We're Here!

What a whirlwind cross-country trip we've had!

• We left Holbrook, AZ on the 10th of November and headed for Williams, AZ to go to the Grand Canyon.  We took the train to the Canyon.  Hanna was really excited about riding it but after an hour she was asking  "When are we getting off?"  It is about a 2 hour trip each way.  She told me she thought it was going to be like the train at Disney World (which takes about 10 minutes) It really is worth it to take the train instead of driving.  We had about three hours to walk around after we got there.

 Hanna went right over to the Ranger station so she could get her booklet done to get her Junior Ranger badge and patch.  We have gotten just about every park badge between Florida and California, along the southern route. 




 As you can probably tell from the pictures, it was chilly!  In the sun we were warm but the wind was blowing, so if you were in the shade you were pretty cold.  It was absolutely Beautiful the day we were there.  I feel like all the cliche's are true about words and photos not really expressing how magnificent the experience is.

•We left the Grand Canyon on the 12th of Nov. and drove to Needles, Ca.  We took a day trip to the town of Oatman, AZ.  It's a "Ghost Town" touristy place with wild donkeys.  Weird.  I noticed the gas was about a dollar less in AZ.  Oh,  when I  stopped for gas on the way out of Needles, the gas station guy comes over to me and says " oh your tires need to be replaced on your tow car- 3 have bulges"  I immediately tried to call David - but couldn't reach him.  So I had Jake email him and meanwhile I got down on the ground next to the tires and couldn't see anything.  I am rattled because we are about to drive through a long desert stretch of road and don't want a flat or blowout (been there done that!)  David finally called me back (after an excruciatingly long 3 minutes) and said he had been ripped off at a service station before in CA.  I drove over to the tire store a couple blocks away and had the guy there look at my tires and he said they were fine and couldn't see any reason to be worried.  Wow, scary creepy.  How many other tourists didn't get a second opinion?  Ick,  I've never been exposed to blatant  thievery - highway robbery? before, wow.

•On 14 Nov. we left Needles and drove to Victorville, CA.  Happy to be there.  Not so many people, we liked it.
•15 Nov. went on to El Cahon, CA.  Did not like it. Had a terrible place.  Dirt, Dirt, tons of people and then more people.  It was supposed to be a nice resort but was like a trailer park with lots of junk and long term people.  Hanna liked the pool.  First time she got to go swimming since we left Florida.  We stayed here 2 nights to recuperate then moved on.
•17 Nov. drove to Escondido.  What a huge difference!  Fancy, Fancy, Fancy.  We love it here.  We decided to stay here a month to relax and go to the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park , and of course Legoland.  David got here on the 25 of Nov. and we went started right in having fun.  Had a great, quiet Thanksgiving.  I made turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and stuffing.  Fun and yummy but it took around 2 hours to do the dishes!

So that's the update for now, y'all come back now, ya here!
P.S.  I have been looking for a sewing machine for a while at the thrift stores along the way and yesterday in Oceanside, we found this lovely little jewel...$20 can you believe it?! Lucky me!

Oh No Albuquerque!

    •Wow, another post so soon?  How much could there be to say?  How much fun could we be having?      •We left Amarillo, TX on Nov 3 and drove to Albuquerque, NM.  We went to the Natural History Museum and it was very interesting.  I got to hold an albino snake, Hanna liked it but didn't want to hold it.   They also had Dinosaur exhibits and Space exhibits.  It was really cool!  Hanna and Jake had a lot of fun- Me too!

Hanna loved touching the dino skin- interesting texture.

We also went to Explora, the hands on children's science museum.  I thought we would be there only an hour but we were there three!  Hanna thought it was great but so did Jake!

  Jake got to ride a bicycle backwards on a wire one story up- very exciting.  He got weighed so the bike could be properly counter-balanced so it wouldn't flip over. 
It looked like he was in the circus!  Fun!

   •We also went to the Albuquerque Rattlesnake Museum.  Hanna was super excited because she LOVES Craig Ferguson and he mentions this place all the time.  It's where he got his snake cup that he drinks out of on the show.  It's like we found the Holy Grail! She was squeeling and jumping up and down!  The guy behind the counter was really nice to her.  He couldn't believe how excited she was.  She bought the mug and a hat.  She is thinking if she can get in to see the show in LA, Craig will see her hat and ask her up on stage.  She wants to be a late night talk show host.

     •On Friday, 6 Nov. we went to the Albuquerque Art Museum.  It was really great.  We had a good time until we left.  As soon as we got to the car we knew something was WRONG.

