This post is simply all of Jennifer's e-mails.
Subject: We're Here
Hello Friends and Family,
Where's here, you ask? Well, that is an interesting question. We are actually in Winona, MN (Thinking of you, Nonie!) and it is a nice little town...actually, it is a big town (27,000+). It is quite pretty, located in a big, green canyon on the Mississippi River, which we haven't actually seen yet but will tomorrow.
We did have a good start to our trip and have learned some things along the way. Our first night, we stayed in West Yellowstone and it was a beautiful night. It is still getting nice and cold at night there. We went through the park the next day and saw very few animals...just some buffalo on the east side of the park. This was my first time out the east entrance and into Cody. It is really quite beautiful. From Cody to Buffalo is very pretty as well...a lot better than I expected. We saw several oil wells, only about one-third of them working...explaining the high price of gas, perhaps. (Yes, Dad, I know, you explained it to me but I like my explanation better.) We made it to Gillette, WY that night and found the motel prices to be very high and the gas prices to be low. We ended up in a motel and learned that it would have been best to check the room before agreeing to stay there. (By the way, avoid the Mustang Motel at all possible costs...it made my house look immaculate.)
After leaving Gillette, (couldn't get out of there fast enough!) we went to Devil's Tower National Monument and took the path around the base of it. It is truly spectacular. Connor walked the whole trail by himself,(1.3 miles) much to the amusement of many people walking that day. He declared himself the "leader" and we were all to follow him. It's a good thing that the trail is paved and only a one way type of thing as his sense of direction is seriously lacking. After our trek through Devil's Tower and a view of a prairie dog town, we went to Belle Fourche, SD and on in to Rapid City. We decided to find a motel and had a nice successful find. Since it was early, we decided to go on out to Mt. Rushmore to see "The Guys." If you have never visited it, you really need to get there. It is absolutely stunning. I had seen it about 25 years ago but it was Steve's first time. My friend, Kathy, is a native of SD and has been talking about the Black Hills for as long as I have known her. She was so excited that I was finally going that she gave me plenty of maps and instructions on things to see. We decided to take The Needles Highway and she was right, it was amazingly pretty. Well, with her maps and our GPS, we didn't figure we could get lost. WRONG!! We ended up on this dirt road way back in the hills behind the mountain. We finally made it back to our motel after 11:00. OOPS Fortunately, the boys went to sleep somewhere along the way.
We left Rapid City the next morning and headed to Wall, SD. There is a place called Wall Drug that has the best advertising campaign ever. They use billboards for hundreds of miles along the interstate. We just had to stop. Connor loved it because there is a huge "back yard" where there are lots of fun things to play on. After driving the stage coach and riding the bucking bronco, we drug him out of there and headed on down the road. We had to stop in Mitchell, SD, to see where our friend, Amy goes to school (Dakota Wesleyan University) and I wanted to show Steve the Corn Palace. We headed on down the road to Sioux Falls and spent the night. This is where we discovered that motels are easier than hotels. In a motel, you can park right outside your room so loading and unloading your car is much easier. In a hotel, one of you has to watch the children while the other gets to load or unload. Kind of a bummer. My car, I load. (This is actually fine with me since I know how to do this efficiently...that, and I tend to be a bit of a control freak.)
After leaving Sioux Falls, we wanted to head to Sioux Center, Iowa to see where our friend, Eric, will be heading off to college in the fall (He is Amy's brother...we will miss him, too) We saw the campus of Dordt College and decided that it is OK but we would still rather have Eric closer (C'mon Eric, Montana State University has a football team you could play for...in fact, they could use your help!) We wandered around Iowa for a bit and then headed towards I-90 in Minnesota. We are now almost in Wisconsin trying to decide the best way to get to Vermont. We thought we would take the ferry across Lake Michigan but that is turning out to not be such a good idea. It is rather pricey and takes four hours. Yikes. Who knows where tomorrow will take us? Hopefully across a couple of states at least.
The weather has been beautiful. I remember these states being really hot and humid but it is neither. It is probably hot but the wind has been blowing constantly and seems to be chasing the humidity away. The scenery is magnificent. It is so green and lush right now. We are enjoying the views from the roads and the little towns are so friendly (with the exception of Pizza Hut in Cody, WY.) I hope you are having a great summer and I will update you again when I am able.
Subject: several states later...
Well, the last time I was here, we were leaving from Winona, MN. We drove along the and over the Mississippi River and into Wisconsin. Driving across Wisconsin was an adventure in trucking. There were a lot of trucks on the interstate. They were going in both directions...lots and lots of them. Originally, we had planned to take a ferry across Lake Michigan but the we didn't think we would make it on time, we didn't think that a four hour ferry ride would be a great idea, and we didn't think we wanted to pay $200 for the privilege. This, of course, made us look carefully at a new route. Of course, we wanted to go as quickly as possible so we decided on I-90. Driving along I-90 is fine and good...except when you get a late start and end up driving through Chicago at 5:00 in the afternoon on a Monday. I'm just glad it wasn't Friday with a baseball game going on. We ended up making it through just fine and found our way to Michigan City, Indiana. This is a nice little town on the lake. We found a great motel and it had a noon check-out time so Connor got to swim in the morning, where he made some new friends. Never mind that these friends has children of their own who were in their early twenties... You know Connor...friend to all. We got a bit of a late start that day, too.
From Michigan City, we went through Michigan up to Ontario, Canada. Michigan is a beautiful state with much road construction. We crossed the border at Port Huron. Driving in Canada is an interesting experience...they use the metric system. This is fine during the daylight when I can see the km on the speedometer but once it gets dark, I can only see the mph and not the kph. I don't mind using the metric system when it is actually visible. It is pretty funky to put gas in your car and see the number 42 in the place where you should be seeing gallons. We stopped in a town called Strathroy. We wanted to have ice cream at a cute little ice cream store but had to go to Wal-mart to get Canadian money. Oops...forgot about that. The next morning, we drove through Ontario, which was quite picturesque. We really enjoyed the little park on the lake where we stopped for a break. We drove into Niagara and crossed back into the US with no problems. After crossing into the US we thought it would be fun to see Niagara Falls. It is truly amazing! Not only are the falls beautiful, but the park surrounding them is quite pretty. Since Connor got gypped out of a ferry ride across Lake Michigan, we thought he would enjoy "The Maid of the Mist" around Niagara Falls. (OK, OK, I'll admit, I wanted to ride on it, too.) They boys' tickets were free so we did get a good deal. It was worth every single penny we paid for it. Connor LOVED riding on the boat. They gave us all rain jackets. Connor pulled his up tight around his head and then proceeded to tie it around the railing of the boat. This made it so his feet and legs got wet but that didn't seem to matter to him. We all got soaked, except for Liam who had a rain jacket over his stroller. Connor is still talking about the boat ride and getting wet. Liam, of course, charmed many nations of people who were looking at Niagara Falls that day.
