TravelStream™ news feed for member rebeccapcohen on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rebeccapcohen en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:26:59 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215804000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215804000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215804000/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:26:59 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Gainesville, Virginia, United States

I'm not sure how many times I said, "This day sucks," which wasn't fair to Bret. But it was SOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOONG. We drove 11 hours to make it home through the "Wild and Wonderful" mountains of West Virginia. Our cousin John wrote out a route that helped us cut off some time. I think going through West Virginia confirmed that when we travel out West next year (yes, we already planned next year with the kids during this trip!) we'll take a car given our experience in the West Virginia's mountains. The RV uses more gas and takes longer to get up the hills. It was a beautiful drive, which helped. The funniest things I saw were: a sign for a "Coonhunters" meeting, a business called "Bear Paw Taxidermy," and a sign in a rest stop restroom that said, "Do not flush diapers down the toilet" - I didn't think anyone would try that one! We went north to 81 in West Virginia then south on 81 to 66 to avoid hitting rush hour traffic around D.C. Once we hit 81, people were crazy drivers! Then, once we hit 66, it was as if the heavens opened and angels were singing - there was less traffic, the scenery was beautiful, but the road wasn't as treacherous. "I think this is the most beautiful scenery we've seen on this trip," said Bret of the Blue Ridge mountains. "I have to agree," I said. Our comments seem biased, but they confirmed that we do live in a beautiful part of the country, and that our recent decision to live closer to the Blue Ridge mountains (just 38 miles away), was a good one for us.We pulled in our driveway at 8:00p.m., sustained on the drive by leftover burgers and hot dogs from Aunt Trish (delicious!), heated in the RV microwave. Everyone ran out of the RV like a caged bird let free. Warner explored the new play set that was put up while we were gone, and Harmond headed straight for his bike. Entering the house, I felt a little lost and the feeling was surreal. I had been "on the road" for 16 days! Unbelievable and unforgettable. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Then, I wondered, "What's next.......?"
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215734400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215734400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215734400/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:20:46 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, United States

We were starting our journey home. What would seem like a long, two-day drive to D.C. from Springfield, Illinois, was now looking like a long, two-day drive that was worth it to get home. Bret and the kids had had enough of the RV. We calculated that to get to Cincinnati, Ohio by 3:00pm, we would need to leave Springfield, Illinois by 7:00a.m. Ick. We got on the road at 7:30a.m., not bad, after a generous breakfast supplied by Aunt Trish (thanks Trish!). She even bought the kids Lucky Charms because she read on earlier entries in this blog that the kids were begging for them.We made it to Cincinnati (Ft. Mitchell, KY) and my cousin Michelle's house by 4:00p.m., and my boys were relieved to see kids their own age and toys! Their cousins had come to visit them in October, and had been asking to see them again ever since. Our last night of our trip - no longer in an RV - would be perfect. Great company, great food, and very comfortable. The kids ate before the adults, and Bret and Michelle's husband, John, went to pick up barbeque ribs from Montgomery Inn. Bret had been craving barbeque the whole trip and John's suggestion couldn't have been better. We also had our first glass of wine in 8 days - heaven. The kids opted for a sleepover in sleeping bags and after exploring their creek and falling in, were nice and clean for the next day (after baths and showers, of course!). Once again, we slept extremely well. We'd need our rest for the next, brutal day of driving.....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215648000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215648000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215648000/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:14:39 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Springfield, Illinois, United States

