Welcome to the Road Trip
The Challenge: 9,000 miles in 5 weeks
The Financial Capital to the Political Capitol via the rest of the USA.
This is The Road to the Foreign Service.
North America
Rediscovering America
Pick a year. Hover a stop for the detail, click to open it below.
Every Stop
- 2010
1New York CityNew York
Leaving the jobs and the city. Nine thousand miles in five weeks, financial capital to political capitol.
Americans and their Cars
Americans like to drive. Cars are our freedom—ask any 15 year-old. The 16th Birthday means freedom to go where you want without parental supervision.
In fact, cars tend to be a necessity in most American neighborhoods. Drive the streets of the suburbs, or even the exoburbs, of any American city and you may notice nothing but houses for miles. If you didn't have a car, you might starve before you could walk to a grocery store.
We don't have a car. But we live in an anomaly of an American city—the Big Apple—New York City.
So, we rented a car. Because we're driving 9,000 miles. Coast-to-coast-to-coast. The Atlantic to the Pacific and back again.
2New CanaanConnecticut
The first step. Church, family brunch and a rental car packed with more than needed.
The Foundation of Family
It's important to always begin with who you are, and the people who know you best. You may not realize it but your family knows what your mood is before you even say a word.
We picked up the rental car in Stamford, CT and packed it up with more than we probably need. That always seems to happen when you travel by car.
There is something strengthening about coming home, we went to church and it is so encouraging to walk into a place where everyone knows your name, and they are excited about everything you do. I mean it has always been that way, I would sing a solo growing up and probably make multiple mistakes but everyone still told me I did great. That's why it was so wonderful to start the day of our departure with church; they sent us off with great excitement.
We followed church with a wonderful brunch with family, Grammy, Elizabeth, Mom, Dad and the two Christophers (Chris the adult and Christopher the nephew). It was wonderful to sit down and laugh and find the foundation of family.
3CarlislePennsylvania
Dickinson College, and a conversation about how we make decisions at eighteen.
A year in the life of Amy… the challenge of decision-making
The road trip started with a stop in Carlisle, PA to visit Amy's freshman year of college, Dickinson College.
As we drove off I-81 into Carlisle, PA, we passed the land of strip malls, Jacob turns to me and asks “so why did you decide to go here?”. I say, “well it's actually really cute, wait until we get to downtown and the college.” It is in fact an adorable old town with Colonial townhouses and buildings, the challenge is there's not a lot here beyond Dickinson, so the outskirts of town are not as quaint.
This one question launched us into a discussion about the decision making process, something that I've never been exceptionally good at. I began to reflect on how I made my decision my senior year of high school and how much that decision was about asserting my independence and rejecting the influences that surrounded me. The funny thing is sometimes when you try really hard to not be influenced by the people we are surrounded by, we still are.
4NashvilleTennessee
Vanderbilt, old friends and professors. A thousand miles in, on three good tyres and a spare.
A trip to music city USA…
The true value of this trip is the range of American culture we are able to see and take in, our first stop took us to Music City USA…Nashville, TN.
After living in the big apple Nashville feels like coming home. It's small downtown, center of intellectual development (Vanderbilt University), up and coming artists striving to achieve their dreams and it's truly unique and individual coffee shops, create a feeling of community that transcends the layers of diversity. It is beautiful to see people all seeking to create something new and to express themselves through their music, their research and their beliefs. The culture of individuality and the desire to achieve your dreams is contagious.
We were floored by the quantity of people we were able to check in with over the course of 40 hours. Seeing old friends and professors and hearing their stories are a great reminder of the freedoms we have in America. The freedom to think, the freedom to teach, the freedom to share beliefs and the freedom to start our own businesses.
Although it has been several years since we have lived in Nashville, it still feels like home despite the changing restaurants, changing faces and new buildings. The welcoming nature of the people and the open and honest conversation continue to make us consider what life would be like in Nashville…
Playing in the Dirt on the Road of Independence
“A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” — Confucius
Our first step was in New Canaan, CT on Sunday afternoon, and fortunately for us we have wheels. By Monday evening we completed our first 1,000 miles when we rolled into Nashville, TN on three good tires and a spare.
The best part about renting is the lack of responsibility. As renters of our car, we don't have the pride of ownership, but we also don't have the burden of responsibility.
When our tire burst on I-40, I was somewhat glad it wasn't entirely my problem, but then again we were the ones on the side of the road in the rain. When the car rental company told me roadside assistance would be there in an hour, my impatient independence inspired me to get out in the rain, lie on my stomach in the dirt and change the tire. But the joys of renting prevailed when we took the car to the Nashville airport and exchanged it for a new one.
On this first leg of our journey we are retracing our steps of independence. We spent much of Sunday driving through Pennsylvania—a vital link to our Nation's independence as home to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In Carlisle, PA we visited Dickinson College where Amy lived for her first year after moving away from home. On Monday we completed our drive to Nashville, TN where I (and Amy, after freshman year) moved to attend Vanderbilt University. It's been more than 8 years since I moved from my childhood home to explore the world beyond Illinois. And now I just keep moving…
5MemphisTennessee
Graceland. Thirty-four dollars to enter the blingdom.
Home of the King
How can you possibly drive through Tennessee and not stop at the home of the King??
The man who transformed American music and culture and created the beginning of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley, yes folks that is who I am speaking of. We made the trip to visit Graceland, we paid the $34.00, and yes it is in fact $34.00 to see his two planes, numerous automobiles, 13.8 acres of land, one floor of the home and his grave.
We felt as though we were really embracing this piece of history, the beginning of rock & roll and the beginning of “blingdom”. Until working at Tommy I never realized how America loves and embraces bling. As we walked up to the entrance to the “home of the king” the first sign reads “enter the blingdom” and indeed we did enter the blingdom.
6HoustonTexas
Four levels of overpass and ten lanes each way.
Is everything bigger in Texas?
During the drive across west Texas with the 80 mph speed limit and deserted landscape, Texas certainly felt big. A couple days ago in Houston, the four levels of overpasses and the 10 highway lanes each direction felt pretty big. The turbo diesel, extended cab, V10 trucks were also big. But I suppose that's to be expected when the oil is right under your feet.
A big ego is understandable from a state that was a stand-alone country for nearly a decade and requires all high school students to take a course dedicated to Texas history. It is this spirit of independence that has been immortalized in one of the most well known moments in Texas history—The Alamo.
174 years ago, next week, Davy Crockett and a handful of men made their last stand against thousands of soldiers in Santa Ana's army. The men hailed from across the United States and were standing up against recent centralization of power in Mexico City. Less than two months after they all made the greatest sacrifice, Santa Ana was captured and his army expelled from Texas earning de facto independence (a treaty formalized the independence two years later in 1838).
Our Texas experience may have been less historic than Davy Crockett's, but it turned out a little better for us. Although we have never lived in Houston or San Antonio, we reunited relationships built in France, Connecticut, Illinois and Tennessee. Despite our country's dispersion and diversity, our almost daily meetings with friends and family make each stop seem uniquely familiar.
7San AntonioTexas
The Alamo, 174 years on from Davy Crockett's last stand.
Is everything bigger in Texas?
During the drive across west Texas with the 80 mph speed limit and deserted landscape, Texas certainly felt big. A couple days ago in Houston, the four levels of overpasses and the 10 highway lanes each direction felt pretty big. The turbo diesel, extended cab, V10 trucks were also big. But I suppose that's to be expected when the oil is right under your feet.
A big ego is understandable from a state that was a stand-alone country for nearly a decade and requires all high school students to take a course dedicated to Texas history. It is this spirit of independence that has been immortalized in one of the most well known moments in Texas history—The Alamo.
