Day 45

Dave and I had both been semi-dreading our night the day before as our neighbors moved in all around us as well as in the middle of us!  Every since I first started camping as a child, there is a rule of a invisible boundary around campsites.  Apparently these three or four families decided that was not a rule at all!  At one point the kids even parked their bikes in our parking spot for the car!

There were quite a few kids, older teenagers, and adults in these two site so Dave and I looked at each other thinking the night was going to be quite loud.  We joked about finishing all the beers in the cooler just to have a good nights sleep.  We did share a few beers but our night was surprisingly quiet and we all slept quite well.  

The morning was chilly and Dave started on pancakes early so we could get on the road pretty quick. 

The kids were up with the delicious smell and we were packed up and on the road by 8 which is probably a record having a cooked breakfast.  It's nice having that guy around to share the load!

We decided on the first hour or so of backroads then we would stop for a stock up and drive on the highway for the rest.  We had about a 6 hour drive ahead of us so we wanted a least some of it to be enjoyable.  After about 45 minutes all the kids faces were turning green in the back and we had to stop.  Dave and I felt like we'd been on a roller coaster too!  The drive was beautiful though and we especially loved all the old barns and look what we ran into around a corner!

Dave and I switched driving so I could have some fun and Ryan decided to use Dave as a target.  We were back in an area where we had cell service so he was go through all his emails from the past few days.  Every 30 seconds or so we would be pegged in the head by taped up balls of paper!  Whatever keeps them smiling!

We stopped for a quick stock up on food for our last few days in the woods as well as a quick ice cream.  The kids and I had hit Smokey Mountain National Park last year on our way north so I knew it would be beautiful to share with Dave.  One of the parts of the park we'd missed was Cades Cove so I decided to have us camp there.  I knew it was going to be a fun drive when we still had 45 minutes and only 10 miles left!  The temperature was dropping about a degree each couple minutes too!

We checked in, grabbed some firewood, then set up our site.  Have I mentioned how nice it is to have Dave helping?  We're on our 3rd day of camping and everything takes about half as long with him around!  While I did our dishes from snacks in the car, the kids played target practice with their rubber band guns and lego guys.  

We decided on a hike of the nature trail nearby after a little while.  Every nature trail we'd ever done so far had been a flat, wide, accessible, winding path through native plants and trees.  I had everyone stay in flip flops.  I should have known better in the Smokey Mountains!   

We learned a lot about the native trees in the area as the kids read the interpretive signs along the trail.  The afternoon was beautiful  and we were getting a little relief from all the heat in the woods.

This girl is so happy to have Dave back.  She wouldn't let go of my hand the entire trip and now I haven't seen her for days!  The only way she holds my hand is if she's already holding his!

Once we got back to the site and all the groceries put away, Dave started cooking dinner.  He even had an assistant chef!  

After dinner and dishes all the kids wanted to throw the football with Dave.  I took the opportunity to get everything ready for the night.  The girls enjoyed teaching Dave about poison ivy as we've run into so many different varieties these past few years of trips.  

Our next night program was one Brayden was really looking forward to - a night hike!  We got dressed and headed over to the shelter to meet the park ranger and get on our way.  

Our park ranger was fun and he told stories at a few stops of the history of the park.  The kids really enjoyed learning about the Cherokee so we'll be sure to focus a little more time on that this year. While we were hiking there were rangers on the trail doing studies on bats we were seeing flying above us.  I was hoping they were going to take a minute to talk to us, but I guess not everything can be a learning opportunity!

We walked on a cut through road of the Cades Cove Loop back toward the park in the middle of one of the horse pastures.  There was a half moon so the sky wasn't all the dark, but it was absolutely darker than what we see at home.  The big dipper was hanging low in the sky and it looked so close as if you could grab it.  The kids were more impressed with the ranger's laser pointer as they've seen so many dark skies on this trip.  

The ranger ended the trip with a wonderful quote from President Lyndon Johnson played on a small tape recorder, "We must not only protect the country side and save it from destruction, we must restore what has been destroyed and salvage the beauty and charm of our cities … Once our natural splendor is destroyed, it can never be recaptured. And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted."  The ranger then thanked us for his job which I thought was awesome and we thanked him for a wonderful hike. 

We were all asleep within minutes of zipping the tent closed.  We had a big, full day the next day as we would be trying to eek out every last minute of our last day.  

Day 37

In years past we usually had a break from sleeping in the tent every 10 or 12 days.  For me it's been 36 days straight and I think my body is actually used to it now.  I've been sleeping as solid as I do at home the last week or so.  Perhaps it's because we've been so busy but it really is refreshing to wake up in the morning after a solid night's sleep on the road.  It also means I'm not up at sunrise to start getting things ready, writing, or cooking so we're setting off a little later than usual.

