Hueco Tanks - a treasure in the desert

Our hostess TOTALLY gets me. Today, she took us sightseeing through El Paso.

Then she and the kids took us out to what must be the coolest natural attraction anywhere within a hundred miles: Hueco Tanks State Park. What a beautiful, family-friendly place to explore!

The park, located about 30 miles east of El Paso, is named for the "huecos," or hollows in the syenite rock, a course igneous rock that's fantastic for climbing. When rain falls in most of our western deserts it percolates almost immediately through the porous soils. But here, where the rock has worn in dips and hollows, the water gathers, sometimes in relatively deep pools. Here microclimates support life that is unusual in most of the desert, and wildlife gathers to take advantage of the abundant vegetation and water.

The place had become incredibly popular with hikers as well as visitors in search of Native American artifacts and pictographs. But popularity comes with a price. In recent years, the majority of the park has been closed to the general public except by guided tours. There is also a daily access limit for the rest of the park (only 70 visitors per day). Before accessing the trails, visitors must watch an introductory video that explains the history of the region and its peoples as well as current rules and park uses. The video probably puts off some visitors, but I didn't mind the time out that gave us some insight to the area. The kids (and moms) had a great time exploring the park, and particularly following the treasure-hunt-like route on which rangers directed us up North Mountain, past a giant stone "rubber duck," a "crocodile" and into an enormous stone pedestal for fantastic views.

Welcome to El Paso

After a long day across the desert of central Texas we found refuge in the arms and home of friends made even more dear by this visit. I always enjoyed their company when they lived around the corner, but spending a couple of days relaxing and visiting at their new home and in their community further cemented the bond. Our four kids all play so nicely together, whether quietly in a corner or throwing their heads back and laughing at the top of their lungs as they dash about the house and property. And with them distracting each other, the adults actually had time to visit, catch up, carry on conversation only as (almost) uninterrupted adults can.

After our long day from Austin to El Paso (not to mention the other 10,000 miles of this trip), neither of the girls nor I was ready to venture out much during our first day in El Paso. The kids were perfectly happy to stay home and play: dress up, tag, Kickory (hide and seek in the dark), and crack pecans in the backyard as the nuts fell from the trees the kids were climbing.

Just before sunset, our hostess and I took a walk down to the Rio Grande, a shocking experience if you're expecting WATER. It seems that the river has long been dammed and is entirely managed for irrigation control. So, by this time of the year, you're unlikely to see water in the sandy riverbed. We did gaze at the New Mexico neighborhood on the other shore and wondered about a pair of private vehicles we saw meandering down the riverbed. The first desert sunset of our trip offered a beautiful return to the west as we walked back home where the girls and I enjoyed this family's nightly tradition of singing and game play between bathtime and bedtime.

Sanibel Island, a Shell Hunters' Dream

Slept in this morning a bit, then had a hot breakfast before heading to the beach where the promised seashells lay awaiting pickers like us. The girls and I all put this island beach on our list of places to see after reading about the ample seashell combing to be hand. Because of the lay of the land, each tide sweeps countless shells up onto the shore. Still more lay untouched just a few feet out into the gulf.

We spent the morning beachcombing, E and I finding plentiful shells for a variety of projects. V focusing, as usual, on living beasts and creating her own aquarium in the sand. When we found live animals, we turned them over to her. All totaled, her aquarium included four sea cucumbers (two she named "Memory Foam" and "Hush Puppy"), several purple urchins, four sea anemones, three fighting conch, a couple of live scallops and a BABY OCTOPUS! THAT was the coolest animal she's ever found. We kept it in the pond for observation for awhile (and shared it with passers by) before finally walking it offshore a ways and releasing it.

A boy struck up conversation with E and in no time they were out on the sandbar splashing away and bringing more shells and live things to her sister. Austin, though a full head taller than her, is only one grade older than E, and was very pleasant, soft spoken, funny. They spent most of the remaining daylight together either in the ocean, on the beach or in the pool where we spent our afternoon.

As we picked shells, I couldn't help but think of all of our family members who so enjoy the beach, shell hunting, rock hunting. We know Grandma Ruth would have been in heaven here, and we're really sorry Aunt Kathy isn't here with us to pick up shells. A number of our finds, which we soon discovered were alive, reminded me of Auntie M. (Yes, we threw them back!) We made tidy little collections and look forward to sharing them with you all when we return.

Inside Everglades, and On to Paradise

Woke to a BEAUTIFUL, blue, clear sky this morning and decent morning temps in the low 70s. HALLELUJAH! After checking the ground for creepy, crawly, potentially fatal critters and discovering no mosquitos in the sunshine, I started breakfast for the crew. While the girls ate on the safety of the picnic table (over pavement), I unloaded the trailer cabinets and did a little repair. It seems the SINGLE SCREW that anchored the entire cabinetry system to the floor just wasn't enough. After 38 years and who knows how many miles (more than 20,000 with us), the wood into which it was screwed split and the cabinets have been pushing out into the walkway for the past few days on the road.

Fortunately, my dad provided me the tools (both literal and figurative) to deal with such a problem. On one of the keys, I found a hardware store where I hunted down some L brackets, screws and a cordless drill (we needed a new drill at home anyway, right Dear?). Unfortunately, the drill motor is too long to fit between the wheel well of the trailer and the support post I was repairing, so I had to resort to the tool bag. The regular screwdriver was too long, too. So for the first stage of the screwing I used the drill's screw attachment (two-ended so it was a bit longer than it might have been otherrwise) and a wrench to make 3/4 of that installation. But then I hit some hard wood and just couldn't turn it.