174 years ago, next week, Davy Crockett and a handful of men made their last stand against thousands of soldiers in Santa Ana's army. The men hailed from across the United States and were standing up against recent centralization of power in Mexico City. Less than two months after they all made the greatest sacrifice, Santa Ana was captured and his army expelled from Texas earning de facto independence (a treaty formalized the independence two years later in 1838).
Our Texas experience may have been less historic than Davy Crockett's, but it turned out a little better for us. Although we have never lived in Houston or San Antonio, we reunited relationships built in France, Connecticut, Illinois and Tennessee. Despite our country's dispersion and diversity, our almost daily meetings with friends and family make each stop seem uniquely familiar.
8El PasoTexas
The border fence, the checkpoint north of town, and a long look at immigration.
The Texas/Mexico Border
I found today that we were faced with an interesting issue, illegal immigration. We were driving from Houston to Santa Fe, this takes us along I-10 which cuts along the south of Texas through El Paso. It actually takes you right along the border of Mexico. Tempting though it is to have made this a Nafta trip we thought better of it given the current state of drug wars that are occurring in Juarez at the moment. We heard from Jacob's cousin Matt, who is in the air force, that the US military have been banned from going to Juarez. So we used my father's words of wisdom, which always ring in my head anytime I travel “It is looks like a bad idea, if it sounds like a bad idea, it's probably a bad idea.”
What was fascinating as we drove this stretch of highway is that the police are out and about looking for any illegal immigrants who are trying to cross the border. As we drove through El Paso it is obvious this is a border town, you can see trucks and men's clubs littering the city. Through the fence you can see Mexico and it's dilapidated homes. As we drove out of El Paso there were four policeman surrounding one man, who we assume is being arrested for crossing the border illegally. Now why 4 cop cars is needed for one man, I'm not sure, but it certainly made us think, how far do you need to get into the states to be considered safe. In the North we have come in contact with illegal immigrants who are trying to make a better life, they clean homes, stand ready for work at day laborer locations and their children attend our schools. So how far north do you need to travel to stop being hunted??
The final interesting part of our immigrant lesson was that as we drove up I-25 toward Albuquerque, New Mexico we actually had to go through a border inspection, despite the fact we had not actually left the country, we still had to go through border patrol. They actually have every vehicle come through the inspection and check that everyone in the vehicle is an American citizen. Now I don't know what happens if you aren't all American citizens. They did not even check our licenses which I think had more to do with our blonde hair than anything else. It is really amazing that in this rugged part of the country there still remains a rugged life and people continuing to seek a better life and find their frontier.
9Cochiti LakeNew Mexico
A hike to the pueblo ruins on the mesa, through a foot of snow, in soaked boots.
Frost bite in the desert…
You may be wondering how that is possible? Well it is nearly possible.
While staying in Cochiti Lake, New Mexico on the Cochiti reservation, we went for a hike up out of the desert to see the ruins of the pueblo. Several hundred years ago the tribe moved to the top of the mesa to protect themselves from the Spanish. The story goes that the Spanish had been quite cruel to the native people as we have all heard many times. Well the Cochiti got together with several other tribes in the area and drove the Spanish out of the region. The Cochiti than were afraid that when the Spanish returned they would be even more brutal, so they moved up to the top of the mesa. You can still find the ruins of the pueblo they inhabited up there. The trail is actually the trail that the women would use to go retrieve water from below. It was a fairly steep hike and it was especially challenging given the foot of snow that resided in some portions of the path. I thought that my hiking boots would be ok with a pair of smartwool socks, however by the time we reached the top my boots were soaked and my feet were sloshing around inside. By the time we came back to the car at the bottom and returned to the house, my feet were blocks of ice and you could ring the water out of my socks when I took them off.
The big horizon...
The expanse of the horizon is something unknown to a New Yorker. There is nothing quite like seeing the whole horizon without buildings, without roads, without power lines and without people. As we drove through west Texas this afternoon and up through New Mexico this evening we could see for miles. The sun began to set over the mountains in New Mexico and it was a gorgeous orange which gradually turned to pink illuminating the clouds as it did so.
What is it about space that allows our souls to sour, our minds to wander and our hearts to run free? Perhaps it is the natural site that we so infrequently witness in our busy lives, or perhaps it is the endless possibilities that comes with that great expanse of nature. Perhaps we are forced to listen to ourselves think, there are no more distractions that we have created for ourselves.
In our culture of cell phones, ipods, iphones and droids we don't ever have to watch the world go by, we can simply continue to watch tv or listen to our music. There was an ad for the Olympics this year demonstrating just that point, it is a man walking down the street who is watching women's figure skating as he walks along and turns the corners. Now maybe I'm old fashioned or maybe I love living by the old saying “to stop and smell the roses” but this seems a bit unnecessary.
I think that's why I found this stretch of the drive so mesmerizing. We were told before we made this 14 hour stretch of our trip that it would be long and it would be boring, as it is in the middle of nowhere by our busy standards. Now reflecting on the drive, I found it refreshing, it is an incredible privilege to be able to see so much of mother nature, and see all the beauty that God has created.
10Santa FeNew Mexico
The City Different — the third largest gallery scene in the country, and skiing an hour away.
Renting the Reservation
We just left New Mexico after staying three nights on a Native American Reservation. We didn't stay in tepees, nor did we stay with Native Americans. We stayed with my aunt and uncle who own a house on land leased for 99 years from a Native American Reservation. Fewer groups have tried renting land for developments compared with those seeking quick money from casinos.
I could see why the Native Americans would try to monetize their location. We were minutes from hiking up a plateau with views free of all human settlement. It took us less than an hour to get to the Rocky Mountains to ski on fresh powder and a base of 90 inches. The starry night sky was a crisp reminder that we live in the Milky Way (I often forget there are other stars than the sun when living in New York).
In 45 minutes we were in Santa Fe, where one can enjoy a plethora of original art galleries and live entertainment. The City Different, as it's called for its uniqueness, entices artists and performers out of big city life to enjoy the small town feel. With 75,000 people and the third largest original art gallery selection in the US (behind only New York and San Francisco), Santa Fe clearly has a unique attraction away from a large metropolis.
There is a lot of appeal to living away from the hubbub of a major metropolis. The air is cleaner and quieter, and the people are small town friendly. But most jobs take you to the big cities. And, of course, we aren't currently picking a place to live in the US of A, so the contemplation of a slower, quieter life will have to wait for another day…
11Petrified ForestArizona
The Painted Desert running red to purple, and trees turned to stone.
America's amazing land formations…
After departing New Mexico we hopped back on the road and our next destination was Sedona, Arizona. As we drove through this area of the Southwest we found lots of open space, land formations and lots of Native American reservations.
There is nothing quite like the national parks, a place where we can enjoy the wide open space and natural beauty of our country without all the tourism and all the hustle and bustle of modern life. We decided to see what Arizona had to offer and made our first national park stop, the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.
The Painted Desert is truly fantastic, the landscape is a movement of color, beginning red and orange and becoming purple and blue as you drive on. Scattered throughout all this landscape are pieces of petrified wood from when this used to be a tropical climate. The petrified wood is both unique and fascinating; the trees crystallized and became stone.
We left the Painted Desert and continued down the interstate driving through the Coconino National forest. It's amazing you drive through a beautiful national forest with several feet of snow on the ground, and then come over the ridge of the mountain and enter the desert. As you drive into Sedona it is absolutely beautiful with its red rock formations but it is a stark contrast to the wide open unobstructed views of the national parks. Sedona has become known not only for its red rock but also its spiritual energy and vortexes.
