Mom, July 15

Day 9:  Ontario OR to Home.  For our route - we took Hwy 20 west out of Ontario, then at Riley we took Hwy 395 south until it intersected County road 5-14 and headed west through Christmas Valley.  We had to jog around a little on County road 5-10 until we hit Hwy 31 N, which met up with Hwy 97 S.  After that, the Crescent cut-off to Hwy 58 and home. 

 

Yes, we are home - finally.  And in quite a few ways, I'm going to miss being on the road.    It was lovely to sleep in my own bed last night though - I won't miss hotel beds!  I will miss the ice cream every day, but I think I need to be getting more exercise before I start that again - I gained 10 pounds over this vacation.   :)    Over all, a great trip, and it has given us lots of places to want to visit for longer.

  

So, the stats:

Van, fully loaded....5500 pounds

Miles driven....7,141

Tanks of gas...23

Average mileage....19.3 mpg

Evan, July 15

Last night we got to a Sleep Inn very tired, but we ate dinner at the Winger’s next door.  And then we swam in a pool inside the Sleep Inn.  And we swam for like 45 minutes.  When we got back, Mom tried to take a picture of us while we were changing, and we hid by the door - if someone tried to open the door we would be not very happy.  

Today the most interesting thing is that we’re almost home.  It's like, I think, 34 miles by now to home.  And we crossed the desert today - very hilly.  We went through a different part of it before but this part looks a lot like the same.  We saw a whole lot of mountains, and a whole bunch of really big rocks - about as long as the mountains. 

The whole trip was really really really really really fun.  I want to do it again next year.  I’m done.

Emily, July 15

Last night we stayed in Oregon.  And swam in the pool.  And when we came back Mom tried to take a picture of us naked, but all she got was a picture of Dad.  And we were all trying to hide by the door.  It was funny.  

Today we got up and I was the last one to get up and then we we drove for a really long time and then I played on the Gameboy and I had to pass it back to Allison so she could play on  the Gameboy and then I got another turn on the Gameboy.  And then we stopped and we had a bathroom break.  I saw a Dairy Queen, actually I saw two.  And I saw the snow mountains, and cows and horses and a whole bunch of trees.  And a rock jumped up on our window.  I thought it was a balloon popping.  It made a giant mark.  And we’re almost home, and I’m excited - I don’t know why, I just am.  And that’s all.

Mom, July 14

Day 8:  Kalispell MT to Ontario OR.  OREGON!  Whee!  No more pumping gas, sales tax, and at least I'm used to the ways people drive like idiots here.  :)  So this morning, we left Kalispell and it's lovely little historic hotel and drove south on Hwy 93 around Flathead Lake (which is beautiful) and then along the Mission Mountains (which are amazing too).  At Missoula, we took off on Hwy 12 over the Lolo pass.  I used to work at the Selway Ranger Station, about three miles off the highway, and it brought back quite a few memories.  We didn't head up to the Ranger Station, but kept going and turned at Kooskia onto Hwy 95 all the way to Ontario.  Tomorrow (hopefully) = Home.

Evan July 14

The most interesting thing today was that it was 102 degrees in Idaho when we were there.  It was so hot!  Especially with a black shirt on.  Today we went over Lolo Pass and it was a very twisty road and Mom used to work near there.  We would saw very big rocks in a rapids on a river near the highway.  I really wanna go rafting when we go home.  I don’t want to think about it...then I’ll want to do it more!  Tomorrow there is a 99% chance we’ll get home.  Unless we get 4 flats and we only got one spare.  We were in three states today...Montana, Idaho and Oregon.  That’s enough for today.

Emily, July 14

Today we woke up and got packed up and ate breakfast at the hotel.  I got blueberry yogurt but I didn’t like it.  It just didn’t taste right.  We drove for a really long time.  I played the game-boy once.  I tried to do crow’s feet but it didn’t work.  We went over Lolo Pass and it was fun because we got to stop at rivers.  We threw sticks in the river.  It was a twisty ride but I didn’t get carsick. We are in Oregon and it’s great because we are almost home!  

Mom, July 13

Day 7:  Havre MT to Kalispell MT.  Not so much distance, and we stopped early since the next town's dog-friendly hotel was booked up.  Glacier was beautiful, but a fire had run through since the last time I was here, and there were a lot more people.  Yellowstone seemed much less crowded.  It made me a little sad, since I wanted Randy to like it, and he didn't enjoy the crowds either.  And the moose was gone by the time Randy could get there.  :(    (BTW - that photo with Evan's entry is zoomed in 125% or something.)  At any rate, we've got a lovely little hotel room and I'm going to catch up on some Zs.  With any luck, tomorrow = OREGON!