I dug deeper into the tool bag (emptied it) and came across a tool I suspect was left in one of my vehicles when Dad worked on it some time in the past. I don't think you can buy one of these, but it's a little screwdriver with the last inch or so bent at a 90-degree angle. PERFECT! Well, perfect enough to nearly complete the job. Turns out the head of the screwdriver was finer than the head of the screw, so with probably one full turn (or four quarter turns since that's how it had to be done in the confined space) later, the center of the screw was stripped. I think a short, chubby screwdriver will do the trick to finish it off next stop.

I finished just in time for the girls and I to make the boat tour into the heart of Everglades park. We'd considered renting a canoe, but given my limited canoeing experience, our limited knowledge of the park, the variety of hazards here and the true stories of people going missing here (NEVER to be found), we opted to take what we all felt was the safer route. It was nice to have a guide point out the sights, identify plants and animals and share some local stories.


There's an inland waterway that connects Flamingo to Everglade City that would be fun for a rugged outdoors type with canoeing skill and a lot of backcountry skills. It's apparently a 90-mile paddle, best done "downstream" from north to south. Since there's little dirt in the mangrove river, some platforms have been erected for the hearty ones who attempt the trek. I wonder what climbs on the platforms overnight...

Rather than test the post-storm recovery time of the mosquito storm (and play back at camp with the snakes which, we were told by our guides today, our always plentiful in the campground), we opted to carry on to the coast. We stoppped at Shark Valley for another walk with the alligators before heading out of the park. This paved, flat path along a man-made canal leads 7 miles to an overlook that beckoned me. But the girls, both opposed to bicycle riding for whatever reason, had made it clear they didn't want to ride on this trip (or ever), so I left the bikes at home. Note to self (and others passing this way): bring the bikes anyway. It would have been fun to make the overlook. Then again, at bike speed we would have missed a lot of the details our slow meander allowed us.

Our dilly dallying, though, meant a late arrival on Sanibel Island, about which I'd done VERY little research. I'd hoped to camp at the island's only "campground," but when we arrived the RV park (ala Grandmother's Park) was closed for the night. Visitors were asked to camp in any of three spots by the entry and register in the a.m. That was all fine and good, but I took a little hike into the darkness and couldn't find the restroom. I suspect the campground is intended for entirely self-contained vehicles. We carried on to plan B - a hotel for our stay. After the heat and rain and wind and dirt and poisonous critters, I felt this break was in order.

Bahia Honda, Tropical Storm

We had a lovely day on the key, but a storm was brewin' and the water was far colder than anticipated after the warm beaches up north. The girls still toughed it out as we dug in the sand, chased birds up and down the beach and they contrived a "mermaid sleigh" out of a palm frond that had been blown down by the stiff winds. The girls spent no small amount of time designing and building a "mermaid kingdom" on the beach before we headed into the jungle for a hike the Old Bahia Honda Ridge Trail through the jungle tree/bush tunnel.

At 1:11 a.m. I woke up SWELTERING. The girls and I were spread like starfish on our shared bed, each of us clearly trying not to cross tendrils with the other. The outside sleepers were sticking closer to the cool insulation of the walls. There was no wind blowing through the trailer, but ample wind shaking the bushes and trees outside. It was time to move the trailer back into a wind tunnel. Moving wind would be better than none at all. Finding no access to wind in our site, I finally pulled out and backed into the site across the driveway from us, with our back door (screened) open to the Atlantic and a stiff breeze, albeit warm, blowing from the storm.

Then I crept back in the trailer and, for quite some time, watched the strobe show that continued for the remainder of the night. I've seen some pretty good electrical storms before, but nothing quite this spectacular. I'm surprised the girls slept through it. Between the lightning aloft flashing at intervals so close that counting wasn't feasible, the crashing wavelets (they were still only a foot or so tall, but they crashed right on shore about 25 feet from the trailer door), and the wind blowing through the trees it was a loud, disruptive night. I woke again at 2:30 when the faucet opened on the roof, and the rain began splattering through the screens. I closed some of the windows, but it was too hot to close them all, so I left those on the sheltered side of the trailer and at the back door open.

At 7 a.m., my heavy sleeper woke up and was ready to go. It would have been a great morning to stay in bed and read, what with the wind, rain and lightening, but it was just too hot to lock ourselves in, and nothing on the island (ie. nature center) was open, so short of hanging out in the restroom or sweltering in the trailer, there weren't many options. So we packed up (I got a freshwater shower in the process) and headed to Marathon Key where we happened upon "Stuffed Pig," a local favorite breakfast spot. Pecan pancakes and other treats hit the table minutes before the lightening FIRST struck just across the street. KABOOM! Midway through our meal, KABOOM again! Certainly the most EXCITING breakfast we've experienced.

We did opt to hang out in the restaurant a bit longer than usual rather than walk back out the rig and carry on. Who wants to stand in a puddle on a flat island in mid-ocean while lightening strikes around you? NOT I!

Then off we scooted for Everglades National Park - in search of birds, alligators, crocodiles and maybe a little dry spell.

On our way in to the park we were warned by several volunteers that the campground at the end of the road (Flamingo) was overwhelmed with mosquitos. But after our summer horse packing trip with Maddie we felt prepared. Plus, we had four cans of repellent and the screens on the trailer are good.

