Dave's oldest brother Geoff and his wife Patricia drove up from the Boston area one weekend to see us. We had a great visit with them and were able to celebrate Trevor's 10th birthday with them. Aunt Patricia (a gourmet cook) treated us with a home-cooked meal with all of Trevor's favorite food. Geoff and Dave took the kids miniature golfing and to Gifford's Ice Cream. It was a good time had by all.
Geoff is affectionately known to our kids as Uncle Pizza. Well, Geoff had a cool video device called a Flip that he and the kids had great fun with. Before they left, Geoff and Patricia gave us the Flip. We have had a blast with it! This video is to thank them.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Baba Bowl
There's just nothing quite like South China, Maine. There are "Lake Days" (when the weather is good for boating, skiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, etc.) when you spend all day on the lake; and then there are rainy days when you make your own fun (baking competitions, crafting, scavenger hunts, smores in the fireplace, etc.)
But one of the highlights is the Baba Bowl. Baba was Dave's grandmother. Uncle Rufus started the Baba Bowl about five or six years ago. This is a golf tournament at a local course. This year's runner-up was none other than (drum roll please) Dave Hargadon. His name will be engraved on the bowl. Oh, by the way, Uncle Rufus was the winner.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Power of Jiminy
Imagine this: I am on the golf course with Uncle Rue and two of our friends (Mac and Kent). Early on, I whack the ball and it ends up in the woods....or maybe it was one of those shots where I didn't get it past the women's tee. Either way, I let out a "Jiminy".
Uncle Rue says something like, "Dave...I'd like to hear you swear at least once by the end of the 18th hole."
Dave: "I have worked too hard to clean up my mouth."
Results? No one swore the rest of the game. These guys came up with all sorts of good substitutes.
It reminds me of a captain I know who, on occasion lets out a minor swear word. He let one out one time in my presence...then looked at me and said, "Sorry...I meant Jiminy."
Uncle Rue says something like, "Dave...I'd like to hear you swear at least once by the end of the 18th hole."
Dave: "I have worked too hard to clean up my mouth."
Results? No one swore the rest of the game. These guys came up with all sorts of good substitutes.
It reminds me of a captain I know who, on occasion lets out a minor swear word. He let one out one time in my presence...then looked at me and said, "Sorry...I meant Jiminy."
Jesus Freaks and Marmalade Jelly
One of my most cherished memories from this trip occurred during one our our drives. Joseph was sitting in the middle and at some point, Suzi started reading him some excerpts from the book Jesus Freaks. For those that don't know, this is a book done by a Christian music group called DC Talk - it has short stories of Christian martyrs (recent and long ago).
As Suzi read, you could just tell that Joseph was soaking in the information....there was something about the moment. Joseph seemed interested and wanted to know more about these people. I guess there was something too about Suzi just reading to him and explaining what these people went through. It really is quite humbling for those that want to read the book.
Where does marmalade jelly fall into this? DC Talk has a song called Jesus Freaks. I never really cared for it (not my kind of music). At some point, Trevor made a comment like, "It is a strange song....it says something about marmalade jelly. What does jelly have to do with Jesus?" I start thinking theologically, and I can't seem to make the connection. Thanks to Mr. Blackberry, Suzi looked up the lyrics to the song. The words penetrated my heart and taught me another lesson about judging a song or a person based upon limited information. Once we took the time to listen to the lyrics, we walked away with a whole new appreciation for the song. It is now Michael's favorite.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/d.c.+talk/jesus+freak_20037735.html
As Suzi read, you could just tell that Joseph was soaking in the information....there was something about the moment. Joseph seemed interested and wanted to know more about these people. I guess there was something too about Suzi just reading to him and explaining what these people went through. It really is quite humbling for those that want to read the book.
Where does marmalade jelly fall into this? DC Talk has a song called Jesus Freaks. I never really cared for it (not my kind of music). At some point, Trevor made a comment like, "It is a strange song....it says something about marmalade jelly. What does jelly have to do with Jesus?" I start thinking theologically, and I can't seem to make the connection. Thanks to Mr. Blackberry, Suzi looked up the lyrics to the song. The words penetrated my heart and taught me another lesson about judging a song or a person based upon limited information. Once we took the time to listen to the lyrics, we walked away with a whole new appreciation for the song. It is now Michael's favorite.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/d.c.+talk/jesus+freak_20037735.html
Fishing Lesson
Another historic moment caught with the camera - thanks to my Big Bro. This is the first time (at least in recent history), that any Hargadon has taught someone how to fish! It occurred to me, as I looked at this picture, that I should increase my life insurance policy. Michael can consistently sling the line 25 feet.
In all seriousness, I thank God for moments like these.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Maine Life
Thanks to the Langhornes, the Hargadon's have a boat to ride in or behind (in a tube or on skis). Anyone want to come?
It's a Bird...its a plane...no...its...