We wanted to get a little bit further down the road so we drove on to Rochester, NY, where we spent the night. The next morning, we went on to Troy, NY, where Steve went to College at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (see, Steve was at one time in an institution...you knew it, didn't you?) It is a beautiful place but very large. He said that he was contained to a small part of the campus...but still...After leaving RPI we drove north to Williston, Vermont, where our good friend, Julie, lives with her two children, Ethan and Natalie. They used to live in Idaho Falls, which is where we know them from. We've been wanting to visit them since they moved to Vermont and this summer is our perfect chance. Natalie was born just four months before Connor and they spent Tuesdays together for two summers in a row. Connor was very excited to get to see Natalie again and Natalie felt the same way about Connor. We got here after the kids had gone to bed but Natalie was too excited to sleep so she was up shortly after we came. She and Connor played together while Liam rolled around on the floor. We finally got to bed late...it was just so good to visit again. This morning, the kids were up at the crack of dawn to play and there was a huge, rumbly thunderstorm. It sounded just like Rip Van Winkle dreaming of a game of ninepins with the ghosts of Henry Hudson's crew... (hey, we are in the right place for that.) We have lots of plans for the weekend to get the kids lots of play time and wear them out. It is currently raining so the outside plans have been delayed for a while.
When we leave here, we plan on heading to Maine where we will, hopefully, be able to have the famous Maine Lobster. I have only had langostino lobster and wasn't really really impressed...I have a feeling that the real lobster will be much better. After NH and Maine, we will head to points south...Steve wants to visit a friend near NYC. I want to take us in to Rhode Island and Connecticut and I would love to go through Massachusetts...I guess I'll get the atlas out again before we leave.
You will hear further adventures later. I'm sure there will be something to be said about our adventures in Vermont.
Subject: Fun in Vermont
Hello, Again, Friends and Family,
We are getting ready to leave the lovely and green Vermont after three amazing days of fun and laughter. Do you know what you get when you have three parents, three pre-schoolers, and one infant? Complete and utter chaotic fun. Connor, Natalie, and Ethan have completely and totally worn each other out. We mostly just hung around here at the house while it rained and rained and rained. It didn't matter, though, because just hanging out with friends is a lot of fun. While we didn't solve the world's problems, we sure did talk up a storm...laughing, crying, venting. It was truly great to be with Julie again. The one day we did get out, we went to Shelbourn Farms. It starts off with a tractor ride for about a mile to the barn where the kids get to run around like maniacs (similar to what they had been doing only outside.) They chased (and caught) several poor, unsuspecting, chickens, petted the sheep and cows and rabbits and even got to milk a goat. Another tractor ride back to the parking lot (and another trip to the bathroom) later, we came back home for naps. That evening, we went to Burlington and went to see the interesting things along church street (for all of you Montanans, think Last Chance Gulch with attitude) The kids got to see a woman (busker) playing the viola and she let them all have a try. We heard a string quartet playing Bartok which I didn't care for but they were good. We ate supper in this Italian Diner and boy was that good. What kid doesn't like spaghetti?
Today we are heading to Maine with a couple of stops along the way. We want to go to the Ben & Jerry's factory and then this candy store in New Hampshire. Our current plan is Lobster in Maine for dinner. Tomorrow, we plan on heading south through Massachusetts and on int Rhode Island and Connecticut, where we will stop in Essex to ride a steam train (hopefully.) After that, on to a friends place near New York City...I thought I wouldn't drive in New York City but I also thought I wasn't going to drive in Chicago during rush hour. Gaining a lot of new driving experiences here. Our intent is to get to DC by the end of the week. We want to go through New Jersey and take a ferry (we ARE going to take a ferry sometime this trip) into Delaware before driving into Maryland to DC. We'll see what happens next.
Hope all is well with all of you. I've enjoyed hearing from you all...please continue (or start) e-mailing me.
Subject: From Maine to New York and in Between
Hello Friends and Family!
We are now in Goldens Bridge, NY. We are staying at home of Steve's friends, Mike and Julie Alterio. They are wonderfully hospitable and we are having a great time.
We left our friend, Julie's, house and went to the Ben and Jerry's factory, where we had a tour. Mondays during July they don't make ice cream so the tour wasn't as exciting as it could have been but it was still fun. At the end of the tour (which is only $3)we were given a small cup of their ice cream of he day. It was one of their new flavors, cheesecake with a swirl of fudge brownie (Sorry Bobbie, it was the closest to chocolate as I could get, but I really did think of you!) It was very yummy and we had a great time. After our GPS got us back in the wrong direction, we finally got back on the right track and on towards New Hampshire where we went to a store called Chutters. It has the distinction of having the world's longest candy counter. (I learned this on Food Network...it is over 100 feet long.) Connor had a blast picking out all sorts of candy to enjoy on our trip. We drove through New Hampshire and on into Maine. The countryside is just so incredible...the mountains are green a pretty and it is uncrowded. We ended up in Auburn where we spent the night.
When we got up the next morning, we went towards the coast. After a couple of false turns, we found a park with a neat playground and better yet, a beach. As the boys were getting ready, I went to look at the water and I saw a seal playing out in the water. Of course I got many pictures of where the seal had been. Oh well! Connor loved playing on the beach and so did I. Even Liam got in and got his toes wet. As we headed down the coast of Maine, we saw lots of neat little places and found a lobster place where we had a great lobster dinner for under $13! The lobster was really good and I did enjoy and I would eat it again if given the chance but I still think I prefer Dungeness crab. The placemats had "how to eat lobster" instructions on them, which was good since I had never eaten Lobster before. After our dinner we drove down Highway 1 and finally found a place in North Kingstown, RI. It was really late so we didn't have a chance to explore. The next morning, as we were getting ready Connor made a friend. The man who cleaned the rooms in the Motel had a six year old son. Connor played with Colton and kept out of our hair while we were able to pack and get ready to leave.
We left the motel and travel through RI (it took less than half an hour...it is very small...smaller than the county I live in) On into CT, where we went to Essex to ride a real steam train. IT was really really neat! We took a ride through the countryside in a rather loud and amazing thunderstorm..the good rolling thunder that sounds like the Rip Van Winkle story. The lightning was really neat as well. We only had time for the train ride but there was a steamboat ride up the Connecticut river looked neat as well. It looks like it would make for a nice romantic evening if you took the dinner cruise as well. (Heads up on that GWH...your wife might like it and it is not too far away from you...get a sitter and take her.) When we got off the train we had a late lunch and drove down to New York. It was only about an hour and a half to get to Mike and Julie's house. We have been having a great time visiting (I had met Mike before but not Julie) and playing around. They have a little girl, Violet, who is three. Connor is having fun with her as well. She is three and has made a lot of progress since she was born three months early, weighing in at less than two lbs. What a cutie she is. Of course, Liam is getting tons of attention and loving it!
