Stevens' Summer Road Trip

Home!

2006-07-16T00:09:00.000-04:00

We left Myrtle Beach at 7:45am and arrived back in Granger at 11:00pm -- a 15 hour 15 minute drive. We only stopped three times...a total of 45 minutes of stops. Weather was great...traffic was not too bad...no problems with the van.

It's been a great two weeks with the family--we've already been talking about our 2007 excursion!

Thanks for tuning in!

Tim

The Long Trip Home

2006-07-15T00:40:00.000-04:00

We begin at 7am on Saturday, hoping to drive it all in one day. If so, that will be about 16 hours which should put us home around 11pm.

If you think about it, pray for our safety or give me a call to see if I'm still awake.

If we get tired, we'll find a hotel and get some rest for the night.

My Blogging Workspace

2006-07-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

This has been a great place in the condo for surfing, finding fun places to eat and play, and working on a new blog.

Yep, I've just launched a permanent blog. I've been working on it for a couple of months, but was able to finalize it this week during my downtime. I'm calling it LeadingSmart.com, and will hope to offer helpful insight for any leader anywhere. Feel free to check it out if you'd like, and be sure to "subscribe" for future updates.

Differences between Road Trip 2005 and 2006

2006-07-14T15:59:00.000-04:00

Last year I didn't have a teenager.
Last year we drove 7400 miles. This year will be around 2500.
Last year we visited 16 states. This year will be 11 states plus D.C.
Last year we averaged $2.36 per gallon of gas. This year it's been around $2.95.
Last year we never stayed anywhere more than 3 nights. This year we stayed at Myrtle Beach for 7 nights.
Last year we visited lots of family and friends along the way (and got some free lodging!). This year we've been by ourselves.
Last year the trip lasted 23-days. This year it was 15-days.
Last year the trip cost...alot of money. This year it cost...just as much.
Last year was a "trip," not a "vacation." This year was a little of both. The past week has been very restful.

Last year we created a lifetime of memories. This year was no different. I wouldn't trade the time for anything in the world.

A Nice Crib

2006-07-14T15:45:00.000-04:00

A few things that have made this place we are staying one of our best vacation experiences ever:

High speed wireless internet
1800 s.f. to spread out (bigger than the main floor of our house)
3 separate bedrooms -- two of them with king beds.
3 separate full bathrooms
High Definition TV
A closet full of games
Beautiful kitchen with marble countertops.
COLD air conditioning
A 200 s.f. balcony, with 3 sliding glass doors.
A beautiful view over Barefoot Landing.
A huge pool.
Only 5 minutes to the beach with easy parking.
A trash chute (the kids think that is pretty cool)
A large screen flat panel HD monitor to plug my laptop into.
A huge desk for blogging.

Convinced? Want to rent it yourself? The landlords have been GREAT to work with and I would HIGHLY recommend their place. Check the schedule, prices and see pictures here.

Can you find Faith?

2006-07-12T12:51:00.000-04:00

This is where we spend part of our day, usually in the morning. But right now, Faith is down enjoying a book by herself in the sun while I'm up in the room with the kids. Extra credit if you can find Faith.

Proof that I got in the Water

2006-07-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

Warning: Don't enlarge this picture. The rippling muscles of the subject might cause extreme jealousy.

Isn't she the most beautiful woman you've ever laid your eyes on? Not only that, but she's the mother of my kids and the perfect wife. And, I got to go on vacation with her. I'm feeling pretty blessed.

Miniature Golf

2006-07-12T12:06:00.000-04:00

Some highlights from our Miniature Golf outing on Tuesday morning:

Taylor is getting much better at golfing. He even got a hole-in-one.
We were told to golf during the day and avoid the crowds. Of course, no one told us it would feel like 110 degrees in the shade. Hmmm, maybe that's why there were no crowds.
I also got a hole-in-one. No one cheered. Faith pretended to be excited.
We gave out awards at the end of the game. Taylor won the official score-keeping pencil for coming in 6th place. Heather won the score card for coming in 3rd place. I won bragging rights for beating my entire family.

Fireworks

2006-07-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

A pleasant surprise on Monday night when there was a fireworks display behind our building over Barefoot Landing. We watched from our balcony.

This Picture is a Keeper

2006-07-10T19:56:00.000-04:00

You'll want to click on it to make it bigger.

Tools for the Trip

2006-07-10T19:44:00.000-04:00

I remember 1976 when my family took a big trip to the west coast. No TV in the car. No seatbelts. In fact, I'm not even sure we had air conditioning.

Haven't things changed! It makes long trips tolerable for the kids, and fun for a techno-geek like me. The tools are...

DVD Screen -- we put this in last year before our west coast trip, and it makes long portions of the trip go much quicker. The kids each have their own wireless headphones, so we can't see or hear the movie, or the kids for that matter.
Sirius Satellite Radio -- my lovely wife got this for me for my birthday last month. I'm an information junkie, so I've loved being able to tune into talk radio and Fox News radio, as well as some favorite music channels.
Magellan Roadmate 760 (aka "Bertha")-- this was also a gift that I received just a week before leaving on this trip. This is the unit that is closest to the Hertz NeverLost system, and in fact made by the same company. It adds several features including touch-screen, different voices, voice technology that says the name of the streets, and a very accurate points-of-interest database. I am very pleased with this unit--it makes traveling pretty fun.

This is the Life

2006-07-10T19:38:00.000-04:00

I've got my chair, my camera, my binoculars, my cell phone, and I'm watching my family have fun. What else could a man want?

All Cracked Up

2006-07-10T19:33:00.000-04:00

Couldn't resist taking this picture :)

A Lazy Day in the Sun

2006-07-10T00:46:00.000-04:00

After sleeping in, I watched the internet feed of our 11:45am service back at GCC. Corey Mann did an amazing job, as did the band, musicians and actors. A great service!

