For my road trip summary entry I am going to focus on restaurants. Sure we did a lot of other things such as tours and museums and that was all fun. But food, great food, was what I really loved in cities to be with family and relax.
Breakfast places were my favorite restaurants in which we dined for sure. My personal favorite breakfast stop was the Nugget at the Sitka, Alaska airport. It had great food and big portions. We all enjoyed the food very much and the McLains all agree it was one of our favorite breakfast places on the road. We played games and told jokes as a family in the Nugget. We went there 3 times in 3 days, even for dinner once. Overall, Alaska had the best breakfast places.
The best lunch place was in Couer D'Alene, Idaho. It was a hamburger place that only served 1 thing and did so very well. The food was great as we had immediate service at the counter. It fueled us up so we could continue down main street in a great little lake town, Couer D'Alene. We all enjoyed the place and Hudsons which was covered extensively in a previous blog. It was the best burger by far in our 75 day road trip and we ate a lot of burgers.
My favorite dinner place was Elliot's in Seattle. It had really good seafood from oysters to clam chowder. We ate a light meal because we weren't to hungry but it was still very good, fresh, local seafood. It had a great atmosphere and patio dining outside. We all enjoyed it except for Dagny who can't stand seafood. I found it to be my favorite because I love all seafood.
Because food was my favorite on the trip I found out that I wanted to write my final blog on the thing I enjoyed the most and used to create the best memories with my family on the trip. The trip was still great in all aspects.
Goodbye for the last time.
Alastair
A travel blog following the exploits of the McLain family as we tour around Africa and portions of the Mid-East for three months during the summer of 2023.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Friday, August 17, 2018
Dagny's final thoughts on her sabbatical
When dad went to his new law firm 17 years ago they were all going to do a sabbatical every 10 years. His law firm eventually decided to move it to every 5 years because if it was 10 years we would only get to do it once. On May 30th we finished packing and got into the motor home to leave. The first day was mostly a travel day.
When we are on the road a travel day looks mostly like sitting at the table in the RV and playing board games, cards, eating, or sleeping in the back. Most of our drives were about 2 to 3 hours long. When we were driving we would normally stop to stretch our legs and take pictures then we would get back on the road.
When we get to where we are going we normally stay at KOA campgrounds that have a pool and a playground. When we are not staying in KOAs we have to find other things to do like hiking and biking. The campgrounds were usually really big and next to railroads. When we were stopping at a campground it normally meant that we would spend a few days there and go see something. Campgrounds all had a shower house where we would take showers and brush our teeth because our bathroom was not very big. Mom said she had her worst shower in Moab. She said the water pressure was terrible.
On the road we see lots of national parks which we get into for free because Maggie has her fourth grade park pass (www.everykidinapark.gov). Our first national park was Yellowstone. It had lots of mud pots and geysers. Our next national park we went to was Glacier national park and we rode from our site to the other side of the lake (27 miles). This day I had an awful cold so the bike ride was difficult. Then we went to Alaska and visited Denali national park. Denali doesn't let you take your car in so we took a bus ride to Kantishna. Yosemite was the next national park. Yosemite had a huge fire and it was too smokey so we left early. The next national park was the Grand Canyon. It was cool to see it because it was colorful and we got to see sunrise and sunset. The next national park was Zion and we did a great hike called The Narrows. We got to hike through water in a river the whole time. The next national park was Bryce Canyon which happened to fall on my birthday. We did a birthday hike from Sunset to Sunrise Point and it was really fun. The last national park was Arches. We did a short hike to Delicate Arch and had a UTV tour that afternoon.
On the road we saw lots of wildlife in the national parks. We saw deer, buffalo, eagles, bears, moose, wolves, crabs, starfish, fish, sea urchins, seals, sea lions, jellyfish, horses, and finally big horn sheep. My favorites were the moose, wolves and mountain goats. They were my favorites because they are hard to spot and they are not common. We got to get real close and get good pictures. The buffalo hears were cute because of the babies and grazing parents.
My favorite place on the trip was Alaska. We flew out from Seattle on day 19 and on day 20 we checked into our first hotel in Sitka called the Longliner. We went on a beautiful hike and then went tide pooling. Tide pooling was amazing! There were a bunch of star fish, crabs, baby fish, and baby eels. We went to the Sitka Sound Science Center which was so awesome because we got to touch all the star fish and sea cucumbers in their tanks. We also got to touch sea urchins and sea enemanies. We went on a boat tour that took us to a bird sanctuary and we saw all kinds of birds on the island and about 16 whales. Alaska has 50% of the bald eagle population in the world so seeing them became regular. To top it all off, we saw a bunch of glaciers in the Prince William Sound.
During the sabbatical we visited 7 different churches. We tried to visit lots of different churches from different denominations and we didn't visit the same denomination twice. The one that was most different from Presbyterian was the Catholic church in Huntington Beach. The funniest one was by the pool at KOA in Tahoe. The minister used a trash can as his pulpit.
In conclusion, our trip was spectacular and I hope I get another chance to do another sabbatical before I go off to college. It was really great to spend so much time with my family and wake up every day to something new. When we hit I-70 I started to cry because I didn't want to come home. We are about 70 miles from home and things are starting to look a bit familiar. I think it is going to be weird to drive through the neighborhood knowing the sabbatical is over. I feel so fortunate to be able to do this for as long as we did. I will be looking forward to this again for the next 5 years.
Dagny
When we are on the road a travel day looks mostly like sitting at the table in the RV and playing board games, cards, eating, or sleeping in the back. Most of our drives were about 2 to 3 hours long. When we were driving we would normally stop to stretch our legs and take pictures then we would get back on the road.
When we get to where we are going we normally stay at KOA campgrounds that have a pool and a playground. When we are not staying in KOAs we have to find other things to do like hiking and biking. The campgrounds were usually really big and next to railroads. When we were stopping at a campground it normally meant that we would spend a few days there and go see something. Campgrounds all had a shower house where we would take showers and brush our teeth because our bathroom was not very big. Mom said she had her worst shower in Moab. She said the water pressure was terrible.
On the road we see lots of national parks which we get into for free because Maggie has her fourth grade park pass (www.everykidinapark.gov). Our first national park was Yellowstone. It had lots of mud pots and geysers. Our next national park we went to was Glacier national park and we rode from our site to the other side of the lake (27 miles). This day I had an awful cold so the bike ride was difficult. Then we went to Alaska and visited Denali national park. Denali doesn't let you take your car in so we took a bus ride to Kantishna. Yosemite was the next national park. Yosemite had a huge fire and it was too smokey so we left early. The next national park was the Grand Canyon. It was cool to see it because it was colorful and we got to see sunrise and sunset. The next national park was Zion and we did a great hike called The Narrows. We got to hike through water in a river the whole time. The next national park was Bryce Canyon which happened to fall on my birthday. We did a birthday hike from Sunset to Sunrise Point and it was really fun. The last national park was Arches. We did a short hike to Delicate Arch and had a UTV tour that afternoon.
On the road we saw lots of wildlife in the national parks. We saw deer, buffalo, eagles, bears, moose, wolves, crabs, starfish, fish, sea urchins, seals, sea lions, jellyfish, horses, and finally big horn sheep. My favorites were the moose, wolves and mountain goats. They were my favorites because they are hard to spot and they are not common. We got to get real close and get good pictures. The buffalo hears were cute because of the babies and grazing parents.
My favorite place on the trip was Alaska. We flew out from Seattle on day 19 and on day 20 we checked into our first hotel in Sitka called the Longliner. We went on a beautiful hike and then went tide pooling. Tide pooling was amazing! There were a bunch of star fish, crabs, baby fish, and baby eels. We went to the Sitka Sound Science Center which was so awesome because we got to touch all the star fish and sea cucumbers in their tanks. We also got to touch sea urchins and sea enemanies. We went on a boat tour that took us to a bird sanctuary and we saw all kinds of birds on the island and about 16 whales. Alaska has 50% of the bald eagle population in the world so seeing them became regular. To top it all off, we saw a bunch of glaciers in the Prince William Sound.
During the sabbatical we visited 7 different churches. We tried to visit lots of different churches from different denominations and we didn't visit the same denomination twice. The one that was most different from Presbyterian was the Catholic church in Huntington Beach. The funniest one was by the pool at KOA in Tahoe. The minister used a trash can as his pulpit.
In conclusion, our trip was spectacular and I hope I get another chance to do another sabbatical before I go off to college. It was really great to spend so much time with my family and wake up every day to something new. When we hit I-70 I started to cry because I didn't want to come home. We are about 70 miles from home and things are starting to look a bit familiar. I think it is going to be weird to drive through the neighborhood knowing the sabbatical is over. I feel so fortunate to be able to do this for as long as we did. I will be looking forward to this again for the next 5 years.
Dagny
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Magnolia's Summer Summary
Our summer sabbatical was very fun for all of us. We all had a blast being together and playing games on our long RV rides. We played Monopoly, Palace, Rook, Yahtzee, and Sorry. We had fun playing on playgrounds and in pools. We could not count the minutes of the time we all had together as a family.
We ate at a lot of different restaurants. My favorite breakfast place was called the Nugget. It had lots of good options. Every time we were there I got the same thing off the kids menu. It had toast, hash browns, bacon, and an egg. It was a small dish, but I love sides so it was the right option for me. If we didn't go out to eat we would make a scramble for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, or pasta for dinner. Another good dinner option for our family was Eliott's Restaurants on the pier in Seattle. We ate oysters and clam chowder plus a bunch of other sides and appetizers before we got to our main courses. We ate out every day for at least 2 meals a day in Alaska. Sometimes a meal was substituted by ice cream.
As a family our favorite campgrounds were every KOA. Every KOA campground had a pool and all but one had a playground. We loved to swim in all the cool and refreshing pools and playing around on big and small playgrounds. KOA campgrounds were the most family friendly and some of the bigger ones had lots of shows and attractions. No other campgrounds were as fun as the KOA family campgrounds.
On our trip we had lots of family time all together. My favorite part was that I woke up in the same room as my whole family for the whole summer. We played games as a family, sang, and drove. I loved that I could be with my parents for 75 days and that I never had a day without my family; at least half of them. I hope that the same thing happens again in 5 years.
As a family we agree that Sitka, Alaska was the best place and our favorite place on the entire sabbatical. We were able to comb the beaches, look for creatures, and eat at our favorite restaurants. It took some flights to get there but it was very worth it.
We have had a lot of fun during our sabbatical this summer and I can't wait til next summer. I hope you liked reading this final blog of mine.
Maggie.
We ate at a lot of different restaurants. My favorite breakfast place was called the Nugget. It had lots of good options. Every time we were there I got the same thing off the kids menu. It had toast, hash browns, bacon, and an egg. It was a small dish, but I love sides so it was the right option for me. If we didn't go out to eat we would make a scramble for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, or pasta for dinner. Another good dinner option for our family was Eliott's Restaurants on the pier in Seattle. We ate oysters and clam chowder plus a bunch of other sides and appetizers before we got to our main courses. We ate out every day for at least 2 meals a day in Alaska. Sometimes a meal was substituted by ice cream.
