A Trip to Remember: The Final Days

As predicted, no one leaped out of bed on Wednesday morning.  Our bodies were stuck on time somewhere between Mountain and Eastern, and our first meal of the day was lunch.  I made my way outside to unload the gear, unhook the camper, and get us officially settled.  We were still on vacation until Monday, and there was no place better to be than Otsego Lake.

We were blessed with blue skies and light breezes every single day, and we took advantage!  Our days were filled with boat rides and fun in the sun,

and in the evenings we fished off the end of our dock.

Jason, my parents, and brother came up to join us on Friday, and the fun continued with tubing and skiing.

Even Koda was enjoying the sunshine!

I love that we have this place to go to, where if a few people are there, others flock to it.  Our kids play in the water with neighbor kids, and even friends come up to join in on the fun.  We love having a full boat!

I was even able to sneak away for a run through the forest on one of my favorite trails.  After two weeks of almost constant "mom mode", this little retreat into the woods was just what I needed.

And then, there I was, facing my last sunset of the trip.  We had pulled out of our driveway on July 19th, and had traveled to 13 other states, and now it was August 3rd, and the end was in sight.  In the morning, we would once again load the van and hook up the camper and make our final drive of the trip.  I didn't want it to end. 

Going home meant back-to-school chaos and work and bills and kids in every direction.  For the last two weeks, the only thing we had had to worry about was each other.  Most days, we laughed until we cried, at least once.  This trip had been everything I had hoped it would be, and more than I ever could have imagined.  In a day and age where life moves at such a fast pace, with so many obligations, we were able to set it all aside and just be with each other. 

I hope they remember looking down into the Grand Canyon and marveling at its vastness, and I hope they remember those gas station taquitos they couldn't get enough of, and I hope they remember just how cold that Blue Hole was, and I hope they remember what it felt like to be atop a mountain, looking down on the city of Castle Rock, and I hope they remember what it felt like to swim in the current of that river tucked between the mountains, and I hope they remember those presidents looking down over them at Mount Rushmore, and I hope they remember the heat of St. Louis as they stared up at that huge arch, and I hope they remember that Wyoming beach where they played together until the sky was dark, but mostly, I hope they remember the time we spent with our family, the funny little jokes we shared, and they way we did everything together.

Sunday came, and like so many other Michiganders, we headed south.  Traffic that day was horrible, and it took nearly twice as long as normal to get home.  Finally, we were all back to our little farm, filled with the sounds of the roosters' crows and hens' chatter, and two cats who were very happy to see us! 

The next few days were spent re-settling back into home life, and unpacking and washing clothes and doing yard work and all of that adulting stuff that's not so fun.  We decided that while we enjoyed camping, and the little camper had served its purpose, it was just a little too small for our family of seven.  Our big trip would be our only trip with that camper.  Before putting it up for sale, Jason cleaned it and checked it out.  Much to our surprise, he discovered that one of the new tires he had just put on before our trip had a huge slice in it, nearly through it.  When he took it in to get a replacement, the worker told Jason that he wasn't sure how that tire had managed to hold up and that he wouldn't risk driving that another hour on the road.  The Man Upstairs was definitely watching over us on that trip!

In less than a day, the camper was sold, purchased by a family with two adorable little girls.  It was a little sad to see them tow it away, but it was the right thing to do.  And hey, we even managed to sell it for a little more than we bought it for!

And then we were off to the races. School would be starting in a few days, and there was so much to do.  There was work, and horseback riding lessons, and robotics events, and races, and birthday parties and back-to-school shopping and meetings at all of the schools.  One thing I know, though, is when they started their new school year, and they sat in new classrooms with new teachers, and those teachers asked them what they had done over the summer, my kids would have plenty to choose from.

A Trip to Remember: Day Twelve

Morning came too quickly for me, but I let the kids sleep a while longer.  I mean, they looked so cozy and comfy-especially Emerson. Can you say BED HOG?

Worthington, Minnesota was eerily quiet that morning, even at 10am, so we grabbed a few quick snacks at our gas fill-up and hit the road.

I'd love to tell you that the next few hours were full of funny stories and excitement, but honestly, our drive through the middle of this state were very uneventful.  There wasn't much to look at, and the kids were quiet and slept through most of it.  Grey had taken over the role of co-pilot once Jason had headed home, but even he couldn't keep his eyes open through this boredom.