We spent the day either at the pool or at the beach. There is something about sand and water that I just don't get. Kids love the combination. Faith even likes it. But it drives me nuts. I just told the kids to stay away from my sand-free blanket, and that seemed to work out okay.

It looks like it's nearly unanimous that we'll be doing alot of this sand-and-beach thing over the next few days. It's amazing to me that so much fun can be had in the ocean. I mean, there isn't a lot of variety. The waves come crashing in about every 7 to 10 seconds. That's all there is to it. And yet it keeps the kids entertained for hours.

Long Drive

2006-07-08T23:48:00.000-04:00

We made it after a long drive (480 miles) with a ton of traffic. Took a couple hours longer than normal, but we finally got here.

We arrived at the condominium and, wow, we were amazed. This place is unbelievable. I'll post pictures later. But let's just say that we are very happy with the choice of where we'll be staying for the next week.

We went to Wal-Mart to get groceries. So did everyone else in the southeastern part of the United States. It was nuts. 45 minutes just waiting in line for a cashier.

Today I've been thinking about my friend Corey Mann. He is speaking at church this weekend. I know he'll do great. I plan to catch the service at GCCwired sometime tomorrow.

#14 of the Top 50

2006-07-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

I know I'm on vacation, but I did take a peak at my email yesterday and learned that Granger Community Church has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Churches by Outreach Magazine. This is a list that is published and updated every year. In both 2004 and 2005, we did not make the list, but were mentioned in the article as almost making the list. What really amazed me this year was that in our first year on the list we were at #14. It makes me wonder what God is up to at GCC, and what He has in store for this year's Innovative Church Conference.

Okay, back to vacation.

Final Day in D.C.

2006-07-08T00:28:00.000-04:00

Another full day touring Washington D.C.:

We had an appointment for a tour of the U.S. Capitol at 9:30 this morning beginning in congressman Chris Chocola's office. One of the interns (Mike from Mishawaka) took us around on a very good tour. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. Congress is not in session right now, so we weren't able to meet Chris or any of the other congressman.
Then we met up with Mark Batterson at their coffeehouse, Ebenezer's. He spent about 30 minutes with us, treating us to drinks, and telling us the story of the building (a former crack house) and their work to renovate it.
Then we walked to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. We visited the Dinosaur and Insect exhibits -- which made 2 little boys very happy.
We walked by the Ford Theater where Lincoln was shot, and the Peterson house where he later died.
We ended the night by going to watch Superman Returns as a family. What a great movie! We all thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought that Kevin Spacey was especially good.

Tomorrow is our big drive to Myrtle Beach when the vacation really begins...at least the restful part. I think we've walked a hundred miles this week, so we're all looking forward to laying on the beach and doing a lot of nothing.

The Federal City

2006-07-06T23:38:00.000-04:00

A full day, filled with fun and history:

We started the day by visiting the International Spy Museum. It just opened this year, and was pretty cool. If I didn't have a good day job, I'd be calling the CIA for an application.
We took the subway to Arlington National Cemetery. When we got there, we hurried to watch the changing of the guard. We found out that it would be delayed, but we got to watch some type of ceremony welcoming the President of the country of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who was visiting for the day. No, he's not from Atlanta.
Then came the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That was fascinating. I found the discipline and preciseness of it quite inspiring.

We came back and ate a meal at Union Station (where National Community Church holds services), and then rested for awhile at the hotel.
We then went for a walk around the White House. You can't get real close, but it was fun to wonder if the President was walking around in his PJ's.
Then we walked over to the Washington Monument, through the WWII Memorial, by the Reflecting Pool, past the Vietnam Memorial, and ended at the Lincoln Memorial. While at the Lincoln Memorial, we were able to observe the location where Martin Luther King made his famous "I have a dream" speech.

A Statuesque Day

2006-07-05T23:19:00.000-04:00

The day started with lots of rain, but it stopped right when we parked our car and began walking toward the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Of course, as fate would have it, it was right after I had purchased 4 umbrellas from a very trusty street vendor. (I'm sure they are of the highest quality--though one began rusting when it got a little bit of water on it--imagine that).

We had a great time at the Statue of Liberty, riding the ferry, walking around, looking up into the base and hearing the history. Did you know we used to be friends with the French?

On the drive from NYC to Washington D.C., we were delayed by a bad accident on the interstate. We had to re-route on some back roads, but Bertha was good to us and we didn't lose too much time (more about Bertha later).

On a whim, I decided to change our hotel reservations. I checked Hotwire, and reserved 3 nights at a much cheaper hotel for a much better price. In fact, we are walking distance from the Capitol at a Hyatt Regency where Butch, Jeff, Tony and I stayed in May during a conference. The best price we could get at that time was $229/night. However, with a last minute reservation, I was able to get a room for $76/night. As a recovering tightwad, I'm feeling pretty good about that decision.

NYC on July 4th

2006-07-04T23:49:00.000-04:00

I think we walked so far today that if we had been heading west the whole way, we would have made it back to Indiana. We arrived in NYC around 2pm, checked in quickly to the Doubletree right on Times Square, then began our exploring. We started off by catching a subway down to the south end of Manhattan to view the site of the former World Trade Centers. There wasn't much there, but it was very sobering to realize that we were at the location of all the carnage from 5 years ago. The new Freedom Tower that is being constructed in its' place is going to be unbelievable.

Then we walked many blocks through Chinatown, and rode back on a subway that took us to Grand Central Station. We got off there and headed east for the Macy's Fireworks display. That's when we began moo'ing like Cows. Or we should have. We joined the cattle herd and followed blindly as we were led to the place of waiting. After 2 hours of sitting on the concrete between wads of gum and sticky drink spills, the fireworks display began. Then, after 25 minutes, the march of the cattle began again. About 45 minutes of rigorous walking brought us back to Times Square and our hotel.

Great Weather and Great Fun

2006-07-03T23:24:00.000-04:00

We could not have asked for better weather today. A little hot, but no rain storms. The kids had a great time, and Faith and I actually kept up with them, which was a huge success. A few things we learned...

