Last day on the road:
Everyone slept in late, except me. I surfed the net and got us all our free continental breakfast. When David and I began waking up reluctant little girls, I thought it was gonna be a crabby kind of day for a few little people. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad.
Once we all loaded up in the car, I began rationing activites to keep their minds busy. One of the things Jo-Ann gave the girls was a little activity called "Scratch & Stick". It's a little sheet of holographic stickers covered in a thin layer of paint. They scratch off the areas of sticker they want a hologram to show through and stick them on a scenery board. That activity kept their attention for over an hour. THANK YOU, Jo-Ann!
We stopped in Cordele, GA. for lunch at a Chinese buffet.I am not a big fan of Chinese food and buffet's in general just gross me out. I wasn't too excited about this place but our options were limited and it was more important to me that Miss Picky, Arianna, eat something besides vanilla wafers in the car. It turned out to be a decent place, very clean and chic. I even ate a little bit which is something I was not planning to do.
At the buffet, we took our time, ate our fill and hit the bathrooms. I drove the rest of the way to Tallahassee. This was the 1st time in days that I drove the bus. It did pretty well but I did notice about an hour out of Tallahassee that it was blowing smoke. If I drove slowly, it didn't blow smoke but If I drove anything above 55, it was a big blue smog machine. I looked around, only farmlands, at best. I wondered how far in this unshaded Georgia heat we'd have to walk before finding a gas station or shop. To get those negative thoughts out of my head, I instead started counting miles to home on David's phone's GPS.
We finally made it to Tallahassee around 6:30. Everyone cheered when we crossed the Georgia/Florida line. Aurora and Athena claimed they forgot what our house even looked like inside, we'd been away so long.
David took me to get my car from Kara's house. The girls got in the air conditioned van with me while David headed home. We picked up the cat from my sister, Katie's house and chatted a while. The cat didn't seem to even care that we'd come back for her. I think she really enjoyed her vacation away from us. We couldn't get the dog because our dog sitter had evening plans. We were not about to come all the way back into town after landing HOME. Molly would just have to wait til tomorrow.
Back at home, David was hard at work getting things back to normal. He'd set up the tent and chairs to dry out that had gotten wet a few days before. He brought things inside from the bus. We all worked together to ge the majority of our things put away. Then we played Mario Kart until way past bedtime. I must say, when I fianlly flopped into bed, it was such bliss. A family vacation is a time of discovery, bonding, even trying at times. Nothing makes you appreciate what you have at home except an extended vacation away from it. There's no place like home!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Enter the Sun
2nd to Last Day:
We left for Atlanta this morning, on our way back to the South. We have so enjoyed the weather up in these parts and I am not looking forward to the heat again. What I am excited about is sleeping in my own bed.
The girls were ready for the trip and even helped us pack up because I promised we'd sleep in a hotel in Atlanta and they could watch as much TV as they wanted. Last night's rain had cooled everything off but also made everything we packed wet and gross.
Arianna was excited to finally be heading home. Athena was ready for TV. Aurora was itching to get in the pool.
The drive was long and sky overcast but the kids were in high spirits. David kept hoping for rain but it never came. At least the sun wasn't blaring down. We stopped a lot because someone ALWAYS had to use the restroom. At one point, when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of Nowhere, GA., the car refused to start. David and I exchanged glances. My face said, "Here we go again. What do we do?" His face said, "Please don't freak out in front of the kids." Aurora searched my face for reasons to panic. After coughing, sputtering and making an all around dramatic fit about it, the bus started up, like nothing. We were back in business...for now.
We drove through the city and enjoyed watching the skyscrapers grow from the ground as we approached. All of a sudden, we were under them and couldn't crane our necks far enough to see the top. We went through a few tunnels, which is always a fun novelty. David pointed out the school where his grandfather attended and the girls were impressed. Athena decided that's where she wants to go to college because Granddaddy is a smart man.
We made it just south of Atlanta before the rush hour traffic started. When I say "rush hour", I mean 3:30. I am so glad we don't live in Atlanta! We ended up stopping about 6 miles north of our original destination because it was hot, hot, hot in the stand-still interstate traffic.
The hotel was reasonably priced and the staff nice but they obviously liked to cut corners to save money. For example, I expected a rush of A/C when we entered the room. The A/C in the hallway and the room was turned off and it felt icky! After about 45 minutes, we had that room cool enough that kids were asking for blankets. They turned on the TV and got in position. That dazed look they get on their face when watching TV is hilarious, "Rapture of the Deep" is what my step-father, Steve calls it. I think that's a perfect phrase for what I saw in the girls' eyes today.
David unloaded the car while I watched the kids. He and I took turns showering. After days of using low pressure, tepid water spitting public showers with dirty floors, a hot shower in a private bathroom is all one needs to bounce back. We ordered a pizza, called Judith's sister, Jo-Ann and suited up for the pool.
After eating, the kids played in the pool until we forced them to get out. Jo-Ann came and stayed til almost midnight. We talked, watched TV, and looked at pictures on her computer. David fixed Jo-Ann's computer and Jo-Ann gave the kids some little gifts she had for them. The gyroscopes were a huge success. I must say I love having 3 families. We are so fortunate to have so many loving people surrounding us. We have my family, David's family and Andrew's family. All 3 groups are incredibly important to my children and their quality of life just wouldn't be the same if these 3 groups didn't love all 3 of my children harmoniously. I am so thankful for such love.
When Jo-Ann left, we all collapsed into bed and slept hard! It was a good day but tomorrow will be even better. Home!
We left for Atlanta this morning, on our way back to the South. We have so enjoyed the weather up in these parts and I am not looking forward to the heat again. What I am excited about is sleeping in my own bed.
The girls were ready for the trip and even helped us pack up because I promised we'd sleep in a hotel in Atlanta and they could watch as much TV as they wanted. Last night's rain had cooled everything off but also made everything we packed wet and gross.
Arianna was excited to finally be heading home. Athena was ready for TV. Aurora was itching to get in the pool.
The drive was long and sky overcast but the kids were in high spirits. David kept hoping for rain but it never came. At least the sun wasn't blaring down. We stopped a lot because someone ALWAYS had to use the restroom. At one point, when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of Nowhere, GA., the car refused to start. David and I exchanged glances. My face said, "Here we go again. What do we do?" His face said, "Please don't freak out in front of the kids." Aurora searched my face for reasons to panic. After coughing, sputtering and making an all around dramatic fit about it, the bus started up, like nothing. We were back in business...for now.
We drove through the city and enjoyed watching the skyscrapers grow from the ground as we approached. All of a sudden, we were under them and couldn't crane our necks far enough to see the top. We went through a few tunnels, which is always a fun novelty. David pointed out the school where his grandfather attended and the girls were impressed. Athena decided that's where she wants to go to college because Granddaddy is a smart man.
We made it just south of Atlanta before the rush hour traffic started. When I say "rush hour", I mean 3:30. I am so glad we don't live in Atlanta! We ended up stopping about 6 miles north of our original destination because it was hot, hot, hot in the stand-still interstate traffic.
The hotel was reasonably priced and the staff nice but they obviously liked to cut corners to save money. For example, I expected a rush of A/C when we entered the room. The A/C in the hallway and the room was turned off and it felt icky! After about 45 minutes, we had that room cool enough that kids were asking for blankets. They turned on the TV and got in position. That dazed look they get on their face when watching TV is hilarious, "Rapture of the Deep" is what my step-father, Steve calls it. I think that's a perfect phrase for what I saw in the girls' eyes today.
David unloaded the car while I watched the kids. He and I took turns showering. After days of using low pressure, tepid water spitting public showers with dirty floors, a hot shower in a private bathroom is all one needs to bounce back. We ordered a pizza, called Judith's sister, Jo-Ann and suited up for the pool.
After eating, the kids played in the pool until we forced them to get out. Jo-Ann came and stayed til almost midnight. We talked, watched TV, and looked at pictures on her computer. David fixed Jo-Ann's computer and Jo-Ann gave the kids some little gifts she had for them. The gyroscopes were a huge success. I must say I love having 3 families. We are so fortunate to have so many loving people surrounding us. We have my family, David's family and Andrew's family. All 3 groups are incredibly important to my children and their quality of life just wouldn't be the same if these 3 groups didn't love all 3 of my children harmoniously. I am so thankful for such love.
When Jo-Ann left, we all collapsed into bed and slept hard! It was a good day but tomorrow will be even better. Home!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Hello Asheville
David's new phone finally came in. Hooray! After ages of waiting with no internet or GPS, we are finally back in the 21st century.
We met his friend, Sean, for lunch at this amazing Bar-B-Que place called 12 Bones. When we arrived, a line was forming out the door. Everyone ate til they couln't stuff another morsel down their throats except Arianna, who only ate my bread. We went to a place where Sean works calle Arcade. It's a restaurant and arcade during the day and a bar and arcade at night. He gave us some free tokens and access to free sodas and tea and we were in business. I had to force David and Aurora out of there. Aurora was really pretty good at pinball and Arianna just wanted to shoot things.
After Arcade, we went to a little splash-park fontain and let the girls play. I thought we'd be there all day but Aurora was being wierd and decided not to even go in. Athena told me some kid pushed her out of the way and was so offended by it, she didn't want to go back in. She's so sensitive, my baby. Arianna harped on Athena's comment but I know for a fact Arianna wouldn't have allowed some kid to push her like Athena will. She'd go down fighting. There were a lot of kids in the fountain, so we left, changed their clothes and walked around the downtown area.
It's a pretty little city with a lot of local art flair. In our wanderings, we went to an old Woolworht's store that still had an old fashioned fountain/ice cream shop intact. The rest of the place was set up for local artists to rent a booth and display their craft for purchase. We ate ice cream. When we finished, Aurora and David perused the local art set up within the store while I sat at the table with the little girls and played "Find the Spoon." It's funny what'll keep a kid's attention but usually it doesn't have to be an expensive toy, as long as your attention is involved. Aurora bought a couple little things. Athena saw litle card she wanted to buy but didn't have enough money. Rory was not about to loan her sister money, she's a frugal little gal. Each time that kid makes a purchase, she counts her money twice.
After strolling the downtown area, we headed to the car because Arianna was spent and it looked like rain. At the campground, we had dinner in the rain and turned in early.
Arianna was playing rough in bed, as she will do when she's not ready to sleep, and fell off the top bunk. Athena felt so bad because she was trying to move Arianna out of the way, and Ari fell. Luckily, she was alright but we were all pretty scared for a minute there. It took Athena longer to settle down than Arianna. Arianna got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and the big girls got to have Mommy rub their backs while Daddy snuggled Baby Sister.
Tomorrow, we begin our trek back home to Tallahassee. We figure we'll stop south of Atlanta for a little R&R at a hotel.
