Day Eight: The Beach and South Carolina

We woke up .. went to the beach .. had a TON of fun .. and left. A simply wonderful day.

The weather couldn't have been better. Annelies spent the day hanging out with kids. Paradis fell asleep and got a little sun burnt. Scott went Boogie Boarding with the girls. I got a little knitting done. It was a day of Heaven for all of us.

We crossed into South Carolina around 6:00pm; state #11 on this trip. We stopped at a High School parking lot for dinner (Paradis and Scott thought that was weird) and continued driving to Orangeburg, SC. We Parked at Wal-Mart,  and made plans for tomorrow.  Fabulous, fabulous day.

Day Eight: 141 miles (2,549 total); $128.42 on gas ($1,398.92 total); 2 states (11 total); $13 Lodging  ($35 total); $0 Souvenirs ($260.58 total); $0 Tourist Traps ($698.81 total); $2 Redbox ($18 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day Seven: Georgia, Service Stop, Laundry and The Beach

We started day seven as we do most; Scott shopped Wal-Mart while I cleaned the camper and the girls slept. It is a routine that seems to work for us. Spending 24/7 in a cramped space for nearly two weeks can be volatile. But we make it work by respecting the fact each of us are different, and sometimes we need alone time.

                       

We left Florida and drove north along the east coast on our quest to Georgia. We crossed the border and got another photo.

As we were driving, the generator stopped. The generator runs everything in the RV while traveling down the road. It gives you power in your outlets and runs the major things (e.g., air, microwave). With temperatures reaching 80, the air conditioner has been running nearly the whole drive. We stopped at Camping World in Savannah. The service guy told us the ‘charging station’ I showed you earlier was pulling too much power. “What?” I asked. “How can a generator that is only suppose to power the RV equipment not service our laptop, camera battery, two iPads, two DVD players, two TVs, and three iPhones?” Lesson learned …we all agreed to go on a ‘power diet’. Literally.

We didn’t plan on a beach stop during this trip, because we’ve spent many vacations in Florida. But Scott and the girls could smell the ocean and I couldn’t keep them away. So we changed our plans and will skip Virginia this trip, and visit Walton’s Mountain another time. That will allow us to spend a day on Tybee Island – just east of Savannah. That is what I love best about our ‘ad lib’ traveling, we adjust on the fly.

We arrived in Savannah and they dropped me off at Spin City, a Laundromat. If you know me, you know I had a great time; I spent the time washing clothes, working on my PC and knitting. Scott and the girls went to the beach and had a fabulous time. I knew within minutes of them hitting the beach, this diversion was a great idea as they sent me this picture!

We ended the night shopping at Wal-Mart, and the grocery store. We went back to the RV, baked some chocolate chip cookies (with ice cream), and played a game of Life. All is well in Savannah, Georgia.

Day Seven: 296 miles (2,408 total); $99.68 on gas ($1,270.50 total); 2 states (11 total); $12 Lodging  ($22 total); $145.29 Souvenirs ($260.58 total); $519.81 Tourist Traps ($698.81 total); $4 Redbox ($16 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day Six: Disney World .. ALL Day

We were one of the first few to walk into Epcot at 9:02am. We spent five hours there and I would say the girls saw everything they wanted. Of course we didn’t see and do it all, but with a five hour timeline one must identify priorities. It didn’t seem busy at all. We rode all the ‘rides’ we wanted, and never waited in line. Our strategy was a) get Fast Passes as often as possible, b) avoid all shows – takes too much time, and c) focus on the rides that were a must.

After visiting Future World, Annelies and Scott spent the entire time being secret agents for Kim Possible. It was amazing. The kids are given cell phones and are sent on ‘secret missions’ throughout Epcot’s World Showcase. I’m sure it is Disney’s way of getting parents to see everything without the kids asking, “Can we go on a ride now?” They are shown pictures, and when standing by it and pressing OK something happens. For example, smoke coming out of a chimney in Germany, a flag being raised in Norway, a hidden picture being revealed in Mexico. Amazing. If you will be visiting Epcot soon, we highly recommend the activity for kids six through ten.

Paradis and I visited each country, had our passports stamped, and made a pressed penny. We had a great time just hanging out together. These are the things I love most about our travels.

