The link to our Shutterfly album:
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
EPILOGUE - The Days After
Well, it's been 10 days after returning home that I'm writing this. Lots of reflecting (and cleaning!) since then. Where do I begin summarizing it all? I guess I'll continue where I left off.We came into our home after midnight after having driven all day from Ohio. We took just a few steps inside and were overwhelmed by the smell. A strong distinct urine odor. Definitely not the way we had left it. The culprit was there in the living room eyeing us all suspiciously. After the initial shock wore off, Lila was very happy to see all of us. It was obvious how she had felt about us leaving her. Even though she had Erin here feeding and petting her almost every day, I'm sure she felt abandoned. Being gone for six weeks is a long time, especially for a cat who thrives on attention from her main owner (me).
We brought in our suitcases and the cooler and left the rest of the things in the van for the next day. We were too exhausted to do anything more. We unpacked the essentials and checked out the rest of the house. Ali's ferret, Mido, and our hamster, Honey, were both well. We took them out of their cages and checked them over. They didn't seem to be any worse for the wear. Erin took good care of them.
We decided to face the messes the next day. We all were happy to get to sleep in our own beds again. I had put new sheets on our bed the day before we left and had the boys do the same, so we'd have clean sheets to come home to. Unfortunately, Cameron's comforter was a mess since Lila claimed the bed to be hers while we were away. He slept without it for the night. I think we were all asleep just minutes after our heads hit our pillows.
We slept in that next morning, but then the cleaning frenzy began. Coming downstairs and getting another whiff of the dried puddles that Lila left for us was overpowering. We discovered the odor on living room chairs and pillows as well as the futon and pillows in the basement. So, every cushion and pillow that could be washed was. The futon and matching pillows had a removable cover so off they came to get washed. One living room chair has a foam seat and pillow with fabric covers that zip off. While we were able to wash the covers, the foam interiors could not. Off I went to JoAnn Fabrics to buy a thick piece of foam and batting to cover it all to make new ones. I used a serrated knife to cut exact pieces to match the old ones. The leather chair was sprayed down and aired out. After the carpets and rugs were thoroughly vaccumed, I used our carpet cleaner to clean the major rooms in the house. Lila had hairballs and had vomitted the first couple of weeks we were gone. Poor thing; she must have really been devastated. It was finally starting to smell like our home again.
In the midst of all of this, we needed to stop and see what we could make to eat. Ed discovered that the pot of coffee that he made the morning that we left still had the coffee filter in it and it was molded. Eww. We soaked the filter holder in bleach and used our Keurig in the meanwhile. I then opened up our food pantry and found little moths flying all around. That was a nice surprise. I guess they found an open Ziploc that had been storing nuts I use for cooking to make a nest in. It was filled with moth worms. It just keeps getting better. Just about everything came out of that pantry and tossed out if it looked suspicious. I even found the larvae in a package of paper napkins! Really?
Next was the refrigerator. Not too many surprises in there; thank goodness. The potato salad and some cheese were tossed out, but it just needed a thorough cleaning before getting filled up again. Ed cleaned all the shelves and drawers so it would be ready when I returned from the grocery store. We ate cereal that we had brought with us to tide us over.
The van and camper were emptied out. Ali and I went and had the van washed and then we vaccumed it. I'm glad that I had tried keeping up with it during the the trip so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. We then went to the grocery store to stock up on our normal supplies. While we were gone, Ed worked on trimming and hedging the yard. Later, he and the boys cleaned the entire deck and hottub. The outside areas were filthy from such a rainy summer.
The plants in our kitchen bay window needed desperate attention. The aloe plant was so large it had to be repotted. I spent at least an hour replanting, feeding, and watering all of them and cleaning the messes I made from doing so.
All of the cleaning and reupholstering that I just mentioned was done the first two days after returning. I think we did 9 loads of laundry, but lost count along the way. We also sorted through the mail- most of it junk, unpacked the rest of our suitcases, dusted, and made meals. Since then we have slowly tried getting back into a routine. Cameron started Band Camp the day after we got back and has attended every day this past week from 1:00-9:00pm.
We've also encountered another problem: more bugs. While there were a few cockroaches to deal with, it wasn't anything that we would not normally see in a typical summer here in the south. But, we've had an ant invasion. They're little black ants that don't bite. There were a steady stream of them marching along the backsplash on the edge of one countertop two days ago and another army in another section of the kitchen tonight. Out came the Raid can. Ali also discovered them attacking Mido's food bag stored in her bedroom. We have a friendly bug man who comes once a month whom we need to call to see if he can make an earlier-than-normal visit this week. I have a feeling that all the rain we've had have forced them to find shelter indoors.
With all of the camper woes and messes needing to be cleaned, I'm still very happy that we went on this summer road trip across the country. There may have been some things we would have done differently if we had the hindsight, but overall I believe that it went quite well. Our main objective was to see our vast country, visiting national parks, amusement parks, roadside attractions, as well as family and friends. Each one of us got to do and or see something of our own choosing. There were unexpected sights that surprised us and others that didn't live up to the expectation. Seeing the country this way has given us a new appreciation for what an amazing and diverse country we live in. It fulfilled a dream on Ed's and my bucket lists; we found a way to make it happen. All of the planning and preparation paid off. I don't know how many families of 5 could have handled traipsing across the country in a 12 foot pop-up camper with no running water or restrooms inside. We handled the hardships; our adaptability was tested. Many things needed to be shared, our belongings and our space. Because of this I think our family unit became even stronger. We relied on each other for most of the day-to-day necessities. And, without our busy home routines we found more time to communicate with each other more thoroughly. Ed and I also hope that we've instilled a deeper love of travel in our kids. We both have adventurous natures, wanting to see what's on the other side. (As I write this, Ed is on a short motorcycle trip to North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains with some riding buddies.)
But, I am also thankful that we had technology to rely on, especially our GPS, even if we didn't follow where she told us to go each time. She got us to where we needed to go hundreds of times. Purchasing a HotSpot for the trip worked out well, too. Although we couldn't always get a signal, it sure came in handy in many places. The kids and I all had our laptops with us, so Ali and I could write our journals, the kids could watch movies and play games, we could look up more information about our travel destinations, find out about the weather, and keep in touch with friends back home. We did not miss our TV. With the exception of a short amount of time in Olympia, we didn't watch television for most of the 6 weeks we were gone.