We took a hike on the Anhinga boardwalk where we spotted our first 'gator in the wild, and a variety of birds including the namesake. Like a cormorant, it flies under the water to catch fish. It's long, flexible neck also earned it the local nickname "snakebird." We checked out the visitors center, then looked for manatee in the marina (none sighted...murky waters) before heading to camp.

The scare tactic apparently works with most people. There were TWO RVs in the trailer loop. We were the only camper in the other open loop. That's it. Three crazy camper groups in a park with 300 sites. Clearly we hit it off season. But thanks to the storm, the mosquitos were knocked down. We had one in the trailer that night, and swatted a few on our runs to the bathroom, but otherwise the girls enjoyed a lovely evening outside while I made dinner which we all opted to enjoy inside the trailer.

Our pre-bedtime run to the bathroom was indeed our most interesting ever. With flashlights in hand and flipflops on feet, we each exclaimed something or another at the same time as we opened the bathroom door. What came out most clearly was E's, "Look! A scorpion!" I'd noted a large spider. V pointed out a frog just outside the door. The spider was notable for its size (though hardly a fraction of a tarantula - still interestingly large), but the "scorpion" was a crawdad/crayfish that had found its way into the girls' room. Freaky!

After we wrapped up our bathroom business, I dangled a piece of toilet paper in front of the crawdad which immediately attacked it and attached itself to the paper. I carried the weird creature out to the grass where he threw himself off the rescue tool and began hiding, tail first. Then we decided to turn back and look for the frog. Instead, we found a coiled snake which, I believe, was a pygmy rattle snake, one of the park's four poisonous snake species. GREAT!

And guess who got ENTIRELY dressed, complete with close-toed shoes, and carried a flashlight on that very early mornin' wake-up run to the loo...

Hiking South Florida's Peak and Chasing Tropical Storms

Apparently, we've hit Florida at JUST the right time to do laundry by simply rubbing it with soap and hanging it out on the line overnight. Thunderous rain last night on the trailer. But the rain let up enough this morning to allow E and me to take the 5 minute walk to the top of South Florida's highest peak - Hobe Mountain. At 87 feet in elevation, it is lower than our house not all that far from California's coast. The view from the top offers miles upon MILES of flat land COVERED in varying shades of green vegetation - and a glimpse across the Atlantic.

Then it was on through Miami (ugh...city traffic, graffiti and LOTS of law enforcement apparent) to the Florida Keys.

I'd decided I didn't really need to go all the way to Key West. Looks like a very touristy spot, lots of shopping for the same ol' same ol' offered in so many touristy shops we've seen along the way. Oh, and bars of varying degrees of cleanliness. Sure, fun for grownups, but not really great for this particular trip.

So I reserved a spot at Bahia Honda State Park, a spot about which I'd heard from multiple sources in
no uncertain terms. It's in the Lower Keys, so the drive was still considerable, but it was worth it. The park is the only development here, and the sites were lovely. We had one of the inland (across the driveway from the beachfront) spots which was sheltered from ocean breezes by dense vegetation. The hurricane-tested plants came in handy that night when the winds picked up as a tropical storm approached.

But before the storm arrived, we managed to get in a walk down the shore. Thanks to recent storms, the water is murky, though green, even nearly-glacial blue in some places. Thanks to a very long shelf, not a lot of shells make it to shore in one piece. Still, we had fun exploring, finding shells to hang on the shell tree someone started (or was that a storm creation?) and battling the wind back to camp.

Continuing South and back to the camping routine

After a week (plus) in "civilization," the girls and I continued our trek south toward the southernmost tip of the United States. On our way, we figured we'd make a few stops and see some more of the beautiful, unique spots our country has to offer. First stop, Dickinson State Park, east coast of Florida half a day's drive south of Orlando.

The park was a pleasant surprise. Though mapped directly adjacent to the highway (and with one of its campgrounds conveniently placed near highway for busy travelers), the park extends for 11,500 acres and includes waterways, woodlands and accessible parks with amenities including a swimming beach, 'gator culvert, canoe rentals, guided tours up the river (for groups of two adults or more - children don't count toward this number), boardwalks and picnic spots. We were originally slated to camp near the highway (through the reservation system - we hadn't picked our own spot), but when we talked to Ranger Robert Shuhr about the park, he gave me some other options, and recommended a site which was, indeed, much better for us. We were only about 150 feet from the Loxahatchee River, and even closer to a restroom with running water. Ranger Shuhr also assured us that swimming in the river's swimming beach was perfectly safe - no big current, no big drop offs, and 'gators only rarely.

While watching out for snakes (I never thought I'd be glad we have only one specie of snake to worry about in most of California) and spiders (big ones here), we followed the trail to the river where we spotted some boys our girls' ages playing in the river. I talked to their parents for awhile and learned the boys hadn't been sent out to swim with the 'gators as any sort of punishment. So, we donned our suits and joined the family in the refreshingly cool water as the gray skies grew darker and more forboding.

Just before sunset, we took the short walk back to camp for dinner away from the mosquitos (inside trailer) and a night of heavy rain. (More rain in Florida...go figure!)

Missing Mr. B

We dropped off Mr. B at the airport early this morning and have driven south to a Wi-Fi-friendly lunch spot to catch up with the internet (particularly blog n' photo uploads) on our way to camp. We're headed south along Florida's east coast toward the Florida Keys. For tonight, we'll stop midway down from Orlando at a state park, cutting our driving time and making for a simple day easing back into the camping life.