Today we are going to go somewhere and do something but aren't quite sure what quite yet. I am sure lots of visiting and having fun will be involved. Tomorrow we will be leaving here and heading for points south. Hopefully we will end up in DC by Saturday. More on those adventures later.
Subject: Leapin' Lizzards!
Ok, so I just had to write again today since I have access and a computer. We had a lot of fun. We stayed up really late last night playing a game called "The Settlers of Catan." Steve and I have this game but have never played it. I now intend to invite friends over to play this game. It is a lot of fun and there are plenty of opportunities to visit during the game (and eat...homemade blueberry pie is good...) We slept late this morning and had a good breakfast of blueberry pancakes. This is the second time a woman named Julie has made blueberry pancakes during this trip. Since it was raining off and on, we decided to go to a place where the kids could run. Julie told us about this indoor activity center called Leapin Lizzards. Violet, her daughter calls it the Day Park. It is full of really fun stuff to play on. It is sort of like the playlands you find in fast food restaurants only much, much bigger. There are ball pits and nets to climb on and tubes to climb around in and slides to slide down...it is just a ton of fun. The kids played and the adults got to sit and visit. Very safe place and everyone had fun. After that closed (it closed at 4:00) Mike and Julie decided we needed to see Long Island Sound. We went to a place called "PlayLand." It has been in several movies, one of them being "Big" with Tom Hanks. We didn't do the amusement park but we did go to the beach. Even though it was 5:00 on a Thursday evening, everything was closed down but the gates to the beach were open so we could go there. This is good...if the gates had been manned, it would have cost $7.00 just to go to the beach...a public beach...ridiculous! The kids had fun and got to get their feet wet in the water a little bit. It is beautiful here. I don't think I could live in New York because the cost of living is insane (who pays to go to a PUBLIC beach? New Yorkers do, I guess.) We saw a station where gas was $4.77 a gallon...for the low octane. It is just absolutely crazy. I think I am happy sacrificing a little culture (ok, well a lot of culture) for less expensive living, thank you very much. Fun place to visit, though. Tonight we are grilling again and then will probably plan another game of settlers. It should be fun. Tomorrow, we head for New Jersey, Delaware, and perhaps, Maryland. We'll just have to see about that.
Hope all is well wherever you are and you are not suffering from the heat.
Subject: City Driving vs. Country Driving
Hello Friends and Family,
When we left the Alterio's house in New York, the weather had changed and it was a nice clear day. We managed to get out of the area where Mike and Julie lived and get on to the interstate we needed to get on to (can't remember the name...I-95 perhaps?) without much trouble. The traffic kept getting heavier and heavier as we got closer to NYC. Who'd have thought I would have ever driving even CLOSE to NYC? It was crazy but we managed just fine. We crossed the George Washington Bridge, which was interesting because cars drive on the "basement" part of the bridge while trucks drive on the top part. Kind of nice because I really don't like driving with all of those 18-wheelers... We made it into New Jersey. New York has trees all along the interstate so you can't see what is off the exits. New Jersey should. The northern part of New Jersey is NOT at all attractive. I couldn't' figure out why it was called "The Garden State." Since we were on a turnpike we didn't want to go into a town (or a city for that matter) and have to pay yet another toll. We were hungry and so we decided to stop at a "Service Stop." What this is, is and exit kind of like a beefed up rest stop. You can get off, get food (variety of fast foods) and gas and use the restroom. This particular one had Burger King, Sborro's Pizza/pasta, and Popeye's Chicken. I have been wanting to try the chicken so I stood in that line with Liam (who was, of course, busily charming nearly everyone who would look at him) and Connor and Steve went to Burger King. I have been wanting to try Popeye's chicken for years...Ever since I was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike nearly 20 years ago and wondered why somebody would name a store Pope Yes Chicken....maybe they put something in it that makes you want to be Catholic? Anyway, it was really quite good and their sides were different. I really enjoyed my rice and beans. Although the chicken was good, my experience with a New Jersey worker was not so great. I had gone to stand in line and passed this woman who was talking on her cel-phone (she was just standing out of the way and looked like I could jump in front of her.) As I was patiently waiting my turn, a guy wearing a construction vest jumped right in front of me and was waited on. As I was getting ready to order the lady who had been on the cel-phone came up behind me and said "I don't' know why some people think they don't have to wait in lines." I was worried that I had offended her and said that she could go in front of me because I didn't realize she was in line." She said that she wasn't talking about me but that guy sure was rude, wasn't he? It was kind of funny. I told her that I had never been in this kind of place before and wasn't sure what to do (as far as being served) and she said that she really hadn't either. I asked her where she was from and she said Long Island. I told her that I was from Idaho and she laughed and said, "Well, we don't all act like that guy." It was kind of funny.
After the stop, we travelled south and I discovered why New Jersey is called "The Garden State." It is truly lovely. Very green and lots of fields of food. Also, gas is down under $3.90 a gallon. However, you are not allowed to pump it yourself. It is nice to be waited on like that but a bit frustrating to have to wait for others to do it for you...and they didn't even ask if my windshield needed cleaned (it didn't, luckily!) We travelled on highway 9 until we got to Cape May, NJ, where we waited for the ferry to take us to Lewes, DE. The lady at the ticket booth was really nice and helpful, especially after I told her that I had only been on the Washington State Ferries. We had to wait a bit since the 7:00 ferry had been cancelled. There was a nice park around the terminal where Connor could play a bit, Liam could charm people (which, of course, he did) and we could just watch the water. Very nice. When we got on to the ferry, we had to go and see all of the decks before we could eat dinner. The water was really, really rough so I spent most of the time outside on the deck with the wind in my face. (And in Liam's) While we were standing out on the deck, Connor was attacked by the ferry god. The water had a particularly huge swell in it and Connor wasn't ready for it so he did a face/hand/knee plant and got himself pretty good. He now has TWO scrapped knees and looks a lot like a 100% boy on summer vacation. After getting off the ferry we travelled to Georgetown, DE, where we discovered that there are not really any motels there so we went on. We tried to get a motel in Harrington, DE but who knew that Harrington, DE would be the place where the Delaware State Fair is located and that they have their fair in late July? We finally found a place in Sussex. It was a pretty bad place. It smelled clean and their linens were clean but it was in pretty bad shape. Better than Gillette, WY but not by much. Since we got there around midnight, we didn't stay too long. When we got up the next morning, we headed towards Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.