For now, the camper is parked on the side of our house. Ed and I have not decided for sure what is to come of it. We will probably bring it back to where we had it originally serviced to see how they can help repair it, since they were the ones who should have replaced the crank mechanism at the same time they replaced our cables, according to the repair shop in Billings. Once we know more we will decide if it's worth repairing or just try to sell it As Is. We can be grateful that it was a good Home Away from Home for a large portion of the trip. I don't want the issues we had with it to cloud all of the good memories we made. I am working on creating a Photo Book so we can continue to fondly look back at the places we traveled and our time together to keep these memories alive.
And, here are some of our numbers:
Days spent on trip: 42
States traveled through: 24
National Parks: 11
Total miles traveled: 8968
Total driving hours: 178 hours
Cheapest gas price: $3.24 in Louisianna
Most expensive gas price: $4.19 in Oregon
Trips to a gas station: 39
Total cost of gas: $1873
Total cost of lodging (campgrounds and hotels): $1447
Total cost of food (groceries and restaurants): $1971
Memories made: unlimited, lifelong, and priceless
*Didn't include entertainment costs or van/camper repairs, both big expenses.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Day 42- Our Final Day
Day 42
We all ended up sleeping pretty well in our budget hotel room. The air was a little too chilly for me, but I was not about to complain. I know that I take the a/c we have in our home and our car too much for granted.
As usual, Ed was up long before the rest of us. No surprise since he spent most of the day before just hanging out in the room. He took a shower and got himself some coffee until I got up. Once I was ready for the day we let the kids sleep in, as we have before, and headed to the registration building that had the "deluxe continental breakfast" they served. I can't compare it to the breakfast buffet that the last hotel we stayed in, but at least they had the typical carbs (cereal, bagels, pastries, muffins), coffee, and juice. For a no-frills hotel, we were pleased with this offering. The kids came and joined us by 9:40; they knew that this was their only breakfast option (we were not stopping elsewhere) and it was over by 10:00.
After we ate, we went back to the room and got packed up. This is when I discovered that the extra money we spent on getting a fridge for the room was not really worth it. Sometime during the night, it stopped working. At least most of the food inside wouldn't have gone bad. It was mostly to have our drinks cold. I didn't want to take the time to go complain about it, which is not usually what I would do. I think I was just worn out from the past couple of days; it was just easier to let it go. I went downstairs to the ice machine and got all of our drinking cups filled. We each had one with masking tape labeled with our names so we could reuse the same ones each time. No reason to continually wash out cups that just had water and/or ice in them.
Ian and Ed went out to the parking lot and got the camper hooked back up to the van, and then we started loading back up. We drove out of the lot at 10:50 without having a clear plan as to our next stop. This was a first for our entire summer trip. Ed continued insisting that he could drive us all the way home. Ali and I said that this could not happen. Not that he couldn't actually drive that far, but that he couldn't do it without complaining and making everyone unhappy because of being tired or stressed. He swore that this would not be the case.
We conceded and said that we would just wait and see how far we could get. I had my handy AAA guides with me, so that if we needed to find a place along the way to stay, I could easily look them up and make the call as we drove. I put Home as our destination in the GPS. The ETA showed that we arrive at 9:45- about an 11 hour drive. The GPS had us traveling south on country roads through small towns and cornfields. After driving on this trajectory for about 15 miles, Ed insisted that I pull out the map to see where the major freeway was. I found that in order to get to I-75 we would have to travel west one Hwy. 224 from Attica to Findlay. From what I could tell by looking at the atlas, it was about a 30 mile drive, but having never driven that road before, one could only guess the actual distance and time it would take. Ed was willing to take the chance in order to connect with the freeway much further north than the GPS would have us doing. Once we began on this new route our GPS was not happy. She continued to try to get us to take a U-turn and go back. We had traveled more than 3/4 of the way to Findlay before she gave up. She configured the new route, but still did not indicate getting onto 75. The new time of arrival: 11:20. Great; we just lost an hour and a half by going the "fast way home taking the freeway." You think a lesson would have been learned by now: Follow the GPS! Apparently not. So, once we found the town of Findlay we were sure we'd find the freeway signs, since the map clearly shows it being right beside 75. I needed a magnifying glass to be sure though.
We stopped for gas at the Kroger in town, hoping that we could make it much closer to home before we had to fill up again. Instead of asking the attendant where the freeway entrance was, Ed hopped back in the van saying that he could find it. You know where this is going. We drove through and around the town looking for signs where there were none. The GPS was of no help. She wanted us to go to another highway. It may have led to 75, but we didn't want to take any more chances. We saw some views of liquor stores, smoke shops, and run down homes - not really what we wanted to be viewing today, or ever. I asked Ed to stop at the smoke shop to ask directions. He wasn't happy about having to stop, but he did, and was told that Main Street was just a few blocks further west and we would see signs there for getting to 75. We did just that and there was a big sigh of relief from us all when we finally entered the freeway 10 minutes later. Ali and I just looked at each other, since Ed's earlier promise already been broken and we were still in Ohio. I held onto my AAA book and hoped for the best.
I hadn't seen Ed drive this with the trailer during our entire trip. I think he was secretly wishing that it would magically vanish if he pretended that it wasn't there. I know that he was trying to make up for lost time and remarkably our incredible Honda Odyssey has pulled the camper with ease for most of our trip. We enjoyed the landscapes as we traveled south into Kentucky. Through every major town/city we passed, I read aloud the interesting information that the guide book had written about it.
We didn't stop to eat along the way; we were surprisingly not hungry. We just snacked on nuts and chips. We stopped at a couple of rest stops, but not anything else until we needed gas again in Lexington.
Ed was not seeming to be tired and ready to prove that he could make it the distance, even though we were passing through rain which is always more difficult to drive in. But we kept on heading south; the kids either watching movies or reading. I have to say how impressed I've been about what good travelers they've been. There have been the occassional teasing episodes and loud banter between them, but nothing major. As it got closer to sunset, I continued looking at the map and planning where we could stay. There were several places in Kentucky and Tennessee that looked appealing. Before we could think about stopping for good we realized that we needed to stop somewhere for dinner. Snacks and/or fast food would not do. I found a few good reviews for some restaurants in towns that were up ahead. I read the descriptions and they all sounded good to us. I think we were hungry. I chose the Shiloh Roadhouse in the town of London, Kentucky, just north of the Tennessee border.
We all ended up sleeping pretty well in our budget hotel room. The air was a little too chilly for me, but I was not about to complain. I know that I take the a/c we have in our home and our car too much for granted.