Evan July 13

Yesterday, the most interesting thing was the wind.  It was really strong and it blew me back, and when my back was to the wind since I’ve been sitting in the car I ran really slow but the wind made me go really fast and I almost fell over.  We saw lots of rolling
hills in North Dakota and the grass was like a green ocean because of the wind.  Because it was swaying and the waves were all moving around.  The day was long and slow because it looked like the car was going really slow because the hills were all the same.  And it was long because we drove 650 miles.  

The eagle was at our hotel. She was going to some eagle thing and was staying the night with her people.  Cool!  The people were nice - we talked to them at the pool later.  

This morning I woke up, and had a waffle - it was good.  The most interesting thing today was the weeping wall in Glacier National Park.  Because it was a long like wall that was made out of rocks, and it was not man-made.  And it had a whole bunch of little waterfalls that sprayed our car (and me.)  And today we saw a moose, well mom saw a moose.   Because there was a whole bunch of cars parked so that we couldn’t go through and so dad told mom to go and see what it was.    

Emily, July 13

Today we had breakfast and I had cereal.  And then we drove for a really long time and then we got into Glacier.  We saw snow, burnt trees, and the Rocky Mountains.  Someone made a little snowman in the snow.  We saw flowers and really pretty views like the picture.  But I liked Yellowstone better.  Then we drove for a long time and we kept on calling hotels because we couldn't find one.  And then we finally found one.  And then we went into our room and put everything in there and then we went to dinner and then we went to a park.  And there was a bunch of mosquitos.  And then we went back to our room, and then I had to do my blog.  And.  

That's.  All.

Mom, July 12

Day 6:  Crookson, MN to Havre, MT.  A long day, somewhere around 650 miles on Hwy 2.  This morning there was an incredible headwind that probably killed our mileage.  I mean really incredible - we got out of the car to get gas and felt like we would be blown away (think Crown Point strong).  And not gusty, but pretty consistent.  The kids have been doing great, but are obviously tired.  We put on the DVD player today.  I saw a coyote in a field today too.  Evan will explain the eagle tomorrow, I think.  I am tired too, and have laundry to fold.  More interesting tomorrow, I hope - we're going to Glacier NP. 

Evan, July 12

I’m not blogging tonight because I’m really tired.  And I’ll do it tomorrow morning.  

Emily, July 12

Today I smelled one skunk and it was really disgusting.  It was only the second skunk I smelled on the whole trip.  And I watched Meet the Robinsons and Toy Story 2.  They were funny.  And I got a bubble gum ice cream and it had real bubble gum in it.  And we stopped at two hotels to see if they weren’t full, but they were all booked up.  And we went to a gas station and it was really windy.  And me and Allison wanted to stay in the car.  And we didn’t get to stay in the car because we had to go to the bathroom, and Evan had to go really bad and someone was already in the bathroom.  We saw like a million trains today.  And one was an Amtrak train.  And that’s all.

Mom, July 11

Day 5:  Munising, MI to Crookston, MN.  The hotel last night had, of all things, a waterslide.  We ate at a Australian-themed restaurant (with local food - Randy had a pasty) and then the kids closed the pool down.  A highlight for them.  I have decided that we could just eat out and stay in a hotel with a pool in Eugene, and the kids would have just as much, if not more, fun.  It's more than a little annoying when we have to remind them about say, Niagara Falls at the end of the day that we saw them.  Anyhoo, we stayed on Hwy 2 today and although we missed most of the major thunderstorm we still got to see a lot of lightning, tons of rain and wind, and were warned on the radio of a tornado.  Exciting stuff!  We did a lot of driving today, and not much scenic stopping.  We did meet a traveling bald eagle at the hotel this evening though.  

Evan, July 11

Last night the pool was fun - the first thing I did (Allison dared me to) was go on the slide.  And I did.  I sat up at first but then it got boring and so then I went laying down and then that got boring, and then I went backwards on my tummy.  And that wasn’t boring.  I kept on getting jerked around.  And then we had to leave because it closed.  This morning we woke up, and when I woke up the TV was on the weather.  And it said we might have a T-storm.  Dad turned the TV off and we went to breakfast.  I had waffles - they were good.  Especially the syrup, and the donughts and the poppyseed muffin and the orange juice.  

