Getting sick while camping/traveling was a first for us. Sonja and I picked up the flu from somewhere just before we left D.C. All better now ... at least I think.
D.C. was hot. We kinda forgot that Jenna is only 8 and we dragged her all over the Capitol. She was a trooper. Three of the places we really wanted the girls to experience were The American History Museum, The Arts & Industries Museum, and Ford's Theatre. All of which were closed for renovation. Can you believe it? Guess we'll have to make another trip in the coming years:)
Last Thursday evening Tara picked up the girls and took them for the night. They had a great time hangin with Aunt Tara at the pool on Friday and then Sonja and I met up with them for dinner at her place and fireworks on the 4th. It had been raining hard all afternoon and stopped at the last minute so we loaded up and headed into Frederick for the fireworks. We ended up parking and once they began we couldn't see them because the air was so dense/humid the smoke just hung in the air blocking our view. We had a good laugh and headed back.
Saturday we picked up Tara and headed to Gettysburg so Sonja, Ashli, and Tara could go on a ghost walk. While they were doing that I took Julia and Jenna and went to play mini-golf. We all had a great time.
Monday we headed out for the Philadelphia area KOA and have been here since Monday. We extended our stay by one day because we ended up ill.
Wednesday we went to the Site & Sound Theatre again in Lancaster, PA to see Abraham and Sarah a Journey of Love. This theatre production is top notch and they did a fantastic job once again.
Last night we headed into South Philly for some cheese-steaks at Geno's and Pat's. We tried both on each corner and you'll have to ask the girls which they liked best!
Today we struck out for Valley Forge where George Washington had the winter encampment for the Colonial Army. We've been doing Civil War stuff and the Revolutionary War was a bit different. So much to learn.
Heading for Watkins Glen, NY tomorrow. Until next time...
Bill and Michelle, their kids, and Tara left yesterday for home while Mom and Dad stayed one last night and left early this afternoon to head back home to Watkins Glen, NY. Kevin got to get back to work today while Sonja and the girls headed for the pool. The KOA we are staying at is really nice with beautiful flower/plant gardens, a nice pool, playground, campsites, and a lazy fishing river. Our campsite was right along the river which made it picturesque and pleasant.
Papa(dad) cob-jobbed together a fishing pole of sorts for Ashli and baited with some hot dog and soon after she had landed a snapping turtle. That was a first for us ... however, we threw him back:)
Tomorrow we head out to the KOA between D.C. and Annapolis, MD. Looking forward to spending some time in the Capitol.
Our summer journey starts this year with a trip to Hagerstown, Maryland where we will be spending some time with extended family. The girls will get to play with cousins which is always a great time for them.
The road trip was a bit hairy going across Ohio. Their was a nasty thunderstorm with high winds. We have a anti-sway system on the hitch of the camper, but a friction sway control is of little help when it is very wet. The high winds and trucks passing on a bee-line made it for some interesting moments. We are looking forward to the day when our 2000 Astro Van gives up the ghost and we can move up to a larger tow vehicle with a bit more road surface and longer wheel base. That should help.
We pulled in to the Mercer/Grove City KOA about midnight on Wednesday night. It was our plan to leave home about 12 noon on Wednesday and get the campground in Western PA around 7pm, but the steel bumper was coming apart at the weld seems so we took it to Freeway RV in Midland, MI and they welded some additional bracing onto it. They did a great job and it is as stable as ever now.
Today we headed for Antietam Battlefield where the single bloodiest day of battle during the Civil War or any war has ever taken place. Over 23,000 casualties, wounded, and missing in action. The memorial and national park there are well taken care of and the rangers are well versed and do a great job of making history come to life. Definately, a place to go and spend some time. Link to Slide Show
Well, it was the first time out with the Roo this season. We all had forgotten how much effort it takes to get all ready to roll out. Once you get there, get setup, and sit down next to the fire it's all worth it.
Again this year one set of Kevin's parents came out from NY (Dad and Mom Wallenbeck) and hung out with us over the weekend. This year we decided to start out in Tawas, MI at the Tawas Point State Park. It's a beautiful place with a lighthouse and all.