 This is the right passenger back seat window on the ground next to the car.

This is Hanna and Officer Hsu(shoe).  He was super during our VERY stressful afternoon.  We decided to have a Forensic Science class instead of freaking out (some more).  We were already pretty upset because the thief got away with a bag of stuff from each of us.  Jake was the hardest hit.  His bag had his LEGO stuff, Camera, Watch, and Apple headphones in it.  Hanna lost a Flip beanie baby, blanket, and Stainless Steel water bottle.  The only thing of any value( to me) I lost, was my fabric bag from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  The kids were troupers.  Jake helped out by calling around on his iphone to glass replacement places.  He found one that could do it right then, so we went over.  It was in a little bit of a scary neighborhood, but the people were really nice and did a great job.  I really wanted to have it done right away because we had to drive on the freeway to get home and I was worried about Hanna in the back seat.
     •We left ABQ as soon as we could, on Sun 8 Nov. and drove to Holbrook, AZ .  We stopped here for 3 nights so we could go to the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park.  We loved it!  When Jake was 3, we drove through it when we drove from Calgary, Alberta to Corpus Christi TX. 

Well, that is our update for now.   :) Julie

Time is Whizzing By 8^D

     •Wow!  Another month is gone already!  We have been soooooo busy.  We're supposed to be relaxing but it seems like life happens no matter where you are.
     •We left Chattanooga on 11 Oct. and drove to Nashville.  Stayed only one night as the rv park was right next to the freeway.(this will become a recurring theme in our travels..)
     •Left Nashville, TN on the 12 Oct. and drove to Nashville, IN

just outside of Bloomington, IN.  Walked around the very cutesy town of Nashville and I bought a old yardstick for $3.50.  I bought it because it was fat and said St. Augustine, Florida where we spent last Christmas.  We kept walking around and I was carrying the yardstick.  We went into a candle/country stuff store called  Plain Folk.  I saw this cute chick feeder that I wanted to buy for 15.99.  So I took it up to the counter where I laid down my yardstick so I could get out my money.  The lady behind the counter was wearing a sweatshirt that said St. Augustine FL and I commented on it.  She said they go down there every year and would I like to trade?  I said I only paid 3.50 and it wouldn't be fair, but she said it's ok with her, we could barter.  So I agreed and tried to pay, but she insisted.  My favorite pencil holder for sure!  Makes it so much more fun, and every time I look at it, I smile 8^)   We stayed here about a week visiting  my friend Christine and her family.  Lots of fun!  Bloomington is a really sweet college town.  Artsy - Just my style!  We were sad to leave our friends, but kind of excited to keep going on our cross country adventure.

    •Next stop, Effingham IL for the 19-20 Oct.  Loved the park we found-- cheap and level--WOW, not a common combination.  We stayed here 2 nights because of the high wind warnings.

•Went on to Edwardsville, IL on the 21/22 Oct. Drove into St. Louis, MO and went up in the Arch.  The tram that you takes to the top is super tiny, unless you sit in the middle seat you have to lean hunched over for the 4-5 min ride to the top.  The windows you get to look out of at the top could be bigger and better in my opinion.  You can definitely tell you are way up- 630 ft to be exact!  Glad we did it, well worth the $20!(10 for me and 7 and 3 for the kids--Jake got the "teenager" rate)

     •23 Oct. slept in Marshfield MO (by the highway) on our way to Branson.

     •Oct. 24-26 stayed in a nice park in Branson, MO.  The steep grades on the way to Branson scared me.  I wasn't used to hearing my engine whining and shifting!  White knuckle 38 mile ride!  I called David and he gave me a few helpful suggestions and also laid to rest the thought that my engine was getting ruined on the very steep grades.  Much more relaxed drive out and a lot slower!  It rained for two of the days but we still had a lot of fun.  Went to see a show, The Acrobats of China, New Shanghai Circus  --very exciting for Hanna.  She kept asking if it was time for the show every few minutes all day- she didn't want to be late!  We got there 30 mins early which was in plenty of time.  The show was very professional and nicely done.  The emcee was joking with the audience and teaching a little bit of Chinese to us so we could talk to the acrobats & musicians at the end.  Hanna bought a photo and had the troupe sign it.  What a happy girl!

We went to an outlet mall and Hanna found these brown everyday cowgirl boots.  She loves her boots!