In Utica, Illinois, I awoke after a decent night's sleep to the sound of an animal. I looked out the "bedroom" window and saw a cow 20 feet away, behind a fence. "Boy, they're big," I thought. I grabbed some coffee that was waiting for me, thank goodness for that advance-programming feature, put on my flip flops and headed outside for a walk around the campground to get a closer look. A boy was standing near the fence and there was a cow that didn't like it. The cow was making a sound like an elephant!The boys got dressed and we took a walk around the campground, over a bridge where we played "Pooh Sticks" and past a family of four who had camped out in a tent for the evening.We left the North Utica, Illinois campground at 8:30a.m. and headed to nearby Starved Rock State Park for some hiking and mosquito bites. In Bloomington, Illinois, where I used to visit my Great Grammie and Great Aunt Em, we stopped for lunch at Steak and Shake for the obligatory Orange Freeze and Chili Mac. Then, we arrived in Springfield, Illinois at my Aunt Trish's house. There has been a controversy in her town over RV's and commercial vehicles in neighborhoods. "I called the village, and the Mayor said you can park overnight," she said. Bret managed to get the RV into her driveway. It looked like it was tucked into a heavenly little garden. I arranged for a surprise guest, one of her former students, to come by for a visit. The family now lives in the D.C. area and I called the mom, Cynthia, who happened to be in Springfield for a visit! Later that evening, my Uncles Matt and John, and Matt's wife, Karen, came by for a cookout. Karen brought a HUGE birthday cookie for Warner (thanks Karen!), as well as some amazing peaches and blueberries from the local farmer's market. We had my parents and sister connected in through Skype, and we all enjoyed eachother's company. Trish gave us her room (Trish, you shouldn't have!) and a had the best warm shower and best night's sleep that I had had in 14 days.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215561600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215561600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215561600/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:28 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Utica, Illinois, United States

Today was a magical day. We got to the water park at 9a.m. and we rode all of the rides. The kids even waited for us while Bret and I rode "The Howling Tornado," which shot us out into a huge funnel, free-falling down a drain. We rode it twice! A year ago, you wouldn't have caught me even on the shortest waterslide, but now I'm trying to live life to it's fullest every day. Warner even taught me to "up the ante" a bit to make life more exciting. After going on some slides with me tandum, he was ready to ride by himself. The second time around, with a big smile on his face, I noticed that he had his eyes closed. He was making it more exciting by putting himself in the dark! So, I tried it too, and then all morning I tried it, until I could go down waterslides with my eyes closed.We left the waterpark at noon and headed for Madison, Wisconsin, an hour away, to where my sister, Lisa, lives. We took a tour of her place and hung out a bit, the kids playing with some Legos and the cats. Then, we ordered take out and headed to a nearby park on the lake with the kids pulling out their scooters for a spin on the black top. Afterward, Bret and the boys went to a playground across the street while Lisa and I traveled to the Botanical Garden, where I proudly saw the perennials on my Bloom Calendar (http://www.bloomcalendar.com) in the garden. It looks like the bloom times are just one month later than in Virginia, but the same perennials thrive.After the emergency call that the kids were crying out of tiredness, we picked up the boys and dropped Lisa off. It was a short, but nice visit. And after not being able to meet up with an author and gardener in the Chicago area, it was just the special visit I needed to make me feel better.On the way to the campsite in Utica, Illinois, we hit a patch of poop wind - "Oh man, that's bad," I said. "It was like a tumbleweed of poop," Bret replied. One hour later, after the worst 10 miles of 45 mile-an-hour, under-construction road in the history of our trip - we even had to pay a toll for the privilege of riding it - we arrived at the campsite, 5 miles off the highway in a tranquil spot amidst corn fields and farms.We played on the playground, set up a campfire, and Bret and the kids played at the pool. After the sun set and the kids had their glow sticks in hand, Bret said, "Rebecca, you have to come see this." I came outside and looked across the field in the dark. There were hundreds of fireflies - the night sky was twinkling with them. For the next hour, I sat in my camping chair by the fire and couldn't take my eyes off of them. After roasting hot dogs and marshmallows (probably for the 5th time in 14 days, but what the heck) I cleaned up the picnic table and joined the kids and Bret inside the RV in their first game of "War," which Bret and I each played as kids. Warner's Aunt Marni called to wish him a happy 4th birthday amidst the whooping and hollering of an intense card game. Then, we finally called bedtime at 10:15p.m. and all the boys feel asleep extremely fast. Somehow, I had the preparation skills afterward to set up the table for breakfast, clean all the dishes, and set the coffee timer. Then, I wrote a little and went to bed, finally without the sound of the highway, and just the sound of nothing.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215475200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215475200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215475200/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:56:46 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, United States