As a family our favorite campgrounds were every KOA. Every KOA campground had a pool and all but one had a playground. We loved to swim in all the cool and refreshing pools and playing around on big and small playgrounds. KOA campgrounds were the most family friendly and some of the bigger ones had lots of shows and attractions. No other campgrounds were as fun as the KOA family campgrounds.
On our trip we had lots of family time all together. My favorite part was that I woke up in the same room as my whole family for the whole summer. We played games as a family, sang, and drove. I loved that I could be with my parents for 75 days and that I never had a day without my family; at least half of them. I hope that the same thing happens again in 5 years.
As a family we agree that Sitka, Alaska was the best place and our favorite place on the entire sabbatical. We were able to comb the beaches, look for creatures, and eat at our favorite restaurants. It took some flights to get there but it was very worth it.
We have had a lot of fun during our sabbatical this summer and I can't wait til next summer. I hope you liked reading this final blog of mine.
Maggie.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Jll's sabbatical recap
We returned home on Saturday to mixed emotions. Sad the summer of fun was over and overwhelmingly grateful for our time away and to be safely home without any real challenges. We reflected on the people and places we were able to visit. The friends and family are always a huge part of these trips. We are so grateful to have claimed time with my sister Julie, Mike Patron, and the Inman family in Montana, The Jarrett, Alley, and Moore families in Seattle, the Dirkers in Hood River, my in-laws in San Fran, and the DiBenedettos in Huntington Beach. Special thanks to the Jarretts for babysitting the Honda and allowing us to use their home as our launch to and return from Alaska. Jules, for absorbing us always and without effort, and the DiBenedettos for babysitting the RV and essentially housing my crew for a week. You all made our time away so much better. Thank you all for joining the McLains on the Road.
We had such a wonderful time being together. Some of our favorite things to do all summer have been playing games; Rook, Palace, Yahtzee, and Monopoly. We like to sing together and have lots of inside jokes. We have eaten some very yummy ice cream, done a lot of swimming, eating out, playing groundies, watching movies, playing with slime, and holding hands.
It wasn't pure bliss all of the time. Real life challenges travel on the road with you as well. We always try to remind the children that our brains capture the top 10% of the good memories and the bottom 10% of the not so good memories. It is true, most of what we do in life gets forgotten in the middle 80%. That is ok. And it is ok to have some not so great experiences as long as lessons are learned and you are resilient and bounce back quickly from them. Those things can turn out to be good memories too, as many of them did for us. Here are a few of the things we might categorize in the bottom 10%; rain, heat, mosquitoes, flat tires, bike stealing, missed flights, minor injuries and colds, cracked windshields, dented car dollys, cracked bumpers, broken bike brakes, and wrong ways on scenic bypasses. These experiences made our time away just as rich as all the glorious things we saw and did together.
We were on the road for 75 days, made 44 stops along the way, visited 11 states, had at least 10 visits with friends and family, toured 9 National Parks, had 7 opportunities to worship in a new place and way, and took 5 flights. Here are the high points!
Rock Springs, WY-Claim to fame is the way-point to Jackson Hole.
Jackson Hole, WY-Revisited the many places and memories of when we visited Julie here in 2006-2008.
Grand Teton National Park, WY-So much rain and a really good bike ride with the girls.
Yellowstone National Park, MT-Great animal sightings, geysers and mud pots, bears, buffalo and waterfalls.
Bozeman, MT-Family time, fish hatchery, hiking and Rigby.
Glacier National Park, MT-Going to the Sun bike ride, boat ride, hiking, and Magnolia and Dagny's fairy village creation.
Whitefish, MT-Christ Lutheran Church
Coeur d'Alene, ID-Splashing in the lake, Hudson's, and hours on the playground.
Seattle, WA-Underground tour, Museum of Flight, ferry ride, Brewer's Fest, Mariners game, Pikes, Dick's, bike ride, Jarrett pool day and dinner, MoPop.
Sitka, AK-Tide pools, Science Center, ocean raft adventure, Russian dancers, raptor center, and fair.
Anchorage, AK-Saint Mary's Episcopal Church. Most McLains surprised by communion wine instead of grape juice.
Whittier, AK-Glacier cruise through Prince William Sound
Homer, AK-The Spit, Salty Dog Saloon, beach time, and lots of moose.
Wasilla, AK-Claim to fame is way-point to Denali.
Denali National Park, AK-12 hour bus ride, great animal sightings, sled dogs, off trail hike and raft trip.
Healy, AK-Valley Chapel Assembly of God church. McLains were half the congregation.
Talkeetna, AK-quirky little stop on the way back to Anchorage.
Cascade Locks, OR-PC Trail bridge between OR and WA, bike ride to ice cream and salmon/cherry vendor.
Hood River, OR-4th of July celebrations with the Dirkers to include the slip n slide party and parade.
Bandon Dunes, OR-Golf, punch bowl putting green, beach day with Magnolia.
Petaluma, CA-biggest KOA, magic show, giant playground and pool, petting zoo, and climbing wall. Replaced our wrecked tire.
San Francisco, CA-Visit from Papa and Nana, Musee Mecanique, sour dough, cable cars, Chinatown, fortune cookie factory, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and Sausalito.
Pacifica, CA-Stayed right on the ocean, whale watching, bike ride with D to watch the para-gliders.
South Lake Tahoe, CA-Girls and boys day bike rides, goofy flea market, KOA church.
Yosemite National Park, CA-Ebbetts Pass scenic byway, so much smoke from forest fires led to our early exit.
Santa Cruz, CA-Biking through our KOA, surfing lessons, walking the pier and checking out sea lions.
Montery Bay, CA-The aquarium.
Pebble Beach, CA-Our night at the Inn at Spanish Bay and the bag piper.
Carmel, CA-Fancy shops and my yummy chocolate macaroon.
San Simeon, CA-Very cool tour of the Hearst Castle.
Huntington Beach, CA-Swimming in the DiBenedetto's pool, wiffle ball, meals together, Knott's Berry Farm, beach time and bonfire, bridge jumping in the harbor and Saint Bonaventure Catholic Church.
Hollywood, CA-Pinks, the wax museum, Hollywood sign, Ripleys and Guiness.
Denver, CO-Rockies game and time with Grands and friends.
Allenspark, CO-All things Scates.
Las Vegas, NV-Hoover Dam, crazy heat, Blue Man Group and walking the Strip.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ-South Rim hiking and bike ride. Viewing sunrise and sunset.
Page, AZ-Antelope Canyon slot canyon tour.
Kanabe, AZ-Cliffview Chapel Baptist Church. Most welcoming church all summer.
Panguitch, UT-Horseback ride and meeting the Nelsons from Ithica.
Zion National Park, UT-Hiking the Narrows. Our most favorite hike all summer.
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT-Hoodoos and hiking the Navajo loop and Queens Garden trails, celebrating Dagny's 12th birthday!
Moab, UT-great pool, UTV ride, and more hanging out with our new friends from NY.
Arches National Park, UT-Delicate Arch hike.
Glenwood Springs, CO-Hot springs and Palisade peaches.
Our favorite stops were where we could spend time with our friends and family, but my favorite stops were we didn't have friends or family to visit were Yellowstone, Coeur d'Alene, Sitka, South Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Moab.
I keep telling my crew, I will show you the whole world and Colorado is still the very best place to live in the entire world. Colorado you have my loyalty forever. So grateful for travel and for home. My favorite place I have ever been is the next place I am visiting!
Jll
We had such a wonderful time being together. Some of our favorite things to do all summer have been playing games; Rook, Palace, Yahtzee, and Monopoly. We like to sing together and have lots of inside jokes. We have eaten some very yummy ice cream, done a lot of swimming, eating out, playing groundies, watching movies, playing with slime, and holding hands.
It wasn't pure bliss all of the time. Real life challenges travel on the road with you as well. We always try to remind the children that our brains capture the top 10% of the good memories and the bottom 10% of the not so good memories. It is true, most of what we do in life gets forgotten in the middle 80%. That is ok. And it is ok to have some not so great experiences as long as lessons are learned and you are resilient and bounce back quickly from them. Those things can turn out to be good memories too, as many of them did for us. Here are a few of the things we might categorize in the bottom 10%; rain, heat, mosquitoes, flat tires, bike stealing, missed flights, minor injuries and colds, cracked windshields, dented car dollys, cracked bumpers, broken bike brakes, and wrong ways on scenic bypasses. These experiences made our time away just as rich as all the glorious things we saw and did together.
We were on the road for 75 days, made 44 stops along the way, visited 11 states, had at least 10 visits with friends and family, toured 9 National Parks, had 7 opportunities to worship in a new place and way, and took 5 flights. Here are the high points!
Rock Springs, WY-Claim to fame is the way-point to Jackson Hole.
Jackson Hole, WY-Revisited the many places and memories of when we visited Julie here in 2006-2008.
Grand Teton National Park, WY-So much rain and a really good bike ride with the girls.
Yellowstone National Park, MT-Great animal sightings, geysers and mud pots, bears, buffalo and waterfalls.
Bozeman, MT-Family time, fish hatchery, hiking and Rigby.
Glacier National Park, MT-Going to the Sun bike ride, boat ride, hiking, and Magnolia and Dagny's fairy village creation.
Whitefish, MT-Christ Lutheran Church
Coeur d'Alene, ID-Splashing in the lake, Hudson's, and hours on the playground.
Seattle, WA-Underground tour, Museum of Flight, ferry ride, Brewer's Fest, Mariners game, Pikes, Dick's, bike ride, Jarrett pool day and dinner, MoPop.
Sitka, AK-Tide pools, Science Center, ocean raft adventure, Russian dancers, raptor center, and fair.
Anchorage, AK-Saint Mary's Episcopal Church. Most McLains surprised by communion wine instead of grape juice.
Whittier, AK-Glacier cruise through Prince William Sound
Homer, AK-The Spit, Salty Dog Saloon, beach time, and lots of moose.
Wasilla, AK-Claim to fame is way-point to Denali.
Denali National Park, AK-12 hour bus ride, great animal sightings, sled dogs, off trail hike and raft trip.
Healy, AK-Valley Chapel Assembly of God church. McLains were half the congregation.
Talkeetna, AK-quirky little stop on the way back to Anchorage.
Cascade Locks, OR-PC Trail bridge between OR and WA, bike ride to ice cream and salmon/cherry vendor.
Hood River, OR-4th of July celebrations with the Dirkers to include the slip n slide party and parade.
Bandon Dunes, OR-Golf, punch bowl putting green, beach day with Magnolia.
Petaluma, CA-biggest KOA, magic show, giant playground and pool, petting zoo, and climbing wall. Replaced our wrecked tire.
