Seattle-Harvard Road Trip

 The Great Transcontinental Traverse

We drove Naomi from Seattle to Boston for her freshman year at Harvard.  Her dorm move-in is on August 25 morning, which means we leave on August 14 and spend 11 days on the road.  

These might be the easiest transcontinental trip directions ever:  Drive on Interstate 90 east for 3,064 miles (45 hours).  To make it fun, Luda found a road trip guide to I-90.  We follow it in reverse, west-to-east.  

Here are our August 2021 travels in Google Maps location history:

Here are the daily photo albums from our trip, click on each link to see the photos:

1. 2021-08-14 Road trip day 1: Packing minivan, leaving house, central WA wind turbines, Ginkgo petrified forest, Columbia River, Sprague Lake rest area, Spokane at night
   
   

2. 2021-08-15 Road trip day 2: Coeur D'Alene + Lake, Cataldo Mission, Red Light Garage, Wallace Bordello, Center of the Universe
   
   

3. 2021-08-16 Road trip day 3: Prison Museum, Auto Museum, Yesterday's Playthings, Frontier Montana, Powell County Museum, Police Memorial, Iron Horse Cafe in Three Forks, driving family, Greycliff Prairie Dog Park, Montana's luxurious rest areas, hotel view
   
   

4. 2021-08-17 Road trip day 4:  Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, The Bozeman Trail Steakhouse, South Dakota's monumental rest area, Deadwood Western-themed town, Mount Rushmore at night
   
   

5. 2021-08-18 Road trip day 5: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, Dahl's Chainsaw Art, Chapel in the Hills, Rapid City Art Alley, Firehouse restaurant, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Dignity Statue, Chamberlain sunset
   
   

6. 2021-08-19 Road trip day 6: Chamberlain SD Veterans Park, World's Only Corn Palace, City of Sioux Falls, Cathedral of St. Joseph, Devil's Gulch, Jolly Green Giant
   
   

7. 2021-08-20 Road trip day 7: Jolly Green Giant, Spam Museum, Sushi Pirate, Pearl Ice Cream, Fiberglass Mold Graveyard, Witches Gulch
   
   
   
   
   

8. 2021-08-21 Road trip day 8: Voyageur Inn, Circus World Museum show and exhibits, Pink Elephant, Michigan hospitable rest area
   
   
   
   
   

9. 2021-08-22 Road trip day 9: Indiana: Shipshewana Amish Country, Mennonite / Nazarene Church, Pokagon State Park, Ohio: palatial service plaza, Olde Avon Village, Serbian Cultural Garden and Superman's birthplace in Cleveland, Holiday Inn Express
   
   
   
   
   

10. 2021-08-23 Road trip day 10: Holiday Inn, Pennsylvania's provincial rest area, New York State's imperial rest area, Eternal Flame Trail, Iron Skillet restaurant at TA truck stop
    
    
    
    
    

11. 2021-08-24 Road trip day 11: Days Inn, Cross Island Chapel, Hudson River, Massachusetts spirited rest area, A Friendly Inn At Harvard, Mona Lisa Pizza
    
    
    
    

12. 2021-08-25 Road trip day 12: Naomi Harvard move-in, Guy and Luda stay at A Friendly Inn, evening walk around Harvard Yard
    
    
    
    

13. 2021-08-26 Road trip day 13: Harvard Yard walk: Memorial Hall, Annenberg Hall, The Plaza, Thayer Hall, John Harvard Statue, Weld Hall, Grays Hall, Old Yard, Widener Library, Memorial Church, Stoughton Hall, Holden Chapel, Harvard Hall, Holworthy Hall, Science Center, Sanders Theatre, Fitzgerald Theatre
    
    
    
    
    

National Girls Tournament of Champions

 Who's the Smartest of Them All?

Naomi took third place at the 2018 National Girls Tournament of Champions in Madison, WI on July 28-31. 

The Washington State team took second place at the 2018 team championship -- with Naomi Bashkansky at the Girls Championship, Anthony He at the Barber Championship, and Roland Feng at the Denker Championship.

Similarly, the Washington State team took second place at the 2017 team championship -- with Naomi Bashkansky at the Girls Championship, Jason Yu at the Barber Championship, and Bryce Tiglon at the Denker Championship.

Naomi played in the Tournament of Champions for two years: NationalGirlsChess.com/champions

Here are the Google Photos albums from the tournament, by date:

2018-07-28 National Girls Tournament of Champions: Opening Ceremony, Round 1

2018-07-30 NGTOC in Madison, Round 4

Naomi Bashkansky vs. Veronika Zilajeva (OK)

2018-07-31 NGTOC in Madison, Round 6, Awards

Naomi Bashkansky, Anthony He, Roland Feng