Today I Learned: The only reason Asheville is even on the map is because this was a resort town for the rich to play. The Biltmore is here, the largest house in the counrty. We didn't go because it's too pricey and walking around old houses is boring for kids. Back in the day, many famous people came here to vacation or stay for a season, especially if they suffered respiritory ailments. Asheville is a hub to the arts, from modern to folk art. I already knew that but I didn't know how much I'd like Asheville art. If I had the dough, I just might buy a lot of stuff here. Many restaurants here only serve local food. The local and slow food movement are embraced in Asheville.
We met his friend, Sean, for lunch at this amazing Bar-B-Que place called 12 Bones. When we arrived, a line was forming out the door. Everyone ate til they couln't stuff another morsel down their throats except Arianna, who only ate my bread. We went to a place where Sean works calle Arcade. It's a restaurant and arcade during the day and a bar and arcade at night. He gave us some free tokens and access to free sodas and tea and we were in business. I had to force David and Aurora out of there. Aurora was really pretty good at pinball and Arianna just wanted to shoot things.
After Arcade, we went to a little splash-park fontain and let the girls play. I thought we'd be there all day but Aurora was being wierd and decided not to even go in. Athena told me some kid pushed her out of the way and was so offended by it, she didn't want to go back in. She's so sensitive, my baby. Arianna harped on Athena's comment but I know for a fact Arianna wouldn't have allowed some kid to push her like Athena will. She'd go down fighting. There were a lot of kids in the fountain, so we left, changed their clothes and walked around the downtown area.
It's a pretty little city with a lot of local art flair. In our wanderings, we went to an old Woolworht's store that still had an old fashioned fountain/ice cream shop intact. The rest of the place was set up for local artists to rent a booth and display their craft for purchase. We ate ice cream. When we finished, Aurora and David perused the local art set up within the store while I sat at the table with the little girls and played "Find the Spoon." It's funny what'll keep a kid's attention but usually it doesn't have to be an expensive toy, as long as your attention is involved. Aurora bought a couple little things. Athena saw litle card she wanted to buy but didn't have enough money. Rory was not about to loan her sister money, she's a frugal little gal. Each time that kid makes a purchase, she counts her money twice.
After strolling the downtown area, we headed to the car because Arianna was spent and it looked like rain. At the campground, we had dinner in the rain and turned in early.
Arianna was playing rough in bed, as she will do when she's not ready to sleep, and fell off the top bunk. Athena felt so bad because she was trying to move Arianna out of the way, and Ari fell. Luckily, she was alright but we were all pretty scared for a minute there. It took Athena longer to settle down than Arianna. Arianna got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and the big girls got to have Mommy rub their backs while Daddy snuggled Baby Sister.
Tomorrow, we begin our trek back home to Tallahassee. We figure we'll stop south of Atlanta for a little R&R at a hotel.
Today I Learned: The only reason Asheville is even on the map is because this was a resort town for the rich to play. The Biltmore is here, the largest house in the counrty. We didn't go because it's too pricey and walking around old houses is boring for kids. Back in the day, many famous people came here to vacation or stay for a season, especially if they suffered respiritory ailments. Asheville is a hub to the arts, from modern to folk art. I already knew that but I didn't know how much I'd like Asheville art. If I had the dough, I just might buy a lot of stuff here. Many restaurants here only serve local food. The local and slow food movement are embraced in Asheville.
Down the Mountain
We awoke early and got everything packed up. By 8:30, we were on our way to Asheville, NC. I did something disgusting this morning too. I was so desperate for coffee that I got it out of a machine at the campground. They didn't even have milk or creamer to add, they had "whitener". What the heck is whitener?
You see, I am back on my on-again, off-again relationship with caffeine, full throttle, baby! David's grandfather gave me a can of instant for use on the trip, which has been a blessing but I couldn't find where I put the darned thing. You'd think finding things in a tiny camper would be easy since there's not much in there to start with. That's in fact, completely opposite because we are continually losing things on this trip, it's pathetic. Long story short, I got my coffee for whatever it's worth.
We went north-ish to the Sugarland Visitor Center. We needed directions and thought this would be a good place to get them. Since David's phone went kaput in Natchez and we returned the GPS in Nashville, we've had to use maps. It really, really, stinks using maps. It's like, "Hey, you turn left at route 101. " A few minutes later, "Um, I think that was 101 back there." Then you pull off to look at the map again and argue about whether it really was. You turn around only to find it was 101 NORTH when you needed SOUTH. It's just a lot of wasted time and energy! I shouldn't complain, at least we had the forethought to even get maps from AAA before leaving.
Once at the Visitor Center, we toured the museum and checked out the gift shop. Aurora got a Smoky Mts. guide, Athena got a book all about yucky stuff in the Smokies, and Arianna was plumb out of money but asked her moneybags, Athena, for some little plastic bugs in a tube. David advised against it because she won't have money left when she wants something in say, Ashville. Athena bought it anyways, what a sweetheart. Then they attended a Junior Ranger program about using a compass. It was fun and informative for the big girls but way out of Ari's league. I am glad they finally got to attend one of the Junior Ranger Programs though. They have booklets too and once the booklet is complete, they get a Junior Ranger badge but we just weren't staying long enough for that to happen. Next time. We got our directions to go through the park and it was a breathtaking site along the way.
We pulled off once to look at the scenery but when we got back into the bus, she wouldn't start. I imagined us broken down on this mountain in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service all night long. My heart started to pound in my chest. Somehow, he got it started and we were off again...but no more roadside pull-offs for us, no matter how beautiful it was! Then his brakes started making this funny noise and I couldn't even look out the window anymore. All I thought about was Maxine's story about the brake fluid burning out as they coasted down the mountain.
I was disappointed when we entered the Cherokee Nation. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't what we saw: motels, bars, Mexican restaurants, tourist trapping mini malls selling moccasins and gourds, and a casino in the works. They had their own local government and their own alphabet whick looks like a cross between ancient Greek and Arabic. We did't stop because we were scared of breaking down. Because we're using maps, we took a long, out of the way road to get to the interstate but at least we go there.
When we got to Asheville, we stopped for food at a lovely Mexican place. The food was good and cheap, the bathrooms were clean and the service was excellent. The bus luckily started up just fine, maybe the mountain driving just made it testy. We checked in at the campground and it began raining like crazy. I decided it was time to wash clothes because we were wearing our last clean set of everything.
The kids liked the laundromat and the few arcade games there kept them from climbing all over the laundry carts. I liked that you can wash a quad load. We washed, dried and folded everything. Clean laundry makes me happy.
We returned to the campsite and fell asleep. Tomorrow we meet up with David's friend, Sean and discover Asheville.
Things I learned: Wild hogs are an invasive species to Smoky Mountains Park. For many years, they have been trying to trap and remove hogs from the park because they rototill everything in their path in their quest for roots. There is a fungus called Devil Horn that grows from nub to 3 inch horn in a matter of hours. It smells like rotting flesh and the flies love it. Slime molds are unique in the sense that they move like animals and reproduce like fungi. They kinda move like a mini version of "The Blob".
You see, I am back on my on-again, off-again relationship with caffeine, full throttle, baby! David's grandfather gave me a can of instant for use on the trip, which has been a blessing but I couldn't find where I put the darned thing. You'd think finding things in a tiny camper would be easy since there's not much in there to start with. That's in fact, completely opposite because we are continually losing things on this trip, it's pathetic. Long story short, I got my coffee for whatever it's worth.
We went north-ish to the Sugarland Visitor Center. We needed directions and thought this would be a good place to get them. Since David's phone went kaput in Natchez and we returned the GPS in Nashville, we've had to use maps. It really, really, stinks using maps. It's like, "Hey, you turn left at route 101. " A few minutes later, "Um, I think that was 101 back there." Then you pull off to look at the map again and argue about whether it really was. You turn around only to find it was 101 NORTH when you needed SOUTH. It's just a lot of wasted time and energy! I shouldn't complain, at least we had the forethought to even get maps from AAA before leaving.
Once at the Visitor Center, we toured the museum and checked out the gift shop. Aurora got a Smoky Mts. guide, Athena got a book all about yucky stuff in the Smokies, and Arianna was plumb out of money but asked her moneybags, Athena, for some little plastic bugs in a tube. David advised against it because she won't have money left when she wants something in say, Ashville. Athena bought it anyways, what a sweetheart. Then they attended a Junior Ranger program about using a compass. It was fun and informative for the big girls but way out of Ari's league. I am glad they finally got to attend one of the Junior Ranger Programs though. They have booklets too and once the booklet is complete, they get a Junior Ranger badge but we just weren't staying long enough for that to happen. Next time. We got our directions to go through the park and it was a breathtaking site along the way.
We pulled off once to look at the scenery but when we got back into the bus, she wouldn't start. I imagined us broken down on this mountain in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service all night long. My heart started to pound in my chest. Somehow, he got it started and we were off again...but no more roadside pull-offs for us, no matter how beautiful it was! Then his brakes started making this funny noise and I couldn't even look out the window anymore. All I thought about was Maxine's story about the brake fluid burning out as they coasted down the mountain.
I was disappointed when we entered the Cherokee Nation. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't what we saw: motels, bars, Mexican restaurants, tourist trapping mini malls selling moccasins and gourds, and a casino in the works. They had their own local government and their own alphabet whick looks like a cross between ancient Greek and Arabic. We did't stop because we were scared of breaking down. Because we're using maps, we took a long, out of the way road to get to the interstate but at least we go there.
When we got to Asheville, we stopped for food at a lovely Mexican place. The food was good and cheap, the bathrooms were clean and the service was excellent. The bus luckily started up just fine, maybe the mountain driving just made it testy. We checked in at the campground and it began raining like crazy. I decided it was time to wash clothes because we were wearing our last clean set of everything.
The kids liked the laundromat and the few arcade games there kept them from climbing all over the laundry carts. I liked that you can wash a quad load. We washed, dried and folded everything. Clean laundry makes me happy.
We returned to the campsite and fell asleep. Tomorrow we meet up with David's friend, Sean and discover Asheville.
Things I learned: Wild hogs are an invasive species to Smoky Mountains Park. For many years, they have been trying to trap and remove hogs from the park because they rototill everything in their path in their quest for roots. There is a fungus called Devil Horn that grows from nub to 3 inch horn in a matter of hours. It smells like rotting flesh and the flies love it. Slime molds are unique in the sense that they move like animals and reproduce like fungi. They kinda move like a mini version of "The Blob".
Thursday, June 23, 2011
On Top of Old Smoky
Today we woke up rather late but, hey, we're on vacation! It rained last night and everything got wet but that made for a nice, cool morning. By the way, that creek behind our campsite is so awesome, better than cartoons or video games! Yepper, the girls played in there again.