And then we left for uh, I don’t know where.  We went for awhile until we came to Lake Superior and then I put my feet in - it was super cold!  When we stopped for lunch we jumped around and chased butterflies.  I caught two at the same time, and I kept on catching them again, until we had to jump in the car.  Then we went to the gas station.  Then we got some gas and I washed five windows.  When we were doing that mom asked for where the nearest PetCo is.  Then we went to another place and we asked them where the PetCo was and they gave us better directions and so went there and got Willy some puppy food and then we looked at all the animals in the PetCo.  It was fun.  And then we left.  We drove to an ice cream shop in the middle of nowhere and got ice cream.  It was fun.  Then we left the ice cream place.  For some reason Emily ate all her ice cream first.  Then we saw a whole bunch of lightning and the news reporter kept on announcing about a thunderstorm that we weren’t even going to go through that was very severe with hail the size of a quarter.  But we didn’t even see that. 

Emily, July 11

We drove for a really long time and it was boring.  And then I don’t know what the heck we did ‘cause I kinda forgot.  Oh!  We put our foot in Lake Superior.  And we went to PetCo to get Willy some dog food.  And we got a rawhide and he ate the whole thing.  And then we went to the ice cream shop.  And Me and Evan got cookie dough, and Allison got licorice, and Mom and Dad - I don’t know what they got.  And then we went to a gas station - I don’t know why.  And that’s all.  And we drove for a really long time.  

Mom, July 10

So, as the kids have noted, we're back on the road.  Once again, I'll try to summarize so that maybe the kids' posts will make sense.  So, the return trip:

Day 1:  We left Monday from Massachusetts at around 9 am or so.   Took I-93 north to Bow (just short of Concord, NH) and visited our friends there.  (Thanks for lunch!)  Then on some smaller roads west through NewHampshire and Vermont.  We stopped for the night in Middlebury VT, which seemed like a lovely little town, although the insects were ferocious.  And for the record, we all said goodbye, just the night before we left.  I was even up at 5:30 or something and said goodbye to Grandpa Ernie in the morning, although I'm sure I was a little bleary, and I went back to sleep right afterwards.  The movie Emily mentioned was Goonies.

Day 2:  Middlebury, VT to Niagara Falls, Ontario.  From Middlebury we went to Fort Ticonderoga, NY, taking a small ferry across the skinny bottom part of Lake Champlain.  The fort was pretty interesting, with lots of history about the English vs. the French, but not a lot about it's role in the Revolutionary War.  From there we took Hwys 8 and 104 across the state to the border.  Crossing was easier than we were led to believe.  We found a hotel and walked down to see the falls all lit up.  I must say that I never expected so much glitz at the falls.  It was a late night, and so the kids didn't blog.  And I must say that the Skylon Tower advertisements were really annoying.  (Worse than me reading all the Wall Drug signs!)

Day 3:  Niagara Falls, ONT to Tobermory, ONT.  We walked down in the morning to see Niagara Falls again, and decided to try the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride.  Randy stayed behind with Willy - NO DOGS ALLOWED.  He would have hated it anyway - we got absolutely soaked, and I think the poor dog's greatest fear is sprinklers.  The boat ride was really, really fun - the only thing that might have made it better was a temperature greater than 70 degrees.  We did dry pretty quickly though.   Willy's highlight was being part of a group photo with some German tourists.  I was waiting for Randy and the kids to get back from the bathroom and watching this group of four taking pictures of each other (three at a time).  I offered to take one of all of them, and they wanted to hold Willy's leash to keep him out of trouble.  So he got to be in their picture.  I'm sure it will make for an interesting story for them.  "Wer ist der hund?"  

Anyways, we left Niagara Falls at around 11:30 or so and headed north to St. Catharine where we were going to get our oil changed (every 4ooo miles!)  We met lots of very friendly and helpful folks there, first just trying to find the VW dealer, and then, after they were too busy to do the work, going to a different repair shop and getting it done there, not to mention the kid in the park that I thought we might end up just taking with us.  So the VW repair manager recommended a ferry that ran across Lake Huron - even printed up a schedule and fees sheet off the internet.  So, we changed our plans and headed northwest to Tobermory, where we stayed the night. 