Talk about traffic. Fortunately, we were going towards the city. The traffic going in the other direction was truly an amazing sight. It was wall to wall cars for miles and miles. We had alot of cars but we were moving pretty quickly. There were farm stands all over the place selling melons, peaches, and tomatoes and many other fruits and veggies but I figured that getting back into that traffic would be next to impossible. As we got closer to our destination, Alexandria, VA, the traffic thinned out a bit and we made pretty good time. We made it to our friends' house just in time for them to head out for their prior commitment. Got to chat a bit. However, we also had plans with some other friends in the area so that worked out well. We went over to Mark and Nancy's for a BBQ. The have a son, Luke, who is six months older than Connor so the boys got to play while the adults got to visit. Another friend of Steve's came over for a visit as well. Nice time for all. We came back to Lori and Jim's and stayed up way too late talking. It sure is nice to see them again. Connor met Lori once when he was about five months old. He is having a grand time with Uncle Jim, who has been very patient with all of his questions and commands. I don't know what we are going to do today. We want Connor to be able to ride the metro (Last time he did that, he wasn't even walking yet) so we will probably go into the city. Doesn't really matter...being with friends and getting to visit is what is best. Who knows where tomorrow will take us. I want to see Virginia Beach and Newport News because Steve used to live there. I think that by Tuesday afternoon, we should be in Florence (that is where Steve grew up) and Connor and Liam will get to be spoiled by their Mams and Granddaddy for a while.
I am sure you'll hear all about our next set of adventures. Hope all is well with you.
Subject: From the National Aquarium to Mams and Granddaddy's
Hello Again, Friends and Family from Hot and Humid South Carolina!
Well, The best part of Sunday was riding on the train...this according to Connor. We had a great day in Washington DC. There was so much to see and do. We decided, that morning, that the National Aquarium would be a fun thing to see so we packed up for a day in the City. I'll bet Jim and Lori never thought it would take so long to get two small people ready to go somewhere. Late morning, it started to thunder a bit and as soon as we got ready and were getting into the car, it started raining...and raining and raining. It was another downpour. Lori thought it would be a good idea to go to the train station with indoor parking...Good Call Lori! We got to the parking garage and since it was Sunday, we got great parking spots. Also, since it was Sunday, parking was free! Woo Hoo. Sadly, the train wasn't free. Steve got the tickets figured out (it is not too hard...you buy tickets at an electronic kiosk and it gives you a card to carry around. Liam and Connor were free, which was nice. Since we had the stroller along, we had to find the elevator (turned out to be right next to the escalator!) Actually, it wasn't an elevator...it was an inclinator. It seems that they took out one set of escalator stairs and put in a glass box. It goes diagonally down to the bottom level (and up to the top level, seeing how it goes both ways!) Very cool and fun to ride in. We didn't have to wait long before the train came rushing in to shisk us away. Because we parked at the covered parking station, we had to transfer instead of going right to our stop. Still, that beats getting wet. Connor liked it and Lori and I had more time to visit...always a good thing. By the time we got into the city, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. Of course, all of us had left our sunglasses in the car so we spent the afternoon squinting. The aquarium was dark and we saw lots of fish. We didn't, however, find Nemo, much to the disappointment of Connor. He did spend time looking, though. We did see lots of frogs and fish and even a sea turtle and some crocodiles. Very neat. Way back in Wyoming, Connor obtained a National Park Passport. It has slots for stamps next to the attractions you visit. Well, Connor calls that his map book and asks to look at it frequently. While he was looking at it at Lori and Jim's house, he said, "I want to see this" and pointed to the Lincoln Memorial. Luckily, the National Aquarium is very close to the National Mall. Of course, our luck would be that it is at the Washington Monument end of the thing so we had a bit of a hike to get to the opposite end. First, we were hungry so we stopped at a snack vendor for pretzels, egg rolls, sausages, and Sponge Bob ice cream. After our rest, we began our trek. It was a nice walk down the side of the reflecting pool. We were able to see lots of geese and squirrels and, of course, people. We stopped by the WWII Memorial where Connor soaked his feet very close to the sign that says "No Wading." Steve hadn't seen that particular memorial before (it is reasonably new...I saw it last time I was in DC with Lori) so that was kind of nice for him. When we got to the Lincoln Memorial, we went to the top (didn't have to take the stairs because of the stroller) and wandered around there for a bit. Had a nice view of the Potomac from the other side of the memorial. We decided we needed to get back home and made our way down back to Mall. This time, the guys decided to take the stairs down this time. Connor knows that he has to have the hand of an adult but sometimes doesn't like to do so. He was more than willing to walk hand in hand with Aunt Lori and Uncle Jim, though. We found our way back to the train station and rode back to Alexandria. On the was back we walked by the Washington Memorial and were able to get a good view of President Bush's home for the next few months (Thank goodness!) The train ride was over way to quickly for Connor. At home that night, Lori cooked us a great meal of shrimp, tomato and bread salad, boiled potatoes with lime pesto and some veggies. Lori is such a good cook. Sunday's New Learning Experience: It is really simple to take the stroller up and down the e escalator but the inclinator is fun too.
Monday morning, we had to leave. We didn't get out of Alexandria until almost noon. You would think that traffic on a Monday at mid-day would be not too bad. Wrong. It was pretty slow for quite a while but we found it it was due to road construction...five lanes going down to two...wonder whose brilliant idea that was? WE got off the interstate because we wanted to drive by way of Newport News, where Steve used to live. It was a very pretty drive. We did see something quite exciting in Gloucester County on the way. Connor had spotted some smoke and asked about it but I gave him some sort of ambiguous answer because I didn't see it at first. As we got closer, I noticed it and it seemed to be getting worse. We kept getting closer and closer and it was getting worse and worse. We could see it was a house on fire before too long...right along the highway (in a town) and there weren't any firetrucks there yet. Before too long, there was a fire truck coming behind us so I did what you are supposed to do...pulled over. The fire truck pulled right in front of us, which was pretty exciting. As much as I wanted to, we couldn't just sit there and gawk so we moved on. I am still very curious to know what happened, though...perhaps I will google it...there should be a newspaper article about it somewhere. As we got closer and closer to Newport News, Steve was remarking on how much things had changed in the past several years (11 to be exact.) It looks to be a nice place. He took us to a park on the James River with a nice walking trail. We got out and stretched there. After a short stretch, we got back on the road and Steve took us on the route he used when he would bike to work. Pretty area, I must say. We went over a huge long bridge and Steve pointed out where the shipyards were and showed us the building he used to work in. After going through town, we took in more countryside and finally ended up in Franklin, VA. This is Franklin as in Franklin Paper, which they make in this town. We found a motel with a pool and Steve, Connor and I got to have a swim while Liam stretched and jabbered in his stroller. We had another late night due to the fact that we had to eat dinner and go to Wal-Mart before going to bed. When we got up the next morning we pretty much headed for the interstate and home for Steve. Steve's parents live in Florence, SC. We got here before 5:00 and have been relaxing. It has been two years since we have been in Florence (Last year, when we came to SC, we stayed at the beach) so it is nice to be here. Connor has been outside several times. There is a window looking towards the lake with bird feeders right outside. Connor has been able to see Blue Jays and Cardinals (at the same time) and a red-headed woodpecker. He also sat with Mams by the fish pond and was able to see two fish (he named them Stroney and Fanny) and frog (he named the frog Blue.) He has gone out on the dock (which is new since we last visited) and has had all sorts of adventures, which I am sure will continue as the week goes on. Of course, we will give you updates as things occur.