San Francisco, CA-Visit from Papa and Nana, Musee Mecanique, sour dough, cable cars, Chinatown, fortune cookie factory, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and Sausalito.
Pacifica, CA-Stayed right on the ocean, whale watching, bike ride with D to watch the para-gliders.
South Lake Tahoe, CA-Girls and boys day bike rides, goofy flea market, KOA church.
Yosemite National Park, CA-Ebbetts Pass scenic byway, so much smoke from forest fires led to our early exit.
Santa Cruz, CA-Biking through our KOA, surfing lessons, walking the pier and checking out sea lions.
Montery Bay, CA-The aquarium.
Pebble Beach, CA-Our night at the Inn at Spanish Bay and the bag piper.
Carmel, CA-Fancy shops and my yummy chocolate macaroon.
San Simeon, CA-Very cool tour of the Hearst Castle.
Huntington Beach, CA-Swimming in the DiBenedetto's pool, wiffle ball, meals together, Knott's Berry Farm, beach time and bonfire, bridge jumping in the harbor and Saint Bonaventure Catholic Church.
Hollywood, CA-Pinks, the wax museum, Hollywood sign, Ripleys and Guiness.
Denver, CO-Rockies game and time with Grands and friends.
Allenspark, CO-All things Scates.
Las Vegas, NV-Hoover Dam, crazy heat, Blue Man Group and walking the Strip.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ-South Rim hiking and bike ride. Viewing sunrise and sunset.
Page, AZ-Antelope Canyon slot canyon tour.
Kanabe, AZ-Cliffview Chapel Baptist Church. Most welcoming church all summer.
Panguitch, UT-Horseback ride and meeting the Nelsons from Ithica.
Zion National Park, UT-Hiking the Narrows. Our most favorite hike all summer.
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT-Hoodoos and hiking the Navajo loop and Queens Garden trails, celebrating Dagny's 12th birthday!
Moab, UT-great pool, UTV ride, and more hanging out with our new friends from NY.
Arches National Park, UT-Delicate Arch hike.
Glenwood Springs, CO-Hot springs and Palisade peaches.
Our favorite stops were where we could spend time with our friends and family, but my favorite stops were we didn't have friends or family to visit were Yellowstone, Coeur d'Alene, Sitka, South Lake Tahoe, Santa Cruz, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Moab.
I keep telling my crew, I will show you the whole world and Colorado is still the very best place to live in the entire world. Colorado you have my loyalty forever. So grateful for travel and for home. My favorite place I have ever been is the next place I am visiting!
Jll
Friday, August 10, 2018
Glenwood Springs
This morning we woke up and ate French Toast. Then I went outside with Dad and unhooked the motorhome for the second to last time. When went inside and started driving to our final stop, Glenwood Springs. Along the way we stopped in Palisade to get peaches and peach products, we also got peach ice cream. Then we finished the drive in our home state of Colorado. We drove for a couple hours until we got to our final destination.
When we got there we got unlimited waterslide passes and went to ride the 2 slides they have to offer. We kept running back and for top to bottom to ride the slide a bunch. After that we just played around in the water for a while. The little 2 decided to make snorkels out of drinking straws. Dad decided he was done swimming and went to walk around the town. We kept swimming for a bit. After that we got some ice cream at the snack shack.
We dried off after some more swimming and then headed back to the RV for our last night in the RV for this trip before we head back to Denver. We ate some peaches we got today that are very good. We wound down and got ready for bed for the last time.
Goodbye,
Alastair
When we got there we got unlimited waterslide passes and went to ride the 2 slides they have to offer. We kept running back and for top to bottom to ride the slide a bunch. After that we just played around in the water for a while. The little 2 decided to make snorkels out of drinking straws. Dad decided he was done swimming and went to walk around the town. We kept swimming for a bit. After that we got some ice cream at the snack shack.
We dried off after some more swimming and then headed back to the RV for our last night in the RV for this trip before we head back to Denver. We ate some peaches we got today that are very good. We wound down and got ready for bed for the last time.
Goodbye,
Alastair
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Maggie's Recap of Utah
On Wednesday we woke up and we got ready. We got ready to drive to Moab. We started the drive by playing Yahtzee. I didn't win but we still had fun. Next, we played Monopoly. We played for at least an hour and we had a blast! I won monopoly after a long game of teeter-tottering from loosing to winning. After monopoly I took a little rest in the back before we got to our KOA. A few of us headed to the pool and we met up with a few friends. We played in the water for a long time and we had loads of fun. After the pool the six of us went to go get dinner. We went to a Chinese restaurant and the only thing that they would not bring out was the only thing I wanted... eggrolls. Of course not including fortune cookies. After dinner we went back to the pool. Our friends were very nice to us. We met them in Bryce canyon a few days ago and we followed them into Moab. We have had a lot of fun with the Nelson's but they headed on their way to Denver while we are still stationed in Moab. After the pool we went back to our RV to play cards. We refreshed their memory of a fun card game and we played for a while. After card we got ready for bed.
Today we woke up with a quick start. Mom had already made to-go breakfast sandwiches. We got ready and we got into the car. We drove to Arches National Park and we drove a little ways in. We stopped at a trailhead for Delicate Arch and we hiked up to it. It was not the longest hike but it took us a while to climb the steep rock faces. We got to the top and we looked around. We hiked back down to the car and we drove to the visitor's center. In the visitor's center we watched a short film about the how the arches formed. After the film we looked around a little bit and got back in the car. We drove to the grocery store to get a couple of things and ran to the RV to put them away.
We drove back in to the UTV shop where we had a reservation for a guided tour. We went on our tour through the landscape of Arches National Park. We had a lot of fun and we enjoyed the ride. After the UTV ride we went back to the RV to swim in the pool. We cooled off in the water and we were at the pool for a very long time. At the end of the night, we came back to the RV and watched a little TV. Me and my mom headed to the shower house to get cleaned up. We came back and got ready for bed.
- Magnolia
- Magnolia
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Dagny's Birthday in Bryce
Today I woke up to the family singing "Happy Birthday". In Denver we always have breakfast in bed on our birthdays. This was the first time I have ever actually been woken up by the birthday song. Every other year I always wake up before the family comes into my room to sing because I am too excited. Mom turned on the air conditioning so the sound would cover up the sound of her setting up. They had apple turnovers, bananas, and strawberries for me for breakfast in bed. I got a couple cards and found out that I have a secret present waiting for me at home from my dad.
We got the day started after some cuddles and then got dressed and got in the car headed to our hike. On the way there we watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. We parked near the Visitor's Center at Bryce Canyon and found our trail head. The hike was spectacular. It was really, really, beautiful. There were hoodoos everywhere. Some of the rocks were really pointy and some of them looked like stalactites, but they were rocks. The hike was really long and downhill and uphill the whole time. When we were going downhill, my legs hurt. When we were going uphill, my legs hurt. Despite my legs hurting I had a wonderful time. One of my best birthdays yet.
When the hike was almost over we could see the viewpoint at Sunrise Point and when we went up there you could look out over all of Bryce Canyon and the entire amphitheater of stones. We got some Gatorade and walked to the car. It would have been easier to take the shuttle, but we wanted to walk. We got to the car and watched some more Harry Potter before stopping at the Big Fish Family Restaurant for some lunch. I got some chicken tenders and played some intense foos ball with my siblings. Alastair was the winner of the grand championship beating dad 10 to 7. When Addie and I were on a team we were beat by Alastair and Maggie too.
We came back to the pool while mom was doing laundry so we stole some of her quarters and played with them like a coin dive. We lost one of them in the pool, but that's O-Tay. When I was in the pool I got a birthday call from my cousins in Vermont. I haven't had a chance to call back my other family who called to wish me happy birthday, but I will do it tomorrow. We went to the playground and played some groundies, then went back to the pool to play some more. When we were done with the pool we went back to the RV and started to watch Stand By Me. I really liked the movie. The boys were really good actors. My favorite part of the movie was when they were running from the train. The looks on their faces were really hilarious.
My birthday has been really awesome and I was looking forward to this day for a long, long, time. I am really sad that our trip is coming to an end and I know I am going to miss it until the next one comes around the corner. It makes me sad when mom says things like, "only 5 more days,". I wish we had 127 more. Maybe I can convince them to do it every two years so I can do it two more times before I go to college. Daddy says I can come when I am in college, but I think I will be too busy.
Until next time...DT out.
We came back to the pool while mom was doing laundry so we stole some of her quarters and played with them like a coin dive. We lost one of them in the pool, but that's O-Tay. When I was in the pool I got a birthday call from my cousins in Vermont. I haven't had a chance to call back my other family who called to wish me happy birthday, but I will do it tomorrow. We went to the playground and played some groundies, then went back to the pool to play some more. When we were done with the pool we went back to the RV and started to watch Stand By Me. I really liked the movie. The boys were really good actors. My favorite part of the movie was when they were running from the train. The looks on their faces were really hilarious.
My birthday has been really awesome and I was looking forward to this day for a long, long, time. I am really sad that our trip is coming to an end and I know I am going to miss it until the next one comes around the corner. It makes me sad when mom says things like, "only 5 more days,". I wish we had 127 more. Maybe I can convince them to do it every two years so I can do it two more times before I go to college. Daddy says I can come when I am in college, but I think I will be too busy.
Until next time...DT out.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Jll's a monster
After a typical morning in the RV (coffee, breakfast, dressing and packing for the day) we left our RV park in Panguitch, Utah to head back to Zion National Park, which is about an hour and a half away. Because we were so far away, we did not get to the park until about 10:30 or 11 and it was crowded. Being an eternal optimist, I told Jll to drive into the parking lot nearest the visitor center. Lowe and behold, a spot opened up in the front row just in front of us and just like that, a car pulled in front of us from the other direction and poached our spot. Jll gave the driver the obligatory finger wave and when that was not enough to make the driver rethink his decision, she put the car in park and went out to have a word with him. Before she could make it half way to his car, he put it in reverse and got out of there. Smart move. On to the visitor's center we went.
Jll's cousin, Katie Brutinel, recently visited Zion and told us that her two favorite hikes were Angel's Landing Trail and the Narrows. In the visitor's center we learned that the Angel's Landing Trail closed about three weeks ago when parts of it were washed out by flash floods. That was just fine with me as the trail "is a strenuous climb on a narrow ridge over 1,400 feet above the canyon floor." People have fallen to their death on this trail, including a 13 year old girl last February. When I was growing up, I don't think I had a fear of heights and was always bothered on hikes when my father admonished me to get back from the edge. Now when I hike with my kids, I have discovered that I have become my father and I admonish them now to stay back from the edge. For that reason, I am okay to have missed the Angel's Landing Trail.
