At the end of June and the first two weeks of July our family took a trip to see more of the country.  We looped out of Indiana, into Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, and finally back to Indiana.  Jenny did a wonderful job journaling the trip so I am including that document instead of creating my own.  If you are interested in seeing the pictures we took during the excursion please go here.  I suggest the slideshow approach.  So without further ado, here is out trip report.

6/24/10 – Day 1

We got the truck packed and ready to go while Michael was home for lunch.  He said he would likely leave work at 2:00 but we didn’t tell the kids so it would be a surprise for them.  He got home a few minutes after 2:00 much to the kids’ delight and we were on the road by 2:45.  We made our traditional “first day of the trip” stop at Wal-Mart when the portable DVD player decided to give up the ghost.   We had our PB&J’s and chips in the truck in order to make better time.

Driving through St. Louis went very smoothly.  The kids loved the Arch.  I want to come back for a long weekend someday.

Around 7:00, Brad started saying he was really cold.  We stopped at a truck stop for a break and he was shivering.  I did the mom fever test and felt his forehead.  He was rather warm.  We got him a travel blanket and pillow set so he could warm up and gave him an Advil.  About an hour later he started peeling off the extra sweatshirt and blanket and felt much better.  We’re praying it’s just a little fluke thing and he’s not really getting sick.

Tomorrow will be breakfast at the hotel and then head out.  We plan to make a detour into Baxter Springs, KS, since we’ll be within spitting distance of the state line.  Then it’s on to Chickasaw National Park.

6/25/10 – Day 2

We slept in till about 7:30 this morning and then ate breakfast at the hotel.  It was a simple Continental breakfast but did the trick for us.  Brad was feeling fine with no signs of a fever.  After checking out, we programmed TomTom to take us to Baxter Springs, KS.  We stopped at a rest stop to stretch our legs for a bit.  Brad got out his floppy Frisbee to play with Michael.  The first time Michael threw it, it landed on the roof of a picnic shelter.  The rest stop workers kindly got a ladder and got it down for us.  That was then end of Frisbee for that stop.  J  We got to Baxter Springs right at lunch time so we stopped at Norma’s Diner on Historic Route 66.  We were the only patrons there for part of the time even though it was noon.  We had a wonderful lunch and then headed on down the road.  We drove for a little while on the turnpike till Michael got bored with the lack of scenery.  We then took highways and went through some quaint little towns.  It was fun to watch the landscape change.  We stopped for ice cream at Braum’s, a wonderful little restaurant with great ice cream at great prices.   Of course we had to go in to Wal-Mart since it was right there for more pop and chips.  Then it was on to Chickasaw with no more stops!

When we got to Chickasaw we couldn’t find our campground.  I didn’t realize how big the National Park was and told Michael we should turn around because I was sure we’d left the park.  I called the park ranger’s office and found out that Michael was right.  We had to turn back around and head further up the road.  We found the campground and then found our site – Loop C #15.  The camp site was nothing like I had expected.  I had expected boondocks but it’s a busy area.  The site itself is basically a cement circle with small gravel on it.  We are hoping for no high winds because there is no way to stake down the tent!  Once we got everything set up, we took off in search of the lake and beach.  The kids waded in for a couple of minutes to cool off a bit and then Michael and Brad walked back while I drove Mickey back.  It was then time for dinner so we fired up the Coleman stove and had hot dogs and chips.  It’s just too hot for a campfire today.

The air mattresses are inflated, it’s dark and the cicadas are serenading us.  I think it’s time to shower off and head to bed.  Tomorrow we’ll be going back to the lake and over to the other part of Chickasaw to play in the river.

6/26/10 – Day 3

It was after 11:00 before everyone finally got to sleep last night.  Between the cicadas and the music thumping from a nearby campsite, it took us a while to drift off.  Mickey was up bright and early around 6:00.  She and I sat in the quad chairs having juice and enjoying the quiet of the morning.  Once the guys got up we had breakfast, packed a picnic lunch and headed to the main part of the park.  The kids wanted to check out the Junior Ranger program so we went there to get the info.  We did some of the activities and then went to Little Niagara.  Brad made the first jump off the waterfall and loved it!  He and Michael made several jumps – like around 25!  I jumped once with Brad and twice with Michael.  It was fun!  Mickey got brave and walked up river over some big rocks and up a little waterfall.  She slid down the waterfall on the way back and liked it.   After 4 hours at Little Niagara and our picnic lunch, the kids finished their Junior Ranger packets and got their badges and patches.  They thoroughly enjoyed the Jr. Ranger program.

After the kids got their badges we went to the Nature Center because Mickey wanted a Jr. Ranger vest to put her badge (and future badges) on.   So we went there and checked out the displays and she got her vest.  We decided to do the 1 ½ mile hike to go see Buffalo Spring.  It was so neat to see the water bubbling up from the ground in this very peaceful pool.  After 4 hours in the river, the hike nearly did Mickey in.  She was ready to be done by the time we got back to the Nature Center.  We decided that Michael would take the kids back to the lake while I fixed dinner.  The plan worked beautifully as they walked into the site about 3 minutes after I finished cooking our macaroni & cheese with hamburger and BBQ sauce.  We ate dinner, cleaned up the dishes then went into town to replace the watch that flew off Brad’s wrist on one of his jumps off the waterfall.  We really appreciated the A/C in the truck and felt like we cooled down for the first time since we left the icy cold waters of Little Niagara.   On the way back from Wal-Mart, we paid the bison a brief visit at the bison viewing area.

