No, we didn't get lost in the Mid-West.
We didn't fall over Niagara.
We didn't kill each other from cabin fever.
We just had too much fun and not enough WIFI.
Well, now we are home, and YOU, our beloved readers (we know who you are because you really gave it to us when we got home) will get the rest of the story, just not on the days after it happened.
Plus, we have pictures too!
Ken
Monday, August 3, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Catching Up With Ourselves
We have been so very busy that we all have not had time to post. Our daily outings end with us exhausted and falling into our bunks, after just barely making them. The next day we find ourselves leaping up, doing laundry, showering, grabbing a bite, and then heading out for the next adventure.
So here I am helping everyone to catch up with us, and helping us catch up with ourselves.
We’ve traveled from Cleveland to Wisconsin Dells, WI (about xx miles) and then from Wisconsin Dells to Minneapolis, MN. (about xxx miles). Tomorrow we head out from Minneapolis toward Chicago.
The rain rolled in on Tuesday, just as we boarded Duck Boats in the Dells. Ducks are those WWII leftovers used throughout the country as land/water touring craft. They look like an oversized aluminum fishing boat with wheels. With the pouring rain pounding on the canopy top, the driver rolled the plastic sides down in the vain hope of keeping us dry. There are at least three Duck boat touring companies, and they probably own most of the 60 year old amphibious vehicles that were manufactured for the US army.
The ride was nice, through the woods, into Delton Lake, down the road, and then into the Lower Dells. We saw some beautiful rock formations, where the dessert sands of North America layered up over thousands of years, and the glaciers uncovered them and eroded them away.
Kathy, who spent some childhood vacations in the Dells, says the place has changed very much.
For my part, I think there has been a lot of very poor planning, and that the natural landscape features are being ruined by over development of tourist attractions and by Duck boats driving across the sand bars and into the Dells.
Enough soap box!
We visited “Top Secret”. Others can fill you in, but I have this to share with you:
Kathy: “Why is there a gorilla in a jail cell in the basement of the White House?”
Emille (our tour guide): “Top secret, mon.”
Later we went to the waterpark Mt. Olympus and rode a couple of roller coasters (wow! Almost too much for this 52 year old). Then we went back to the campsite and K&K cooked Dutch Oven chicken (which took longer than we expected).
On Wednesday we spent the entire day in Mt. Olympus, doing water slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools. In the evening we say a hypnotist show, and Logan was hypnotized on stage. Very amusing. The dinner at a Mexican restaurant was very satisfying and filling.
Thursday was a travel day. We woke up later than usual and had a big breakfast and did some laundry. We traveled for about five or six hours, changing drivers every two as we usually do, and arrived at our campground in the early evening. The past two campgrounds have been KOA's; very reliable and clean. This site (and all the rest) is not KOA, but it is very clean and quiet. They have a community campfire each night.
When we were informed of the location of the storm shelter, we were reminded of the fact that here in the Mid-West tornadoes are a frequent and very real danger. None for us in our forecast though.
Well, that's enough catching up for now. Tomorrow, while we are on the road to Indiana, I will post about our days in the Minneapolis area.
Ken
So here I am helping everyone to catch up with us, and helping us catch up with ourselves.
We’ve traveled from Cleveland to Wisconsin Dells, WI (about xx miles) and then from Wisconsin Dells to Minneapolis, MN. (about xxx miles). Tomorrow we head out from Minneapolis toward Chicago.
The rain rolled in on Tuesday, just as we boarded Duck Boats in the Dells. Ducks are those WWII leftovers used throughout the country as land/water touring craft. They look like an oversized aluminum fishing boat with wheels. With the pouring rain pounding on the canopy top, the driver rolled the plastic sides down in the vain hope of keeping us dry. There are at least three Duck boat touring companies, and they probably own most of the 60 year old amphibious vehicles that were manufactured for the US army.
The ride was nice, through the woods, into Delton Lake, down the road, and then into the Lower Dells. We saw some beautiful rock formations, where the dessert sands of North America layered up over thousands of years, and the glaciers uncovered them and eroded them away.
Kathy, who spent some childhood vacations in the Dells, says the place has changed very much.
For my part, I think there has been a lot of very poor planning, and that the natural landscape features are being ruined by over development of tourist attractions and by Duck boats driving across the sand bars and into the Dells.
Enough soap box!
We visited “Top Secret”. Others can fill you in, but I have this to share with you:
Kathy: “Why is there a gorilla in a jail cell in the basement of the White House?”
Emille (our tour guide): “Top secret, mon.”
Later we went to the waterpark Mt. Olympus and rode a couple of roller coasters (wow! Almost too much for this 52 year old). Then we went back to the campsite and K&K cooked Dutch Oven chicken (which took longer than we expected).
On Wednesday we spent the entire day in Mt. Olympus, doing water slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools. In the evening we say a hypnotist show, and Logan was hypnotized on stage. Very amusing. The dinner at a Mexican restaurant was very satisfying and filling.
Thursday was a travel day. We woke up later than usual and had a big breakfast and did some laundry. We traveled for about five or six hours, changing drivers every two as we usually do, and arrived at our campground in the early evening. The past two campgrounds have been KOA's; very reliable and clean. This site (and all the rest) is not KOA, but it is very clean and quiet. They have a community campfire each night.