A couple days later we were walking around the cute old downtown area and came across the best boot/shoe store ever!  Tried to get some red cowboy boots for Hanna but all they had were pink.  We were about to give up, when the Lady who worked there saw some Fancy Pants black boots.  As soon as Hanna saw them she was very excited and put them on and couldn't take them off!  Amazingly these only cost $5 more than her brown boots at the cheap store and these were "real"!

She wore these for 5 days straight!  Totally got our money's worth out of these.  We stopped in at a thrift store across the street from the boot store and Jake found this great Jacket.. Herringbone tweed.  Sweetest $5 ever spent.

     •We left Branson, MO on 27 Oct. and stayed in Springfield, MO to get our tail light fixed on the motorhome.  Apparently we had pinched our electrical connection wire that goes from the car to the mh lights.  Bummer but glad we fixed it - cheaper than a ticket or accident!

     •Drove to the other side of Tulsa, OK and stayed in the worst rv "park" ever! Spent Oct 28-29 in "h@**" to quote my son. We couldn't hook up the water because it had been raining and the water hook up was in a "PIT" about 8-10 inches down a hole with standing putrid disgusting looking water.  Also couldn't hook up the sewer because the hookup was too small.  We did dump when we left but Jake had me hold the hose in the hole so it wouldn't pop out!  Nightmare. While we were there, we had fabulous rainstorms and wind and lots of lightning & thunder.. Lived through it.  Made us tougher.  We did have fabulous cable TV but no internet.  Drove directly to the next Flying J truckstop and filled our water.  Whew.

     •Oct 30, 31, Nov 1, 2 stayed in Amarillo, TX recovering from all the "fun and excitement" of the past week.  We are at an excellent rv park with level lots, full hookups and cable and wi-fi.  Feeling pretty spoiled except I can still here the freeway- about a 1/2 mile away.  On the way here we stopped in Oklahoma City, OK at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.  Hanna and I ran in and looked in the gift shop for a cowgirl outfit or shirt she could wear for Halloween because it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to sew the outfit she picked out. (bought the pattern and material)  Luckily the gift shop had the CUTEST leather skirt and vest.  And it came in red and in her size!  We felt pretty lucky - until I saw the price tag.  Oh we bought it but it hurt.  $59.95 for a Halloween costume? Are you kidding?! Luckily I know she will wear it a lot - she loves to dress up.   On Halloween we drove to a neighborhood and went Trick or Treating.  I know it doesn't sound like something I would do but Hanna was extremely into it.  Jake remembers going in Palmer when he was 5.  All he really remembers is being really cold.  She had soooooooo much fun!  After the first house she said  "They gave me CANDY!"   She said "I love Halloween- it's so much fun!Until the next installment! Julie

Wagons Ho!