Now we’re back in the campsite.  Michael has packed as much as possible in the truck to be ready for our morning departure.  Tomorrow we’ll head north to OKC to see the memorial then head west to Amarillo.

6/27/10 – Day 4

We learned a valuable lesson last night.  We have to put all foodstuffs in the truck at night.  We had a visitor in the campsite around 2:00 AM.  A very chubby raccoon tried to open our big cooler and succeeded at unzipping the Trader Joe’s cooler bag.  He ate a sandwich, some Little Debbie brownies and got the can of Cheetos open and helped himself to those.  We shined the flashlight at him and he waddled away.

After a quick breakfast we took down the tent and loaded the truck.  We left the campsite right at 9:00 AM and were on our way north to OKC.  The national memorial is an incredible place.  It was very emotional to see the 168 empty chairs, especially the little ones that represent the children who were killed that day.   We listened to a park ranger explain all of the symbolism of the outdoor memorial.  It was amazing – the time stamped gateway walls marked 9:01 and 9:03 for the minute before and the minute after the bomb exploded, the reflecting pool, the survivor tree that was in the adjoining parking lot and survived the blast.   Following the ranger’s suggestion we all placed a hand in the reflecting pool and then on the gateway wall to leave our handprints.  It was neat to see our handprint even after the water dried.   We also took time to look at the fence where people have left mementos over the years in memory of those who died.  The kids did the Jr. Ranger program here and got their badges.  Mickey is very excited about adding badges to her vest.

We finally found our way out of OKC, no thanks to road closures and construction, and headed west to Amarillo.  We hit the first rain of our trip but it only lasted about 3 minutes.  A quick stop at McDonalds and we were heading west once again.

We decided we were ready for stretch and walk so we stopped at a Cherokee Trading Post to look at souvenirs.  Brad found a pocket knife with his name on one side and Oklahoma on the other.  I picked up some post cards and a magnet clip with End of the Trail on it.  Mickey is in search of a cowgirl hat, but decided $27 was too much to spend on one.  Our next stop was the 2^nd largest cross in the Western Hemisphere.  It was amazingly huge.  It had the 14 Stations of the Cross around it and the kids enjoyed reading the plaques that went with each sculpture.  (We saw a cross in MO that we think is the same size, but I have to research to see if it is.) (*Michael later researched the cross in MO and found it is the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere so we drove past the largest to stop at the 2^nd largest!)

We arrived in Amarillo around 6:30 and went to Pizza Planet for dinner.  Brad was hoping for something out of Toy Story, but it was basically a redone Pizza Hut with a buffet.  After dinner Michael and the kids went to the hotel pool and I am at the Laundromat down the street doing 2 large loads of laundry.  M*A*S*H is on the TV and I have my book, so I will enjoy this time.  If it’s not too late when I get back, I’ll jump in the pool and cool down.  It’s still in the high 80’s even at 8:00 PM!!

(I got back to the hotel around 9:00 and the others were back in the room.  The temperature had dropped and the wind picked up so they got cold and came in.  We finished watching 16 Wishes before lights out.)

6/28/10 – Day 5

We slept this morning till after 8:00.  Just enough time for quick showers before breakfast ended at 9:00.   We ate, packed up the room and hit the road by 10:00.  Just a couple of miles down the road we came upon Cadillac Ranch, a field where someone “planted” several old Cadillacs.  We climbed on them and took lots of pictures.  Michael and Brad added to the graffiti by spray painting one of the cars.  It was a great stop.  Brad said, “This vacation is awesome!  Dad is awesome!”

After the visit with the Cadillacs, we headed on down I40 toward Albuquerque.  It was amazing to watch the scenery change so dramatically.  The mesas were beautiful!  We stopped on Route 66 in Santa Rosa at Joseph’s Bar and Grill for lunch.  They had great burgers and quesadillas.  Then it was back on the road.  We encountered some serious rain that really hampered visibility.  We decided along the way to change our reservation for tonight from Albuquerque to Gallup so we’ll be 2 hours closer to the Grand Canyon when we leave in the morning.  We had to stop in Albuquerque, though, just so we could “take a left turn in Albuquerque”.  The rain had created some flash flooding there and the drainage system could not handle it.  We made it out safely.

More beautiful scenery and more rain made up the rest of the drive to Gallup.  We stopped at El Rancho Hotel & Restaurant for dinner.  We had wonderful authentic Mexican food.  Now we’re at Motel 6.  Brad just took a dip in the pool.  The rest of us decided to stay on the deck and stay warm.   Tomorrow we head to the Grand Canyon via the Petrified Forest.