The day was bright and sunny, and I do love driving, so I turned on an audiobook and sailed over the state border and into Wisconsin.  My plan was to head to Munising, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to camp along the shore of Lake Superior before taking in the sights around the Pictured Rocks.  When I informed the kids of this plan, the groans from each of them were almost in unison.  They had reached their limit.  I figured it would take me until about 10pm to make it to Munising, or, for a couple more hours of driving, I could get us all the way to our cabin in Gaylord, Michigan.  The vote was unanimous: GAYLORD OR BUST.  As much as I didn't want our road trip to be over, I didn't want to overextend my kids and the amount of travel they were able to tolerate.  I also thought I'd like more than a night in the U.P. and Jason and I could take the kids for a long weekend sometime and explore that, separately from this trip. 

So, I re-set the GPS, and set my sights on making it to the cabin.  I'd like to make a small note here and tell you that Emerson loves Taco Bell.  I mean, like LOVE loves it.  We hadn't seen a Taco Bell since Missouri, and I promised her that the first one I found we'd stop at.  It must've been her lucky day, because on that Tuesday of driving, we happened to stumble upon a Taco Bell at lunchtime, and AGAIN at dinnertime, and yes, she ate it twice.  I think she's a fan of Wisconsin. 

Oh, and how could I mention Wisconsin and not mention Emerson's love of cheese?!  She had saved most of her souvenir money from the trip just for this state.  When I spotted signs for a little shop that sold cheese and gifts just north of Green Bay, I knew we had to stop.  Not only did we pick out two large blocks of cheese and some horseradish for Jason, but Emerson's wish came true: She got herself a cheese hat.  Her trip was now complete.

It was just a quick stop, though, because it was already after 7pm, and we weren't even into Michigan yet.  That arrival time kept inching further and further out, and I had to keep driving.

Within an hour, we were in Michigan.  Officially back in our home state!  It was a little bittersweet, knowing our trip was almost over.  We had so much fun together on the road, and had seen so many new and interesting places, and I didn't want it to end.  It felt like real life was on hold and we were in our own little bubble. 

The sun was setting, and there was still one more picture to take.  We made it to Escanaba, nearly "in da moonlight", and found a little spot to unload for juuuuuust a couple of minutes.  The kids were all smiles, happy to be back on our home turf.

By this point, it was nearly 9pm, and I knew I still had miles to go.  We cruised along Highway 2, as it followed the coast of Lake Michigan, heading towards the Mackinaw Bridge.  I couldn't help but smile as we drove through all the little towns with their lakefront homes and cabins, all with little name signs hanging at the edges of their driveways.  "The Logan's Lakehouse", "North Country", "The UP Getaway", and "Lake Time" all reminded me of the Northern Michigan I know and love.  The last light of sunset faded quickly, and just before the darkness hit, I was on high alert.  This was deer country, and I spotted several along the sides of the road. 

And then it was dark.  And when I say dark, I mean DARK.  There's a stretch of Highway 2 that's pretty desolate even in daylight, but at night?  Freaky.  No street lights, no towns, no stop lights, not even an occasional car with headlights coming at me.  I was the only one on that road on that Tuesday night.  I prayed the deer kept their distance.  My eyes were constantly scanning for any kind of movement from the sides of the road, and Greyson and I chattered on about all the things that swim through an 11 year old's head. 

I thought that once I got closer to the big bridge, there would be more signs of life, but the only lights I saw were from the distant glow of the Mackinaw when I could catch glimpses of it through the trees.  The kids were all awake as we approached the bridge. The only time they had been over it was a couple years ago when we walked it.  In daylight.  With thousands of other people.  Crossing it in the dark, alone, in a big van pulling a camper was another experience altogether.  The good part was, since we were utterly alone, I could go as slow as I wanted and not hold anyone up.  And when I got to the scary part where instead of driving on actual road, one lane is just metal grates, I could opt for the actual paved part and avoid the feeling of tires on grates completely.  Not even Mackinaw Island had any light showing and it seemed like we were floating, looking out into darkness all around us.  Then we were coming down the other side of the bridge and entering the Lower Peninsula.  I was still expecting some traffic, but there was none, in either direction.  I still had an hour to go, and all but Greyson were sound asleep.  He and I cranked up the music and sang along to our favorite country songs to keep ourselves awake.  I was so thankful he had napped earlier in the day because those last couple of hours of driving would've been near impossible if I had had to keep myself awake! 

We had left Worthington, Minnesota at 10am, Central Standard Time, and I'm not sure where the time went, but we arrived in Gaylord, Michigan at nearly 1am, Eastern Standard Time.  The cabin is in a small and quiet neighborhood, and I am sure that the sound of our rig pulling in so late on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning alarmed a few folks!  The kids' heads popped up as I pulled in. They grabbed only what they needed for the night and silently stumbled inside and passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows. It  had been a long day of travel with more than 750 miles of road in 15 hours. 