We headed to Cades Cove for bike riding fun. it's the only place in the park besides campgrounds people are allowed to ride bikes but we sure saw several bike riders on the mountain roads. I wouldn't do it, motorists don't get along well with bicyclists and more importantly, tourist drivers are dangerous. The guy at the bike rental place had trouble fixing up Arainna's training wheels. We were there in the shop for quite a while and he never got it quite right. He said Ari and Feni were too young for the bike loop and we'd have to stay in the Cades Cove campground to ride bikes. He was right too! One time around the loop was more than enough for us, thank you. The 2 little ones had trouble getting up the hills, even though they were fairly small. Arianna is just too small to push uphill but I blame Athena's bike. As she'd push uphill, it'd skid under her. David and I barely had time to ride our bikes due to pushing those little ladies around. Aurora, on the other hand, zipped around all of us, impatiently waiting for her pokey family to catch up.
Then it happened. Arianna had an accident. She was so cautious going downhill. Just as she'd get to a decent downhill pace, she'd brake. This happened every 2-4 feet. I tried to show her how to slowly coast by putting on the brakes slightly. It didn't work. She began accelerating towards a tree and freaked. She took her feet off the pedals, coasted quickly off the road and crashed. Luckily, the injuries were minor but there was a brief moment that I felt completely helpless, watching my child and unable to help her from where I was standing. That is truly the worst feeling for a parent. After that, we were all ready to be done. Ice cream and souvenirs helped gloss over Ari's accident.
David wanted to get gas but we had to leave the park to do it. He decided to make a detour onto Cades Cove Scenic Loop. Little did we know, this scenic loop is 9 miles long, one way and full of rubbernecking people. In fact, some people even stopped in the middle of the road, with a line of cars behind them to get out, look at the scenery and take pictures. It is a scenic drive and many beautiful images of meadows with bear and deer set against a mountain background and pioneer homes, churches and a grist mill. Aurora was in absolute pioneer heaven when we parked and toured an old log cabin farm. The wood planks were so roughly cut as if someone had hand-sawed them and made me really appreciate how convenient everything in the modern home is now. No wonder homes were so small back then, each step was so painstaking. These mountain folk had one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen out their front door, I tell ya. After returning to the car, we got caught up in a stand-still traffic jam for what seemed like ages. I got out to see what was going on to find some people decided not to use a designated pull-off but were STOPPED in the middle of the road, no one behind them could pass. I walked up to their car and asked them to move. They were nice enough about it and quick to move but seemed oblivious they were holding up traffic. After forever, we made it out of the loop. It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, it was just loooong!
When we finally made it to the gas station, a lady thanked me for asking the "parkers" to move it. She said her family thought they were gonna run out of gas right there in the Cades Cove Loop. When we returned to the campsite, David dropped me off to prepare dinner and get things ready to leave for tomorrow while they went to swim in Little River. I welcomed the time to myself and they had a blast. Upon returnning, we ate dinner and s'mores and my favorite, burnt marshmallows.
At bedtime, Arianna was sad because she wanted to sleep with her new skunk that Athena helped her buy. The problem is that when you bring stuffed animals to the creek, they get wet. It's not comfortable for your sisters when you want to sleep with a wet skunk. Rory and Feni worked to make her soaked skunk a comfortable outdoor bed while David sang her a song. Everyone fell asleep happy.
Things I Learned: When the Great Smoky Mountains became a national park, there were approximately 5,000 people living here. There's a Cherokee Nation southeast of the park. They made some sort of pact with the white settlers that they'd move as long as they had their own corner of space where white people woouldn't bother them. The Cherokee Nation is still very much alive today in the same location. Due to this, the Cherokees and the white settlers lived peacefully alongside each other. The Cherokees did not march in the Trail of Tears either; in fact, they challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. I am pretty sure they lost but they didn't have to leave North Carolina. Our campsite, Elkmont, used to be a logging site. When the park was established, Elkmont was barren. It took a lot of effort from individuals, groups, school children, the Tennessee and North Carolina government to raise enough money to purchase all the land that now makes up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although much of the park was destroyed due to commercial logging, over 35% of the forests in the park remain virgin. Some of the oldest, undisturbed forests along the east coast lie within the park. There was some sort of sticky timeshare resort within the park that took the national government over 50 years to fully own. The ever important tree, Hemlock, is dying due to disease. The death of this tree has spurred an unfortunate chain of events that will be irreversible if something isn't done to stop this disease from spreading. For one thing, some low growing flora that rely on the heating and cooling temperatures the Hemlocks provide are unable to survive without "protection" from the Hemlocks. Also, the ecosystem of the rivers or streams near which the Hemlock grows may be changing. It turns out the nitrate levels change when trees are wiped out, as does the acidity of the water. This goes to show how everything in the ecosystem is connected and one simple incident can cause a domino effect, completely altering an ecosystem forever.
We headed to Cades Cove for bike riding fun. it's the only place in the park besides campgrounds people are allowed to ride bikes but we sure saw several bike riders on the mountain roads. I wouldn't do it, motorists don't get along well with bicyclists and more importantly, tourist drivers are dangerous. The guy at the bike rental place had trouble fixing up Arainna's training wheels. We were there in the shop for quite a while and he never got it quite right. He said Ari and Feni were too young for the bike loop and we'd have to stay in the Cades Cove campground to ride bikes. He was right too! One time around the loop was more than enough for us, thank you. The 2 little ones had trouble getting up the hills, even though they were fairly small. Arianna is just too small to push uphill but I blame Athena's bike. As she'd push uphill, it'd skid under her. David and I barely had time to ride our bikes due to pushing those little ladies around. Aurora, on the other hand, zipped around all of us, impatiently waiting for her pokey family to catch up.
Then it happened. Arianna had an accident. She was so cautious going downhill. Just as she'd get to a decent downhill pace, she'd brake. This happened every 2-4 feet. I tried to show her how to slowly coast by putting on the brakes slightly. It didn't work. She began accelerating towards a tree and freaked. She took her feet off the pedals, coasted quickly off the road and crashed. Luckily, the injuries were minor but there was a brief moment that I felt completely helpless, watching my child and unable to help her from where I was standing. That is truly the worst feeling for a parent. After that, we were all ready to be done. Ice cream and souvenirs helped gloss over Ari's accident.
David wanted to get gas but we had to leave the park to do it. He decided to make a detour onto Cades Cove Scenic Loop. Little did we know, this scenic loop is 9 miles long, one way and full of rubbernecking people. In fact, some people even stopped in the middle of the road, with a line of cars behind them to get out, look at the scenery and take pictures. It is a scenic drive and many beautiful images of meadows with bear and deer set against a mountain background and pioneer homes, churches and a grist mill. Aurora was in absolute pioneer heaven when we parked and toured an old log cabin farm. The wood planks were so roughly cut as if someone had hand-sawed them and made me really appreciate how convenient everything in the modern home is now. No wonder homes were so small back then, each step was so painstaking. These mountain folk had one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen out their front door, I tell ya. After returning to the car, we got caught up in a stand-still traffic jam for what seemed like ages. I got out to see what was going on to find some people decided not to use a designated pull-off but were STOPPED in the middle of the road, no one behind them could pass. I walked up to their car and asked them to move. They were nice enough about it and quick to move but seemed oblivious they were holding up traffic. After forever, we made it out of the loop. It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, it was just loooong!
When we finally made it to the gas station, a lady thanked me for asking the "parkers" to move it. She said her family thought they were gonna run out of gas right there in the Cades Cove Loop. When we returned to the campsite, David dropped me off to prepare dinner and get things ready to leave for tomorrow while they went to swim in Little River. I welcomed the time to myself and they had a blast. Upon returnning, we ate dinner and s'mores and my favorite, burnt marshmallows.
At bedtime, Arianna was sad because she wanted to sleep with her new skunk that Athena helped her buy. The problem is that when you bring stuffed animals to the creek, they get wet. It's not comfortable for your sisters when you want to sleep with a wet skunk. Rory and Feni worked to make her soaked skunk a comfortable outdoor bed while David sang her a song. Everyone fell asleep happy.
Things I Learned: When the Great Smoky Mountains became a national park, there were approximately 5,000 people living here. There's a Cherokee Nation southeast of the park. They made some sort of pact with the white settlers that they'd move as long as they had their own corner of space where white people woouldn't bother them. The Cherokee Nation is still very much alive today in the same location. Due to this, the Cherokees and the white settlers lived peacefully alongside each other. The Cherokees did not march in the Trail of Tears either; in fact, they challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. I am pretty sure they lost but they didn't have to leave North Carolina. Our campsite, Elkmont, used to be a logging site. When the park was established, Elkmont was barren. It took a lot of effort from individuals, groups, school children, the Tennessee and North Carolina government to raise enough money to purchase all the land that now makes up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although much of the park was destroyed due to commercial logging, over 35% of the forests in the park remain virgin. Some of the oldest, undisturbed forests along the east coast lie within the park. There was some sort of sticky timeshare resort within the park that took the national government over 50 years to fully own. The ever important tree, Hemlock, is dying due to disease. The death of this tree has spurred an unfortunate chain of events that will be irreversible if something isn't done to stop this disease from spreading. For one thing, some low growing flora that rely on the heating and cooling temperatures the Hemlocks provide are unable to survive without "protection" from the Hemlocks. Also, the ecosystem of the rivers or streams near which the Hemlock grows may be changing. It turns out the nitrate levels change when trees are wiped out, as does the acidity of the water. This goes to show how everything in the ecosystem is connected and one simple incident can cause a domino effect, completely altering an ecosystem forever.
On the Road Again
Arianna woke up exclaiming, "I love the Smoky Mountains!" She knew we were headed that way and was excited for it. Our original intention was to wake early and swim in the lake before heading out. Everyone got suited up and we rushed to the water in order to beat the incoming storm. Just as we got to the beach, BAM! Thunder. Swimming was out.
I told the girls they could instead play on the playground until I saw lightening or it began to rain. That lasted less than 5 minutes. All of a sudden, lightening, thunder and immediate downpour. The girls were disappointed I wouldn't allow them to weather the storm in a playground tunnel. Instead we took showers, it's just not the same.
We stopped at a McDonald's to orient ourselve, gel plans and hook onto the free wi-fi for directions. We returned the rental car -and the much-used GPS- and we were on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains! The roads from Nashville to the Smokies just got more beautiful. Everything is green and lush. It's hard to describe the humbling yet majestic sense one gets from mountain country. There is a blue mist everywhere, hence the name Smoky Mountains. There are cabins seemingly clinging to steep inclines and vegetation growing out of pure rock. How awesome it is to be in the mountains.