6/29/10 – Day 6

We were up and on the road early this morning.  We had breakfast at Denny’s and then hit Wal-Mart to stock the cooler, get Brad’s water shoes and replace the camera battery.  Once we finished our shopping we were off to the Petrified Forest.  We started on the Painted Desert end of the park.  It was incredibly beautiful!   We stopped at several vista points and took lots of pictures.  The best stop we made was at Agate Bridge.  We all climbed all over the rock formations and had a great time.  We felt the difference in the altitude, though.  We were all breathing harder than normal by the time we got back in the truck.  We went on through the park and finished with a picnic lunch at the museum where Mickey got her Jr. Ranger badge and patch.  (Brad has decided not to do anymore Jr. Ranger activities since it’s pencil and paper work.) There was a giant raven just waiting for us to leave so he could pick up our crumbs.  He only got a couple of small morsels since we were all very hungry after our climbing expedition.   Just outside the park there were a couple of gift shops that sell petrified wood.   One of them advertised free petrified wood so we went to that one!   Each of the kids got a small piece of free wood.  Michael and I each picked up a souvenir, too.  The people working in the store were very helpful and knowledgeable.

Finally we made it to the Grand Canyon!  We went to the Visitor’s Center only to find it had closed 10 minutes before.  We looked at the schedule for Ranger Programs, decided what to do tomorrow and then went in search of our campsite.

The campsites here are much nicer than at Chickasaw, more of what I had hoped for with trees and a more primitive feel.  By the time we set up camp we were ready to eat.  I fixed cheeseburgers and pasta on the stove in the dark.  It was quite interesting cooking by Coleman lantern!  But those burgers tasted wonderful!!  We sat around the campsite after dishes were done and marveled at the vast numbers of stars we could see.  Simply amazing!!

6/30/10 – Day 7

We have our own personal alarm clock in our campground.  It’s a group of ravens that call to each other starting at 5:30 AM!!  I went ahead and got up to start breakfast.  There’s nothing like pancakes and sausage cooked in a campground (even if I used the stove instead of a campfire).  Once breakfast was cleaned up it was off to the General Store in the Grand Canyon Village for ice.  Then we went to the Visitor’s Center to get Mickey’s Jr. Ranger info.  From there we took a shuttle to the Shrine of Ages for the first Ranger program.  It was about the food chain here at Grand Canyon.  The kids enjoyed it very much.  Then we walked along the Rim Trail for about 1.5 miles.  We really felt the altitude difference!  The canyon is simply awesome.  The colors are beautiful and the size is unbelievable until you see it.  We walked to lunch at Bright Angel Lodge.  It was a nice restaurant and we thought the food was great.  We then rode the shuttle back to the visitor’s center to get the truck.  We drove back to Shrine of the Ages for the next Ranger program about hiking safety.

Dinner tonight was pie iron pizzas and French bread.  They were very good.  After dinner, the guys cleaned up dishes while Mickey and I went to the rim to see the sunset.  It was beautiful!!  We stopped at the General Store on the way back to the campsite to get a couple of gifts for Michael’s birthday tomorrow.

7/1/10 – Day 8

Today is Michael’s birthday.  He was awakened early by ravens and by his phone alerting him that there were “first of the month” tasks to be done.  The rest of us went ahead and got up early so we could get ready for our various morning activities.  The guys were going on an adventure hike with the Jr. Ranger program while Mickey and I planned on going on a fossil walk with Jr. Rangers.  Before we ate breakfast, we gave Michael his gifts; a piece of petrified wood from Brad, a gecko Grand Canyon magnet from Mickey, a Route 66 thirsty stone from both kids, and a box of Grand Canyon animal crackers from me.  (The rest of his gift is being shipped to Jessie’s so he’ll get it in a couple of days.)

We finished breakfast and got ready to go and that’s when the trouble started.   Mickey said her belly ached.  We figured it was from eating too fast in a rush to get going, so we went ahead with our plans.  Mickey and I dropped the guys off at the stop for the shuttle that would take them to Hermit’s Rest for their hike.  We then parked to wait for our program to begin.  Mickey started throwing up in the parking lot.  After several bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, she said she was getting dizzy.  I took her to the Grand Canyon clinic where they decided she was dehydrated.     She had a blood draw and got IV fluids and Phenergan for the nausea.   She slept for most of the time we were there.  Michael called to see how she was and we decided to pack up camp and leave today instead of waiting till tomorrow.  Mickey was released with instructions for a BRAT diet and clear liquids.  The doctor said that they see a lot of GI bugs like hers in the clinic and they typically last 24-48 hours.  While we were at the clinic, the guys finished their 1-mile moderate hike and rode the shuttle back to camp.  They proceeded to pack everything up so the only thing left was the tent by the time Mickey and I got there.  We finished up and hit the road toward Page, AZ, for the night.  She was miserable most of the ride with a headache and she threw up again.  She started perking up after about 90 minutes on the road and spent the last while playing Diner Dash on my IPod.  We got a room at a Super 8 and got her and the stuff up to the room.  Brad and I went to a nearby Jack in the Box to get dinner.  Mickey ate ½ a bun and drank some flat Sprite.  When I left the room to come do laundry, she was feeling great.  I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  We are only 6 ½ hours from Jessie’s so we’ll see what we end up doing.