* Taylor has no fear. Everything he was permitted to go on he enjoyed thoroughly.
* Hunter, who we previously thought had no fear, really doesn't like the idea of going straight up. Actually, it's not the "up" that bothers him, but he's learned a new concept that "what goes up must come down." He got better by the end of the day.
* Heather and Megan pretty much tried everything. They love to spin, as does their mother, which gave me an excuse to go ride the lady bugs with Taylor.

There was a Def Lepard & Journey concert going on in the stadium this evening. Having missed the 80's pop culture scene, there was a part of me that wanted to join the fun. But, since I could plainly hear it everywhere in the park, it enhanced the experience of riding the Bizzy Bees and Frog Hopper.

12 Hours of Fun Ahead

2006-07-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

That's right...we'll be at the park from opening until closing today. The weatherman says it will be 90 degrees and muggy with chances of thunderstorms this afternoon. Should be a great day!

When Taylor Woke Up...

2006-07-02T23:12:00.000-04:00

...this morning before we left, the first thing he asked was if he could be picked to pray in the van at the beginning of our trip. It was amazing to me that he remembered our daily ritual from last year of praying each morning and asking God for safety and good weather.

We made it!

2006-07-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

We left the house at 7:45am, and after going through several torrential downpours, we arrived in Hershey at around 5:15pm. Checked into the hotel, then headed over to Hershey Park to buy tickets. We weren't sure what the weather was going to be like since it was threatening more rain, but right when we parked the car the sun came out and it stayed dry the rest of the night. So we had fun at the park from 7:30pm until they closed at around 10:30pm.

On Monday, the plan is to play at the park all day long. If we get a chance, we'll also visit Hershey's Chocolate World.

We're Off!

2006-07-02T07:10:00.000-04:00

It's 7:07am, and we are loading up. Our longest driving days will be on our first and last days of the trip. Tonight we'll be in Hershey, Pennsylvania--hopefully by around 6pm. It's our goal to enjoy the rollercoasters for a couple of hours tonight before we head to the hotel.

As you may recall, last year about 15 minutes into the trip we lost our van-top luggage on the side of the highway. I've kept that in mind, and tightened it down as much as possible.

I've been thinking about the differences between Road Trip 2005 and 2006...or the differences in the Stevens' between 2005 and 2006--I'll list them in the next couple of days.

Enjoy your day while we are driving east!

Finishing the Rope Bridge

2006-06-29T10:37:00.000-04:00

This is my "hurry-and-finish-before-we-leave-on-our-trip" project. I've been working on it for several weeks now, whenever I've had a few minutes and it hasn't been raining.

These types of projects are incredibly therapeutic for me. It's amazing how after a few minutes of working, I can feel the stress leaving my system. I probably enjoy the engineering as much as I do the actual building. Especially on a project like this where I didn't have any plans to work off of -- just a couple of sketches of a similar project.

It's about 95% complete now, just need to tweak it a little bit and add a starting step on each end. The kids have already been on it quite a bit, and they seem to think it's a winner. I'll be able to wear the "great dad" shirt for a few days now.

It will be ready for our GCC-staff picnic at the end of July. Last year we had 132 people at our house for this mid-summer extravaganza...I know all the kids will figure out new and creative ways to test my engineering.

We leave for the big trip in 3 days -- lots of packing and shopping to do!

It's About the Memories

2006-06-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

It's all about creating memories. Not too long ago I was in a meeting where Gordon MacDonald was taking questions from the audience. I don't recall the question, but I do remember his answer. He said, "80% of what your kids will say was great about their childhood, you'll never remember. And 80% of what you think was great, your kids won't remember."

That might seem depressing to some, but for me, the key is to spend a lot of time together and build opportunities for great memories. It's more about quantity time than it is about quality time. You'll never be able to predict the time when your child wants to open up and talk about the big issues. But at some point they'll do that, and if you are around--you'll be able to be a part of that.

The Trip Is Finalized

2006-03-07T19:42:00.000-05:00

July 2 = All-day drive to Hershey, PA
July 3 = Spend day at Hershey Amusement Park
July 4 = Morning...drive to New York city; Evening...watch fireworks in NYC
July 5 = Day...see Statue of Liberty; Evening...drive to Washington D.C.
July 6 & 7 = Tour Washington D.C.
July 8 = Drive to Myrtle Beach, SC
July 8-15 = Fun in the Sun in Myrtle Beach
July 15 = Begin drive home, stay half-way home in Charleston, WV
July 16 = Continue leisurely drive home, arrive home in the evening.

Planning for 2006

2006-03-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

Only 5 more summers until Heather graduates from High School. 7 more for Megan...9 more for Hunter. Only 13 more for Taylor. So we're making plans to create memories again this summer. It won't be 7000-miles or 23 days this year...but it will still be an awesome trip!

I'm guessing that no one is tuned in to this site anymore, but if you are and if you care...stay tuned for more!

Ten Learnings from Our Trip

2005-07-13T20:22:00.000-05:00

Once you return, life gets busy real fast. So write your final blog before you return.
Gas prices will hit record highs when you plan a trip like this.
Life is short. We only have 5 more summers before Heather begins college. Now is the time to make memories.
Tie the luggage down tight. Then, a little tighter.
I was created for the 21st century. Mapping the trip with GPS is not a luxury…it’s a necessity.
Plan time for “re-entry” after every long trip. Having a day to get stuff done and get back into the schedule was crucial.
Keep the kids occupied in the car. We had activity books, travel games, adventure stories on CD, movies on DVD, cross-stitch and more to keep the kids active.
When a kid vomits in the van and the hotel, divide and conquer. You’ll just get in each other’s way if you both try to be involved in the clean-up. In our case, I sacrificed and watched the other three kids while staying out of Faith’s way. Yes, I'm a great guy.
If you usually get 50 emails a day, you still will and they’ll all be waiting for you.
Enjoy every minute. The future isn’t certain. If you think, “We should do a trip like this in the next couple of years” – don’t wait. Do it now. Don’t delay.

