What happens in the Jungle Room, stays in the Jungle Room!

Today we spent the afternoon at Graceland! It wasn't on the original itinerary, but we couldn't resist. We got the full flavor and did the deluxe tour, which included his airplanes and cars. Elvis bought Graceland when he was 22. Elvis loved to have people around him and the house and grounds were always full of guests. He loved to have fun and had a bunch of "toy" vehicles to ride around his property on. At first, the kids had no clue who Elvis was. But after the tour, which included audio headset narration, they were singing his songs and Ryan had the leg shake going. It was a lot of fun and very interesting. I never knew Elvis had a twin brother who died at birth. Did you? We were very impressed with the King, he was a very generous person and a great man.

A funny thing happened on the way thru Arkansas!

Due to obligations at the farm, my brother and family could not get away to meet us until late in our trip. Their timing put us together in, of all places, Arkansas! From my earlier days of traveling on business, I remembered how beautiful the Ozark's were and wanted to see them again. Daiv did his fabulous planning for this part of the trip almost a year ago. We were all meeting in Devils Den State Park, deep in the Ozark's, on a lake surrounded by caves to explore and horse trails to ride on. Well, we arrived as planned, but the lake had been drained, the caves were closed to protect the bats from White Nose disease, and the horses were taken back to their stables in another town! Now what? We made the best of it, we hiked to a few of the caves to view from the outside, did some geocaching, and swam in the pool. The State Park had a beautiful facility, with nice campsites, cabins, and a lifeguarded pool. We cut our visit short by a day and all headed to Hot Springs, AZ.
At this point of the trip, we were having some camper battery troubles. We think the intense heat thru OK may have shorted out the battery and it was no longer taking, or holding, a charge. What this meant for us was that instead of using the power lift to open the camper, the hand crank had to be used, which was not an easy, or quick task, especially in the heat. To save us the hassle, we all got a Yurt to share in Hot Springs. A Yurt is round tent like structure used by the Mongolians for thousands of years. There were 6 double beds in our air conditioned Yurt, plenty of space for all 8 of us to get a good nights rest.
We spent a fun and informative day at Hot Springs National Park. The cousins, Ryan, Alexis, John, and Rose, all worked together to become Junior Rangers and earn their badges. The Park was set within the town. I guess actually, the town grew around the Park, but the historic bath houses took center stage. The spring water, coming out of the ground at 143 degrees, was thought to have healing properties for all sorts of ailments. Water stations were located throughout the town, and a steady stream of locals were filling up their containers for free. What a neat resource to have available in your town!
We followed the Earlings to Little Rock so we could get our battery taken care of at the local Sears, but since they needed to keep it overnight to try to give it a charge, we joined the Earlings at the airport Holiday Inn. The cousins were happy to have one more night together to swim and play. Hopefully they will make it out in the morning back to NJ, but the impending hurricane is hampering their flight plans. We may see them again in Nashville!

We hope all our family and friends stay safe through the hurricane. And that our NJ home weathers the storm. I don't think I could live in the camper much longer!

A Small Planned Detour

As we headed to meet my brother and family in Arkansas, we took a little detour into Kansas and Missouri. Kansas, because the kids have never been to Kansas and needed that notch on their state belt, and Missouri, because we needed to pick up a bike wheel for Alexis' bike. Somewhere in AZ, someone stole her entire bike wheel off the top of our car! Bummer. The biggest town for us to stop in was Joplin, MO. When we pulled into town, we realized why that name sounded so familiar. Joplin was hit by a devastating tornado in May that destroyed a large part of the town, including the hospital. This was definitely one of those times that we made the kids stop what they were doing and look out the window! I remembered seeing the images on tv of entire neighborhoods gone, but to see the destruction in person was heartbreaking. What was so amazing was that on one side of the street everything was normal, trees grew tall, businesses were open, lawns were being watered. But on the other side, everything was gone! Bare tree stumps stuck out of the ground surrounded by the debris of the decimated buildings. I have never seen anything like this before. Mother nature has given us some amazing landscapes and National Parks, but she can also take it all away in the blink of an eye.