Dave on top of the high dive. For those thinking about coming out here, this is a must.
Look what Trevor Caught - Mr. Wyatt!
Here is the first catch for Trevor. Thankfully, the fish fell off the hook before Dad arrived. Everyone knows how much Dad likes to take the fish off the hook. What do you say Greg?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Maine!
Well, we made it! Our last night in the trailer for three weeks was spent at another Jellystone Park. This was very different from the first and we were glad to be staying only one night.
We left Sturbridge Massachusetts and travelled through Mass and New Hampshire and finally to Maine. The traffic in the last part of Mass and all of NH was horrible! We have now paid over $100 in tolls.
It was great doing the countdown crossing the line into Maine. Seeing Dave's face and listening to him tell the kids stories of travelling to Maine when he was a kid was priceless. It was so great we did it twice! Right after we crossed the state line, someone had to use the bathroom. We took the first exit that said "truckstop". Well, there was no truck stop and no place to turn around so we had to go back into New Hampshire to get back on I-95. I think I was way more amused than Dave, who was driving.
We are so happy to be here spending time with family. Yesterday was Dave's mom's (Lee) birthday. We had her and her brother Rufus and his wife Martha over for dinner. The lake was beautiful!
Trevor caught the first fish, and 18 inch Pickeral! (pictures will be posted later). We are enjoying relaxing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, skiiing, tubing, and of course sleeping in real beds and taking non-camp showers!
All for now.
We left Sturbridge Massachusetts and travelled through Mass and New Hampshire and finally to Maine. The traffic in the last part of Mass and all of NH was horrible! We have now paid over $100 in tolls.
It was great doing the countdown crossing the line into Maine. Seeing Dave's face and listening to him tell the kids stories of travelling to Maine when he was a kid was priceless. It was so great we did it twice! Right after we crossed the state line, someone had to use the bathroom. We took the first exit that said "truckstop". Well, there was no truck stop and no place to turn around so we had to go back into New Hampshire to get back on I-95. I think I was way more amused than Dave, who was driving.
We are so happy to be here spending time with family. Yesterday was Dave's mom's (Lee) birthday. We had her and her brother Rufus and his wife Martha over for dinner. The lake was beautiful!
Trevor caught the first fish, and 18 inch Pickeral! (pictures will be posted later). We are enjoying relaxing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, skiiing, tubing, and of course sleeping in real beds and taking non-camp showers!
All for now.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Niagara Falls
We left Ohio thinking this would be our shortest trip yet, only 269 miles. With roadwork and toll booths it actually took just as long if not longer than some of the other legs. To date we have paid almost $50 in tolls and we have several toll roads tomorrow.
We're staying at a KOA, which is really nice. We got into camp around 3:15 p.m. and decided to go check out Niagara Falls with the thought of finishing today. We ended up staying there until 10:20 because, much to our surprise, Wednesday nights there are fireworks over the falls. God is so good!!
Words cannot describe Niagara Falls. The power of the 675,000 gallons of water per second crashing down on rocks below is amazing. To see this part of God's creation is very confirming of His power and might.
We saw a family taking a picture so Dave offered to take it so they could all be in the photo. He then asked if they would be in our family photo (see above photo). They were quite accomodating and very friendly. They were visiting NY from Texas.
The first thing we did was go on the "Maid of the Mist". This was a boat that went quite close to the falls. They handed out rain ponchos which I'm sure kept us drier than we would have gotten, but our shoes were saturated by the end of the trip. It was an awesome experience.
Midway in our time at the Falls, we decided to have a snack. Six pretzels and waters came to $37.50. The water bottles had a beautiful picture of Niagara Falls, which will be our souvenirs, and was bottled in guess where........California! Needless to say, we opted to wait for dinner until we were back at the trailer. We then went to an IMAX film about legends of the falls. Michael, true to form, was asleep within the first minute of the presentation. When the film was over, he said, "Well, I missed another one."
Today, we went to the Niagara aquarium. There was saw many salt water creatures, from harbor seals to sharks to flounder, turtles, frogs, crab, etc. There must have been at least seven different groups of children on field trips there while we were there. We had to keep a good watch on Joseph and Michael for fear someone else would herd them with their group. After the aquarium, we walked across a bridge to the Niagara Discovery Center. On the top of the bridge, which went over a road, Courtney started waving at the cars going under. It wasn't long before the boys joined her and they would get very excited when the people would wave back, flash their lights, or honk. I think for the kids, this free entertainment was more exciting than any of the things we paid big bucks for.
Well, on to another Jellystone Park, this time in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Ejected - Milan, Ohio
Joseph tried to pull a fast one and enter the girl's bathroom. The photos show Courtney's reaction and Joseph's (when he as ejected). I am learning that Joseph is a complicated boy!