Day 4:  Tobermory, ONT to Munising, MI.  Got up very early in the morning to catch the first ferry out of town.  This one was a lot bigger than the last!  The ride was very nice, even though we had to stay on deck with Willy.  It was a little chilly, but we had chairs in the sun and were comfortable.  Allison's fleece jacket is lost somewhere - you folks in MA, keep an eye out for it!  After we got off the ferry, we pretty much just drove through Ontario on Hwy 17.  Very beautiful.  Still no moose sightings.  Crossed the border at Sault Ste. Marie (thanks, Susan for helping me pronounce that right!) and were randomly selected for a search.  They only spent about 10 minutes at it.  Randy said they looked under the hood.  ?!  There's barely room for an engine in there!  Emily was worried that they might have seen her undies.  I made up the rest.  :)  The weather turned nasty somewhere in Ontario, and is drying out now.  We didn't see much of the UP through it.  Maybe more sun tomorrow? 

To explain kids stuff:  The chsssh sound was the doors on the ferry to the automobile section - You pushed a button and then they un-airlocked or something.  Evan was very chatty today, and Emily was grumpy - I don't know why.  She slept on the floor because they've decided that three in a bed is too many.  Tonight Allison is on the floor.  

Evan, July 10

Today we woke up at like 6:30 in the morning to get on a boat that carries cars to a little Island.  We started at Tobermory and went to South Baymouth across Lake Huron (or so mom and dad think they remember).  The boat had this capsule thing that went chsssh every time it opened.  It was really cool.  The boat was really big and I went to the gift shop that had some nail clippers that I really wanted but Mom didn’t have any money and I didn’t know that Dad had some money so I didn’t buy it.  And I have two bug bites on my thumbs that really itch.  Then we got off the boat and I felt really wobbly - I thought I would fall over.  And we got off and Dad took a picture of Mom driving off the boat.  And then we went to this place where they just turned on the games and we played them free.  Then Mom, Allison, Emily and Dad played a Rocky and Bullwinkle one and it was pinball.  And then we went to a gift shop but didn’t buy anything but a bunch of postcards and I think we filled out all of them.  And then we just kept on driving until Dad found a coffee shop and he got some coffee and me alllison and emily ran into the bathroom and I shut the door and it was really crowded in there, and then we walked along the dock and saw a whole bunch of cool boats - one of them was a police boat.  And then we walked back to the car and then we got in and started driving again.  And then we drove until lunch, at a Dixie Lee’s, I think.  We got chicken subs and I think a Ruffles.  And they were really cheesy and thick cut.  And we got Lays and they were dill pickle flavored.  And me and Allison got small cans of Sprite and Mom and Emily shared a 7-Up.  And then we drove until we came to a Dairy Queen.  And we all got butterscotch dipped.  It was really yummy.  And then we got back into our car and drove across a giant bridge that went really far.  And it was mostly yellow.   And then we crossed the border of Canada and went back into the United States.  We were random so these police officers had to check our car.  They poked every single underwear we had in our car too.  And then here we are, driving still.  And I really hope that we get to our hotel soon.  And I hope it has a pool - indoor.  Because I don’t want to get wet outdoors from the rain.  That’s all for today.

Emily, July 10

It was really boring today.  Dad woke me up and I was cold and freezing ‘cause I didn’t have any blankets only a sleeping bag and that’s all.  The boat ride was boring too.  Even I tried to go to sleep on the boat, but I didn’t sleep not even an eensy bit.  But I got to go to the front and that was boring too.  Then we went out of the boat and then we went to the coffee shop so we could go to the bathroom and me and Allison and Evan all ran into the bathroom at the same time.  And then we all went pee.  And then we went out of the coffee shop and drove a long time and then we all got out at Dairy Queen and it was still raining.  And then we stopped and people had to investigate our car and Mommy said that they poked every single pair of our underwear.  And then we went to a gas station.  And then we’re driving again until we get to a motel and I don’t know which one.  And now it’s Evan’s turn to bloggy blog blog.  And that’s all.  

Evan, July 9

Yesterday we woke up and got on a ferry.  The ferry moved by a cable so the ferry wouldn’t float away down the river - I mean lake.  It was Lake Champlain.  When we got off teh ferry we went to Fort Ticonderoga.  My favorite part was the cannons.  Three of them could fit a person in it.  It would be interesting to be shot from a cannon - maybe.  The rest of New York was kind of boring because we were just driving and driving and stuff.   We got to the border of Canada and we could see the mist of Niagara Falls.  When we got over the border we saw this funky casino and a bunch of weird buildings and the Skylon Tower which had a bunch of annoying advertisements.  We went to the Apollo Diner and then we went to bed.