7/2/10 – Day 9

Mickey slept very well last night and woke this morning feeling fine.  Even though she was feeling well enough to camp, we decided to cancel our KOA reservation and head to Jessie and Nathan’s.  We had breakfast at the hotel, packed our bags, repacked the truck and set off for gas and ice.  While pumping the gas, Michael had a conversation with a former Hoosier who said it would be a crime for us to not go to Zion National Park since we were so close.  We didn’t want to commit a crime so we altered our route and went through Zion after a quick lunch at McD’s.  It was beautiful!  The kids especially liked the mile-long tunnel.  Mickey got her 5^th Jr. Ranger badge.  We didn’t stay long at the park aside from the drive through it.  We were ready to get to Jessie’s.   We stopped at an Olive Garden in Provo for dinner.  Mickey marveled at the cloth napkins and declared that she would like to eat at fancy places like that more often.

We got to Jessie’s a little after 9:00 PM.  They were at a soccer game but had left a key for us.  We got to spend some time with Penelope.  She loved Michael and hung out with him most of the time till Jessie and Nathan got home.  We were so happy to see them.  It’s been a long time since they were home.  We talked for a long time about our trip, what we may do tomorrow, etc.  It is so good just to be with them.

7/3/10 – Day 10

It was so nice to sleep in this morning.  The kids even slept late.  We met Zac Johnson from Children’s Miracle Network at the headquarters and then went to brunch at Squatters.  It was good food!  After brunch Jessie took us on a driving tour of SLC.  Then we went to Antelope Island.  We walked down to the Great Salt Lake.   The beach was covered in gnats that just swarmed away as we walked.  They made the ground look like it was moving.  Wild!  We drove to the other side of the island and found a herd of bison.  They were fun to watch.  We came back to Jessie and Nathan’s for a bit and then went to watch a July 3^rd parade.  While Mickey walked around the festival with Jessie and Nathan, Brad played on some inflatables and Michael and I ate some kailua pig with rice.  Brad had some mini donuts and loved them!  I got some Navajo fry bread for dessert.  It was delicious!  The parade was great.  Lots of local politicians and businesses participated.  That meant lots of candy!

Mickey is tired so she and I are going to stay home while the others go see fireworks.   We get to Penelope sit.  J

7/4/10 – Day 11

Everyone slept well last night.  It’s so nice being in Jessie’s home.  Jess and I went out to get donuts for breakfast.  After everyone ate and got ready, we went to church.  Jessie’s church was meeting at an amphitheater with another campus of their church.  It was a good service.  It helped us miss The Creek a little less when they did some of the same praise and worship songs.  After church we went to Fuddruckers for lunch.  Michael and Jess had the wild boar burger; Nathan had elk; I had buffalo.  It was a new experience for all of us.  The burgers were all good.  Brad was in need of some down time, so Jessie and Nathan took the kids back to their house to watch Percy Jackson and rest while Michael and I went to Sam’s and Wal-Mart to restock the cooler.  Brad got a good nap in so he was in much better spirits when we got back.  The kids watched a little TV while Nathan and I took on Michael and Jess in Euchre.  Michael and Jess won 2 out of 3 games.   Jessie wanted us to go to Mayan Adventure so we went there for dessert before getting pizza at home.  Mayan Adventure is along the lines of Rainforest Café but they had guys who jumped off cliffs on the 3^rd level into a pool on the main level.  It was amazing!  Mickey did not like being in there.  In fact the only way we got her in was by Michael carrying her on his back.  I didn’t know he could still do that!  We watched the divers and had our appetizers/desserts of queso, chocolate explosion (cake and ice cream) and fried ice cream.   When we got back to Jessie’s, Mickey helped Jess water flowers while Brad went with Nathan to get pizza and fireworks.  After pizza, the girls took on the guys in euchre.  The guys won.  By then it was dark so we went out to do fireworks and sparklers.  Brad had a great time lighting the fireworks.  We all enjoyed the sparklers.  After fireworks it was bedtime since we need to get an early start tomorrow morning.

(Random thoughts/funnies about the trip …Whenever the GPS says “bear left (or right)” Michael holds his hands up like bear claws and growls.  When someone says “OK”, I sing “O K L A H O M A” much to Brad’s dismay.)

7/5/10 – Day 12

Michael and I got up at 7:00 this morning to get ready and start packing up.  Brad got up easily but Mickey did not want to get up.  We figure she wasn’t ready to leave Jessie’s yet.  We were on the road a little before 9:00 AM just as we had hoped to be.  A few minutes after we left, Jessie called that we had left our ice packs in her freezer so we went back to get them and then we were off again.  As we drove through some of the more desolate areas of WY, Mickey said it was the unpainted desert (she said she got that from Phineas and Ferb).  We stopped at Flaming Gorge National Rec Area only to find out they are part of the Forest Service not the Park Service so they don’t do Jr. Rangers there.

The drive through WY was rather boring most of the way.  We finally got into so beautiful countryside with huge ranches along the road.  We saw several antelope in the fields and beside the road.  We stopped at a rest area for a PB & J picnic.  The wind was fierce but we saw several cute prairie dogs while we ate.  At another rest area, Michael was walking along a path and saw a rattle snake on the other side of the split rail fence.  It was stretched out until a bunch of people stopped to look at it.  He said it took about one second for the snake to go from full length to coiled up in attack position.  He stuck around just long enough to get a good picture.  Sometime along the way I turned around to talk to Mickey.  Her left eye looked like it had a broken blood vessel in it.  It hasn’t bothered her.  The only thing we can think of is that something got in her eye in the vicious wind at the lunch rest stop.  We’re keeping an eye on it.  (Pun intended!)