7,435 Miles Later...

2005-07-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

We're finally home! We pulled in the driveway at 6:45pm, and left for church at around 7:10pm. Before you think we're so spiritual cuz we went straight too church, we were actually motivated by wanting to sleep in on Sunday. And, honestly, it's a great church that we really missed over the past 3 weekends. In my 11+ years at GCC, it's the longest I've ever been away.

Look tomorrow for some closing thoughts about our trip. After a good night's sleep, I'm sure that I'll have something brilliant to say. Stay tuned.

Almost Home!

2005-07-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Day=22
Miles = 6985 (614 today)

We made our trek from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska to Des Moines Iowa today. It was fun to hang out with Dad & Mom, my brother (wife and son) and sister (son and daughter). We ate burgers, had "show and tell" of vacation pictures, and then put everyone to bed. The plan is to leave for Granger at around 10am, and be home in time to go to the 7:30 service at GCC on Saturday night. Then, asleep in our own beds! Wahoo!

Heading Across Nebraska

2005-07-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

We had a great night at the home of our friends, Robin and Jason Schmidt. Robin and I traveled together back in my Life Action days, and it was fun to share stories and catch up. Today we have a 600-mile trip to Des Moines across the plains of Nebraska and Iowa. Then, it's home tomorrow night! We've all had a great time but are anxious to get back to our own beds. More later!

A Trip for Faith and the Kids

2005-07-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, I went along for the visit to Focus on the Family, but really, let's all agree it was for Faith and the kids. They were really looking forward to it. I just reminded them all day what a great dad I am. The kids enjoyed spending time at Whit's End, the area featured in the Adventures in Odyssey radio program. After the obligatory tour, we headed off to the movie theater to watch Herbie Fully Loaded. It was a really good movie that we all enjoyed.

Taylor Had a Rough Night

2005-07-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Last night after our side-road trip through Victor, CO, Taylor got sick in the van about 100 yards (literally) from the hotel. His body decided that he didn't need that piece of cheese pizza, and so he deposited it in the van. Unfortunately by this time, it didn't smell nearly as good as when we were at Sally's. He threw up again in the parking lot, then on the carpet in the motel. Then several more times in the bathroom. By about 6:30am this morning he was finished and sleeping soundly. I kept telling Faith what a great Mom she was through the whole process. My job in times like these is very simple...keep the other kids from stepping in anything they'll regret. Oh, and also waking Faith up during the night as needed. Sometimes I feel sad that Taylor wants his Mommy so much, but not last night!

Our Day at the Royal Gorge

2005-07-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

What follows is a pictoral journey through our day at the Royal Gorge, and the adventorous drive home afterwards. The final picture below will allow comments.

An Evangelist Hair-Do

2005-07-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

It was pretty windy on our visit, but that didn't stop Taylor from peering over the ledge to the Arkansas River roaring 1053' below.

Crossing the Gorge by Van

2005-07-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

We ended up crossing the Gorge four times. Once on foot. Once on the Aerial Tramway, and twice by van. The kids thought it was pretty cool. The whole Royal Gorge experience had changed quite a bit since I last visited in 1976. Of course I remember it perfectly since I was 9 years old, but it seems like they've added a bunch of stuff and want you to make a day of it. We left the Park at around 5:00pm. It should have been a 90-minute drive home, but...

The Road Less Traveled

2005-07-05T22:58:00.000-05:00

I love back roads! There was one that showed up on the GPS that I just couldn't pass up. It went up and over a mountain, and it was cooler than snot. Early on I told Faith, "At least it's paved!" Then a mile later it became dirt. Then I said, "At least it's two-lane!" Then, wouldn't you know, it became one-lane in many parts. But, it had cool tunnels, cliffs, mountain views, wildlife, etc. And, it only took 4.5 hours instead of 1.5 hours. So we can't call it a short-cut. But it was a memory!

A Postcard Town

2005-07-05T22:57:00.000-05:00

After about two hours of seeing no civilization, we came upon the town of Victor, Colorado. It was elevation 10,000 feet and population about 100. It's an old mining town, and the rumor is they still have a live mine that digs for gold. It was a very cool town on the side of a mountain. Faith wasn't sure. She asked what was the difference between this town and Deer Lodge, Montana (where the people were inbred and the tourists disappear). I thought it was obvious. I used the hunger of the kids to convince her to let me find a place to eat. And boy, did we ever find a great place!

It was called "Sally's"

2005-07-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

There was a bar to our right with a couple of drunks, smoke hovering in the air, and a couple of hilbilly hicks standing at the end of the room (see them) singing old country songs. (I should mention they held a drawing for a free massage, provided by Sally, and that we didn't win). The pizza was literally the best we'd ever tasted and the price was right. What better place to make memories? We could have been at Arby's or Wendy's...but by this time tomorrow the kids wouldn't remember where we ate. Now, they'll remember forever! (And, we were only a mere two-hour drive or so back to the hotel!).

Rocky Mountain High

2005-07-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

We took the circuitous route over the Rocky Mountains today, and stopped to play in the snow at the Continental Divide (Wolf Creek Pass on Rt. 160). They get 38 feet of snow here every year...wow. We finished our trip in Colorado Springs, where we'll stay for the next two days (three nights). We went to Memorial Park in Colorado Springs tonight to watch fireworks. (I looked for Jim and Shirley, but didn't see them).

The next two days, we plan to visit Royal Gorge, Focus on the Family, and relax a little before continuing our trip home on Thursday.

Standing in Four States

2005-07-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

We stopped along Route 160 today and had a chance to stand on the "Four Corners." For those of you who remember geography, it's the only location in the U.S. where four states share a common boundary.