Here in the mountains, bodies of water freely flow in just about every valley. The rivers race over rocks and green grows everywhere. As we came into the park, I started to get motion sickness from all the winding roads. There were sharp, hairpin curves overlooking straight drops. No guard rail needed. If you're gonna fall, you're gonna fall. No need wasting precious guard rails on your outta control self.
I wasn't sure about the bus at times. When old Bluie had to climb steep roads, she coughed and sputtered. Dave pulled over at times to allow people to pass because Bluie accelerated so slowly.
There was a huge elephant in the bus that David and I decided not to bring up for fear of jinxing ourselves. The roads were unmarked. His odometer is non-functioning; so, we were not exactly sure how far we'd driven and our scheduled turns were basically guesswork. By some act of God, we made it to the campground without missing a single turn. I still cannot believe it!
On the way, we rode alongside Litte River. There were people in bathing suits playing on the rocks, water rushing around them. When Aurora and Athena saw that, they just had to try it. Boy, were they in luck! A thinner, shallower, less active version of that river, more like a creek, ran right through the back yard of our campsite. It was absolutely picturesque, better than any postcard! We have got to come back!
All 3 kids immediately got in, splashing and playing until we finally made them put on jammies. We ate watermelon and s'mores, set up camp and just enjoyed each other's company. David rinsed out some clothes in the stream and hung them out to dry. I doubt they'll dry because the air is so heavy with humidity, you can see the mist in the air.
As we wound down for bed, a storm was abrewin' in the distance. Arianna & Athena were scared of the thunder but not too scared to sleep in the tent. They played themselves to sleep while David poked around the fire outside the tent til long after everyone had fallen asleep.
The plan is to explore the area tomorrow. I want to go on a family bike ride but we'll see how it goes. Happy Father's Day!
What I Learned: Nashville airport doesn't make people continually circle the terminal when picking up arriving flights passengers. They have a parking area set up for people waiting for passengers to arrive and you can temporarily park there as long as your trunk's open. That's so much less annoying than driving around in circles. Thanks Nashville! When FDR signed papers for the Smoky Mountains to become a national park, there was not much wildlife left in the area due completely to hunting, trapping and logging. When mountain people say "hollow" they pronounce it "holler".If an area is called Hickory Hollow, they say, "Hick'ry Holler". Funny thing too cuz there are lots o' hollers round here.
I told the girls they could instead play on the playground until I saw lightening or it began to rain. That lasted less than 5 minutes. All of a sudden, lightening, thunder and immediate downpour. The girls were disappointed I wouldn't allow them to weather the storm in a playground tunnel. Instead we took showers, it's just not the same.
We stopped at a McDonald's to orient ourselve, gel plans and hook onto the free wi-fi for directions. We returned the rental car -and the much-used GPS- and we were on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains! The roads from Nashville to the Smokies just got more beautiful. Everything is green and lush. It's hard to describe the humbling yet majestic sense one gets from mountain country. There is a blue mist everywhere, hence the name Smoky Mountains. There are cabins seemingly clinging to steep inclines and vegetation growing out of pure rock. How awesome it is to be in the mountains.
Here in the mountains, bodies of water freely flow in just about every valley. The rivers race over rocks and green grows everywhere. As we came into the park, I started to get motion sickness from all the winding roads. There were sharp, hairpin curves overlooking straight drops. No guard rail needed. If you're gonna fall, you're gonna fall. No need wasting precious guard rails on your outta control self.
I wasn't sure about the bus at times. When old Bluie had to climb steep roads, she coughed and sputtered. Dave pulled over at times to allow people to pass because Bluie accelerated so slowly.
There was a huge elephant in the bus that David and I decided not to bring up for fear of jinxing ourselves. The roads were unmarked. His odometer is non-functioning; so, we were not exactly sure how far we'd driven and our scheduled turns were basically guesswork. By some act of God, we made it to the campground without missing a single turn. I still cannot believe it!
On the way, we rode alongside Litte River. There were people in bathing suits playing on the rocks, water rushing around them. When Aurora and Athena saw that, they just had to try it. Boy, were they in luck! A thinner, shallower, less active version of that river, more like a creek, ran right through the back yard of our campsite. It was absolutely picturesque, better than any postcard! We have got to come back!
All 3 kids immediately got in, splashing and playing until we finally made them put on jammies. We ate watermelon and s'mores, set up camp and just enjoyed each other's company. David rinsed out some clothes in the stream and hung them out to dry. I doubt they'll dry because the air is so heavy with humidity, you can see the mist in the air.
As we wound down for bed, a storm was abrewin' in the distance. Arianna & Athena were scared of the thunder but not too scared to sleep in the tent. They played themselves to sleep while David poked around the fire outside the tent til long after everyone had fallen asleep.
The plan is to explore the area tomorrow. I want to go on a family bike ride but we'll see how it goes. Happy Father's Day!
What I Learned: Nashville airport doesn't make people continually circle the terminal when picking up arriving flights passengers. They have a parking area set up for people waiting for passengers to arrive and you can temporarily park there as long as your trunk's open. That's so much less annoying than driving around in circles. Thanks Nashville! When FDR signed papers for the Smoky Mountains to become a national park, there was not much wildlife left in the area due completely to hunting, trapping and logging. When mountain people say "hollow" they pronounce it "holler".If an area is called Hickory Hollow, they say, "Hick'ry Holler". Funny thing too cuz there are lots o' hollers round here.
Music City
Here we are in Lovely Nashville. Did you know the terrain here is kinda mountainous? It's beautiful and everything just keeps getting greener! I could live here; well, after I leave Gulfport. Maybe I could divide my time. Yeah. We got all situated to go after taking hot showers and entered the city.
I think, by far, today was the most enjoyable for everyone. Even though it rained, we were all in good spirits. I honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the weather here is not comparable to a sauna. I am so glad I didn't give up and decide to go home. We started with the Verizon store because David had been promised a new phone in Nashville by Memphis Verizon stores. Unfortunately, someone was sorely confused along the way because he is still without a phone. No worries because we have new hope that upon entering Asheville, NC, he will have that phone. Let's not dwell on the negative though. It was a good day, lemme tell you about it.
We started with the Parthenon. Yeah, there is really a Parthenon here in Nashville. It's a complete replica housed inside a beautiful park that we didn't spend much time exploring due to the rain. The bottom floor of the Parthenon is an art museum and an informational tour on how the Parthenon came to be in Nashville and so forth. The top floor is the main attraction. The goddess Athena stands over 60 ft tall. She's guilded in gold and ivory and has lovely detail painted all over. Surrounding Athena are replicas of statues recovered from the ruins at the site of the Acropolyse, on which the Parthenon is situated. Athena (our daughter) was so excited to visit because it's a temple dedicated to ATHENA. Aurora was excited because she's a Greek Mythology buff. Arianna was excited because she was gonna see the lady after which her sister was named. We stayed for a long time until everyone had their fill. Then we hit the gift shop until David made us leave. Outside, we climbed the steps to the doors. This place is not a cheap tourist trap. This place is really cool and replicated with class. I am so glad we went.
After that we went to a restaurant that David's cousin Sandy, who lives in Nashville, told us we had to visit if we liked Italian food. She was right. It was excellent but a bit out of our price range. Our 1st tip should have been the valet parking sign. Our 2nd indication should have been when they asked us if we had reservations. Getting a table at this place without a reservation on Father's Day is hard to do, good thing we showed up early. When we left, the place was packing them in with people. Fortunately, the kids were well behaved. In fact, we even got a few compliments on how awesome they were. After we rolled our overstuffed selves outta there, we headed to the Gaylord Opry Resort, another place David's cousin Sandy advised us to check out.
She said it'd be a fun indoor activity for the kids, with it being so rainy. David and I didn't think this strange because we were big fans of chillin' for free at Disney resorts when we lived in Orlando. Disney has beautiful, well manicured, impressive resorts but they paled in comparison to the Gaylord Opry!
Upon entering, Aurora complained that visiting a hotel when you're not planning to stay is cheap and lame. She quickly changed her mind. The hotel itself looks to be a series of older brick buildings adjoined with open courtyards. Each room has an adorable little iron-framed balcony with a decorative iron table and chairs set upon the porch. There are white french doors leading to the balcony and that's as far as I could see without being a blatant Peeping Tom. I am sure the rooms were nice!
The Gaylord hotel has recently installed a glass ceiling above each courtyard, completely shutting in all open air areas. There are beautiful little rivers and streams along sidewalks, lined with tropical plants and lovely flowers. There are quaint bridges, waterfalls, gazebos, a riverboat, cute shops, and an array of restaurants and cafes. Along sidewalks and boardwalks, there are occasional benches inviting guests and visitors to stop and stay a while. Stay a while is something that can easily be done with acres of space set inside 3 conservatory-like settings. It's so big, we got lost, even with maps to guide our way! There is also what looks to be a fun indoor pool but we never made it that far! Would it be wrong to get divorced just so we can re-marry here?
The girls had a blast just running around, splashing in the water, and discovering their surroundings. Athena proclaimed that she wanted to live there forever. She was also extremely disappointed we couldn't stay for the night. My AAA travel book said the rates ranged from $199 to $400 per night. We definitely weren't staying there! After HOURS of wandering around the resort, we left for the campsite. The night ended with playing, s'mores and stories. Everyone fell asleep happy and comfortable.
What I Learned: As the South is known as the Bible Belt, Nashville is known as the Belt Buckle. There are definitely a lot of churches here but Nashville is also the biggest publisher/printer of Bibles in the world. Nashville's Parthenon was originally a plaster structure meant to be temporary. After 25 years, much longer than anyone anticipated it standing, Music City decided to make it a permanent building. Lots of money and careful planning was dumped into building the new structure. The Nashville's Parthenon houses the world's largest pair of brass doors and they are surprisingly easy to push open/closed. Most of the sculptures that come from the Acropolypse in Athens are on display not in Greece but the United Kingdom. In the 1600's after the Parthenon was destroyed, the pieces lay in disarray all over the Acropolypse. The Brits asked the Greek government if they could have the partially demolished statues from the site. Greece didn't see the broken statues as a valuable part of their history until this past century. Now they have museums with empty sections that are empty with the intention of buying back their art. Good luck! Nike, the goddess of victory is Athena's right hand woman. There are several Athenas that visit the Nashville Parthenon each year. She's not the only Athena in the USA. Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home is on the Nashville outskirts. He's apparently still a very celebrated man 'round these here parts. Many country stars today performed at the Grand Ole Opry before they were ever famous. Many famous counrty singers are from the east Tennessee area.
I think, by far, today was the most enjoyable for everyone. Even though it rained, we were all in good spirits. I honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the weather here is not comparable to a sauna. I am so glad I didn't give up and decide to go home. We started with the Verizon store because David had been promised a new phone in Nashville by Memphis Verizon stores. Unfortunately, someone was sorely confused along the way because he is still without a phone. No worries because we have new hope that upon entering Asheville, NC, he will have that phone. Let's not dwell on the negative though. It was a good day, lemme tell you about it.