It's only been two hours, but I already miss Mr. B, and really want to turn for home. But we've made plans to visit friends and family on this southern stretch of the trip, and I also don't want to miss those opportunities which we likely won't have again anytime in the known future. So we'll stick with our plans, and be home in early November, and happier than ever to be there.

I know that sometimes Mr. B feels like he's just a sherpa to us all (don't so many dads and husbands?), but I really appreciated him sharing this week with us, holding my hand, encouraging us all along, and sharing All Things Mickey and Harry with us. And OF COURSE I appreciate his help holding things, carrying things, hooking up the trailer, parking the trailer, mediating between the girls and opening the occasional bottle I can't manage. I do a lot for myself, and I try not to ask for his help too often because I feel like he works hard to help us in every way he can - through his hours upon hours at work earning the living that sustains us all, and all the work he does at home. He is the hardest working man I know. So far be it from me to ask him to help when "I can do it myself."

Thank you, Mr. B, for coming all this way to share in the adventure, and for making the adventures here and at home all possible for us all.

Love,
Me

A Week in the World of Disney (with a little Harry Potter added)

What a week! Five consecutive days in Disney parks, a day of “rest” at a Disney pool party and archery range, another day of exploring all things Harry Potter and then some at Universal Islands of Adventure. It especially was great because Mr. B was here. Together we experienced rain the likes of which we’d never seen before (REAL rain, for HOURS on end), a birthday (Happy Birthday, Baby V!), humidity, crowds, unusually short wait times, a food festival, and lots of memorable moments.

E’s favorite parts of the week were: having Dad with us; Harry Potter land; EPCOT center (especially SOARIN’) and the pool (and pool party). V’s favorite parts of the week were: having Dad with us; Harry Potter land and the pool. So there you have it. (My favorites were having Mr. B with us, Mr. B holding my hand as we zoomed through the lines to the big rides, Mr. B giving kisses voluntarily on our anniversary while we were serenaded in Animal Kingdom, riding the ferries, watching the girls watch the parades, performances and rides that made them especially happy.)

Before we send Mr. B back home, then continue our drive south and finally west, I’ll share a few pointers we learned during this, our first, stay at Walt Disney World:

1) Five days may be enough to get to most every ride in the four parks, but you’ll need another week to include the water parks, to have time to enjoy the performances, and maybe yet another week to enjoy the myriad other opportunities on the 28,000-acre property.

2) There’s lots of free entertainment on the Disney grounds. Start at the Boardwalk any evening.

3) The meal plan may be the way to go. I didn’t know how easy it would be to use, or how flexible, so opted not to bother. But we probably would have saved a small fortune given that we ate nearly every meal for five days on Disney property (no small coin dropped there).

4) If you want anything even closely resembling healthy food (and don’t want to do your own cooking) don’t bother to eat in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studio. Head, instead, to EPCOT (we particularly enjoyed the cafeteria downstairs in The Land).

5) While Disney provides fun transportation options (bus, ferry, monorail) all free to its guests, it won’t save you any time or frustration. If you want to get to and from the parks in reasonable time, drive. Parking throughout the property is included with lodging, so there’s no additional fee to drive yourself to the parks.

6) Wilderness Lodge Campground is a great deal – very nice campground with resort amenities – pool, hot tub, wading pool, little kids’ splash zone, video arcade, archery range, shuffle boards, outdoor theater (with nightly showings of Disney films), horseback riding, carriage rides, dinner theater, restaurant and shops. Oh, and full hook ups, hot showers, and lots of trees (and SPACE between campsites)!

Waiting "patiently" for the bus

7) Just because the campground has wi-fi doesn’t mean you’re welcome to use it. Unless, of course, you’re willing to shell out a few more bucks for the honor. (Really? Even cheap hotels provide free wi-fi with their rooms. Coffee shops provide it in trade for the purchase of a three-buck cup o’ joe. Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t even REQUIRE purchase. Come on, Disney!)

Not a lot of time on the internet this trip, so perhaps more upon our return home in less than a month.

But also wanted to drop a few lines about today’s visit to Universal – Florida. The girls, who read aloud the first Harry Potter title on the way here, particularly enjoyed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter found at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

We spent half the day here riding its three rides, checking out its shops, tasting of the Butterbeer and dining at Three Broomsticks (then returning for more riding). Hogwart’s Castle and its related ride are really great (though I’m not a huge fan of simulators, so would rather have seen that bit run outside, or on real track). Still, well done!

Mr. B and I really enjoyed BOTH tracks on the Dragon Challenge. (The girls weren’t quite up to this type of roller coaster yet. I wasn’t sure I was, either, ‘til I completed the first ride. Nicely designed coaster that left me exhilarated without leaving me nauseated. So I had to try the second line – equally exciting and well-designed.)

We spent the second half of the day seeing what we could of the rest of the Islands park and the nearby Universal Studios park. Lesson One for those who follow us: Plan one day for each park.

And whether it’s Disney’s property or Universal’s, bring LOTS of cash. You’ll need it.

St. Augustine - The Nation's Oldest City

Remember that thing I said a few days ago about the forts? Essentially, it was “you’ve seen one fort, you’ve seen them all.” Well, I take it back. St. Augustine, Florida is home to one of the nation’s must-see forts (not to mention countless tourist traps). Bring the family historians, the doubters and the shoppers. There’s something for everyone here.

This morning we woke to fantastic claps of thunder (had we good windows, surely they would have rattled), gray skies and some drizzle with a promise of more wind and rain throughout the week. I’m thrilled to have the bugs and heat knocked down by the change in weather. And if our camp host is correct in forecasting “cooler temperatures for the next five days with highs only in the low 80s,” then bring on the storm! It was toasty yesterday, and sticky and warm throughout the night. These “cooler” temperatures are more than welcomed by me.