Faith is in Colorado.
Megan is in Utah.
Taylor is in Arizona.
Hunter and Heather both have a foot in New Mexico.
Tim is levitating above Arizona taking the picture.

The Navajo's Have Their Own Time Zone

2005-07-04T07:12:00.000-05:00

We're all mixed up. We were in Pacific Daylight Savings, drove into Arizona which we thought was Mountain Daylight Savings, but then learned that Arizonans are as silly as Hoosiers used to be and they don't observe DST. However, when we got out of the Grand Canyon we entered the Navajo Indian Reservation. They do observe DST, so when in the Navajo Nation (as they call it), we are on Mountain Daylight Savings. So...considering all that, we set our clock last night for Central time and got up an hour earlier than we needed to.

I guess that means we are very relaxed!

More time at the Canyon

2005-07-03T23:51:00.000-05:00

This morning we spent more time at the Grand Canyon. It's July 4th weekend, so there was 1.2 million people visiting with us (I'm guessing). The good news is both boys are still alive. We kept telling them stories of dead tourists (i.e. "See that ledge right there...a little 8-year old died a tragic death falling off yesterday. The day before it was a 4-year old boy..." and so on).

Then we drove 3-hours and tonight we're staying in Kayenta, AZ.

Week Two Stats...

2005-07-02T23:53:00.000-05:00

Total Miles Driven = 5,135 (2405 this week)
Highest Temperature = 118 degrees at Hoover Dam
# of Days of Bad Weather = ZERO (it's been beautiful!)
# of Mechanical Problems with Car = ZERO
# of Oil Changes = 1
# of loads of laundry = 10
Average Cost of Gas = $2.36 (oops, budgeted for $2.20)
Average Miles Per Gallon = 19.2 mpg (wahoo! Budgeted for 16mpg)
Highest Amount Paid for Gas = $2.95 in Baker, CA
Least Amount Paid for Gas = $1.95 in Pleasant Hill, IA
Amount spent on fuel so far = $623.36
# of Times fueled car = 18 (that averages once each day)
# of Lost Children = ZERO (that's no small feat!)
# of Forest Fires Seen = 3 (all in Arizona)
# of Major Attractions Visited = 9 (see list below)
# of Different Places We've Slept: 11
# of Times I've tied or untied knots on luggage on top of car: 88
# of Times the knots failed: Still only once :)
# of Days We've Been Glad We Took this Trip = All of them!

Attractions Visited: Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Tetons, Snoqualmie Falls, Redwood National Forest, Disneyland, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon.

We Love Your Comments

2005-07-02T23:48:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that the whole family loves your comments. If you are reading this blog, drop us a note every now and then. It keeps us connected to all of our friends and family and is fun for all of us to read. Thanks!

Death and Dismemberment

2005-07-02T23:10:00.000-05:00

We arrived at our hotel at around 7:00pm, unloaded the car, and got back in to go see our first glimpse of the Canyon. Wow. Unbelievable. We're hoping to spend some more time there tomorrow, walking the trails and seeing the sights.

As a side note, we gave the boys a big speech about death, dismemberment, falling long distances, heads smashing against rocks and other such topics. We're hoping it works to keep them alive for another 24 hours. That's all we ever hope for...a day at a time. For the girls, it's not a problem. They were born with more developed brains. We think the boys will catch up in the next 4 to 6, uh, decades.

A Dam Good Time

2005-07-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

We stopped by Hoover Dam on our way out of Las Vegas this morning. Spent about an hour there looking at one of the big man-made marvels of our day. It's kind of cool having a trip where we can view God's creation (such as Yellowstone, Tetons and Redwoods) as well as see the best that man has been able to make using the creativity and engineering given him/her by God (Vegas, Hoover Dam, Mt. Rushmore).

Stopping for Gas...

2005-07-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

We are in Kingman, Arizona getting gas, and I just looked down and noticed I had an internet signal. Must be coming from the gas station. Anyway, we slept in this morning, left around 11:00am and headed to Hoover Dam. We did the full tour. It was very hot. The lady there said it was around 118 degrees. The tour guide says that in about 2 weeks it will be 140 degrees in the afternoons. Amazing.

Now we are heading to Grand Canyon. Planning to spend the night there and most of tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a signal there and can write more and upload a picture. That's all for now.

In Vegas and it's 112 degrees!

2005-07-01T23:33:00.000-05:00

The kids were able to experience Vegas for the first time. Several things happened...

Heather made a list of all the things she's not going to do when she grows up.
We took the girls to see a Cirque du Soleil show. I've seen three other Cirque presentations, and this one (brand new, called KA) is by far the best. It is the most amazing theatrical production I've ever seen.
The boys stayed with a very nice family and got to play X-Box, swim, and chase the kitties around the house.
We walked around to see some of the sights on the strip.
I told the kids not to take anything the friendly men on the corners are handing out.
Heather enjoyed seeing loud drunk people act crazy. (She added this to her list of things she's not going to do).
We didn't get home until after midnight.

Oh, two other firsts today. We paid $2.95 for gas. And we experienced 112 degrees (it was still 98 degrees at 11:30pm). Pretty exciting day all in all.

Relaxing by the Pool

2005-06-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

Thursday was a very relaxing day at Brian's house. We all slept in...then just acted like bums around the pool. Heather became Miss Babysitter for awhile when Faith, Brian and I took a trip to the theater to watch War of the Worlds. Then, later in the evening we drove down to Seal Beach and ate at Ruby's Diner on the pier. A great experience.

13 Hours at Disney

2005-06-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

That's right...13 hours. The weather was great. The kids were well behaved. Mr. Brian was a wonderful tour guide. It's Disney's 50th Anniversary, so it was fun to be there to mark that special occasion. We were able to watch fireworks, go on the Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain and other fun rides, spend time at Disney's California Adventure Park, spend $692 on hot dogs, and walk 6012 miles until our feet literally fell off. Then we came home and crashed at Brian's house.