Oklahoma is O.K. with us!

We entered Oklahoma today and I did my usual web search of places to eat while traveling. On the "Roadside Eats" website I found a favorite called Jigg's. This 30 year old hole in the wall makes their own barbecue sauce and beef jerky. We pulled off of Route 66 into this dive and Alexis once again did her little happy jig at Jigg's. We left with 4 full bellies, a couple jars of sauce, and a 1/2 lb. of jerky.
Today we traveled 7 hours so we could make AR tomorrow to meet my brother and his family. The kids are very excited to see their cousins. We found a campground called Water's Edge on Lake Grand in NE Oklahoma. Our site is situated at the point and the breeze off the lake reminds us of VT. I hear crickets, waves lapping the shore, and the wind in the trees as I write this blog. This is one of our best campsites, and believe me, we have had some great ones!

Everything is Bigger!

I awoke this morning with great excitement! Alexis and I put on our jeans, pulled on our cowboy boots, and donned our cow girl hats. Today we were headed into Texas! We drove Route 66 with the wind in our hair and the bugs in our teeth (ok, maybe I'm getting a bit too animated), but hey, we were going to Texas! My love for Texas stems from my time in Austin at grad school, Hook em' Horns! I think Alexis' love was from the promise of a real cowgirl shirt once we got to Amarillo (which she looks absolutely adorable in)!
We stopped at Cadillac Ranch, a 40 some year old roadside attraction along Route 66. Some Texas millionaire planted a bunch of Cadillacs nose down in the middle of a farm field. I visited Cadillac Ranch 20 years ago while doing research at UT. I will have to pull out the old pictures of me there to compare to now. Cadillac Ranch is an iconic part of America that I was excited to share with my family. Although, it did sadden us all how much graffiti was on the cars and that the spray cans were all just tossed aside in the field (100's of them). There was even a family there with 3 kids, all with cans in their hands and dad taking pictures of the defacement they were performing (great parenting!).
We set up camp in a quiet, shady campground just east of Amarillo and went in search of real Texas Barbeque. We found it at a place called Dyer's, known for their award winning ribs. I bellied up to 1/2 a slab with a few Lone Star beers to wash them down. They were fabulous! Alexis sat across from me doing some sort of pulled pork happy dance, and Daiv never spoke as he devoured a plate of pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. Oddly enough, Ryan, who typically has eyes 2x's the size of his stomach, ordered only a plate of loaded fries and was as happy as could be, he did eat all his sister's sides though.
We completed our wonderful Texas day with a stop at a Super Walmart. These Walmarts have everything, including a grocery store in them, they are HUGE! We bought several University of Texas and Dallas Cowboy shirts for the whole family. A day well spent!
Tomorrow, Oklahoma!

It rained today!

We had our first day of rain in almost 9 weeks. It was also the first day of rain that it affected our activities, all the other times it rained only while we were driving from place to place.
Today we were at the Petrified Forest in AZ. When we arrived, it was sunny and hot, 92 degrees. But there were storm clouds in the distance. We went to a Ranger talk and hiked a few trails. Then the skies opened up! The most amazing thing was watching the once dry washes and river beds fill with water instantaneously! Then temps plunged to 62 degrees.
The kids kept looking for a forest! But in the middle of the Painted Desert, there was only petrified logs tossed about. The colors and crystals in the "rock" were beautiful. And the rain made the surfaces glisten. This was a short stop along Route 66, but well worth the visit to another great National Park.

Slip sliding away!

Today we went to Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, AZ. This stop was on the advice of the Tunkel family, thank you, thank you! We arrived early enough to only have to wait about 10 minutes until a parking space opened up. When we left, the car line was out to the highway!
Slide Rock is a river filled with sandstone rocks, covered in algae. The area we were at had a multitude of shoots, one person wide, to slide down, and deep pools to plunge into off the ledges above. It was sooooooo much fun! Check out the picks and videos on the website.