Grandmothers Beware
When we arrived in Milan, Ohio. We hardly had time to set up our trailer before Suzi struck up a conversation with the people in the lobby. She met Bea, who was sitting at the table so unassuming. Bea decided to befriend our kids and before you know it, all the kids wanted to stay with Bea and let Suzi and I keep driving. Joseph now thinks he has 4 grandmas!
Joan/Lee/Jill - I did my best to protect the kids, but Bea's "sweetness" was overpowering!
Free Wi-Fi....No Tech Support
As some of you have noted, we have been off-line for a few days. We have missed interacting with you all on this blog. It is not without trying! Camp Yogi claimed to have free Wi-Fi, but the next line said, "No Tech Support". Where is Bucher when you need him?
I have an Idea
All of the Yogi/Jellystone camp grounds are independently owned. I'm just thinking here....but what if we do this:
We can have the Simpson's go in with us...Eric can be Park Manager/Handyman. Debbie can be one of our home school teachers/camp counselor.
We can have Chris Bucher sell us his software so we know when to fix things (of course on barter system). Chris can be in charge of fun/games...he is far too serious and needs to lighten up a little bit. Deanna can be in charge of women's ministries.
Greg Wyatt can be our pastor/coroner...they go hand-in-hand. Barb can b e our pilot and can have her very own Christian bookstore.
Mark Clavelli can be our engineer/outdoor adventure specialist. Charlene will be the Senior Vice President in charge of creativity.
Freemans? Paul will be in charge of security and Jen can lead mountain climbing. As she does so, she will be converted into thinking that Yogi camping is the only way to go and she will invest in a Class A motor home.
I will write a book about our adventure/investment and Suzi will coach the football team!
Who else is in?
We can have the Simpson's go in with us...Eric can be Park Manager/Handyman. Debbie can be one of our home school teachers/camp counselor.
We can have Chris Bucher sell us his software so we know when to fix things (of course on barter system). Chris can be in charge of fun/games...he is far too serious and needs to lighten up a little bit. Deanna can be in charge of women's ministries.
Greg Wyatt can be our pastor/coroner...they go hand-in-hand. Barb can b e our pilot and can have her very own Christian bookstore.
Mark Clavelli can be our engineer/outdoor adventure specialist. Charlene will be the Senior Vice President in charge of creativity.
Freemans? Paul will be in charge of security and Jen can lead mountain climbing. As she does so, she will be converted into thinking that Yogi camping is the only way to go and she will invest in a Class A motor home.
I will write a book about our adventure/investment and Suzi will coach the football team!
Who else is in?
Don't Underestimate Suzi
Imagine this scenario. Dave and bout 12 kids are playing football in Welcome, WI. It is boys against girls and well....you know who is winning. Suzi comes over to let us know dinner is ready. The girls manage to get Suzi to join for a few downs. After a few minutes, a boy (late teens) comes over. One of the girls (Lisa) want to trade Suzi for the boy saying something to the effect, "He is better than she is!". The look that came from Suzi...well...let's just say I wish I had my camera. It was like Suzi was saying with her eyes, "You have no idea who you are messing with!"
Suzi came over to our side and you know the rest of the story. Lisa never caught a pass and never made it one yard pass the scrimmage line because.....Suzi decided it was best to defend Lisa.
Lisa was 10 years old, but has an attitude like she was 50!
Suzi came over to our side and you know the rest of the story. Lisa never caught a pass and never made it one yard pass the scrimmage line because.....Suzi decided it was best to defend Lisa.
Lisa was 10 years old, but has an attitude like she was 50!
Democrats at Yellowstone?
We were walking along the beach and came across a nice couple (husband was fishing). Suzi decided to strike up a conversation with these strangers….ok…actually it was me. Turns out they are from the North Carolina area. I tell them my Dad is from there. They say, “Where?” I tell them he lives in Charlotte. They tell me they live in that area too. I said, “Well then, you’ve probably come to dislike my Dad. He is a democrat and writes all sorts of editorials in the Charlotte newspaper.” Their response? “We are democrats too!” I will send you their info Dad!
Tolls?
Hello Illinois and hello to Bob who was our first person to take our money at a toll booth (camera was not handy). By the time we made it through Illinois, we spent about $15.00 in tolls. Makes you appreciate driving in other states where it is free!
I did not want to take photos of the toll workers....I was afraid they would charge me more. I did ask several if they wanted to hop in with us and head to Maine...no takers! I wonder why?
I did not want to take photos of the toll workers....I was afraid they would charge me more. I did ask several if they wanted to hop in with us and head to Maine...no takers! I wonder why?
Camp-A-La-Yogi
We decided to spend two nights in Wisconsin at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Caledonia, WI. It is kind of like a theme park for campers. Actually, I am not sure you can call it camping…I mean there were trees/woods, but there was also a pretty cool swimming area/water park. We spent hours in the pool. We also survived our first rain/thunderstorm. With lightening strikes every 2-3 seconds, Suzi and I managed to retract our canopy (we found it does not work well with torrential rains). The rain stopped by the time we had to leave…God is so merciful.