Well, we are on our way!
>>>>>We had a very exciting day last Saturday. It started out way to early for the kids ( and me! ) Hanna asked why I was waking her up in the middle of the night- 7:00a! We went to Camping World by Tampa for some parts and then took David to the airport in Orlando. The kids and I went to IKEA in Orlando for lunch and got stuff to have a Swedish Christmas. ( if you see something at IKEA and you want it you better get it because you won't see it again...) That's why we were shopping for Christmas in Sept... 8^) Then things got exciting.
>>>>>We were driving away from IKEA and the battery light came on on the dashboard. Hmmmmm uh-oh. Then all the lights started flashing like a Christmas tree. UH-OH. Then the car quit. OH NOOOOooooo. I called David, and he said " Your battery isn't charging so you probably have an alternator problem. Try to get home before it gets dark." I start driving and get almost to Lakeland - still around 85 miles to go, and it quits but I am able to limp to the next exit before it completely quits.
>>>>>In Florida, you can call *FHP on the phone and the road rangers will come to your "rescue" if you have something they can help with like a tire, or gas, or battery jump. I called and a ranger came and charged my battery enough to get to a "better" spot to be towed from. Of course, the battery isn't holding a charge so it almost made it to the "better" spot but not quite. By now I am SLIGHTLY freaking out because the temp outside is around 90° and the temp inside the car is higher, maybe 95°. Steadily rising along with the passenger frustration level. Fabulous. Now of course it starts to rain like a solid sheet of water and it's getting dark and we have noticed the emergency flashers are slowing down to almost nothing. ( I can not turn off the lights to save battery life because they are "automatic"- for safety!) So Jake and I decide to turn off the lights and take turns looking in the rear view mirror for lights so we can turn on the flashers. This seems to be working. We notice we are not dead or having heatstroke. I keep telling everyone to drink water so we won't dehydrate, but then Hanna has to GO, if you know what I mean. Great adventure/learning experience...whooooo hoooooo. The tow truck guy gets there after about 2 1/2 hours of waiting and can't put the car in neutral because you need battery life for that. So he jumps the car, gets it up on the truck, and we start out. I told him I was so thankful to him for rescuing us.
>>>>>He tows us to a place called Pep Boys, which is a auto store/mechanic place for them to work on it. But by now it is 45 mins past closing time and I am worried there will be no one there when we arrive. I was worrying for nothing. There are nice people there that calm me down and they have the part in stock and can fix it the next day, Sunday. Great. Now we just have to take a taxi to our house, (camper), $180+tip, sleep, unhook the camper, and drive it the 85 or so miles back to Lakeland the next day, tow the car, drive back home, hook back up and go to sleep!
>>>>>Monday seems like a piece of cake after the weekend! All we had to do was go to the car dealer about 25 miles away and get some keys made and a new clicker. Easy-peasy.
>>>>>Tuesday we took the camper to the Camping World near Tampa. (about an hour away) They had to check out our generator and see why it wasn't working. I think they cleaned the carburetor. I had to order another part and have it sent to Chattanooga, Tenn.
>>>>>Wednesday we left for the Grand Canyon by way of Chattanooga to see David's sister Nancy and her family. We made it to Valdosta, Georgia that night. With no excitement along the way, Thank Goodness!
>>>>>Thursday we thought we would drive straight through to Chattanooga. It is a 4 1/2 hour drive, according to the GPS. HA. Not.
It took us almost 8 1/2 hours because we hit Atlanta at just about the worst time - rush hours! Won't go that way again.. 8^)
>>>>>We were so happy so be here Friday, shucky darn! Louise (Nancy's 21yo daughter) came over and hung out Fri. morning. You have never seen such a happy Hanna! A cousin! and she is sweet and likes to listen and play and talk! Heaven for my girl! We met Ben (Nancy's 24 yo? son) for lunch and saw a little of Chattanooga. We then all went to the coolest grocery store called Greenlife. Like a Whole Foods. Bought taco makings and went on over to Nancy and Mike's after they got off work. Family fun ensued. Hanna is techno girl so had to play Wii tennis with everyone. She could win every time except when she played cousin Ben. Jake played till he won then wanted to quit that game! They danced and played sports till it was late and we had to get some rest.
>>>>>Saturday we got up and went to the Chattanooga Aquarium. So much Fun! It is huge but totally worth the time it took to see it all. We went to lunch at a great Thai place Nancy knew. YUM!
>>>>>Sunday, today, we are taking a home day. Relaxing and catching up. Hanna got some cool stuff at the Toy / Learning store on Fri. and wanted to do a SCIENCE EXPERIMENT so we did that this morning. You can watch the video Jake made on YouTube if you click on it.
That is about all for now. Till next time! Julie

Tow'd!

It took all day waiting at Camping World, but the car is hooked up and tows great. It sort of freaks me out that the front wheels are free to caster when towing but you can see them track when you go around a corner. It must work because there is some trail built into the alignment?




The car is a Saturn wagon and a real good choice for us: four-down towing, small but roomy inside and 6 cylinder (plenty quick, lol).


The hitch is a quick release one that doesn't require exact alignment to hook up - it snaps in place as you pull forward. Really nice. Jake doesn't have any trouble with it.
ALL of the visible car portion is removable without tools (and they didn't even have to cut the air dam). We'll leave the car parts attached just to make it easy.



The majority of the hitch stows on the back of the motorhome.

Dave

A last look at Florida.

If it weren't for the horrible heat, the suffocating humidity, and the giant bugs, Florida might have been, almost alright. Almost.

Bradenton Florida;
Friday September 18th — Wednsday September 30th.

Now we're off again, headed north, to Georgia!

{Cross-posted to AK Earls Go Blog, and Save The Croissants through blogpress. }


-- Posted From My iPhone,
Sir Jacob D. Fredrickson Esq.

Ringling Museum Sarasota

The Ringling Bros circus Ringlings (John and Mable) have a nice museum in Sarasota. One side is an art museum and the other a cucus museum. They're both good, but the circus side is expensive while the art side is free on Mondays... so we've gone to it more frequently.

















The circus part is two stories, the bottom is a huge and a very cool diorama. The upper is photos, memorabilia and circus posters.
























Dave
-- Posted from my iPhone