Today:

We were in Canada.  I couldn’t sleep because Emily kept putting her feet all over me and so was Allison so it was like ropes all over me.  And then I woke up in the middle of tthe night and Allison said, “But I only have five dollars” and Emily snored.  We got up and packed the car full and then we left it and went to see the falls.  And we went on a boat that was called Maid of the Mist VII.  We got super wet and we persuaded Dad to come on but he wouldn’t go because he was scared.  And then we went to the gift shop and I got a carabiner with a flashlight and a whistle.   And then we went back to the car and we drove off to some Dairy Queen in the middle of nowhere and we got ice cream.  And then we left there and here we are driving.  And we’re planning on going on a ferry tonight or tomorrow morning.  That’s all for today. 

Emily, July 9

Yesterday, we went on the ferry across the river.  I liked the ride.  We took a picture of me, Evan and Allison.  And then we went to New York and Fort Ticonderoga.  I liked watching the flags go up, ‘cause all the flags were different.  And then we went to Canada.  And saw the waterfalls.  And they were lit up with lights.  And Allison weared Evan’s coat.  

Today we went to the car and had pop tarts for breakfast.  And then we went to see the waterfall and we took a boat ride in between them and Daddy didn’t go because he had to stay with the dog because the dog was not allowed.  The boat ride was really fun.  Then we went to the gift shop and I got a package of mints.  And Allison and Evan got one mint ‘cause I gave one to them.   And Mommy and Daddy didn’t want one and Allison gave hers to Evan after she had a taste of it and so Evan got two.  And that’s all. 

Evan, July 7

Yesterday we said goodbye, and Emily and Mom didn’t get to say goodbye because they were still asleep.  Grandpa Ernie left at five o’clock and Nana had to go to work too.  And then we had to pack up and drive away.  It was sad, I didn’t want to leave.  I didn’t get to say goodbye to Grandpa Ernie because I didn’t get up at five o’clock.  

We drove to New Hampshire and went to our Dad’s friend Mitch’s house for lunch.  It was fun - I got two Pokemon games.  P.S. they have a trampoline.  Then we went to Vermont and stayed the night there.   And the town’s name was Middlebury.

Emily, July 7

Yesterday we left Nana and Grandpa’s house.  When we were there we watched a movie and I forgot what the movie was called but it had a bunch of kids and there were trying to find pirate gold.  I read books behind the chair when we were watching the movie because the movie was really scary.  Also we went over to Uncle Roger and Uncle Kenny’s houses.  I ate cake at Uncle Roger’s house.  And I cooked marshmallows at Uncle Roger’s house.  And Sam kept on burning marshmallows and giving them to other people.  And almost everybody didn’t want one but I took one.  And when I went to Uncle Kenny’s house he didn’t have the trampoline.  And that’s all.

The drive yesterday was really long, and I got to play on Evan’s Gameboy.  I got to play Gumby.   And we went to a boat dock.  And then we had to go to our hotel.  And Evan slept on the couch.  

Mom, June 27

There are no VW dealerships in Jamestown, NY.  Nor VW mechanics.  But, according to the most esteemed mechanic in Jamestown (pop. ), it’s ok to drive with your check engine light on, as long as it isn’t blinking.  At least on GM vehicles.  Not a lot of options, so we checked the gas cap, oil, and any other fluids that we could, and since everything looked fine and the van was still running well, we decided to press on. 

We headed back to the Alleganys and Hwy 6 in Pennsylvania, intending to take it across the state, but there was a detour that took us back north, so we just kept going back into NY near Eldred and got on Hwy 417, and then Hwy 17.  After that, to save time, we just got on the turnpike.   

Made it in about 8:00 pm local time.   Tomorrow (or Monday), the mechanic!

Evan, June 27

Today we woke up, ate a really quick breakfast and watched the news, and we saw that a levee broke in Missouri and it was the last one.  And then we drove to a gas station in Yew Nork, and then to a McDonald’s somewhere on the interstate and got ice cream.  Mine melted so fast that the stuff went down my arm and Willy had to lick it off.  And I got two cones with my ice cream.  And then we got back in and started driving.  And we still are.  

Oh yeah, and yesterday we played “Would You Rather...” and it was really fun.   

Emily, June 27

Today we drove for a long time, and then finally we stopped and I got to have an ice cream with an ice cream cone.  And it was really good.  And we’re in Massachusetts and it’s going to be really fun.  I’m going to see my Nana and Grandpa.  And my daddy got a whiffle ball and a whiffle bat for Father’s Day from my mom .  

We played Rubberneckers and it was really fun.  And we went through a bunch of toll booths and it was really boring.  And my brother when we were playing rubberneckers he had to wave his foot at the window and someone had to wave back at him.  And that’s all.   For today folks.