As usual, Ed was up long before the rest of us. No surprise since he spent most of the day before just hanging out in the room. He took a shower and got himself some coffee until I got up. Once I was ready for the day we let the kids sleep in, as we have before, and headed to the registration building that had the "deluxe continental breakfast" they served. I can't compare it to the breakfast buffet that the last hotel we stayed in, but at least they had the typical carbs (cereal, bagels, pastries, muffins), coffee, and juice. For a no-frills hotel, we were pleased with this offering. The kids came and joined us by 9:40; they knew that this was their only breakfast option (we were not stopping elsewhere) and it was over by 10:00.
After we ate, we went back to the room and got packed up. This is when I discovered that the extra money we spent on getting a fridge for the room was not really worth it. Sometime during the night, it stopped working. At least most of the food inside wouldn't have gone bad. It was mostly to have our drinks cold. I didn't want to take the time to go complain about it, which is not usually what I would do. I think I was just worn out from the past couple of days; it was just easier to let it go. I went downstairs to the ice machine and got all of our drinking cups filled. We each had one with masking tape labeled with our names so we could reuse the same ones each time. No reason to continually wash out cups that just had water and/or ice in them.
Ian and Ed went out to the parking lot and got the camper hooked back up to the van, and then we started loading back up. We drove out of the lot at 10:50 without having a clear plan as to our next stop. This was a first for our entire summer trip. Ed continued insisting that he could drive us all the way home. Ali and I said that this could not happen. Not that he couldn't actually drive that far, but that he couldn't do it without complaining and making everyone unhappy because of being tired or stressed. He swore that this would not be the case.
We conceded and said that we would just wait and see how far we could get. I had my handy AAA guides with me, so that if we needed to find a place along the way to stay, I could easily look them up and make the call as we drove. I put Home as our destination in the GPS. The ETA showed that we arrive at 9:45- about an 11 hour drive. The GPS had us traveling south on country roads through small towns and cornfields. After driving on this trajectory for about 15 miles, Ed insisted that I pull out the map to see where the major freeway was. I found that in order to get to I-75 we would have to travel west one Hwy. 224 from Attica to Findlay. From what I could tell by looking at the atlas, it was about a 30 mile drive, but having never driven that road before, one could only guess the actual distance and time it would take. Ed was willing to take the chance in order to connect with the freeway much further north than the GPS would have us doing. Once we began on this new route our GPS was not happy. She continued to try to get us to take a U-turn and go back. We had traveled more than 3/4 of the way to Findlay before she gave up. She configured the new route, but still did not indicate getting onto 75. The new time of arrival: 11:20. Great; we just lost an hour and a half by going the "fast way home taking the freeway." You think a lesson would have been learned by now: Follow the GPS! Apparently not. So, once we found the town of Findlay we were sure we'd find the freeway signs, since the map clearly shows it being right beside 75. I needed a magnifying glass to be sure though.
We stopped for gas at the Kroger in town, hoping that we could make it much closer to home before we had to fill up again. Instead of asking the attendant where the freeway entrance was, Ed hopped back in the van saying that he could find it. You know where this is going. We drove through and around the town looking for signs where there were none. The GPS was of no help. She wanted us to go to another highway. It may have led to 75, but we didn't want to take any more chances. We saw some views of liquor stores, smoke shops, and run down homes - not really what we wanted to be viewing today, or ever. I asked Ed to stop at the smoke shop to ask directions. He wasn't happy about having to stop, but he did, and was told that Main Street was just a few blocks further west and we would see signs there for getting to 75. We did just that and there was a big sigh of relief from us all when we finally entered the freeway 10 minutes later. Ali and I just looked at each other, since Ed's earlier promise already been broken and we were still in Ohio. I held onto my AAA book and hoped for the best.
We didn't stop to eat along the way; we were surprisingly not hungry. We just snacked on nuts and chips. We stopped at a couple of rest stops, but not anything else until we needed gas again in Lexington.
We were so glad that we stopped there. The menu had something on it for everyone and all of our meals were delicious. I don't think it was just because we were hungry either. We even decided to splurge and get a brownie sundae to share for dessert. It didn't take long to finish. Ed had coffee for his dessert. We were off the road for about 45 minutes, so now the GPS showed we would be home just after midnight. With Ed's new caffeine buzz he was determined to make it home. I don't think he wanted to spend another dime on a hotel room or sleep on another mattress that wasn't our own.
With the exception of having to stop one more time for gas in TN, the rest of the ride was uneventful. It was dark and occassionally rainy and the kids were all quiet, keeping themselves occupied. Ed didn't complain, even when we ran into some traffic, which thankfully didn't last for much more than a mile. We cheered when we passed the sign reading Welcome- We're Glad Georgia's On Your Mind. We knew that we only had an hour and a half until home. We were actually going to make it from northern Ohio to Kennesaw in one day in what could have been less than 11 hours, but actually ended up being 13. We got off the freeway at the stroke of midnight and 10 minutes later we had pulled into our driveway- exhausted, but safe and sound. Home Sweet Home. An amazing cross country adventure completed- 24 states in 42 days.
An Epilogue is to follow once I know approximate mileage traveled, travel costs, as well as information about what we found when we opened the doors to our home after being gone for 6 weeks. I'll also include the fate of our disobedient camper.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Days 40 and 41
Day 40 - July 15 Another attempt to get to Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
Ed and I got up earlier than the kids - no surprise; they are always up the latest. We headed down to the breakfast bar and were pleasantly surprised by all of the choices. After we ate our breakfast and had our coffee, I started gathering up bowls of cereal, some yogurt, a bagel with cream cheese, a Belgian waffle, bananas, and cups of juice to bring up to our room for the kids to have after they awoke. An attendant who was refilling some of the foods offered me a tray. I thanked her and in a slightly louder voice explained that my kids would be hopefully appreciating my efforts. I didn't want anyone who saw me hoarding all of the food to think I was planning on eating it all myself. Ha!
Ed and I brought it all up to our room and then went out to the parking lot to hook the trailer back up to the van so he could bring it in to be checked out. I went back in and took a shower, got my suitcase in order, and loaded up our cups and containers for the cooler. Just as I was finishing up, Ed returned with disturbing news.