(By the way, the head with the missing body belongs to Taylor. As I mentioned a few weeks ago at our SWAT meeting, he is only 14" tall which is too short for many rides and also too short, evidently, for this picture).

The plan on Thursday is to lay low and hang out at Brian's house. He has a pool, the sun is shining, so we'll just rest and get ready for our trip to Las Vegas on Friday.

The Picture Says it All

2005-06-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Day = 12
Miles = 4400 (480 today)

Fortunately I didn't have to buy gas here...but it was $3.79 for the cheap stuff along our route. Amazing, huh.

We spent the day traversing south on Hwy 1 along the Pacific Coast. Of all the highways I've traveled in America, I've always thought of this as the most beautiful. I was anxious to show the kids. They enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we hit Disneyland with Mr. Brian. The rumor is that he has some friends who are getting us free admission. Won't that be cool if it's true!

The Golden City

2005-06-27T18:36:00.000-05:00

At the tail end of our Sunday drive, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, went down famous Lombard Street in San Francisco, and then crossed the Bay Bridge. We arrived at the home of Phil and Nancy Sanders (better known as Ben's parents) at around 9:00pm. Monday is a planned day of rest before we continue down the California coast.

No, We're Not Stuck

2005-06-27T18:34:00.000-05:00

We were able to pass through several more Redwood forests on Sunday, including this one. Believe it or not, this was the 2nd tree we were able to drive through during our trek.

Elk Sightings

2005-06-27T18:29:00.000-05:00

Day = 10
Miles = 3920 (430 today)

One of our first exciting things today was seeing many Elk as we passed through some of the Redwood forests. This one was about 15' from our vehicle and gave us a steady glance as he chewed on his breakfast.

Two Very Helpful Tools!

2005-06-27T15:19:00.000-05:00

I could live without them, but they sure are helpful...

GPS and Microsoft Streets and Trips - I picked this up for $89 last year (yes, that included the GPS). It's very cool. You hook up the GPS to your USB port on the laptop, and it tracks exactly where you are on any street in the country. We've mapped out our entire trip and schedule. There have been 4 or 5 times when it has proven invaluable -- we've been able to explore some side roads since the GPS told us exactly where we are and where we'd end up. It doesn't do voice commands like Hertz NeverLost, but it is till very much worth it. My dad and I built a little table to prop between the front seats. Makes it easy to glance at the laptop to see where we are supposed to be going.
XM Radio -- This isn't mine. My good friend Tony Morgan loaned it to me for our trip. I've kept it tuned to the Fox News channel most of the time, but also have listened to XM Kids, FamilyTalk, and a few other talk radio stations. Also, in big cities they have traffic and weather channels. Very handy.

The Kids are Wired!

2005-06-25T21:59:00.000-05:00

Day = 9
Miles = 3490 (505 today)

We are staying at a hotel in Crescent City, California right on the Pacific Ocean. It's a beautiful room with a great view. This picture was taken on our balcony. The kids are a little wired. We left Tacoma at around 8:00am, and then stopped to see Faith's Aunt Pat (and family) in the Portland, Oregon area. We visited for a little while, then continued our trek through Oregon, and across the border into California. Tomorrow we'll explore the Redwoods a little bit more before heading down to the San Francisco area.

UN-Believable!

2005-06-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a walk through the Redwoods. Wow! None of us had ever experienced anything like this. We were in the Jedediah Smith State Park. Be sure to click on this picture to enlarge it.

The Reason I'm Fat

2005-06-25T18:02:00.000-05:00

We had a great couple of days hanging with Faith's family in the Tacoma, Washington area. The kids enjoyed being crazy with their cousins and getting some of their pent-up energy worked out from many days in the car. They swam, played basketball, jumped on the trampoline, worked on scrapbooking, played Nintendo, watched Spider-Man, and were generally crazy. It was a good thing, too, cause it left time for us to eat, and then eat again, and then eat once more (and then again after that). I'm now somewhere around 220 pounds with a 52" waist. Bummer.

Not pictured is Don Buss, who unfortunately has to work for a living so we could enjoy eating at his house :).

Week Two Schedule...

2005-06-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Saturday, June 25 -- drive to Crescent City, CA...stay all night. Visit the Redwood National Forest Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Sunday, June 26 -- drive to Concord, CA near San Francisco. Stay with parents of Ben Sanders (Faith's aunt and uncle).
Monday, June 27 -- Hang out in Concord.
Tuesday, June 28 -- Drive down Pacific Coast Highway (US1) through Carmel, Big Sur, and San Luis Obispo. End up in the evening at the home of Brian Davis in Long Beach.
Wednesday, June 29 -- Visit Disneyland with Brian.
Thursday, June 30 -- Hang in LA area with Brian.
Friday, July 1 -- Drive to Las Vegas...see the city, attend Cirque du Soleil in the evening with the girls. The boys get to hang out with a family that has X-Box and large screen TV. They are very excited.
Saturday, July 2 -- Visit Hoover Dam and end day at Grand Canyon.

Week One Stats...

2005-06-23T23:24:00.000-05:00

Miles Traveled: 2,730
Hours in Car: 47
Amount spent on fuel: $314.41
Average miles per gallon: 19.2
Average cost of gas: $2.22 per gallon
Highest/Lowest cost of gas: $1.95 -- $2.53
# of National Parks Visited: 5
# of Waterfalls visited: 2
# of Bison seen: 16
# of bags that flew off top of car: 1
# of times eating at Taco Bell: 2
# of bugs sacrificed on front of car: 6,324,458
# of days we've had great weather: 7 of 7
Highest temperature: 104 degrees in Moses Lake, WA
Lowest temperature: 39 degrees in Teton National Park, WY

God's Creativity in the Big and the Small

2005-06-23T00:56:00.000-05:00

I found it fascinating that Old Faithful...one of the most incredible wonders of the world...was spewing forth in front of the boys, and they were busily playing in the dirt. They'd seen it once already, so it was "old hat." They were more interested in some of the little wonders right in front of them. At first I thought they were jaded and unimpressed with the creativity of God. Then I realized they are just enjoying another part of God's creation...that which I would typically look right over. And it shouldn't be lost on me that they are enjoying time together doing something they both enjoy (i.e. getting dirty).

