Day 24

WE MADE IT!!!!  We arrived in Asheville around 7pm after driving 500 miles today!  No stopping us today as the end of the rainbow was in site......even the "world's largest Superman statue" could not entice them for a pit stop.  When we arrived, the boys jumped out of the RV and Chase kissed the ground and Bode ran for the house.  The boys wanted to see their rooms because, "they forgot what they looked like". Then the boys immediately ran over to the neighbor's house to visit with their friends.  Ahhhhh, finally alone.  JUST KIDDING!  So glad the RV (and God's protection!) got us home.  What a wonderful family trip.  So many places seen, relatives visited, bugs killed on the windshield, etc.  Thankfully, I took a lot of pictures and wrote this blog, because I found out yesterday grilling the kids that their memory is not all that great...ha!!!  It is also nice to come home to a wonderful house (that doesn't move), the beautiful mountains of Asheville, and a great community of friends.  Next summer we travel North to Maine!  Until then....

Day 23

I had a rough day....feeling nauseous the whole time.  UGH!  But we pushed onward driving 520 miles to Benton, Illinois.  We found a nice KOA with a fishing pond, which has become a new requirement in our travels.  On our way, we really didn't stop except for a sit-down lunch near St. Louis.  Of course, we saw the Arch...pretty cool.  The boys have been such great travelers.  They have been making up their own games in the back bedroom.  They can make something fun out of almost anything!  I love their creativity.  We also learned last night that Bode is very flexible.  He can bend backwards and touch his nose with his feet.  I got a picture but it won't make the blog....it's a bit disturbing.  I opted instead for another Lake Powell picture.  So, we awake this morning, coffee brewing, boys fishing, me blogging and making breakfast.  Our last day on the road!  We have 500 miles to reach Asheville.  I am hoping for a smooth ride!  I am a little worried about the "utility" door.  It is hanging on by a thread.  I don't think any kind of tape will help that situation!!!  We have already made an appointment for all the maintenance issues and damage to the RV.  It really needs some TLC!   I am also thinking I could use an overhaul after 24 days on the road....nothing that a babysitter, a mani/pedi, some shopping and workouts with girlfriends, and several months of strict dieting won't cure!!!! 

Day 22

Whew.....520 miles traveled today and we end up in Salina, Kansas.  We decided instead of taking Interstate 40 back to Asheville, that we would take Interstate 70 and go through some states we haven't yet seen.  All I can say about Kansas is that it's got a lot of cows and corn.  I figure everyone knows what corn looks like so I decided instead to post a picture of "life on the road".  I guess we could have stopped and taken a picture of "The World's Largest Prairie Dog" but the boys wanted to push onward!  At one point during our day, people passing kept waving wildly at me.  I soon discovered the front corner panel was again loose.  I guess electrical tape doesn't work to fix RV body damage.  The electrical tape however did take care of the wiper blade!  So, I pulled over at the next exit which happened to be an abandoned gas station.  Norm once again rigged the front corner panel and we headed back in the RV only to discover the door was locked and the keys inside.  Norm and his quick thinking got the step ladder and shoved Chase through the driver's side window.  Chase saved the day!  That's about all the excitement we had for the day (besides the boys eating ice cream for lunch).  We are settled into our RV site and ready to watch a movie and get a good night's sleep.  We plan on logging two more long days of driving to be home by Monday night!  I think we have all had enough site-seeing and miss HOME!! Until tomorrow....

Day 21

Plum tired is what we are!  Got a late start this morning...didn't even wake up until 9am.  Then we hit the "all you can eat pancake breakfast" at the lodge of the Mesa Verde National Park.  We then drove to the top where we toured the museum and learned about the Ute Indians.  Then we hiked to a cliff dwelling called the Spruce Tree House which is the best preserved dwelling in the park.  Bode was so tired, he practically crawled the whole way.  The boys were allowed to climb a ladder down into the "kita" which is an underground room.  We were all pretty beat so we decided once you have seen one cliff dwelling, you have seen them all.  So, we hit the road.  We got as far as Durango, Colorado and stopped for lunch and to get some supplies at Walmart - oh joy!!  We continued our journey until we reached Alamosa, Colorado after clocking 275 miles.  While we are all pretty weary, the RV is a little worse for wear.  Did I mention Norm hit a pole at a gas station?  Well, half of the length of the side has a big scrape on it.  The door to all the "utilities" has decided to fall off so Norm is trying to figure out to rig it for the rest of the way home.  The windshield wiper was damaged in a wind storm across the desert so now the blade is exposed and has scratched the windshield.  A rock also hit the windshield and caused a large hole.  The generator might have an oil leak.  The front corner panel decided to come loose so Norm used some electrical tape to try and keep it in place.  You would think this thing just drove 3500 miles in 20 days!!!!  Probably worst of all, our Keurig coffeemaker fell over around a big turn and is now broken.  Hence the trip to Walmart to get a new one.  We certainly could not survive without our morning gallon of coffee!!  But alas, we are settled in for the night.  Steaks on the grill, a good game of "My National Parks Edition" Monopoly, campfire with marshmallows, and best of all, my family together safe and happy!  See, I'm not complaining!  Until tomorrow...

