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Red Rocks, Vortexes, and Crystals…See-Dona ya want to be here?

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Splitting up the Long Journey

After our wonderful time in Santa Fe, it was time for us to move on. We had another long journey to Sedona, AZ but we decided to break it up with a stop at a National Park. On the Way to our destination is the Petrified Forest National Park. This also contains the painted desert as well which is an amazing site. The park is a 28-mile long road with a dozen or so stopping points throughout where you can see magnificent vistas or get hands-on with pieces of petrified wood that are millions of years old. We spent a few hours driving through the park and exploring the various attractions. It was pretty awesome and well worth the pit stop. The path we traveled ended us at the visitor center where some of the largest specimens of petrified wood exist.  The kids got to touch the petrified wood and climb all over some of the trees. They had a blast.  Along with all the fun, they learned a few things as well by doing the Junior Ranger Program, bonus for us! We hope they take some of these nuggets of knowledge along with them after this journey.

Switchback Down into Heaven…Waking Up to Nirvana

After the park, we only had a couples hours to Sedona. It was late and the sun was setting as we came, unexpectedly, to the switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon. The drop in elevation from the top of the canyon to the bottom is about 3000 feet and this happens within a short span of miles. It was exhilarating to come down through the canyon with the sun setting and hundred foot drops along the roadside. We could just barely make out the huge red rock cliffs as we came into town. Even in the dim light Katie and I were blown away and knew we would be waking up to something incredible.

When the sun broke the horizon the next morning we were greeted by one of the most majestic scenes of my life. All around us, rising like red titans, were red stone cliffs and mesas. And not just red, but every color from orange, rust, copper, to sand. The sky was a vivid azure blue and the sparse plant life showed deep green against the landscape. My words will not do justice so I will let the pictures do the talking. Just a taste…more to come.

Bell Rock Hike

Our first hike in this awesome place was Bell Rock. This hike crawls over the face of a red rock mesa and has you scrambling up the stone dodging cacti. The views are amazing. The kids had a blast climbing the stone and sliding down. They also gave Katie and I fits as they ran full speed towards the edge of cliffs, only to stop at the last minute and laugh at us. Oh, the joys of kids! This is an easy hike and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was nice to get our hands dirty.

The Pink Jeeps

One thing you notice as you drive around Sedona is the massive amount of jeeps, and pink jeeps to be specific. There is a famous tour company in town that runs people up the back dirt roads (if you can call them that) for off-roading fun. We decided it would be fun to take the kids up into the mountains and also give them a bumpy, jerky jeep experience. We had a great guide named Sean who told us all about the area as we drove. He had just the right amount of funny, seriousness and jokester. We had a blast bouncing through the hills and the views were spectacular. If you can believe it, our youngest Lennox almost fell asleep going up as his body bounced to and fro. We are scared for the future and this one getting up for school during high school.

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Montezuma’s Castle

About a half hour from Sedona is the Montezuma Castle National Park containing the remains of the Sinagua people’s cliff dwellings. The dwellings are beautifully preserved and it’s really neat to see the structure embedded in the rock. As far as National parks go, this is a small one. You can experience the whole park in about a half hour. Sienna decided to do the Junior Ranger program, but Lennox and Colette passed. This was a nice quick side trip for the family. We also stopped by the Cliff Castle Casino. (which had a crazy game filled daycare center) for a couple hours. The kids didn’t want to leave, but Katie and I sure did after giving the casino ample operating funds.

Rainy Day Hiking

Although the weather has been extraordinary, rain was in our forecast. Before it hit we decided to take another hike up a short trail called Fay Canyon. This was a moderate hike that followed and arroyo up into a box canyon. Lots of scrubby trees and a nice little climb at the end to look back down the canyon. The cliff walls rose hundreds of feet on either side. Very different from our first hike but no less beautiful. I had read somewhere there was a secret arch along this trail. So on the way back, I kept looking for signs of the secondary trail that might lead us there. A couple of rock cairns on the path peaked my interest and we decided to venture off the trail up the less used path. The hike was steep, rock-strewn and full of cacti. However, we found our secret spot! Hiding next to a cliff face about twenty feet from the wall was our arch. We also found a rock structure resembling a native home at the top. It was obviously built by modern hands but the structure was still awesome. A super fun hike that we were able to get in just before a couple days of steady rain set in.

Misty Magic

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The Final Hike

For our last hike in Sedona we chose to go up Brin’s Mesa. For our little posse, it was a challenging hike. The trail is about 3 miles round trip and rises over 500ft. You start off meandering up a wide valley and then shoot steeply upward the rest of the way. Awesome vistas abounded on this hike, along with a lot of crying Lennox. When that kid is motivated he’s unstoppable, but when he’s not into something he’ll let you know! After about an hour we crested the top and were met with more stunning views. We really loved our time here. The beauty, the people, and the food all came together for a truly memorable visit. We will be back. (Most likely Katie and I alone next time!)

 

 

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750ft Below the Surface of the Earth…and Aliens

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San Antonio to Carlsbad

This section of the trip took us from civilization to no man’s land. Well, that’s not entirely true. There were an awful lot of oil men drilling for black gold. It was a beautiful drive until we hit the last hundred miles to Carlsbad.  This is where we turned on to a  two-lane road with posted speed limits of 75mph and potholes that could rip the tranny out of a monster truck. There were semi’s barreling by and an uncountable number of F150’s. All these trucks were there to service the oil derricks that dotted the landscape like toothpicks on a party tray. Oh, and did I mention that the winds where gusting 25-30+mph which is really fun in a big land yacht with a topper on it. We made it just as the sun was setting. We tucked into our hotel and got ready for a fun day deep underground.

The Caverns of Carlsbad

The caverns aren’t actually in Carlsbad. (FYI) You need to drive about 30 minutes. It is well worth the effort. After a beautiful drive through the park and up to the cavern entrance, you’re greeted by a breathtaking vista of the Chihuahuan desert.  On the way up we got to see a type of Bighorn sheep which was a cool surprise.