Somewhere in the middle of Arizona, Lexi switched from chicken strips to New York strip!

Our big joke (at least one of them) is that Lexi only orders chicken strips when we dine out. She has had chicken strips in 42 different states! But in the small town of Williams, AZ, outside of the Grand Canyon, she ordered New York strip and never looked back. We all had an amazing dinner in a small place called the Red Raven.
We had a wonderful day at the Grand Canyon. We biked the entire South Rim, a little over 10 miles, most of it downhill. Alexis was seen many times with her feet spread eagle off the pedals and yelling "Woo Hoo"! We rode along the Canyon edge, taking hairpin turns while going downhill, one wrong move and you're flying over the edge! It was harrowing at times, but exhilarating! Again, biking is a great way to see the sites. We picnicked along the rim trail and stayed until sunset over the Canyon. Spectacular!

The big green table

We climbed up and up the Mesa for what seemed like 20 miles. Driving along the Mesa we would all the sudden hit a shear drop off of a canyon. The Anasazi Indians called Mesa Verde their home for over 800 years. They originally built their pit houses on top of the Mesa. They were a hunter and gatherer society. Once their resources became scarce, they moved to the cliff dwellings. Building large "Palaces" beneath rock overhangs in the canyon walls. They would build 275 rooms for only 100 people. To reach the dwellings, they would use finger and toe holds to climb down the canyon face. Amazingly, they only lived in the cliff dwellings for 80 years.
We toured several of these well preserved homes, well preserved due to the protection of the rock overhangs. We were able to climb down into a Kiva, a ceremonial room in the dwelling. Sometimes 4 or 5 Kivas would exist in one Palace. The Kiva would have perfect air flow through air shafts leading to above. And secret passage ways out to other areas or towers. The Medicine man would look powerful when he would disappear and reappear elsewhere.
When we left Mesa Verde National Park, we drove to 4 Corners, the perfect intersection of UT, CO, AZ, and NM. We were all able to be in 4 states at once! Cool.

Our Moab Adventures

We camped in Moab, UT in a campground with a pool for the kids. Temperature were in the 100's! Moab was a very fun little town with great restaurants, shopping, atmosphere, and adventure.
The feeling of Canyonlands National Park as were stood overlooking the vastness of the open canyons, fins, and needles, was that of our sheer smallness. We were just a small speck in this vast land, like being an ant on the moon! We hiked a few miles to a panoramic view in the Island in the Sky area of the park. We looked down upon sheer cliff and canyons in almost every direction. We ate lunch with antelope ground squirrels, lizards, and an army of red ants. The crumbs that we dropped were removed by teams of ants and then swiftly stolen from the ants by the squirrels. The ants would hang onto the crumbs until they reached the squirrels mouth, and then jump off or be tossed aside by the squirrel! It was a spectacle to watch.
Our visit to Arches National Park was one of the hottest days yet, 101 degrees. We hiked to Double Arch and Landscape Arch, slowing our pace whenever we hit a patch of shade, few and far between. Thank goodness for our Camelbacks full of spring water. Again, we felt miniature within the arch structure. We were impressed with the kids fortitude with the hiking as they pushed on thru the desert heat.
We topped off our visit to Moab with a Outback Hummer tour. The Hummer was open to the sky with rear elevated seats. Our guide took us to a section of trials called "Hell's Revenge". But where are the trails? I see only rocks! We drove up a section of slick rock called "Devils Spine" with inclines exceeding 45 degrees and drop offs on both sides of the vehicle. At times, with only 2 wheels on the rock, we bounced, slid and even went up a huge rock backwards. Our driver was a blast, several times he drove down slopes with his hands in the air like on a roller coaster, with his eyes closed, and his feet off the pedals! Squeals of delight and fear were heard from the rear seat! We played at a canyon called "The Abyss", hearing our echoes bounce 4 or 5 times off the canyon walls in the distance. The kids made fast friends with a young girl from WI named Haley. Sunset was spectacular on the rock formations and mountains, changing colors as the sun slipped below the horizon.