The RV repair shop less than a mile away, which was the reason why we chose this location to begin with, had a Viking pop-up camper identical to ours in the front of their lot. Ed thought this was a good sign. The mechanic/owner took one look at ours and said that he only repairs the ones that he has sold. This is not what their website advertised, but Ed had no proof of this, so there was nothing left to do. So, I guess he CAN repair it, but he just doesn't want to? Frustrating! He then fished around for a business card of someone else in the area whom he felt might be able to repair it. That sounded hopeful, but once Ed got back in the van to enter the address in the GPS and then call, he looked more closely to discover that they were located in Michigan. Seems like it was just a tactic to get rid of us. As Ed headed back to the hotel he couldn't believe all of the porn shops and other businesses dealing with that industry that he passed. We had driven into Toledo from the other direction, so we had thankfully missed those sights! This is one place that we will surely not return to.
As Ed returned to the hotel parking lot, a couple of housekeeping employees were outside taking a break. Ed jokingly (but maybe not) asked them if they wanted a broken camper. One of them said that she and her husband always wanted one. He told her that she could have it for $500. OMG! When he came into the room to tell me about the repair shop runaround and the offer he had waiting outside, I was absolutely stunned. Did he really think that I would be thrilled with the deal he was making? While I was not happy with the camper troubles, I was not willing to give it away either. After making my point very clear for the next few minutes, Ed changed his mind to see it my way. Smart!
We would still be able to raise the camper up and sleep in it until we could find a better repair shop to work on it.
By now it was 11:00 and check-out was noon. We knocked on the kids' room door and I called Ali's cell until we finally got them awake. One by one they made their way over to our room to eat their breakfast. Ed went out to get a quick haircut at Supercuts. He had been talking about needing a cut for the last week, so I'm glad that he found a place close to the hotel when he had been out earlier. At the stroke of 12:00 we were out the door and in the elevator, not sure what would happen when/if we got to Sandusky. We had to wonder what would happen if the canopy would no longer rise up. Or, what if it would fully get in the open position. We had to try and think positively and hope for the best.
We got onto Interstate 90 again going east without any trouble. Ed let us know that he'd rather go south and skip the rest of the trip, but he was outvoted. Using the Hotspot again, Ali located a phone number of someone who comes to Cedar Point to do repairs on their RVs. I called him to tell him of our situation. He said that he could come and check it out, but he only has standard parts that he brings with him. If we had an older or an unusual fix, he may need to order parts for it, which could take days. Instead, he recommended a shop not far from the freeway and still on the way to Cedar Point. He gave us the name and we looked up the number. They told us that we could bring it in and they could see what they could do. They gave us the exit number and their address. It was only a one hour drive from Toledo to their shop. Ed and I were happy that when we exited the freeway we only had a $5.50 toll; so much cheaper than the day before.
We easily found the RV shop and the mechanic told us that he had never worked on a camper like ours. He said that he was unfamiliar with the mechanisms used to lift and lower it and he would not be able to help us. He recommended that we not even attempt to raise it and sleep in it. Great!
We were only 10 miles away from Cedar Point so we decided to go there and see what our options were. We had to pay $20 for parking, but were told that it would be refunded when we checked-in. As we drove around the complex we were amazed at how beautiful the property was- directly on Lake Erie. Nice.
Only one person from each party is allowed in the Camper Village Registration Office, so I went in. After waiting quite some time for my turn, I explained our situation to the rep. She said that their cabins were completely booked and that there was only one room that was available (for just the first night we were staying) in their Breakers Hotel - a handicap accessible suite for $375. Yikes. We said that we'd take our RV site and hope for the best. We did get our parking fee back.
It was a back-in spot, which Ed was getting quite good at maneuvering in to. We were happy to see that the restrooms and showers were right beside us. Convenient for middle-of-the-night trips. We unhooked our van and started cranking up the pop-up. Fingers crossed. We were all happy to see that it raised all the way up without any issues. Yeah! Ali and I started unloading the van with the essentials while the boys finished up with the rest of the set up. And, here comes the next problem. When they turned on the camper's a/c, it whined and whirred quietly, and then stopped. Silent. Not even one hint of cold air came from it. This was not good. It was a high of 91, which is not too hot for us usually, but with the heat index, it felt like 102. Unbearable.
We didn't spend much time getting the beds set up. I took the comforters and blankets out and stored them in our van. After unpacking the cooler and putting the items in the fridge (at least that worked!), the kids and I headed to town to see what we could find to keep us cool. Target had a large array of fans. They had a/c units which fit in window openings, but that wouldn't work for our camper. I then found an oscillating tower fan that had a digital thermostat that showed a reading as low as 60. Sounded perfect. It was $65, but would be worth it if it kept us cool. I bought a few more grocery items for dinner and items for the rest of the trip. Cameron had spotted a bookstore in the plaza next door. He had been without a book for a few days and wanting the next book in the series he was reading. So, we went there next. They had only one copy and only in hardback, too new for paperback. I don't normally spend $20 on a fiction book, especially one involving zombies, but who am I to deprive my son of reading material for the trip home? I then ran into Aldi and bought a few grocery items that Target didn't have. Last stop was at Rally's, same company as Checker's. I really didn't want to cook in a hot camper and make it even hotter. By dinnertime, the camper would hopefully be cool enough and I would make a meal then.
When I joined Ed on our bed I blocked the air from blowing to the side of the bed he was now laying on. This would clearly not work. We had one more bed across from the kitchen area which was right beside the fan that could be pulled out and slept on. So that's what we did. I told Ed that he could sleep in that bed since he is even more sensitive to the heat than I am. We all layed on top of our sheets and "slept" quite restlessly all night. One of the times I awoke, I noticed the digital reading on the fan show 80 degrees. I'm pretty sure that was warmer than it was outside. I heard lots of tossing and turning throughout the night. I can only assume now that the digital readout is just meant to report the air temp., not actually to be used with air conditioning to cool to the desired setting. Wish I would have know this when I purchased it.
Day 41 - July 16 Cedar Point
I didn't need an alarm to get us up at 8:00. We were all easily awakened with the heat. Our plan was to be in line by 8:30 to take advantage of the 9:00 early entry for those who were staying in one of their facilities. We hadn't slept much, but we wanted to get our money's worth out of the one day tickets. Ed surprised us by saying that he would join us for part of the day. Backpacks aren't allowed on most rides, so we slathered ourselves with sunscreen and then I put a tiny sunscreen bottle in my pocket along with my cell phone and coin purse. By the time we got to the line at 8:35, the line had already formed. We went over our game plan again as to which rides we would go to first and where they were located in the park. It had a world record of 72 rides, with a total of 16 roller coasters. Amazing.