Hard to believe it but the day before we left Kevin pulled out our reservations and realized it was for the next weekend! AAAHHH ... Praise God that someone canceled and there was a campsite ready for us.
While there we headed into town for a craft show and also up to Lumbermen's Monument on the Au Sable river just west of Oscoda, MI. There are actually some hills on Michigan!
Now we are back home and looking forward to our month long trip to D.C. and Philadelphia.
Check out the photos from our weekend in the photo gallery.
What could be better ... a RV and a coffee shop all in one. Check out JoeOnTheGo.biz in Austin. These guys have a great idea. Looks like they have a route they do regularly as well as special events like office parties, weddings, and work outings. The RV/Motorhome they are using looks like it has a few years on it, but they've definately put it to good use.
Makes me wonder what else you might do with a RV ... Ideas???
Hard to believe it's 2008 already and we've already begun planning our summer trips. Looks like our long trip of the summer will start in late June and last for 3 weeks. We'll be starting in Hagerstown, MD and then up to Boston, MA and then who knows ... we havn't decided yet.
Our first trip will be Memorial Day weekend in Tawas State Park in Tawas, MI. It's only about 2 hours or so from our home, but the girls and Sonja have school through Friday and Sonja has to be back in school the following week finishing up. So, we didn't want to go too far for the first trip out.
It's hard not to get too excited once we start making plans ... we still have school and work until the summer that has to be done.
If you are thinking about RVing this summer and don't yet have a RV you might try renting for your first trip. We've got some links to RV Rental companies we like...
A few weeks ago there was a Family Carnival at our Church and we had the privilege of hosting the Upward Basketball booth. There were over 400 kids and families that came through ... many kids signed up to get more info as the basketball program gets closer in April 08.
Sonja and I took the girls to Lansing for the weekend to stay with family and we headed off for a weekend of 'just the two of us' camping. What a great time. The weather was a bit warm for October ... in the high 80's , but nevertheless we had a great time together. The campsite was situated on a hill overlooking the lake. With the leaves sprinkling from the trees ... it was just a beautiful place.
Getting away as a couple is something we suggest for every couple. Taking a break ... just the two of you ... no distractions ... no kids ... do something. You won't regret it!
On Wednesday we headed back to Colwater Lake, where we spent Memorial Wknd, to spend a few days before Sonja has to head back to school. We picked a campsite next to the water this time and it is beautiful here ... the weather has been great. It's currently low 70's which I prefer over the hot/humid weather.
I have had to head into Mount Pleasant and 'camp-out' at Big Apple Bagel for a few hours each day to keep on top of business stuff. Sonja and the girls have been chillin and hanging out.
It won't be long before the Sonja and the girls are back to school and life get's a little more challenging for us. This summer we've spent ALOT of time together and enjoyed most every minute of it:) We'll miss that once everyone gets back to routine.
Ashli's going into 7th (Junior High), Julia into 4th, Jenna into 2nd, and Sonja is being held back in K-4 once again. Hard to believe we've got a Junior High'r. Time sure does seem to fly.
We're being blessed with lots of visitors this trip. Mike and Sarah Reece, the Donnelly's, Sonja's folks and brother, Veronica and the kids. We enjoy the company. It would be great to find a few other families that we could camp-together next year a few times. Having sweet fellowship is important to a growing walk with Christ ... encouragement and accountability!
Well, the Donnelly's will be here soon ... until next time!
Today was a celebration day in our family. Ashli, turned 12 today and boy did she want everyone to know it:) It never ceases to amaze Sonja and I how God made each child of ours w/ unique personalities. So, we did the best we could to make the day special for Ashli. Julia, Jenna, and I got up early (9am) and headed to the local flower/gift shop for a balloon and flowers. When we got back to the campground we had a special breakfast treat (cinnamon buns), then the girls went swimming with some friends they had met.