When we finally got back to Blackfoot, I will bombard you with pictures from our trip...right now, it is just too hard to get them from camera to computer to e-mail. I hope all is well with all of you. We are having a blast and thinking that we don't want to go back to reality...however, to support our travel habit, we need to work. Hope to hear from you soon.
Subject: Water, Water Everywhere (drool, too!)
I had a big long e-mail to send to you all last night but somehow the computer ate it. I didn't want to do it over since it was almost mid-night and I wanted to get some sleep before we began our journey westward.
When I last wrote, we had just arrived in Florence, SC (where Mams and Granddaddy...Steve's parents...live) This is the fourth time I have been to Florence and my first time driving in the area. We have managed to get to South Carolina almost every year since before we were married but sometimes we have gone to the beach and once to Kate's house. My car was in dire need of and oil change and while Steve and I were out the previous day, I discovered a Jiffy Lube. It is really true what they say on TV...they just put your license plate number into their computer and all of the pertinent information comes right up. Ahhh...the wonders of modern technology. The rules of oil changing are a bit different in South Carolina than in Idaho, though. I was greeted right outside the garage doors and escorted to the nice air-conditioned lobby by a nice young man who called me Ma'am and held the door for me. The other gentleman at the desk asked for some other information and asked if I needed anything for my wait. 10 minutes later, they were done and when I got up to the desk to pay, the guy asked me about the weather in Idaho. We had a nice discussion about hot and dry vs. hot and humid...I much prefer hot and dry. The other young man had pulled my car out of the garage, pointed it in the right direction and held open the door for me and called me ma'am again. When I got in my car I discovered that they had left a mint for me on my dashboard. Oh, they also gave me two coupons for 10% at Waffle House (a very good and cheap diner chain here in the South...they're everywhere!) After I left Jiffy Lube, I needed to get some food for Liam so I found my way to a Food Lion for some necessities. I managed to find it and get back to the house without the help of my trusty GPS or without getting lost...not even one wrong turn. I discovered that if you know a couple of the roads in Florence, you can find your way around quite handily. Florence is about the size of Idaho Falls or Pocatello but I haven't been able to tell just how it is laid out. Guess I will just have to keep going back to figure it out.
Every time we come to SC, a trip to the beach is an absolute necessity for me. I love, lovE, loVE, lOVE, LOVE going to the beach. (Did I mention how much I like going to the beach.) When we just go for a day trip we go to Huntington Beach State Park. It is nice because it has a place to change and some outdoor showers to get rid of the sand. The beach is about two hours from Florence. Along the way we stopped at a McDonalds for lunch and then got on the road for another half hour or 45 minutes or so to the beach. When we got there, we changed in the changing house (it is on stilts and quite open and airy when there is a good breeze)and hauled all of our stuff down to the beach. This included a big sheet to put the playpen on (so it wouldn't sink into the sand) and a big umbrella to shade Liam and Granddaddy. (Yes, we did put sunscreen on even for those in the shade.) Steve and I took Connor out in the deeper waves. Connor really liked it until he got a wave straight in the face...that kind of scared him a bit but we explained that he had to keep his eyes open for waves and jump them. We helped him jump and told him when and he really was having a good time. We decided it was time to go back into the shore line where Steve taught Connor to dig for clams. These are really small clams...about 1.5 inches...and come in many colors. Connor was really excited about catching clams and loved to watch them bury themselves in the sand. It was very fun. I decided that Liam needed to have his turn in the surf (very shallow surf, that is) so I took him right to the edge and sat with him as he splashed and felt the sand. He really wanted to taste it but I prevented that from happening. After Liam was done swimming (I can't wait until next year when he is walking...that should be fun) he went back to his playpen and sat with Mams while Steve and I took Connor out in the waves again. We finally had to come back in when it started to thunder and the beach was starting to empty. When we finally got everything moved out and packed up to the changing room, we took our showers...even Connor, without freaking out...and then changed back into our regular clothes. Now a trip to the beach always includes dinner at a seafood restaurant. On our first anniversary Steve and I discovered Nance's and really liked it. We went back last year and that is where we decided to go this year. (If you ever go to Myrtle Beach area, it is in Murrels Inlet and I highly recommend it) The first thing they do is bring you your drinks and a couple baskets of hushpuppies (think scone nuggets...fried bread...made of corn bread batter) and some honey butter. Steve and I order the same thing every time. We each have an appetizer (I had she-crab soup) and then we split a dinner. We split a platter of broiled seafood...flounder, deviled crab, scallops, shrimp, and oysters. Steve gets all of the oysters because I find them vile and I get the extra scallops and shrimp if there is an odd number. We also have cole slaw (again, I let Steve eat all of it...cabbage is vile unless it is cooked) and a baked potato. It is so yummy. Connor enjoyed a piece of flounder and some applesauce. He also got to try clams from Mams plate. He wanted to try them because he had been playing with them earlier in the day. He bravely at a couple of them and I think he liked them but I am not entirely too sure. Liam, who is not into proteins yet, had a lovely meal of pureed squash and formula. Of course he charmed many people on our way in and out of the restaurant. After we ate, I wanted to go to one of the cheap and tacky souvenir shops that I had been to last year. I found it and they were having a 50% off sale (Coincidentally, they were having a 50% off sale last year when we were there as well.) Found some great things (and left a lot of them there) and headed home. We got home about 9:20 and had to wait for Steve's parents. We thought they were pulling into the driveway but it turned out to be Kate and Megan and Nicole (Steve's sister and her girls.) This was good since she had a key to the door and we didn't. We got in and Mitchel and Sammy showed up almost right away. Kate wanted to come down for the weekend so we could all be together at the same time. Of course, Connor and Liam had been asleep but when Connor saw his cousins, he woke right up and got completely wound up again. It was a lot of chaotic fun. Connor got to have a campout on the floor of the living room with Aunt Kate and his cousins (who are 13 and almost 17.)
After a good night's sleep (they should figure out how to bottle sand and sea and sell it to insomniacs) but a bit too short, another day of chaos ensued. Connor loves playing with his cousins and they are so good to him (and I am now wondering why they don't live near us instead of all the way across the country!) They played with him all day long. Megan was willing to take Connor outside with popsicles and listen to him blather on about everything in general and nothing in particular. Nicole took him for a kayak ride on the lake and even let him paddle. Oh to have people who will jump at your every command. Sammy, Kate, and I went shopping at Hamricks (a southern chain limited to a few states) because I needed new capris for school. In SC, the first weekend in August, they have no sales tax days on school supplies (including clothes and shoes!) I have managed to hit this jackpot twice now. Hamricks has great clothes. The capris I bought three years ago just finally wore out. In fact, they wore out on the first day of school last year. I discovered this when I got home from school and was taking my capris off and could see the floor through them...and the fabric was not just thin. I am just praying that they ripped on the way home from daycare and my undies were not flashing students all day. Anyway, we had a great deal of success with clothes but not so much with shoes. I hope to remedy that this weekend with Kate. After dinner, Steve took Connor out in the kayak again.