The story isn't over yet, though-it's only early Wednesday morning!  We've got a few more days until it's back to reality! Stay tuned to find out what the rest of the week held for us!

A Trip to Remember: Day Eleven

I slept better than I thought I would with a squirmy six year old tucked up next to me all night.  And although we needed some extra blankets overnight, as the sun came up, the temperature rose, too.  With all the windows and doors closed up tightly, our little camper quickly turned into an oven.

We made quick work of breaking down our camp, and I have to admit I was a little sad to be leaving this beautiful place.  Back up the long road we went, with a right turn at the corner.  I slowly made my way back towards that treacherous dam, while the kids munched on donuts and muffins.  I thought that maybe it would be a little less scary to traverse in broad daylight, but boy was I wrong.  STILL SUPER SCARY!  The speed limit was probably 40MPH, but there was no way anyone was going to get me to go more than 10MPH.  Luckily, just like the night before, there was not another car to be seen, so I was able to drive as slow as I wanted, and right down the middle of the little two lane road.

Finally, we made it back to the little town of Glendo, where we once again stocked the cooler with ice and snacks.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Wyoming, with a promise that we'd one day return to give that great state some proper attention.  Today, though, we had other plans.  Today, we had someplace to be.

We headed northeast from Glendo, and soon we were in South Dakota, among the trees of the Black Hills National Forest.  Throughout this trip, we made our way through many U.S. National Parks, and every single one was amazing.  Black Hills was no exception.  The road was smooth and curvy and the landscape was breathtaking.  Huge rock formations were mixed in among trees and mountains and every turn held a new view.  This was the week before Sturgis Bike Week and there were more motorcycles on the road than passenger cars!  We continued on, excited for what was ahead.  We were making our way to Mount Rushmore.  The closer we got, the more "tourist-y" things became.  There were little shops with handmade jewelry and fudge and baked goods, cheesy restaurants, and even a place to view the mountain by helicopter.  And then we were going up again. Mount Rushmore is actually a mountain and we had to get up there!  The road was narrow and very busy and I was a little nervous to be pulling a camper up there, but I kept telling myself that if I could make it back and forth across Glendo Dam, I could do this.

Near the top, we suddenly came to a stop.  I had no idea this place would be so busy!  In all of our travels up until this point, we hadn't seen any kind of tourist traffic.  But there we were, sitting in line, waiting to pay our $10 fee to get up through the gate.  Soon enough, we made it through, and then we could see it.  There in the distance we could actually see Mount Rushmore.  There was so much traffic, it felt like we were coming into a busy airport.  Workers were lining the road, directing: cars in one direction, motorcycles in another, and vehicles with campers in yet another.  It all seemed a bit chaotic to me, but the system seemed to be working.  We were shown to a very ample and easy-to-park area and we unloaded.

I don't really know what I was expecting, but my vision was a little different than what Mount Rushmore had to offer.  After walking through some archways, there was a common area flanked by bathrooms and a gift shop on either side.  Straight ahead, there they were: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt.  And they were just like every picture I had ever seen! It was pretty cool to be standing right there, taking a picture with this masterpiece.

There is a scenic trail to get a little closer, but it was undergoing renovations when we were there, so there really wasn't anything else to do. But don't you worry-the kids made their own fun.  There was a little area filled with giant boulders, and I'm not exactly sure they were meant to be climbed on, but when the kids saw them, they couldn't resist.  They all climbed up in there like that's what we came here to do, and within minutes, other kids flocked to the area, while all of us parents stood down below, virtually helpless to our little mountain climbers.  I think the kids spent nearly thirty minutes climbing and playing and posing for pictures, and I bet they'd tell you it was cooler than any playground they had been to.

I think Owen, Emerson, and Nash enjoyed it the most, each trying to outdo the others, climbing higher and higher and to hard to reach places.  Alayna and Grey made their own fun, though, as we waited for the rest of the kids to trickle back down to us.

We made our way back to the van, with a few more glances over our shoulders at those big men looking down over us.  Then we headed back down the mountain and through the cute little tourist town of Keystone, South Dakota.

I had heard that driving through South Dakota would be the most boring part of our trip, but I would beg to differ.  This state was absolutely stunning and I enjoyed it very much.  There was so much to look at!  The landscape near Mount Rushmore was filled with mountains, that ever-so-slowly turned into foothills, that turned into rolling hills, that turned into flat farmland that stretched endlessly in every direction.  It was strange to see such flat land after being among the giants of the Rocky Mountains the last few days!