Yep, A Smoking Bison

2005-06-23T00:46:00.000-05:00

For the next couple days we are "planted" in one place visiting Faith's family...so I'll take the opportunity to post some of my favorite pictures from our first 5 days. Here is the first:

I try to shield my kids from drinking, cussing and strange women...but I couldn't stop them from seeing this Bison that was smoking next to our van. Actually, it's the heat of the beast in the coolness of the morning, but it was quite a sight. We took this picture on Tuesday morning at the beginning of our 37-mile trip down the rutted dirt road.

Taylor Visits Taylor

2005-06-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

Day 6
Miles = 2730 (235 miles today)

A nice visit today with Faith's grandma. She lives in Ephrata, Washington on a non-active Dairy Farm. Faith has lots of memories from her childhood from this farm, milking cows and jumping on the hay bales. She told the kids some stories and they acted interested...for the first few minutes. They thought the coolest thing was that Grandma has the same name as Taylor (Grandma Taylor). Taylor thought it was cool she was named after him.

Headless Chickens

2005-06-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

We stayed the night on Tuesday with Kay Comstock. She is Faith's aunt...her mom's sister. After 13-hours in the car, the kids ran around like chickens with their heads cut off (I've never personally experienced that, but my dad said that phrase so much that I assume it's quite a sight). Then they slept very well. They all thought Kay was pretty cool...especially after she treated them all to Dairy Queen!

Deer Lodge is a Scary Place

2005-06-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Day = 5
Miles = 2481 (700+ today)

This was our longest day yet...13 hours from start to finish. Here's a quick run down of the highlights...

We were planning to leave at 8:00'ish...but by 3:45am I'd only slept an hour or less...and was wide awake. Laying there on my slimy mattress on the top bunk in the tent cabin, listening to the wildlife around me, swatting at mosquitoes, my face cold, my body sweating, my wife in a different bunk, thinking, "We should just leave now!" I laid around for awhile...but finally woke the troops up and we were on the road by 6:30 or so.
I decided to take a short-cut...which ended up being the greatest road on the planet. (See our route above in the picture). It was all-dirt and gravel, full of pot-holes, ruts and ravines, and curved up and down a mountain through the Tetons for 37-miles. It was virtually abandoned...we only passed one vehicle coming at us for 37-miles. We saw a Bison up close, a deer, and lots of creeks and water falls. And for all you wives who are dying to know...no, it didn't end up being any shorter. But boy was it fun!
For lunch we stopped in Deer Lodge, Montana at an A&W. This town was freaky. I had visions of movies where people drive through a town and just disappear...you never hear of them again. The people in this town seemed to be home-grown and in-bred. I could be wrong, but I didn't want to hang around to find out.
We made our way to Moses Lake, Washington to stay with Faith's aunt. She was nice enough to put up with us for the night. We'll visit Faith's grandma in the morning in Ephrata, Washington (look it up...it's a real city). Then on to Tacoma for a few days.

A 3.5 Mile Walk

2005-06-20T23:58:00.000-05:00

We didn't plan on walking that far, but it ended up being a long journey. (Next time someone needs to remind me to bring water for everyone). It was an unbelievably beautiful walk, and we saw views such as this one along the way. No one complained...well, except Taylor who said he was really tired of riding on our shoulders. Poor kid.

A Deluxe "Tent Cabin"

2005-06-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

Day = 4
Miles = 1810 (210 today)

Another great day with incredible weather. We drove through Yellowstone Park, and spent nearly two hours at Old Faithful. We stopped many other places along the way including a walk where we saw a Bison up close.

We arrived at our lodging location at around 4:00pm. It's a small room with 4 bunks, 2 cots, a concrete floor, and a wood burning stove. Kids think it is the coolest thing ever. Parents think it's great we have just one night here.

Another Small Crisis

2005-06-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

After 11+ hours in the car, we got nearly to our destination and the road was closed. And I mean CLOSED. The shortest detour would have added 6 hours to the trip. Literally. We're talking wilderness. We considered sleeping in the car...or in sleeping bags beside the car. But nearly every we looked there were "Watch Out For Bears" signs. Even the campsites wouldn't allow tents or any structure without a hard side. But we were able to find this small A-Frame and get a good night's rest. No one melted down even though they were looking forward to getting to the tent cabins.

We took a walk in the dark before bed, then dad told them all a story before bedtime. Turned out to be a good night.

Bridal Veil Falls

2005-06-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Day 3
Miles = 1600 (505 today)

What a great day...we left the Mt. Rushmore area and made our way through the badlands. We stopped at several scenic sights along the way, including this one called Bridal Veil Falls. The sign said there was a scene from Dances With Wolves shot here. (If I recall, it's the one with Kevin Costner's bare butt exposed...not sure why I remember that).

The kids were nearly perfect in the car. It really was too good to be true. Three days in a row with killer schedules, and they've been troopers.

The day ended pretty tough...more on that next.

The 4 Kids and the 4 Presidents

2005-06-18T23:33:00.000-05:00

We spent the evening at Mt. Rushmore, which we all thought was a great delight. The weather was perfect...seriously. It couldn't have been better. Crowds were light. We got to see everything, go on a hike, and sit through the lighting ceremony after dark. Very fun.

Heather says she can't imagine anything else the rest of the trip will be as fun as Mt. Rushmore. She's already decided this is the highlight.

Kids did great in their first 11-hour van day. No complaints...very little griping or arguing. I was really proud of them.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we drive to Teton National Park in Wyoming (near Yellowstone). I'll be surprised if I can get internet access in the "tent cabin" that we've rented. So it might be a few days before I can do another update.