We parked at Magic Kingdom in the morning, so after Epcot we went back to the RV for some lunch, changed our clothes (we were a little sweaty), packed dinner, and simply enjoyed the air conditioning. We were in Magic Kingdom by 3:30. Epcot seemed quiet, but Magic Kingdom was a mob! Crazy busy, but we were expecting that. This stop was Annelies’, and after riding It’s a Small World, she seemed content. 

But we rode rides all afternoon, ending the magical day watching fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle and buying pins to remember the day.

Once at the RV, the girls took a shower in the parking lot and crawled into bed. We were back on the road within minutes and drove about an hour north to Orange County. Pulled into a Wal-Mart and hit the pillow. It was a magical day.

Day Five: 60 miles (2,112 total); $0 on gas ($1,170.82 total); 2 states (11 total); $0 Lodging  ($10 total); $145.29 Souvenirs ($260.58 total); $519.81 Tourist Traps ($698.81 total); $0 Redbox ($12 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total). 

I don't add food to this summary, as we don't eat out while traveling; but it is important to note we only spent $11.37 on food at Disney - one Gatorade for Paradis and ice cream during the fireworks!

Day Six: Quick Update

Scott and I woke at 5:30am, to get on the road for Disney World (just 20 minutes away from our ‘Hotel Wal-Mart’). We arrived at 6:50am, and parked in the third row at Magic Kingdom! We are waiting in the RV until the monorail opens for Epcot, so I have a little time to update totals from yesterday. Our strategy is to hit Epcot first, stop by the RV for a quick meal and freshen up, and hit Magic Kingdom in the afternoon and evening. Scott and I are looking forward to the day. The girls are still sleeping!

FYI: We are getting about 6.5 miles per gallon in our 29 foot Jayco Granite Ridge. I'm feeling like buying a Prius when I get home!

Day Five: 473 miles (2,052 total); $277.45 on gas ($1,170.82 total); 2 states (10 total); $0 Lodging  ($10 total); $18.04 Souvenirs ($115.29 total); $0 Tourist Traps ($194 total); $6 Redbox ($12 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day Five: Martin Luther King, Florida, and Lots of Driving

We started our day at the home of Martin Luther King. It was a nice stop. The National Park Service has bought many of the homes in the area and restored them to the 60’s. We loved the tour of his home. I, of course, cried throughout most of it - so emotional. 

Annelies earned her 16^th Junior Ranger Badge today. We just love National Parks!

After Martin Luther’s home, we drove eight hours to Orlando. Florida was #10 on this trip. We are planning to visit ‘The Mouse’ tomorrow ... that was #1 on Annelies’ list for this trip. We will only spend one day at Disney World, so we will start at Epcot and end at Magic Kingdom. It will be a full day!

I’m heading to bed, as we plan to get up early tomorrow … no stats tonight my friends. I’m preparing for our ‘magical day’. 

Day Four: Sweet Alabama, Civil Rights Institute and The Nazar Heroes

We crossed into Alabama, our 8^th state on the trip (our 24^th state overall). I spent the morning re-jailbreaking Scott’s iphone; the kids use his phone as a wifi hotspot for Netflix and Pandora throughout the day. We’ve already received a text from AT&T stating we are downloading too much data; since we have an unlimited data plan we ignore the messages. It irritates us. This is a photo of the ‘charging station’ in our RV! Think we may be pulling more power than the manufacturers intended?

           

We drove a couple hours to Birmingham, and visited the Civil Rights Institute. It was fabulous. Very interesting reading about the key people involved in the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham, the place it all began. Of course I shed a few tears throughout the exhibit ..

We had a little extra time in our schedule so we decided to stop at an O’Reilly’s store to buy a fuse reader, as our automated steps weren’t working. This may seem like a small issue, but in a vehicle that is two feet off the ground it is tough jumping out and pulling yourself back up each and every time you leave. We met Jerry in the parking lot, who graciously got the steps working. He took the motor apart, removed the corroded parts, and put it back together. Yes, right there in the parking lot. Amazing! The girls had a great time hanging out with his two sons, Gerardo and Ruben and their new puppy. Thanks to all three of them for giving us some of their time … they are our heroes for the day!

Yesterday I forgot to mention our friends, Dennis and Jason. They both helped us score license plates for Kentucky, Georgia and Illinois. We meet so many great people on our travels .. we just love, love, love this country!