We got to the East Casper RV Park around 5:00 PM.  We are in cabin #2.  It’s a nice little cabin with bunk beds and a double bed.  The kids played in the pool for a long time before we went to Subway for dinner.  We went exploring in Casper after dinner and found this fun restaurant called Sanford’s Pub and

Grub.  It had giant statues of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck along with smaller statues of Jaws, various Jurassic Park dinos, etc., out front.  We took lots of Chewy pictures and then went in for dessert.  After dessert we went to Target to walk around a bit before coming back to the cabin.  Now it’s almost lights out.  Tomorrow we go to Custer, SD.

7/6/10 – Day 13

We got up at 6:30 this morning with plans to be on the road by 8:00.  Amazingly enough we got the cabin packed up, ate breakfast, got gas and ice all before 8:00!  We had a good drive to Custer, SD, to the Flintstone’s Bedrock City Campground.   We got our tent set up in record time and ate a picnic lunch.  The kids decided to go swimming even though it was only in the 60’s.  They stayed in for much longer than I expected.  While they were swimming Michael and I were looking online at things to do here in the Black Hills since we had just decided to alter our itinerary and spend an extra day here.  Last night we made reservations for a chuckwagon dinner/theater at Circle B Chuckwagon.  This afternoon we decided to add a trail ride before dinner.  So we got the kids out of the pool and we all got dressed in jeans since it was so chilly and we went in search of Circle B.  We got there plenty early so we explored the “ranch” for a while.  Mickey practice roping a pretend steer while Brad played in an old wagon.  Finally it was time to ride.  Michael and I had never ridden so this was all new to us.  He rode Tex and I rode Misty.  Mickey was scared at first and wanted a side walker, but she got over her fear and had fun on Reba.  Brad had the most fun of all as he was up near the front and having a blast on Sugar.  After the trail ride the kids got to practice shooting wax bullets from a pistol.  Both of them hit one of the targets.  After the shooting practice we had about an hour to look around before the shootout in the alley.  Every evening the Biscuit Bandit steals biscuits from the kitchen and the sheriff has the kids help catch him.  It was fun even though the shots were very loud.  Once the bandit was caught it was time for dinner.  The food was great!  We all had baked potato, cowboy beans, peach, biscuit, and ginger cake.  Michael and I had roast beef and the kids had hot dogs.  After dinner the owners and 2 of their sons sang a bunch of cowboy songs and told bad jokes.  It was a fun show.

We stopped at a souvenir shop on the way back to the campground for sweatshirts since it’s only about 45* tonight.  BRRRRR!!   Now it’s time to burrow down and try to get warm.

7/7/10 – Day 14

Last night was bitterly cold.  I had trouble sleeping but managed to get a few hours of sleep.  Michael got up and made sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast.  It was sooo good!  We got ready and headed to Mt. Rushmore.  The expression on the kids’ faces when they saw it from the road the first time was priceless.  The size and scope of the monument is unbelievable!  We spent a couple of hours there, doing Mickey’s Jr. Ranger booklet and walking the Presidential Trail to the Sculptor’s Studio.  It was a wonderful visit.

After Rushmore we went to Jewel Cave for another badge.  All of the tours were sold out for the day but we did get to go on a nature hike with a very nice ranger named Skylie.  We learned about the Jasper Fire from 2000 that burned over 83,000 acres of the Black Hills area.

Once we finished at Jewel Cave we came back into Custer for a late lunch.  We found a place listed in the South Dakota visitor’s guide and decided to go there.  The Buglin’ Bull was good.  The kids split a pizza, Michael got a buffalo chicken sandwich and I had potato skins.  After lunch it was time to souvenir shop for a bit.  Brad is looking for a stuffed bat after hearing about them at the cave.  Mickey didn’t care about souvenirs so she and I sat and watched a retired postal worker as he carved a woman’s face from a piece of alabaster.  He was very kind and chatted with Mickey while he worked.  When we got back to the campground, the kids decided to swim even though it was only about 65*.  There were several other kids in the pool so they had fun with them.

We finally had another campfire tonight.  We had hot dogs and s’mores.  YUM!  While Michael and I sat by the fire, Mickey played with Polly Pockets in the tent and Brad watched Percy Jackson in the truck.  The evening provided them both with some much needed down time.

The fire is almost out and it’s getting cold again.  Tonight we are zipping the little sleeping rooms closed on the tent to see if we can hold in some heat that way.  Hopefully it helps!!

7/8/10 – Day 15

Well, zipping the bedrooms shut was half successful.  The kids both slept better but Michael and I were colder than the night before.  We have decided to bail on the campground a night early and find a motel in the Hot Springs area which is where our tipi reservation is for tomorrow night.

We were up and on the road early since we had a busy morning planned.  We left at 7:00 AM to go to the Minuteman Missile Site.  It was the control site for 10 Minuteman Missiles that were ready to be used during the Cold War.  When it was time to go down to the control room itself, Mickey was too scared to get on the elevator.  She and I waited while Brad and Michael went down.  When she saw that they made it back up OK, she decided she wanted to go.  So she and I waited to do the little tour again and then went down to the capsule.  It was rather amazing to see the little room where the missileers would spend 24 hours per shift waiting for the command to fire the missiles.  After we finished the tour we went to the visitor’s center where the kids each got a cool patch for completing the Jr. Ranger program.