Early afternoon we packed up and headed out for the day. First to Oswalds Bear Ranch. Back in 1984 Mr. Oswald, a native of Bay City, MI, started taking in wounded or bears needing a home. Now, he has 27 bears ... cubs, youngins, and oldins. A very well kept place to visit. Slow paced and lots of bears to see.
Next we headed off for Sault Ste Marie to see the Soo Locks and eat a fish fry at a restaurant Sonja had been to with some friends a couple of years ago. The Locks were neat to see. They had a couple 1000 ft. vessels come through ... man are they long.
Tomorrow we head for Indian River and stay there a few nights. You can check out the photos of today's trip here.
Only because Sonja and I have traveled a bit and seen many amazing things the falls didn't quite have the splendor everyone had made it out to be. Nevertheless, it was pretty and the bronze tint to the water due to minerals was neat to see. We only went to the Upper Falls then headed back to camp. Our original plan was to go to Oswalds Bear Ranch, but the directions we took put us behind schedule so maybe we'll try that tomorrow.
Today we went to Munising, MI and took the 2.5 hour boat tour to see the Pictured Rocks. They were absolutely beautiful and inspiring to look at. The colors, caves, and formations were testament to the fact that God has made amazing things for our enjoyment.
The KOA we are staying at has a whole 'herd of bunnies'. Some domestic and some wild ... all running around the campsites and the fields. Kinda strange, but the girls like to try and catch them.
The first night we stayed at the campground there was a cross country motorcycle trail riding club ... there must have been over 100 dirt-bikes taking off at 7:30 in the morning. Kinda ruined the beauty rest that we all need, but naps in the afternoon work well too.
Check out the Photo Gallery for more photos of the falls and the pictured rocks.
We took off for our adventure to the Upper Pensinsula of Michigan. We are lookin forward to meeting some 'yoopers' as they are called ... so the people that live up here are called. You know what they say ... when in the U.P. do what the Yoopers do. That's not exactly how it goes, but this Michigan and the Roman Empire is thousands of miles away and years in the past.
This was a much shorter trip only taking us 5 hours instead of the 10+ that our last trips took. Getting to the U.P. from home was mostly all highway until we crossed the Mackinaw Bridge. Both Sonja and I were amazed how desolate some stretches of road were on our way to the KoA in Newberry. It seemed like we could drive for miles without seeing another car or house.
Once we arrived and checked-in (Newberry, MI KOA) we discovered that we were a day late and were scheduled to arrive yesterday. Go figure. Ever been late for your own vacation?
Looking forward to spending the week with each other and experiencing the great outdoors.
This area of the country is absolutely beautiful ... and there is so much to see and do. Many historical places to visit, Dutch/Amish country to drive through, and lots of shops to stroll.
Let's start with Gettysburg, PA ... Sonja had been before, but the girls and I had never been ... what an amazing place. It's hard to give definition to what I mean by amazing. Around 50,000 casualties in a battle field less than a mile wide. Those were proud and loyal men who paid the ultimate sacrifice to stand up for what they believed in.
I don't claim to have all the answers, but it does seem that we could use alot more of that loyalty and pride today in our culture and society. Ok, I'm off the soap box.
The girls had a great time and I found it heart warming to see 'history come alive' for them. They took an interest in it and it became more real to them.
Today was one of those days that Sonja has been waiting for her entire life! The Hershey Chocolate Factory Tour. Yep, believe it or not Sonja REALLY enjoys chocolate and man oh man does Hershey, PA have ALOT of it. The story of Milton Hershey and milk chocolate is quite interesting and definately worth a read.
Something that Sonja and I both noticed about the 'towns we all hear about' in PA is that our expectations of them were way off. We were thinking that our experience of Hershey and Lancaster, PA would be similar to Frankenmuth, MI. You know the quaint little towns ... but we found bustling cities and have had to take side streets and back roads to find the quaint littlle towns we had imagined in our heads.
Ok, back to the CHOCOLATE! The tour of the factory is fascinating ... actually, it's not the real factory at all, but a simulation. Regardless, they've done a great job and the tour which consists of riding in moving 'cars' through a life-like factory is interesting and educational.