Liam has been drooling up a storm again and I thought he was going to get his two bottom teeth next to the front ones that came in June. Well, that was not to be. I discovered that he was getting hit two top teeth on the sides where his front teeth are going to eventually grow in. They were so near the surface it was just painful for the poor little guy. Tylenol to the rescue. They finally came through the next afternoon. Now, when he finally gets them all the way in, he will just look odd. What a weird child...very cute and a lot of fun but weird...wonder where he gets that from? Must be his two grandfathers!
On Sunday, Kate and the girls had to get back home so we had a relatively quiet afternoon. Steve and I took Connor out on the lake again...I went in the kayak (wanted to try it out) and Steve took Connor in the canoe. We saw a Blue Heron on the dock next door and several egrets in the trees in the middle of the lake. Oh, let me explain that. This lake is a man made lake that is about 40 years old. There are still a couple of trees in the middle of the lake and somebody is trying to make an island. Two of the trees seem to attract the egrets...neat. Steve tells me that the edges are a lot deeper than the middle and I will take his word for it. I will not get in it because you can't see more than six inches in the water and that just flat creeps me out with all of the gooey swishy things down there...including snakes and leeches.
On my wanderings around the South for the past few years, I have noticed that there are a lot of churches...mainly those of the Baptist variety. Of course they have all sorts of names...Ebenezer Baptist Church, Elizabeth Baptist Church, Bethea Baptist Church, Holy Baptist Church...just lots of them. They also have a lot of Episcopalian and Methodist Churches (There is a Second Episcopalian Church in Charleston...thought that was kind of funny.) The one that cracks me up the most though is "The Church of God." Ummm...aren't they all? Many of the churches around here are either white clapboard places with tall white steeples or brick (in a variety of colors) with tall white steeples. They are all quite pretty. My friends in Idaho...you will appreciate this. Today, we were cruising along the highway on our quest to find the big bum (more on that later) and I saw yet another brick church with a tall white steeple. I was looking for the sign on the road stating what breed of church it was and I didn't see one...however, I did see a sign on the side of the church indicating that it was "The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." (Don't know which ward it was though...couldn't read that quickly.) I then realized that this was the first LDS church I had seen since Cody, Wyoming. Wow...just over 5,000 miles and 26 days without seeing one of those...I don't know how long it has been since that has happened (excluding my trips to Australia.) Have yet to see any missionaries and ask them if they are from Idaho or Utah but I still have many more miles and many more days left.
This morning we had to leave Florence and make our way westward so we can eventually get back home. We were only going as far as Greenville, SC to stay with Kate and the girls (who I hope will wear Connor out and love up on Liam.) Wanted to stop at Gaffney, SC for two reasons. A couple of months ago, I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network and saw a dive in Gaffney. I thought is sounded good so I wanted to go there and at least have a look. Well, we found it (couldn't remember the name but thought it started with an H) but our GPS came in handy when it listed a restaurant names "Hal's" It jogged my memory and we set out for Hal's. Found it! It has the food network logo on its window and the waitresses wear t-shirts with the food network logo on them. We decided to try what I had seen...the chili burger. It was only #1.25! We also had chili cheese fries. It was really tasty which was a big bonus. The waitress was really nice as well. Fun. The other reason we wanted to go to Gaffney is so that I could see the water tower. Before you laugh at me, you need to understand that the water tower is shaped like a giant peach. However, in certain angles, it looks like a huge butt. I had been hearing about this legend for years and had to check it out for myself. The legends are correct. Gaffney, SC has a giant peach-colored butt for a water tower. I think Blackfoot needs something like this. I know we could out do them. After laughing our way out of Gaffney, we stopped at a place where they sell peaches and found a bunch of wonderful things made from peaches (DUH!!!) They also had free samples. Connor took two samples of peach cider. I wanted to but refrained. I saw a man wearing a Utah shirt so I asked him if he was from Utah. He said that he was and I told him that I was from Idaho. He asked where I was from and I told him. He then asked me if I knew any Seelys and, of course, I did. I knew this would happen on this trip but it always surprises me when it does.
After another hour or so we arrived at Kate's and the girls kept our boys entertained until it was bed time. Now it is my bed time. I don't' know what we will be doing for the next few days or where we are going afterwards (well, we are going to see my brother and his family in Memphis but I don't' know which route we will take to get there...west, I guess...LOL) You will hear more of our adventures.
I hope all is well with all of you and that you are having grand adventures or at least a bit of fun.
Subject: Where Are The Martins Now?
OK, so it's been a while since I reported in for some of you. We are currently in Memphis (actually, Lakeland, TN but it's close.) We have had some great adventures. We had to leave SC on Thursday...We want our older girl cousins to LIKE us so we can't stay too long or Connor would drive them crazy! We also had to start our big trek west...we got a pretty good chunk of it out of the way and saw some stuff...however, we did some neat things in Greenville with Kate and the girls so I will tell you about that...
Kate wanted us to see a neat little park around the Reedy River in the middle of downtown Greenville, SC. We loaded up the two vehicles and proceeded to drive into town on one of the hottest days of the summer...one of the bank thermometers said it was 107 degrees but I think it was not quite that hot...102 maybe but not 107. (yeah...like I can really tell the difference...it was just plain hot!) We found a place to park inside a parking garage, even though it was still hot, at least we weren't in the sun so the car stayed a bit cool. We walked to a store called Mast General Store and although it looks like a yuppie sports clothing and shoe store (think LL Bean meets Birkenstock) it has a wonderful back room. There they have a choose your own candy place. Connor, with the help of Megan, Nicole, and Aunt Kate, went crazy. Now, though, his candy stash is replenished. It was really fun. Liam, of course, charmed everyone by being cute. (Gee...what else did you expect?) After our candy supply was refilled, we walked to the park on the Reedy River. It is really neat and quite pretty. There is a huge suspension bridge that goes across the river (for walking...or in Connor's case, running) that Connor conned his dad into crossing over with him and then conned his cousin, Megan, into crossing with him again. I spent time in the shade watching Liam work on his charm skills in the stroller. After we were done at the park (a nice breeze did eventually come up and some clouds drifted in but it was still quite warm for me) we walked back up the street towards the ice cream store. Kate and I stopped for a drink but Steve and the kids went on up to the ice cream place but quickly caught up to them. Connor has perused the ice cream choices and decided he wanted orange ice cream. Of course there was no orange ice cream but the ice cream man saved the day by having orange sorbet. All of our ice cream was really good and, importantly, the store was cool (according to the girls, it was COLD) Liam even got to enjoy some of Connor's orange sorbet...he was rather impressed and ate it happily. He must have been hot...or the sorbet was really good. On the way back to the car, we found a really neat fountain where we could soak our feet (the very same one that we saw on the way down the street, if you can imagine that.) After cooling our feet we made it back to the car and went on home. We cooked some very yummy BBQ for dinner and just hung out. Connor has leaned a video game called Spyro. It is about a hyperactive dragon so it fits him perfectly. Megan was really quite patient with him, because she kept having to help him get places or bring him back to life. Liam was practicing his crawling skills and was learning to get places.