Bryce Canyon National Park

We were told Bryce was was of the most beautiful places in the world and we agree 100%. It was spectacular. We hiked 3 miles down into the canyon, starting in an area called "Wall Street". We followed this switchback trail down into the canyon with Sandstone walls towering above. We loved the Hoodoos, a pillar of rock, usually a fantastic shape, left by erosion. Hoodoo means to cast a spell. We all saw fun and fanciful forms in the Hoodoos. I Hoodoo, do you? The colors varied from red, orange, and cream. And how trees could grow here is beyond me, but they do!
We camped in a sweet little campsite within the park, no showers or electricity, but we'll see civilization again sometime soon. The simplicity of our journey is special. The one thing we all have been noticing is that we are the minority in the National Parks. 75% of the visitors are from other countries. We have gone entire days without hearing English spoken. It makes me proud to be an American experiencing the wonderful parks of our country, but sad that not all Americans will see them in their lifetime. Do yourselves a favor and get out there! You won't be disappointed.
I am also happy to report, if you have been following the kids blogs, that they are back on track and caught up.

Zion National Park, UT

We arrived late afternoon in Zion and set up camp in a campground just outside the Park. The kids were happy to have a pool and I was happy to have showers! The next day we headed to Zion National Park. We loaded our bikes on the shuttle and went to the end of the Canyon. We hiked, waded, and swam 3 miles into the Narrows. The canyon walls loomed high above our heads with rock colors of red, orange, black, and tan. Sometimes the water (of the Virgin River) was chest deep on us (the kids had to swim!). When we turned around to head back out after 3 miles, it was much easier to travel. The current carried us downstream thru rapids and deep pools. We were both exhausted and refreshed. Then we hopped on our bikes and rode back down the Canyon, stopping along the way to see the sites.
Driving out of Zion thru the 1 mile tunnel cut thru Mount Carmel was beautiful. The scenery changed from steep canyon walls to sandstone buttes carved by thousands of years of erosion. One site was called Checkerboard Mesa, erosion had carved a checkerboard on it's face.

Las Vegas Baby! I don't give a dam!

We hit the strip after setting up camp along Lake Mead and having dinner. We arrived around 10:30pm, just as things started hopping. As you can tell by the photos on the website, we didn't get out of the car. However, we saw some crazy things. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! We pulled up next to the Mirage just as the huge volcano erupted. We could feel the heat hitting us in the car! A large billboard truck with full scale "Hot Babes" advertising seemed to haunt us (mainly Ryan) as we inched along in traffic. Our eyes were full of lights and other spectacles as we made our way up and then back down the main strip.
The next morning we left our site on Lake Mead and headed to Hoover Dam. The dam was very impressive, an engineering marvel. The huge towers that took in the water had openings that were 35' tall and 10' wide. Were we all amazed at how many power lines and towers were around the dam, it was like Frankenstein's laboratory on a Godzilla scale.

I speak for the trees!

Joshua Tree National Park was surreal. It was as if we were visiting the moon. At first, the park seemed empty. Except for the giggles of Alexis, Ryan and Jilber coming from the back seat. Jilber came to visit us in Desert Hot springs, CA for the afternoon and dinner while on one of his work outings to Southern Cal. After driving 20 miles into the park, the vast emptiness that we first felt seemed to stretch on in every direction. We stopped at a few boulder up-croppings to climb. The many Joshua trees speckled the landscape and the sand path twisted through thousands of small 1-3' cactus of many different types. We saw lizards and honey bees and a "Jackelope" running at about 40 MPH down the side of the road. We saw 2 different coyote and some amazing landscape. The desert road crossed from the Mohave desert into the Colorado desert in the middle of the park and the different cactus types changed. The more we explored the more we realized that the desert emptiness was actually filled with all kinds of wonderful and beautiful things. The flowering cactus, the juniper bushes, the amazing Joshua trees reaching up to the heavens, and the red sunset with the moon rising, just made you gaze off with wonder. Although at 107 degrees it was easy to understand how serious it would be to be stranded out there. We laughed and enjoyed Jilber's company for dinner before we settled into our air-conditioned camper for the night.
It was a great day!