I let the girls sleep in while I reconnected one of the trailer marker lights (gravity had pulled off the connector) and discovered that one of the taillights/signal lights was burned out. Then I started plunking around in the kitchen cooking a nice hot, complete breakfast (pancakes and bacon) while they stretched themselves awake.

The girls fed turtles and ducks in the campground pond while I wrapped up my trailer cleanup project (putting tools back away, boiling water for dishes and cleaning up the kitchen). Then we headed for town.

Our first stop was the St. Augustine Lightstation. I wonder why lighthouses on the east coast have the black and white stripe motif while west coast lighthouses are just plain white buildings. I’m sure there’s an easy answer (and probably even online…if only I had a smart phone, or a tablet, or just an internet connection), but sometimes it’s ok to just wonder. We visited the abbreviated museum in the lightstation entry building, but stopped there. Unfortunately, like so many sites here, the station appears to have been privatized and there’s a fee not only to climb the 219 steps to lens level, but to walk the grounds. Neither girl was interested, so I didn’t shell out to drag them in. Instead, we returned through the shady parking lot (mosquito haven) and continued into town.

I knew the fort was a unique shape among American forts, but I didn’t realize it would be in such great condition. The moat is still in place, as are the drawbridges and entry gates. Since the masonry fort was never forcibly taken (the British burned down the original wooden fort), it still stands largely undamaged. Docents were informative, friendly and knowledgeable. And the views from the top level, where cannons were angled to provide overlapping coverage, were wonderful.

As the wind and rain picked up, we found shelter in one of the corner sentry houses while we watched a drawbridge open for a passing sailboat heading to the inner harbor. Then we boogied off the rooftop and back for shelter.

But the rain came in fits and starts, so it was only a few minutes before we were able to walk across Avenida Menendez to St. Augustine old town, now a popular tourist attraction full of shops and restaurants. Rather than turn this historical portion of the city into a museum piece entirely, the buildings are maintained and the narrow streets open only to pedestrians, but it continues, just as it served originally, as a center of commerce.

After peeking into galleries and shops, we veered off the beaten path in search of The Floridian, a restaurant whose ads touted a locavore menu. What a fantastic find! The service was friendly, the menu compelling and the food wonderful. The girls were especially excited to find a children’s menu that didn’t just offer the same-ol’, same-ol’ (chicken fingers, mac n’ cheese, hot dogs and cheeseburgers) but instead offered kid versions of the adult menu – real food. E opted for the pulled chicken with garlic herb dip and a chunk of corn bread. V went for the fried shrimp with a side of apple slices. I particularly enjoyed the Southern Belle salad – sliced peaches, pecans, chunks of roasted sweet potatoes, and blue cheese over a bed of mixed lettuces sprinkled with a light vinaigrette dressing and drizzled with just a tiny bit of honey. I wasn’t sure how those potatoes were going to do on a salad, but clearly the chef here knows what she’s doing. SCRUMPTIOUS!

The rain and grey skies and lightning and thunder continued well into the afternoon, so neither girl was excited about returning to camp or the pool. Instead, we continued window shopping, found a few treasures, and visited a pair of bookstores where we all picked up some new reads. (We all particularly enjoyed “Second Read,” a used bookstore with a good selection for young and old and friendly staff at the counter.)

On our way “home,” we ran a couple of errands including finding that replacement bulb for the trailer tail/turn light. During our quest, we came upon a (GASP!) real video store! I’ve never turned as hard for wildlife in the road as I did to get into that store’s parking lot. Our old membership number was still in their system, though our local branch of this chain left our community years ago. The girls agreed almost immediately on “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” in no small part because we just visited that amazing national treasure.

There’s nothing like the promise of a movie to get these girls going. Within an hour of returning to camp, we’d showered, run a load of laundry, made dinner (with lots of help from the girls) and set up the computer inside the trailer. (YAY! The plug works once you plug in the trailer and flip the GFI – I’d never tested that system before.) With intermission for stove-top popcorn popping and rain pounding on the roof, we were content and relaxed and entertained.

Now we count the minutes ‘til we pick up Mr. B. Can’t wait to see him!

Driving, Driving and south to the Carolinas

Driving, driving, today was all about driving. After waking early and packing ourselves to the beach for sunrise breakfast on the sand (and some very easy seashell hunting), we hit the road and headed yet further south.

It’s a shame to pass through states so quickly, but with all those delays up north (an extra day here and there) even the removal of our proposed loop through Pennsylvania wasn’t enough to allow much of a visit in the Carolinas or Georgia.

We were slated to sleep in Georgia tonight, but the girls in particular are weary of “just a place to sleep” stops. We talked about our options (stop shortly after midday, sleep, then move on in the morning; or drive a couple of extra hours today, then stay two nights in once place tomorrow) and they voted for moving ahead. SO…on to St. Augustine it is.

After our really pleasant experience at the Williamsburg KOA, I thought we’d go for another KOA experience down here. (Prior to Williamsburg, I’d never really had a nice KOA experience.) The girls looked forward to the pool, and I looked forward to giving them such a treat in our travels.