As I was just starting to sit down and write, Brayden popped out of the tent fully-dressed with his sleeping bag already rolled up.  I asked him if he might be sick as this has NEVER happened but I think he just might be ready to leave and pick up Dave!

We decided to make some hot chocolate, bagels, and yogurt for breakfast and he got to work.  This was his first time actually lighting the stove so he has a lot shorter hair on his forehead now!  Ryan and I decided to add a few veggies to our bagels - so delicious!

After packing up like a very efficient team, we said goodbye to Sleeping Bear and got on the road to Grand Rapids.  Ryan decided to update our countdown post-it note display!

Our original plan was to head to Kalamazoo to stay with my friend Lydia and her family then I would head back up to Grand Rapids when Dave's flight arrived.  But since we would be going back to Grand Rapids the next day to a museum, Dave got us a hotel.  The kids didn't know it though so once we pulled into the Hampton they were extremely confused!  No, they don't live in a hotel.  No, they aren't staying here.  No, we aren't in Kalamazoo. Surprise!  We get beds tonight!

The kids were ecstatic and as soon as they could get changed we were swimming in the pool.  They met some other kids so they played pool volleyball for awhile.  This version if you knocked it into the hot tub you got an extra point so the boys were hitting the beach ball just about as hard as they could! We headed back up to the room and everyone settled in for a nap since Dave would be flying in so late.  The two hours flew by as I wrote and read through my 439 emails.

Checking around for things to do, I'd found a family night discount at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum so after a quick dinner at Moe's we headed that way.  This museum was probably a little young for Brayden but he still had a bunch of fun.  Their set up was very open and unique and they had a lot of new things the kids had never seen before in all our museum visits.

Ryan looks like a natural at yet another career - construction worker!  Complete with a little butt hanging out!

The grocery store is always a hit!

This bank had a working atm and teller drive through window!

 Can't beat a restaurant with a wood-fired oven for pizza!

Brayden was a bit too big for this climbing wall!

Our family veterinarian is busy bathing dogs.  This guy was just diagnosed with a broken tail and leg so I'm not too sure he was ready for this bath!

I need to make one of these at home.  Brayden could spend hours spinning stuff on this table!

We closed the place down!  We headed back to the hotel to read another chapter of Ryan's Harry Potter book.  I checked Dave's flight and saw that it was actually early so we scrambled to the car to make sure to get there to greet him.  Just as we'd left Ryan noticed she couldn't find the sign she'd made for him so we had to go back and run back up to the room.  We found an owl drawing she'd done for him but that was it so it would just have to do.  Once we got in the car after wasting 10 minutes of course it was found with much celebration.

Luckily the airport was only 5 minutes away so we made it there quickly and parked.  We speed walked inside and checked the arrival board to see where he'd be walking through.  Just as we looked down the long hallway to meet him he was right there in front of us!  Ryan jumped up in his arms and Laney and Brayden flanked the sides while lots of Dads smiled at the reunion.

The kids talked his ears off for the next 20 minutes until we got back to the room.  The kids got on their pajamas but I knew they'd never go to sleep so I suggested we go to the pool since it was still open another 30 minutes.  Dave and I shared one of his Canadian beers as the kids jumped and canonballed until they were finally tired.

Everyone collapsed in bed and immediately started snoring, happy that we were all back together again.

Quote of the Day - "How many more hours until we pick up dad?" said by all three kids about 37 times each.

Day 34

So every day on a giant road trip can't be all fun and festive.  There comes a day when you just can't find any more clothes for your little people and you have to do laundry!  Today was the day.  After a late breakfast of delicious fruit and flat potatoes (Ontario's very of hasbrowns), we head to the local laundromat.  I have a stash of games and activities set aside just for days like this when my little people have to deal with all the waiting that takes place during big people activities.

While Brayden finishes his 327th book of the trip, the girls get to work on making some bracelets.  I'm happy to see the commercial size washers, but as I shove all the clothes in there I think maybe I am overloading this thing.  I put my money in and hope for the best though!  I'll gladly pay a couple extra bucks to not be hanging out doing laundry all day.

After about $8 in quarters the clothes were just about dry but all I had left was a 20 dollar bill.  I apologized to the owner as I handed it to her for change and she handed it back to me with an extra quarter to get them dry.  It is wonderful for my kids to see such kind people exist in the world!  I quickly folded all the clothes and we stuffed them into my car.  I looked out over the harbor and noticed how dark the sky was so we made the executive decision to head to the library.  We talked about our good luck picking the day before to explore the island!