Today, we're on our way from Minnesota to Wisconsin to stay at Great Wolf Lodge for Warner's 4th birthday. His birthday is really tomorrow, but he woke me up this morning, saying, "Mom, wake up, it's my birthday!" so I went with the flow. Bret wanted to get their asap, to enjoy the waterpark by noon, so the morning was stressful, including a clogged RV toilet. Hmmm. What should I do about this? In taking the trash to the dumpster that morning at 7:30a.m., I saw some people that I could have asked about what to do, but I was too embarrassed. So, we opted for Rest Stops and only peeing in case of an emergency while I left a message with the RV company for some advice (they didn't call back until about 3:00pm! In the interim, I asked total strangers in the RV toilet accessories isle at Walmart - nice). We arrived at Great Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells at 12:30pm, our first taste of mile after mile of attractions and restaurants since Nashville (not to say that their aren't these in the other places we visited, we just didn't see them. Our first stop was an indoor amusement park for "cosmic" bowling and lunch (Harmond wanted to do the go carts, but he wasn't old enough). With only 5 tries, I captured Batman and Incredible Hulk dolls for the boys with "the claw," and we spent way too much money on video games and ski ball, but had a blast. Bret took the boys to Great Wolf Lodge while I tracked down a birthday cake, balloons, and a gift for Warner at the town's Walmart. The Great Wolf room had a "Wolf's Den" with bunkbeds and a t.v. for the boys. It took me so long that I didn't go to the waterpark the first day, but we made up for it the next. That evening, we had barbeque ribs and cake and watched Speed Racer to celebrate.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215388800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215388800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215388800/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:44:53 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States

"We're getting a late start," said Bret at 11:40a.m.. "We're goin' with the flow man. Goin' with the energy of the group." I replied. "Ok..." he said, uncertain of I was talking about. We had spent the morning playing mini golf and stopped at Cabela's (which I keep calling "Kabbalah's" by accident), South Dakota's largest outdoor store, to get the kids some "shoes with tread for hiking" We were surprised to take in what looked to be the largest taxidermy exhibit I've ever seen outside of the Museum of Natural History. Bison, polar bear, mountain goats, and every other type of animal "in a tribute to the American sportsman" - craaaaaazy. We gladly paid about 20% less for items than we would at home (I'm sorry I didn't do more shopping!). On the way in, we admired what looked to me like lifeguard stands, but Bret informed me they were hunting platforms. Oops! "It takes TWO days to cross South Dakota?!" Bret remarked a few days earlier in reviewing our trip. Alas, yes, and everyone was feeling it today. "When does the pairie end, Mom?! It feels like it takes 10 days to cross the prairie!" said Harmond. We were on our way to Minnesota, and their wasn't much to see. "At least driving through Kansas it probably felt like there were people around," said Bret. We stopped only after two hours to take in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The boys tried out their "hiking shoes" on the many boulders and rocks at the Falls, where it felt like 95 degrees and the air was humid. Then, we were back on the road, and made it to Albert Lea, Minnesota by early evening, where the kids went to the pool and met a resident toad there, then climbed a tree at our campsite next to a corn field. We managed to make dinner on a campfire just as a storm was coming in, the first rain on day 13 of our trip. We watched Harry Potter on the RV's television/dvd combo, and noticed that the wind was rocking the RV. Bret laughed at me as I called the KOA office to ask for the weather forecast and what to do in case of a tornado. "You'll likely hear the town's tornado siren, if it goes off. The campground bathroom is probably the safest place to go," said the nice woman who answered. She assured me that the severe weather was in Iowa and these winds were fairy typical.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215145800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215145800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215145800/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:25:31 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Interior, South Dakota, United States