The visitor center is well staffed has an excellent museum to get you oriented. Once you’re ready to visit the caves you have two options. A quick 1 min elevator ride or a 45 min hike into the cave system from the mouth at the surface. We opted for the elevator on our first day as we had a guided tour we needed to meet. The next day we decided to hike in and it is AWESOME!

But I digress, day one we went to a cave system called the King’s Palace. This was a guided tour and was wonderful. The cave system was well lit and had thousands of stalagmites and stalactites, rock curtains, and impossibly thin rock tubes called soda straws. Truly an awe-inspiring experience. The guide also turned the lights out half way through so we could feel the intenseness of complete darkness. Colette and Sienna both loved the excursion into this hidden world. On day two we hiked into the cavern from the surface. This gives you a real sense of what it must have been like to first come upon these caverns and explore them. We highly recommend hiking in one of the days if you visit this place. Once at the bottom we went on the self-guided tour of what they call the “Big Room“. The Big Room tour is about two hours and takes you buy some of the most spectacular otherworldy structures you’ll ever see. Carlsbad Caverns is a remote location and we’d recommend tacking it on to a bigger exploration of the Southwest.

More of the Surreal

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park

The caverns aren’t the only thing to see when in Carlsbad. About 20 minutes past the caverns lies the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We are always in awe of the national park system and what they protect and this was no different. Beautiful mountains, pristine wilderness, and Jr. Ranger Program!!! We love these.

There are a few short hikes here, but it really caters to longer overnight hikes to experience the park. We opted to drive around and get some great shots after the kids became Junior Rangers at the museum.

Believe…….

We spent about three full days in the area exploring and found that to be a good window of time to experience a taste of the caverns and mountains. On the way to our next destination, we needed to make the pilgrimage to the town made famous by the alien spacecraft that crash landed there 72 years ago. Roswell, NM is a surprisingly big town, much bigger than Carlsbad. Our only focus for passing through was to visit the UFO Museum and have space lunch. The museum is a fun place to visit and does a great job recapping the history of the alien crash investigation. There’s are lots of fun and cool art and exhibits to enjoy as well. I love Aliens! So making the effort to land here definitely was a check off my bucket list. I’m not sure if Katie felt the same way, but the kids had a blast. A worthwhile place to spend an hour and get some lunch. Though space lunch was not found we did have a nice bite at a deli up the street.  Our next stop is Santa Fe for a couple weeks.

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Deep in the heart of San Antonio

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Texas is BIG

So we all know Texas is big but man this state is fricken HUGE! We had a seven-hour drive from our stay in Louisiana so we buckled down and ground it out. We were on our way to San Antonio. The kids were taking turns studying school work and blowing off steam with the iDevices. The longest most stressful part of the drive was the hour it took getting through Houston. Eight lanes of traffic packed with cars all going 70+?! Glad that’s over and definitely not our cup of tea. We eased on into San Antonio and were pleasantly surprised by our Airbnb for the week. A beautiful Southwestern home North of the city. Plenty of great things to do close by and space to spread out.

The Alamo

I’m guessing the one thing everyone does when coming to this city is going to the Alamo. We were no different. It’s located right in the heart of the city near the famed Riverwalk. Nestled between towers of steel and concrete was the historic mission that gained so much fame from the fact the everyone defending it died. The people of Texas are very proud of this monument, and rightly so. It’s a testament to the resolve of early Americans to defend to the death what they believe in. 200 defenders went up against 2000+ professional Mexican soldiers under the leadership of López de Santa Anna. One thing That has come to surprise me (and somewhat sadden me as well) is that all the historical sites are heavily encroached upon by the modern world. I guess my mental image of these places was a more romanticized vision of the sites sitting pristine with nothing around them. I take great heart though in knowing that they are being protected and that no matter the marching progress of the future, they will stay the same. After visiting the Alamo we spent the rest of the day walking around the Riverwalk and checking out the downtown sites. Due to cool and wet weather, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time exploring the Riverwalk. I guess we’ll need to come back again for that.

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Time to Monkey Around

It had been a while since we hit a zoo and we found out San Antonio had a nice one. We packed everyone into the ride and headed down. We love zoo’s I don’t know what it is but each of us has our favorite animals and we just love seeing these creatures in real life. We saw Jaguars, an untold number of funky monkeys, a baby anteater hitching a ride on its mom’s back and many others that would make Dr. Dolittle proud. This zoo really packs a lot of exhibits in a relatively small space while still keeping the animal environments decently big. We had a great time. The pics will tell a better story than I can. One cool thing we saw was during lunch, we had packed a picnic and decided to sit and watch the Giraffes. This zoo has a Giraffe feeding area that’s attached to the elevated lunch area we were sitting at and the animals come right up to within 5 or 6 feet of you. Very awesome to see these big guys at eye level. Colette, Sienna , and Lennox also made these plastic injected molded toys you can get at a machine in the park for $2. Both Katie and I had these little treasures when we were young so it was a cool moment to share that with the kiddos. San Antonio Zoo.

Cowboy hats, Cowboy Boots and….Cowboys!

One thing both Katie and I wanted to do on this trip when we were in the west was attending a rodeo. It just so happened that our timing was such that we hit town the same time as the huge San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. At first, we looked for tickets and found nothing for under $200. We thought we were out of luck. Then late one night, on a whim, I checked to see if anything was available. To my astonishment, we found five tickets in the nosebleeds. (center corral?) So the next day off to the rodeo we went. What a spectacle. So much pride in the event from both the attendees and the participants. You could really feel these people’s American pride and happiness. We saw buckin’ Broncos, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing and of course bull riding. We won’t pretend that we’re longtime fans of the rodeo or even know much about what a “good” ride is, but we certainly found a new appreciation for the men and women that call this their profession. We had a blast and at the end, we were treated to a country concert from the band Midland. Katie the girls and Lennox really had a great time and hopefully made some memories.

