After a wonderful time with friends on Leg 3, we’re heading into Leg 4 of our six-part summer road trip—and once again, friends and family will be a big part of the journey.

This leg will take us nearly 1,000 miles, from northern Wisconsin to Rome, New York. Along the way, we’ll visit six National Park Service sites, spend time with good friends around our former hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, see newlyweds Liam and Madeline, and catch up with daughter Pam and the grandkids in Cleveland. In other words, plenty of miles—but lots of good reasons to keep driving!

We’re now 35 days into the trip and holding up remarkably well. Even better, this leg includes two extended one-week stays in the Madison area. After more than a month of living out of the car, we may actually unpack a few things instead of digging through bags like contestants on a very disorganized game show. 😂

A little extra relaxation sounds pretty wonderful, too. Thirty-five days down, many more adventures ahead—and so far, we’re still speaking to each other, still enjoying the journey, and still willing to get back in the car!