Friday, July 24, 2009
Really, probably the last post
Some have asked about the "Skycoaster" that Lisa, Makaylah and I rode in Colorado. Well, here's the video!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Trip Recap
Raw Data
Miles travelled = 7,895.6 (about 395 miles or 6.5 hours per day)
Money spent = $3,277 (about $23.41 per person per day for lodging, transportation, food and entrance to attractions; not included are repairs to van and souvenirs) - for those of you wondering how a pastoral family of 7 can even afford that, we saved for it and used our tax return (with child tax credit) to cover the cost
Lowest elevation = 2 ft. above sea level in New Orleans, LA
Highest elevation = 9,105 ft. above sea level in Poncha Pass, CO
Farthest West = Las Vegas, NV (went into CA but it was not as far West)
Farthest South = San Antonio, TX
Farthest North = Billings, MT
Favorite Road (kids) = AR-27 in Arkansas (kind of like a roller coaster with dips)
Favorite Road (dad) = US-285 in Texas (wide open and no traffic)
Least Favorite Road (dad) = AZ-160 (with 4 single lane construction zones) or almost anything in Louisiana or Mississippi (even the Interstates are not nearly as good as in other states)
Most Traveled Road = I-10 (we were on I-10 for 2,066 miles - 26% of all our miles!)
Number of National Monuments/Parks = 8 (Carlsbad, Guadalupe Mountains, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Little Big Horn, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore)
Number of Other Monuments/Parks = 6 (Alamo, Four Corners, U.S. Mint, Sacajawea's grave, Pony Express Museum, Crater of Diamonds Park)
Indian Reservation Driven Through = 6 (Gila River, Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Wind River, Crow)
State Capitals Driven Through = 7 (Tallahassee, Baton Rouge, Phoenix, Denver, Cheyenne, Little Rock, Jackson)
Best Unplanned Pull-off = Sacajawea's Grave (it's difficult to find, stop and ask a local for directions)
Worst Unplanned Pull-off = Deadwood, SD (unless you gamble, drink or want to walk to look at people drinking or gambling, there is not much to do in a little amount of time)
Kids' Answers
Favorite Attraction - something you saw
Makenzie = Hummingbirds at Royal Gorge (They are cute and my favorite bird)
Makaylah = Corn Palace (It was fun to look at)
Jordan = Mt. Rushmore (The lighting and the interesting facts)
Jariah = The 100ft Swing at Royal Gorge (It looks scary)
Jedidiah = Mt. Rushmore (Lighting at night)
Least Favorite Attraction - something you saw
Makenzie = Nothing (I liked everything)
Makaylah = Devil's Tower (All we did was walk around it)
Jordan = Devil's Tower (I did not find it that interesting)
Jariah = Corn Palace (Because it made me hungry)
Jedidiah = Old Faithful (Bored waiting)
Favorite Event - something you did
Makenzie = Riding over the Royal Gorge Bridge in the aerial tram
Makaylah = Giant Swing at Royal Gorge Bridge
Jordan = The Alpine Slide in Keystone, SD (It was very fun)
Jariah = Walk around Devil's Tower (Because of the rocks)
Jedidiah = Devil's Tower (It was interesting)
Least Favorite Event - something you did
Makenzie = Walking around Las Vegas (crowds)
Makaylah = Walking in Las Vegas
Jordan = The Las Vegas Strip (Crowded and too many people smoke)
Jariah = The Las Vegas Strip (Because of the clump of people)
Jedidiah = The Las Vegas Strip (crowded)
How did you like riding so much in the van?
Makenzie = I liked watching movies and playing DS but not the headaches and sore muscles
Makaylah = It wasn't that bad but it wasn't my favorite. It had rest time but got sore on my butt after awhile.
Jordan = It was OK. Jariah took up too much space.
Jariah = It was amazing because I could sleep a lot.
Jedidiah = I liked playing games and watching movies.