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McLeod Kids – Texas Junior Rangers

So as many of you may know, our kids love the Jr. Ranger programs at the national parks. San Antonio just happens to have a National Park for the Spanish Missions. We decided to forgo our traditional homeschooling and supplement it with some good old-fashioned hands-on experience. There are four missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park; Mission Conceptìon, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, Mission Espada. These beautiful structures are 250 years old and in many ways remarkably well preserved. Even though these missions evoke a sense of wonder for times long past, they also serve as a reminder of a dark chapter in history. A history filled with the exploitation of native peoples and the destruction of a noble culture. The missions were built on the backs of the native peoples that lived in the area at the time. they were forced to give up their traditions and embrace an alien way of life. It’s always a bit sobering to find out the true history of some of these landmarks. It serves a good teaching moment for the kids. Katie and I just hope that they come away with a deeper appreciation of cultural diversity and the notion of right and wrong. This is a really good tour and you can bike from mission to mission if the weather is nice. Our weather was cold so we drove, which is just as easy.

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Meatfest 2018 – Chama Gaucha – A Dinner in Pictures

St. Valentines Day – Big Air and Time Machines

We always like to do something special for the kids when holidays come up. Valentine’s Day was no exception. Katie and I celebrated the night before so we could spend the whole day and night treating the kids to a fun outing. We chose a spot to go to during the day but we didn’t tell the kids. We like to surprise them! We just happened to be talking to my parents when we drove into the parking lot of the destination when all of a sudden Colette let out an ear piercing scream. This was quickly followed by Sienna and Lennox. My parents must have thought we crashed. Really we had just pulled into Altitude Trampoline Park. This place was awesome. The whole floor of this massive warehouse was covered in trampolines. There was a foam pit, basketball nets, and dodgeball courts to play at as well. We spent the day going nuts. I managed to reclaim some old days of glory by pulling a double front flip into the foam pit. The kids were in heaven. The only downside was that Katie and I Spent the next couple days recovering from pulled and sore muscles.

 

Later that evening we went to dinner at what we found out was a local San Antonio landmark; The Magic Time Machine. This place was the perfect place to end our day. First off, every table is built into its own nook and has a theme. The theme could be anything from a cave to dragons lair. We sat at a table with a rocker theme, which was cool for us old ones. The other really fun part about this place is that all the wait staff are dressed up as characters like Draco Malfoy, Thor or Wonder Woman. They also stay in character which adds tremendously to the wackiness of this place. We had a young lady dressed as sponge bob complete with all the funny one-liners and affectations. We highly recommend hitting this place up if you’re in San Antonio.This is a great city and we had an awesome time exploring at this stop. We’re looking forward to coming back someday. Next, we are heading out into the desert in search of some caves.

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Slow Start to a Long Journey – Part 2 – It’s Pronounced Universaaaaal

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Non-stop Amusement

So now we are to visit a set of parks I’ve never been to, Universal. We also get to celebrate a special day as my oldest is shedding her single digit age becoming a tenner! We booked a cool hotel that had a 50’s vibe called Cabana Bay. Katie loved the retro vibe. We had three days to explore all the cool experiences Universal had to offer. The most anticipated for us was the Harry Potter worlds of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

Universal has two theme parks, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. Both offer some awesome roller coasters, cool 3d rides and awesome theme areas like Dr. Seuss, The Simpsons and of course Harry Potter. Since we are on the road and space is a serious premium we decided to forgo any major physical birthday gifts. Instead, we promised the kids experiences for their birthdays. Colette’s choice was Harry Potter and she couldn’t have been more excited. In truth, I think we were all pretty excited for the experience. Harry Potter has two major areas, one in each park. Each of the areas is immaculately true to form in recreating the feeling of being in the wizarding world. The rides are exhilarating and feature all your favorite characters. The shops a fun and whimsical and all the workers (or cast members) stay in character as you interact with them. It’s a super fun experience that we highly recommend to any fan of the books. Of course, while we were there Colette and Sienna had to get wands at Ollivander’s. After watching a cool live performance of a young girl from the crowd getting a new wand from the man himself we moved into the store to pick our own. I won’t lie, the place was shoulder to shoulder packed so if you have a fear of tight spaces maybe nominate someone else to brave the crowd. Colette and Sienna got special wands that let them cast spells at locations throughout the two areas. There may have been a third wand purchased for a much older child in our group, but that will remain a mystery. Colette also got to get a robe and scarf to complete her birthday experience. She was in heaven! We cast spells, drank Butter Beer, and ate at the leaky cauldron smiles plastered to our faces.

More Harry Potter Memories

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The rest of the Story

There are a ton of cool rides at Universal and we got to ride some great ones. Two standouts for me and the girls were the roller coasters, The Incredible Hulk and Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. The Hollywood coaster was my favorite because it starts by slowly taking you up vertically to the first drop and goes nuts from there on out. There’s a lot of 3D rides and tons of characters walking around the parks. We ate, rode and got pics with some of our favorites. We really liked Universal and we plan to go back someday.

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The Great Space Coast

After all the parks and on the way to our next destination we decided to take a detour to the Kennedy Space Center. Being a bit of a space nerd I was really excited about this stop and it didn’t’ disappoint. One note here, it is pretty expensive to take the whole family to this experience. I had a bit of sticker shock but the exhibits more than made up for that. The day was spent learning about the great men and women who pioneered our journey to space. We got to get up close and personal with the old rockets and even got to see a full-scale replica of the solid rocket boosters that launched the shuttle fleet. The highlight of the visit is seeing the space shuttle Atlantis, which is one of only three left and our second we’ve seen on this adventure. There was a full schedule of rockets preparing for liftoff, including the Space X Falcon Heavy. Unfortunately, our plans didn’t line up with them but it was great to see that our mission to explore space is alive and well.