This KOA, however, is a real disappointment. It’s clearly an older such campground; the neighborhood surrounding it has grown to include very busy roads and shopping centers. The pool, also clearly aging, was not only unheated, but also green. And two of the three toilets on our end of the park are not functioning. Heaven forbid we have a morning rush on the bathroom. The touted WiFi also doesn’t work, so I have no idea when you’ll be getting this and other recent updates. Maybe the land of Mickey is up to par.

Fort Sumter - another day, another fort

Oct. 5
Note to others considering a trip like ours: if you have girls, particularly girls who are not particularly into the warlike portion of our nation’s history, you probably don’t need to visit more than one fort. If you’ve seen one, visited with its docents, checked out the guns and considered the strategic placement of a fort, that should do you.

Then again, there’s Fort Sumter. Though we’ve visited a few forts in our travels, I found the placement of this fort, on an island in the mouth of a bay, particularly interesting. What about tides? Floods? Hurricanes? And how on earth could this little island really defend all this space? Turns out those old guns can shoot a lot further than I’d ever imagined. Forts north and south of Fort Sumter gave added coverage. No pirates or rebels were likely to make it through the combined barrage of artillery here.

The related story of the Union troops’ taking of this fort, their survival here, and the final Revolutionary War battles here was interesting, too.

The girls, however, were unenthusiastic at best. V was entertained by the heavy wind. E enjoyed watching the dolphins play with the bow wave on the ferry.

And so we headed south for camp near Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

D.C. Again (Betcha can't do just one day...and not want more and more and more...)

Well, we couldn’t just leave D.C. at that. We HAD to return today! So, with coaching from our fair hostess, we hooked up the trailer, hugged everyone goodbye, and headed back north toward the city to check out two of the 19 Smithsonian museums there before sneaking out before drivetime.

After a bit of research, we discovered there apparently isn’t any large vehicle parking at the Metro stations. I checked out some parking options on the streets nearby and identified a likely mall parking lot about half a mile from the station we intended to take into town. But come this morning I chickened out. Even if I purchased a cup of coffee and morning snacks from a coffee shop in the mall, I don’t know if we could have gotten away with the customer parking for so many hours; and I really didn’t want to return to find the rig towed away.

We tried surface streets, but permits are required throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the Metro station, so we just drove toward D.C. hoping to come up with something. I’d read about oversize vehicle parking at Arlington National Cemetery, so was headed that way, but didn’t quite find our way there before meeting up with a ranger who pointed us toward Haines Point. Today there was ample parking (free) in the Potomac Parks, so we pulled into a shaded spot and flagged down a cab. (No metro stops out here, and quite a long walk from our intended museum destinations, though a great place to park if the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument is your first stop.)

It was a great call! We were at the Museum of American History within minutes and only a few dollars lighter. We cruised up to the First Ladies exhibit, found The Ruby Slippers (yes, that’s a capital T), played in the kids’ play areas, then headed out the doors of this free national treasure. We buzzed over to the neighboring Museum of Natural History where we headed (almost) straight for the Hope Diamond. Once there, however, we found ourselves entranced by the variety of gems and minerals (and metals) on display here. It would be easy to spend an entire day in this exhibit taking in the amazing creations of nature.

With the 2:30 warning alarm chirping, the race was on. We cruised back outside, hailed a cab, and found our rig waiting just where we’d left it. With clear and easy directions from our cabbie (“just follow the signs”), we were out of the city in minutes. The early crowd was clearly on the same page as we were: while I drove with the cruise control set on the speed limit, others were flying by me. I think they, too, were fleeing drive time.

I turned on the radio when we were west of Norfolk, far south of D.C., to pick up on the news and learned that we’d made the right choice in fleeing the city early; traffic was a mess behind us, and we were cruising south without a worry.

Had hoped to head to Hatteras today, but this portion of the outer banks is still devastated by August’s hurricane. Three of the northern islands reportedly are still cut off and authorities are asking those of us who haven’t already secured reservations on the overcrowded ferries to just stay away for awhile. We can certainly honor that – south we go.

Tonight, “camping” at Flying J somewhere in North Carolina. Not romantic. Not beautiful. Not even peaceful. But we’re welcome here, and I feel fairly safe out here under the security camera. The girls are already knocked out for the night.

D.C. at LAST!

Today, we finally stopped dilly dallying and headed into D.C. I was SOOO very excited to get back to this truly great city. I was here in the early 90s for five days. We walked everywhere that August week, saw a lot, but never stepped foot into National Geographic (one of my goals) nor a Smithsonian. There’s SO much to see and do in Washington, D.C. One could stay here for months and still not see it all.

Our hostess gave us a ride in to the Metro stop on her way to work. Our adventure began with the purchase of our day passes. (Only $9 per person per day for full Metro passes – the best mass transit deal we’ve seen in our travels.) Once I finally got the machine to accept my plastic (no small task), we headed to the train only to learn that the full-day passes don’t include rush hour. We’d either have to wait half an hour, or would have to purchase single-fare tickets. I didn’t want to waste the half hour in the station, so I opted for the single fares. Turns out, however, that you can’t share a fare ticket (I’d put three fares on one ticket), so two out of three of us were locked out. Fortunately, the Metro agent was friendly and helpful (and funny), and helped me parse out our tickets so we could all ride the next train into town.

The train pulled into the station at 9:35…5 minutes after the peak period ended and our day passes would have worked just fine. (sigh)

We hopped off at the Smithsonian stop which put us right in the heart of the nation’s capitol. We walked our feet sore checking out the Mall and its monuments, including the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument. At first I wondered why they left Dr. King’s likeness unfinished – his head and upper torso and crossed arms are complete, but the carving becomes increasingly rough until his legs remain a block of stone. In fact, however, I think it’s particularly appropriate that his likeness remain unfinished, a reminder of the life cut short and his goals of peace and unity not yet met.