Photos: Trevor just nailed someone with a water baloon. Michael and Courtney - post water baloon launch.
Hargadon Handyman – an oxymoron
After realizing that our umbilical cord was broken, my heart raced and my anxiety rose (despite Philippians 4:6-7). Who do I call? Will they take advantage of me when they see my CA plates? I decide to call my friend Roy, who sold us the trailer (www.Amacks.com). I asked Roy how much he would charge me to fix the cord and then I asked him what the technical term was for the cord that goes from the trailer and plugs into the back of the truck. Roy says, “It should cost about $20.00….and the name of the part is “Umbilical Cord”.
I make my first call to some RV place. I asked them for a quote to fix the cord….they said they would have to call me back (after asking me if I bought the trailer from them). My rip-off senses were on high alert. I call a few more auto/truck places with no luck. I call Roy again and he affirms this is something I can fix. Little does he know the Hargadon history regarding fixing things. He assures me the wires are color-coded. I run to the hardware store and buy $30.00 in parts (bolt cutters, wire strippers, and lots of electrical tape). I come back, turn off all the power and even disconnect the terminals from the battery. I was shocked as a kid…long story, but my Mom (bless her heart) laughed when I jumped up in the air.
After some surgery, with my lovely surgical assistant Suzi, we connected all the wires…taped them up, and then…..no lights. What? We were sure we did it right. Call Roy! Check the fuses! Sure enough, that was the problem. A new breakthrough for the Hargadon family – I am thinking of maybe starting an electrical business.
I make my first call to some RV place. I asked them for a quote to fix the cord….they said they would have to call me back (after asking me if I bought the trailer from them). My rip-off senses were on high alert. I call a few more auto/truck places with no luck. I call Roy again and he affirms this is something I can fix. Little does he know the Hargadon history regarding fixing things. He assures me the wires are color-coded. I run to the hardware store and buy $30.00 in parts (bolt cutters, wire strippers, and lots of electrical tape). I come back, turn off all the power and even disconnect the terminals from the battery. I was shocked as a kid…long story, but my Mom (bless her heart) laughed when I jumped up in the air.
After some surgery, with my lovely surgical assistant Suzi, we connected all the wires…taped them up, and then…..no lights. What? We were sure we did it right. Call Roy! Check the fuses! Sure enough, that was the problem. A new breakthrough for the Hargadon family – I am thinking of maybe starting an electrical business.
This photo shows my handywork.
Travel Trivia
What do you do when you are stuck in traffic on at the end of the July 4th weekend? Create a learning opportunity for the family. I threw this one out….let’s see if any of you can come up with the right answer:
I traveled 2 miles in 5 ½ minutes. How fast was I going?
I traveled 2 miles in 5 ½ minutes. How fast was I going?
Wisconsin Paradigm Shift
I’m driving along in the #3 lane and get behind a very slow vehicle. I put on my blinker, but no one is letting me in – and I mean no one. I start thinking to myself, “Boy, these people in Wisconsin aren’t very nice.” I may have even yelled, “Jiminy!” When we get to the camp site, I realize that somehow/someway, our “umbilical cord” got crimped in the bumper. As a result, our tail lights and blinkers were not working. I take back every bad thought I had about Wisconsinonians!
Milan RV Park
You know you are close to the east coast when you can travel through four states in one day! After leaving our digs in Wisconsin, we drove through Illinois and Indiana and stopped for one night in Milan, Ohio. It was drizzly, but not cold. We walked around the two acres and saw some huge pine trees. The kids said these were the biggest Christmas trees they ever saw.
Inside the office/lounge area, we met Helen, the owner and two regular guests, Ivan and Bea. They were super nice people. Bea decided to adopt Joseph as one of her grandsons and we had to bribe him to continue on the trip with us instead of staying with her. Ivan and Bea do Christian Karoake, but didn't bring their equipment with them. We ordered pizza from John's Pizza Box and they even delivered it to the park.
We continually thank God for the great people he has put in our path on this trip! Had we flown to Maine, we would never have met the variety of people that we've had the opportunity to meet so far.
Next stop........Niagara Falls!
Inside the office/lounge area, we met Helen, the owner and two regular guests, Ivan and Bea. They were super nice people. Bea decided to adopt Joseph as one of her grandsons and we had to bribe him to continue on the trip with us instead of staying with her. Ivan and Bea do Christian Karoake, but didn't bring their equipment with them. We ordered pizza from John's Pizza Box and they even delivered it to the park.
We continually thank God for the great people he has put in our path on this trip! Had we flown to Maine, we would never have met the variety of people that we've had the opportunity to meet so far.
Next stop........Niagara Falls!
