Friday, June 22, 2012

Road Trip 2012 - Part 1, Headed East

20 days, 5 states, 4404 miles

Trip Outline - Hobbs, NM --> Keller, TX --> Columbia, TN --> Roanoke, VA--> Gordonsville,VA --> Virginia Beach, VA --> Gordonsville, VA --> Washington, DC --> Lexington, VA --> Columbia, TN --> Searcy, AR --> Gurdon, AR --> Hobbs, NM (home sweet home)

Day 1 - May 31, Just me and the kids, pack up and head out by 8:30 central time, 5 minutes later it was already 9:35 as we crossed the border from New Mexico into Texas.
We stayed in Keller, TX (suburb north of Fort Worth) that night with my cousin's family for the night. 30 minutes from her house we stopped at a Chick-fil-a because the weren't at their house yet. We played and ate ice cream.
5 minutes away from my cousin's house, Kellyn threw up. She's been known to get car sick since she was 4 months old, but had done much better not getting car sick since we moved her car seat to the middle where she can see out the windshield.
The next week when we were eating at Chick-fil-a again, I thought to check the ingredients of their ice cream. The cashier printed out a full list of ingredients on the cash register, and sure enough, whole eggs is listed in both the ice cream and the ice cream cone. So she wasn't car sick after all, it was her allergy to eggs that did it.
The kids had fun playing with their extended cousins, 2 girls of elementary school age. We also had dinner with my aunt and uncle who live in the area. It's always great to keep those family connections alive.

Day 2 - left my cousin's house at 8:30 central time, and drove through Arkansas to my parent's house in Columbia, TN (just south of Nashville).
The kids traveled great, and we made great time until we got stuck for an hour in construction on I-40 between Little Rock and Nashville.
My parents actually met us about 2 hours from thier home, so my mom could drive the rest of the way. Being tired from driving that far by myself with the kids, I didn't want to drive that last hour on the windy, hilly TN back highway in the dark, watching for deer.

Day 3 - Saturday, lazy day at Grandma's... it's so much fun to watch the kids play with the toys I grew up with. I love the old style of Fisher Price little people sets.

Day 4 - Sunday, church with Grandma and Grandpa, except I stayed home with Ryan who had a 100 degree fever all night. He seemed fine by lunch time.

Day 5 - play date at McDonald's in Spring Hill, TN with a friend of mine from college and her 5 year old boy. We mostly just keep in touch with Facebook, so it was fun to catch up face to face.
That evening, I went out shopping, and had dinner and a movie all by myself. It was nice to just go on my own schedule, and not have to take anyone else to the bathroom or share my food.

Day 6 - Nashville Zoo at Grassmere with Grandma - they had a dinosaur exhibit that scared the kids some, but that's what they still talk about from the zoo.
  Here's how we traversed the zoo... double stroller with a hitch hiker board attached to the back for one of the big kids to stand on.


They also enjoyed seeing the elephants, giraffes, gibbons, and petting the goats.


Day 7, 8, and 9 - lazy days at Grandparents' house because the kids all had constant coughs. Grandpa got it too.

Day 10- Saturday, left at 8:30 am to drive to hotel in Roanoke, Virginia. Grandma rode with me in the van, and Grandpa followed behind in his car.
I had ridden through VA as a teenager, but never realized how beautiful it is there. The thick woods around everywhere give a small town feel even to the bigger cities.
We went to Panera Bread for dinner but found out that just about everything there that kids will eat has egg in it (breads and mac 'n cheese). So we left and went to a Cheddar's restaurant around the corner. It was delicious food, and had lots to order that Kellyn could eat.

Day 11 - played at a park, and then at the indoor play area at the mall in Charlottesville, VA wasting time until checkin at our resort later in the afternoon.
We did grocery shopping just before going to the resort and I cooked chili for all of our arriving family in our cabin.
Barry (my husband) flew into Charlottesville that night, and my brother-in-law graciously picked him up. The kids and I were very glad to have him with us on the rest of our adventure.

... To be continued...