We took the park shuttle to the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava, and started our mile hike up the Narrows. I learned when I got back to the RV that the Narrows was named by Lonely Planet as one of the ten best treks in the world, and the only one of its treks in the US. Lonely Planet described the hike like this:
Needless the say, we did not hike all 16 miles, but we did hike about 2 miles up the Virgin River to a cool spot called Wall Street. On the way back down the river, Dagny and Magnolia found a log that they continued to free from rocks in an attempt to float it all the way to the extraction point. This plan worked until we hit the crowds again and I feared that they would float it right into the shins of another tourist, so we abandoned the log. After hiking back out and taking the shuttle back to the visitor's center, we headed into Springdale for dinner. We were all very tired and hungry, so it was nice to be able to get fed so quickly. On the way back to the RV, I informed Jll that the only grocery store in Panguitch closes at 9, and we were not likely to make it. Because we had nothing in the RV for Dagny's birthday breakfast tomorrow, Jll floored it and engaged in her own version of Cannonball Run driving. I feared that she would be pulled over, ensuring we missed our opportunity to get groceries, but she did not and we had a full 15 minutes of shopping before the store closed. Between her efforts in the parking lot in the morning and her run on the Autobahn this evening, Jll proved she is a monster. Do not get in her way.
All in all, it was a very good, long, and tiring today. Dagny turns 12 tomorrow, and we are all excited for her.
- Dave
Jll's cousin, Katie Brutinel, recently visited Zion and told us that her two favorite hikes were Angel's Landing Trail and the Narrows. In the visitor's center we learned that the Angel's Landing Trail closed about three weeks ago when parts of it were washed out by flash floods. That was just fine with me as the trail "is a strenuous climb on a narrow ridge over 1,400 feet above the canyon floor." People have fallen to their death on this trail, including a 13 year old girl last February. When I was growing up, I don't think I had a fear of heights and was always bothered on hikes when my father admonished me to get back from the edge. Now when I hike with my kids, I have discovered that I have become my father and I admonish them now to stay back from the edge. For that reason, I am okay to have missed the Angel's Landing Trail.
A 26km (16mi) journey through dramatic canyons carved over centuries by the Virgin River, the Narrows in Zion National Park is a hike like no other. The route is the river, with over half of the hike spent wading and sometimes swimming. The hike can be traversed in a day, though some choose to take the hanging gardens and natural springs at a more leisurely pace – spending a night at one of the park’s 12 camp grounds.
All in all, it was a very good, long, and tiring today. Dagny turns 12 tomorrow, and we are all excited for her.
- Dave
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Utah Adventures
Hello this is Adelaide again! Everyone else is either showering or in bed so... y'all get to hear from me! This morning, we woke up and got ready for church after eating some cinnamon rolls. We were in Kanab, Utah and we decided to visit the Baptist church in our small town. It was a relatively small congregation but they were very welcoming, loving, and sent us home with 2 bags of cookies! It was a very nice service with lots of hymns and prayer. Afterwards, we enjoyed leftover pie as we drove up here to Panguitch, Utah, another small town. We got all set up at our campground and I made reservations for our family to ride through a forest and by a lake on horseback. We had a lot of fun and my horse was names Tonic! We got some dinner at a local diner here in town. It was pretty good and then we dropped off Dad and Alastair at the movie theatre. They saw Mission Impossible. I did homework and the girls swam in the pool with Mom. We all took showers which were really nice, compared to other campgrounds, and now we are going to watch a movie. I might get to talk to friends too tonight! Goodnight!
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Bike days are the best days
Yesterday was really great! We had plans to ride our bikes into the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from our RV. We stayed about 8 miles away and there was a really great bike path that ran alongside the road into the park. We left at 10am and rode for a little over an hour. The ride in made us tired and we stopped at least 4 times for water breaks. We rode all the way into the Visitor's Center where we watched a movie about the history of the Grand Canyon and also listened to an interactive audio demonstration. We have learned a lot about the first people to live in the Grand Canyon as well as the first explorers and we have had lots of opportunities to brush up on our geology lessons.
We grabbed some sandwiches for lunch and then pointed our bikes to the east to ride out to Yaki Point which is as far east as you are able to go without a car. I loved this ride because there were fewer tourists and for much of the trail we were right next to the rim. Oddly enough, Dagny was the most bothered by our close ride to the edge. I think of her as my most adventurous but that ride made her nervous.
We rode our bikes many miles to the west back across the park to the Village for ice cream. We had visited much of this area the day before when there were fewer weekend visitors. I am again aware of how much more enjoyable it is to travel to our National Parks in the middle of the week. Weekend tourist traffic and congestion are noticeable.
We pointed our bikes for home at about 3:45 and we were pleasantly surprised by the downhill travel. Our ride home was noticeably easier than our ride up hill in the morning. On the ride home we had to stop and ride very slowly past a family of elk sitting just off of our bike path. We estimate our days adventure at just over 21 miles and we all had a really great time. Riding our bikes gives us unlimited opportunity to see the fun parts of nature, get exercise, a little sun, challenge ourselves, and stay away from the crowds. I have loved our biking adventures more than most other days. I am so glad we were able to bring our bikes this sabbatical and that we are all old enough, big enough, and strong enough to make these long bike days so much fun.
We quickly grabbed some drinks
and jumped into the Honda. The only part of the South Rim still to be discovered were the 20 miles to the east ending at Desert View. The girls and I explored the watchtower and Dave smoked a cigar. We caught up on journaling and spent 2 hours of quiet family time waiting for the sun to set. It was a nice way to round out this visit to the Grand Canyon. I feel like we saw every square inch of the South Rim and I think we all voted this one of our favorite stops.
Today was mostly a drive day. We headed east then north toward Page, Arizona. A few years ago David and Alastair had visited the Antelope Slot Canyons in the area and we had plans to check them out. At 1:30 we joined our little tour and walked down the very sandy trail to two different and very pretty canyons. Our guide shared a little information about the area and the Navajo Nation and gave us some good tips for capturing great photos within the Canyons.
Back to the RV for our last bit of driving for the day. We crossed into Utah this afternoon and all feel a little sad to be inside of our last state we will visit before heading home. We just have one more week together on this adventure and we are all feeling a little bit sad about that. I really do love having my children and David with me 24/7. We play games, sing songs, hold hands, and just enjoy being together. This sabbatical is a practice in doing what we want to do, not what we have to do. We all know the "have to do" is necessary but we sure wish the "want to do" could last a little longer.
- Jll
We rode our bikes many miles to the west back across the park to the Village for ice cream. We had visited much of this area the day before when there were fewer weekend visitors. I am again aware of how much more enjoyable it is to travel to our National Parks in the middle of the week. Weekend tourist traffic and congestion are noticeable.We pointed our bikes for home at about 3:45 and we were pleasantly surprised by the downhill travel. Our ride home was noticeably easier than our ride up hill in the morning. On the ride home we had to stop and ride very slowly past a family of elk sitting just off of our bike path. We estimate our days adventure at just over 21 miles and we all had a really great time. Riding our bikes gives us unlimited opportunity to see the fun parts of nature, get exercise, a little sun, challenge ourselves, and stay away from the crowds. I have loved our biking adventures more than most other days. I am so glad we were able to bring our bikes this sabbatical and that we are all old enough, big enough, and strong enough to make these long bike days so much fun.
We quickly grabbed some drinks
and jumped into the Honda. The only part of the South Rim still to be discovered were the 20 miles to the east ending at Desert View. The girls and I explored the watchtower and Dave smoked a cigar. We caught up on journaling and spent 2 hours of quiet family time waiting for the sun to set. It was a nice way to round out this visit to the Grand Canyon. I feel like we saw every square inch of the South Rim and I think we all voted this one of our favorite stops.
Back to the RV for our last bit of driving for the day. We crossed into Utah this afternoon and all feel a little sad to be inside of our last state we will visit before heading home. We just have one more week together on this adventure and we are all feeling a little bit sad about that. I really do love having my children and David with me 24/7. We play games, sing songs, hold hands, and just enjoy being together. This sabbatical is a practice in doing what we want to do, not what we have to do. We all know the "have to do" is necessary but we sure wish the "want to do" could last a little longer.
- Jll
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Sunrise and Sunset at the Grand Canyon
After our naps we finished watching Guys and Dolls and then went out side to play smash ball and
The End
Dagny
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Bike Burglars and the Grand Canyon
I would like to preface this blog by assuring you all that my family is safe and sound in our RV. We are all okay and are still enjoying our adventure. That being said, last sabbatical, I did a lot of writing about scary things that happened to us and about the anxiety I felt on the trip. I wrote many blogs about how worried I was all the time and how crazy life felt on the road. When we began our trip this summer my parents began to explain to me about my old blogging habits. I didn't even remember how scared I was which is probably a good thing. Anyways, this entire trip I have felt very calm and at home which has been an amazing way to take a break from all of the activities going on in my life back home. We have felt very comfortable in our RV and in the places we have stayed, that is, until this morning. I have decided this scary story is worth the telling...
I was woken up this morning by frantic screaming and banging. The voice was my mother's and she was so distraught that she could not get her words out properly. At first, I heard the banging noise and thought that perhaps someone had fallen off of the bed. I imagined that maybe one of my parents was having a stroke or a heart attack. Next, I considered maybe someone was attacking my parents and trying to hurt them. Everything happened so fast that I really didn't know what was going on and it was still 5 in the morning so my whole family was not thinking straight.
My mom is a light sleeper and was the first to wake up. She felt the RV moving but thought it was just one of us kids walking around to get to the bathroom. When she heard noises coming from outside, she opened her blind on the back of the RV and came face to face with a man on the other side of the glass. They looked at each other for a second and then she went into hysterics. She had something in her mouth that protects her teeth while she sleeps and her brain had not fully engaged yet so she began pounding on the window, trying to wake up my dad, and yelling what Dagny later described as sounding like a muffled, "THEY'RE STEALING OUR BODIES!!!" We now believe she was trying to say, "they're stealing our bikes!" My dad woke up, as did the rest of us, and he began to try to calm her down. Now, I know it is not very easy to picture all of this happening, but if I had to use one word to describe how mom acted, I would choose possessed. This scared the robber so badly that after cutting the cord and trying to lift the bike down (my dad's bike, the rest of them are worthless), he dropped the bike and ran.
By this point, we were all awake and freaked out, so my dad got dressed, unhooked the RV from the site, and we left Vegas. There is nothing like a 5 am almost-robbery to get you to pack your bags and leave Vegas. Entering the city, we all had a discussion about being more aware and careful because it was not as safe a place as the other cities which we had visited but none of us could have predicted the events of this morning.
After that, our day was pretty boring and normal. I finally fell back asleep along with Alastair and Mags. Dad and mom got a new bike lock cord for the RV and mom got some groceries at a Walmart. We drove all the way to our new campsite just outside of the Grand Canyon. We set up at our new campsite, relaxed, watched some movies, did some homework, Dad took a phone call, and we went to see an IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon. We grabbed some ice cream and drove around the park to check out our plan for tomorrow. Now we are trying to have a nice, calm, quiet night to counter our chaotic morning. Goodnight!