When we finished there we went to the Badlands visitor center for another badge.  While Mickey and I did the booklet, Michael and Brad went out to climb on some of the rock formations.  Mickey finished her booklet and got her badge.  She then wanted to climb the rocks like Dad and Brad.  So Michael helped her up to the first level.  We got some pictures then headed back to the truck.  I couldn’t get in because there was a little stuffed prairie dog in my seatbelt.  Michael and Brad got him as a surprise for me.  His name is Lakota after the Lakota nation who occupies part of the Badlands.  We drove on through the park stopping a few times to take pictures.  At one stop we had a very pleasant conversation with a family from New Brunswick.

We finally made our way through the Badlands and went to Wall Drug.  We ate lunch there and it was good!  Brad is searching for a stuffed bat for a souvenir so we looked at every shop but didn’t find one.  We did get some t-shirts and our new Christmas tree ornaments for this year.  We checked out the Backyard and took lots of Chewy pictures before we hit the ice cream shop.  With milkshakes in hand we went to the truck to drive back to Flintstone to strike camp and load the truck.  Michael decided to make a detour and stop at Rushmore Cave to find a stuffed bat for Brad.  Brad was so excited!!   He now has a new friend name Echo.

We were able to strike camp before 8:00 PM.  We drove to Hot Springs to the Budget Host Hills Motel.  It was a nice little motel with an outdoor pool.  Since Dairy Queen was right across the street, I walked over and got dinner while Michael and the kids swam.  They were sufficiently cooled down so we went into the room to eat.  We watched the end of the Real Salt Lake soccer game, texting Jessie during it.  We watched a movie and then snuggled down in our nice warm beds.

7/9/10 – Day 16

Michael and I were up before the kids so we walked over to the hotel office to get breakfast to take back to the room.  When we got back the kids were awake.  We ate breakfast, checked out and headed to Wind Cave.  As part of the Jr. Ranger requirement, we took a 1-mile prairie hike.  It was a beautiful day for a hike.  We went back to the visitor’s center and got her badge.  By then it was lunch time so we went to a nearby picnic area.  As we pulled in another car came around the corner of the one-lane road and Michael had to swerve into the bushes to avoid hitting her.  The truck got scratched up on the front quarter panel and both passenger side doors.  We’ll have to get it repainted when we get home.

We scrapped looking for a place to picnic and went straight to the campground with the tipis.  We picnicked there then got registered, dropped off our stuff and changed into swimsuits.  We played in the river for a long time.  Brad is getting really good at skipping rocks.  Mickey worked hard to walk against the current to go upstream.  It was fun.  After we changed, the kids started climbing on some rocks in the tipi area.  The next thing I knew Michael was climbing up a 25’ rock face.  He made it to the top and back down again.  He loved it!  There is a little area in a rock formation that you can climb through.  Brad and Michael did it but Mickey was scared.  I told her I’d get her a chocolate milkshake after dinner if she did it.  That was all it took.  She climbed through it both directions.

After playing in the river and climbing on rocks we were hungry so we went into Hot Springs to find dinner.  We stopped at Dale’s Family Diner.  It was a nice little family place that serves breakfast all day and Diet Dew.  I was a happy woman!  Brad had his first buffalo burger and proclaimed that from now on if buffalo burgers are on the menu, that’s what he’s getting.  We decided to wait a while on the milkshakes so we stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things.  Then we found a little book store to browse.  Mickey got a mountain goat that says South Dakota on it and I got a bookmark that reads, “Little boys are a pain in the neck when they are around and a pain in the heart when they aren’t”.  We took our purchases and went to Dairy Queen.  We enjoyed our ice cream there then made our way back to the tipi.  It’s very different sleeping in the tipi as it does not have a covering over the door.  We have positioned Michael in front of the door as our protector in case anything tries to come in.

7/10/10 – Day 17

We slept till 7:30 this morning.  We all slept pretty well.  We got packed up and on the road quickly.  We had donuts on the road as we headed toward Aberdeen.  It was basically a boring drive day.  The main excitement was the swarms of grasshoppers we drove through.  The front of the truck looks nasty!  We stopped at a campground for a picnic lunch.  Then we stopped in Pierre, SD, to get the oil changed at a Wal-Mart.  Once that was done we were on the way.  We called and found out they had some non-reservable spots left open so we headed to the Wiley Campground.  We set up the green tent only to find out 4 air mattresses don’t fit.  So we set up one room of the red tent.  The parents will be in the little tent so the kids will have some extra space.  Dinner was sloppy joes and mac & cheese.  Tomorrow we’ll go check out Storybook Land and the Aberdeen Aquatic Center.