Mom, June 26

Day 6:  Warsaw, Indiana to Jamestown NY.  Randy brought his bike for exercise, and finally had the opportunity to ride.  He headed roughly north and east out of Warsaw, and after I fed and loaded the kids, we headed off to meet him.  Picked him up in a town called Syracuse, then headed north on Hwy 13, then east on Hwy 6 (Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Highway).  Finally started seeing lots of cornfields.   Jumped down to 224 through Fostoria, I-76 around Arkron, jumped up to I-80 (after it stopped being a toll road), and then went north through the Alleghenys on 8, and 62 to Warren - where the check engine light came on.  So we quit for the night in Jamestown.  More later!

Evan, June 26

Today we went through 4 states Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Yew Nork (New York).

Emily fell asleep and snored really loud so i couldn’t sleep in the car.  Oh yeah, and I played rubberneckers.  I had to find things that were on the three cards i had, and after that you get the points and a new card.  And I got truckers to honk for us.  

Mom, June 25

Let's see - I somehow feel like the kids are leaving quite a few blanks in their reports.  Randy has been the main driver, and I think it wipes him out so he isn't helping here either.  So...

Day 4:  I already wrote about that - Billings to Chamberlain, South Dakota

Day 5:  Chamberlain to Madison, Wisconsin, where we stayed with my sister and her husband and two kids.  We took mostly I-90, but jumped off in LaCrosse and took some back roads through Westby, Viroqua, and Richland Center.  

Day 6:  We hit the road late because we wanted to visit a little longer, but still made it from Madison to Warsaw, Indiana.  We took Hwys 12, 47, and 30, because we were completely sick of the interstates.  I wouldn't recommend 30 as a way to avoid Chicago though - sprawl hell.  Much nicer after we got past Valparasio.  

What might need explaining?  The dog park was in Sioux City (we just stumbled upon it, lucky us), the blizzards were too big, the macaroni and cheese was fried, and I really did knock the water glass into Randy's plate.  I know nothing of the Yogi Bear episode, I was in the front seat.  Oh, and the "creepy fairy tale land" was some sort of 1800's-themed amusement park.  Even the gas station was themed.  And it was late, and un-manned, so it looked abandoned, but shiny new all at once.  It was creepy!

And since you've been asking how Willy travels, I attached the photo.   And Dave, sorry about your lawn.  Wouldn't you know it, that's the only place he's left such a mess.  

Evan, June 25

In Madison we played a game were you throw balls at each other we had space helmets & fire helmets & football helmets & i have 4 bug bites.  Today was boring, we just drove & drove, until we stopped to have lunch at a bar, i had chicken fingers, emiy had mac & cheese, allison had the same, mom had a club sandwich, dad had a fily cheese steak and then we just kept on driving.

Emily, June 25

Today I sat for about two hours and it was really boring.  And we stopped finally and I found a port-a-potty and it had a juice box on the floor; an Elmo juice box.  I did definitely not taste it.  I got to see my cousins in the morning, and me and my cousin Joshie were pretending we were ghosts.  Woooo.  Wooooooooooo.  Woooooooooooooo.  And my little cousin Ryan played with a little thingy-clock.  

At lunchtime I had macaroni and cheese in these little case things.  And they were really good and I gave my mom a bite.  And I had french fries with it.  And my mom spilled her water on my dad’s sandwich.  And it was really funny.  Daddy didn’t think it was funny - he wanted to clean it up right away.  And I think he wanted to get a new sandwich.  And I got some lemonade, and so did my brother and sister.  But my mom and dad didn’t.  

Emily, June 24

Today I watched Yogi Bear with my brother and my sister and it was fun because on one part Yogi, he made a bear scout camp and um there was this little boy and he was trying to make a fire.  And he never made the fire and he ate cold beans.

We went to Dairy Queen and we gave some of my brother’s ice cream to the dog.  And we went to a dog park and I found these little rocks that were pink.  They were really cool.  Outside I saw a horsie and a cowie and trees that I liked.  And that’s all I want to write today.  

Evan, June 24

Yesterday we were in South Dakota.  We went to Wall Drug there was a giant dinosaur it was loud.  There was a lot of signs about wall drug, and it annoyed Allison when mom read the signs.  Then we went to the Badlands. It was made of sandstone.  We got to climb the rocks and also we almost ran out of gas but, we found a gas station in a creepy fairy tale land.

Today we watched yogi bear.  It was fun. Yogi bear stole picnic baskets from the ranger in Jellystone.  Before that we went to a park and kicked the soccer ball around and went to a river.  And Willy ran around like a lunatic.  And that’s really all.