Favorite Hotel
Makenzie = I liked most of them but I don't have a favorite
Makaylah = Days Inn in Colorado Springs (The one with the ginormous pool)
Jordan = Prince Charles in Branson, MO (We were with relatives)
Jariah = Prince Charles in Branson (Because we were with people we knew)
Jedidiah = Prince Charles in Branson (pool)
Least Favorite Hotel
Makenzie = Quality Inn in New Orleans (roaches)
Makaylah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (The one with all the bugs)
Jordan = Gold Coast Hotel in Las Vegas (Too many people smoking)
Jariah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (Because it was nasty)
Jedidiah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (bugs)
Favorite Restaurant
Makenzie = Fuddrucker's in Billings, MT
Makaylah = Casa Bonita in Denver (It had cool things to eat and do there)
Jordan = Pizza World in Branson (Good pizza)
Jariah = Pizza World in Branson (Because of the dessert pizza)
Jedidiah = Casa Bonita in Denver
Least Favorite Restaurant
Makenzie = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ
Makaylah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (It was disgusting)
Jordan = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (It was not the best)
Jariah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (Because of the food)
Jedidiah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ
Dad's Recommendation - for those considering such a trip
1. Get a National Park Annual Pass. They are only $80 and you can get your use out of them at a lot of places.
2. If you got to a National Park, checkout the Junior Ranger program. It is different in each park and easier in some than others but it really helps the kids learn about the park.
3. WiFi is a must-have hotel amenity. A pool is nice but not necessary if you are going to arrive late and leave early.
4. Try a local restaurant (not a national chain) every once in awhile - we loved Chandler's Restaurant in Dubois, MT.
5. If you got more than 4 people, throw in a sleeping bag (or 3) into the car so you can get 1 room - save your money for attractions.
6. Consider traveling only about 6 hours each day (or less). The miles take a toll on the driver if not anyone else.
7. Arrive early and at least just before the park/site opens. There are few people that do and there is far less traffic (cars and people).
8. Plan some "surprises" for the trip - ours were a day at Royal Gorge Bridge and the Alpine Slide in Keystone, SD.
9. Plan some rest time after the trip - I'm writing this from home and I took today off from work.
10. Take a cooler for the car and keep drinks (juice boxes, sodas, etc.) in it and have a good water bottle for each person. Take snacks so you can "refuel" on the road.
11. Get a portable DVD player (and car mount) so you can entertain for hours on the road.
12. Get a copy of the Bible on tape or CD. We were able to "listen" our way through Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans and half of 1 Corinthians.
13. A hot breakfast (free) at the hotel is nice but most continental breakfasts will do well at filling you up as well.
14. Print maps and directions before you go but also take a GPS. The printed maps will give you good information that sometimes the GPS won't but a good GPS will walk you through the "steps" ahead and will let you search the area for a restaurant.
15. You don't need to take as many clothes as you think. Over half of our hotels had laundry facilities. All of our clothes fit into 1 suitcase. We only took 3 changes of clothes per person an d did fine.
16. Download or backup your pictures each night while you are recharging your camera batteries.
17. Take a tripod and learn how to use your camera's auto taking feature before the trip.
18. If you are going to a U.S. Mint, it is free but you HAVE to make reservations.
19. Service your vehicle before going and have a good trusted mechanic give it a once over before leaving. Join AAA if you are not already a member.
20. Remember you are taking the vacation to be with the very people on the trip that are driving you nuts. Remind yourself as often as it takes for you to enjoy the trip and for them to enjoy the trip. Being with them at the sites is the best part of the trip, not just the sites.
Miles travelled = 7,895.6 (about 395 miles or 6.5 hours per day)
Money spent = $3,277 (about $23.41 per person per day for lodging, transportation, food and entrance to attractions; not included are repairs to van and souvenirs) - for those of you wondering how a pastoral family of 7 can even afford that, we saved for it and used our tax return (with child tax credit) to cover the cost
Lowest elevation = 2 ft. above sea level in New Orleans, LA
Highest elevation = 9,105 ft. above sea level in Poncha Pass, CO
Farthest West = Las Vegas, NV (went into CA but it was not as far West)
Farthest South = San Antonio, TX
Farthest North = Billings, MT
Favorite Road (kids) = AR-27 in Arkansas (kind of like a roller coaster with dips)
Favorite Road (dad) = US-285 in Texas (wide open and no traffic)
Least Favorite Road (dad) = AZ-160 (with 4 single lane construction zones) or almost anything in Louisiana or Mississippi (even the Interstates are not nearly as good as in other states)
Most Traveled Road = I-10 (we were on I-10 for 2,066 miles - 26% of all our miles!)