We got up at 5:45a.m in Douglas, Wyoming to a pretty sunrise and I fixed eggs and bacon for breakfast, a la John Templeton, my mom's dad, who made his eggs in bacon grease. I didn't have anywhere to put the hot grease from the bacon I just cooked, so it was perfect. Just like with the dinner the evening before, it wasn't too bad for an RV meal. Bret and I reviewed our route to Mt. Rushmore - Harmond saw it on his map of the U.S. and really wanted to go, and Bret had never been, so we headed out at 7:30a.m. We definitely took the road less traveled - a scenic two-lane road through rural Wyoming with stunning vistas, seeing farther in the rolling green grasslands than in Nebraska and far fewer people, really none at all. We saw many antelope and some prairie dogs, as well as enjoyed the many trains we saw (one at least 120 coal-cars long that we counted with the kids). As with yesterday, the kids didn't ask to watch t.v. and we all enjoyed talking about what we were seeing along the way. Two hours into Wyoming, we arrived at a rest stop just before the South Dakota border at a junction with a normal looking tiled rest stop with outhouse seats! The waste was being "composted in the building underneath the rest stop" and thus, no flushing involved. Boy it stunk, but I guess I was happy that we were not hurting the earth? I did think briefly, "I guess I should have just gone in the RV; it doesn't stink THAT bad." I wanted to make it through Hot Springs, but I think it would have added at least an hour to an already long morning. So, we opted to skip Hot Springs and go up 85 into the Black Hills (where the landscape changed once again from open, rolling green grasslands to large hills with Ponderosa Pines) we came to Custer, South Dakota then Mt. Rushmore. Just past Custer, we could see the Crazy Horse memorial in the distance, and opted for listening to a brief description of it on an a.m. radio station while passing rather than stopping.As we approached the entrance to Mount Rushmore (and Warner still saying for the 85th time, "When are we going to be there?" and answering for the 5th time in the last five minutes, "We're here!", we were arriving with massive crowds on the fourth of July. I have to admit that being at the "monument to democracy" on July 4th was a very cool feeling, especially since we didn't know we'd be there that day. We could see the monument right outside our big RV windows. I added, while driving, "we are so lucky to be seeing this monument out such big windows!" Bret said, "I know mommy, we're all staring at it right now and appreciating every moment." Warner added, "What are we looking at?" There was a ranger who helped designate a traffic lane for me at the entrance (thank God; not sure how I would have done it otherwise with 5 lanes of merging cars, and I managed to squeak on through the entrance booth in my RV and there was actually park staff in a golf cart to take me to an RV parking space. Yahoo! The monument grounds were MUCH newer and more expansive than I remember when my parents took me when I was a kid. Back then, I remembered thinking, "this is it?" and feeling like it was very far away. Today, the monument is very visible from the entrance and also very visible from many places through a one-mile President's trail that takes you around the grounds and closer to the monument. There was music from a Native American band, and the park café was probably the nicest National Park restaurant that I've ever been in "much nicer than Mt. Ranier" I informed my children (who were eating buffalo burgers, but Bret didn't tell them). Warner also had in front of him a feast that he didn't finish of corn, mashed potatoes and gravy. The kids who had decided they want to go there to see a volcano next year ("and to Hawaii too mom!). We had fun discussing in the RV on the way to Mt. Rushmore where our next trip would be. The President's Trail was fun, and we loved looking at the rock formations and veins of quartz running through the rock. On the trail, we climbed a big outcrop toward in the middle of the walk, and ambitious mom managed to cut here thumb on the way down, where blood proceeded to pool into my hand until I could get to a restroom to get a tissue. We saw many people coloring in their Junior Ranger books, which my kids didn't want to do, and we left the monument at 1:00p.m., finally heading East toward home (in 8 days!) and toward our destination for the evening, Interior, South Dakota, via Badlands National Park. Badlands National Park was about another two hours from Mt. Rushmore. Originally, I thought we'd take another scenic road the whole way, and opted for the Interstate until the scenic Pinnacle Drive, 240, into the park. Harmond played with his lego ship for awhile and put on an Indian headdress and played the drums I picked up in Oklahoma, and Warner cut pictures out for his travel journal that he then instructed me to paste with a glue stick in his notebook. Within 30 minutes, they were both asleep with their pillows in the RV, stretched out lying down awkwardly in seatbelts, but pretty comfortable, and I sat with Bret up front. "We haven't seen another car in the