The town has become a center for retirement, tourism and spiritual growth. When you walk into the main strip in Sedona, you can find jeep rides through the red rocks, massage centers, UFO siting tours and centers for photographing your aura. Now I don't know exactly what photographing your aura means or looks like but it appears to be a popular activity.
We took advantage of the red rock country and went for a hike up to Cathedral rock, the most photographed formation in Sedona. It was truly fantastic, and quite strenuous. After completing our on the ground tour we took to the skies in a helicopter ride. We spent about 15 minutes flying around the area and around the formations for a very unique view.
After departing Sedona we took off up north to see the most famous formation we American have, the Grand Canyon. We arrived just in time for sun set, and despite the cool temperatures it was still an amazing sunset. How do you really even try to describe the Grand Canyon, it is truly huge. We often make it larger than life, and I don't want to do that, but it is difficult to put into words the canyon created by waterways slowly eroding the land and showing us the sediments going back 1900 million years ago, it is hard not to be impressed.
12SedonaArizona
Cathedral Rock on foot, then the red rocks again from a helicopter.
America's amazing land formations…
After departing New Mexico we hopped back on the road and our next destination was Sedona, Arizona. As we drove through this area of the Southwest we found lots of open space, land formations and lots of Native American reservations.
There is nothing quite like the national parks, a place where we can enjoy the wide open space and natural beauty of our country without all the tourism and all the hustle and bustle of modern life. We decided to see what Arizona had to offer and made our first national park stop, the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.
The Painted Desert is truly fantastic, the landscape is a movement of color, beginning red and orange and becoming purple and blue as you drive on. Scattered throughout all this landscape are pieces of petrified wood from when this used to be a tropical climate. The petrified wood is both unique and fascinating; the trees crystallized and became stone.
We left the Painted Desert and continued down the interstate driving through the Coconino National forest. It's amazing you drive through a beautiful national forest with several feet of snow on the ground, and then come over the ridge of the mountain and enter the desert. As you drive into Sedona it is absolutely beautiful with its red rock formations but it is a stark contrast to the wide open unobstructed views of the national parks. Sedona has become known not only for its red rock but also its spiritual energy and vortexes.
The town has become a center for retirement, tourism and spiritual growth. When you walk into the main strip in Sedona, you can find jeep rides through the red rocks, massage centers, UFO siting tours and centers for photographing your aura. Now I don't know exactly what photographing your aura means or looks like but it appears to be a popular activity.
We took advantage of the red rock country and went for a hike up to Cathedral rock, the most photographed formation in Sedona. It was truly fantastic, and quite strenuous. After completing our on the ground tour we took to the skies in a helicopter ride. We spent about 15 minutes flying around the area and around the formations for a very unique view.
After departing Sedona we took off up north to see the most famous formation we American have, the Grand Canyon. We arrived just in time for sun set, and despite the cool temperatures it was still an amazing sunset. How do you really even try to describe the Grand Canyon, it is truly huge. We often make it larger than life, and I don't want to do that, but it is difficult to put into words the canyon created by waterways slowly eroding the land and showing us the sediments going back 1900 million years ago, it is hard not to be impressed.
13Grand CanyonArizona
Arriving just in time for sunset, and 1,900 million years of sediment.
America's amazing land formations…
After departing New Mexico we hopped back on the road and our next destination was Sedona, Arizona. As we drove through this area of the Southwest we found lots of open space, land formations and lots of Native American reservations.
There is nothing quite like the national parks, a place where we can enjoy the wide open space and natural beauty of our country without all the tourism and all the hustle and bustle of modern life. We decided to see what Arizona had to offer and made our first national park stop, the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.
The Painted Desert is truly fantastic, the landscape is a movement of color, beginning red and orange and becoming purple and blue as you drive on. Scattered throughout all this landscape are pieces of petrified wood from when this used to be a tropical climate. The petrified wood is both unique and fascinating; the trees crystallized and became stone.
We left the Painted Desert and continued down the interstate driving through the Coconino National forest. It's amazing you drive through a beautiful national forest with several feet of snow on the ground, and then come over the ridge of the mountain and enter the desert. As you drive into Sedona it is absolutely beautiful with its red rock formations but it is a stark contrast to the wide open unobstructed views of the national parks. Sedona has become known not only for its red rock but also its spiritual energy and vortexes.
The town has become a center for retirement, tourism and spiritual growth. When you walk into the main strip in Sedona, you can find jeep rides through the red rocks, massage centers, UFO siting tours and centers for photographing your aura. Now I don't know exactly what photographing your aura means or looks like but it appears to be a popular activity.
We took advantage of the red rock country and went for a hike up to Cathedral rock, the most photographed formation in Sedona. It was truly fantastic, and quite strenuous. After completing our on the ground tour we took to the skies in a helicopter ride. We spent about 15 minutes flying around the area and around the formations for a very unique view.
After departing Sedona we took off up north to see the most famous formation we American have, the Grand Canyon. We arrived just in time for sun set, and despite the cool temperatures it was still an amazing sunset. How do you really even try to describe the Grand Canyon, it is truly huge. We often make it larger than life, and I don't want to do that, but it is difficult to put into words the canyon created by waterways slowly eroding the land and showing us the sediments going back 1900 million years ago, it is hard not to be impressed.
14Hoover DamNevada
A football field high and a football field thick, holding back the Colorado.
Dam, Sin City
To contrast God's creations, we thought we'd visit a few of man's creations.
The Hoover Dam was the largest concrete structure and largest hydro-electric power plant ever erected when it was finished in 1936. Over a football field high and a football field thick—it takes a lot to harness the mighty Colorado River. As we drove over the Dam we couldn't help but be impressed by what humans can accomplish with a bit of planning.
And then there is the human creation in the image of human creation—Las Vegas. In only a few short steps we revisited places we have actually visited—Egypt, New York, Paris. Only the last time we were in each of these places I didn't remember as many slot machines and strip show advertisements.
At each step of the Johnson Family Vegas Vacation I was reminded of the lovable Clark Griswald—all the signs for the dam tour, our awful luck at the casinos (we lost all $2 we bet), the lone mobile homes in the desert and the remembrance of how important family relationships really are even amongst all the glitz and glamor of the Vegas Strip.
15Las VegasNevada
Egypt, New York and Paris in a few short steps. Two dollars bet and lost.
Dam, Sin City
To contrast God's creations, we thought we'd visit a few of man's creations.
The Hoover Dam was the largest concrete structure and largest hydro-electric power plant ever erected when it was finished in 1936. Over a football field high and a football field thick—it takes a lot to harness the mighty Colorado River. As we drove over the Dam we couldn't help but be impressed by what humans can accomplish with a bit of planning.
And then there is the human creation in the image of human creation—Las Vegas. In only a few short steps we revisited places we have actually visited—Egypt, New York, Paris. Only the last time we were in each of these places I didn't remember as many slot machines and strip show advertisements.
At each step of the Johnson Family Vegas Vacation I was reminded of the lovable Clark Griswald—all the signs for the dam tour, our awful luck at the casinos (we lost all $2 we bet), the lone mobile homes in the desert and the remembrance of how important family relationships really are even amongst all the glitz and glamor of the Vegas Strip.
16Los AngelesCalifornia
The Pacific reached. Santa Monica, the studio tour, and the red carpet going up for the Oscars.
California, the land of the American dream...
We did it; we made it to the Pacific Ocean. Now some people have told us, that if we get tired of driving, we can always book a flight home once we get here…I think we'll keep driving.