South Dakota...the land of no people

2005-06-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

Day = 2
Miles = 1095 (685 today)

We made it to our hotel near Mt. Rushmore about 15 minutes ago. (Yes, I picked hotels based on wireless access. 40 years ago people looked for "air conditioned" on the sign; 20 years ago they looked for "Cable TV"; today, it's high speed internet. Ah, I love the 21st century!)

South Dakota is very barren. In fact, I think the population is less than 80. And I saw a few of them and they are very interesting characters. We held tight onto our children each time we stopped.

We're heading to Mt. Rushmore tonight for the night light show. I'll try to post some pictures later.

FYI -- there is no Nextel cell phone service here, so if you need anything tonight call 605-666-4472 -- room 303.

Surprising Gifts

2005-06-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

As were getting ready to leave this morning, we were surprised with a bag full of gifts. Mark and Sheila Beeson, like Mr. and Mrs. Claus, came over with a huge sack full of individually-wrapped presents. They come with very clear instructions on when to open, and we are just sure there is a tamper-proof device that will explode the gift if we open it early.

We opened our first one yesterday...which included cool coloring books for the kids and a great tour book for Faith and I.

Mini-Crisis on Day 1

2005-06-17T20:06:00.000-05:00

Day = 1
Miles = 410

The adventure began early. After starting out around 10:15am, we were exactly 15.4 miles into the trip when the first crisis occurred. Our van-top luggage flew off the top at 65mph and landed on the busy interstate. Yikes! We stopped quickly and did the unadvisable by going on reverse on the tollroad to retrieve our treasures. Not sure why or how it happened, but the kids all wrote about it in their travel journals. They thought it was memorable...and after all, this trip is all about creating memories.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, apart from lots of traffic. We arrived at Tim's parents around 6:00pm.

Take Off!

2005-06-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

Day = 1
Miles = 0

Here we go...the car is getting packed, and we are taking off as planned. Well, almost as planned. It was supposed to be a 9am departure. However, there is this little game I play with my wife. If I want to leave at 11am, I tell her 9am. That way...I'm not standing around disappointed and frustrated. When we don't leave until 10:30am--she's all apologetic and nice and gives me anything I want the rest of the day. When in reality, I'm happy cuz we left 30 minutes early. See, it's a WIN/WIN.

First stop today...Des Moines. Should be there by 4 or 5pm or so.

To Pass the Time (7 days till takeoff)

2005-06-10T21:48:00.000-05:00

We've been finding travel activities to pass the time in the car. This is a cool one I found from Klutz Publishers. It has tons of activities, games to lay, craft-type stuff, note pads, pens, etc. I think it will work well for our 10 and 12 year olds. We saw it at Barnes & Noble for $20, but bought it from Amazon for $13.57.

The Plan (14 days till takeoff)

2005-06-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Here is the day-by-day plan of our travels...

June 17 Drive to Tim's parents in Des Moines, Stay 1 night
June 18 Drive to Mt. Rushmore – stay 1 night
June 19 Drive to Yellowstone National Park – stay 2 nights
June 20 Hang at Yellowstone
June 21 Drive to Ephrata, WA to visit relatives – stay 1 night
June 22 Drive to Faith’s parents and sister in Tacoma, Stay 3 nights
June 23 Hang in Tacoma
June 24 Hang in Tacoma
June 25 Drive to Redwood National Forest, Stay 1 night
June 26 Drive to Phil & Nancy Sanders in Concord, CA, Stay 2 nights
June 27 Hang in Concord
June 28 Drive U.S. 1 toward Los Angeles, Stay 3 nights with Brian Davis
June 29 Hang in LA area - Disneyland
June 30 Hang in LA area – Other fun stuff
July 1 Drive to Las Vegas, Stay 1 night (Attend Cirque du Soleil with girls)
July 2 Drive to Hoover Dam, then Grand Canyon, Stay 1 night
July 3 Hang in Grand Canyon; drive toward Colorado, stay in Kayenta, AZ
July 4 Finish drive to Colorado Springs, Stay 3 nights
July 5 Hang in Colorado Springs, Visit Royal Gorge
July 6 Hang in Colorado Springs, Visit Focus on the Family
July 7 Drive to Robin Schmidt’s house in Scotts Bluff, NE, Stay 1 night
July 8 Drive to Tim's parents in Des Moines, Stay 1 night
July 9 Drive home to Granger

The Clock is Ticking (15 days till takeoff)

2005-06-02T20:13:00.000-05:00

Why? Why take the time? Why spend the money? Why spend 105 hours in a mini-van? Why subject myself to the arguments, whining, and griping that goes with taking 4 children across America? I've been thinking about that alot, and here is the reason that is driving me...

The clock is ticking. There is no guarantee for tomorrow. I could wait until next year, or the year after, but who is to say I'll have that chance? Six years from now I'll have a daughter in college. In the best case scenario, I only have 6 summers left with all the kids at home. Now is the time to build the memories. The kids won't remember a summer that they spent playing outside while dad went to work and came home everyday. As noble as that is, they'll remember the events, the trips, the time spent together for an extended time. They'll remember, perhaps faintly, the family together at Mt. Rushmore, the Teton's, and standing at the base of the Redwoods. They'll remember the silly little songs we make up in the car, or trying to get our picture by every stateline (all 15 of them!).

That is what's driving me. Everytime I get "cold feet" thinking about the confinement of the silver cube we call a mini-van...I think about that ticking clock.

The Official Map (16 days till takeoff)

2005-06-01T23:29:00.000-05:00

I've had many people question my sanity...they are probably correct in doing so. But my family is precious, and the clock is ticking, so we are taking this time to make some memories.

The Traveling Crew (17 days till takeoff)

2005-05-31T12:11:00.000-05:00

This is the crew...all 6 of us. We are gearing up to leave on our trip in just a few short weeks. I'll be using this site to keep you posted on our progress along the way. Enjoy!