And today we went to Dairy Queen - me and Allison got root beer floats, and Emiliy got a swirl cone and mom and dad got giant blizzards and we got to eat the rest that they didn’t want.  Tonight we are going to Madison to spend the night at our cousins’ house.  I can’t wait to see them!

Mom, June 23

Yesterday, started in Billings, waited too long for coffee (for Randy) and took I-90 east to Hwy 212, into Wyoming and then South Dakota, where we caught I-90 again, after a little jog on Hwy 34.   We stopped at Wall Drug, then took loop 240 through the Badlands at the speed of light in order to make it to the visitor center before it closed.  I almost ran us out of gas but was saved by a Shell station in Belvedere or something.  

We found a Holiday Inn Express for the night, and the mosquitos are plentiful.  It sounded like it was raining as we drove in the twilight.  I'd feel bad for the little buggers, but enough of them survived to bite me several times this morning.

Evan was too tired to blog last night.  Allison has a headache.

Dad, June 23

Yesterday the scenery started taking a backseat to wildlife.  Sorry, no fraternities around that I could see.  Wildlife that I am referring to is those things in nature that move on their own.  Hiding for them was a challenge as there is nary a bush or tree to be found.  Started the day in Billings, Montana and ended in Chamberlain, South Dakota.  We saw lots and lots of antelope, a few buffalo, the odd deer, and for birds we saw lots of different kinds.  

I guess where I was most impressed was insects on the windshield and other parts of the vehicle.  Especially the last hour or so last night.  It was like a steady rain on the windshield but it was small bugs.  Those skweegees at gas stations become imminently important!  Unfortunately in Lame Deer, MT yesterday we have bug guts in abundance and the station...the only one and we were low...was creepy and lacking in service.  It was on a reservation and meth is pretty popular.      

Emily, June23

We drove for 12 hours today which is too much.  I liked Wall Drug and the Badlands.  Wall Drug had a dinosaur that roared and it scared me a little.  But it was fake.  The Badlands I liked because we could climb on the rocks and we saw a herd of buffalo.  Earlier we saw a bunch of antelopes.  They were cute.  For breakfast I had a maple bar.    

Mom, June 22

In an attempt to make sense of the blog here, Evan is writing his entries by himself.  I am transcribing what Emily tells me (And I do prompt her once in a while, or they would be really short and extremely off-topic.)  Allison is old-fashioned, and is keeping a written journal.  The entries in general have been sparse because we're still trying to figure all this out, as well as the fact that Randy starts feeling green if he tries to type while in a moving vehicle.  I haven't really felt very chatty.   Not to mention that we've been driving until about 9:30 or 10 at night.  

Our trip so far:

Day 1:  Eugene (after school) to Bend, stayed with kind friends who put us up.  Thanks!

Day 2:  Bend to Pocatello ID, mostly on Hwy 26, and I-84.  Stayed at a rather nasty Ramada.

Day 3:  Pocatello to Billings, MT.  I-15 to Hwy 26, then north on 89/191 through Teton and Yellowstone Parks.  We were going to stay in Livingston, MT, but there was a State of Montana Veterinary Convention at the dog-friendly hotel.  So we're at a Comfort Inn in Billings instead.

Thanks for the encouragement, and I'll try to at least keep making sense out of the kids' posts.  Hopefully, you'll be getting a postcard soon, but you're on your own with those.  

One thing I thought was funny.  Emily sent a postcard from Eastern Oregon to Nana (in Massachusetts) saying "We're almost there!'.  Wishful thinking.  

Emily June 22, 2008

 

I saw some buffalo today.  I really liked seeing buffalo.  And my dad wanted to see boiling dirt and he did.  I saw it too.  It was really cool.  There was this thunderstorm, and it was really cool.  And it was raining and hailing and I was even in the rain.  

I have a blister on my hand and I don’t know where it came from.  It’s just interesting.  And I have a blister on my foot.  It’s cool too, and the blister on my foot is bigger than the blister on my hand.

I had a cinnamon roll for breakfast, but it wasn’t as good as Barry’s ‘cause it was hot and the stuff kept hurting my hand when I tried to eat it.  

Evan 6/22/08

I am playing with legos. I have already made two cars with my legos and I’m on my  third. This car trip is really fun, but I really have to go pee. Allison is typing for me, I am going to billings tonight because in the last town all the hotels that  allow dogs are booked. We have to drive in the dark and the only  we can do is type. My favorite things we did today was a thunder storm, and some boiling mud in Yellowstone. 