- Adelaide
I was woken up this morning by frantic screaming and banging. The voice was my mother's and she was so distraught that she could not get her words out properly. At first, I heard the banging noise and thought that perhaps someone had fallen off of the bed. I imagined that maybe one of my parents was having a stroke or a heart attack. Next, I considered maybe someone was attacking my parents and trying to hurt them. Everything happened so fast that I really didn't know what was going on and it was still 5 in the morning so my whole family was not thinking straight.
By this point, we were all awake and freaked out, so my dad got dressed, unhooked the RV from the site, and we left Vegas. There is nothing like a 5 am almost-robbery to get you to pack your bags and leave Vegas. Entering the city, we all had a discussion about being more aware and careful because it was not as safe a place as the other cities which we had visited but none of us could have predicted the events of this morning.
After that, our day was pretty boring and normal. I finally fell back asleep along with Alastair and Mags. Dad and mom got a new bike lock cord for the RV and mom got some groceries at a Walmart. We drove all the way to our new campsite just outside of the Grand Canyon. We set up at our new campsite, relaxed, watched some movies, did some homework, Dad took a phone call, and we went to see an IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon. We grabbed some ice cream and drove around the park to check out our plan for tomorrow. Now we are trying to have a nice, calm, quiet night to counter our chaotic morning. Goodnight!
- Adelaide
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Viva Las Vegas!
Today we woke up and we got ready. Mom, Dagny, and I went to a very small water park. We swam in the pool, we splashed on the splash pad and, slid down the slides. We had a lot of fun. My favorite part was when we went down the orange slide. It was fast, long, and very fun.We were at the water park for a very long time and then we went back to the RV to get ready to walk the strip. We dried off and then we got on clean clothes.
On our walk down the strip we saw lots of different iconic structures while we went to meet dad. We met up with dad and then we went to look around. We saw lots of cool things like the fountain show at the Bellagio, the Eifel Tower at the Paris Hotel, and the Excalibur Hotel. Then we went to the Luxor to see the Blue Man Group. At the Blue Man Group show we saw a lot of cool things. We saw different instruments, funny scenes, and interactive fun. We got blasted with toilet paper at the end. We had a lot of fun there and then we called an Uber and drove home. We got to the RV site and we took showers and got ready for bed.
The thing I liked best about today was the quality time we all spent at the water park. The thing I
liked best about the Blue Man Group was when I made myself a gown out of the toilet paper they sprayed all over the audience. I'm tired. It is time for bed.
Maggie
spent at the water park. The thing I liked best about the Blue Man Group was when I made myself a gown out of the toilet paper they sprayed all over the audience. I'm tired. It is time for bed.
Maggie
The Dam Cockroach
Dave is a task master when it comes to blogging and we have had so much fun this past week we have been behind schedule on our daily posts. I will now do my best to remember the events of the past 3 days.
On Friday night Adelaide was doing what she does best, organizing and leading. She had crafted a plan to take her cousins on a challenging hike the next morning called 3 Crosses to watch the sunrise. She had it all figured out. Only problem was, the hike needed to start at 5am. She will learn over time that the best laid plans will require buy in from your team. A 4:45 wake up call will squash even the best managers plans. When I went to bed on Friday I was sure she had a critical mass willing to follow her up that mountain such that I would not have to go. When her alarm went off at 4:43am on Saturday I learned that her team consisted only of her bestie cousin Noah, also age 15. She was up and getting dressed while I lay there pondering my options. 1. Go back to sleep and let them go alone. 2. Lay there awake for 3 hours and fret and worry about possible bear and mountain lion attacks, falls off of rocky cliffs, and the real possibility that they would get lost in the wilderness with zero cell reception. 3. Brush my teeth and put on my tennis shoes and get ready for some real mountain exercise. You guessed it, I had to go. It was about 45 minutes to the top of the mountain and it was a good climb. We were all huffing and puffing. No bear sightings. I am sure they heard Addie and Noah chatting away and had ample time to get out of our way. I gave them 20 paces so they could get all of their early morning words out of the way. Those two are good friends. They spent quality time together this weekend and I am so glad they have each other. Makes me reminiscent of my cousin Chad and how we would hang together for days when we were kids and our family would gather. Chad is still my bestie cousin and he would walk on hot coals for me, and I for him.
I love this time in my life when my babies are still small enough to love on me and cuddle often yet old enough to read a note much like this. "Went hiking with Addie and Noah. Be back by breakfast". That note would have been enough information for them to get up and dressed and head out to find their own bestie cousins for the day too. This reunion was one of the best for me in recent memory. The kids did their own thing every day and so did I. The majority of Alastair's time was spent in some sort of pick-up baseball game. Cousins ranging in age from 6 to 26. Dagny was voted most adored by the cousins ages 2 to 8. She had little cousins hanging off of her night and day. Magnolia had a constant playmate in her cousin Caleb who is 8. They covered every inch of that camp together. I had a chance to have real adult conversation, without interruption. I love my extended family so much and these gatherings are precious. And, hard. My dad died 14 years ago and he is missed. These reunions are chances for small glimpses of my dad in my Uncle Erskine, and cousins Dan, Dirk and Darin especially. DNA is a crazy thing. These men do and say things my dad did. They laugh like him. Tell stories like he would, with the same mannerisms. Hug like he hugged. It is obvious why my mom and sister and I need these times together. Love you dad, miss you.
Saturday's afternoon family activity was a legit volleyball tournament. The kids and I were all placed on opposing teams and the brackets left some of us losers and Addie's team the winners. Boo hiss for us, yeah for Addie. Another great part of these outings are that the physical activities usually draw the 10-50 crowd but the 0-10 year olds and 50+ crowd number just as many as loud, cheering, sideline supporters. They are engaged in their own wonderful conversations all the while razzing us for a botched play or applauding loudly at the great competition. We are a competitive bunch and we like these chances to sharpen our skills.
The remainder of Saturday included tons more Rook, Mexican Train, singing, pictures, eating, and worship time together. Over the weekend we gathered 3 times for Scates style worship. This includes some time for praise singing and a message. My family are professional grade. When I say "my family" I mean all the descendants of my Uncles. The Tim Scates family were never professional ministers and the 8 of us watch in wonder when the guitars and bibles come out. My cousins are gifted. This weekend I heard some of the best sermon's I have heard in a long time. Two of my preaching cousins are in-laws. Both preach in their home churches but I am sure this is a high pressure opportunity for them because of the wealth of biblical knowledge within the Scates audience.
Dave returned to the fun on Saturday night after a full day with his rugby club. He had the chance to connect with lots of old friends and play enough rugby to need 2 Advil that night. I was glad his club anniversary was the same weekend we were home so he could do his own thing. One day apart in 75 is just the right amount.
Sunday morning we had a very tearful goodbye. We plan to gather again in two years in the same location. I expect to see another round of beautiful new babies. I am hopeful I will see all 3 of my uncles and aunts. My prayer for them is good health in the coming months and years so that we can continue to carry on our Family Tradition (nod to Kelly Scates).
My crew hustled down the mountain in order to grab lunch with my bestie from Florida, Jody Classen Anthony. She and I have been friends since the 7th grade and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. Her kids are the same ages as mine and she comes home twice a year to see her parents and sister. I am so glad we could all be together for just a little bit. She makes my heart happy and I miss her so much. Our children are good friends. I loved how the wait staff had put together 2 table for us and the kids immediately pulled them apart for a "kids table". They don't need us at all when they are having fun. Miss you Jod.
Next hug-fest for the day was with my precious nephew Micah and my sister-in-love, Heather. We did not know we were going to get to see them when we made plans to fly home to Denver. They live in Vermont and Heather needed to be in Denver for work this week and brought Micah for some grandparent time. What a gift. Micah played hard with his cousins. I am already looking forward to their return in 5 months.
Our flight back to LA had us on the ground around 9pm. Back to our car and commute to Huntington Beach had us back to the DiBenedetto's around 11pm. Dave and I had discussed our options. Grab some sleep in Huntington Beach and hit the road early in the morning or avoid LA traffic on a Monday morning and just get outside the city that night. We opted for that plan. We said goodbye to our very good friends, put kids in beds and started our drive. We made the right decision. Our RV and towed car are jumbo in size and we need space. Driving through the Mohave Desert at night also allows for reduced temperatures. Dave drove until about 3am and pulled into a rest stop near Barstow off of the highway for 4 hours of sleep. That was a first for all of us, sleeping at a rest stop. Again, I love my RV, like a turtle in a shell.
Monday morning Dave drove the final miles into Nevada to the Hoover Dam. Magnolia slept from the airport in LA all the way to the Dam. Being a kid is funny like that. She missed 12 hours of our adventure but sure needed the sleep. Hoover Dam was great! We visited all the exhibits, viewed the film in the visitor's center, and listened to the audio demonstration of the topographical map which describes the water reclamation process for the western US which begins right near our home in Colorado. I kept telling the kids that all of the western US should say thank you to us Coloradoan's for sharing our snow melt with all of those low landers. I am pretty sure we didn't have a say in the matter. I think they Feds took it regardless of our wishes. I would have liked for my dad to have been with us on the tour. He worked in Washington D. C. for Congressman Aspinall and much of their work related to the water rights on the western slope of Colorado. I am sure he would have had lots of wisdom to share. Our tour took us to two sections of the dam power plant and also inside the dam itself. We were able to look through an air vent in the dam and walk through the small tunnels used for inspection checks. Two things I did not like about the Dam were the bat we saw while inside the tunnels. I hate bats and the kids love that they make me so nervous. Second, the heat at the dam. We had a long walk from the RV parking at the top of the mountain to the dam and the temperature was 106. I don't think I have ever been sweatier. We did a good job hydrating, but we were gross.
On Sunday night when we returned to our RV after 5 days apart Dagny was the very first to enter the RV and turn on a light. I was right behind her and noted her surprise. When she turned on the light a cockroach ran under the couch. Because I didn't see it with my own eyes I allowed myself to believe she was tired and confused. I hate cockroaches almost as much as bats and I had no time to allow my fears to slow us down. Well, that roach came out of his hiding place on the drive back from the dam and the girls and I freaked. He was trying very hard to run away from the RV. Not kidding, in buggy situations like these we all rely on Dagny. She loves bugs, she protects them, and she can handle it. She got a cup and paper and safely rescued him. Put him in a Tupperware and out of sight of the rest of us. It was seriously gross.
We are staying in the Circus Circus RV park on the strip which is hilarious. Our most cost-effective
accommodations yet at $38/day. We did a major clean of the RV which takes about 10 minutes. I took the kids to the pool because we had actually melted and Dave took care of getting our exterior hook ups all situated. Attempts to clean up are futile in Vegas because it was 110 when we took the kids on a driving tour of the strip and dinner out at a casino. We had a yummy Italian dinner, in spite of our sweat, and we focused on our water intake from the days dehydration. The RV is a cool comfortable 75 degrees. We are all a little slow to get going this morning as it will be 30 degrees hotter when we step outside our doors. Wish us luck.