Once it was 9:00 and we got through the entry gates, we were off. Ed was amazed at how quickly we could move without much sleep and at this time. We hadn't even eaten yet. We headed to Gatekeeper, the newest roller coaster that that just opened in May and it has the highest inversion in the world. It was a fairly short wait and the ride was great! Even Ed thought so.
We didn't find out until later but a man became unconscious on that ride that same afternoon and they had to shut it down, but it turns out it was a medical condition that was unrelated to the ride. And, the very next day they had a lucky 1 millionth rider who won some special prizes. That could have been us!
Ed and I got up earlier than the kids - no surprise; they are always up the latest. We headed down to the breakfast bar and were pleasantly surprised by all of the choices. After we ate our breakfast and had our coffee, I started gathering up bowls of cereal, some yogurt, a bagel with cream cheese, a Belgian waffle, bananas, and cups of juice to bring up to our room for the kids to have after they awoke. An attendant who was refilling some of the foods offered me a tray. I thanked her and in a slightly louder voice explained that my kids would be hopefully appreciating my efforts. I didn't want anyone who saw me hoarding all of the food to think I was planning on eating it all myself. Ha!
Ed and I brought it all up to our room and then went out to the parking lot to hook the trailer back up to the van so he could bring it in to be checked out. I went back in and took a shower, got my suitcase in order, and loaded up our cups and containers for the cooler. Just as I was finishing up, Ed returned with disturbing news.
The RV repair shop less than a mile away, which was the reason why we chose this location to begin with, had a Viking pop-up camper identical to ours in the front of their lot. Ed thought this was a good sign. The mechanic/owner took one look at ours and said that he only repairs the ones that he has sold. This is not what their website advertised, but Ed had no proof of this, so there was nothing left to do. So, I guess he CAN repair it, but he just doesn't want to? Frustrating! He then fished around for a business card of someone else in the area whom he felt might be able to repair it. That sounded hopeful, but once Ed got back in the van to enter the address in the GPS and then call, he looked more closely to discover that they were located in Michigan. Seems like it was just a tactic to get rid of us. As Ed headed back to the hotel he couldn't believe all of the porn shops and other businesses dealing with that industry that he passed. We had driven into Toledo from the other direction, so we had thankfully missed those sights! This is one place that we will surely not return to.
As Ed returned to the hotel parking lot, a couple of housekeeping employees were outside taking a break. Ed jokingly (but maybe not) asked them if they wanted a broken camper. One of them said that she and her husband always wanted one. He told her that she could have it for $500. OMG! When he came into the room to tell me about the repair shop runaround and the offer he had waiting outside, I was absolutely stunned. Did he really think that I would be thrilled with the deal he was making? While I was not happy with the camper troubles, I was not willing to give it away either. After making my point very clear for the next few minutes, Ed changed his mind to see it my way. Smart!
We would still be able to raise the camper up and sleep in it until we could find a better repair shop to work on it.
By now it was 11:00 and check-out was noon. We knocked on the kids' room door and I called Ali's cell until we finally got them awake. One by one they made their way over to our room to eat their breakfast. Ed went out to get a quick haircut at Supercuts. He had been talking about needing a cut for the last week, so I'm glad that he found a place close to the hotel when he had been out earlier. At the stroke of 12:00 we were out the door and in the elevator, not sure what would happen when/if we got to Sandusky. We had to wonder what would happen if the canopy would no longer rise up. Or, what if it would fully get in the open position. We had to try and think positively and hope for the best.
We got onto Interstate 90 again going east without any trouble. Ed let us know that he'd rather go south and skip the rest of the trip, but he was outvoted. Using the Hotspot again, Ali located a phone number of someone who comes to Cedar Point to do repairs on their RVs. I called him to tell him of our situation. He said that he could come and check it out, but he only has standard parts that he brings with him. If we had an older or an unusual fix, he may need to order parts for it, which could take days. Instead, he recommended a shop not far from the freeway and still on the way to Cedar Point. He gave us the name and we looked up the number. They told us that we could bring it in and they could see what they could do. They gave us the exit number and their address. It was only a one hour drive from Toledo to their shop. Ed and I were happy that when we exited the freeway we only had a $5.50 toll; so much cheaper than the day before.
We easily found the RV shop and the mechanic told us that he had never worked on a camper like ours. He said that he was unfamiliar with the mechanisms used to lift and lower it and he would not be able to help us. He recommended that we not even attempt to raise it and sleep in it. Great!
We were only 10 miles away from Cedar Point so we decided to go there and see what our options were. We had to pay $20 for parking, but were told that it would be refunded when we checked-in. As we drove around the complex we were amazed at how beautiful the property was- directly on Lake Erie. Nice.
It was a back-in spot, which Ed was getting quite good at maneuvering in to. We were happy to see that the restrooms and showers were right beside us. Convenient for middle-of-the-night trips. We unhooked our van and started cranking up the pop-up. Fingers crossed. We were all happy to see that it raised all the way up without any issues. Yeah! Ali and I started unloading the van with the essentials while the boys finished up with the rest of the set up. And, here comes the next problem. When they turned on the camper's a/c, it whined and whirred quietly, and then stopped. Silent. Not even one hint of cold air came from it. This was not good. It was a high of 91, which is not too hot for us usually, but with the heat index, it felt like 102. Unbearable.
We didn't spend much time getting the beds set up. I took the comforters and blankets out and stored them in our van. After unpacking the cooler and putting the items in the fridge (at least that worked!), the kids and I headed to town to see what we could find to keep us cool. Target had a large array of fans. They had a/c units which fit in window openings, but that wouldn't work for our camper. I then found an oscillating tower fan that had a digital thermostat that showed a reading as low as 60. Sounded perfect. It was $65, but would be worth it if it kept us cool. I bought a few more grocery items for dinner and items for the rest of the trip. Cameron had spotted a bookstore in the plaza next door. He had been without a book for a few days and wanting the next book in the series he was reading. So, we went there next. They had only one copy and only in hardback, too new for paperback. I don't normally spend $20 on a fiction book, especially one involving zombies, but who am I to deprive my son of reading material for the trip home? I then ran into Aldi and bought a few grocery items that Target didn't have. Last stop was at Rally's, same company as Checker's. I really didn't want to cook in a hot camper and make it even hotter. By dinnertime, the camper would hopefully be cool enough and I would make a meal then.