Jellystone Park in Wisconsin
After driving through Minnesota and most of Wisconsin, we we're ready for a two night stay. We had reservations for none other than Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park. Dave does a great impression of Yogi and Boo Boo ("Hey Boo Boo, let's go take some pic-a-nic baskets.....").
Like all of the other places, we were going in blind, not knowing what to expect. Imagine the kids excitement when they saw the mini waterpark, jumping pillow, playground, and all of the Yogi Bear souvenirs in the store. Imagine Dave's excitement when I told him this was not a pull-through site (our first back-in on the trip). It was a pretty tight turn, but he got in!
God was sooo good to us! It had been raining and it stopped just before we pulled in. We got all set up and it was hot so we went swimming at the waterpark. It was great because Michael could go on all of the slides and it was still fun for the older kids. We had gone to an aquatic park while in Minnesota and Michael was about a quarter of an inch too short for the slides. He was very bummed.
The next day we got to experience a fabulous thunder storm. Luckily, we were in the trailer when it started. At one point Dave looked out and saw the awning sagging under the weight of the water. Picture Dave and I in the pouring rain, thunder and lightning (and mud) taking the awning down. It was quite a sight. The best part was later that day when Trevor and I were putting the awning back up and he said "Mom, you weren't supposed to roll it up wet, you're going to ruin it."
One of the great things about this park was we could stay there, relax, and there was also plenty of things for the kids to do right there in the park. There was mini-golf (with lots of mosquites), water wars (launching water balloons at each other) and the kids even got to wrestle an alligator. The playground really came in handy when Dave had to fix the wiring on the cord that got crimped during the trip (see his blog for further details).
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Girl Power
There was a boy named Tyler at our camp site in Welcome, MN. He busted out his skateboard so he could have our kids sign the bottom. Little did he know how mischievous our little Courtney is. She managed to draw a flower on the bottom of his manly skateboard. This resulted in numerous laughs and this photo of Tyler with the evidence.
Insta-Friends
Despite my fears about staying at a camp ground where the population is 721, it really turned out to be a great stop for us. We stayed two nights here and managed to relax before out next big drive. I met Bill, who retired from the Air Force (flew C130's). He is traveling with his wife and two golden retrievers. We met John "Shoeless Joe" Hedges who travels all over the US (see http://www.travelinwithjohn.blogspot.com/).
What was best for me was seeing how our kids immediately made friends with the other kids at the camp. Some of the kids were visiting and some live at the camp site. There were two acres of grass behind the trailers which made for good football. The kids played all the time. I am amazed at how easily kids can befriend one another, yet as adults, it seems we struggle with this - - or maybe it is just me or maybe it is a California thing.
We went swimming at a cool aquatic park and then saw Wall E. Michael fell asleep within 5 minutes. We were invited to a campfire by some families across the path. We enjoyed smores, homemade strawberry cheesecake (yummy), and sparklers.
I am so thankful for the time we spent here.
What was best for me was seeing how our kids immediately made friends with the other kids at the camp. Some of the kids were visiting and some live at the camp site. There were two acres of grass behind the trailers which made for good football. The kids played all the time. I am amazed at how easily kids can befriend one another, yet as adults, it seems we struggle with this - - or maybe it is just me or maybe it is a California thing.
We went swimming at a cool aquatic park and then saw Wall E. Michael fell asleep within 5 minutes. We were invited to a campfire by some families across the path. We enjoyed smores, homemade strawberry cheesecake (yummy), and sparklers.
I am so thankful for the time we spent here.
Wall Drug - What?
Here is a great lesson in marketing. While in South Dakota, I noticed a couple of "Wall Drug" signs along the freeway. One would say, "Deputy on Duty at Wall Drug." Another would say, "Free cup of coffee and a donut for newlyweds at Wall Drug." Is it a city? Is it a drugstore? As we headed out of Rushmore towards Minnesota, the signs for Wall Drug started to increase. Suzi said her mother asked if we would be stopping by there.
The last thing I wanted to do was take a detour during a travel day, but we couldn't help ourselves. We just had to find out what Wall Drug was. We took the exit and parked in the RV lot. We noticed there were busloads of people coming to see this place. It was like a little town out of Mayberry.
They have everything at Wall Drug - - Cafe, drug store, chapel, western apparel, etc.. We explored and learned something about how this all started (Suzi can tell you more about this than I can). We got a donut and headed back on the road.
As for pictures...I took several only to learn that I forgot the replace the CF card in the camera. Man....those were some good pictures too. Oh well....praise God.
Also...South Dakota is a very long state! If you want to know what keeps us sane - first, we thank our friends the Clavellis, who gave us presents to open on each travel day. Way cool. We have also learned to count the cars on the trains as they go by (our records is 138), describe what you see in the clouds, we play football at the rest stops, and much more. Perhaps we will write a book on this topic for other families wanting to take such an adventure. Freemans...you game?