Day 20

Our plan when we awoke was to DRIVE!  We had about 5.5 hours of driving ahead of us, so we thought this would be a road day with a few scenic pit stops along the way.  But when we saw Lake Powell, we couldn't help ourselves!  It looks like tropical waters up next to the huge towering sand dunes.  We packed another picnic lunch and headed to the marina.  We ended up spending some time on the beach, then we rented a speedboat for 2 hours and the kids went tubing.  What fun!!!  Storms were brewing around us after about an hour and the water got really rough.  Made for an adventurous trip back to the marina for sure!  On the way, we lost our tube somehow and God only knows how we were able to double back and find it just floating where we apparently dropped it overboard.  So, we rallied back in the RV, changed into dry clothes, and traveled the remaining 4 hours to Mesa Verde State Park in Colorado.  We actually drove through Four Corners - the only town in the US where 4 states meet - Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.  Pretty cool.  In total, we clocked 335 miles today with me doing most of the driving....I was in that kind of mood.  We set up camp in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  It is remote and beautiful.....we saw huge mule deer as we were pulling into our spot.  Norm already has the campfire started and the kids are putting hot dogs on skewers for a late dinner.   Until tomorrow!

Day 19

"This was the best day so far!" says Norm.  That about sums it up for yet another great day.  We left Vegas and traveled 190 miles and made a pit stop in Zion National Park in Utah.  We entered the park and pulled into a shady spot and made a picnic lunch.  We then hopped on our bikes and took the Pa'Rus Trail that runs along the Virgin River.  It was beautiful and a great bike ride for the kids - nice paved surface.  We stopped a few times where there was river access and took and dip in the cool water.  The kids had fun jumping off the rocks into the deep pool of emerald green water, then letting the current take them down to a rock outcrop. The bike trail ended at a shuttle stop, so we took it to Zion Lodge where we hiked up to the Emerald Pools.  We were pleasantly surprised how well they were able to hike - it was sandy, rocky, and straight up from the 1st pool to the 3rd one at the top with a round trip of 3 miles.  Not to mention pretty balmy with temperatures in the mid 90's.  After almost 5 hours of hiking, biking, and swimming in Zion, we were ready to travel the remaining distance to our RV site in Kanab.  At one point during our drive through the park, we had to be escorted by a ranger through a narrow tunnel due to the size our our RV!  Plus, pay an extra $15 for this service.  Once through the park, we stopped at a great restaurant called Rocking V Cafe.  The owner was really nice and the food was fantastic!  All organic and fresh ingredients.  We pulled into our site and rented a movie for the night.  We are all pretty beat and need a good night's sleep for tomorrows activities in Colorado!  Until then...

Day 18

Well, I have to say Vegas is definitely more for adults....just as I remembered.  But, we did have so much fun in the Adventure Dome.  We actually spent 7 hours there!  There were so many rides and games and circus acts to keep us going all day.  It was really fun and the kids are now laying on their sleeper sofa in the family room watching cartoons.  Bode had a complete meltdown at the restaurant for lunch.  He started crying and put his head down on the table.  I thought he was going to fall asleep.  But he rallied for the rest of the afternoon after some lunch and cotton candy.  Norm and I are now relaxing in the bedroom checking out the itinerary for the rest of the trip while our Amy's pizza is in the half-time oven.  (yum)  We weren't actually originally supposed to come to Vegas but wanted to see Beth since we were in the West.  So, Norm spent about 30 minutes canceling all our RV reservations for the trip back East.  We are flying by the seat of our pants from here on out....yikes!  We are going to just relax the rest of the evening in the RV since there are many scantily clad women on the Strip and I don't think my boys (or Norm) need to see any more of those "adult sites" while we are here.  Ha!  I love that my cousin Beth is here offering a positive message to those willing to hear it.  Makes me so proud.  She is the music minister in a big church here and is working on a Christian album.  We are heading out tomorrow for Zion.  Very excited about seeing more of God's wonderful creation.  I am glad we might be able to cut a few days off the trip back East.  I do miss my friends, house, yard.....I think Norm could live in this RV!!!  He is in hog heaven and appears right at home on the road.  I guess I am a nester.  The boys seem to really have adjusted to the road even though we have a small meltdown once in a while.  They truly are best friends to each other and are closer than ever.  It is also pretty eye-opening how one can live a much simpler life than what we have become accustomed to.  We certainly don't need all the amenities we have at home to be a healthy, joyful family.  Although the boys seem to have forgotten their manners and leave the toilet seat up more often than they do at home.....hmmmm, not good for me at all!  Excited for what tomorrow brings....until then!