Number of National Monuments/Parks = 8 (Carlsbad, Guadalupe Mountains, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Little Big Horn, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore)
Number of Other Monuments/Parks = 6 (Alamo, Four Corners, U.S. Mint, Sacajawea's grave, Pony Express Museum, Crater of Diamonds Park)
Indian Reservation Driven Through = 6 (Gila River, Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Wind River, Crow)
State Capitals Driven Through = 7 (Tallahassee, Baton Rouge, Phoenix, Denver, Cheyenne, Little Rock, Jackson)
Best Unplanned Pull-off = Sacajawea's Grave (it's difficult to find, stop and ask a local for directions)
Worst Unplanned Pull-off = Deadwood, SD (unless you gamble, drink or want to walk to look at people drinking or gambling, there is not much to do in a little amount of time)
Kids' Answers
Favorite Attraction - something you saw
Makenzie = Hummingbirds at Royal Gorge (They are cute and my favorite bird)
Makaylah = Corn Palace (It was fun to look at)
Jordan = Mt. Rushmore (The lighting and the interesting facts)
Jariah = The 100ft Swing at Royal Gorge (It looks scary)
Jedidiah = Mt. Rushmore (Lighting at night)
Least Favorite Attraction - something you saw
Makenzie = Nothing (I liked everything)
Makaylah = Devil's Tower (All we did was walk around it)
Jordan = Devil's Tower (I did not find it that interesting)
Jariah = Corn Palace (Because it made me hungry)
Jedidiah = Old Faithful (Bored waiting)
Favorite Event - something you did
Makenzie = Riding over the Royal Gorge Bridge in the aerial tram
Makaylah = Giant Swing at Royal Gorge Bridge
Jordan = The Alpine Slide in Keystone, SD (It was very fun)
Jariah = Walk around Devil's Tower (Because of the rocks)
Jedidiah = Devil's Tower (It was interesting)
Least Favorite Event - something you did
Makenzie = Walking around Las Vegas (crowds)
Makaylah = Walking in Las Vegas
Jordan = The Las Vegas Strip (Crowded and too many people smoke)
Jariah = The Las Vegas Strip (Because of the clump of people)
Jedidiah = The Las Vegas Strip (crowded)
How did you like riding so much in the van?
Makenzie = I liked watching movies and playing DS but not the headaches and sore muscles
Makaylah = It wasn't that bad but it wasn't my favorite. It had rest time but got sore on my butt after awhile.
Jordan = It was OK. Jariah took up too much space.
Jariah = It was amazing because I could sleep a lot.
Jedidiah = I liked playing games and watching movies.
Favorite Hotel
Makenzie = I liked most of them but I don't have a favorite
Makaylah = Days Inn in Colorado Springs (The one with the ginormous pool)
Jordan = Prince Charles in Branson, MO (We were with relatives)
Jariah = Prince Charles in Branson (Because we were with people we knew)
Jedidiah = Prince Charles in Branson (pool)
Least Favorite Hotel
Makenzie = Quality Inn in New Orleans (roaches)
Makaylah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (The one with all the bugs)
Jordan = Gold Coast Hotel in Las Vegas (Too many people smoking)
Jariah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (Because it was nasty)
Jedidiah = Quality Inn in New Orleans (bugs)
Favorite Restaurant
Makenzie = Fuddrucker's in Billings, MT
Makaylah = Casa Bonita in Denver (It had cool things to eat and do there)
Jordan = Pizza World in Branson (Good pizza)
Jariah = Pizza World in Branson (Because of the dessert pizza)
Jedidiah = Casa Bonita in Denver
Least Favorite Restaurant
Makenzie = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ
Makaylah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (It was disgusting)
Jordan = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (It was not the best)
Jariah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ (Because of the food)
Jedidiah = Jack in the Box in Benson, AZ
Dad's Recommendation - for those considering such a trip
1. Get a National Park Annual Pass. They are only $80 and you can get your use out of them at a lot of places.
2. If you got to a National Park, checkout the Junior Ranger program. It is different in each park and easier in some than others but it really helps the kids learn about the park.