Driving from the city of human desires and imagination in the middle of the desert, we have now made it to Hollywood! Hollywood an American creation entirely different, a place where we create dreams, stars and stories.
We started our time in Los Angeles in Santa Monica, with a run along the beach and stroll down the 3rd street promenade. We noticed something truly interesting on the promenade, people like to stand out, here in LA they want to be individuals and be seen, become a star. In New York everyone wants to be an individual but you want to blend in. We walked down the promenade with our tea latte, which my sister told me I had to try, and listened to the musicians, watched the dancing trefoils (girl scouts dressed up as cookies trying to sell cookies, they were successful I should mention since my husband is truly a cookie monster at heart), and enjoyed the flavor of the evening. We made our way back to dinner to share in some good old family reunion time with all the cousins.
We continued our Hollywood experience by getting the specialized tour with a studio tour, and private viewing of a new film from my cousin Greg. He then showed us the walk of fame and the Chinese theatre, and we saw the red carpet being prepped for the Oscars the following evening. It was a true taste of Hollywood, and it was a great flavor of the excitement that is found in this industry of creating the uncreated and limitless possibilities that the human mind can come up with.
We met up with another cousin, the rocket scientist and enjoyed another side of LA seeing the rose bowl and having some fantastic Chinese American food at a dumpling house. Here we heard about the latest in the scientific, space and robotic community in LA. It is the side of the human mind that strives to achieve the unachievable, discover the unknown and each question is taming the impossible. Her latest project is creating a robot to carry an astronauts' living facility, enabling scientists to explore and understand the moon—this is a challenging task! It is so precise and yet it is so creative in an entirely different way than the Hollywood films and New York Fashion.
LA reminded me of the unique privilege we have as Americans to dream, to build and create intellectual capital.
17Palo AltoCalifornia
Up Route 1 and 101, then a morning run around Stanford.
Northern California, more American dreams
We drove up Route 1 and 101 along the California coast, it is tremendous scenery. The rolling hills and incoming fog reminded me of Jurassic Park and yet we were right between two of the largest cities in America. We arrived late to Palo Alto and the next morning went running around the campus of Stanford University. It is unlike any other school, with Spanish influenced architecture and wide expanses of lawn. It is a school known for its tremendous scholastic ability and its business school prides itself on its entrepreneurial flavor.
Today we enjoyed the beauty of the Napa wine valley, we drove through the hills and stopped to taste the local varietals. The people are friendly, relaxed and encouraging. At one vineyard we ran into a gentleman originally from Wales who has become an American citizen and is a chef. He has decided to leave the wine industry and start his own business being a private chef. He said in this country you have to have a dream and a goal, it's great to be an American but if you aren't living your dream and you don't have a goal, you aren't living up to what this country stands for.
18Big Basin RedwoodsCalifornia
Budget cuts, a locked bathroom and fallen trees across the trail to the old tree.
California, the land of reduced service levels...
We will only comment on this for a moment, but I thought it was interesting to mention. On the east coast we hear about California being broke and their budget not being balanced, but I did not expect to experience the results of this. We stopped into a state park in Northern California to see the redwoods, we expected to find a state park with information and rangers…we saw one ranger. We walked up to the visitor's center and were greeted with a sign reading “please note due to budget cuts you may experience reduced levels of service”…hmmm we thought. So we proceeded to get a map, and we tried to use the bathroom which we soon discovered was locked…reduced levels of service. We decided to try and do a short loop to see an old redwood, called “old tree” that was supposed to be 12″ across, we found the path and soon encountered a fallen down tree, we walked on and found several fallen trees across the path…apparently more reduced levels of service…
We continued into San Francisco that evening and the next morning on our walk along the wharf were continually greeted with folks trying to save the state parks, we were clearly not the only people noticing the reduced levels of service…
19San FranciscoCalifornia
The wharf, and campaigners trying to save the state parks.
California, the land of reduced service levels...
We will only comment on this for a moment, but I thought it was interesting to mention. On the east coast we hear about California being broke and their budget not being balanced, but I did not expect to experience the results of this. We stopped into a state park in Northern California to see the redwoods, we expected to find a state park with information and rangers…we saw one ranger. We walked up to the visitor's center and were greeted with a sign reading “please note due to budget cuts you may experience reduced levels of service”…hmmm we thought. So we proceeded to get a map, and we tried to use the bathroom which we soon discovered was locked…reduced levels of service. We decided to try and do a short loop to see an old redwood, called “old tree” that was supposed to be 12″ across, we found the path and soon encountered a fallen down tree, we walked on and found several fallen trees across the path…apparently more reduced levels of service…
We continued into San Francisco that evening and the next morning on our walk along the wharf were continually greeted with folks trying to save the state parks, we were clearly not the only people noticing the reduced levels of service…
20Napa ValleyCalifornia
Tasting the local varietals, and a Welshman turned private chef on the American dream.
Northern California, more American dreams
We drove up Route 1 and 101 along the California coast, it is tremendous scenery. The rolling hills and incoming fog reminded me of Jurassic Park and yet we were right between two of the largest cities in America. We arrived late to Palo Alto and the next morning went running around the campus of Stanford University. It is unlike any other school, with Spanish influenced architecture and wide expanses of lawn. It is a school known for its tremendous scholastic ability and its business school prides itself on its entrepreneurial flavor.
Today we enjoyed the beauty of the Napa wine valley, we drove through the hills and stopped to taste the local varietals. The people are friendly, relaxed and encouraging. At one vineyard we ran into a gentleman originally from Wales who has become an American citizen and is a chef. He has decided to leave the wine industry and start his own business being a private chef. He said in this country you have to have a dream and a goal, it's great to be an American but if you aren't living your dream and you don't have a goal, you aren't living up to what this country stands for.
21Salt Lake CityUtah
Temple Square, and lunch on the patio before skiing fresh powder. The turn eastward.
Religious Freedom in the Desert
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” – The Constitution of the United States of America, 1st Amendment (Proposed 9/25/1789; Ratified 12/15/1791)
Many of the first settlers in the American colonies were seeking freedom from religious persecution in Europe. In the same way, some of the settlers of the American West were seeking freedom from religious persecution in the Eastern United States. Our Constitution protects our legal right to practice any religion, but that has not necessarily changed the way people perceive and interact with those who have different beliefs.
Mormonism began in the Northeast but resistance to these different beliefs led Joseph Smith to take the followers of this new faith to Illinois and ultimately Brigham Young led the followers to Salt Lake City. In the same way that the Pilgrims found freedom an ocean away from Europe and in the less populated colonies, Mormonism was finally able to put down its roots across the continent from its birth and in the isolation of the Utah desert. Visiting Salt Lake City reminded us of the diverse applications of freedom in the United States; the Mormon family-oriented, conservative lifestyle is a stark contrast with our previous urban desert experience—the hedonism of Las Vegas.
We took the opportunity to learn about Mormonism from the experts. We visited Temple Square and attended a movie about Joseph Smith shown in the memorial building of his namesake. It was insightful to learn about his journey and the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
We also enjoyed the modern day benefits of Salt Lake City's location—the ski slopes! A little bit of powder and warmth reminded us we were not in the Northeast. It is a mystery to me how it can be warm enough to eat lunch on the patio of the ski lodge and then ski down the mountain on fresh snow—must be a miracle.
Eastward HO!?
The Expedition of Lewis and Clark, the California Gold Rush, the Louisiana Purchase, the Oregon Trail. America's cultural narrative is Westward. Even our pre-nation history is told by European explorers sailing into the sunset to the New World.
Whether it is cultural indoctrination or innate aesthetic appreciation, there is something I love about going West. Watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean after crossing our great nation filled me with a sense of hope that tomorrow will be even better than today. But what if tomorrow means going East?