We started with the Parthenon. Yeah, there is really a Parthenon here in Nashville. It's a complete replica housed inside a beautiful park that we didn't spend much time exploring due to the rain. The bottom floor of the Parthenon is an art museum and an informational tour on how the Parthenon came to be in Nashville and so forth. The top floor is the main attraction. The goddess Athena stands over 60 ft tall. She's guilded in gold and ivory and has lovely detail painted all over. Surrounding Athena are replicas of statues recovered from the ruins at the site of the Acropolyse, on which the Parthenon is situated. Athena (our daughter) was so excited to visit because it's a temple dedicated to ATHENA. Aurora was excited because she's a Greek Mythology buff. Arianna was excited because she was gonna see the lady after which her sister was named. We stayed for a long time until everyone had their fill. Then we hit the gift shop until David made us leave. Outside, we climbed the steps to the doors. This place is not a cheap tourist trap. This place is really cool and replicated with class. I am so glad we went.
After that we went to a restaurant that David's cousin Sandy, who lives in Nashville, told us we had to visit if we liked Italian food. She was right. It was excellent but a bit out of our price range. Our 1st tip should have been the valet parking sign. Our 2nd indication should have been when they asked us if we had reservations. Getting a table at this place without a reservation on Father's Day is hard to do, good thing we showed up early. When we left, the place was packing them in with people. Fortunately, the kids were well behaved. In fact, we even got a few compliments on how awesome they were. After we rolled our overstuffed selves outta there, we headed to the Gaylord Opry Resort, another place David's cousin Sandy advised us to check out.
She said it'd be a fun indoor activity for the kids, with it being so rainy. David and I didn't think this strange because we were big fans of chillin' for free at Disney resorts when we lived in Orlando. Disney has beautiful, well manicured, impressive resorts but they paled in comparison to the Gaylord Opry!
Upon entering, Aurora complained that visiting a hotel when you're not planning to stay is cheap and lame. She quickly changed her mind. The hotel itself looks to be a series of older brick buildings adjoined with open courtyards. Each room has an adorable little iron-framed balcony with a decorative iron table and chairs set upon the porch. There are white french doors leading to the balcony and that's as far as I could see without being a blatant Peeping Tom. I am sure the rooms were nice!
The Gaylord hotel has recently installed a glass ceiling above each courtyard, completely shutting in all open air areas. There are beautiful little rivers and streams along sidewalks, lined with tropical plants and lovely flowers. There are quaint bridges, waterfalls, gazebos, a riverboat, cute shops, and an array of restaurants and cafes. Along sidewalks and boardwalks, there are occasional benches inviting guests and visitors to stop and stay a while. Stay a while is something that can easily be done with acres of space set inside 3 conservatory-like settings. It's so big, we got lost, even with maps to guide our way! There is also what looks to be a fun indoor pool but we never made it that far! Would it be wrong to get divorced just so we can re-marry here?
The girls had a blast just running around, splashing in the water, and discovering their surroundings. Athena proclaimed that she wanted to live there forever. She was also extremely disappointed we couldn't stay for the night. My AAA travel book said the rates ranged from $199 to $400 per night. We definitely weren't staying there! After HOURS of wandering around the resort, we left for the campsite. The night ended with playing, s'mores and stories. Everyone fell asleep happy and comfortable.
What I Learned: As the South is known as the Bible Belt, Nashville is known as the Belt Buckle. There are definitely a lot of churches here but Nashville is also the biggest publisher/printer of Bibles in the world. Nashville's Parthenon was originally a plaster structure meant to be temporary. After 25 years, much longer than anyone anticipated it standing, Music City decided to make it a permanent building. Lots of money and careful planning was dumped into building the new structure. The Nashville's Parthenon houses the world's largest pair of brass doors and they are surprisingly easy to push open/closed. Most of the sculptures that come from the Acropolypse in Athens are on display not in Greece but the United Kingdom. In the 1600's after the Parthenon was destroyed, the pieces lay in disarray all over the Acropolypse. The Brits asked the Greek government if they could have the partially demolished statues from the site. Greece didn't see the broken statues as a valuable part of their history until this past century. Now they have museums with empty sections that are empty with the intention of buying back their art. Good luck! Nike, the goddess of victory is Athena's right hand woman. There are several Athenas that visit the Nashville Parthenon each year. She's not the only Athena in the USA. Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home is on the Nashville outskirts. He's apparently still a very celebrated man 'round these here parts. Many country stars today performed at the Grand Ole Opry before they were ever famous. Many famous counrty singers are from the east Tennessee area.
Memphis
When we woke up, David had gone to get his starter, just as promised. The hotel was nice, Candlewood Suites, apparently intended as an extended-stay chain. We used free laundry facilities, a gym, an indoor pool and it had a full mini kitchen. I made eggs for breakfast and the girls got their fill of morning cartoons. In the meantime, David finished fixing the car and we were ready to get movin' in the city.
I really wanted to go to Mud Island Park because Missy recommended it as a family-friendly and educational place. We were on our way when we saw one of those little brown signs that said "Sun Studios". David really wanted to go and I figured a simple studio wouldn't take long, so we headed straight to the sun. Once there, they said that you could only tour the place with a guide and the tours ran on the hour. We still had another 1/2 hour before the next tour began and David REALLY wanted to do it. They informed me when I went to purchase tickets that Arianna would be unable to go past the gift shop because she was too young. At first I was a little miffed because that meant I would have to stay back with her. Once they informed me that for my inconvenience, David's ticket would be free and Ari and I got free snacks til the cows came home, I was in! It was great, we played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and she played the DS while I read the local paper detailing this year's Bonaroo. We also had our share of free snacks and drinks. Once the tour was over about 45 minutes later, they told me Ari and I could go into the studio for a few minutes. We did and Arianna immediately proclaimed the room boring and began to throw a tantrum about wanting to leave. The Sun Studio people were so correct, she couldn't handle it! I did get to glance around enough to see people standing in line to pose with Elvis's microphone. Apparently, not much has changed in that little room. This studio is where Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins (among others) go their start. We shopped the gift shop then headed to Beale Street for lunch.
By this time, the kids were starving. Let me tell you about Beale Street. It's supposedly where music happens in this town, especially the blues. It literally consists of about 4 blocks. That's it. Well, we ate at a place called Lil' Anthony's. They were apparently a soul food and breakfast place but were out of just about everything. I felt like we got mediocre food and mediocre service at a tourist's price. I wish we'd had the BBQ instead. I love me some Bar-B-Que! By the time we left the restaurant, it was pushing 4:00. Did I mention it took FOREVER for our foor to come out? We walked a block or 2 and started talking about Mud Island and I decided we just needed to go. We still had to drive to Nashville.
We left with me not getting to visit the park, take a Sun tour or eat famous Memphis Bar-B-Que. Boo Hoo. Don't feel too badly for me. By this time, my attitude about the trip changed. The day before, I was ready to go home. With a comfortable hotel sleep, pleasant Tennessee weather and the promise of our trip getting back on track, I was refreshed and ready to go.
We drove to Nashville and were pleased to find a lovely, shaded and comfortable campground with NICE BATHROOMS. Everyone slept well and the weather was perfect for sleeping. Who needs A/C?
Things I Learned: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech and was killed in Memphis. This is probably common knowledge but I didn't know. The guy who created the infamous Piggly Wiggly food chain is a Memphian. He donated his pink marble home to the city and it's now a museum. Not only were rock legends born here but this is also the home of the Blues. Tennessee is called the Volunteer State. This seems kinda silly until you learn the backstory. During the Civil War, recruits in the South were scarce and positions underfilled. Tennessee had 10 times the required number enlist. Dang! Impressive!
I really wanted to go to Mud Island Park because Missy recommended it as a family-friendly and educational place. We were on our way when we saw one of those little brown signs that said "Sun Studios". David really wanted to go and I figured a simple studio wouldn't take long, so we headed straight to the sun. Once there, they said that you could only tour the place with a guide and the tours ran on the hour. We still had another 1/2 hour before the next tour began and David REALLY wanted to do it. They informed me when I went to purchase tickets that Arianna would be unable to go past the gift shop because she was too young. At first I was a little miffed because that meant I would have to stay back with her. Once they informed me that for my inconvenience, David's ticket would be free and Ari and I got free snacks til the cows came home, I was in! It was great, we played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and she played the DS while I read the local paper detailing this year's Bonaroo. We also had our share of free snacks and drinks. Once the tour was over about 45 minutes later, they told me Ari and I could go into the studio for a few minutes. We did and Arianna immediately proclaimed the room boring and began to throw a tantrum about wanting to leave. The Sun Studio people were so correct, she couldn't handle it! I did get to glance around enough to see people standing in line to pose with Elvis's microphone. Apparently, not much has changed in that little room. This studio is where Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins (among others) go their start. We shopped the gift shop then headed to Beale Street for lunch.
By this time, the kids were starving. Let me tell you about Beale Street. It's supposedly where music happens in this town, especially the blues. It literally consists of about 4 blocks. That's it. Well, we ate at a place called Lil' Anthony's. They were apparently a soul food and breakfast place but were out of just about everything. I felt like we got mediocre food and mediocre service at a tourist's price. I wish we'd had the BBQ instead. I love me some Bar-B-Que! By the time we left the restaurant, it was pushing 4:00. Did I mention it took FOREVER for our foor to come out? We walked a block or 2 and started talking about Mud Island and I decided we just needed to go. We still had to drive to Nashville.
We left with me not getting to visit the park, take a Sun tour or eat famous Memphis Bar-B-Que. Boo Hoo. Don't feel too badly for me. By this time, my attitude about the trip changed. The day before, I was ready to go home. With a comfortable hotel sleep, pleasant Tennessee weather and the promise of our trip getting back on track, I was refreshed and ready to go.
We drove to Nashville and were pleased to find a lovely, shaded and comfortable campground with NICE BATHROOMS. Everyone slept well and the weather was perfect for sleeping. Who needs A/C?