The next day, Kate and I got some serious girl time. We went shopping. We had been shopping with Sammy in Florence and I found some shoes I really liked but they didn't have my size. Kate and I now had a mission...find those shoes. We left anybody male and anybody under 18 behind (Nicole had to go register for her senior year) and went to lunch and then shoe shopping. I ended up finding the pair of shoes I wanted...ON SALE! They fit and they were comfortable as well. I also found a new pair of shoes for school to go with the new capris I had bought the week before. We decided that since we found shoes so quickly and weren't quite done with our girl time we would go to a couple more stores and find more stuff to look at. Connor benefited from this by getting a new book (Kate, I think I left it at your house...will you check?) and Liam got some soft blocks to play with. After this store, we hit one other and then made our way home via the grocery store. I think Steve was glad to see us when we got home but he wasn't too impressed with my new shoes...even the fact that I got them on sale and I did NEED them. Oh well, he'll never understand my need for shoes. That evening, the girls had a commitment so Kate got a chance to enjoy the boys by herself. Liam practiced crawling and finally got it, sort of. He crawled for two steps (???I don't know what else to call them here but I think you know what I mean.) Kate was really grateful for that because now she has bragging rights "Liam first crawled at her house."
We had a great time in Greenville but had to leave there. Kate had to go back to work and we really must start heading for home. We didn't get off all that early but we did finally get away. It was really helpful having Megan and Nicole there to watch the boys while we packed and got ready to go. We drove down the interstate and on into Georgia where we found a Cracker Barrel to eat our lunch. (Not to difficult since they seem to be at every other exit here in the South.) After that, we thought we'd take back roads to get towards our next goal. We saw some really neat scenery. We drove through the southern end of The Blue Ridge Mountains, which were absolutely gorgeous. The road was nasty...nearly made me car sick and I was driving! We found our way into Tennessee and back into Georgia where we found a Zaxby's for dinner. It is really good (OK, Dad, you wouldn't like it as they serve chicken) and another franchise that Blackfoot could use. (How many is that now???Cracker Barrel, Waffle House, Zaxby's, the list goes on...) After dinner, we decided to find a place to stay so we could exercise the boys. After looking in several places we found a motel in Chattanooga (in kind of a creepy part of town but it was a nice motel) with a pool. Connor went swimming until nearly 11:00 pm. It was a great way to wear him out. Liam got to sit in his stroller and stretch out, which was nice for him. After a late bed time, we slept late but didn't have a huge distance to go today.
We got back on the road and headed into Alabama. We were in search of a town called Bridgeport and think we may have found it. A friend of ours if from there. There is really not much there but the surrounding area is nice. Alabama is a lot of trees. We got off in Huntsville for lunch and had catfish. Even Connor ordered the catfish...and he liked it. It was a tasty lunch. From the road we were on, we saw rockets and a space shuttle. Very Cool! From Alabama, we went into Mississippi. Not as many trees but beautiful rolling hills. After Mississippi, we found our way into Tennessee again, this time to the extreme western corner. With the help of our trusty GPS, we made it to my brother's house. (OK, well there was the traffic from hell about two blocks from the house...it is not at all well planned out...it added at least a 10 minute delay...Steve could have walked but really couldn't because we both needed the GPS to find this house) Tom is married to Kelli and they have two children, Isaac is 3 (14 months younger than Connor) and Henry is 13 months (six months older than Liam.) As soon as Connor got in the door, he and Isaac played until Isaac had to be dragged off to bed. They were having a blast together. Liam saw how well Henry got around on his hands and knees and decided that it looked easier than he thought and he would try it some more. By 8:00, he was crawling (yes, actually crawling, not scootching) across the room chasing after who knows what. WooHoo...our boy is mobile...or should that be UhOh, our boy is mobile? This is going to prove to be a fun weekend. We will be getting an early start tomorrow (Saturday) because people are coming to look at the house in the morning so we all have to be out. Tom and Kelli are selling their house and, hopefully, moving back to Montana, where we can be closer to them and the boys can really get to know each other. I am sure that tomorrow afternoon will hold grand adventures for all even if we just stay at home.
Must be off to bed to prepare for an early start tomorrow. Hope all is well with everyone and that you are having fun at whatever you are doing.
Subject: Drunk Drivers and Gurly, Alabama
While I was getting ready to go to sleep last night, I realized that I forgot to mention a couple of things in my last e-mail. These are things that, I think, are worth noting.
As we were leaving the gas station in Chattanooga to get back on to the interstate, we saw a crew of people cleaning up along the exit. As we got closer, I realized that most of them were young men, probably in their mid to late 20's. They were wearing the required bright green vests that you wear when you work along the road. However, these were different in the fact that they had printed on the back of them in Huge Black Letters "I'M A DRUNK DRIVER" I am guessing that these guys were doing their community service and now the public knows exactly why. Maybe there should be more punishments like that. I can just imagine it: "I DON'T PAY CHILD SUPPORT" "I LITTER" "I CHEAT ON MY TAXES" Any others you can think of?
As we were driving through the state of Alabama, we came upon a town called Gurly. That proved to be a great source of humor for me. The Gurly Baptist Church. The Gurly Veterinary Clinic. The Gurly Auto Shop. Sounds like a town full of femininity, doesn't it?
Gotta run. Kelli and I are going to go have some Girly time together.
Subject: Memphis, I Can See Arkansas
Well, From Connor's standpoint, Memphis is a great place to be...he has a cousin there (for a little bit longer, anyway!) He had a blast with his cousin, Isaac. They played and played and played. It was great. The little boys, Henry and Liam were a bit wary of each other at first but finally got used to each other. Actually, it was more of Liam getting used to Henry. Liam is just so little compared to everyone else in the family. He did, however, learn to crawl...I think it was just from watching Henry. Also, Liam and Henry have the exact same teeth in. It is odd, because neither of them has the "normal" teeth. Both of them grew the bottom two teeth first (this is normal) but it went downhill from there. Both of them are now sporting fangs on the top. They are not the official fang teeth but they do look suspiciously like little vampires in training. It is rather funny and an odd coincidence.