We try to start our days with a song from Salvador - Lord I Come Before You. A total blast. We each take an instrument and we do some serious air jamming/praising.
Lastly, we stopped at the Minnesota state line and took some pictures of the kids straddling two states. Michael kept asking, "How do you step on two different states?"
We managed to drive into Welcome, Minnesota. Turned out to be a great camp site - Good effort Suzi!
The last thing I wanted to do was take a detour during a travel day, but we couldn't help ourselves. We just had to find out what Wall Drug was. We took the exit and parked in the RV lot. We noticed there were busloads of people coming to see this place. It was like a little town out of Mayberry.
They have everything at Wall Drug - - Cafe, drug store, chapel, western apparel, etc.. We explored and learned something about how this all started (Suzi can tell you more about this than I can). We got a donut and headed back on the road.
As for pictures...I took several only to learn that I forgot the replace the CF card in the camera. Man....those were some good pictures too. Oh well....praise God.
Also...South Dakota is a very long state! If you want to know what keeps us sane - first, we thank our friends the Clavellis, who gave us presents to open on each travel day. Way cool. We have also learned to count the cars on the trains as they go by (our records is 138), describe what you see in the clouds, we play football at the rest stops, and much more. Perhaps we will write a book on this topic for other families wanting to take such an adventure. Freemans...you game?
We try to start our days with a song from Salvador - Lord I Come Before You. A total blast. We each take an instrument and we do some serious air jamming/praising.
Lastly, we stopped at the Minnesota state line and took some pictures of the kids straddling two states. Michael kept asking, "How do you step on two different states?"
We managed to drive into Welcome, Minnesota. Turned out to be a great camp site - Good effort Suzi!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Mt. Rushmore and More
Before heading to bed (yesterday), we went to the lobby and asked for a good place to eat and what to expect at Rushmore. We learned a valuable lesson. I guess they have a huge fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore on July 3rd. If you want to get in at all, we had to leave early (as they shut down the freeway). This advice paid off huge.
We got there before most of the crowds (around 10 AM). Even with that, there were probably hundreds of people there scoping out their areas for the fireworks. I couldn't imagine staying there all day just to see a light show, but then again...maybe I am just boring.
It was funny how the kids reacted when they got into the park. It was like they saw a big rock with some pictures carved out and they were ready to move on...or could it be that fatigue is wearing in? There was something about seeing Rushmore up close and personal - rather than experiencing it via National Treasure.
There were dozens of national park rangers present for the fireworks celebration. They were getting bombarded by kids who were asking, "What do park ranger do?" (Kids were given a handout with activities and one of them was to search out a ranger and ask this question). Poor rangers...couldn't move 10' without getting asked. I was particularly fond of one encounter...a park ranger was taping up a sign (closing off a path) when a kid asked, "What do park rangers do?" She replied, "We tape up signs." I said, "Is that in your job description?" She replied, "Yes it is."
I was also taken back by all the commercialism in and around Rushmore. Billboards everywhere and all sorts of "activities" that you can do, but I couldn't help but wonder if some of them were a rip-off. After Rushmore, we went to Rushmore Caves. We decided to see what it was all about. When we got to the counter, we realized it was a guided tour, the only rock you get to touch is one in the lobby, we would have to wait 20 minutes and the tour lasted an hour (we were close to lunch), and it would run about $45. We decided to take a poll (thumbs up/thumbs down). 5-1 to reject the cave (poor Michael...he said something to the effect, "I got out-voted".) We did manage to catch a cool photographic moment at the entrance to the cave (see photo). I told the kids, pick a flag or a letter to stand by. All accept Michael picked a letter....Michael chose the last flag to the right. I like it when my kids are willing to choose one direction even if all the others are choosing another option - way to go Micheal!
After lunch, we checked out a place called Cosmos. After some research, it was rejected 6-0! Off to Bear Country. Turned out to be the right call (God-thing), as it started to rain and this was an in-car activity. We drive through an animal park where the animals can walk right up to the car. Turned out the be worth ever penny we spent ($55). We saw all sorts of animals up close....especially the bears. There is something unnerving about having a bear right next to your window. I kept thinking, I hope he doesn't hop in the back of the truck! We were also able to see bear cubs...including one who was taking a nap at the top of a tree (see photo).
We headed back to camp for swimming, basketball, and blogging. We miss you all!
We got there before most of the crowds (around 10 AM). Even with that, there were probably hundreds of people there scoping out their areas for the fireworks. I couldn't imagine staying there all day just to see a light show, but then again...maybe I am just boring.
It was funny how the kids reacted when they got into the park. It was like they saw a big rock with some pictures carved out and they were ready to move on...or could it be that fatigue is wearing in? There was something about seeing Rushmore up close and personal - rather than experiencing it via National Treasure.