Things I Learned: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech and was killed in Memphis. This is probably common knowledge but I didn't know. The guy who created the infamous Piggly Wiggly food chain is a Memphian. He donated his pink marble home to the city and it's now a museum. Not only were rock legends born here but this is also the home of the Blues. Tennessee is called the Volunteer State. This seems kinda silly until you learn the backstory. During the Civil War, recruits in the South were scarce and positions underfilled. Tennessee had 10 times the required number enlist. Dang! Impressive!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Posting
We shall post when we can. We are headed to places where we are not sure about wireless connections. We were using David's Android phone to tether the internet to the laptop but now that his phone has gone kaput, who knows. Signing off for now. Over and out!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Memphis Blues
Here we are in Memphis, at another hotel. We had to push-start the VW 3 times throughout our journey between Natchez and Memphis. I was not excited about that but David insisted. Once at the hotel in Natchez, once in some podunk town in Mississippi and once at the VW dealership in Memphis. Each time some chivalrous southern man or 2 or 3 came to my rescue. Every time, at least 1 man would comment on my husband forcing me into such labor. I laughed to myself thinking none of these men probably EVER changed a dirty diaper or cleaned up a child's vomit after they "missed" the toilet. It was mighty sweet of them to come to our aid and I know David and I wouldn't have been able to do it alone but it was definitely a cultural thing, Southern Good Ole Boy vs. Dirty Hippy.
I drove the rental while he rode in the VW. We switched the girls out between vehicles so they wouldn't all be at each other's throats in such close quarters in the rented Impala. I even took a turn at driving the VW so David could have some A/C. I'm nice like that!
The reason we were even feeling so "adventurous" is that in Memphis, they'd promised David the part immediately versus a week or more in Natchez. We arrived just a bit too late (because when you have 3 little girls, someone ALWAYS has to use the potty) and he'd accidentally turned off the car. I was afraid that would happen at some point. This particular time, it took a shop full of dudes towing David muddin'-style to start the vehicle. At that point, I was frazzled. I hated this trip, I hated the VW, I hated camping, I hated how much money we spent and I hated myself for being so hateful.
So I did what any crazy wife would do, I refused to drive 45 minutes away to the campsite just to drive back tomorrow to get a part. I insisted we find a nearby hotel. David caved just to chill me out. Like any crazy wife, I was instantly happy again. Good thing I insisted too, a nasty storm came through just after we checked in. It must be that female 6th sense. .
We checked in, chilled out, ate out, came back and swam in the indoor pool, and life is good! Tomorrow, David will rise early, get the starter and install it in the parking lot because the people here are nice enough to allow him to do that. While he's doing that, we will hang at the pool. I really want to get some time in Memphis before we head to Nashville. If we want to be back on schedule tomorrow, we have to camp in Nashville tomorrow night. I just hope we have time to get to know the lovely Miss Memphis before we depart.
Right now I am enjoying my time alone in the hotel business center. I got to be the one to do laundry this time. How lucky am I?
Things I learned today: Mississippi is really that green, no fertilizer needed! Overworked Red Cross workers can be very cranky at the end of the day. Don't be a bad maid to an ARC volunteer! A Tennessee thunderstorm can produce winds that'll push an abandoned VW camper bus 50 or more feet through a parking lot. Mythbusters, try that out for size! Lucky for us, very few others were parked in the back lot!
I drove the rental while he rode in the VW. We switched the girls out between vehicles so they wouldn't all be at each other's throats in such close quarters in the rented Impala. I even took a turn at driving the VW so David could have some A/C. I'm nice like that!
The reason we were even feeling so "adventurous" is that in Memphis, they'd promised David the part immediately versus a week or more in Natchez. We arrived just a bit too late (because when you have 3 little girls, someone ALWAYS has to use the potty) and he'd accidentally turned off the car. I was afraid that would happen at some point. This particular time, it took a shop full of dudes towing David muddin'-style to start the vehicle. At that point, I was frazzled. I hated this trip, I hated the VW, I hated camping, I hated how much money we spent and I hated myself for being so hateful.
So I did what any crazy wife would do, I refused to drive 45 minutes away to the campsite just to drive back tomorrow to get a part. I insisted we find a nearby hotel. David caved just to chill me out. Like any crazy wife, I was instantly happy again. Good thing I insisted too, a nasty storm came through just after we checked in. It must be that female 6th sense. .
We checked in, chilled out, ate out, came back and swam in the indoor pool, and life is good! Tomorrow, David will rise early, get the starter and install it in the parking lot because the people here are nice enough to allow him to do that. While he's doing that, we will hang at the pool. I really want to get some time in Memphis before we head to Nashville. If we want to be back on schedule tomorrow, we have to camp in Nashville tomorrow night. I just hope we have time to get to know the lovely Miss Memphis before we depart.
Right now I am enjoying my time alone in the hotel business center. I got to be the one to do laundry this time. How lucky am I?
Things I learned today: Mississippi is really that green, no fertilizer needed! Overworked Red Cross workers can be very cranky at the end of the day. Don't be a bad maid to an ARC volunteer! A Tennessee thunderstorm can produce winds that'll push an abandoned VW camper bus 50 or more feet through a parking lot. Mythbusters, try that out for size! Lucky for us, very few others were parked in the back lot!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Natchez
Today was an adventure. It started great. I felt well rested and ready for a fun day.
We woke up, made instant grits for breakfast and basically chilled out in the shade. The girls made nature creatures with googly eyes, glue and random nature things they gathered. The creatures were adorable and they provided endless imaginary fun for Athena and Arianna. Rory and I took a nature walk to the lake while David washed the car and her sisters played. It was nice just to spend time talking and exploring with Aurora.
We were going to check out, leave and head to Memphis when we fell down the slippery slope. David's Android died, followed by the NEW starter in David's bus. We called AAA. The lady called a mechanic and a tow truck. When I expressed concern about transporting and putting up 5 people in an unknown town, the agent was extremely helpful. She connected me with a hotel close to the shop and called an Enterprise agent to come out and get us in the rental car. I have to say, breaking down in the middle of nowhere is stressful but we got a lot of southern hospitality today! AAA was wonderful, Enterprise was so incredibly helpful and the hotel even serves supper!!
David was totally stressing and kept changing his mind about how to deal with the situation. He doesn't trust mechanics here and wanted to drive it to a bigger city after jump-starting it. I am not sure how tomorrow will go but I guess that's part of the adventure. He and I don't agree on how to deal with the situation but it's not my bus. My main concern is the kids and I can say they are pretty happy now! The TV has not gone off since the moment we opened the door. I think they are definitely on vacation in this hotel room!
I drove my rental car to Walgreens and got us all a treat. I think this day ended well considering what all went wrong. I really want to discover Natchez tomorrow but I think David will want to get on the road to a trusted mechanic. We shall see. As long as I have this rental, I am down with driving. Tune in later to see where our adventure leads us...
We woke up, made instant grits for breakfast and basically chilled out in the shade. The girls made nature creatures with googly eyes, glue and random nature things they gathered. The creatures were adorable and they provided endless imaginary fun for Athena and Arianna. Rory and I took a nature walk to the lake while David washed the car and her sisters played. It was nice just to spend time talking and exploring with Aurora.
We were going to check out, leave and head to Memphis when we fell down the slippery slope. David's Android died, followed by the NEW starter in David's bus. We called AAA. The lady called a mechanic and a tow truck. When I expressed concern about transporting and putting up 5 people in an unknown town, the agent was extremely helpful. She connected me with a hotel close to the shop and called an Enterprise agent to come out and get us in the rental car. I have to say, breaking down in the middle of nowhere is stressful but we got a lot of southern hospitality today! AAA was wonderful, Enterprise was so incredibly helpful and the hotel even serves supper!!
David was totally stressing and kept changing his mind about how to deal with the situation. He doesn't trust mechanics here and wanted to drive it to a bigger city after jump-starting it. I am not sure how tomorrow will go but I guess that's part of the adventure. He and I don't agree on how to deal with the situation but it's not my bus. My main concern is the kids and I can say they are pretty happy now! The TV has not gone off since the moment we opened the door. I think they are definitely on vacation in this hotel room!
I drove my rental car to Walgreens and got us all a treat. I think this day ended well considering what all went wrong. I really want to discover Natchez tomorrow but I think David will want to get on the road to a trusted mechanic. We shall see. As long as I have this rental, I am down with driving. Tune in later to see where our adventure leads us...
Hot Day at the Zoo
New Orleans Day 2:
So we woke up, packed up, sweated it up, left the park. Well, it really wasn't that simple. The girls complained and David and I were pretty short with them. The heat and mosquitoes and lack of sleep got to all of us. David decided our campsite neighbors probably thought we were crazy, I decided we definitely are! We chilled out in the A/C in the Ranger's Station until we were good and ready to go. This trip has made us A/C mongers. The night before, David and I argued about who would do laundry because the laundry room had cold air-conditioning. He won that suspenseful Rock-Paper-Scissors game and I was soooo jealous!
Anyways, we were finally on our way to the Audobon Zoo. My friend, Rhonda decided to treat us. Well, not only was she planning to treat us to zoo admission but she was planning to buy lunch, carousel rides, snow cones and a souvenir from the gift shop. WOW! All those things add up when you have a "gaggle of girls", as I like to call them.
The zoo was fun but Hot, Hot, Hot! I rented a wagon which ended up being a lifesaver. Athena only complained a little bit which means she had a good day! We saw many fun animals and all of each child's favorite. Aurora got to see the elephant. All the kids got a kick out of watching the elephants go potty. Athena got to see the gorillas. The gorillas were funny because they kept moving to where they looked as if they were posing for camera shots. I really enjoyed the reptile room because it was dark and cool. Again, we've become A/C-mongers! Arianna got to see the giraffes. They were very awesome to see! We had to leave because 2 giraffes were about to get frisky and I didn't want to answer those questions after yesterday's string of questions about the drunk lady.
The zoo is laid out very nicely. There are short loops, all leading out to a center circle, which houses restrooms, playground and the cafe. There was also a water park that seemed to be a hit with the locals and summer camp groups. We only longingly looked over there but never entered.
The zoo was bigger than I expected. We didn't get to see everything because we were already leaving later than expected. If you ever go, make it a day event!
I think we all enjoyed the zoo and it was nice to visit with Rhonda. I like how she has no problem enforcing her Counselor/Behavior Therapist iron fist on my kids. They listened too. Good thing because I was kinda delirious from the heat and wasn't even doing a decent job keeping track of my own children.
Aurora was so sweet. She kept hugging and thanking Rhonda. It really was a generous treat and I can't thank her enough.
When we were all good and tired, it was time to head to Natchez, MS. Partway there, David got heat exhaustion and I had to drive. The drive was gorgeous. It is so green here! There are adorable farms and tiny, wooden picturesque shacks near huge brick mansions and it all looks so natural together. It got hilly just outside of Natchez. Our GPS took us the wrong way and I started to get upset. David took over and between he and the internet, we found our spot. The campground was nice, shaded, without mosquitoes and not heavily populated. The showers were very clean. I like Natchez State Park! The best sleep I've had on this trip was at Natchez, even considering the fact that Arianna woke up and needed me to take her to the restroom around 2:00 AM. Might I also insert that the moon was full and bright. I barely needed a flashlight.