Our road trip is no longer mimicking the historic expansion of the United States. Now we are driving east. I can't help but think how the trip is more than halfway done—and, for me, concluding an adventure can hardly compete with the adrenaline rush of beginning one. The outset of an adventure is filled with expectations—the end is filled with great memories, but the potential and unknown are no more.
I shouldn't get ahead of myself here, we still have a continent to cross, friends and family to revisit and more exploration of what makes America great. The route back will be further north so pray we don't have to use our snow chains (since we don't have any;).
Who am I?
If you were hoping for some existential reflections, you'll have to wait for a later date. Today my contemplations are about my legal identification.
My identity was stolen last week—credit cards opened in my name and our checking account drained of funds.
Although I will hopefully not have any lasting financial impact, my first few days of identify-theft remind me of coping with other tragedies like death. When someone else has a death of a family member or friend, I can be empathetic, but I do not know exactly how he is feeling, nor can I truly share his perspective. I always felt bad for folks that had their Social Security Numbers stolen, but never shared in their anguish.
I never before contemplated these burning questions: Who is this imposter? Does he even look anything like me? Is he at least good-looking? Why did he choose me? How did he get my information? Will he be caught? How can I ever rest easy about my identity security again?
Identity Theft is a very strange crime of which to be a victim. I happened to find out immediately due to fraud detection at my bank and a credit card. But the other new credit card I detected on my own by accessing my credit report. I could not have discovered the crime until well after it was committed.
These acts of fraud are a byproduct of our modern world. While my friends and family recognize my physical appearance and voice and know my character through our interactions, the rest of the world recognizes my SSN, address and driver's license and knows my character through a compilation of recorded historical behaviors. It would be quite a feat (Mission Impossible worthy) to be an impostor in my personal life, but much easier to use my basic information to get credit in my name.
I hope my impostor had a fun weekend and enjoys his freedom before our legal system brings him to justice.
22Coloradothe Rockies
Driven through on the way east, and never written about.
23RockfordIllinois
Home ground. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, a nephew and Dad — and a speeding ticket for the state deficit.
At Home in the Heartland
Enough with the personal financial troubles of the last couple posts. We have certainly been a bit distracted by the responsibilities of life, but we are still making Eastward progress. We have made it across the Heartland of America—affectionately called the “land we fly over” by some of the folks who live on the coasts.
While we have been in the Midwest we have not climbed mountains or tasted wine or walked the footsteps of movie stars. The scenery is subtle with rolling hills of endless cornfields. The people are hospitable and enjoy a sane pace of life. It was a good breather from our hectic travel schedule and life in the big city.
For me it is also a return to family—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, a nephew and my dad. In my intermittent visits during and since college, I have taken snapshots of life in the Midwest but have not lived there for nearly a decade. What strikes me while reflecting on the past 10 years is that despite the steadiness and routine of the Heartland, it is not exempt from the involuntary changes that come with the passing years of life. When my mom passed away two years ago this summer, it changed daily life for my dad and brother at home and has altered the dynamics of our family visits since then.
We will experience much of the inevitable change of life from afar while we are away in the Foreign Service. Potential change makes me appreciate the everyday life that we share with friends and relatives on our visits. While every day schedules may seem routine and unchanging, one day they will only be relived through fading memories. It is these everyday activities and moments of life that make the fabric we weave together to form our most lasting relationships. We have appreciated our time with all of you along the way and look forward to more memory making in the years to come.
Ad Hoc, Compulsory Budget Reduction Fees
More than one state across the nation is in fiscal trouble, but their seemingly semi-random revenue generating activities can be frustrating. To cut through the verbosity, I got a speeding ticket. I hope it helps reduce Illinois' raging deficit.
I suppose it doesn't come as a surprise that we would meet a friendly State-trooper at some point in our journey, and I guess I should be happy we made it over 8,000 miles without handing over my license and registration. And I certainly can't argue that I was speeding, but isn't it frustrating to see those lights in your rearview mirror?
24TorontoOntario
A night on Lake Ontario, looking back at the lights of the homeland.
Almost America
I think we need to come clean...we left America.
I love America, but it's hard for me to resist exotic destinations...like Toronto and Montreal—although not exactly balmy this time of year. Admittedly, we had been planning to come through Canada since we embarked on the trip but still billed it as a Roadtrip Across America. How could we live with ourselves in this deceit? Well, it is a roadtrip across North America.
We began the diversion in the Northland with a brief stay on Lake Ontario. We looked longingly over the inland ocean (i.e. great lakes) at the twinkling lights of the homeland on the horizon.
I soon found myself feeling a little more foreign when the signs started changing to French as we entered Quebec. I think Amy found herself at home with a whole province of bilingual French/English speakers.
Our entertainment for the 20 hours in Montreal was playing “visiting parents” to our friend, who is a 3rd year law student at McGill. I've never been on the other end of a college visit; we enjoyed seeing the classrooms, cafeteria, study lounges, meeting friends, going to dinner and then saying goodnight and going back to our hotel. In the morning, our little student came to pick us up at the hotel after her class and we went to visit her house where she lives with 4 other girls.
I suppose it wasn't quite the same as a parental visit since we weren't constantly assessing if the tuition dollars were being well spent.
25MontréalQuébec
Twenty hours playing visiting parents to a law student at McGill.
Almost America
I think we need to come clean...we left America.
I love America, but it's hard for me to resist exotic destinations...like Toronto and Montreal—although not exactly balmy this time of year. Admittedly, we had been planning to come through Canada since we embarked on the trip but still billed it as a Roadtrip Across America. How could we live with ourselves in this deceit? Well, it is a roadtrip across North America.
We began the diversion in the Northland with a brief stay on Lake Ontario. We looked longingly over the inland ocean (i.e. great lakes) at the twinkling lights of the homeland on the horizon.
I soon found myself feeling a little more foreign when the signs started changing to French as we entered Quebec. I think Amy found herself at home with a whole province of bilingual French/English speakers.
Our entertainment for the 20 hours in Montreal was playing “visiting parents” to our friend, who is a 3rd year law student at McGill. I've never been on the other end of a college visit; we enjoyed seeing the classrooms, cafeteria, study lounges, meeting friends, going to dinner and then saying goodnight and going back to our hotel. In the morning, our little student came to pick us up at the hotel after her class and we went to visit her house where she lives with 4 other girls.
I suppose it wasn't quite the same as a parental visit since we weren't constantly assessing if the tuition dollars were being well spent.
Identity Theft Hot Potato
The FBI says Identity Theft is “the fastest growing white-collar crime in America.”
Well, if you want to jump on that bandwagon, let me enlighten you on the best path forward:
1. Choose a state to steal personal information and data. 2. When stealing said data, ensure you choose identities that reside in another state. 3. Fraudulently represent identities in a third state.
Result: Police precincts in all states do not want to take your complaint.
26Washington, DCthe end of the road
Flag Day and the posting to Gaborone, then the swearing in by the Secretary of State.
Washington, DC — Flag Day
Well we finally made it to DC, I'm sure you have all been wondering what happened to us? So I apologize for not writing this entry sooner, we've been enjoying the life in DC and Jacob has started training.
On Friday April 23rd, they had a ceremony they call “flag day.” It is the only time in their careers where they will receive their posting in a ceremony and it is celebrated. In the future they will be told where they are going via email.