last 30 minutes" Bret said as we drove along interstate 90 east. "I wonder where everyone is," I said. "Probably in the park by now," said Bret. The signs for Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota entertained us for awhile and then we began planning our Wisconsin and Illinois leg of the trip, where we would be on Warner's birthday.We finally got to the park entrance and the first overlook was Pinnacle, which was absolutely stunning. It reminded me of the awe I felt when seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. We woke up the kids and made our way down the path to signs to beware of Rattlesnakes. I drove through the park, Bret had driven from Mt. Rushmore and was tired of the rig. I smiled the whole two-hours through the drive. It was spectacular. Driving, I felt like I missed a bit, but did stop off at many overlooks to take pictures. The GPS, toward the end of the journey, did enourage me to take a dirt road in the park - glad I ignored that one, and we arrived at the campground at 4:00p.m. outside of Interior, South Dakota - population of 67.Bret figured out dinner and cleaned up the RV while I took the kids to the pool. He and I were both exhausted. Bret bought some firewood and hotdogs (we brought baked beans but somehow missed the can opener) and had a grand time roasting hot dogs and smores over a fire and hung out and played with the kids (they even said "Cheers!" with us when I offered a toast, which they never do, which must have meant that they were happy to be with us; we even brought out Warner's ring toss, which he selected as his toy for the trip prior to leaving. We used it as a ring toss for awhile, then the kids used the foam pieces as weapons and Bret and I lounged in our camping chairs and watched them wrestle. "I guess they did have a nap today." I said, trying to make sense out of the wrestling that was happening in front of me. "Did you ever do that as a kid?" I asked Bret. "Who would I have done that with?" Bret asked, being an only child "But, did you ever want to?" "They look like little bear cubs," he said. Before anyone got too hurt - Bret even tried a diversion of throw the rings on daddy - we started a movie in the RV. Harmond was begging to sleep with us, which made Bret go into the other "room" and sleep on another bed, and Harmond balled up at my feet, which was EXTREMELY uncomfortable until he started complaining about his tummy and threw up around midnight. So, I haven't quite slept yet, and I need to for the long day ahead.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215027000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215027000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215027000/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:10:22 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Denver, Colorado, United States

"Something stinks" Janelle said this morning. "It smells like its coming from under the sink." This is when Rebecca remembered stashing the already ripe melon (purchased on the 1st day's Wal-Mart excursion by Janelle) under the sink for safe keeping. Not only was it hidden for days, it was ripening to a point of meltdown. To think that Janelle's Mom was worried that we wouldn't be friends at the end of the RV trip due to 7 days with a load of kids and a 3-legged dog. Rebecca's Mother was worried they would have an accident or that the kid's tantrums would set them over the edge. Instead, the rotten melon could have been their demise. However, a few months of yoga practice, and four months on bedrest in the hospital, pregnant with triplets, put everything into perspective (that along with endless icepops at 9am for the children). The RV couldn't be cleaner now. The highlights of Salina included a bus sized RV full of unfriendly Mennonite men, parked to our right. The campsite's playground was located directly in front of our site with what Janelle will always recall as the "slide of death". Most likely installed in the early 1970's, the slide appeared to be about 30 feet high and very dangerous for 2 year olds. Warner and Harmond slid down it with glee. Ginger especially disliked the unfriendly bird that kept swooping down at her. Apparently it didn't like sharing the shade of its tree.An hour into the trip from Salina to Denver, it was obvious that the kids are ready for a break from the RV. We soon realized that the triplets had excessively wet diapers that needed to be changed, along with their shorts. Yuck. Warner and Harmond "got happy" when Janelle and Meaw realized that the generator wasn't running, and turned it back on, allowing them to watch movies again.The drive out of Salina was flat in most areas, but then a bit hilly. To our amazement, we came across acres of skyscraper high windmills, generating wind powered electricity. We would have missed the windmills in the dark, had we followed our original plan of driving all the way to Wakeeney. The kids were amazed at the sight, and it was a good omen for our long ride to Denver.In Colby, Kansas, one hour from the Colorado border, we stopped at the "Oasis Travel Center," where Ginger rested under the fake palm trees and the kids who were awake played at the spankin'-new playground. Rebecca played hide-and-seek among some large pine trees with Harmond, Warner, and Taylor and a little boy in a John Deere hat who joined in and had a great time. The Oasis gave us our first Starbucks excursion, and Janelle, Rebecca, and Meaw enjoyed our very large iced coffees, and the kids had their favorite organic vanilla and chocolate milk boxes. Poor Spencer and Molly, who slept through the rest stop, didn't get to get up out of their car seats, but managed to stay happy with the cd that they hear in their "Music Together" class.