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A Great Ending

To end our marathon run in Florida we spent a week with my parents who get a place in Stuart. It was so very nice to spend a week relaxing, walking on the beach, swimming and laughing. Pete and Judy are a great couple and we enjoy having one on one time with them and the kids. We’ve been coming down to see them for a number of years and plan to continue as long as they have a place.  We also made our yearly pilgrimage to Benihana. Always a great treat with food sizzling and flying through the sky. After a great week, we packed up the car to hit the road again. We were heading to the Alabama coast and uncharted territory, it was as exciting to get back on the road as it was to leave the first time. Great adventures await.

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Slow Start to a Long Journey – Part 1 – D to the isney

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Travel is sometimes no fun

So getting back on the road after a month-long holiday break has been a bit of a challenge. But we did it! After an awesome break back home in Michigan seeing family and friends the time had come to head back out on the road. January was looking to be a busy month of travel for us. From Atlanta to Key West to Disney/Universal and finally to my folks rental on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Our first stop was my friend’s house outside of Atlanta for New Years. Mother nature had other plans and tried to throw a wrench in ours. 10″ of snow in 5 hours and a closed airport in Traverse City threatened to stop us before we started.

Delay after delay forced us to miss our connection in Chicago. We had to adjust on the fly and find a new destination to fly to get back to our car in Atlanta. It all hinged on us getting to Chicago, and finally, after 8 hours at the airport, a pinhole in the storm opened and we escaped. We were off on the second leg of the journey.

To the Keys or Bust

We finally got to Atlanta day late and got our stuff ready to head back out on the road. It was great to see our friends Randy and Betsy and hang at their beautiful home for a few more days, even greater to be out of the white fluff. On the second of January, we headed off for Key West. It was a very quick visit to the Keys as we had to be back for a wedding in Miami on the 6th. We stayed with Katie’s Aunt Jan and Uncle Bill at their home in the city. We had a great, albeit quick visit.

Welcome to Miami

Saying goodbye, we headed out of the keys for an overnight in Miami. We got to see some family and enjoying a fun wedding of our friends with lots of dancing and laughter.

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The next day we headed out to Disney and Universal. The week would be spent with Katie’s Parents, sister and our nieces and nephew.

We’ve been to Disney a few times and we really enjoy our time there. Even though it’s crazy expensive we feel it’s worth the effort for the memories. We had three days at Disney and planned to hit the Magical Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood studios. One thing we’ve realized in our visits is that Disney does not cater well to the off the cuff, spur of the moment traveler. With that in mind, we had carefully set our dinner and ride plans many months in advance. Now I’m not saying you can’t go and just wing it, you can, but you may spend a large portion of your time waiting for the popular rides and not get the most out of the parks. Since we only had three days, the more scheduled approach allowed us to see and ride a ton of stuff.

Animal Kingdom

The Animal Kingdom was up first and the new Avatar area of Pandora was open to explore. Colette was sick and Katie decided a day off was in order, so Sienna, Lennox and I headed off for a day in the park with Katie’s sister and husband (Suzi and Clif) their kids (Piper, Scarlett, and Quinn) and her Parents (Fred and Barb). We got to the park before the others and entered right when it opened. I witnessed something I’d never seen at the parks to this day….a mad scramble of people running, hobbling and darting to get to the new Pandora area. They were running to get to one of the new rides which had you fly on the back of a Banshee. In less than a half hour, the wait time for that ride was over three hours. We passed on that one and walked around the new area instead. It’s awesome and the attention to detail is pretty cool. We finally met up with the others and spent the rest of the day taking a safari, watching shows and riding Expedition Everest. The weather was beautiful and a great time was had. Colette was feeling better by the end of the day so she was able to join us the rest of the trip.

The Magic Kingdom

Day two was at the Magic Kingdom and the whole family was up and ready to go. I think this park is my favorite as there is a great mix of classic and new rides. We started with Big Thunder Mountain where we learned Lennox was not yet a fan of roller coasters. Sienna and Colette, on the other hand, could not get enough. We saw a few of the musical shows which most of our group enjoyed. The kids love the animatronics. (even the more dated ones) The kids saw a ton of their favorite characters and got photos. I selfishly tried to get Lennox to like coasters by taking him on the 7 Dwarfs Mine Ride. ( he was not happy with papa) What’s weird is that later in the day he wanted to go again. /shrug We spent the remainder of the day hitting the rides, enjoying the weather and the magic that is Disney.

Magic Kingdom Memories

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Polynesian Playtime

Disney has some awesome dining options, but one of our favorites is the Spirit of Aloha Dinner. It’s a family style experience with everyone sharing large heaping plates of Polynesian delicacies. While you eat you’re treated to traditional music and dancing from many of the islands of the South Pacific. They all culminate in an incredible fire spinning dance. This time the guy spinning fire absolutely blew our minds. Colette also got some early Birthday love from her extended family. I highly recommend this show. I even did the hula much to my families horror.

Holywood…What’s your Dream

We ended our Disney visit at my least favorite park Hollywood Studios. Now when I say that you must understand that I love all the parks, just this one least of the three. There are some cool rides at this park and a ton of good shows. In the near future, this may become my favorite park when the new Star Wars area opens. They have up’ed the ante on Star Wars activities at this park with a number of shows and demonstrations. We also went to the Indiana Jones Stunt show which was totally awesome. This park seemed a bit less packed the day we went so we had a more chill day exploring.  Alas, the time had come for us to leave our family and Disney for our next adventure. An adventure involving a birthday, a wand and a trip to platform 9 3/4.

Colette and Katie snuck to Epcot for the morning before we left.

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Let’s do the Charleston!