We got back to the campsite where Ed was hanging out in one of the campchairs looking pretty uncomfortable. We ate our sandwiches and fries, and had our ice cold drinks, while Ian started working on assembling the fan. We helped him finish and got it turned on. We set it to the lowest temperature setting and the highest fan speed. Ed and Ian headed to the pool, Cameron sat in the shade and started his new book, and Ali and I hung out outside. I kept checking on the fan. The temperature in the camper was warmer than what it was outside. Not good. The thermostat read 87 for the longest time. At this rate it would take a week to get cool. We unzipped most of the windows, screens behind the canvas. I was hoping that we might get some ventilation and help the fan do its job. By around 7:00 it was down to 85 and still warmer inside than out. We couldn't postpone dinner any longer, so we did all of the cooking outside. We decided to make spaghetti again, this time with a spaghetti sauce that we were familiar with. We boiled the noodles and heated up the sauce on the two propane burners. While they were being made, I buttered the bread and put them on a frying pan to be toasted outside, also on the burners. We even made the salads on the picnic table. The dinner turned out pretty well and most of the clean-up was a breeze. The pot and pan would have to be cleaned in the morning, since by this point it was dark. It was still 84 in the camper, so the kids and I decided to stay outside and play a board game, a newer version of Trivial Pursuit. We had to occassionally swat at and spray the bugs that were attracted to our lantern, but it wasn't a major annoyance. We had fun playing; we couldn't believe Ed was in the camper attempting to sleep the whole time that we were outside. By midnight we had no choice but to get ready for bed and hope it would cool down enough for us to sleep. The bathrooms were not air conditioned, so even getting ready was uncomfortable. I decided to sleep in a cami and encouraged the boys to just sleep in their boxers. The fan was closer to Ed's and my bed but I was hoping that they could at least feel some of the strong breeze that was blowing. Too bad it wasn't a cool breeze. When I joined Ed on our bed I blocked the air from blowing to the side of the bed he was now laying on. This would clearly not work. We had one more bed across from the kitchen area which was right beside the fan that could be pulled out and slept on. So that's what we did. I told Ed that he could sleep in that bed since he is even more sensitive to the heat than I am. We all layed on top of our sheets and "slept" quite restlessly all night. One of the times I awoke, I noticed the digital reading on the fan show 80 degrees. I'm pretty sure that was warmer than it was outside. I heard lots of tossing and turning throughout the night. I can only assume now that the digital readout is just meant to report the air temp., not actually to be used with air conditioning to cool to the desired setting. Wish I would have know this when I purchased it.
Day 41 - July 16 Cedar Point
I didn't need an alarm to get us up at 8:00. We were all easily awakened with the heat. Our plan was to be in line by 8:30 to take advantage of the 9:00 early entry for those who were staying in one of their facilities. We hadn't slept much, but we wanted to get our money's worth out of the one day tickets. Ed surprised us by saying that he would join us for part of the day. Backpacks aren't allowed on most rides, so we slathered ourselves with sunscreen and then I put a tiny sunscreen bottle in my pocket along with my cell phone and coin purse. By the time we got to the line at 8:35, the line had already formed. We went over our game plan again as to which rides we would go to first and where they were located in the park. It had a world record of 72 rides, with a total of 16 roller coasters. Amazing.
Once it was 9:00 and we got through the entry gates, we were off. Ed was amazed at how quickly we could move without much sleep and at this time. We hadn't even eaten yet. We headed to Gatekeeper, the newest roller coaster that that just opened in May and it has the highest inversion in the world. It was a fairly short wait and the ride was great! Even Ed thought so.
We didn't find out until later but a man became unconscious on that ride that same afternoon and they had to shut it down, but it turns out it was a medical condition that was unrelated to the ride. And, the very next day they had a lucky 1 millionth rider who won some special prizes. That could have been us!
As soon as we got off, we ran-walk to our next ride. Ed decided he was going to search for coffee while we continued on. This was too much activity for him without caffeine. He then decided to just hang out, both in the park and at the camp site while we rode the rides. We went on Millenium Force, Wicked Twister, Skyhawk, Power Tower, Dragster, Corkscrew, Matterhorn, . . . I no longer remember the exact order. And, since I could not bring along my camera, no photos of us were taken while we were in the park.
At 11:00, I gave the kids some money to get some food, and Ed and I got our hands stamped so we could take care of our camper. I went back to the registration office to tell them that we would have to cancel this night's stay. Even though we forfeited our payment, it didn't matter. We could not go another night without a/c. I walked back to our spot and finished helping Ed get the camper ready to be collapsed once again. I made sure that whatever items we had inside, like toiletry bags and food items that we might need the next night were put into our van. Thank goodness it did collapse to the same height it was the day before. I was hoping that it would completely close, but this was too much to hope for.
As soon as we drove out of Camper Village I was looking through the AAA Guidebook to find a cheap place to stay for the night. No reason to pay through the roof if we were going to stay late in the park and eat somewhere for dinner. I found a Budget Host Inn only a few miles away that had a room with two beds and a pull-out couch for only $70. We took it. The first room we were given was so smoky, I turned right back around and told the clerk that it wouldn't do. She said that the room directly above was also vacant that we could use. It had a slightly musty smell to it, but it was livable for one night.
There was much to be desired in the property and the room, but it had good a/c, so we were happy. I had asked for a refrigerator so we could keep our cooler items cold, but sometime during the night it stopped running. The things inside were cool-ish, but I didn't even bother complaining.
After we got the suitcases and laptops in the room, I left Ed to chill out while I went back to the park. Ali had texted me earlier saying that the money we left was hardly enough to feed them since everything was so expensive there. No food or drinks are allowed to be brought in the park either. I decided to drive through McDonald's for meals and DQ for fruit smoothies on my way back. When I got to the parking area I was hoping that I wouldn't have to pay again to enter. The Camper Village pass that I still had on my dashboard allowed me to drive back in without payment- at least one good thing.
I called Ali so that she and the boys could meet me in the van to eat, drink, and cool off. It was absolutely miserable outside. None of us had ever experienced such heat and humidity before, nowhere near the degree Florida has ever gotten to. We were dripping sweat the entire time we were outside. I tried taking a photo in the parking lot of the kids with the rides in the background. All that was captured on the screen was a blur of white from each angle I tried. I have a feeling that it was too hot and humid for my camera to work. Weird.