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1214874000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1214874000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1214874000/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:58:52 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Gore, Oklahoma, United States

We woke up at 7:00am with some freshly-brewed coffee awaiting us in Rebecca's coffee pot. Harmond and Warner slept in their new bright orange (glow in the dark!) Yoda t-shirts from Walmart. We had a group (kids included) yoga session on one of the concrete RV sites that was empty, and Janelle made eggs and bacon for breakfast. Harmond briefly rode his scooter and the boys then wanted to go into the pool, and Rebecca accompanied them and downloaded her photos onto Janelle's computer. After a bribe of ice cream, the kids got out of the pool and were ready to leave. We drove out of the Little Rock RV park to a sign that said, "Step up? Antenna Down? Wife Aboard?" (all of our wives were onboard and driving) and laughed back onto I-40W toward Gore, Oklahoma. Talking in the car about where to stop for two nights before arriving in Denver, Janelle seemed startled that we didn't have three days left. Somehow, she forgot that June only had 30 days, not 31, and Rebecca never noticed having so many days for the trip back (which of course were already booked). This revelation meant that our last two days would be at least 6 hours each, which will feel very long with five children in the RV, but which we are certain we can do after making it this far.We stopped in Ft. Smith, Arkansas (past Toad Suck State Park) for some lunch and then again across the Oklahoma border at The Indian Store, where we stocked up on souvenirs (there are 39 Native American tribes in Oklahoma, second only to California). Spencer loved the store and became obsessed with his moccasins and a froggie key chain that stuck its tongue out when squeezed. Of course, when he arrived in the RV without frogs for Molly and Taylor, there was a major girl meltdown until Meaw went back and bought two for them. Taylor spent the next 45 minutes sobbing hysterically that the frog's tongue wouldn't come off (see video for evidence) and was happy once Meaw cut it off. 45 minutes later, we were at the MarVal Family Camping Resort in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, which was recommended to us at the Memphis KOA by a family with four girls from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our campsite was on the Illinois river, which normally at this location is knee deep, but due to the heavy rains is much deeper, so we couldn't wade in the cold, clear water as we hoped, but could enjoy the spectacular view from our camp site right on the river. While the site was beautiful, we found the staff to be fairly condescending to women traveling alone in an RV (perhaps quite the contrary to their AAA award), but we quickly got past it, and all went to the pool and "splash pad" for awhile, then Rebecca tried to take her boys fishing in the Kids Fishing Pond a short walk up the road, but one tantrum by Warner later, she couldn't figure out how to get the bopper (?) on the rod, so they decided to try again (with the nifty beginner Spiderman fishing kits from Walmart) when the store and office opened at 8am the next morning. Two girls from Kansas, camping with their mom, brought us over half a watermelon, and we had our first home made dinner - hot dogs cooked over a fire pit and Mac 'N Cheese - the kids adored it. The adults had a bottle of wine with dinner (with a newly purchased wine opener - from Walmart), finishing one already opened and opening another '04 Cabernet Sauvingon that was unfortunately cork tainted (really bad - thanks Cocodrillo) and the kids roasted marshmallows over the fire for smores (until they used the sticks as weapons). Once again, Ginger was elated, sipping water from the cool river for a doggie cocktail. Janelle and the triplets sat with Rebecca and Meaw under some spectacular stars while the older boys watched movies, and we faded off to sleep with the windows open and to the sound of crickets.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215306000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215306000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rebeccapcohen/1/1215306000/tpod.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:30:19 -0400 U.S. RV Adventure Two friends, five kids (including 2-year-old triplets!), an au pair, and a three-legged dog