3. WiFi is a must-have hotel amenity. A pool is nice but not necessary if you are going to arrive late and leave early.
4. Try a local restaurant (not a national chain) every once in awhile - we loved Chandler's Restaurant in Dubois, MT.
5. If you got more than 4 people, throw in a sleeping bag (or 3) into the car so you can get 1 room - save your money for attractions.
6. Consider traveling only about 6 hours each day (or less). The miles take a toll on the driver if not anyone else.
7. Arrive early and at least just before the park/site opens. There are few people that do and there is far less traffic (cars and people).
8. Plan some "surprises" for the trip - ours were a day at Royal Gorge Bridge and the Alpine Slide in Keystone, SD.
9. Plan some rest time after the trip - I'm writing this from home and I took today off from work.
10. Take a cooler for the car and keep drinks (juice boxes, sodas, etc.) in it and have a good water bottle for each person. Take snacks so you can "refuel" on the road.
11. Get a portable DVD player (and car mount) so you can entertain for hours on the road.
12. Get a copy of the Bible on tape or CD. We were able to "listen" our way through Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans and half of 1 Corinthians.
13. A hot breakfast (free) at the hotel is nice but most continental breakfasts will do well at filling you up as well.
14. Print maps and directions before you go but also take a GPS. The printed maps will give you good information that sometimes the GPS won't but a good GPS will walk you through the "steps" ahead and will let you search the area for a restaurant.
15. You don't need to take as many clothes as you think. Over half of our hotels had laundry facilities. All of our clothes fit into 1 suitcase. We only took 3 changes of clothes per person an d did fine.
16. Download or backup your pictures each night while you are recharging your camera batteries.
17. Take a tripod and learn how to use your camera's auto taking feature before the trip.
18. If you are going to a U.S. Mint, it is free but you HAVE to make reservations.
19. Service your vehicle before going and have a good trusted mechanic give it a once over before leaving. Join AAA if you are not already a member.
20. Remember you are taking the vacation to be with the very people on the trip that are driving you nuts. Remind yourself as often as it takes for you to enjoy the trip and for them to enjoy the trip. Being with them at the sites is the best part of the trip, not just the sites.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
July 19
Daphne, AL to St. Petersburg, FL
Well, this report will be boring for you but great for us. After 544 miles today, we are home! We spent a final 9 hours on the road and got home around 5:30pm. For the record, our trip was 7,895.6 miles. All our animals were fine when we got home - we even had more animals than when we left since one (or more) of Makenzie's fish had babies. The house is in one piece, the animals are fine, the kids are already playing on the PS2, Wii and computer, mom is getting staples from the grocery store and I'm taking care of unpacking.
Thank you for reading and praying. I will write a recap to go over some of our highlights and some of our suggestions for others who might try the same.
Well, this report will be boring for you but great for us. After 544 miles today, we are home! We spent a final 9 hours on the road and got home around 5:30pm. For the record, our trip was 7,895.6 miles. All our animals were fine when we got home - we even had more animals than when we left since one (or more) of Makenzie's fish had babies. The house is in one piece, the animals are fine, the kids are already playing on the PS2, Wii and computer, mom is getting staples from the grocery store and I'm taking care of unpacking.
Thank you for reading and praying. I will write a recap to go over some of our highlights and some of our suggestions for others who might try the same.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
July 18
Hope, AR to Daphne, AL
Today will be a boring day to read about. We didn't visit any place except the highway. We drove 537 miles today and was on the road for about 9 hours (including stops). For the trip we are at about 7,350 miles. Our Bible hour today was Romans 7-15 and we watched Tim Hawkins, Lost in Space, Father of the Bride 2, and the Muppets Show. Our funny incident of the day was Jordan's mustard packet kind-of exploding at lunch and spraying Jariah across the table - a very funny accident! We have visited 18 states on our trip and tomorrow we are back in the state of Florida - right now the best state in the mind of our driver!