- Jll
I love this time in my life when my babies are still small enough to love on me and cuddle often yet old enough to read a note much like this. "Went hiking with Addie and Noah. Be back by breakfast". That note would have been enough information for them to get up and dressed and head out to find their own bestie cousins for the day too. This reunion was one of the best for me in recent memory. The kids did their own thing every day and so did I. The majority of Alastair's time was spent in some sort of pick-up baseball game. Cousins ranging in age from 6 to 26. Dagny was voted most adored by the cousins ages 2 to 8. She had little cousins hanging off of her night and day. Magnolia had a constant playmate in her cousin Caleb who is 8. They covered every inch of that camp together. I had a chance to have real adult conversation, without interruption. I love my extended family so much and these gatherings are precious. And, hard. My dad died 14 years ago and he is missed. These reunions are chances for small glimpses of my dad in my Uncle Erskine, and cousins Dan, Dirk and Darin especially. DNA is a crazy thing. These men do and say things my dad did. They laugh like him. Tell stories like he would, with the same mannerisms. Hug like he hugged. It is obvious why my mom and sister and I need these times together. Love you dad, miss you.
Saturday's afternoon family activity was a legit volleyball tournament. The kids and I were all placed on opposing teams and the brackets left some of us losers and Addie's team the winners. Boo hiss for us, yeah for Addie. Another great part of these outings are that the physical activities usually draw the 10-50 crowd but the 0-10 year olds and 50+ crowd number just as many as loud, cheering, sideline supporters. They are engaged in their own wonderful conversations all the while razzing us for a botched play or applauding loudly at the great competition. We are a competitive bunch and we like these chances to sharpen our skills.
The remainder of Saturday included tons more Rook, Mexican Train, singing, pictures, eating, and worship time together. Over the weekend we gathered 3 times for Scates style worship. This includes some time for praise singing and a message. My family are professional grade. When I say "my family" I mean all the descendants of my Uncles. The Tim Scates family were never professional ministers and the 8 of us watch in wonder when the guitars and bibles come out. My cousins are gifted. This weekend I heard some of the best sermon's I have heard in a long time. Two of my preaching cousins are in-laws. Both preach in their home churches but I am sure this is a high pressure opportunity for them because of the wealth of biblical knowledge within the Scates audience.
Dave returned to the fun on Saturday night after a full day with his rugby club. He had the chance to connect with lots of old friends and play enough rugby to need 2 Advil that night. I was glad his club anniversary was the same weekend we were home so he could do his own thing. One day apart in 75 is just the right amount.
Sunday morning we had a very tearful goodbye. We plan to gather again in two years in the same location. I expect to see another round of beautiful new babies. I am hopeful I will see all 3 of my uncles and aunts. My prayer for them is good health in the coming months and years so that we can continue to carry on our Family Tradition (nod to Kelly Scates).
My crew hustled down the mountain in order to grab lunch with my bestie from Florida, Jody Classen Anthony. She and I have been friends since the 7th grade and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. Her kids are the same ages as mine and she comes home twice a year to see her parents and sister. I am so glad we could all be together for just a little bit. She makes my heart happy and I miss her so much. Our children are good friends. I loved how the wait staff had put together 2 table for us and the kids immediately pulled them apart for a "kids table". They don't need us at all when they are having fun. Miss you Jod.
Next hug-fest for the day was with my precious nephew Micah and my sister-in-love, Heather. We did not know we were going to get to see them when we made plans to fly home to Denver. They live in Vermont and Heather needed to be in Denver for work this week and brought Micah for some grandparent time. What a gift. Micah played hard with his cousins. I am already looking forward to their return in 5 months.
Our flight back to LA had us on the ground around 9pm. Back to our car and commute to Huntington Beach had us back to the DiBenedetto's around 11pm. Dave and I had discussed our options. Grab some sleep in Huntington Beach and hit the road early in the morning or avoid LA traffic on a Monday morning and just get outside the city that night. We opted for that plan. We said goodbye to our very good friends, put kids in beds and started our drive. We made the right decision. Our RV and towed car are jumbo in size and we need space. Driving through the Mohave Desert at night also allows for reduced temperatures. Dave drove until about 3am and pulled into a rest stop near Barstow off of the highway for 4 hours of sleep. That was a first for all of us, sleeping at a rest stop. Again, I love my RV, like a turtle in a shell.
On Sunday night when we returned to our RV after 5 days apart Dagny was the very first to enter the RV and turn on a light. I was right behind her and noted her surprise. When she turned on the light a cockroach ran under the couch. Because I didn't see it with my own eyes I allowed myself to believe she was tired and confused. I hate cockroaches almost as much as bats and I had no time to allow my fears to slow us down. Well, that roach came out of his hiding place on the drive back from the dam and the girls and I freaked. He was trying very hard to run away from the RV. Not kidding, in buggy situations like these we all rely on Dagny. She loves bugs, she protects them, and she can handle it. She got a cup and paper and safely rescued him. Put him in a Tupperware and out of sight of the rest of us. It was seriously gross.
We are staying in the Circus Circus RV park on the strip which is hilarious. Our most cost-effective
- Jll
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Scates Family
My father, Tim Scates, was the youngest of 6 boys, all preacher's kids. Most of my uncles were ministers or missionaries and many of my cousins as well. We gather for family reunions every 2-3 years and on average 80 of us are able to be together. I always liken our reunions to church camp to include mess hall style dining, open dirt field games like softball and volleyball, camp songs and a daily gathering for our worship time together to include lots of singing. Last night my cousin, Curtis, was in charge of our message and it was great. He is fun and funny and his "sermon" was wrapped in under 15 minutes. Magnolia was tickled as she was mentally set on her normal 60 minute message.
Yesterday's softball game was inter-generational and super fun. Just the right combination of competitive spirit and laughs. Magnolia and her cousin Caleb were team captains and their picks were a combination of the family members they love the most and the really athletic 20 something male cousins. In these games the 10 and under can not get "out" so they run the bases at will. As for the rest of us, we play for blood. By the grace of God we all had fun and we didn't cause serious injury to any of our youngest team mates.
Afternoon activities included lots of hikes, naps, catching up with one another, basketball, Frisbee golf, swinging on porch swings, and getting reacquainted with the youngest members of the clan. We range in age from 6 months to 87. This down time is the priceless part of the weekend. I am so glad to be with my cousins and so grateful to each family for carving out their vacation time to be together.
The evening wrapped with the always anticipated Rook Tournament. This is the card game we all play and we all love. Last night we had 24 participants and my partner, Darin, and I took second. Games will take place again tonight and I plan to improve my standing.
Dave headed for Denver yesterday to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of his Denver Highlanders RFC. I am sure he is having fun and hopeful he will return to the reunion tonight with minimal bruising and no broken bones or lost teeth.
-Jll
Yesterday's softball game was inter-generational and super fun. Just the right combination of competitive spirit and laughs. Magnolia and her cousin Caleb were team captains and their picks were a combination of the family members they love the most and the really athletic 20 something male cousins. In these games the 10 and under can not get "out" so they run the bases at will. As for the rest of us, we play for blood. By the grace of God we all had fun and we didn't cause serious injury to any of our youngest team mates.
Afternoon activities included lots of hikes, naps, catching up with one another, basketball, Frisbee golf, swinging on porch swings, and getting reacquainted with the youngest members of the clan. We range in age from 6 months to 87. This down time is the priceless part of the weekend. I am so glad to be with my cousins and so grateful to each family for carving out their vacation time to be together.
The evening wrapped with the always anticipated Rook Tournament. This is the card game we all play and we all love. Last night we had 24 participants and my partner, Darin, and I took second. Games will take place again tonight and I plan to improve my standing.
Dave headed for Denver yesterday to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of his Denver Highlanders RFC. I am sure he is having fun and hopeful he will return to the reunion tonight with minimal bruising and no broken bones or lost teeth.
-Jll
Thursday, July 26, 2018
In the city and back in our hood
On Tuesday morning we woke up and ate breakfast. Then we drove through terrible Los Angeles traffic to get to the Griffith Park overlook of the Hollywood sign. We took some quick photos with the sign and then drove to Hollywood Blvd. to see the Walk of Fame. We walked down glancing on the occasional familiar name embedded in the sidewalk and then went into the Hollywood Wax Museum. We walked through a pretty well maintained gallery viewing peoples figures from Robin Williams to Hugh Heffner.
Then we went to the Believe it or Not and Guinness Records museums. It showed things from the worlds tallest man to a tongue rolling station. Turns out it was a 1 way mirror so when you walked back you would watch other people make fools of themselves without them knowing. After the museums we drove to another popular dive like others we have visited such as Hudson's and Dick's Hamburgers. It was a hotdog shack called Pinks. We had to wait in line for an hour to order. Once we got our food we ate in the car heading back towards Huntington Beach.
We met up with our friends again and headed to the beach to have a fire by the ocean. The waves were pretty big so nobody really swam, I only swan for about 10 minutes. Then we just ate s'mores and drank lemonade until the Rangers said the beach was closing. Then we headed back to the RV and hunkered down for the night in the RV. I stayed up a little later watching baseball with the DeBenidettos.
Yesterday morning we woke up early and headed to LAX to catch our flight back to Denver for the Scates' Family Reunion. When we got back I met 4 of my friends at the park and we just caught up with each other and talked. I had to leave the group behind to go to a Rockies game with 45 of my relatives. The game was pretty good for the Rockies pitching only allowing 2 runs of 1 hit. The game got to the bottom of the 9th tied at 2. Rockies lead off man Charlie Blackmon cranked a no doubt about it walk off home run. We left and headed back for a night of sleep in our own beds.
Today I woke up and took a shower and built some Lego structures. I packed for the trip to Estes Park and then went downstairs to help Dagny jar up some of the honey she got from her bees. We decided she had about 4 gallons. We jarred as much as we could before our old nanny and family friend came over with her newborn. The girls snuggled with the baby and fed it its bottle while I just held its foot. Then I went to the orthodontist.
After that I drove to the mountains with my dad. When we got there we said our hellos and just talked to our family. Then I played some pickup sports with some of my littler cousins on the dirt pitch. After we went inside for dinner which was pork chops and dessert was mint chocolate cake. Then we did trivia which is kind of my bread and butter. My team didn't win but it was still fun. Then the activities came to an end and everyone went away to their cabins.
Goodbye now, Alastair
Then we went to the Believe it or Not and Guinness Records museums. It showed things from the worlds tallest man to a tongue rolling station. Turns out it was a 1 way mirror so when you walked back you would watch other people make fools of themselves without them knowing. After the museums we drove to another popular dive like others we have visited such as Hudson's and Dick's Hamburgers. It was a hotdog shack called Pinks. We had to wait in line for an hour to order. Once we got our food we ate in the car heading back towards Huntington Beach.