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A Sunny Saturday Stroll

After our spell in the mountains, we were eager to get back to the coast. We packed up the rig and headed out for the jewel of South Carolina, Charleston. (That’s what I’m calling it at least) One thing I’ve noticed, and it’s very apparent here in Charleston, is how kind everyone seems to be. I guess that southern hospitality is real. We have really enjoyed our trip south. The people and cities seem to become more and more inviting. Our first day in the city just happened to be the first Saturday of the month. On the first Saturday in Charleston they close down King St and open it to the public to walk around. King Street is the major shopping avenue in the city and all the vendors come out and set up pop-up shops and restaurants. Such a welcoming start for us.

Patriot’s Point

As a kid growing up I spent many vacations going to Kiawah Island. Kiawah is just 20 miles from Charleston so we would often head over for the day. We saw many sights, but the one I remember most is visiting the Yorktown aircraft carrier. The area is now called Patriot’s Point. (maybe it always was?!) We love seeing these old pieces of history open to exploring. After driving over the beautiful Arthur Ravenel Bridge, we got to see an aerial view of old Charleston and the Yorktown in the distance. At this location is a submarine, a frigate and of course the Yorktown. My little guy Lennox has developed a love for this military stuff so he was in heaven. Colette and Sienna would rather just get selfies from the captain’s chair. We explored the ship and learned about all the history it has experienced. From battling in the south pacific to picking up Apollo space capsules after their missions, this ship has seen some action. The flight deck and interior hanger are filled with old aircraft to see up close. This thing is crazy big…like a floating city! We also toured the USS Laffey which was kamikazied by multiple planes and had something like six bombs dropped on it. Amazingly it never sank! Both ships have cool interactive exhibits which make you feel like you’re experiencing a moment in their history. One last memory of the day was a large group of new American citizens were being naturalized on the deck of the Yorktown while we were there. Cool to see and I bet even more memorable for the participants. Definitely, a great place to spend the afternoon.

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Fort Sumter and a Little Horsin’ Around

No trip to Charleston would be complete without visiting the fort where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, Fort Sumter. The fort lies at the mouth of Charleston harbor and you need to take a ferry to get there. This site is part of the National Park system so….you guessed it Jr. Ranger Program!! The day was beautiful and we had an awesome ferry ride out to the fort. (We saw dolphins!) Once there, we disembarked to explore the site. The fort visit was another nice piece of history that fit well into the narrative we have been learning since the beginning of the trip. Since we were one of the last trips of the day we got to do something really cool. Colette, Sienna and I  participated in the ceremony of lowering the fort’s flag. Since both the girls are Girl Scouts they helped bring the flag down from the pole. I jumped in (with about 20 other people) to help fold the flag. A great experience to put an exclamation point on our patriotic visit. Lennox got to see a bunch of cannons so he was psyched. We wandered around the ruins learning and having a fine sunny November day.

We decided one of the best ways to see the city would be to take a horsedrawn carriage ride. If you’ve been following our blog then you know that Sienna was out of her mind excited. We chose Palmetto Carriage Works and we had a great driver. A young man who claimed to be 16th generation Charlestonian. Given the heavy southern drawl he could pull off we believed him. We saw some old beautiful homes, let a bride and groom get some pics in the carriage and learned some quirky local history. It was a great way to see the city and we all had fun. After the tour, we walked the streets for hours and took in even more of this beautiful city.

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Trees, Food and an Unexpected Namesake Tour

Sometimes we find some strange but cool things on our journey. One such thing was a visit to one of the biggest trees on the East coast, The Angel Oak Tree. Off the beaten path a bit but well worth the visit. This tree is a big mama jamma!

Every now and again Kaite and I get a moment to ourselves. So with a babysitter watching the kiddos we headed out for some fun. I always cherish the moments when it’s just the two of us. I love my family but we need our alone time as well. We strolled the streets, did a little shopping and had a fantastic dinner at Mcgrady’s Restaurant. The restaurant was amazing. Just 22 seats and you get to watch the chefs create magnificent dishes a few feet away. This is not a cheap dinner but well worth the money for the experience and a nice night out with my love.

So after a fantastic week, it was time for us to move on to our next destination. However, I had on last stop for us. I found this location by happenstance as I was out running one day.

The McLeod Plantation. Since it bore the same name as us(though no relation that we know of) we had to go visit. The property was beautiful even though the history it embodied was heavy. As a working plantation during the time of the civil war, slavery was prevalent. There’s the main mansion and a number of smaller structures still standing. A stunning Live Oak lined road leads up to the front door. As with most plantations in the area, the original cotton crops had long since died off but they had a small area that was cultivating an ancient strain of cotton local to the area. I’ve never actually seen cotton growing, but I’ve learned so much about the negative history of its beginning, that seeing it grow kind of made the history more tangible. It’s somewhat sobering when you stop and think of what horrible atrocities were perpetrated over such a simple plant. After the war, the plantation fell on hard times and was eventually turned over to the city of Charleston.  Now it’s a historical site managed by the city of Charleston. We appreciated our visit to this plantation though I think the kids are a bit burnt out on historical visits! ” uugghh! not another history place!”  was a phrase I heard uttered in one form or another from each of the kids. As this was our final stop we loaded up the car and headed off for one of our final destinations before ending the first leg of our year on the road.

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Random Charleston Memories

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Spooktacular Williamsburg, VA

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A Little Fiesta to Kickoff our Visit

The drive from DC to Williamsburg was an easy one and we got a late start after visiting the final resting place of the space shuttle Discovery. We arrived at our lodging a bit later in the evening and didn’t want to go shopping for food so we went to the local Mexican eatery Jose Tequila. I only mention this place as it will have some significance later in the visit. For now, I will leave you with this photo to ponder.