On Saturday morning, the big boys got up and played (what else?) We had to go out for breakfast because the house was showing so we went to Chick-fil-A (who knew a chicken place would serve breakfast...when I think of breakfasts, chicken does not automatically spring to mind.) This place had a play area so the boys could play while we visited. They started to get bored there, so we went to another park for some outside time. It was fun...Isaac and Connor discovered the water fountain and they also discovered how to make the water fountain spray water all over each other. Both got wet. When we went back home, we had some lunch and some naps and then decided to go to the Children's Museum. Kelli and I took the big boys and Liam while Tom, Steve, and Henry went to run errands (formula...Liam is eating like a horse) in peace. The children's museum is amazing. First we saw the airplane. It is an actual front quarter or so of a fedex airplane so the kids can sit in the cockpit and fly the plane. Around this display is a bunch of things that children can play with to see how flying works. After the airplane, we went to the water display where the boys went fishing...magnetic fishing poles with magnetic fish. At first Connor's pole didn't have a magnet so his luck with catching fish was pretty grim. However, once I discovered this and fixed the problem, his luck increased. After fishing, we went to the firetruck, where the boys donned hats and drove the fire truck. It was very fun. After wearing out the fire truck, we went to the Curious George exhibit where the kids can put a block in a slot, turn a wheel and move the block to the top via a conveyor belt. After it reaches the top, it falls on a set of ramps where it moves down so the block can be picked up and put back in the slot where the wheel is turned...We managed to close down the museum (it closes at 5:00, which, I imagine is plenty for the people who work there.) When we drove back home, Tom and Steve had brought a dinner of Memphis Ribs, which were very, very yummy. After all children were in bed, we stayed up and visited for a while. Sunday morning, Tom got up and took the big boys out to ride their bikes in the street. They had to be dragged in. Kelli and I needed to do a bit of shopping (without children) so the boys got to go outside again. After lunch, we made them play outside in the back yard by themselves. it is so nice when the yplay outside because there are only two voices speaking baby/small child instead of four. It was sure nice to visit and we are looking forward to when Tom and Kelli and the boys move back to the West.
Monday, we had to leave and we wanted to see Arkansas...specifically Toltec Mounds State Park, south of Little Rock. That was really neat. I was quite impressed with Arkansas. It is really pretty and even the crowded parts aren't any wore than Idaho Falls or Pocatello. Toltec Mounds are really neat. It is an ancient civilization but not the Toltecs. There are several mounds (hence the name?) with a big trail (paved...stroller friendly) and signs along the way. The very coolest thing there is the dock over the lake. When you go out onto the dock, the turtles can sense that (don't know if turtles can hear or not...never've seen their ears) you are out there and so they come running (swimming, really) There is a machine where you can buy turtle food and feed the turtles. Connor and Steve were behind me a ways so I got to feed them by myself for a while but the finally caught up so Connor got to enjoy feeding them as well. I think I finally counted nine turtles at one time. It was so very cool. It started to rain when we were almost back at the visitor's center so we didn't get too wet. After leaving the park, we drove on into Little Rock. We were looking for the Bill Clinton Presidential Library. My dad likes to visit presidential libraries but, I presume, didn't get to this one. We found it but didn't go in...it was quite costly, I thought, and they boys wouldn't have enjoyed it at all. Now, all over the east we have seen Adult Superstores advertised on billboards...XXX movies, adult toys, and magazines. (No, we haven't been to one...) I kind of expected the Bill Clinton Presidential Library to be flanked by and Adult Super Store and a McDonalds. We did see a McDonalds in plain sight across the river but I was still a bit disappointed.
After dinner, we left Little Rock and traveled through the Ozarks...I will write more of that later because we have to get on the road towards Oklahoma City.
Subject: I Think We're in Kansas, Toto
When I last left you, I was in Tulsa on my way to Oklahoma City. However, I left out a few more details about The Ozarks and Missouri. When we were driving in Arkansas, we saw several different swarms of dragon flies (swarms? herds? flocks?) I've always considered myself lucky when I see a dragon fly. I was luckier than I've ever been. I think I saw more of them in one place than I've seen in several years, perhaps my entire life. There were really a lot.
I also forgot about the park we saw in Little Rock. We didn't stop there but we should have. Just to say we've been there. However, it made me a little leery. I mean, who'd want to go to "Toad Suck Park?" Both Steve and I laughed when we saw the sign for it. Who wouldn't laugh at that name?
When we left Little Rock, we started on into the mountains crossing several small towns. When I think of the Ozarks, I think of hillbillies. I don't think I saw any, though, so it was a bit of a disappointment. We did see several places where they might live, though. There were several houses (of many varieties) with shaggy yards and tons of old rusty cars in the yard/driveway/field...right along the highway. It got dark fast and early mainly to the clouds, I think, but when it got dark, I mean it got really, really, dark. We finally found a nice little motel in Harrison, AR. The lady that was there was kind enough to extend the pool hours so Connor could burn off some energy. When we got going in the morning, we saw that the motel was really quite neat. It had a very nice mural on the wall surrounding the pool and it had a nice little playground and even some miniature golf. Harrison is quite large. It said it was over 12,000 people but it had a huge Wal-Mart and a lot of other big stores. It was the largest town for several miles. As we made our way north, we admired the scenery and finally made it in to Missouri and Branson. Branson had a really neat shopping area along the river. The Bass Pro shop was an amazing site. They have a big pool of fish right inside the store. Connor and Liam were both captivated by these fishies. We wandered around down on the promenade for a while and then headed on down the road. After a stop for dinner around Joplin, we finally made it to Tulsa, OK for the night. (Another number door with another pool.)
This morning, when we got up, we decided we would go to Oklahoma City to see the Memorial at the Federal Building. It was truly amazing and really very moving. We decided against the museum there because we didn't think that the boys would enjoy it at all. Just walking around the grounds was enough. The walls of the grounds are the walls remaining from the old building. The lawns are well maintained, the flowers are beautiful, and the memorials are very well done. After Oklahoma city, we headed north to Wichita, KS. We found a BBQ place for dinner and headed north (after a bit of a trip in the wrong direction...who knew that there would be a Selina, OK AND a Selina, KS and that Steve would hit the wrong one...oops...another mid-adventure with the Martins.) We didn't make it all the way to Selina but we are pretty close. Tomorrow we head to Nebraska (my last new state of the trip) and Friday, we will be in Colorado to see my friend Carol and her family. It should be a fun weekend. We should be back in Blackfoot by Tuesday or Wednesday. I am supposed to start school on Thursday but Thursday and Friday are not what I would consider important days so I won't feel bad if we don't make it back (We might just find more interesting things to do rather than count test scores!) You'll hear more from me before too long.
Hope all is well with everyone. Many of you will be seeing us soon. If not, you will be hearing from us. I will definitely send pictures of our trip.
And that's it.
-=-
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