Anyway, the ceremony is one of the more stressful things we've been to, as you have very little control over what you will receive, and it is 45 minutes of your life that determines the next 2 years of your life. They had several speakers talk about the class and then they proceeded to announce each country with its flag on the big screen. They would follow this up with the job this person would be holding and the name of the officer. They would present each officer with the flag of the country they were heading to, and a folder with their training schedule. After they had announced about half the class they finally announced “Gaborone, Botswana”, and stated that Jacob would be taking on this job. So the moment we have all been waiting for, well at least Jacob and I, has come and we are headed to Botswana in July!
It's Official — the swearing in ceremony
Although flag day is technically more exciting for us, the big deal day for the government is the “Commissioning Ceremony”; this is where the new class of diplomatic officers are sworn into service by the secretary of state. Jacob's class was fortunate enough to have Hillary Clinton, our secretary of state, come and perform the swearing in herself.
The ceremony began with several speeches about of how wonderful this class of officers is, and how talented and great they will be. Finally the secretary arrived and she gave a 10 minute speech regarding how important their role as diplomats are, and how crucial their jobs are to American policy. She also talked about how talented the class is and how difficult it is to be accepted into this elite rank in the government. Finally she recited the oath, and they were officially officers of the foreign service!
- 2023
- 1VancouverBritish ColumbiaToday was a day of Jamesey RoodleHe did some silly things the Doodle Doodle.First he peed on my Vineyard Vines Shep ShirtIt was a bit of wetness even though he’s just a squirt.After fourteen hours of sleeping and screamingWatching Disney and Netflix like its constantly streamingNo one ate the plane food as it was awfully blandBut it was slightly less textured than the Vancouver Island sand
- 2Port Renfrew Seaside CottagesVancouver IslandOnce we got to Canada it was just another anticHe was throwing books in the tub and making mummy franticThat was all after he dumped his blanket in the toiletWe didn’t have a washer so we nearly had to boil it.Mummy trimming kids’ toenails and drinking wineMusical chairs was Addy’s choice with chairs in a line.Skipping rocks for Jack again trying to go down by himselfAnd J.R. in a cupboard hiding on a shelf.Four of the kids take the time writing in their journalTry to keep it short, time spent need not be eternalThe youngest one without a journal, what else can he do?Than take his toothbrush and drop it in the loo.A hairbrush in the toilet, just another dayThere’d be a toilet bowl party daily if James-O had his way.He also chews the charcoal from the outdoor fire pitSeems a bit too scratchy, but he doesn’t seem to mind the grit.
- 3Mystic BeachVancouver IslandTo distract Jamesey we took him to the beachThere not a single toilet was even within reachWe made him a baby pool to warm the North PacificAnd no matter what we said, he thought the rock taste was terrific.A creek came to a cliff as it approached the oceanInspiring interest from the kids and a flurry of motionHandstands from Lorelei and a back walkover to bootAnd Adeline in a cartwheel put her head below her foot.A walk back up the hill with Jack running in the leadWith grapes and corn thins a semi-mobile CC did feedBack to the cottage for skipping rocks by the tide poolForegoing workbooks for outdoors in a failing of home school.
- 4Botanical BeachVancouver IslandAnother day of James-O eating sandEven with no swimmers and confined to dry landWe were lucky to see a black bear on the way to the waterFortunate we were in the car as it terrified the youngest daughter
- 5Lizard LakeVancouver IslandA bonsai tree, upon a stump, in the middle of a lakeA trail lost to time and shrubs, so a hike we didn’t take.Instead ‘round Lizard Lake we follow blue and yellow blaze.But when they’re gone we go ‘round a bit, in a coniferous maze.
- 6The Renfrew PubPort RenfrewThe last night here, we treat ourselves at the local Renfru PubThe scene is good, the space is nice, and above average grub.Then pack the car, the morning comes in just a few more hours,We send the kids quickly to bed, and mostly without showers.
- 7Swartz Bay & the ferryVancouver IslandWake before daybreak to get us on our wayA two-and-a-half-hour drive at sunrise just to start the dayAt the Ferry Terminal before six in the mornThen off to the mainland as the ship sounds its horn.The day shifts back from ship to carThen a plane ‘cause we need to go farFar but not as far as we went beforeThree hours by air, with delay, so it’s more.
- 8Colorado SpringsColoradoGet to Colorado another hour to goCram the bags in the car, can’t fit much mo’Bagels ‘to go’ attempting to avoid a food whineFinally, the hotel lobby and cousins, just after nine.Back to a cloudy hotel pool for swimming and playA late, after thought dinner – take-out Chick-Fil-A.Then let’s go to bed and wish there are less clouds tomorrowOr we’ll miss Garden of the Gods and would wallow in sorrow.Some lightning bolts over Pikes Peak make a glorious sightThen off to Target for Round 2 of shop-a-thon delightA 40th Birthday at a Brewery makes old age seem nearAnd James dumps a Unicorn purse in the toilet, CC’s greatest fear.
- 9Rock Ledge RanchColorado SpringsWe mobilise after breakfast to arrive round about 10.Wouldn’t have helped much if we had arrived before then.The boys speeding ahead; when you’re young you have to be fastWith teepee, homestead and blacksmith to learn ‘bout the past.
- 10Manitou Cliff DwellingsManitou SpringsThen to climb ladders and hop through a window and doorA cliff dwelling nearby, none of us had been there beforeShopping for souvenirs in the pueblo; glow in the dark t-shirts galoreThen run to the car in the midst of a torrential downpour.
- 11Garden of the GodsColorado SpringsThe morning is clear so we decide to give it a shotNot early or bold enough for Pikes Peak to be the spot.The vertical red rock formations are unearthly creationsAll going up from ground level, no indentations.Reminded all of us who’d been there of UluruSedimentary, conglomerate, and granite to name a fewWalking back got caught in that 50% chance of rainBut got lots of good pics so we did not come in vain
- 12BoulderColoradoIt’s time to drive north, through Denver againArriving in Boulder to get some ZenPerched on a rooftop above a food hallBeer, coffee, Mexican, Asian – they’ve got it all.Then to the Boulder gym to go highA three-year-old, six-year-old way up near the skyThe cousins on starter walls just getting goingAnd Brett on 5.12 because he knows what he’s doing.
- 13ErieColoradoThen on to Erie to do in house climbingAnd takeaway tacos to do in house diningJack is in heaven building a deck on floor twoAnd Adeline doing splits in the air, yes it’s true.
- 14YMCA of the RockiesEstes ParkIt’s fun to stay at the YMCA!Especially on a sunny Rocky Mountain day.Our fun starts with a round of golf built for speedThen a craft of sand art, is what the cousins need.Learn of survival, build a natural “lean-to”And marshmallow catapults, built with popsicles sticks tooA playground and swimming and a long line for dinnerEven with reduced options, getting in free makes it a winner.The kids end a long day, chasing a blue ragIt’s the age-old tradition of capture the flagCousins running and guarding the jail is what we sawAnd a score of 1 game to 1 so it’s a draw.A morning swim, a walk by the creekOrigami boxes, looking sleekStart mosaic boxes and run off to catch the shuttleA longer hike and timely driver, make our plans a scuttle.An hours’ wait; a drive uphillAnother shuttle; get our fillFinally, a walk from lake to lakeA snowy sledding detour we take.With back-to-back hikes the kids, they were beatEven with popsicles and Oreos at the end for a treat.So on this fine morning we stayed put before noon.Doing journals and schoolwork, we’d see cousins soon.Meet in the Craft Centre for a family tie dyeFor a uniquely made keepsake, that was whyA hat for Jack and dresses for the girlsUsing a fork to spin and twist is how you make swirls.With a brief respite for a free ice cream truckPainted boxes and shark will dry with some luckLightning show, then tacos and watch the kiddos danceThe weather clears enough to give sardines a chance.Turning 40! A milestone of topping out the hill.We plan a hike to meet the day, can’t be sitting still.A shuttle up to halve the walk and make it all downhill.Play in the creek and heading back, the cousins get their fill.A mobile nap for under-fives, then look for something coolA unanimous vote from all the cousins for a quick trip to the poolAddy crushed the swimming test then 10 times down the slide.A lesson at the archery range, the first time that kids had tried.A birthday dinner with talent show, Jamesey busts a moveThen CC takes right over to get into her dancing grooveJack kicks the iPhone and Addy tells some jokesLorelei does some walkovers with joyous clapping from the folks.One last morning at the YMCAGoodbye, for now, is what we all sayHeading east with plans to pick a rental anewBut with a hailstorm last week, we don’t see it through.