We spent a week in the Historic Triangle area. This area consists of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. From a historical perspective, this was a great stop for our lessons as this area sees the end of the American Revolution and the birth of America. We started in Jamestown, which was the first English settlement in North America. It’s amazing to think that the first explorers to North America choose these very shores on which to make landfall. It’s nice to see these sites being preserved if only to acknowledge the feats and follies of our every evolving nation.

Jamestown

The actual historic site for Jamestown is an actual archeological site. Archaeologists are still excavating and finding remnants of the settlement. We were able to view some of the work in the old chapel on the site. (Cool in a nerdy sort of way) After hanging at the historical site for a bit we ventured over to the much more kid-friendly Jamestown Village. The kids loved this part. The settlement is an interactive experience which features a recreated Native American Village, a working Jamestown village, and replicas of the three ships that brought the first settlers. People were dressed in historically accurate garb and spoke with a bit of the ole’ brogue from that age. We got to speak with all the characters and learn how the old villages worked and what the villagers daily life was like. We loved it, cool experience for the family.

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Colonial Williamsburg

 

Colonial Williamsburg is a fun place for the family. It’s built on the foundations of many of the historic buildings from the late 1700’s the people are dressed in period garb and there are many shops and historical reenactments to make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. We went in the off season so there weren’t many people there. I also think this is the reason only about half the shops were open. They have a schedule of events everyday which tells you what’s open and closed. Maybe it’s the season or a bit of a game to sell more tickets, but you would need to spend at least two days in the park to see everything open. We felt that one day was enough for us. We saw cabinet makers, blacksmiths, an apothecary, a weaver and much more. Ther wig shop was closed, which our friends said was a highlight for their kids. My oldest could have spent more time here but we knew our 7 and 4-year old didn’t have the stamina. The good news is that there is so much to see doing another trip would not be out of the question. I’m trying a new idea with this post in that I’m letting the pictures tell most of our story and trying to have less of a wall of text. We’ll see how it pans out.

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Yorktown

Yorktown marks the last battle fo the American revolution. A fitting capstone to our historical journey that started all the way in Boston. There are two sites in Yorktown. A car tour of the battlefields and a really nice museum with movies, interactive displays, and some replica outdoor experiences. What amazes me most about this journey through history is the enormity of the distances and the communities that were affected. You really get a sense for how the American Revolution and the Civil War just turned life on its head for much of the population of the time. Katie and I have such a deeper appreciation of the sacrifices and impossible decisions that were made to create the nation we have today. I think that the kids have retained some of this great knowledge as well which we hope will serve to make them inquisitive about our country, the world and people around them. E Pluribus Unum – From Many One.

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All Hallow’s Eve

Such a good Halloween this year! We were worried that being on the road would be tough for the kids, but our reservations were unfounded. Katie did amazing makeup work, Halloween Express provided the outfits and we found an awesome neighborhood in which to trick or treat. Remember the image from the top of the post? Well, enjoy our sugar skull vamp Sienna!

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Southern Vice

This trip wouldn’t be complete without sharing one of my many southern vices. Chicken and Waffles!!! So good…a little salty..a little sweet and add some spice!!! Just kill me now. (the globs of fat will get me later…haha) I also found that my girls and Lennox had a vice of there own…and it came with sprinkles!!

Fun in the sun to top it off

Most of the Airbnb’s we stay at are apartments or small homes but this was actually a part of a resort.  Our 80-degree weather combined with pools and mini golf spoiled us.  We enjoyed some relaxation, fun and lots of water time.  Golf can be a little challenging with our ultra-competitive family as you can see from the photo below.  If you’re looking for a great vacation Airbnb we recommend Kingsgate, Williamsburg.

 

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Sweet Escape

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On the Road Again

We had the great idea of shooting inland for a bit to visit a location that gave us great access to fun for the kids and some deep American history. The fun would be visiting a town that was literally created by chocolate and the history would be capped by visiting the location where Lincoln read the Emancipation Proclamation. Hersey, PA and Gettysburg. Now, I should have learned, having been traveling for a couple months, that long transition drives are brutal. This drive from the Cape to the Hersey, PA was no exception. 8 hours of congested and busy roads through 5 states. The kiddos did great. Mom and Dad however, had to make a sanity stop in New Haven, CT to gain some composure and have some world famous coal-fired pizza! Our good friend Clif suggested we stop at one of two pizza joints in New Haven. We chose Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and let me tell you folks, it was the bomb. Thin, crispy and full of flavor. Pizzas were served on sheet trays and everyone just grabbed for some pie when it came. This is a must stop for anyone traveling through this area. We had some of the more basic pie’s and didn’t learn until we left that one of the real gems there was the white pizza with clam and bacon. Oh well….Just another reason to go back!

Pepe’s Pizza
Coal-fired Oven

Gettysburg National Military Park

After such a long drive we all slept well. Feeling refreshed the next morning we decided that this sunny day would be dedicated to learning about the Civil War at one of its most important locations. After about a 50 minute drive from Hersey, we pulled into the Gettysburg National Military Park visitor center.

If you’ve been following along with our posts you know that American history has been a big part of our experience. The kids, although young, have followed along very well and absorbed a surprising amount of information. They really got a lot out of this part of our journey, asking deep questions and attentively listening as Katie and I tried our best to do justice to the history around us. The visitor center had an excellent museum. There was a short movie that gave a detailed overview of the war and the what happened on the different days. After the movie, you go upstairs and view another presentation. This presentation highlights “Pickets Charge” and uses a 340 ft hand patined circular mural from the 1800’s to showcase it. The mural is mounted against the wall in a large circular room. It was very cool to see art and history so seamlessly blended to great impact.