Emily, June 21

It has been fun.  We get to play on the playground in Bend and in Mountain Home, Idaho.  THe most interesting thing I saw was an island in the Ochoco Reservoir.  It was interesting because it was very tiny with one tree on it.  Um.  My mom took a pretty picture of the um of the sunset!  Or it might have been Evan.  [insert photo here]  And this is what it looked like.  

And also I put make-up on at my friends house.  With my sister.  And the grownups laughed.  It was Hannah’s house.  It looked like this.  

And I played on my Tamagothci for a little bit.  And I sat in the car for a  long long time.  And I counted how many cars were on a train once.  On a different trip.

Evan 6.21.08

I WAS IN A TORNADO 

for only one minute.  But it really wasn’t a tornado, but it had a lot of wind.

I borrowed a game-boy from Quinten where we stayed the night last night.  And I played Scooby-doo and Gumby.  Gumby is hard.  you’ve got to jump on monsters until they stop.  Well, really they’re just astrobots.  But scooby doo is fun - you get to walk around and hide from ghosts in a science guy’s museum.  

Yesterday we all went to a park.  The park was big with a very very steep slide.  Today we saw cows cows cows and more cows.  And a lot of hay.  When we see hay we scream ‘HEY!”  We stayed in the desert half the day.  It had red rocks, deer, antelope and all kinds of animals.  Especially ground squirrels.  But we didn’t see any antelope.  If we did, Dad would give us a dollar.

We made it to Pocatello tonight.  It felt like too much driving.  I will write captions for the pictures.  

Almost Time to Leave!

So we have been packing and shopping and planning...not in that order. In planning this trip, we have spent HOURS poring over maps, weighing carefully one route over another, analyzing possibilities and loading routes on AAA's Triptik website. Getting around Chicago and those damned Great Lakes has proved to be a challenge. We want to avoid the traffic of the windy city while at the same time get across in reasonable time. There are many wants and needs in the pursuit of a happy road trip. We have tooled around, gone online and called around. Among our purchases are a laptop computer, Thule roof racks, a dog seatbelt thing, car wax, notebooks, games, dog tent, various electronic chargers, first aid supplies for man & beast, candy, gum, birth certificates, doggie health certificates and I am sure there is more. We have borrowed a voluminous Yakima box and bike rack, car booster seat and a big-assed tent. We got the van a 'needed' 40k service and new wipers all around. Now with a few days until we leave, the house is riddled with piles of all that needs to somehow be organized and settled in our van. That is the hard part! I am ready to throw it all in wherever it can and go. Whatever we forget we can buy on the road somewhere. Of course I hate when items are forgotten and wonder how could this happen??? The old lady is much better in this regard. She has lists all over and piles all over. We leave Eugene Friday afternoon and I imagine we will be jamming it all in beginning Friday morning.

The Plan

2008. 20 years ago I graduated from a high school on the east coast. So now I'm kicking it on the west coast. I am keeping it real by using outdated cliches with my homies in a liberal, middle class hood. There is a reunion...I am told...and I have every intention of going.

To prove my earnest intentions, I am proposing to drive my family of 5 + a puppy in our 2003 VW Eurovan from Oregon to Massachusetts for the occasion. Sounds like fun? If you think so, you are crazy like me. The kids are aged 10, 8 & 6 and it seems as good a time as any to see America. And gas being predicted at over $4/gallon, who doesn't want to drop big dollars across the USA?

The particulars: Reunion is scheduled for June 28th. We plan to leave town on June 20th from Oregon. We have friends/family in Wyoming, Montana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Massachusetts. So lodging every other night will be on someone's floor. Sites on my wish list to see include Old Faithful, Mt Rushmore, Badlands, Niagara Falls. We are looking to avoid interstates as much as possible, too. On the west coast we are thinking of staying on US 20 & US 26 mostly. We will see what happens when we hit Chicago!

Trying to pack up a van and not overpack it is my current obsession. I have been looking online at roof racks and cargo boxes to hold clothes, sleeping bags, etc. My question, is spending ~$1,000 for a 'system' that goes on the roof worth it? How will that affect my mileage? Thule has a cargo box that is allegedly the most aerodynamic model (Spirit) but I haven't found how aerodynamic it is compared with other models. I would like to bring my bike too for exercise on the road. I was thinking I could get up early and start a ride and my wife can pick me up on the road. If we use the hitch rack, then opening the hatch for meals would be an added exercise. Getting a roof rack and putting the bike up there will cover the bike with bug guts and as tall as the Eurovan is, I can see a drive-thru disaster in my future.