Then there is the Chocolate World store ... more candy creations than you can imagine all in one place. Did you know that Hershey's makes a dark chocolate cherry cordial Kiss? Yummy. We saved the Hershey Museum to visit next time we are in town. Overall, a great experience and if you havn't been ... it's worth the trip.
Kevin's sister, Tara, came up from Frederick, MD and spent the day with us. The girls enjoyed having Aunt Tara around and we enjoyed our time together. On our way back to the campground we came across a store selling Hershey's Cocoa Mulch. Does that mean happier plants?
Last night Sonja and I were making plans for our Hershey Park trip today. After some investigating we discovered that the girls would only be able to ride on about 50% of the rides at the park. At the same time we learned that Hershey Park has a sister park called Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA. After checking out their website we took the risk and gave it a shot.
Now that we've been ... what a great place to take kids under 12. The park is kept really clean. There are a wide variety of rides from the simple Swings to a exciting wooden roller coaster. There were many kid friendly and interactive shows with singing, dressing up, and even a diving show.
The girls had a great time ... psst ... so did Mom and Dad. The risk was definately worth it.
Sonja did say something to me today that put it into perspective a bit. She asked me if I had realized that WE were taking our own kids to an amusement park. I hadn't thought of it, but the more it sank I realized that we had become our parents. The changing of the guard.
Anyway, we highly suggest Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA for your next children's amusement park adventure. Tomorrow, my sister Tara is coming for the day to visit and we are heading to the Hershey Park Factory Tour! Sonja is salivating just thinking of the chocolate:)
This past weekend with Kevin, Missy, Cory, and Emily Bonning was relaxing to say the least. Kevin and Missy are great hosts ... food and fellowship. Both Sonja and I cherished the time we spent together.
The girls played very well with both Cory and Emily the entire weekend. All were sad to say goodbye. They are already looking forward to the next time we can be together.
The Bonnings took us up through Smugglers Notch and into Stowe. If you aren't familiar with those places then you probably don't ski. There is a story behind Stowe though ... over 10 years ago Kevin and Missy took Sonja and I to Stowe ... at night ... to downhill ski ... it was our first time! Sonja and Missy gave up after it took us nearly 3 hours to get down the hill ... the first time. I had watched the ski instructors go by enough that I had picked up enough to try again.
When we left Vermont this morning I decided to head down 87 past Albany through towns like Saratoga,NY ... Catskill,NY ... Parsippany,NJ ... Bethlehem,PA ... Allentown,PA. Towns I had never been in. I can tell you though that towing the ROO is much less mentally challenging on back roads going 50/55mph. Sometimes ya gotta take the highway, but the road less traveled is something to look forward to.
What a grand adventure we have had today! We traveled from the KOA at the foot of Whiteface mountain up to Plattsburg,NY. We caught the ferry going across to Grand Isle,VT. We decided to take a detour into Grand Isle to find a place to pull over and have lunch. Whilst we were driving, Kevin spotted a unusal looking barn and we decided to drive to see it closer. On the turn off of the road to the barn there was a sign for "pick your own strawberries"! We instantly thought - we could bring "dessert" to Kevin and Missy's.
We actually drove by the old barn which turned out to be an apartment building for senior citizens - pretty cool! It was called the Round Barn Apartments. We drove past the farm because we spotted Lake Champlain in the short distance. We took a beautiful drive next to the lake and saw some beautiful homes. We turned around and pulled into the farm - made our sandwiches and sat next to the road to eat lunch! Such a site were we!
These are one of those moments when I understand my parents when they comment about how wierd my husband is! We had a ball picking almost 10lbs of berries and eating another lb! All this and it still was before we arrived at Kevin and Missy's!
Today was our trip up Whiteface Mountain. Absolutely, amazing. We drove up Whiteface Memorial Highway and I mean UP:) Once at the top we walked through a 425 ft. tunnel then rode an elevator up 27 story's to the top. By the time we got to the top a storm had moved in and we were covered in clouds. The couds broke here and there so we were able to get some photos.