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Mitchell, South Dakota, United States

Today was a magical day in Badlands National Park. In the morning at the KOA in Interior, Bret let me sleep while he took the kids to play minigolf. I showered and met them for the pancake breakfast, where the kids didn't eat anything - $12.00 down the drain. But, Bret and I enjoyed the pancakes and bacon and coffee, sort of. "I hate this coffee," Bret said of the Dunkin' Donuts, massive, ground-coffee pack that I bought from Costco. "It's bitter." It was true.We left the morning open for the kids to decide if they wanted to go back into the park and hike. "Yes!" they declared. First, we went to the Fossil Trail, a short walk with a boardwalk. Then, Bret and the kids crossed the street to Cascade Trail, which they liked because it didn't have a paved path. "Don't you want some water and sunscreen?" I yelled. No answer. I caught up with them and after 15 minutes into the hike, we returned to get water. Back in the RV, we looked at the trail map to decide where to go next. It was a good thing we didn't continue on Cascade Trail - it's the longest in the park. We decided to go to Notch trail, unpaved, which met the kids' requirements, and Moderate to Strenuous - "Those afraid of heights should avoid this trail." The kids informed us that they wanted to be able to climb rocks. We decided that we would just go in a little bit to explore and turn around. On the way to the trail, we met an 8-year-old boy looking for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars on Milkweed. He had three in his hand and the kids helped him find two more. He was putting them in a butterfly net. "I have a chrysalis already," he said. That prompted a vigorous search by Harmond the rest of the morning for more Milkweed (which we found) and caterpillars (which we didn't find).On the "moderate to strenuous" Notch Trail, I brought a plastic bag with water and apples instead of our small backpack - not sure why (note to others to better prepare). It would have been helpful to have my hands free for the 30-step log ladder that we had to climb to get to the upper part of the trail. I thought for sure that my kids were going to lose their lives on the crumbly-dirt cliffs, but Bret assured me that they would be fine. Needless to say, I didn't allow anyone to go too far on that trail. Harmond was begging to carry on after following the path along the edge of cliffs, but Mom (yes, me) was too freaked out to allow it after each of the kids slipped on the trail. The trip down the log ladder (bolted in at the top and bottom and connected by steel wire) was a little more hairy, and complicated by an older couple who insisted on climbing up while our family was climbing down. A family of four watching us and waiting at the bottom asked us nervously, "Is it worth it?" And, the kids responded with a resounding, "Yes!" I added cautiously, "We went far enough so the kids felt like they were climbing the cliffs and then we headed back."After a great morning of hiking, we set off for Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the Corn Palace. On the way, in remote South Dakota, we saw two people sitting on camping chairs on the crest of a hill. "What are they doing?" I asked. "Oh, they must be sitting, enjoying the view." Then, we got closer and we noticed a big rifle pointed over the hill. Hunting for something - not sure what.The GPS would get confused every time we left the specified route to get gas or stop at a rest stop. "Recalculating..." it would say. At one rest stop ramp, it instructed, "Continue, 67 miles," which made us laugh. We rolled into Mitchell, South Dakota at 7:00p.m. with Harmond and Bret REALLY wanting to see the Corn Palace. "That's it?!" Harmond said, disappointed, when we walked in and it's nothing on the inside but a basketball stadium that sells Corn Palace stuff. Bret declared that it should be on the list of "1,000 things NOT to see before you die." We walked into a restaurant for dinner, but we couldn't identify anyone that worked there, so we headed to the campground for a cookout and our own drive-in movie theatre, thanks to my computer on the picnic table and our camping chairs. The kids turned on their glow sticks and sat in our laps as we watched "Over the Hedge." I still get a kick out of the way the raccoon describes humans, "They all drive around in these things called SUVs because they are slowly losing their ability to walk." And yes, I do own a SUV!Speaking of places to see, outside of the Badlands, we stopped for some gas and food in Kadoka, South Dakota at a restaurant called The Happy Chef. This should be on the list of 1,000 Places to Visit before you die. Clearly a local favorite, Bret and I spotted what other people were having and ordered from their suggestions. I had an awesome beef sandwich on homemade, thick bread toped with gravy and mashed-potatoes on the side. Bret had a Sloppy Joe to die for. Then, we all finished with Root Beer Floats.
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