- 15Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National ParkColoradoWe lose an Amy and a CC tooA back and forth on the trail we doNow reunited for a barbequeAnd say goodbye to K&B too.Another morning swim, a walk up the hillDrive into the Park, show our pass, that’s the drill.Now circle Bear Lake, James is sure on his feet.And close encounters with Elk, that was sweet.Figure out how to make the whole hike downhillA bit of thunder and lightning gives it a thrill.Down the mountain, windows open so no one’s illNearly finish mosaics projects with arts and crafts skill.
- 16The Stanley HotelEstes ParkAn Unbirthday bash for the kiddos, each with an unexpected giftA broken window in the cabin, gives the mood a rapid shift.Then a birthday dinner out to celebrate our 40 yearsAt the historic Stanley Hotel, inspiring beauty and Shining fears.
- 17CheyenneWyomingAfter hours of toil, just back where we startedBetter get going on the path the GPS chartedInto Wyoming, through Cheyenne on the plainsHeading to the spot the paths diverged for the wagon trains.
- 18CasperWyomingBefore we go sightseeing, we check into the hotelWith the doors on the inside so it’s not a motelAnd stop at an American culinary traditionKids eat free today at Denny’s, so the bill wasn’t an omission.
- 19National Historic Trails CenterCasperThe morning in Casper we follow the trailsLearn of hope, indominable spirit and nearly unbearable travails.To California for gold, and Oregon for farmland.Pony Express for comms, and the Mormons a religious stand.See how the wagons forded a river and Mormons opened a ferryOr waiting to fend off Indians, could inevitably be scary.A treaty of many tribes paves the way for travelBut encounters with the Army eventually made it unravel.After learning of largest voluntary migration in historyWe answer most of our questions, to resolve each mystery.Of how it came to pass that 400,000 people passed this wayTopped off with a cousin reunion and cake for Amy’s 40th birthday!
- 20Paradise Guest RanchBuffalo, WyomingStart the day with a purple pre-sunrise by fiveTurning blue and then orange makes the sky come aliveThen made-to-order breakfast with pancakes and eggsHead for the horses to stretch out their legs.The first walk with a pause to trade out a horseWalking on rocks without shoes can lead to remorseFinally, up to the mesa where wildflowers grewAnd views of snow-covered Big Horns come into view.Scooping poop from the stables, kids muck out the stallsDinner in the pavilion, chilly without any wallsSheets of rain, a lightning storm passes overA Suburban ride home and girls have a sleepover.A boys fishing trip getting stuck out in the hailPaused to wait it out but to no availGot wet from the top and fell into the waterAnd small Brook trout was all that we caught there.The horse riders dismounted when down came the hailWith thunder and lighting a proper Big Horn galeIt passed and post-noon went out for a rideGlad that we took the chance and headed outside.The rock dogs were sunning themselves on the hillSound like a chirping or a light little trillThen games in the field, swing dancing in the barTrading out sleeping girls, needn’t walk very far.A sister and daughter ride to start out the dayAnd a free afternoon for the younger ones to free-playBoys trotted on the mesa and then down through the treesHorses move quicker with a kick to say please.A pool day for CC, Piper and Addy,Supervising from the non-riding, non-fishing Daddy,A lesson in the field named for MulesWas where the girls had McKenna teach them the rules.Napping house for Nana and for baby JamesExchanging birthday presents for ten cousin namesMemories for Amy now she’s marking four decades,Poems, dancing and gymnastics are our talent escapades.Team penning, get the cattle in the corralThe thunder returns and so the ride ends for allBrush the horses give them apples to eatGames of garbage and then hide and seek.A big surprise as we’re getting ready for dinnerCarolina vomits up all that was in herAlthough Flintstone vitamins can taste really yummyIt turns out that more than a dozen isn’t good for her tummy.Lorelei, Jack, and Adeline head out for campingThere’s one big tent, but not beds, so hardly glamping.Jack get cold at 230 and wants to come homeBut instead climbs in with Lorelei because it’s too dark to roam.CC’s stomach still hurts, call poison controlIf she ate twice as much, to the ER we’d goAnd hives all over James, what was in dinner?Benadryl all over, and Claritin was the winner.A riding lesson was much overdueFor trotting and loping, to learn what to doTurning your horse with the foot that is nearAnd scooping the ice-cream scoop with your rear.To the pavilion to get a full family picJames crushes cornhole as he uses a trickCornbread, ribs and cobbler for grubWe go home and Jack falls asleep in the tub.Hopes for a light lope to start out the dayTurns into a lost lope as the Wrangler loses his wayGet ready for kids’ rodeo, wish for a break in the rainKids paint their faces, and handprints under the mane.Kids weaving poles and three barrels go roundWranglers ride a shovel pulled by a horse on the groundSisterclub gets roped into a drinking gameGet told they’re all blindfolded, but they weren’t all the same.Then Lorelei and Jack get dunked in the troughSoaked in cold water could turn into a coughSo better keep active with a line dancing nightEven Jamesey do-si-dos, oh what a sight.The first morning all week that Lorelei won’t get onto Dollar,Nor Jack on Lieutenant Dan, who was not a great follower.Nor Mummy on Rudy, nor Daddy on AlAdeline on Ol’ Paint, and Carolina says goodbye to Gypsy as well.To the northern pasture, the horses they wentWranglers tried three times before successfully sentNow it’s time for all of us humans to goFor our crew in Wyoming, one more stop though.
- 21Terry Bison RanchCheyenneDown from the mountains onto a high plainFeeding the bison from an old homemade trainNo teeth on the top so we don’t have to worryDon’t be deceived though, these big beasts can scurry.
- 22MontréalQuébecThree days of travel to get to where we are goingAccumulating some things, the bags bulging, it’s showingSwapping rental cars as we hop from city to cityGet to Montreal, Hertz only has a Tesla that’s bitty.We wait it out and come back in the morningA minivan has returned so there’s a plan that is formingGet some wheels, cram our stuff, head on our wayCrossing the border into the US of A.
- 23Stone PierRangeley, MaineArrive at Stone Pier, no extended family in sightA couple days with just seven, provides a bit of respiteGoing swimming in the lake, it’s as calm as a poolWe know it’s an exception, but kids feel it’s the rule.A steady stream of visitors from near but mostly farComing by plane, driving a van or a carJenny and Eric from Texas they cameWith three boys that our daughters thought were the same.Then Runestads and Matthews from AmpersandDrove across Green Mountain and “Live Free or Die” landLucia brought two of her three: Caden and EthanPlayed with the kids, willing to be flexible, change the plan.GJ and Dangrad arriving brought the grandparents to fourOther than in heaven, you couldn’t consolidate moreWith Anne, Piper and Lucy there was time with cousins galorePlaying dress up with dolls on every floor.If it’s rainy outside then we opt for indoorsSpreading out Lincoln Logs all over the floorsOr playing Wizard, Rummy or Sleeping QueensLooking up the word ombré to find out what it means.In the evenings we roast marshmallows in the porch fireplaceGetting to golden brown takes time, it isn’t a raceJack likes his mallow flaming, leaving it charcoal blackThe ladies take it slower, a much different tack.Eating Grahams, Hershey’s and Mallows is hardly a choreAn American tradition, colloquially a S’moreAmy aims to extend it with an extra step to bakeInto four layers for CC, a S’more birthday cake.Time to relax, gather with family and friendsDisagreements with cousins, then making amendsAnd walking our dog who has made it so farEven with two replaced knees, he can still jump in the car.