Luckily we weren’t on our own in trying to relay the importance and accuracy of what happened during those three days to Colette, Sienna, and Lennox. Gettysburg has a Junior Ranger program! I can’t stress enough how cool these programs are. They are fun for the kids, make the history around them super accessible and give them a sense of pride and accomplishment once they finish. So after picking up the kids Jr. ranger packets at the visitor center we got back in the car and started our driving tour. This tour would take us through the three days of battle and immerse us in one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War. There are over 1,300 monuments scattered around the battlefields. Some were simple plaques and others were ornate statues standing 20ft+ tall. What was impressed upon me most from this experience was how one battle, one moment in time born from thousands of decisions, set us on the course towards freedom and equality for generations to come. As you drove around the battlefields, you can’t help but feel the weight of the 10’s of thousands of souls lost during those three days. Powerful stuff to say the least.  But, it was not all solemn during our tour. The kids found ways to bring happiness and we had a beautiful day to experience it all.

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After a full day of visiting monuments and finding answers hidden on the tour, we ended the day with all three kids getting sworn in as Jr. Rangers!

This just happened to be close to the location where Abraham Lincoln issued the Gettysburg Address which referenced that most famous of executive orders, the “Emancipation Proclamation”, signaling the end of slavery and a march towards freedom for all. We even got to spend some quality time with Abe!

Kind Abe
Grand pappy Abe
Hey Abe, it’s over there..
Hanging With Abe

Random Act of Disney

When we returned from the battlefields, Katie and I had a surprise waiting for the kids. It just so happened that in the town of Hersey there is a huge convention center. And at this convention center happened to be a performance of Disney on Ice featuring all the new characters from Frozen and Moana. The kids were super excited. Having seen the ads for this show all my life but never having been to a performance I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be great fun. The characters flew around the ice, dancing, and interacting with the audience. The costumes were top notch and the visual effects were spectacular. It was a great night for all and a good lead-in for our next adventure in the morning…..Chocolate World!!!

The Land of Milk and Cocoa

So I went into this Hersey idea thinking it was going to be a cheesy hyped up money sink. I’m happy to say I was wrong. Now it is still a place that will make your kids want you to spend some cash, but it wasn’t that cheesy. Hersey’s Chocolate World is a well thought out branded experience that brings out the inner kid in all of us. When you walk up to the building you’re greeted by an awesome facade of candy bar characters and historical Hersey models.

Upon entering the building your senses are assaulted (in a good way) by bright candy colors, pleasing upbeat music, and the scent of Hersey”s chocolate. (I’m fairly sure they pumped it in) We opted for the full gamut of five activities that the experience offered. It’s a great deal and filled our day with Hersey goodness. We participated in a chocolate tasting with an official Hersey Paletteer.

We took an automated tour that was like a carnival ride. A little cheese here but it did give you a great overview of how the chocolate is made from sourcing to the shelf at the store. Very accessible for the kiddos which was nice. Best of all you got an original Hersey bar to eat at the end. We then watched one of those 4D movies about a  chocolate mystery at the factory. Colette, Sienna, and Lex loved as it was in 3D and things sprayed at them and popped out from the ceiling and screen. The coolest thing came next when we got to make our own Hersey chocolate bar! You could pick the type of chocolate, what things went inside and on top, and you got to design the package it was delivered in. This was by far the most bang for the buck. We all really enjoyed making the bars and we all got these awesome Hersey Tins as keepsakes. This is a MUST DO if you come to the experience.

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The final experience we had at Hersey was a trolly tour. This was a haunted tour so the kids got to dress up in their Halloween costumes early. The tour was fun. A couple of young men led the tour from the front of the trolly, They were actors and told jokes along with the history of Milton Snavely Hersey…and yes his middle name is Snavely! They passed out candy and we even sang songs. The kids laughed and had a blast. One very cool take away was that the Hersey’s could not have children of their own. Becuase of this they created a school for orphans and paid their tuition, room, and board. The school still exists today as the Milton Hersey Shcool. Since it began in 1909 each student from the school has been given a brand new $100 dollar bill upon graduation. Also, a certain percentage of the proceeds from every piece of Hersey candy sold goes to funding this school and numerous grants and scholarships. Old uncle Mitly was a pretty good guy it seems.

Our trip to Hersey and Gettysburg was a ton of fun and we probably could have spent a couple more days there. We didn’t even touch the amusement park so I guess we’ll have to come back for another visit. I know that the girls and Lex will be up for it. And nothing could more fitting to cap this post off than three kids getting whacked out on giant Hersey Syrup jugs!!

 

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Unfortunate Events and Positive Outcomes

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Even during the most epic and happy journeys “life” happens. On September the 26th, the darker side of life happened for my family  and I. On an unassuming evening, while my kids were having a blast at an elephant rescue turned gymnastics/ninja warrior studio, I received a call from my brother telling me that my parents had been involved in a single car multi-rollover accident. It was serious. My mom was unconscious and my dad was very shaken and confused. They were both in the ER and tests were being run to check on the extent of their injuries. You will never have a more helpless feeling than being 1000’s of miles away and having no way to help. I couldn’t even get much information from the nurses since everything was happening so quickly. Thank God my brother Pete was in the car and on his way from Chicago to help and be by their side. Details were sketchy, but in an effort to avoid debris in the road the car swerved into the median, caught the soft earth and rolled 3-4 times. And they were in a convertible! The gods must have been smiling on them since the car, after flipping over, landed on it wheels.

My parents are in awesome shape, but they are almost 80 years old. They exercise regularly and eat well. I’m a huge believer that this has led to a great quality of life for both of them. I believe in this even more after the accident, as their recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. Much of this speedy recovery can be attributed to the lifestyle they were living before this happened.

My brother Pete was there first, My oldest brother Andy came a couple days later and I was able to fly back soon after. By the time I came back to see them, they had been moved from ICU to a rehabilitation wing of the hospital. Seeing my mom and dad for the first time after all this happened was gut-wrenching. Even though I knew they were on the road to recovery the visual of the two of them in beds, badly bruised, swollen, stitches and in pain, was too much for me. I cried. (Tears of sorrow that they were in pain and suffering and tears of joy that they were both still alive.) Much hugging and kissing commenced. Over the time I was there I saw them get better and better each hour. I have to give credit to the wonderful nurses, doctors and medical staff at Genesys Regional Medical Center. They gave excellent care to my parents, almost loving care one could call it. They really took the time to work gently with them, reassure them and give them the confidence to recover. I know my brothers and I are forever grateful for the love and care they showed my parents.