We continued east and passed through Georgia; state #9 on this trip, 25 in total. Half-way through our goal of seeing all 50 states by the time the kids leave home. We stopped at a Wal-Mart just outside Atlanta, and cooked mac-and-cheese in the parking lot. A really good day.

                                          

Day Four: 273 miles (1,579 total); $154 on gas ($893.37 total); 3 states (9 total); $10 Lodging – dump the RV at a truck stop ($10 total); $24.92 Souvenirs ($97.25 total); $27 Tourist Traps ($179 total); $0 Redbox ($6 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day Three: Fort Donelson, The King, BBQ and Graceland Too

Our day started at Wal-Mart, where I bought another tripod; a must for those roadside shots. We drove to Dover, Tennessee crossing into state #6 on this trip.

We made it to Fort Donelson around 10:00am and toured for a couple hours. Interesting stop – the kids loved the cannons and learning about the Civil War. Fort Donelson was held by the Confederate Army, but was taken over by Grant; it turned out to be one of the most significant battles of the Civil War.

On our way to Memphis we drove through some beautiful countryside; everything is so green here. The weather is almost perfect, not too hot but not too cold. Of course a trip to Tennessee wouldn’t be complete without paying our respects to The King. The Graceland tour was a little ‘commercial’, including an audio tour (no personal tour for $32 per person!), but it was fun to see Elvis’ home with all the original furnishings. We all had fun.

Memphis is the place for BBQ, so we stopped at a local joint and Scott and Paradis enjoyed some ribs. I had a pulled chicken that was so hot at one point I said, "I'm not sure if this is spicy or if my tongue is just on fire!" Annelies ate nothing ...

We crossed into Mississippi around 6:00pm and pulled over for our standard shot. Yes, Scott hated every minute of it, but was very cooperative! I just love that man. State #7 on this trip.

The best stop of the day, by far, was Graceland Too. I’m sure none of you have heard of it, but if you are ever near Holly Springs Mississippi you need to stop and visit the home of Paul McLeod, curator and creator. I use Roadside America to find our unusual stops, and that is how I heard of Graceland Too. It's a manic floor-to-ceiling (including the ceiling) tribute to The King. Paul drinks 24 cans of Coca-Cola per day and only sleeps four hours a night. The museum is open 24 hours a day -- he says to just knock louder at night. I couldn't even begin to explain the tour, but I will say the outside is completely blue (Moody Blue), there isn't one square inch of the house that isn't filled with Elvis memorabilia and I'm sure it doesn't meet fire code standards. Just look closely at the photo below ... that is how all the rooms in his home look.

Day Three: 342 miles (1306 total); $238.97 on gas ($739.37 total); 3 states (7 total); $0 Lodging ($0 total); $22.95 Souvenirs ($72.33 total); $122 Tourist Traps ($152.00 total); $3 Redbox ($6 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day Two: Lincoln’s Home, The Arch and a Big Bottle of Ketchup

We started the day driving to Springfield, Illinois and visited the home of President Abraham Lincoln. I have to say I was emotionally moved. Our government has taken ownership of a four-block area all restored to 1880. It was emotional to stand in the living room where 27 members of the Republican Party stood and asked Lincoln to be the presidential nominee; doesn’t matter your political views, he was a remarkable man that changed our country forever. We also visited his tomb which was, again, remarkable. The four of us, all history geeks, couldn’t stop talking about Lincoln on our drive to St. Louis.

We got on the road and stopped at a couple salvage yards in an attempt to get a few more license plates. If you are new to our blog, we have a license plate map at home showing all the states we’ve visited. It is uber cool. Unfortunately we struck out at every stop; the salvage yards are required to destroy the plates to avoid criminal use. Bummer for us.

We added the St. Louis Arch to our itinerary after leaving Lincoln’s Home and we are glad we did. Wow, an amazing architectural structure. I struggled a little with the ride to the top, as the ‘elevator’ is tiny, but Paradis played Red Solo Cup and My Name is Money real loud on the way up and down so I could go to my ‘Happy Place’. Since we dipped into Missouri, we added one more state to this voyage!

On our way south we stopped at the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle. If you don’t know, my family is NUTS about ketchup. It is a necessity in our home, equal to toilet paper. I added a quote to the blog after that stop .. “This is so embarrassing,” is what Paradis said after we pulled over to take a picture, but then willingly jumped out of the RV while I set up the tripod. I just love her!