The kids all grabbed a stack of books and magazines and hunkered down for the storm.  I hopped on the wifi to update the blog and monitor our weather conditions.  There was a giant band of rain coming and I was just happy to be inside something other than our tent!  I must have read 15 books by the time the rain stopped!  Brayden is getting to the age where he's too old for picture books but I keep catching him looking as I turn the page and smiling at all the funny parts even though he's reading another book.  That just went by way to fast.  Before I know he's not even going to talk to me about what he's reading anymore!







Once the rain stopped we discussed our options for the afternoon.  The kids decided to go feed some deer at Deer Ranch.  Of course the fawn elicited the most "awwws" and "so cutes" of the day.







We bought a package of crackers and cup of carrots to feed the older deer.  They were following us around so it must have been the good stuff!

We walked around the enclosure a couple times to make sure to see everyone.  There were a few other enclosures housing a bunch more deer, but we couldn't see too many as it was more of a forest habitat.  We did spot a white deer which I didn't even know existed!  Or perhaps it was an albino deer?

After much debate in the gift shop over souvenirs, we left empty-handed to discover another park. This one reminded me so much of my childhood with a see saw, merry go round, and monkey bars.

Oh, and I can't forget the metal slide!  I remember slight burns in the summer time on the backs of my legs in Florida!












The sky started to darken again so I checked my phone and it looked as though we had another band of rain coming within a couple hours.  We headed back to the campsite for some pizza on the grill. The girls met some new friends to play with while Brayden had some guy time in the tent with his coveted Legos and I could sort through the laundry.




 









Once the wind started picking up we headed to the tent to read and wait out the storm.  I peeked out the window once it to check the sky and remembered I wanted to take a last picture of the bridge all lit up before we left in the morning.  Without my tripod or monopod I knew it wouldn't be spectacular other than a great reminder of our time here.

We fell asleep to the light pitter patter of rain on the tent with our fingers crossed for no crazy storms.

Day 31

I was up with the birds this morning checking out the sunrise and writing about our past few days.  I've found that if I routinely write it's not too cumbersome, but if I take a break for more than a day or so I start dreading it.  Plus my accounts of those days are much less detailed and boring!

We knew we wanted to get on the road pretty early this morning, so the kids finished their boxes of cereal and we packed up.  We had a pretty terrible cell connection here.  We'd called Dave three times from three different locations yesterday where the signal looked strong in the small city close by but each time about 2 minutes in the call was dropped. So this morning once I got anything close to 3G we called Dave.  As we were finishing our tales of the last few days, I spotted a sign for u-pick raspberries, so we turned for a fun unexpected stop.

The raspberries were beautiful and so plentiful!  We made it down one of the short rows and had 2 full quarts already!  As we were walking back another lady picking gave us the scoop on the golden raspberries that are even sweeter, so we headed to those rows and topped off our packages with those. Delicious!

Right about halfway through our drive, we stopped at a children's museum.  We stop at so many science museums, especially since most are free for us, that the kids welcome a stop at a place where they can just run and round and play.  They played all kinds of different jobs like optometrists, veterinarians, dentists, doctors, orthodontists, pit crew, chef, and farmer just to name a few.  They don't realize it, but they are still learning!!

Brayden was so excited to see one of his favorite exhibits in the kids museum - the air tubes!

After our standard 3 hours, the kids were finished so we headed on to our next park.  They were all getting a little testy so I started dinner as soon as we were all set up.  While they were eating the two kids next door come over and asked to play so they were all super quick to finish.

They all played ladder ball while I pulled out my laptop and started editing pictures - so rare for me before 10pm!  At one point the mom commented on how well-behaved my kids were right along side hers who were bickering back and forth.  While I appreciate her saying something encouraging mine to behave, what she doesn't realize is mine had been fighting with each other practically the entire day too!

The new kid crew walked down to the playground as I was finishing cleaning up and I joined them a little bit later.  It was so nice to have some adult conversation with their mom as we watched them play and become fast friends.  This just isn't normal for my super-shy kids!

We sat around their fire and watched the kids play.  I learned a lot about the state parks in Michigan as this family were frequent campers as well.  As I saw the sun dip into the trees, we headed with the majority of the other campers to the beach access to watch the sunset.  The kids had a ball runing around the kid-made lake at the shore of Lake Huron.

We headed back to their fire for some s'mores and conversation and once all the kids were yawning we all headed to bed.  My kids are quickly turning into night owls and sleeping in until 8am!

We were very fortunate to have 3G service at this park - exceptionally rare! So I made a point to let Dave know to be free at night.  We were able to chat through skype until the wee hours of the morning to catch up on all those things you just can't do in a 2-minute phone conversation.

We areall very excited that our countdown had reached 5 days before we see him!