The Happiest Place on Earth

We arrived in Laguna Beach late Friday evening, dropped the camper at a storage facility, had a great sushi dinner, and headed up the hill! David and Elizabeth Haines, our great friends who lived in Pennington, but moved to Laguna Beach last year, allowed us to use their house while they were visiting in, of all places, Pennington, NJ! Their home is at the top of a hill with an unobstructed, spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. The house had 3 levels, with huge sliding doors on the main floor that allowed the outside to flow inside. We had our morning coffee on the veranda as we watched a Dragon Boat race on the ocean below. Our original plan was to head to Lego Land in San Diego, but realizing that we were all exhausted from the constant activities since we left home a month and a half ago, we all agreed to spend the day relaxing and hit the beach. We had fish tacos for lunch and went to a secluded beach called Table Rock. The waves were so powerful and we watched with awe as 9' waves crashed along the shoreline.   It was the perfect California day we've been dreaming about.

Sunday we woke with excitement, as today was the day we were headed to "The Happiest Place on Earth", Disneyland!  The kids chanted "Mickey's House" as we approached, just as they did 7 years ago when we visited Disney World.  What a great day we had!  We went on every ride we wanted to, ate dinner in New Orleans, watched Fantasmic, and ended the night with fireworks.  Alexis was the quintessential Disney child, leaving the park as tired as could be hugging her stuffed Minnie Mouse wearing her own set of pink mouse ears!

The Haines family arrived home from NJ Sunday night, so we had one day to spend together, and what a great day it was.  Elizabeth and I lunched in Laguna Beach, while Daiv took Ryan, Alexis, Kyle, and Clayton for fish tacos again!  It was so nice to spend some time with E. and catch up on each others lives.  We met up with the gang at the beach after lunch for non-stop boogie boarding, skim boarding and wave jumping.  Once again, the waves were HUGE, knocking the kids off their feet again and again.  Daiv and I never tired of watching this, it was hysterical!  We had a fabulous dinner back at the house when David returned home from work and talked late into the evening.  We wished we could spend another day, but once again, the adventure must go on......

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

Two parks for the price of one. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are adjacent to each other. Our campground was in the middle between the two (at the bottom of Kings Canyon). Another great campsite, there was a cluster of climbing rocks off to one side, a large flat area for the table, a tree shaded spot for the camper, a campfire ring over looking the woods, and a large domed rock that we all could lay on and star gaze together.
Kings Canyon was beautiful, the ride through the mountains to the canyon floor was breath taking. After several hikes to Muir rock and a waterfall, we drove back up the pass at sunset. The sky was pink above the mountain peaks.
The trees in Sequoia National Park were very impressive, several of the largest trees in the world are here. Fallen sequoia's have been used as homes, horse stables, and storage areas, they are that BIG! We climbed a half mile of steps to the top of Moro Rock. The entire valley was spread out miles below us. Alexis made a new best friend... the wall farthest away from the edge! She realized she has a fear of heights. We all made it safely to ground level.

Like being in an Ansel Adams photograph!

Yosemite National Park was so picturesque, we felt as though we were in an Ansel Adams photograph. We spent one full day biking around the park, it was a great and easy way to see all the sites. We hiked to some wonderful waterfalls too. The second day, we bought 4 camp air matresses and floated down the river! The water was numbingly cold, but it was very relaxing and the small rapids were fun.
Our campsite was very large and secluded with only one tiny flaw..... A hill. Between the camper and the table/bear box was a hill. Our calves are still feeling the burn!