With an enthusiastic recommendation from a park ranger, the girls and I ventured back into the Metro and out to the jazz quarter in search of a great Ethiopian restaurant. I wish I could have remembered the name of the restaurant I visited (and greatly enjoyed) so many years ago (if it’s still open at all). Instead, we hit Dukems on U Street. The girls enjoyed eating with their hands, but the table experience was entirely different that the comfortable floor-seating arrangement I had enjoyed, and the food wasn’t really that exciting (except for our appetizer – pastry wrapped spicy vegetables). We all left hungry.

Fortunately, world famous Ben’s Chili is just down the street. We tried to stop in, but major demo work was under way. This restaurant has been in place since the ‘50s and has survived a riot or two that has otherwise entirely decimated the neighborhood. As we turned away, a lovely lady said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry we’re closed. Come back and see us again, will you?” It turns out she’s the owner, and her son own’s the place next door (Ben’s Next Door) which was serving not only its regular higher-end menu, but also mom’s chili and related goodies. So, we stepped in to check it out. V and I split the chili dog, and an order of sweet potato fries while E enjoyed a bowl of (delicious) black bean soup.

We made it back to the Mall in time to watch the monument lights come on, and to return to some of the monuments to check them out under lights. (I, for one, like them better under lights. And they’re open 24 hours a day. For the best, quietest visit, come back near midnight if you have bigger kids, or no kids at all.)

Our feet quite sore, we walked past the Department of State, through George Washington University and hit the Metro again for a ride back to the suburbs, and a warm late-evening greeting from our hostess.

Virginia Refuge - Learning to be a good hostess

This weekend, I'm learning what it means to be a great hostess. We have been welcomed into the Furber home near Haymarket where we are enjoying cleaning up, resting, good company and now some sites. Today, after playing with the World's Best Dog, and cleaning up a bit, we headed to Mount Vernon, home of our nation's first president and first lady.

Mount Vernon is a beautiful property with rolling hills overlooking Potomac River. We enjoyed a tour of the house, the barn and learning about the hospitality of the day: if anyone stops by, you cater to their needs, food, lodging, animal care, surrey or carriage repairs, horse shoeing and all. Complete strangers might stop for water or for days on end, depending upon their situation. We greatly enjoyed the view from the expansive porch where comfortable, large chairs line the pavement.

We also learned the Washington's could clearly afford to be such hosts. Not far from the main farm is the distillery which apparently did quite a business back in its day. Washington got into the business upon completing his term as our nation's first president in 1797. By the time of Washington's death in 1799, it was producing 11,000 gallons of whiskey each year, sold at a tidy profit, which made it the largest distillery in America.

This tour flipped a switch in my brain: I finally realized our nation has always been led by royalty of sorts. It's said you have to have money to make money, but it turns out you have to have money to lead the country as well. While the Washingtons may indeed have been generous with their home and property, the fact remains that they benefited on the backs of the slaves who they owned, and others below the Washington family's status

Williamsburg ROCKS!

After weeks on the road, I can safely say THIS is one of my favorite spots! If you have only one place to experience Revolutionary War-era colonial America, this is the place. Beautiful, gracious docents, informative throughout, and wonderful. A full day is not enough. Plan at least three. Girls loved it. Tavern food was delicious.

Highlights: visiting with the dressmaker who's a students at neighboring College of William & Mary, E's first-choice, now, for furthering her education; blacksmith shop; teahouse visit featuring the most-chocolaty hot chocolate we've ever tasted; trying our hands at the harpsichord; taking in a fife and drum parade; seeing General Washington ride in on horseback; lunch in the tavern.

We learned that the teahouse was the pub of sorts in these days of alleged puritanism. It was just across the lawn from the statehouse, so was a popular place for political banter, lobbying and political gamesmanship.

Again, must run. Photos will have to speak for us.

Jamestown - worthy of a quick stop

Made it to Jamestown, Virginia today after crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, an incredible feat of engineering involving 23 miles of bridge in the middle of which drivers drop down into a mile-long tunnel.

I had considered the inland route through Baltimore, but this route saved us miles and travel with trail through a major metropolitan area. And with no time to stop and really enjoy the sites of the city, there was no point, really, in going that way. Though our trip may seem to be entirely without deadlines, we do, indeed, have some hard and fast deadlines, like picking Mr. B up at the airport, and being home in time to go to Washington for Thanksgiving with grandparents. It's probably a good thing we have some deadlines or we may never make it home again. So MUCH to see and experience and enjoy!

As for Jamestown, well, it's good for a quick stop, but a shame that the recreated village is not on the original site, and that the docents weren't all-too kid friendly. Not a lot of time to write today, but in summary: the museum is worth a stop; the nearby recreated ship was nice to tour, particularly the below decks to get some idea what the crossing may have been like; the village is worth a visit if you've never seen anything like it before - and don't go in costume even if you are an adorable kid. (No, I haven't shown up in period garb anywhere on this trip. It's the girls who enjoy dress up, particularly period dress for E.) Again, not well received.


We may have found the KOA to end all KOAs tonight: pool, laundry just across the drive from our trailer spot, lush, green, nice families camped nearby. I may never get the children off the bouncy dome!