Things I learned: Marmosets are primates, I thought they were marsupials. Giraffes have shoulders in the front. Aurora can stand like a flamingo for extended periods of time. Louisiana and especially New Orleans are primarily Catholic. Interesting since the South in general is mostly Baptist. Geographer Pierce Lewis called New Orleans "an inevitable city on an impossible site". This proves true with 2 fires, yellow fever epidemics, and 3 major hurricanes. The city survives. Although parts of town still prove to be ravaged by Katrina 6 years later, the city still thrives. At one point, Natchez housed about 1/2 of the millionaires in the United States. NAtchez has the 2nd largest Indian Burial Mound in the country. The girls fed off my behavior. When I don't freak out about being lost, either do they. DUH!
So we woke up, packed up, sweated it up, left the park. Well, it really wasn't that simple. The girls complained and David and I were pretty short with them. The heat and mosquitoes and lack of sleep got to all of us. David decided our campsite neighbors probably thought we were crazy, I decided we definitely are! We chilled out in the A/C in the Ranger's Station until we were good and ready to go. This trip has made us A/C mongers. The night before, David and I argued about who would do laundry because the laundry room had cold air-conditioning. He won that suspenseful Rock-Paper-Scissors game and I was soooo jealous!
Anyways, we were finally on our way to the Audobon Zoo. My friend, Rhonda decided to treat us. Well, not only was she planning to treat us to zoo admission but she was planning to buy lunch, carousel rides, snow cones and a souvenir from the gift shop. WOW! All those things add up when you have a "gaggle of girls", as I like to call them.
The zoo was fun but Hot, Hot, Hot! I rented a wagon which ended up being a lifesaver. Athena only complained a little bit which means she had a good day! We saw many fun animals and all of each child's favorite. Aurora got to see the elephant. All the kids got a kick out of watching the elephants go potty. Athena got to see the gorillas. The gorillas were funny because they kept moving to where they looked as if they were posing for camera shots. I really enjoyed the reptile room because it was dark and cool. Again, we've become A/C-mongers! Arianna got to see the giraffes. They were very awesome to see! We had to leave because 2 giraffes were about to get frisky and I didn't want to answer those questions after yesterday's string of questions about the drunk lady.
The zoo is laid out very nicely. There are short loops, all leading out to a center circle, which houses restrooms, playground and the cafe. There was also a water park that seemed to be a hit with the locals and summer camp groups. We only longingly looked over there but never entered.
The zoo was bigger than I expected. We didn't get to see everything because we were already leaving later than expected. If you ever go, make it a day event!
I think we all enjoyed the zoo and it was nice to visit with Rhonda. I like how she has no problem enforcing her Counselor/Behavior Therapist iron fist on my kids. They listened too. Good thing because I was kinda delirious from the heat and wasn't even doing a decent job keeping track of my own children.
Aurora was so sweet. She kept hugging and thanking Rhonda. It really was a generous treat and I can't thank her enough.
When we were all good and tired, it was time to head to Natchez, MS. Partway there, David got heat exhaustion and I had to drive. The drive was gorgeous. It is so green here! There are adorable farms and tiny, wooden picturesque shacks near huge brick mansions and it all looks so natural together. It got hilly just outside of Natchez. Our GPS took us the wrong way and I started to get upset. David took over and between he and the internet, we found our spot. The campground was nice, shaded, without mosquitoes and not heavily populated. The showers were very clean. I like Natchez State Park! The best sleep I've had on this trip was at Natchez, even considering the fact that Arianna woke up and needed me to take her to the restroom around 2:00 AM. Might I also insert that the moon was full and bright. I barely needed a flashlight.
Things I learned: Marmosets are primates, I thought they were marsupials. Giraffes have shoulders in the front. Aurora can stand like a flamingo for extended periods of time. Louisiana and especially New Orleans are primarily Catholic. Interesting since the South in general is mostly Baptist. Geographer Pierce Lewis called New Orleans "an inevitable city on an impossible site". This proves true with 2 fires, yellow fever epidemics, and 3 major hurricanes. The city survives. Although parts of town still prove to be ravaged by Katrina 6 years later, the city still thrives. At one point, Natchez housed about 1/2 of the millionaires in the United States. NAtchez has the 2nd largest Indian Burial Mound in the country. The girls fed off my behavior. When I don't freak out about being lost, either do they. DUH!
Intro to the Big Easy
OK. So my original plan was to post something every day but I was just too darned exhausted at the end of each day to even think about blogging. What I will do is just post each day seperately so you don't have to read my entire "book".
New Orleans Day #1: The campground we stayed at was in the blazing heat, no shade. At 8:30 that morning, I was ready to leave for the city. I imagined the concrete city with random shade trees would be cooler than this muggy bayou camp site.
We planned to go to the zoo with Rhonda but unfortunately, the zoo is closed on Mondays. What we did instead is 1 day of New Orleans, which is really about 1/3 of a New Orleans day with 3 kids in tow. First off, I have to say that it's so funny to see kids go crazy with energy in confined spaces like doctor's offices, when it's not appropriate to actually "go crazy with energy. Once you hit the city streets, their energy quickly dwindles. We hadn't even left the parking lot and Athena was already hot and tired of walking. We walked around the French Quarter for a couple blocks before stopping in a cool music shop. David browsed while the girls relaxed with Skittles and A/C. Next, we walked to the House of Blues for lunch. These 2 separate events sound like nothing to the average adult but both were pure torture for 3 little girls. It took a hot minute to get around. After lunch they perked up. We went to Cafe Du Monde for biegnets, yummy. I know the coffee there must be great but I was not about to order coffee in that heat. After finishing our snack, the kids took turns rubbing as much sugar on their faces as possible. There was STILL sugar left in the dish. I swear, they must order a ton of sugar every day. Then we walked around the French Market for a bit. David had to stop at Fiorella's for a while. We tried to hop on a street car so we could take the kids to the Children's Museum. Alas, we had no idea what we were doing because we were always about 1 street away from a loading zone. Instead we poked around little shops and such. Our day ended with David running to get the car while the girls and I sat outside of a cafe. We got to see the "other side of Nawlins" when a super-drunk lady fell all over herself on the curb after twirling several sloppy times around a stop sign. It was pretty bad, she couldn't even get up with help. Aurora was fascinated with this event. She kept asking me questions about the lady, her medical problems, her personal choices, and her general welfare that I just couldn't answer.
That night when we went to the showers, some crazy, naked-in-the-bathroom, RV lady told the girls to watch out for the coyotes and wolves. Once Athena heard that, sleeping in the tent was out of the question. She was convinced that wolves and coyotes. Arianna and I slept together in the hot, still aired tent. I slept very little but I did get to snuggle with my baby, so it was worth it!
My favorite parts were riding around the city and looking at the beautiful old houses. Almost everyone has a great front porch! I also really liked how just about every shop or restaurant we went into played great music. People here have good taste in music. Another interesting thing is there were child street performers. They reminded me of the kids in Oliver Twist or Slumdog Millionare. Rhonda says the tap-dancing kids nail bottle caps to the bottoms of their shoes. That explains the Adidas sneakers.
Things I learned: In order to beef up original population, the French government sent thieves and prostitutes to live in New Orleans. It was founded bu Pierre and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne as Nouvelle Orleans, named after the Duc D'Orleans. The French Quarter is actually Spanish style. The reason for this has to do with 2 fires in the 1800s that wiped out everything. Voodoo thrives in the city today due to the lenient treatment of slaves. Slaves and free blacks in New Orleans were treated more fairly than other places within the south. The slaves from Africa and West India brought their culture with them and were able to pass traditions down throughout the generations. This is also how jazz was born. According to my sources, jazz originated from West Indian and African traditional beats. Although, all advances made by blacks were pretty much eroded after the legalization of segregation. The Brer Rabbit tales were recorded at the Laura Plantation and surrounding plantations in the New Orleans area. The Cajuns are Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia. They were sent to live in Louisiana and settled in the bayous, where their culture still thrives. There is debate about whether the Cajuns or the natives invented a roux of oil and flour, the base for any jambalaya. It is said that any true Cajun jambalaya must have a file, a pinch of crushed sassafras leaves. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Evangeline", was reportedly written as a love story about the disbursement of the French Acadian people.
New Orleans Day #1: The campground we stayed at was in the blazing heat, no shade. At 8:30 that morning, I was ready to leave for the city. I imagined the concrete city with random shade trees would be cooler than this muggy bayou camp site.
We planned to go to the zoo with Rhonda but unfortunately, the zoo is closed on Mondays. What we did instead is 1 day of New Orleans, which is really about 1/3 of a New Orleans day with 3 kids in tow. First off, I have to say that it's so funny to see kids go crazy with energy in confined spaces like doctor's offices, when it's not appropriate to actually "go crazy with energy. Once you hit the city streets, their energy quickly dwindles. We hadn't even left the parking lot and Athena was already hot and tired of walking. We walked around the French Quarter for a couple blocks before stopping in a cool music shop. David browsed while the girls relaxed with Skittles and A/C. Next, we walked to the House of Blues for lunch. These 2 separate events sound like nothing to the average adult but both were pure torture for 3 little girls. It took a hot minute to get around. After lunch they perked up. We went to Cafe Du Monde for biegnets, yummy. I know the coffee there must be great but I was not about to order coffee in that heat. After finishing our snack, the kids took turns rubbing as much sugar on their faces as possible. There was STILL sugar left in the dish. I swear, they must order a ton of sugar every day. Then we walked around the French Market for a bit. David had to stop at Fiorella's for a while. We tried to hop on a street car so we could take the kids to the Children's Museum. Alas, we had no idea what we were doing because we were always about 1 street away from a loading zone. Instead we poked around little shops and such. Our day ended with David running to get the car while the girls and I sat outside of a cafe. We got to see the "other side of Nawlins" when a super-drunk lady fell all over herself on the curb after twirling several sloppy times around a stop sign. It was pretty bad, she couldn't even get up with help. Aurora was fascinated with this event. She kept asking me questions about the lady, her medical problems, her personal choices, and her general welfare that I just couldn't answer.
That night when we went to the showers, some crazy, naked-in-the-bathroom, RV lady told the girls to watch out for the coyotes and wolves. Once Athena heard that, sleeping in the tent was out of the question. She was convinced that wolves and coyotes. Arianna and I slept together in the hot, still aired tent. I slept very little but I did get to snuggle with my baby, so it was worth it!
My favorite parts were riding around the city and looking at the beautiful old houses. Almost everyone has a great front porch! I also really liked how just about every shop or restaurant we went into played great music. People here have good taste in music. Another interesting thing is there were child street performers. They reminded me of the kids in Oliver Twist or Slumdog Millionare. Rhonda says the tap-dancing kids nail bottle caps to the bottoms of their shoes. That explains the Adidas sneakers.