There were dozens of national park rangers present for the fireworks celebration. They were getting bombarded by kids who were asking, "What do park ranger do?" (Kids were given a handout with activities and one of them was to search out a ranger and ask this question). Poor rangers...couldn't move 10' without getting asked. I was particularly fond of one encounter...a park ranger was taping up a sign (closing off a path) when a kid asked, "What do park rangers do?" She replied, "We tape up signs." I said, "Is that in your job description?" She replied, "Yes it is."
I was also taken back by all the commercialism in and around Rushmore. Billboards everywhere and all sorts of "activities" that you can do, but I couldn't help but wonder if some of them were a rip-off. After Rushmore, we went to Rushmore Caves. We decided to see what it was all about. When we got to the counter, we realized it was a guided tour, the only rock you get to touch is one in the lobby, we would have to wait 20 minutes and the tour lasted an hour (we were close to lunch), and it would run about $45. We decided to take a poll (thumbs up/thumbs down). 5-1 to reject the cave (poor Michael...he said something to the effect, "I got out-voted".) We did manage to catch a cool photographic moment at the entrance to the cave (see photo). I told the kids, pick a flag or a letter to stand by. All accept Michael picked a letter....Michael chose the last flag to the right. I like it when my kids are willing to choose one direction even if all the others are choosing another option - way to go Micheal!
After lunch, we checked out a place called Cosmos. After some research, it was rejected 6-0! Off to Bear Country. Turned out to be the right call (God-thing), as it started to rain and this was an in-car activity. We drive through an animal park where the animals can walk right up to the car. Turned out the be worth ever penny we spent ($55). We saw all sorts of animals up close....especially the bears. There is something unnerving about having a bear right next to your window. I kept thinking, I hope he doesn't hop in the back of the truck! We were also able to see bear cubs...including one who was taking a nap at the top of a tree (see photo).
We headed back to camp for swimming, basketball, and blogging. We miss you all!
Travel to South Dakota
This would be our longest trip to date in the truck and boy..... We managed to get to the campground in some 11-12 hours. We enjoyed seeing the plains and hills and wonder how people ever managed to get across this great land without cars/planes. As my good friend Greg once said, we would make lousy pioneers. What would we do without DVD's, DS's, and Ipods?
On another note...ever wonder why they put the men's restroom so far away at rest stops?
When we arrived at the campground, I was glad to hear we had a pull-through. When we got close, I decided to I couldn't make the turn from the road we were on. I wrapped around the road...pulled in without hitting anything and felt quite proud. Then I realized that the hook-ups were on the other side of my trailer. I was too tired to fix it, so we decided we could live with hoses coming under our trailer. Besides, we had a big day ahead of us at Rushmore.
On another note...ever wonder why they put the men's restroom so far away at rest stops?
When we arrived at the campground, I was glad to hear we had a pull-through. When we got close, I decided to I couldn't make the turn from the road we were on. I wrapped around the road...pulled in without hitting anything and felt quite proud. Then I realized that the hook-ups were on the other side of my trailer. I was too tired to fix it, so we decided we could live with hoses coming under our trailer. Besides, we had a big day ahead of us at Rushmore.
Yellowstone
We got off to our earliest start to date – somewhere neighborhood of 0730 hours. As we entered the park, there was a loud cry from Joseph, “I see a Bison!” Little did we know that we would see another 141 during our tour. We decided to take the lower loop, head to the west and come back around full circle. All along the way, we kept track of all the animals we saw.
We stopped almost immediately to see one of the canyons and were met with an onslaught of mosquitoes. Not just one, but about 4000. We retreated to our car, only to find about 576 inside the truck. We knew we needed something quick, so we stopped at a store, where Suzi met someone from Marysville, CA (of all places). Suzi also invested in a good pair of binoculars, which paid off dearly later in the trip.
Next - Old Faithful. After sitting and watching her (?) for about 20 minutes, Courtney and I walked over to a park ranger, where I threw Courtney under the bus. "Yeah, my daughter wants to know when the next show is." I learned that they call it "predictions". We had about 45-60 minutes before the next show. We started walking around and met another family from CA (see Suzi's post). As we made our way back and waited for Faithful, she started to push out some water (maybe about 10 feet high) and then stopped. I wondered if that was it - Suzi kept reminding me that Faithful would shoot the water over 100'. As I stood up to go do something else, there she blew. Pretty spectacular.
Then off the west side to a bear/wolf rescue place we heard about. The place was pretty cool and we learned some things (especially about wolves). Then we experienced a God-thing. As we headed out the west side, there were two major back-ups coming into the park. One for a set of bison that were near the road and the other for the bald eagles. I prepared myself for the worst, as I knew we would head back that direction when we were done checking out the bears. As we came back, there was not a lick of traffic. We were able to see the bald eagles (you can't get out of the car or stop, but you could definitely see them perched in their tree). The bison were there and we got a good show from them.