As we neared the state line, the kids once again feasted on gas station taquitos, while I found a little street taco place and they did not disappoint!

Our last vision of South Dakota was a gorgeous rose-colored sky, with the sun, looking like a ball of fire, melting into it behind us.

Earlier in the day, we decided to take a family vote.  There were two options: 1. Stop right over the state line and camp at a little place in western Minnesota, or 2. Drive until I couldn't drive anymore and crash in a cheap hotel for the night.  Option 2 was the winner, and I managed to make it to Worthington, Minnesota before calling it quits. From Glendo State Park in Wyoming, through the Black Hills National Forest to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, across the entire state to Minnesota, this had been a full day.  The kids wasted no time getting settled in our little room.  And me? I took a long shower, thankful for hot water and a spider-free bathroom.

A Trip to Remember: Day Ten

When Sunday morning arrived, I'd have to say that none of us were ready for it.  Our time in Colorado had been amazing, and definitely not long enough, but it was time to get back on the road.  We hunted and gathered and scoured the house for all of our belongings and reloaded the van and camper.  Kristi had surprised us with a huge bag of snacks for our trip.  My aunt and uncle are good at a lot of things, but they go over and above when it comes to hosting visitors and making them feel welcome.  I could go on and on about all of the special things they did for us, from meals, to nut and dairy-free snacks for Nash, to big bags of hand-me-down clothes for my girls (which they love), to a fully stocked breakfast bar in our bedroom with sparking water and juice and a variety of munchies, to a guest bed layered with quilts and fluffy blankets that made us feel like royalty, to fresh flowers on our bedside table.  I swear if they ran a bed and breakfast it would always be booked solid.  We are so thankful that they willingly let us invade their home all week!

On our way out of town, we stopped to refill our cooler with drinks and ice and fruit and other meal items, and then we were northbound.  We were headed to the Denver airport to drop Jason off.  He was lucky to have been able to take so much time off of work, but he sadly had to get back to it.  We stopped at a fun little restaurant along the way, where we sat outside and enjoyed our last little bit of time together.  By the time we got to the airport, we were all in tears. I was sad that he'd miss the rest of our trip, and a little nervous about going solo with the kids. 

And then we were really on the road again.  Colorado is so beautiful and I was trying to soak up every last bit of those mountains before they were out of sight.  I think Alayna was feeling the same, because she kept her eye on them for a long time.

We were headed home, but not directly.  We weren't in a rush to get there, and I really wanted to see Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I was not disappointed.  In my head, Cheyenne was an old-school cowboy town, and as fate would have it, we caught the tail end of "Frontier Days".  The streets were filled with horse trailers and big, old trucks, and everyone had a cowboy hat.  Alayna, my horse lover, was in her glory, and we stopped to get her a couple of souvenirs. 

And then it was time to make our way into the unknown.  We headed further north.  I had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful Wyoming would be, and I was in awe.  Jason had found us a campsite at Glendo State Park in Wyoming, and the park ranger assured us we'd be camping just a few steps from the beach.  When we came into Glendo, signs pointed us towards Sandy Beach, our campground.  The sign said 14 miles so I figured we'd be there in about twenty minutes.  What I didn't realize was that the lake covers 12,000 acres, and the park covers another 10,000 acres, and contains 21 campgrounds.  The path that led us to our campsite was barely a two lane road, with no lines, no guardrails, no signs, no lights, and no other traffic.  After driving for nearly a half an hour on a winding road that seemed to be leading nowhere, I came to the dam.  Let's remember how much I do not like heights, SHALL WE?  OK, so I'm driving in a giant van, pulling a thirty year old pop-up camper, I haven't seen another soul in thirty minutes of driving, I'm not sure if I'm even going in the right direction, and I'm supposed to drive across THIS?  I'm sure you think I'm exaggerating, but please, just LOOK at it.

It looks beautiful and HORRIFIC, right?!  But our campsite was waiting somewhere beyond this, and I really wanted to get there.  So, with sweating palms and sweating armpits and a swearing mouth, I drove ever-so-slowly across that dam.  But the treachery didn't end there-the road continued up and sharply turned back and forth as we climbed higher and higher, away from the lake.  Why were we going up?  I thought our campsite was on a beach!  I had no answers.  The only choice I had was to keep on driving.  Nearly an hour after seeing the "Sandy Beach 14 miles" sign, I saw the "Sandy Beach 1 mile" sign.  I turned left down an even narrower road and headed towards the lake once again.  The road was downhill, and ended right at the ranger's station.  We hadn't made it in time to check in, but luckily I had made a note of our campsite, remembering that she had put us on the end of a row.  I was thankful for this because now that Jason was gone, I'd be responsible for backing the camper into its spot.