Flash forward to October 13th. (Friday the thirteenth to be exact.) 18 days after my parents were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, they were able to walk out the front doors and return home. What a blessed day. They still have quite a road to full recovery. Wounds need to continue to heal, confidence needs to grow and normalcy needs to be found. They are now at the home they’ve lived in for 40+ years. Hearing their voices now that they are home I can tell things will end alright. This whole ordeal has reinforced my belief that you need to seize opportunities presented to you and live life on your own terms every single day. So at the end of this horrible event, we have found a ray of light. Thank you to everyone that sent prayers and love our way. It meant the world to our family and helped us get through this time.

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We’re coming straight oughta Camden…..

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Spring St. Homebase

…And time for a break. After moving every few days for the last few weeks, a much needed stoppage was in order for everyone. We booked an Airbnb in Camden, ME and settled in for the week. First off, the home we booked was awesome and very close to downtown. Camden is a quaint harbor town on the mid-coast of Maine. At this time of year, the crowds are not bad and it has been unseasonably warm. We aren’t complaining. Spending a week on the Maine coast with 70-80 degree weather is pretty awesome.

Welcome to the yellow house
always great to have a parking spot to fit our big ride
beautiful stained glass
decorated to perfection
comfy bed makes happy people

Sails and Views

From the edge of the harbor you can look out onto peaceful water and still sailboats sitting majestically in their beauty.  It is a site to be remembered and I could sit and stare off in absolute peace here for hours.  If you look up you will see Mt. Battie and from up top the completely opposite view is equally as breathtaking.  A beautiful slice of Maine from sea to sky.

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Library Love

Sometimes you need to get out of the house to study and we were so lucky to have the most amazing library a short walk away.   I wish I had more photos because it is the most beautiful space, but I suppose we were too busy with our nose in the books.  All the kids loved library time and I discovered much less whining happens while teaching in public spaces.

Crack anyone? (Oh I mean candy)

If there are tourist there is usually some sort of sweet indulgence but this straight out of Willy Wonka’s wonderland and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the name of this gem is Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe.  The kids were literally screaming when they walked in, observers were laughing because every step lead to another exclamation of “oh my! They have this!” “Come look at this!” “I’m in heaven!” “Wow!” “Wow!” “Wow!”  Such joy followed by the extreme pain of having to decide on what to fill a small bag with when faced with 10 million options.  We made it out with happy children, who soon were hyper children on sugar OD.  It’s really bad stuff, (as I chomp on a delicious malt ball) Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe  57 Bay View St., Camden, Maine

Uncle Williy’s Candy Shop
Salt Water Taffy in barrels
sweeeeeeet
decisions, decisions…
Jelly bellies for miles
sugary sugar skulls
going old school
flavors anyone?

“Schooner Surprise”

It’s hard to believe growing up on the water I’ve never actually sailed on a boat bigger than a hobie cat.  Well, if you’re going to sail I’m guessing this is like starting in a dream.  The beautiful “Surprise” is a 99-year-old schooner that has been meticulously up-kept.  As we left the dock we experienced a close-up view of hundreds of amazing boats moored in Camden’s Harbor, WOW!  the most amazing treasures.    Soon we were raising the sails and letting the wind take us away into the Penobscot Bay.  The ocean waters made a warm day brisk but the air felt fresh and sailing was both calming and invigorating if that’s possible.  Our hosts Nicole and Ramiro were charming, full of stories about the boat, history and their lives sailing.  It took me away to the romance of sailing and for a brief moment I thought to myself, we should totally live and travel on a sailboat, that passed seconds later when I realized I would have no clue what I was doing.  Haha…  Schooner Surprise

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Owl’s Head Lighthouse

Maine lighthouses…. yes, although we have been in Maine for awhile we actually haven’t seen that many lighthouses.  It was exciting to venture out to Owl’s Head which overlooks the Penobscot Bay.  Whoa, do my Midwestern roots come out when faced with pronouncing these “east words” it makes me feel like I’m learning a new language or butchering the only one I truly have.  Back to the lighthouse, a few things which make it really cool is it is working and you get to climb up into it to see the prism light in action.  So neat to see the shape and the way it projects light.  Another amazing thing was what seemed like millions of lobster buoys dotting the ocean.  It is mesmerizing and hard to imagine how many lobsters must be crawling around down beneath.  What a beautiful view of Penobscot Bay from the lighthouse and after a short walk away was a great little beach.

up…up…up
Sienna in the sky
Owl’s Head Lighthouse
three and a half…Lennox isn’t a fan of photos
the prism light
Colette ready to climb
rare selfie
Power!
rock climbing man
Sienna perched
Matt always venturing onto something
walking sticks make everything better
snapshot of the personalities
it doesn’t take long before everyone is wet
beautiful ocean
balancing act
and this is my Maine

Adventures in Boothbay Harbor

Oh Yeah!
Look at this catch!
Wicked Whoopies!

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

I don’t know if the rest of my family was as excited as I was to go the botanical garden but I had heard it was amazing and something intrigued me about it, so off we went.  Let me tell you, the kids would surely return for an entire day.  The gardens were beautiful even in the early fall but the children’s area was as if you stepped into a fairytale.  Small houses full of wonders, boats, gardens, rope bridges, it was a small curated adventure land.

Exploring the ocean and wicked whoopie pies

The ocean is quickly becoming the place the kids love most, so much intrigue in what they will find next, from sea glass to small creatures.  The slippery craggy rocks offer even more adventure as we try to navigate a path and the warm fall days have made our time even more desirable.

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