We headed to Canyon Village where we saw a water fall that put all others to shame. We drove over to artist point and were taken back by all of the colors. We were able to make it back to the truck before the rain fell. As we drove to around the rest of Yellowstone, we got a natural car wash and then the rain stopped. All very cool.
Lastly, we saw a herd of bison which was breath-taking. Even better, there was a bison up on the top of a hill, standing as if he were the guard of the herd. We made our way back to Yellowstone lake and back to the trailer - one of the most memorable 12 hours I ever spent.
Tetons-Part 2
We stayed on the north side of the park – right between Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. As soon as we dropped the trailer, we raced back to the do some exploring of the Tetons. Special note – it is amazing how easy it is to drive when you don’t have a 29’ trailer! We headed to Jenny Lake with Joseph leading the charge – trying to find all of the license plates for all 50 states. We kept trying to focus his attention on the beauty and he kept looking at all the license plates! We took a boat across the lake and went up to see Hidden Falls. Danielle, the person driving the boat (see photo), but I asked her if she had any sage advice for us and this blog. She said, “Sleep when you die and eat lots of cheese.” Hmm…I will have to think about that one for a while.
We made our way to the falls and I was reminded of the power of water. The force of the water as it was coming down from the falls was humbling. I made sure we had our hands on Michael and Joseph as we crossed some bridges. Michael asked me why he had to hold my hand. I told him that if he fell into the raging waters, he would see Jesus. Michael said he wanted to stick around here for a little while longer. We made it to the falls, which were spectacular, and then raced back to catch the last boat back. We met a nice couple from Alabama. They were on a trip to visit a lot of the nation’s parks. They advised us they were tent camping – silently, Suzi and I thanked God for providing us with a trailer.
One thing we noticed about this park (and later with Yellowstone) is that if you see one or two cars parked on the side of the road, chances are there is an animal to view. On our way home, there were at least 20 cars lined up on the side of the road. Cars were nearly hitting each other trying to get in. I said to myself, “This has got to be good!” What do we do? We stop, get out and try figure out what is going on. Turned out to be a Moose with her Moose-baby. The problem was that these animals were in some trees and fairly far away. Even with our telephoto lens, the best you could see is part of a face and maybe a patch of brown. I thought it was so funny that soooo many people were pulled over to catch a partial glimpse of a Moose. I wonder what the Moose thought. We came up with an idea that we would pull over and start pointing and taking pictures just to see how many people would pull over. We all thought this was hilarious, but after giving it some thought, we figured others would think we were obnoxious.
We found a wonderful field on the way home full of what we thought were lupines. All I know is that there as a sea of purple/blue flowers. Suzi and kids wondered off to the field and I watched out for bears.
We made it back and crashed hard – looking forward to Yellowstone.
Fear of Heights - Tetons Part 1
I have a fear of heights, or at least a fear of falling off a very steep mountain. Chris Bucher can attest to this - he even has a photo which shows my fear pretty well. As we climbed up the Tetons, the acid started dumping into my belly and sweat started pouring out of every part of my body. When we finally made it to the top, we stopped....prayed...prayed very hard...and then all the family went to Defcon 5 (High alert - maintain radio silence). We put the car into low and managed to get down the hill. The 10 pounds of sweat was well worth what we saw on the other side. Once again, I am reminded of Paul's words and feel overwhelmed with God's power and might.
South Dakota
After eleven hours in the truck yesterday (the kids were great!), we spent today doing the tourist thing in South Dakota. We went to Mount Rushmore. To think of the amount of work that went into that monument is overwhelming. The creativity of the artist and the 400 people who toiled for 14 years to complete this masterpiece was definitely felt when I looked at Mount Rushmore up close and personal.
After looking into some other tourist attractions, we settled on Bear Country. Boy were we glad we did. It is a drive-through animal experience. We got to see elk, reindeer, bison, mountain lions, mountain goats, long-horned sheep, and of course bears. There was a grizzly who kept walking back and forth across the road, forcing cars to stop and wait until he was ready for them to go. What power he had over us humans! We then came back to camp to rest, do laundry, shoot some hoops with other campers, swim and prepare for another long roadtrip tomorrow.
Grand Tetons/Yellowstone
We are back online after being out of range for a couple of days. We saw the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Wyoming/Montana. What an experience. From Joseph seeing the first of 142 Bison before we even entered Yellowstone to waiting for a pronghorn deer to cross the road to seeing Old Faithful erupt. What beautiful country this is! The wide open spaces and varigated terrain is definitely something we don't see in California!
I wore a Woodland Christian School sweatshirt to Yellowstone. While walking around the geysers, a girl named Cathy came up to me and asked me if my shirt was from the Woodland Christian School in California. It turned out she lives in Dixon, CA and her cousins, Brian and Dana Hughes, go to the school. Dave coached Dana in soccer for a short while this spring. Isn't it amazing how God reveals how small this world really is, when we think it is immense!
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