Treasures of Assateague

Today the girls and I enjoyed a long overdue day of rest here on Assateague Island. There are trails to hike and ponies to hunt, but we all agreed that just playing on the sand would do the trick. We turned off the alarm clock, slept in until the heat of the morning sun drove us out of bed, and enjoyed a casual breakfast of pancakes.

Then we hit the sand, which wasn't difficult since it's 5 feet from our door. We walked the beach and found a pile of treasures, not the least of which were the shells from horseshoe crabs, fantastically creepy, prehistoric creatures that call this warm water and coastline home.

While V, in typical V fashion, went straight for the water, E and I held back afraid of getting too cold. But I finally bucked up and dipped in a toe, then a foot, then walked straight in. The surf report claimed the water temperature was 68 degrees, but it felt much closer to competition pool temperature. It was nice to be in the water, but a little creepy to be in dark water where prehistoric creatures and who-knows-what-else was swimming around. After receiving a sharp pinch on the heel from a Lady Crab, I ran out of the water for awhile. I was reluctant to return, but my bravery paid off with the discovery of a giant Knobbed Whelk shell, already evacuated by its previous tenant.

For awhile, V took over the camera. She loves the camera, taking photos, exploring with it, and E puts her best face forward for her sister. It's beautiful to see the images that come out of that photog/model combo. Today, it was largely silliness that clearly reflected the mood of the day.

We also gathered the shells (carcasses) of several of the horseshoe crabs that washed to shore and the numerous horseshoe crab tails that littered the shoreline. The display, which also contained rocks and shells and other treasures we found today, was popular with visitors long after we vacated the beach. When I ran down to check on the display as tide came in, I saw another couple taking photos of it and leaving the display to its own resources.

Back at camp, we met our neighbors, friendly folks as we've found throughout our trips. Somehow, during our barbecuing of dinner and discussion of travel which inevitable leads to discussion of food found along the way, mention of Old Bay Seasoning came up. I was entirely blank; had no idea what they were talking about. They were baffled by my ignorance, and sent me home with a can of the stuff. It's the Suzy Q Seasoning of the East Coast, apparently. I food momento of our time on the island.

Beautiful restful day. Just what we needed, and the perfect place for it.

Ellis Island in Words

So sorry for leaving you hanging at Ellis Island. Here's the post that should have run with it:
Ellis Island
We’d hoped to make it to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty yesterday, but with so much to do in Manhattan, we just didn’t make it. Good thing we didn’t try to squeeze them in. Instead, we opted to take that combined tour on our way out of town today, and we spent most of today enjoying our visit.

We started with the first ferry of the morning and enjoyed a lovely morning ride down the Hudson River to the island which served as the first stop for hundreds of thousands of immigrants to America. The main structure, largely restored, is home to nice exhibits and the girls completed their “treasure hunt” for facts related to the Junior Ranger program. I particularly enjoyed the recordings of people telling their firsthand experiences of passing through the immigration stations.

We returned to the ferry landing a few minutes later. The girls were happy with their free time and made good use of it. E decided to practice her ballet on the grass. V practice stalking birds on all fours, just as her kitties back home do.

Then on to Liberty Island to meet Lady Liberty herself. The first think E noticed was that though she is a giant metal structure, her clothing maintains the folds and creases of the cloth her model may have worn. We also noticed that the flames shone while the rest of the statue has long since oxidized. It might have been nice to take the climb up the statue’s interior for the view, but we heard reservations were needed for that privilege. I hadn’t been willing to set our New York stay dates in stone, so didn’t make those arrangements.

Greetings, Ponies! (Assateague Island National Seashore)

Sept. 27, 2011 - The girls and I crawled out of the trailer at the crack of dawn and headed straight to the local coffee shop for a buzz-buzz for me, rest stop for them before I drove us all to the ferry. By the time we'd made the 10-minute drive, the girls were already fast asleep in the back seat.

The ferry ride was comfortable and convenient. While the girls slept, I (finally) found a working wi-fi, downloaded the camera, sent out the last group of blog posts and charged a variety of batteries. Eighty minutes later, we were in Delaware and the sun was burning through the morning fog.

We swung in to a Birkenstock store to (finally) replace my haggard old pair with its broken cork and stretched leather. I'd really wanted to replace them before we hit Florida (and a lot more walking), but hadn't found any Birky stories along our route. Shoppers can imagine my excitement at spotting this local shop directly along our path!

New shoes in hand, we continued south through Delaware into Maryland where we took the northern entrance to Assateague Island and Assateague National Seashore. At the visitors center, I put the girls to work on another junior ranger program, which caused us to really check out the exhibits and watch the film before rushing out to the island in search of the ponies of "Misty of Chincoteague" fame.

On the drive through the state park which dominates the northern tip of the island, we saw several of the ponies along the road, but once we were in the national park, the ponies were well hidden in the marshes and forests. V was particularly thrilled with our campsite which backed right up to the short dunes that divide the Atlantic side of the island from the wooded bay side. She loves to camp at the beach, and I'm not sure there's better beach camping than the paved dune-access sites here.

The girls and I played Warrior Clan Kitties in the dunes for awhile and tested the ocean (MUCH warmer than our water at home, but not quite Kauai-like) before we met some of the neighbors and I returned to our site to settle in. Later, as the girls and I sat at the table sorting shells and rocks and discussing our dinner options, the neighbors walked over with a plate of sausages, buns and corn on the cob! What a camp greeting! They followed up later with creamsicle ice cream bars (aka 50/50 bars). I felt compelled to offer a gift of thanks, so the girls and I made peach cobbler which was, as always, very well received.