- 24Rangeley Lake & the marinaRangeley, MaineTake the boat from the marina, need a battery and gasTrim up the motor if you want to go fastBefore tubing and skiing the kids, they must doTwenty minutes of swimming is what will test you.When it’s nice days of glass we ski on the lakeIf it’s a bit wavy then the Paparazzi we takeBut regardless of activity when it reaches twilight hourHead up to the house for a warm, outdoor shower.
- 25Pine Tree Frosty & the Alpine ShopRangeley, MainePine Tree Frosty was the obligatory stopOr shopping for souvenirs at the Alpine shopFeeding the duckies a soggy ice cream coneOr picking sweatshirts that we want to take home
- 26Portage Tap House & FurbishRangeley, MaineWhen we’re not eating ice cream we go out for foodPortage Tap House and Furbish are equally as goodWe don’t always fit at one table, often need to take twoWhen you eat out with sixteen people, what else can you do?
- 27Cascade Stream GorgeRangeley, MaineWhen not at the lake we go out for a hikeCascade Gorge is too rocky to consider a bikeOr in reverence of trees at the logging paradeLots of candy and toys, to eat and to trade.
- 28Home, the long wayvia Montréal and VancouverSharing a hearty hello and then saying goodbyeWhen we go separate ways, our crew we must flyBack to Australia, via Montreal and VancouverTook a bit of coordination and some time to maneuver.On the trans-Pacific flight, we log a first in air travelSpray vomit from a stranger, could make the whole trip unravel.L stoically moves on with a wet wipe for the faceAnd another 10 hours of flying, sitting down in one place.After 40 hours of transit we make it to Forrest.A cacophony of screaming was our multi-kid chorus.Packed all in one car with no room for kids’ feetPulling into our driveway, finally back on our street.
- 2024
- 1PlymouthMAPlymouth →
- 2BostonMABoston →
- 3LexingtonMALexington →
- 4ConcordMAConcord →
- 5MysticCTMystic →
- 6Old SturbridgeMAOld Sturbridge →
- 7NewportRINewport →
- 8PhiladelphiaPAPhiladelphia →
- 9Fort McHenryMD
- 10WashingtonDC
- 11Mount VernonVAMount Vernon →
- 12MonticelloVAMonticello →
- 13MontpelierVAMontpelier →
- 14JamestownVAJamestown →
- 15WilliamsburgVAWilliamsburg →
- 16YorktownVA
- 17DurhamNC
- 18Kitty HawkNCKitty Hawk →
- 19CharlestonSCCharleston →
- 20Fort SumterSCFort Sumter →
- 21BeaufortSCBeaufort →
- 22Jekyll IslandGAJekyll Island →
- 23St. AugustineFLSt. Augustine →
- 24Disney WorldFLDisney World →
- 25The VillagesFLThe Villages →
- 26Cape CanaveralFLCape Canaveral →
- 27Fort MyersFLFort Myers →
- 28Crystal RiverFLCrystal River →
- 29AtlantaGAAtlanta →
- 30NashvilleTN
- 31The HermitageTNThe Hermitage →
- 32Mammoth CaveKYMammoth Cave →
- 33Lincoln BirthplaceKYLincoln Birthplace →
- 34St. PaulMN
- 35DetroitMIDetroit →
- 36New CanaanCT
- 37HanoverNH
- 38RangeleyMERangeley →
- 39Niagara FallsNYNiagara Falls →
- 40ChicagoIL
- 2025
- 1MinneapolisMN
- 2Des MoinesIA
- 3Kansas CityMO
- 4Oklahoma CityOK
- 5WacoTXWaco →
- 6AustinTXAustin →
- 7WimberleyTXWimberley →
- 8Carlsbad CavernsNMCarlsbad Caverns →
- 9Guadalupe MountainsTXGuadalupe Mountains →
- 10White SandsNMWhite Sands →
- 11ChiricahuaAZChiricahua →
- 12SaguaroAZSaguaro →
- 13Organ PipeAZOrgan Pipe →
- 14Joshua TreeCAJoshua Tree →
- 15Death ValleyCADeath Valley →
- 16Sunset CraterAZSunset Crater →
- 17Montezuma CastleAZMontezuma Castle →
- 18SedonaAZSedona →
- 19Grand CanyonAZGrand Canyon →
- 20Petrified ForestAZPetrified Forest →
- 21Canyon de ChellyAZCanyon de Chelly →
- 224 CornersAZ/NM/UT/CO4 Corners →
- 23Mesa VerdeCOMesa Verde →
- 24ArchesUTArches →
- 25CanyonlandsUTCanyonlands →
- 26Capitol ReefUTCapitol Reef →
- 27Sand CaveUTSand Cave →
- 28ZionUTZion →
- 29Bryce CanyonUTBryce Canyon →
- 30Slot CanyonUTSlot Canyon →
- 31Channel IslandsCAChannel Islands →
- 32SequoiaCASequoia →
- 33Kings CanyonCAKings Canyon →
- 34YosemiteCAYosemite →
- 35PinnaclesCAPinnacles →
- 36Half Moon BayCA
- 37RedwoodCARedwood →
- 38Crater LakeORCrater Lake →
- 39Lava BedsCALava Beds →
- 40Lassen VolcanicCALassen Volcanic →
- 41Craters of the MoonIDCraters of the Moon →
- 42Grand TetonWYGrand Teton →
- 43YellowstoneWYYellowstone →
- 44Little BighornMTLittle Bighorn →
- 45Theodore RooseveltNDTheodore Roosevelt →
- 46Devils TowerWYDevils Tower →
- 47Mount RushmoreSDMount Rushmore →
- 48Crazy HorseSDCrazy Horse →
- 49CusterSD
- 50Wind CaveSDWind Cave →
- 51Mammoth SiteSDMammoth Site →
- 52BadlandsSDBadlands →
- 53Eden PrairieMN
- 54RockfordIL
- 55Indiana DunesINIndiana Dunes →
- 56Sleeping Bear DunesMISleeping Bear Dunes →
- 57LindenMI
- 58Cuyahoga ValleyOH
- 59New YorkNY
- 60Dripping SpringsTXDripping Springs →
- 61Hot SpringsAR
- 2026
- 1Dripping SpringsTexasDripping Springs →
- 2Natchez Trace State ParkTennesseeNatchez Trace State Park →
- 3Cedars of Lebanon State ParkTennesseeCedars of Lebanon State Park →
- 4Great Smoky MountainsNorth Carolina & TennesseeGreat Smoky Mountains →
- 5AshevilleNorth Carolina
- 6ShenandoahVirginiaShenandoah →
- 7New CanaanConnecticut
- 8HanoverNew Hampshire
- 9RangeleyMaine
- 10AcadiaMaineAcadia →
- 11Hershey's Chocolate WorldPennsylvania
- 12New River GorgeWest VirginiaNew River Gorge →
- 13WythevilleVirginia
- 14BrentwoodTennessee
- 15Dripping SpringsTexas, home again