Sometimes I wonder if God made mountain tops just so we could see breathtaking views and just know down deep inside that there is a creator God that made this earth we live on.
Somehow, gazing through clouds at miles and miles of gorgeous scenery tends to put life a little more in perspective. Knowing that God architected landscape like that is a reminder to me that our 'problems in life' are really small potatoes to what God can really handle.
Did some fishing again today on the famed Ausable River ... caught a 11in. trout. It was absolutely beautiful ... throwing my line out into the air ... watching the water glisten in the sun as it sprayed off the line.
Sonja purchased some party lights for under the Roo awning ... tonight we had a Luna Moth visit and hover around for a bit. First time we had ever seen one in the wild.
Tomorrow we head off for Cambridge, VT to see the Bonnings.
We left Watkins Glen, NY for Lake Placid,NY on Monday morning. We stopped at a Camping World store in Syracuse ... what a disappointment. Maybe our expectations were off, but it wasn't that amazing.
We headed North to Watertown, NY and took Route 3 all the way through the Adirondack State Park. It took us about 4 hours to get over the hills and valleys, but it was beautiful. Great little towns like Felts Mills and captivating lakes like Cranberry Lake. Stopping once or twice at a stream/river.
As we drove through Lake Placid we began to realize that the KOA we were staying in was actually in Wilmington literally at the foot of Whiteface Mountain along the Ausable River ... Gorgeous.
Once we pulled in and setup camp we quickly realized that one of our water lines must have vibrated loose around a crimp. Kevin had to spend Tuesday morning running back and forth to a couple of hardware stores before correcting the problem. It's bound to happen with a home on wheels and 1,000 miles later.
We packed up Saturday morning and headed out for Watkins Glen, NY to stay with his folks and to be there for Fathers Day. Instead of our usual jaunt through Canada we decided it best to stick to the USA with our camper and all our goodies. Ya never know with Customs/Border anymore.
The 9 hour trip took 12, but we stopped often ... had to fill up with gas quite a bit. We only drove about 60/62 mph and still had gas mileage of 8/9 mpg. Doesn't sound all that great and we have gotten some strange looks with gas prices so high and still traveling nearly 2500 miles this first trip.
We figure we havn't spent money on plane tickets or really taken any family vacations in over 5 years ... we are due!
It was great for Kevin to spend Fathers Day with his Dads (bio/step). It's been 9 years since he'd been home for that. The girls had a chance to visit with their cousins for a few hours ... they really enjoy that.
We are on the road today for Lake Placid, NY so look for another post coming soon.
This past weekend (Memorial Day Weekend) we took the Roo to Coldwater Lake Family Park in Weidman, MI. It was just a short drive (60 minutes) from home so we could 'break ourselves in' to camping with our new Roo.
I was personally impressed by the park. It's only a county park, but well kept up with lots to do. Big play area for the kids, nice facilities, good fishing in the lake, and some really nice campsites. We stayed at #91, but #10 and #19 were the ones to shoot for next time.
The girls had a blast and it was a walk down memory lane for Sonja. Growing up she had stayed there with her grandparents during the summers for weeks at a time. Her grandmother has passed on and so I thought it appropriate to have our first camping experience with the Roo at the same campground.
In a few weeks we head off for a Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania trip.
D.C. was hot. We kinda forgot that Jenna is only 8 and we dragged her all over the Capitol. She was a trooper. Three of the places we really wanted the girls to experience were The American History Museum, The Arts & Industries Museum, and Ford's Theatre. All of which were closed for renovation. Can you believe it? Guess we'll have to make another trip in the coming years:)
D.C. was hot. We kinda forgot that Jenna is only 8 and we dragged her all over the Capitol. She was a trooper. Three of the places we really wanted the girls to experience were The American History Museum, The Arts & Industries Museum, and Ford's Theatre. All of which were closed for renovation. Can you believe it? Guess we'll have to make another trip in the coming years:)