7/11/10 – Day 18

Last night we had our first night of inclement weather, but fortunately it was short-lived.  We had some rain and then the wind started.  We decided that the kids would be better off if one of us were in with them so I took my air mattress and left Michael alone in the little tent.  Brad slept through most of the weather, but Mickey was up a lot in the night.  This morning she got up for about 15 minutes then went back to bed for an hour.  Finally we were all up and ready so we walked over to Storybook Land.  The first thing we did was ride the train so we could get a good view of the whole park.  We had a lot of fun taking Chewy pictures on all the different characters.   The kids rode the carousel and I rode the balloon ride with them.  Mickey was so excited to see Dorothy and friends in the Land of Oz, but we had to convince her to walk the Yellow Brick Road.  Knowing the balloon ride was waiting at the end of the road was all it took for her to get brave.  We enjoyed the walk and seeing the characters in their homes.  After the 2^nd balloon ride it was time to find lunch and the water park.

We let the kids choose lunch and of course they chose McDonald’s.  Then it was on to the Aberdeen Aquatics Center.  They have a nice water park and a lap pool with a 3 meter spring board and a low spring board.  Brad had a blast on the diving boards and on one particular slide.  Mickey made a few friends and played with them.  Michael and I got to go down some slides and on the lazy river together.  We finally left at 6:00.  We found a pizza place called Thatzza Pizza.  They sell pizza by the slice so all the hungry swimmers got to eat quickly.  We stopped at a little local ice cream joint for dessert on the way back to the campground.

Since tomorrow is a long drive day ending at a hotel with an indoor water park, the kids are motivated to get on the road extra quickly in the morning.  So we decided to take down the red tent.  Mickey is going to sleep on sleeping bags squished between Michael’s and my air mattresses.  We got everything else put away, too.  Once we got our work done we went back over to Storybook Land to go to the little zoo they have there.  We spent the whole time (all of about 20 minutes) watching the prairie dogs.  I love those little guys!!  Then it was time for one last balloon ride before the park closed.  It’s almost 10:00 PM now so it’s time to get to bed so we can get up early early tomorrow.

7/12/10 – Day 19

Everyone slept well last night.  It started raining sometime in the night and sprinkled on and off till we left.  We got packed up and hit McD’s for a hot breakfast.  Then we drove and drove and drove.  It was a long drive for Michael as it was mostly 2 lane highways.  We did stop at Burger King for lunch and ice for the cooler.  I wonder how much we have spent on ice on this trip?!?  We tried to find the national park office for the Mississippi Rec Area in St. Paul, but the address listed was the headquarters not the visitor’s center so we didn’t go.  It was back on the road toward Eau Claire, WI.  We arrived around 3:30 and were in the water park by 4:30.  Then Mickey and I were back in the room by 5:00.  They had sound effects in the water park that freaked her out and then she said she had a headache because she was so tired.  She fell asleep minutes after getting back to the room.  Michael and I took turns with Brad at the water park.  It has 3 slides, a lazy river, a kiddie area and a big pool.  We were pretty hungry after a few trips up the stairs and down the slides, so we got ready to go for dinner.  Michael chose a place called Milwaukee’s Burgers.  It was great!  I got The Hangover, a burger with a fried egg, hash browns and cheese….sounds weird but tastes great!  Michael got the Juicy Lucy, a burger with cheese melted inside.  We had the nicest waitress.  She brought the kids an extra Frisbee, the platter they use to serve the kids meals.

With bellies full, we decided to come back to the room to crash.  The kids wanted to stay in the room and watch TV while Michael and I walked over to the indoor amusement park attached to the hotel.  They have a DQ there so I got a turtle Blizzard.  Now we’re back in the room ready to unplug the kids and go to sleep!

7/13/10 – Day 20

We slept in pretty late this morning.  By the time we got showers, it was 9:30 and breakfast ended at 10:00.  When we got there most of the good stuff was gone.  However, we ate well…..biscuits and gravy, made to order omelet, waffle.  Yeah, it was good!  After breakfast we packed up and headed southeast toward our next campground.  Michael surprised us by exiting the interstate at one of the Wisconsin Dells exits.  He surprised us even more by stopping at Noah’s Ark Water Park.  We ate lunch at one of the snack bars before hitting the water.  We had a great time playing in the wave techs and pools and riding several slides.  Michael and I rode the Black Anaconda, America’s largest water coaster.  It was fun!!  We pulled our tired selves out of the water around 6:00 to head to Kamp Kegonsa in Stoughton, WI.

Unfortunately when we got to the camp, we found the office is closed on Tuesdays.  We called the phone number and left a message then drove around to see if we could figure out where we might be setting up camp.  We were not impressed with the campground so we left, deciding to get a hotel in Janesville.  First priority, though, was dinner.  We stopped at Fuddruckers since it’s a family favorite.  Brad and I split a buffalo burger and Mickey tried her first buffalo burger.  She loved it!  We think we’ll need to find a place to buy buffalo in Indy now.  After dinner we stopped to pick up Lanacane spray for our sunburns and more cough medicine for Brad as he has had a cough for a few days.  Then we went across the road to a Motel 6.  Hopefully we’ll all sleep well even with our sunburns.