Yesterday morning we woke up early and headed to LAX to catch our flight back to Denver for the Scates' Family Reunion. When we got back I met 4 of my friends at the park and we just caught up with each other and talked. I had to leave the group behind to go to a Rockies game with 45 of my relatives. The game was pretty good for the Rockies pitching only allowing 2 runs of 1 hit. The game got to the bottom of the 9th tied at 2. Rockies lead off man Charlie Blackmon cranked a no doubt about it walk off home run. We left and headed back for a night of sleep in our own beds.
Today I woke up and took a shower and built some Lego structures. I packed for the trip to Estes Park and then went downstairs to help Dagny jar up some of the honey she got from her bees. We decided she had about 4 gallons. We jarred as much as we could before our old nanny and family friend came over with her newborn. The girls snuggled with the baby and fed it its bottle while I just held its foot. Then I went to the orthodontist.
After that I drove to the mountains with my dad. When we got there we said our hellos and just talked to our family. Then I played some pickup sports with some of my littler cousins on the dirt pitch. After we went inside for dinner which was pork chops and dessert was mint chocolate cake. Then we did trivia which is kind of my bread and butter. My team didn't win but it was still fun. Then the activities came to an end and everyone went away to their cabins.
Goodbye now, Alastair
Monday, July 23, 2018
Knott the coolest day we've had
Today was a super great day that truly felt like a vacation, although it really reminded me of what it feels like to be in a hot and humid climate. This morning, we all got ready for a day of amusement park festivities. The 6 of us got dressed, said goodbye to whomever was left at the house, and we drove towards Buena Park for some breakfast. We ended up finding a little quick breakfast at Harry's Café. Although the meal was not delicious and the television was turned up way too loud, the six of us had a fairly large breakfast for only $33. Still, I would not recommend the place. I had toast and a scrambled egg for breakfast because I did not want to throw up at our next destination.
We then headed to Knott's Berry Farm. This of course was not filled with urban agriculture enthusiasts but rather thousands of boiling, sweaty, smelly, super excited tourists standing in line for hours to ride the thrilling rides this park has to offer. Although I may not make this sound very appealing, we arrived just as the park opened and we were able to ride all of the major things on our list within a few hours because we missed a majority of the crowd. The temperature all day ranged from 90-97 degrees and with the humidity, us McLains melted. We were sooo hot all day and I made sure to apply lots of sunscreen so I didn't make my sunburn any worse. By about 12:30, we were ready for some food and some air conditioning so we headed into the Johnny Rockets and waited for about 20 minutes to get a table. The heat made us so uncomfortable that all we really needed were some ice cold milkshakes. We downed those along with some fries and chicken nuggets.
Afterwards, we rode a few more rides including the ubiquitous log ride. We split into groups of 3 and
I rode down with Alastair and Dad. Concluding the ride is a large drop where you get your picture taken. Right before the drop, one of the automatic characters warned, "
Look out! Fire in the hole!" to which Dad replied yelling, "No! Fire in YOUR hole!" We laughed for a bit but as soon as we dropped, my hat fell off of my head and landed on Dad's face right as our picture was taken. I cannot think of a more perfectly timed photo. We all lost our drive for the day after waiting in line for so long. Making our way to the exit we found a few more small rides that Maggie wanted to try but we got out of there pretty quickly. Overall we really loved this park because compared to Disneyland and Six Flags, it was way cheaper, less crowded, and it still had some pretty amazing rides! My personal favorite ride was the Xcelerator which, right at the beginning, launched you from 0-82 mph in less than 3 seconds. We also favored the new HangTime ride and the Supreme Scream. We would highly recommend this destination if you're looking for a great park, maybe just choose a cooler day.
After that adventure, we got back into our super hot mini van and made a pit stop on the way home at a 7 Eleven for some drinks because we were so dehydrated. We got back to the DiBenedetto's house and rested up, played in the pool, talked for a while, and had leftover pizza and brats for dinner. We got dressed and drove to Baskin Robbins for ice cream and we walked around Petco while we ate. We met some really cute little kittens which made us VERY allergic later on. We got back to the house, got ready for bed, and watched more of this really funny show called Nailed It! We all laughed for a while and then got to bed.
I have not been blogging very much recently so I figured, while I have your attention, I could let you in on what it is like to live within 32 feet of all 5 of your family members for 3 months on end. First of all, I would like to address all of the things you miss from your regular life back home because this far into the trip I now have a list... family (my incredible grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and relatives that make our lives so special), friends (even with modern day technology, no amount of snapchatting can replace summer night sleepovers or pool days with the whole squad), having your own room (personal space and privacy are out the window on this trip), storage and room to keep all of your belongings and supplies, having a lock on the bathroom door to prevent unwanted interruptions and accidental walk-ins, having one reliable shower to use consistently rather than finding a new challenge or strangeness at every new campsite shower house, our church and knowing that I will be comfortable Sunday mornings at service, reliable wifi that you can count on to work and be free, table space to complete summer homework or scrapbooking, our guinea pigs and other pets that could care less that we are gone, my job and co-workers whom I cannot wait to rejoin in the fall, and most of all just the feeling of being at home and stable in one comfortable, not too hot and not too cold, perfect place.
That being said, there is nothing in the world that could replace this incredible trip that my family and I are so fortunate to experience. Everyday I am reminded of what a gift it is that I am surrounded by such amazing people in my life and that God granted me this family and this fascinating world to explore. Sometimes I forget how closely Magnolia resembles me at her age and even now. She is full of so many words, songs, and so much energy that she is always so joyful and vibrant. I can only hope that my spirit stays as fun and young as hers does throughout the years. Being so busy with school, it has become hard to always stay connected and in-tune with my siblings. This trip has helped me to realise how quickly Dagny is growing up and how she is becoming such an amazing young lady everyday that she grows. Not to mention the fact that she is getting taller and taller everyday, unlike Maggie lol. Alastair and I don't always get along but this time together allows us to figure out how to be compatible and allows us a chance to see eye to eye for some time, no matter how short that time period is. I really do love him and find him incredibly funny, cunning, and intelligent when we really get the chance to listen to each other. Overall, we could not be more thrilled that we get this opportunity and I would hope that we inspire all of you to spend some time with the people you love to really remember how blessed you truly are.
Goodnight and sweet dreams,
Adelaide
We then headed to Knott's Berry Farm. This of course was not filled with urban agriculture enthusiasts but rather thousands of boiling, sweaty, smelly, super excited tourists standing in line for hours to ride the thrilling rides this park has to offer. Although I may not make this sound very appealing, we arrived just as the park opened and we were able to ride all of the major things on our list within a few hours because we missed a majority of the crowd. The temperature all day ranged from 90-97 degrees and with the humidity, us McLains melted. We were sooo hot all day and I made sure to apply lots of sunscreen so I didn't make my sunburn any worse. By about 12:30, we were ready for some food and some air conditioning so we headed into the Johnny Rockets and waited for about 20 minutes to get a table. The heat made us so uncomfortable that all we really needed were some ice cold milkshakes. We downed those along with some fries and chicken nuggets.
Afterwards, we rode a few more rides including the ubiquitous log ride. We split into groups of 3 and
I rode down with Alastair and Dad. Concluding the ride is a large drop where you get your picture taken. Right before the drop, one of the automatic characters warned, "
Look out! Fire in the hole!" to which Dad replied yelling, "No! Fire in YOUR hole!" We laughed for a bit but as soon as we dropped, my hat fell off of my head and landed on Dad's face right as our picture was taken. I cannot think of a more perfectly timed photo. We all lost our drive for the day after waiting in line for so long. Making our way to the exit we found a few more small rides that Maggie wanted to try but we got out of there pretty quickly. Overall we really loved this park because compared to Disneyland and Six Flags, it was way cheaper, less crowded, and it still had some pretty amazing rides! My personal favorite ride was the Xcelerator which, right at the beginning, launched you from 0-82 mph in less than 3 seconds. We also favored the new HangTime ride and the Supreme Scream. We would highly recommend this destination if you're looking for a great park, maybe just choose a cooler day.
After that adventure, we got back into our super hot mini van and made a pit stop on the way home at a 7 Eleven for some drinks because we were so dehydrated. We got back to the DiBenedetto's house and rested up, played in the pool, talked for a while, and had leftover pizza and brats for dinner. We got dressed and drove to Baskin Robbins for ice cream and we walked around Petco while we ate. We met some really cute little kittens which made us VERY allergic later on. We got back to the house, got ready for bed, and watched more of this really funny show called Nailed It! We all laughed for a while and then got to bed.
I have not been blogging very much recently so I figured, while I have your attention, I could let you in on what it is like to live within 32 feet of all 5 of your family members for 3 months on end. First of all, I would like to address all of the things you miss from your regular life back home because this far into the trip I now have a list... family (my incredible grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and relatives that make our lives so special), friends (even with modern day technology, no amount of snapchatting can replace summer night sleepovers or pool days with the whole squad), having your own room (personal space and privacy are out the window on this trip), storage and room to keep all of your belongings and supplies, having a lock on the bathroom door to prevent unwanted interruptions and accidental walk-ins, having one reliable shower to use consistently rather than finding a new challenge or strangeness at every new campsite shower house, our church and knowing that I will be comfortable Sunday mornings at service, reliable wifi that you can count on to work and be free, table space to complete summer homework or scrapbooking, our guinea pigs and other pets that could care less that we are gone, my job and co-workers whom I cannot wait to rejoin in the fall, and most of all just the feeling of being at home and stable in one comfortable, not too hot and not too cold, perfect place.
That being said, there is nothing in the world that could replace this incredible trip that my family and I are so fortunate to experience. Everyday I am reminded of what a gift it is that I am surrounded by such amazing people in my life and that God granted me this family and this fascinating world to explore. Sometimes I forget how closely Magnolia resembles me at her age and even now. She is full of so many words, songs, and so much energy that she is always so joyful and vibrant. I can only hope that my spirit stays as fun and young as hers does throughout the years. Being so busy with school, it has become hard to always stay connected and in-tune with my siblings. This trip has helped me to realise how quickly Dagny is growing up and how she is becoming such an amazing young lady everyday that she grows. Not to mention the fact that she is getting taller and taller everyday, unlike Maggie lol. Alastair and I don't always get along but this time together allows us to figure out how to be compatible and allows us a chance to see eye to eye for some time, no matter how short that time period is. I really do love him and find him incredibly funny, cunning, and intelligent when we really get the chance to listen to each other. Overall, we could not be more thrilled that we get this opportunity and I would hope that we inspire all of you to spend some time with the people you love to really remember how blessed you truly are.