Today will be a boring day to read about. We didn't visit any place except the highway. We drove 537 miles today and was on the road for about 9 hours (including stops). For the trip we are at about 7,350 miles. Our Bible hour today was Romans 7-15 and we watched Tim Hawkins, Lost in Space, Father of the Bride 2, and the Muppets Show. Our funny incident of the day was Jordan's mustard packet kind-of exploding at lunch and spraying Jariah across the table - a very funny accident! We have visited 18 states on our trip and tomorrow we are back in the state of Florida - right now the best state in the mind of our driver!
I am planning on doing a final day blog and then a final blog for the trip. Thanks for remembering us and praying for us! I got a copy of our family photo from my dad - he's still home and doing better!
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17
Branson, MO to Hope, AR
We started early (7:45am) for our 333 mile trip today. We left Branson with very little traffic and headed south for Arkansas. Shortly after the drive began, most of the vehicle passengers were asleep so we didn't watch any movies and waited to have our Bible hour later. We hit all the major fast-food restaurants today - McDonalds for breakfast, KFC for lunch and Wendy's for dinner.
After arriving in Arkansas, we headed for Mufreesboro and the Crater of Diamonds State Park. It is the world's 8th largest source of diamonds and the world's largest (and I think only) diamond mine open to the public and that allows you to keep what you find. For a really rather modest entrance fee and rental of mining equipment, we headed out for our adventure! Half the group spent the time surface mining - walking around and looking at what was on the top surface. Well, that's what they were supposed to be doing, in fact, they spent a lot of time playing in the mud!
The other half of us would dig spots, put the dirt in a bucket and then bring it to a station to wet sift the mud to find the treasures within. For the record, it was 97 degrees today at the mine field with a heat index of 110 so we spent considerable amount of time in the shade! We dug and sorted for about 3 hours and collected our valuable finds. After returning our equipment (and getting our deposit back), we had them look at our finds and the only real gems we found was some jasper. Well, at least we had fun.
We cleaned up a bit, or changed clothes when necessary - like Jedi, and then headed for Hope, AR and our hotel for the night. It was a good trip with the opportunity to watch an episode of the Muppet Show. We had our Bible hour on the way to the Diamond park, it was Acts 19-26. After dinner at Wendys, we stopped at Walmart and got some ice cream cones for dessert. All in all, it was a good day and we are looking forward to getting home in only 2 more days!
We started early (7:45am) for our 333 mile trip today. We left Branson with very little traffic and headed south for Arkansas. Shortly after the drive began, most of the vehicle passengers were asleep so we didn't watch any movies and waited to have our Bible hour later. We hit all the major fast-food restaurants today - McDonalds for breakfast, KFC for lunch and Wendy's for dinner.
After arriving in Arkansas, we headed for Mufreesboro and the Crater of Diamonds State Park. It is the world's 8th largest source of diamonds and the world's largest (and I think only) diamond mine open to the public and that allows you to keep what you find. For a really rather modest entrance fee and rental of mining equipment, we headed out for our adventure! Half the group spent the time surface mining - walking around and looking at what was on the top surface. Well, that's what they were supposed to be doing, in fact, they spent a lot of time playing in the mud!
The other half of us would dig spots, put the dirt in a bucket and then bring it to a station to wet sift the mud to find the treasures within. For the record, it was 97 degrees today at the mine field with a heat index of 110 so we spent considerable amount of time in the shade! We dug and sorted for about 3 hours and collected our valuable finds. After returning our equipment (and getting our deposit back), we had them look at our finds and the only real gems we found was some jasper. Well, at least we had fun.
We cleaned up a bit, or changed clothes when necessary - like Jedi, and then headed for Hope, AR and our hotel for the night. It was a good trip with the opportunity to watch an episode of the Muppet Show. We had our Bible hour on the way to the Diamond park, it was Acts 19-26. After dinner at Wendys, we stopped at Walmart and got some ice cream cones for dessert. All in all, it was a good day and we are looking forward to getting home in only 2 more days!