Things I learned: In order to beef up original population, the French government sent thieves and prostitutes to live in New Orleans. It was founded bu Pierre and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne as Nouvelle Orleans, named after the Duc D'Orleans. The French Quarter is actually Spanish style. The reason for this has to do with 2 fires in the 1800s that wiped out everything. Voodoo thrives in the city today due to the lenient treatment of slaves. Slaves and free blacks in New Orleans were treated more fairly than other places within the south. The slaves from Africa and West India brought their culture with them and were able to pass traditions down throughout the generations. This is also how jazz was born. According to my sources, jazz originated from West Indian and African traditional beats. Although, all advances made by blacks were pretty much eroded after the legalization of segregation. The Brer Rabbit tales were recorded at the Laura Plantation and surrounding plantations in the New Orleans area. The Cajuns are Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia. They were sent to live in Louisiana and settled in the bayous, where their culture still thrives. There is debate about whether the Cajuns or the natives invented a roux of oil and flour, the base for any jambalaya. It is said that any true Cajun jambalaya must have a file, a pinch of crushed sassafras leaves. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Evangeline", was reportedly written as a love story about the disbursement of the French Acadian people.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Finally!
We finally made it to New Orleans. The GPS told us it would take around 3-4 hours to get from Pensacola to New Orleans. It took ALL DAY! Driving the back roads is absolutely beautiful but takes so much time. David and I decided that from now on, if there is an interstate, we take it!
The girls were sooo good on the ride there. It was only after we made it into the City that all Hell broke loose. I started to get upset because I thought the GPS was taking us the wrong way. Once we finally got to the campsite, which took some time because the signs were not at all clear, Aurora started to break. She basically said she's already over this trip. When we finally got her calmed down by agreeing to go to the showers, Athena started up. She cried very loudly pretty much until we put her to bed. It was a stressful time for everyone. I hope we have zero more days like this. That aside, here are the positives:
MObile, AL is very pretty and has some superb bbq! Biloxi, MS was kinda cool to go through because it was all done up for the tourists, complete with a beautiful white beach. But who-da thunk it, GUlfport, MS is where I want to spend my days. To all those naysayers out there that remember Gulfport as a poor, tiny fishing town that was completely destroyed by Katrina, I say poo. There was definitely evidence all along Mississippi and Louisiana that a storm had destroyed many buildings and left many lots completely empty or permanently boarded up. But when they rebuilt, they rebuilt in a grand sort of way. We passed just miles of gorgeous beach that made me drool because all I wanted to do was stop and play on the beach. We couldn't, though. It was the last leg of the trip and we were already going to arrive late. What we saw of Gulfport, though, was absolutely breathtaking!
Today we are going to meet Rhonda and she is so kind because she's treating our entire family to the zoo. Hooray! I sure hope this lifts everyone's spirits because otherwise I am going to start thinking Dave and I bit off more than we could chew with this trip. Pray for us!!
Facts I have learned while reading my AAA book today:
Mobile, AL boasts the 1st Mardi Gras celebrations in the nation. They have their own Mardi Gras parties every year. It's true that in Mississippi, they don't like hippies (not listed in AAA travel book, my observation). Some lady literally tried running me off the road. I think it was VW hate that drove her aggression. Next time I come through, I will have to drive a Ford. Truman Capote and Harper Lee grew up together in MOnroeville. Harper Lee's character Dill in "To Kill a Mockingbird" was based on Capote as a child. That was so awesome to me! Chicory is a big thing in New Orleans. We smelled coffee regularly in the middle of Louisiana nowhere. I wondered if it was this chicory stuff. AAA says it's used as a coffee replacement or enhancer. I will have to try it!
The girls were sooo good on the ride there. It was only after we made it into the City that all Hell broke loose. I started to get upset because I thought the GPS was taking us the wrong way. Once we finally got to the campsite, which took some time because the signs were not at all clear, Aurora started to break. She basically said she's already over this trip. When we finally got her calmed down by agreeing to go to the showers, Athena started up. She cried very loudly pretty much until we put her to bed. It was a stressful time for everyone. I hope we have zero more days like this. That aside, here are the positives:
MObile, AL is very pretty and has some superb bbq! Biloxi, MS was kinda cool to go through because it was all done up for the tourists, complete with a beautiful white beach. But who-da thunk it, GUlfport, MS is where I want to spend my days. To all those naysayers out there that remember Gulfport as a poor, tiny fishing town that was completely destroyed by Katrina, I say poo. There was definitely evidence all along Mississippi and Louisiana that a storm had destroyed many buildings and left many lots completely empty or permanently boarded up. But when they rebuilt, they rebuilt in a grand sort of way. We passed just miles of gorgeous beach that made me drool because all I wanted to do was stop and play on the beach. We couldn't, though. It was the last leg of the trip and we were already going to arrive late. What we saw of Gulfport, though, was absolutely breathtaking!
Today we are going to meet Rhonda and she is so kind because she's treating our entire family to the zoo. Hooray! I sure hope this lifts everyone's spirits because otherwise I am going to start thinking Dave and I bit off more than we could chew with this trip. Pray for us!!
Facts I have learned while reading my AAA book today:
Mobile, AL boasts the 1st Mardi Gras celebrations in the nation. They have their own Mardi Gras parties every year. It's true that in Mississippi, they don't like hippies (not listed in AAA travel book, my observation). Some lady literally tried running me off the road. I think it was VW hate that drove her aggression. Next time I come through, I will have to drive a Ford. Truman Capote and Harper Lee grew up together in MOnroeville. Harper Lee's character Dill in "To Kill a Mockingbird" was based on Capote as a child. That was so awesome to me! Chicory is a big thing in New Orleans. We smelled coffee regularly in the middle of Louisiana nowhere. I wondered if it was this chicory stuff. AAA says it's used as a coffee replacement or enhancer. I will have to try it!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Camp-Bored In The Car.
Being bored in the car is all I remember. I slept in Angel and Ashton"s tent. I went to the beech. Angel is not allowed to get water in she ear.
So Far by Aurora
As I look out the car window I try to remember what happened at the camp site, but I can only remember a very hot and sweaty day.But I remember hearing raccoons fighting and going to bed super late. But all I can think about is some spicy gumbo,jazz music,the zoo. It is two hours till we get to New Orleands,and I am excited to get there.
Aurora
Aurora
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Pensacola- Big Lagoon
We started out kinda crazy but it ended perfectly. Cat secured, check. Dog secured, check. Outlets unplugged, check, and so on. Finally, we were on the road; although, it was a bit later than expected. The drive went well, aside from the "Are we there yet?" and "How much longer?" statements. It wasn't too hot unless we hit a stop light.
When we did eventually arrive to the camp site, several hours late, we were welcomed by David's grandparents and Nick's family. The sites here are small, sandy and sans shade. Nick helped David pimp out the bus, then we hit the beach which was awesome. That is, until Aurora got a crazy rash from too much beach fun.
We cooked dinner, the kids played on the playground. We all just enjoyed each other's company in general. It was an all-around fun day and I can't help but remember how much fun cousins are when you're a kid. It's magic!
All in all, the company was stellar and the beach is always a plus. I don't think I would camp here again otherwise. There are trashy people here, atomic raccoons and stank sites.
When we did eventually arrive to the camp site, several hours late, we were welcomed by David's grandparents and Nick's family. The sites here are small, sandy and sans shade. Nick helped David pimp out the bus, then we hit the beach which was awesome. That is, until Aurora got a crazy rash from too much beach fun.
We cooked dinner, the kids played on the playground. We all just enjoyed each other's company in general. It was an all-around fun day and I can't help but remember how much fun cousins are when you're a kid. It's magic!
All in all, the company was stellar and the beach is always a plus. I don't think I would camp here again otherwise. There are trashy people here, atomic raccoons and stank sites.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Before A/C
Here we go! We're beginnig our family adventure. Two weeks of camping throughout the Southeast. Five related people, in an old VW camper bus, June, NO A/C. Are we excited? Yes! Will things go as expected? Who knows. Will this be an adventure to remember? Definitely!
Years ago, when David and I took one of our 1st camping trips together, his grandfather gave us a spiral notebook to keep as a camping journal. I liked the idea of being able to refer back to past trips and revel in the memories, much like a family photo album. I was so excited about it, I wrote 1 entry. In my own defense, I did get sick on that trip and those are not necessarily details I wish to remember anyways. We still have the notebook, we just never use it; although, I still love the idea.
David came up with the idea of keeping a blog, partly as a fun excuse for the girls to exercise their writing muscles. Our plan is to write something every day, unless of course, we don't get service. In that case, we will update when possible. So here's the plan:
Saturday, 6/11: Drop off the dog, head to Pensacola, FL, camp in Big Lagoon State Park with David's brother and his family and David's grandparents.
Sunday, 6/12: Head to New Orleans,LA, camp in Bayou Segnette State Park
Tuesday, 6/14: Head to Natchez, MS, camp in Natchez State Park
Wednesday, 6/15: Head to Memphis,TN, camp in Meeman-Shelby Forest
Friday, 6/17: Head to Nashville, TN, camp at Seven Points Campground
Sunday, 6/19: Head to Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, camp at the Elkmont Campground
Tuesday, 6/21: Head to Asheville, NC, camp at Lake Powhatan State Park
Wednesday, 6/22: Head south, open camping along the way
Saturday, 6/25: Back home to Tallahassee!
It will definitely be an adventure! Wish us luck.
-Kim
Years ago, when David and I took one of our 1st camping trips together, his grandfather gave us a spiral notebook to keep as a camping journal. I liked the idea of being able to refer back to past trips and revel in the memories, much like a family photo album. I was so excited about it, I wrote 1 entry. In my own defense, I did get sick on that trip and those are not necessarily details I wish to remember anyways. We still have the notebook, we just never use it; although, I still love the idea.
David came up with the idea of keeping a blog, partly as a fun excuse for the girls to exercise their writing muscles. Our plan is to write something every day, unless of course, we don't get service. In that case, we will update when possible. So here's the plan:
Saturday, 6/11: Drop off the dog, head to Pensacola, FL, camp in Big Lagoon State Park with David's brother and his family and David's grandparents.
Sunday, 6/12: Head to New Orleans,LA, camp in Bayou Segnette State Park
Tuesday, 6/14: Head to Natchez, MS, camp in Natchez State Park
Wednesday, 6/15: Head to Memphis,TN, camp in Meeman-Shelby Forest
Friday, 6/17: Head to Nashville, TN, camp at Seven Points Campground
Sunday, 6/19: Head to Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, camp at the Elkmont Campground
Tuesday, 6/21: Head to Asheville, NC, camp at Lake Powhatan State Park
Wednesday, 6/22: Head south, open camping along the way
Saturday, 6/25: Back home to Tallahassee!
It will definitely be an adventure! Wish us luck.
-Kim
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