7/14/10 – Day 21

Last night we switched things up a bit; Mickey slept with Michael and I slept with Brad.  It worked out well, but we’re back to our normal sleeping arrangements tonight.  We ate out of the breakfast bucket for the last time.  I think it will be a long, long time before any of us eats another honey bun!  We got showers and bid the Janesville Motel 6 a fond farewell around 9:30.  We decided to go to Woodfield Mall since we would be arriving in the suburbs before check in at La Quinta.  We ate at A&W much to Brad’s delight.  After lunch we went to the Lego store in the mall since Brad couldn’t wait till tomorrow to see Legos.  J  We browsed the mall for a while and then headed to the hotel.  But then we decided it would be fun to show the kids where we worked when we lived in the ‘burbs oh so many years ago.  (It was fun for us, but just felt like more drive time to them.)  After our trip down memory lane we checked in at the hotel, Michael took the kids to the pool and I took the hamper to the Laundromat.  When I got back to the hotel the family was in the room watching Tinker Bell.  Apparently the pool was rather boring after spending yesterday on water slides and in wave techs so they didn’t stay long.  By now we were all rather hungry so we broke our vacation tradition of trying new places in favor of a tried and true place (not to mention near the hotel)  – Famous Daves.  As usual it was wonderful.  We stopped by Wal-Mart for the first time in a few days so we could replace Brad’s lost stylus from his DS and get him a toiletry kit to replace his zip lock baggie he’s been using.  Once our shopping was done, it was back to the room for a little TV before bed.  Mickey and Brad are so excited about tomorrow.  I can’t wait to see Mickey’s face when she walks into the American Girl Place.  She is going to go nuts!!!

7/15/10 – Day 22

We were up bright and early this morning to get a start on our last full day of vacation.  We ate breakfast in the hotel and were on the road a little after 8:00.  We parked at Millennium Park and headed to The Bean.  There was a group of students from a special needs high school there.  Mickey and I spent some time talking to one of the teachers.  She was impressed with Mickey’s speech and ability to read the students’ name tags.  After some time gawking at The Bean we made our way up Michigan Ave.  We decided to divide and conquer – Michael took Brad to the Lego store and I took Mickey to the American Girl Place.  The look on her face was priceless!  She was as excited as I had imagined her being.  We dropped Chrissa for a new ‘do and a bath and then went shopping.  Mickey chose 2 dresses, some PJ’s and a t-shirt with a karate girl.  When we went back to get Chrissa the girl was just getting ready to work on her.  She was such a mess!  She looked so much better after her spa treatment.  When we finished, Brad and Michael met us and checked out the place.  Michael was very grateful that he got to go to the Lego Store!  Brad got a Toy Story set, an Atlantis set, a Max keychain for him and a Jessie keychain for Mickey.  What a nice brother!

We stopped in at Ghiradelli and the Hershey store before going to Giordano’s for lunch.  It was Mickey’s first time seeing a deep dish pizza and her face was priceless.  She was in awe!!!  We ended up with half a pizza left and the kids decided we should give it to some homeless people.  So we got it in two boxes and started watching for people to bless.  We stopped in at the Lego store so Mickey could see it (and to cool off from the humid high 90’s).  Brad had fun showing her around and she spent some time building with the Legos.  Soon after we left that building we saw a man setting up his place on the sidewalk for the evening.  Mickey got one of the boxes, walked up to him and said, “Sir, would you like some pizza?”  The man got teary eyed and called Mickey an angel.  I wonder when he was last called “Sir”.  We didn’t see anyone else to bless with the other box of pizza so we kept it.  It was a long, hot walk back to the car.  Mickey took several breaks along the way and Brad was wonderful with her, encouraging her to keep going.

Once we got to the truck, it wasn’t too awfully long before we were back in the ‘burbs.  We decided to get dinner for me and the kids while Michael would have the leftover pizza.  There was a Sonic that just opened today so we went there and brought the food back to the hotel.  We were all tired and ready to relax for the evening.  We ate and watched Wipeout!

Hard to believe this time tomorrow we’ll be back home!  L

7/16/10 – Day 23

We slept in this morning deciding the continental breakfast wasn’t worth rushing around for.  We packed the truck for the final time and headed for McDonalds for breakfast.  After breakfast and topping off the gas tank we headed toward Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for another badge.  We drove for a few hours through rush hour and construction traffic before we stopped for lunch at a truckstop.  This was something we had planned to do the whole trip and finally did it on the last day.  We stopped at Love’s because I really like their 32 oz drink cups…silly reason, I know.  After we finished off our diner fare we continued the trek toward the dunes.   We finally made it there around 3:00 PM, got Mickey’s Jr. Ranger book and went in search of the old farm that is part of the park to do one of her activities.  After touring the farm and doing the activity we decided to go to the beach for that activity.  However there was a $6 parking fee and we decided we didn’t want to pay that since we had to get back to the visitor’s center in less than an hour.  So we went straight back to the visitor’s center and explained why we didn’t finish the book.  The ranger said it was no problem so Mickey got her badge, 2 patches and a picture of herself wearing a Jr. Ranger hat.  She was so excited.

We got back in the truck and pointed it toward I65 South.  We decided to stop in Merriville for dinner.  We found a Buffalo Wild Wings and ate there.  Once we finished dinner it was a straight drive to home.  We arrived home around 10:00 PM and were greeted by some very happy animals.  Belle and Zoe have stayed very close to us since we walked in the door.  Cinder was even happy to see us and has been hanging out close by.  We brought in our pillows and are leaving everything else for tomorrow.

All in all this was a wonderful trip.  I feel so blessed that we were able to go on this adventure. God truly watched over us and protected us from so much.  Now I’m ready to start planning our next adventure…..