routes we could have taken, but Todd always wanted to see Nashville, so we decided that would be a great stop for lunch. And if it wasn’t packed, we’d have done more than just drive down Broadway. The streets looked like they were hosting a Super Bowl parade so we moved lunch in Nashville to the drive home.

Continuing along I-40, we arrived in Conway, AR, just past Little Rock and checked into our next hotel. This is exactly the point that the magnitude of our journey became clear.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Bright and early we headed out to start day 3, a 12+ hour drive to Albuquerque. Driving through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, often alongside the old Route 66, we stopped to eat at the famous Big Texan. Finally, we pulled into Albuquerque around 10:00 pm. The cumulative effect of driving long hours back to back was really starting to hit us.

Sunday, October 13. 2024

The mountains of New Mexico and Arizona were a daunting surprise. Some elevations are over 7,000 feet high. Note to self: find a flatter route home for the return trip. As the sun set and we approached LA, we traded the stress of mountains for bumper to bumper traffic. At 8:00 pm, on a Sunday night, the traffic looks like a busy rush hour with nine lanes.

Welcome to Los Angeles.