July 16
Branson, MO
Today was a leisure morning of sleeping in, shopping at the outlet mall, swimming in the pool and then going in the afternoon to see "Noah" at the Sight & Sound Theater. If you want to go to an amazing show in Branson that's great for the whole family - it's Noah! We really enjoyed it and thought they did a fantastic job in telling the Biblical story and expanding it appropriately. After the show, we said goodbye to Uncle John, Aunt Tracy and our cousins from NC. We went to dinner with Uncle Matt and Aunt Tina - pizza buffet. Back to the hotel for an early bedtime, we said goodbye to Uncle Matt and Aunt Tina since they are not getting up as early as we are.
We got word that Dad was released from the hospital and back home again so that was good to hear. Again, thanks for praying!
Today was a leisure morning of sleeping in, shopping at the outlet mall, swimming in the pool and then going in the afternoon to see "Noah" at the Sight & Sound Theater. If you want to go to an amazing show in Branson that's great for the whole family - it's Noah! We really enjoyed it and thought they did a fantastic job in telling the Biblical story and expanding it appropriately. After the show, we said goodbye to Uncle John, Aunt Tracy and our cousins from NC. We went to dinner with Uncle Matt and Aunt Tina - pizza buffet. Back to the hotel for an early bedtime, we said goodbye to Uncle Matt and Aunt Tina since they are not getting up as early as we are.
We got word that Dad was released from the hospital and back home again so that was good to hear. Again, thanks for praying!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
July 15
Ashland, NE to Branson, MO
We were up early to get ready for our family picture at 7:30am. What a chore to get 10 adults and 15 children ready, in place, and smiling for a photo! I'll post a copy when we have it. After the photo, we had a big breakfast together and then those leaving for Branson began to load their vehicles. We got our van back - $213 for repairs. We left Ashland around 10:30am and headed south for Branson.
On the way to Branson, we stopped at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO. I'll put up a picture or two later but it is enough to say we enjoyed it! What a remarkable endeavor and I guess I forgot that they only operated for 18 months - seems like such an important part of our history even though it only occupied a small time in our history. Take your kids, they will enjoy it!
Back on the road, we completed our 424 mile trip in about 7 hours of driving (plus stops) and got to Branson just before 7:00pm. Friends of ours had given us tickets to go see the Acrobats of China. I've seen them in Shanghai and in Beijing and they certainly were worth seeing again. The kids really loved it and it is one of the shows in Branson kids really would enjoy. We got out of the show just after 10:00pm and got into Branson traffic (all the shows letting out). It took us about 45 minutes to go 1.2 miles back to our hotel with a stop at McDonald's for a very late supper. We plan on sleeping in tomorrow morning.
While on the road, we got a phone call that dad was taken back to the hospital. He wasn't feeling well and mom was concerned so she took him back and they decided to keep him for observation. Thanks for praying!
We were up early to get ready for our family picture at 7:30am. What a chore to get 10 adults and 15 children ready, in place, and smiling for a photo! I'll post a copy when we have it. After the photo, we had a big breakfast together and then those leaving for Branson began to load their vehicles. We got our van back - $213 for repairs. We left Ashland around 10:30am and headed south for Branson.
On the way to Branson, we stopped at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO. I'll put up a picture or two later but it is enough to say we enjoyed it! What a remarkable endeavor and I guess I forgot that they only operated for 18 months - seems like such an important part of our history even though it only occupied a small time in our history. Take your kids, they will enjoy it!
Back on the road, we completed our 424 mile trip in about 7 hours of driving (plus stops) and got to Branson just before 7:00pm. Friends of ours had given us tickets to go see the Acrobats of China. I've seen them in Shanghai and in Beijing and they certainly were worth seeing again. The kids really loved it and it is one of the shows in Branson kids really would enjoy. We got out of the show just after 10:00pm and got into Branson traffic (all the shows letting out). It took us about 45 minutes to go 1.2 miles back to our hotel with a stop at McDonald's for a very late supper. We plan on sleeping in tomorrow morning.
While on the road, we got a phone call that dad was taken back to the hospital. He wasn't feeling well and mom was concerned so she took him back and they decided to keep him for observation. Thanks for praying!
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