We crossed into two new states today; Missouri (we already had a state photo from our trip in 2011) and Kentucky. The Kentucky sign was across the river, and Scott refused to stop (what am I going to do with him?). So we went to a Welcome Center – notice my new head lamp Scott bought me for the trip. I love, love, love the red night vision light.

We ended the night in Murray, Kentucky at another Walmart!  

Day Two: 374 miles (964 total); $165.57 on gas ($500.40 total); 3 states (5 total); $0 Lodging ($0 total); $49.38 Souvenirs ($49.38 total); $30 Tourist Traps ($30 total); $0 Redbox ($3 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Day One: Illinois, Asthma Attack and Shower in Wal-Mart Parking Lot

Our first day on the road was a success! No stops, we drove straight through to get some miles under our belt. We are now in Lincoln, Illinois. We hit the Illinois border around 8:00pm and stopped for our picture alongside highway 80. We are far back, because this isn’t one of Scott’s favorite traditions. He gets so nervous about having the kids run alongside the highway .. I’m not sure why?!!

We ‘camped’ overnight at our favorite location .. a Wal-Mart parking lot. Why not? It is one of our favorite things about RV vacationing. We drive as late as we can (OK, as late as SCOTT can), we simply pull in the lot, extend the slide-out, brush our teeth and hit the bed.

It got so cold in the RV last night Annelies started having an asthma attack. It was easily cured with turning the heat on, and a shot of inhaler. The temperature this morning is a sunny 48 degrees.

Scott is in Wal-Mart shopping, his morning routine. Paradis and I just showered .. yes, in the Wal-Mart parking lot! I love this life and I’m so happy to be back on the road.

Thanks for all the emails and comments everyone. I so enjoy writing this blog to document our family’s adventures. Every day I feel as though all of you are right alongside us.

Day One: 590 miles (590 total); $334.83 on gas ($334.83 total); 3 states (3 total); $0 Souvenirs ($0 total); $0 Tourist Traps ($0 total); $3.00 on Redbox - NEW category this year! ($3 total); 0 fights (0 total); 0 injuries (0 total)

Back on the Road | Southeast 2012

We are back on the road my friends. Thanks for following us!

This 12 day trip traveling Southeast will take us through 15 states, covering nearly 4,500 miles. We will see Lincoln's home, Martin Luther King's home, Disney World, Great Smokey Mountain National Park, the World's Largest Ketchup bottle and Graceland, home of Elvis. Plus more.

We have rented another RV for this adventure. I picked it up in Clearwater this morning; Kari and Mark Kyllo came along with me. Thanks to both of them for helping me kick off this adventure. We pulled the girls out of school early so we could get an early start.

I'll write more as we get organized. Paradis is making us lunch ...

Grand Canyon here we come ...

I'm jumping up and down and can hardly contain my excitement ... I just booked lodging at Phantom Ranch, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for Spring Break 2013!!! Phantom Ranch is the only lodging below the canyon ring. There are only 10 beds for women, and 10 beds for men each night (in addition to some cabins used by those coming down via mule) so advance reservations are necessary and done so 13 months in advance.

We knew the hike alone would be enough of a challenge (9.3 miles one way - both down and UP), so I figured the only way I could convince my traveling team to join me on this adventure was to have a hot meal and soft bed ready for our arrival. Hiking to the bottom is very dangerous during the summer months, as temperatures can easily reach over 100 degrees, so March and April are prime months. The kids spring break is the last week in March, and that is when we got our reservations. Perfect.

I used three phones to call simultaneously and it took me 17 minutes just to get through as 'all circuits were busy'. Thanks to Lesley, Kelli and Scott for calling as well; Kelli also made a reservation, so now I have two to pick from. I need to work out our itinerary, which seems crazy since it is nearly 13 months away.

I'm currently planning two other trips. In a couple weeks (depart March 28, 2012) we will travel Southeast through 15 states covering nearly 4,500 miles in a RV. See our planning map. The first week in May we will travel to Kentucky, where we will celebrate Paradis' 13th birthday.

Lots of fun things planned. Thanks for following us on our adventure. (I'm now going to run around the house screaming, "I got reservations! I got reservations!" and maybe take a nap, since last night I had non-stop nightmares about not getting through this morning! Thank goodness my client cancelled today and I'm home.)