Every chance we got, we stopped at a concession stand and asked for glasses of ice water (free for the asking). They couldn't give out ice, since we were told that they were running out. I could imagine why. We rode a few more rides together like the Iron Dragon and Magnum XL-200 and watched a show about Broadway, but not too much long after, Ian was done with the rides. The original plan was that I would leave the park to pick up Ed so we could do some other shows and ride some final rides, but the new plan turned out to be me bringing Ian with me and letting him stay in the hotel while Ed and I returned to the park. On our way back to the hotel I drove through DQ and got a grilled turkey sandwich for Ed and Ian to share to tide them over until dinner.
We got back to the park just in time to meet Ali and Cameron for the All Wheels Extreme stunt show. The bikers and gymnasts were very talented. We then went on a hunt for a Cedar Point shirt for Ali. We went through half the park looking for the perfect one, and ended up going back to the first store we looked at to get one for both of us. Ali and Cameron had ridden 15 out of the 16 coasters and were hoping to ride them all, but the final one had an hour wait. Too bad. They'll have to save that one for a return trip in the future I guess. We left the park before the official closing time at 10:00, since we still wanted to make it out to dinner at a reasonable time.
Ali had spotted a restaurant, when we were around town the day before, that she had wanted to try called Chipotle Mexican Grill. We called and they said they were open until 10:00. We went to the hotel to get cleaned up a bit- basically a mini-sponge bath; we were filthy. Ed ended up staying in the hotel. He was okay with eating the Mexican leftovers from the night before. So, the kids and I went to the restaurant together. We each had a large burrito and a drink. Couldn't believe that they charged extra for chips or chips and salsa. Moe's and Willie's give them out with their meals back home. The burritos were pretty good at least.
When we got back to the hotel we took turns showering and I had Ed go get us some more towels. He had taken two showers throughout the day and they were not generous with supplying many for our room. He came back with pool towels - good enough for now. We did not stay up too late, although Ed would think so. We needed some time to wind down from our busy day and just chill for a while before turning out the lights. Ed had the temperature turned down pretty cold. I'm sure to make up for the lack of it the night before. I just wrapped myself in the blanket and slept well. And, I believe the kids did the same. It was a marathon day.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Day 38
Day 38- July 14 to Sandusky, Ohio
Even the best laid plans don’t always come to fruition. Ed got up and made potatoes and pancakes and then we slowly got ourselves ready and the pop-up prepared to get on the road. And, here lies the problem. One pole (there are 4- one in each corner) does not lower completely. We spent more than an hour trying to raise, lower, straighten, etc. it with no luck. Another fellow camper who has had a similar camper tried coming to our rescue, but it was stuck. I went to the KOA office to see if there was any assistance available. They had a business card for Sergeant Mike who caters to campers with RV difficulties. I called and left a message, and we waited. He called back a while later and said it would be at least 45 minutes before he would be finished with another client and could get to us, and there was no guarantee that he would have the right parts needed. We decided that we would just collapse the other 3 poles and tie down the 4th corner that was raised up about ½ a foot. A man in the RV parked beside us who was having his own issues with his truck, gave us a tie-down strap that we could use. We hoped that nothing would blow out since the canvas sides were just tucked inside. Fingers crossed and blood pressure raised for quite some time.
We kept our eyes on the rear view window; thankfully everything seemed to hold together. But, the traffic getting through Chicago was a nightmare. And, Ed’s mood got gloomier with every inch we went. It didn't help that every once in a while the camper door decided to pop open, flapping back and forth in the wind. During those moments I felt like I was in National Lampoon's Vacation, but I wasn't laughing. What else could possibly go wrong? Ed was more than ready to just head directly south, a beeline towards home. All I had to do was say the word. The kids were upset as well, since they knew that one of their favorite parts of this trip was still yet to come- Cedar Point, and they didn’t want to cancel. As we drove further east, it was decided that we stop sooner than planned so that we could find an RV repair shop closer. We used our Hotspot to access the internet and found that Toledo had both a shop and a hotel within a mile from each other. I called and made reservations and then called Cedar Point to change our reservations for one day later. They only had one camp site available for that following day which means we would have to switch to the second site by noon on the second day. Not sure how we would do this since we were going to be in the amusement park then, but we decided we'd figure it out after we got there.
We hadn’t stopped for lunch in an effort to get to Toledo earlier. This was becoming the norm. Glad that no riots ever broke out because of it. :) I made almond butter and jelly sandwiches for most of us (Ian's not a fan), which along with some snacks was enough to tide us over for quite some time. In the evening we started hunting for a place to stop and eat something more substantial. As we paid for one toll after another (more than $30 total through Illinois, Indiana, and into Ohio) we continued looking. Nothing but farm land for miles upon miles. The one and only place that we saw off the road that we originally scoffed at we finally conceded that there may not be another place to go (a Travel Center right off the toll road that housed a Burger King and Sbarros). We pulled into the lot only to discover that they asked for a parking fee for RVs and a hefty fine if one didn’t pay. Really? Do they not want our business? So, we swung back around without stopping and continued on. We never found one restaurant the rest of the way to Toledo. We paid our final toll as we exited the freeway, located and checked into the Fairfield Inn, unhooked our camper, and headed straight to a restaurant that the hotel clerk recommended a mile away – Cinco de Mayo. We had a good meal we were very hungry at this point. We chose to sit outside since the temperature was pretty comfortable. The only issue was that toward the end of the meal the bugs started coming out for their own dinner. We finished up quickly and went back to the hotel. We had to book two rooms since they didn't have any rooms that would accommodate all 5 of us. We ended being across the hall and a few doors down from each other. We decided to take advantage of the pool and jacuzzi. We were in luck that it stayed open until 11:00.
Passing by Chicago. A few other travelers that passed us by pointed at our camper to let us know that it wasn't completely collapsed. Did they really think we didn't know?
Starving after only snacking all day with no restaurants to stop at.
One of the two rooms we had to get for the night in Toledo.
Day 37
Day 37 July 13 – Through Wisconsin to Illinois
By the time we awoke, the storm had passed and the sun was out. We slowly got ourselves up and ready for the day. My family memories graciously allowed us to do a load of laundry – some of us were almost out of underwear and socks! They wanted to take us out for breakfast, so we followed them into town, but quickly realized that the place they wanted to bring us, Sparky’s, was going to be too busy. It was RiverFest weekend. We turned around and went away from the town to Perkins instead. Even though we had breakfast at the Perkins in Sioux Falls the day before, we were happy to go again since we all had enjoyed the meal there. Once again, the boys surprised me with how much food they can eat at one time. My Mediterranean omelet and breakfast potatoes were quite filling. I saved my Wildberry Mammoth Muffin for later.