Goodnight and sweet dreams,
Adelaide
The sea was angry that day, my friends
Our visit with the DiBenedettos continued yesterday with Mass at their church, Saint Bonaventure. We need to make an effort to attend Catholic church with Nana and Papa more in Denver because there are still so many things we all learn when we visit. The problem is, Papa and Nana are too good to us and they always come and worship with us at Wellshire. I am sure it is because they don't sing in the children's choir, or get confirmed, or participate in youth Sunday, but still, we need to get to their church some more this fall so we can all learn a little more about the Catholic faith.
Saint Bonaventure was great. It is a pretty large congregation, we sang some great hymns, and the priest offered a really nice message and simple message to find some quiet time each day to spend with the Lord. We all enjoyed starting our day together at church.
Back at the house Mike again treated us to a really great meal. He can always leave corporate America and tack on a job in hospitality. Yesterday's breakfast included all the normal breakfast favorites including mini pancakes cooked up on his specialty cast iron pancake skillet. The skillet has about 6 small holes for the batter and the cakes are cooked up perfectly and in a uniform size and shape. Delicious.
Our afternoon outing was to Crystal Cove, a beach about a half hour away which boasted fun tide pools at low tide. We loved this beach. The kids were immediately distracted from the tide pools by the big waves and the boogie boards. For about an hour the 6 kids and 2 dads battled the waves, took turns on the boards, and were tossed and turned and beaten down by the ocean. Then the big swell came in and the moms got nervous. The ocean turned out a particularly large set of waves and even the dads had to work extra hard to catch full breaths in between each wave. Dagny is small and she was dragged across the ocean floor a few times before she was able to battle her way back to shore. This morning she has a sore face and hip from that set.
The moms called an ocean time out so the crew could drink some water, reapply the sun screen, and venture down the beach in search of crabs, anemone, and other tide pool creatures. We mostly walked and talked and had a really great time. An hour or so more of ocean beat down and it was time to make our sandy exit.
We all went to a favorite Mexican food restaurant for dinner and ate about a thousand chips with salsa. We got the kids cleaned up and tried to rid our beach gear of as much sand as possible and had the kids wind down watching Nail It or Fail It while the dads ended the night with a cigar and the moms had time for a really great talk. Angela is dear to me and she and I have a lot in common. I am so glad for this time together with her family.
- Jll
Saint Bonaventure was great. It is a pretty large congregation, we sang some great hymns, and the priest offered a really nice message and simple message to find some quiet time each day to spend with the Lord. We all enjoyed starting our day together at church.
Back at the house Mike again treated us to a really great meal. He can always leave corporate America and tack on a job in hospitality. Yesterday's breakfast included all the normal breakfast favorites including mini pancakes cooked up on his specialty cast iron pancake skillet. The skillet has about 6 small holes for the batter and the cakes are cooked up perfectly and in a uniform size and shape. Delicious.
The moms called an ocean time out so the crew could drink some water, reapply the sun screen, and venture down the beach in search of crabs, anemone, and other tide pool creatures. We mostly walked and talked and had a really great time. An hour or so more of ocean beat down and it was time to make our sandy exit.
We all went to a favorite Mexican food restaurant for dinner and ate about a thousand chips with salsa. We got the kids cleaned up and tried to rid our beach gear of as much sand as possible and had the kids wind down watching Nail It or Fail It while the dads ended the night with a cigar and the moms had time for a really great talk. Angela is dear to me and she and I have a lot in common. I am so glad for this time together with her family.- Jll
Saturday, July 21, 2018
College friends for life
Yesterday turned into a late night of driving. We rolled into Huntington Beach around 12:20, pulled up in front of our friend's house, turned off the RV and climbed in bed. We were so tired. So grateful for the safe travel we have had.
This morning started with big hugs from our good friends Mike and Angela DiBenedetto and their children Gabriella and Dillon. Mike and Angela went to college with us at Colorado State and Angela and I are sorority sisters. We have done a pretty good job of staying in touch over the past 20 years and we knew we would be able to claim some time with them on this trip. We spent the morning at their home. The kids had a ton of fun splashing in their pool and getting to know one another. Angela and I were able to catch up. She is always quick to laugh and her laugh is a good one. She is a dear friend to me and has been with me on my best days and my worst. I am so grateful for her friendship.
In the afternoon we drove to the harbor near their home and let the kids swim and splash about. A fun feature of the afternoon swim was the bridge on which we were able to jump off of. It wasn't terribly high, maybe 8-10 feet but it sure was fun. The kids jumped many times and I even jumped once.
We had a really great dinner at their home, compliments of Mike of planned, prepped, shopped and cooked for us all. Thanks Mike! After more swimming we built a fire in their fire pit and roasted more marshmallows and made another round of pudgy pies so the DiBenedettos could give them a try.
Tonight my family has been so grateful to nourish our hearts and bellies with our good friends and we are grateful for their showers and hospitality too. We are all cleaned up and tucked into our beds in our RV which is parked right alongside their sidewalk. We are like turtles in our shell. We take our home with us and it is really nice to climb into our own beds at night and rest. We are here until Wednesday morning and we have lots of fun plans still ahead.
- Jll
In the afternoon we drove to the harbor near their home and let the kids swim and splash about. A fun feature of the afternoon swim was the bridge on which we were able to jump off of. It wasn't terribly high, maybe 8-10 feet but it sure was fun. The kids jumped many times and I even jumped once.
We had a really great dinner at their home, compliments of Mike of planned, prepped, shopped and cooked for us all. Thanks Mike! After more swimming we built a fire in their fire pit and roasted more marshmallows and made another round of pudgy pies so the DiBenedettos could give them a try.Tonight my family has been so grateful to nourish our hearts and bellies with our good friends and we are grateful for their showers and hospitality too. We are all cleaned up and tucked into our beds in our RV which is parked right alongside their sidewalk. We are like turtles in our shell. We take our home with us and it is really nice to climb into our own beds at night and rest. We are here until Wednesday morning and we have lots of fun plans still ahead.
- Jll
Rosebud
- Dagny
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Surfs Up
We took a walk down the Santa Cruz Municipal Warf Pier and peeked in the shops. We had packed a lunch and stopped on some benches to give the kids a chance to refuel after their surfing. What we liked most was watching the sea lions who find places to rest under the Pier on the wooden planks. We watched different groups for about an hour and really had a great time.
We were back to our RV park by 3. Dave took a nap, I read my book, and the kids took turns playing outside. We had already decided we were in for the night. Everyone was really happy playing around camp so I ordered Chinese which was delivered directly to our RV. We really liked it and the family time around our picnic table.
Dave built a big campfire tonight and we wrapped our great day with s'mores and pudgy pies. Pudgy pies are not known to all. It is a little cast iron device that has two round sides which clamp together. We typically put a little butter in each side, white bread, pie fillings, and clamp the pudgy pie maker closed. Roast over your campfire for about 3 minutes per side and you have a delicious campfire pie. We have experimented with all kinds of pudgy pies to include peach, cherry, and even chocolate. Tonight's was apple. We also make them savory like ham and cheese or pizza with sauce, mozzarella, and peperoni. I like the savory best. I might need to pick up those ingredients for our next campfire.
- Jll
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Back to the Coast
With the Ferguson Fire continuing to burn just outside of Yosemite National Park, we abandoned the area yesterday, coming to grips with the facts that we would not be able to see the sights within the park and the air would be no less smoke filled. I guess we'll just have to make another trip out this way. I am thinking of a winter road trip through Yosemite and on to Lake Tahoe again to take advantage of the fact that Vail has added some of the mountains there to our ski passes. I will just have to remember to have tank heaters installed on the RV, which I have started calling the Magic Bus. We drove to our new location just south of Santa Cruz and set up camp. The kids played in the playground and on the jumping pillow a little bit, and we headed in to Santa Cruz for a quick dinner at a local burger joint and to see a movie. We saw "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Jll and I thoroughly enjoyed the film, having been raised on Mr. Rogers. The kids appeared to enjoy it also, even though none of them have ever seen an episode. Other than in random Facebook feeds from time to time about a commencement speech he gave or his admonition to "look for the helpers," I can't say when I last saw Mr. Rogers on television. With that said, I still find myself welling up at different points throughout the movie, remembering watching him as a child and learning about what a decent gentlemen and advocate for children he truly was.
This morning we woke and had a quick breakfast in the RV, chocolate croissants and breakfast sausage. The breakfast of champions. We drove to Monterey, walked through Cannery Row, not doing much shopping as we are not shoppers, and to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We spent a few hours winding our way through the exhibits. My favorites were the tanks of schooling fish. I could probably sit and watch them for hours on end if it weren't for the kids pulling me forward thinking me strange for staring at them so.
After the aquarium we started the 17 Mile Drive, making our first stop at the Inn at Spanish Bay for drinks and appetizers out by the fire pits. I must say that the McLains on the Road looked a little out of place, being a road weary as we are, trying to put on nice clothes and Alastair and I trying to cover the bruises, cuts, and scrapes we have from our mountain biking experience. One old guy jokingly gave Alastair a hard time about his Bandon Dunes hat, telling him it was sacrilege to wear it at Pebble Beach.
At six o'clock we watched the bagpiper put the course to bed, which I enjoyed very much. It was at Pebble Beach during my last visit that I learned that my grandmother passed away. Hearing the bagpiper play Amazing Grace brought back memories of my grandmother and of the day she passed away. I still miss her very much and think it strange that I haven't been to Chicago since her funeral. While she was alive, Jll and I would take the kids to Chicago to see her two or three times a year. It was a great tradition and I miss it also. That said, I know that she has been reunited with my grandfather and her friends, whom she missed very much after they all passed away. For that I could not be happier for her.
After our time at the Inn at Spanish Bay, we finished the 17 Mile Drive, coming out in Carmel, where we parked and visited the beach. From there, we walked up the hill into town and stopped at a local bakery where we enjoyed a variety of macaroons, ice cream, cannoli, éclairs, and Danishes. With so many of us, there are lots of desserts for me to taste. All in all, it was a very good day. I am not sad about leaving Yosemite when we did to get here.
- Dave
After the aquarium we started the 17 Mile Drive, making our first stop at the Inn at Spanish Bay for drinks and appetizers out by the fire pits. I must say that the McLains on the Road looked a little out of place, being a road weary as we are, trying to put on nice clothes and Alastair and I trying to cover the bruises, cuts, and scrapes we have from our mountain biking experience. One old guy jokingly gave Alastair a hard time about his Bandon Dunes hat, telling him it was sacrilege to wear it at Pebble Beach. 
After our time at the Inn at Spanish Bay, we finished the 17 Mile Drive, coming out in Carmel, where we parked and visited the beach. From there, we walked up the hill into town and stopped at a local bakery where we enjoyed a variety of macaroons, ice cream, cannoli, éclairs, and Danishes. With so many of us, there are lots of desserts for me to taste. All in all, it was a very good day. I am not sad about leaving Yosemite when we did to get here.- Dave
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