 Miraculously, like some sort of hidden oasis, this campground was full of life!  Little kids rode by on bikes and waved, and families were all outside, having campfires and playing games.  It took me several tries, and lots of laughter from the kids, but I finally got that darn camper into a suitable position for the night.

This campsite didn't have hookups, meaning no electricity or running water, but we were lucky to be only about twenty yards away from the community "bathroom" and water pump.  I say bathroom lightly, as it was just a glorified port-a-potty, but it served its purpose.  Of course, Emerson took one look at the spiders in there, and decided she wouldn't need to go to the bathroom until we were back to civilization.

Once we had the camper set up and situated, we all bee-lined to the beach.  Everyone must've been back at their campsites having dinner, because we had the entire thing to ourselves.  It was just before sunset and it felt like Heaven.

I was so glad to have that crazy drive behind me, and this place could not have been any better. I parked myself in the sand and let the kids run free. 

With the whole beach and lake to ourselves, it felt like we had found a little secret that no one else knew about.  Owen, swam out until I called him back, of course, and the kids all laughed and played until the sun went down. 

That calm-as-glass lake, with those Wyoming mountains peeking at us from the west, and an unforgettable sunset made this place one-of-a-kind.  Why didn't anyone ever tell me that this state was so awesome?!  It was so worth the drive and the little detour we took north to get to it.

Back at the campsite, we hung our towels to dry, and had a dinner of soup and sandwiches and pancakes.  I am quite thankful that my kids are so low maintenance when it comes to meals and they can just make do with whatever circumstances we find ourselves in! 

At the campsite next to us, the family had a bunch of little kids and they were so loud and rambunctious and I was sure they'd be keeping me awake for a loooong time, but within ten minutes, it was lights out over there and I didn't hear another peep! 

After that, everything was still and quiet-there wasn't a sound or a speck of light anywhere in the campground  It was hard to believe that our day had started in Colorado in a bustling home full of family, and now here we were, under the stars in the Wyoming sky. 

A Trip to Remember: Day Nine

Day Nine was a bit different from the previous eight.  I guess I should tell you that this whole trip started with me registering for a 50k way back in March.  Originally, I was just going to fly to Colorado, run the race, and fly home.  Somewhere along the way, I decided that a 50k in the mountains should be smack-dab in the middle of a crazy road trip!

If you following my running blog, you've already read my story of Pikes Peak 50k.  If you missed that post a few weeks ago, maybe you'd like to read about what I did on the ninth day of our trip.  If so, click HERE!

If not, that's fine, too. You'll have to wait until the next post to read more, though.  Aside from a day in the woods for me, I have no fun stories or adventures from the family!

A Trip to Remember: Day Eight

After a jam-packed week full of adventures, we really dialed down this Friday.  While the kids slept in, the adults plus Owen decided to walk to breakfast.  It was a beautiful morning, and the short walk was filled with views of the mountains and blue skies.  We headed to a little diner that offered made-to-order smoothies, coffees, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and anything else you could dream up.  We sat out on their patio and feasted.

By the time we made it back to the house, the kids were all awake and playing happily together.  Kristi took a few of us out to a fun park near her house where buffalo sometimes gather. We didn't get to see any of those, but Nash was just happy to walk along the rocks and hang out with Dame the Doggie.

Then we decided some time at the pool was in order, so we packed lunches and drinks and snacks and piled into our big white van.  The neighborhood pool was beautiful and not overly crowded.  The adults lounged in the shade while the kids had fun on the slides and playing games in the water. 

When everyone was pooled-out, we headed back to the house to clean up.  The kids wanted to go shopping for some souvenirs, so we headed to a few shops before dinner.  After purchasing t-shirts and sweatshirts and hats and everything Colorado we could find, we walked around for a bit.  Alayna and Nash decided to be mannequins and got a few looks as they posed in the window of a store.

We gorged ourselves on pasta as we took over yet another outdoor patio, and had the pleasure of seeing another Colorado sunset.

As if all that food wasn't enough, the kids talked us into ice cream next door, where we took over the outside AND indoor seating. I'll leave it to you to spot the difference in these two photos.  Haha!

I know this wasn't the most exciting day to read about, but it was just a good day for us.  Stay tuned for Day Nine, where one EPIC adventure takes place!