We drove back to John and Hennie’s home, put the clothes in the dryer, cleaned out the van, packed the cooler and our suitcases, and visited a short while longer. Once the clothes were dried and folded, we said goodbye and off we went. Again we were so surprised how people we really don't know, or just know vaguely, were willing to open up their home (and pool) to us. It confirms my belief that most people are kind. We picked up our popup from their daughter's house and headed east some more.
The weather was sunny and clear all day and the countryside was picturesque for the remainder of Minnesota and throughout Wisconsin. Ed was happy that we had slept safe and sound (and that he had a few cups of good coffee). We saw many dairy farms and agricultural fields throughout our drive. I guess it makes sense that it’s America’s Dairyland here. We should have stopped to buy some cheese, but the GPS had us arriving in the Chicago area around 8:45pm and we didn’t want to be setting up in the dark again. I'm not sure why; we've gotten pretty good at it by now.
Ed ended up driving the entire day. He said he was well rested, enjoyed the scenery, and was pleasantly full. Thank goodness! We just stopped for gas, a couple of rest stops, and Taco Bell for a late lunch. We took it To Go so we wouldn’t lose too much time. The roads were well paved for the most part and we had a nice tailwind pushing us, so we got to the KOA in the outskirts of Chicago, IL, just as the sun set.
We still had plenty of time to get the camper set up in the daylight. I went to the camp store for butter, since the sticks we had, melted into a big puddle when we had left them in the non-cooled refrigerator while it was in the shop. Yuck! Well, at least I had had them stored in a Ziploc bag. That would have been even worse.
Ed cooked the spaghetti on the camp stove outside while I heated up the sauce and Ali prepared the toast. Ali got the carrots passed out and it all came together around the same time. But, I have to say that it was the worst spaghetti we’ve ever had. We had bought the tomato sauce at a Grocery Outlet in Olympia, not realizing that the “No Salt Added” claim meant that it was almost non-edible. Ali said it smelled and tasted like tomato soup. That was better than what I was thinking it tasted like. Our pickiest eater, Cameron, seemed to enjoy his spaghetti, as he never eats his with tomato sauce. This is one time that he benefited from his pickiness. We only ate half of our meal before tossing it and trying something else. I made some nachos and we finished the extra toast that was made. I decided that I’d better try and redeem myself, so I made S’Mores in the toaster oven. The bugs were out that night and I didn’t want to hassle with building a fire. The treats turned out delicious if I do say so myself. They were huge and I made two for each of us, and we ate every last crumb. We each needed napkins and wet wipes to clean off the residual goo.
It wasn’t long before Ed was in bed snoring and the rest of us were each on our laptops and/or reading our books. I was surprised that Ed could even sleep as the Wild West Town’s Saloon directly next door had a live rock band performing to kick off their Saturday night concert series. Lucky for us to be part of the audience, whether we wanted to be or not. We finally had peace and quiet around 12:30. The kids and I were happy to stay up a little later since we knew check-out wasn’t’ going to be until noon the next day and we were in no rush to leave in the morning. A sigh of relief for no major issues, if you don't count the spaghetti snafu.
At John and Hennie's house, near Minneapolis
A quick stop in Wisconsin.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Day 36
Day 36 July 12- to Minnesota
What a horrible night! We hadn’t realized when we were setting up, but we were very close to the airport and the interstate construction was being worked on throughout the night. And, on top of that, our camper door decided it didn’t want to stay closed in this windy weather, so apparently every few hours it would pop open. Ugh! Ed hardly slept, so he awoke angry, banging cabinet doors and slamming the camper door. Oh, boy, we were going to be in for another lovely day.
We didn’t want to stay here any longer than possible, so we got ready quickly and left long before check-out time. Perkins Restaurant was right beside the freeway entrance, so we pulled in. What a big breakfast we had - $58 for breakfast? Well, technically Ed and Ali chose lunch instead. Ed was cheerier after eating and having coffee. Thank goodness. I can’t believe how much the boys have been eating on this trip. Ian’s about to be a teenager in a month, so I guess that makes sense.
About halfway through our drive for the day, the terrain started to change. More groves of trees were spotted along with farms, barns, and silos. The weather was sunny and still windy. I called my mother’s cousin’s family who live near Minneapolis to make arrangements of when/where we would be meeting them. They have been expecting our call. Since the Mall of America is in Bloomington, south of where we were going, we decided to stop and check it out before heading to their home. Scott suggested that we might as well stay in the mall to wait out the traffic. I guess construction in many of the nearby freeways have been playing havoc with commutes, and it was also a Friday evening.
We didn’t have any problem finding a parking spot in the parking deck. We memorized our level and row, so we would be able to find it again when we left. It didn’t take long after we entered to discover the truth to the label of the “biggest shopping mall in America”. We stood along the railing of the 5th level and looked at all the levels below and to the side where the indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park was. I could see the kids’ eyes spinning as they watched the roller coasters in action and the bevy of activity in that area.
We ran out of time without exploring any more levels of the mall. We all said (even Ed, our anti-mall family member) that we’d love to spend more time here another day. We’re adding it to our list of places to come visit again. Maybe in the winter when we'd be happy to be stuck inside for days on end?
We maneuvered our way back out of the mall, tracing back the steps we took (glad we memorized the level name and number) and just as easily exited from the parking garage and into the massive construction zones around the mall and beyond. Thank goodness for our GPS. It helped us find our way onto the correct maze of interstates and highways leading north to Ramsey where my relatives live, about 40 minutes away. When we were close, I gave them a call and they met us at their daughter’s house where we could park our camper. The daughter and her husband already had plans for the evening, but they opened up their backyard swimming pool and gazebo for us to use while visiting there. The boys had a blast swimming, especially with their black lab who loved having his Frisbee thrown into the water so he could dive in and fetch it. The adults visited and got to know each other while the boys swam. What does one call their mother's cousin and their children? It was easier just saying family member than trying to figure out the exact relation. It was decided that we would spend the night in John (my mom’s cousin) and Hennie’s home, about 10 minutes away, since a storm was on the way and we could have a “real” home to sleep in for another night. We followed them there, got our suitcases and cooler brought in, prepared the kids’ beds, visited for a short time, and went to bed. We saw the lightning flash and heard the rain pour throughout the night while we slept soundly safe under their roof. It could have been rough if we had stayed in the pop-up.
cute little ground squirrel spotted at rest stop
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