When we were informed of the location of the storm shelter, we were reminded of the fact that here in the Mid-West tornadoes are a frequent and very real danger. None for us in our forecast though.
Well, that's enough catching up for now. Tomorrow, while we are on the road to Indiana, I will post about our days in the Minneapolis area.
Ken
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Long Day On The Road
>
Cleveland to Wisconsin Dells: 554 miles, 10 hrs 2 min.
Driving in Ohio is nice. The rest stops on the turnpike are the best I've ever seen.
Driving in Indiana is nice. The roads are flat and straight. Made just for big RV's.
Driving through Chicago was nerve-wracking (Charlotte is the brave soul who drove this part). The skyline drive is not so great to drive on.
We arrived in Wisconsin Dells at the end of what we have predicted is our longest leg, tired of the road and ready for a good meal. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will have loads of fun on duck boats, Dell's tours, mini-golf, or maybe waterparks.
I realized I hadn't given you critical information about our first leg: 419 miles, 7 hrs 50 min.
Well, off to bed so we can have lots of fun tomorrow. Oh, sorry. YOU probably are at work and jealous.
Ken
Cleveland to Wisconsin Dells: 554 miles, 10 hrs 2 min.
Driving in Ohio is nice. The rest stops on the turnpike are the best I've ever seen.
Driving in Indiana is nice. The roads are flat and straight. Made just for big RV's.
Driving through Chicago was nerve-wracking (Charlotte is the brave soul who drove this part). The skyline drive is not so great to drive on.
We arrived in Wisconsin Dells at the end of what we have predicted is our longest leg, tired of the road and ready for a good meal. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will have loads of fun on duck boats, Dell's tours, mini-golf, or maybe waterparks.
I realized I hadn't given you critical information about our first leg: 419 miles, 7 hrs 50 min.
Well, off to bed so we can have lots of fun tomorrow. Oh, sorry. YOU probably are at work and jealous.
Ken
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Cleveland Rocks!
I am thankful to my family and friends for indulging me in my visit to my childhood home in Parma Heights Ohio. It was on our way to downtown Cleveland, and so not much of a detour.
When we think back on our childhood, we usually remember places and things in a much different scale than it really was. Maybe this is because we ourselves were smaller. My High School was smaller, my house was smaller, my neighborhood was smaller. The street that I walked each day to elementary school, the one with thousands of houses and millions of cracks I had to avoid stepping on in order to spare my mother's back, was hardly longer than our RV.
The trip into Cleveland was along a newer super-highway, one which didn't exist when I lived here. The skyline has changed as well. The once dominant "Terminal Tower", a terminal port built in the 20's for derrigibles, is dwarfed by a skyline much the same as Wm. Penn on top of city hall is now dwarfed by Philly mega-scrapers.
The Rock and Roll hall of fame was wonderful to visit and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves modern music. My friend Gregory D. Jr. would have loved the two storey Springsteen exhibit, and his father (my boss) would have loved the displays of many of the rockers I know he is fond of listening to.
We forwent a lake and river tour of the city to spend more tim in the R&R Hall, and now are pleasantly enjoying our chicken dinner back at camp.
Tomorrow we head to Wisconsin.
Ken
When we think back on our childhood, we usually remember places and things in a much different scale than it really was. Maybe this is because we ourselves were smaller. My High School was smaller, my house was smaller, my neighborhood was smaller. The street that I walked each day to elementary school, the one with thousands of houses and millions of cracks I had to avoid stepping on in order to spare my mother's back, was hardly longer than our RV.
The trip into Cleveland was along a newer super-highway, one which didn't exist when I lived here. The skyline has changed as well. The once dominant "Terminal Tower", a terminal port built in the 20's for derrigibles, is dwarfed by a skyline much the same as Wm. Penn on top of city hall is now dwarfed by Philly mega-scrapers.
The Rock and Roll hall of fame was wonderful to visit and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves modern music. My friend Gregory D. Jr. would have loved the two storey Springsteen exhibit, and his father (my boss) would have loved the displays of many of the rockers I know he is fond of listening to.
We forwent a lake and river tour of the city to spend more tim in the R&R Hall, and now are pleasantly enjoying our chicken dinner back at camp.
Tomorrow we head to Wisconsin.
Ken
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Day #1 My Birthday
I slept lightly last night, probably the excitement. We got up on time but we got going about 30 minutes later than we planned. We got into the RV at about 7 AM and the gang proceeded to sing Happy Birthday..... and did so every 49 miles. It was quite fun and at one point I even was crowned "the Burger King" Traveling in this manner is so much fun and I found that the time passed quickly. The kids were occupied too and that made the travel very enjoyable. We arrived at the campground about 2 hours behind schedule but there was still plenty of light to set up. We all decide that we need to rethink our estimated travel times.
Having relatives in MN, I have traveled this road many times, but not in probably 20 years. It was so much fun and I wonder why I have not come this way sooner.
The campground is beautiful with a great swimming lake (which Logan and Chrissy quickly take advantage of). The site is nice and so are our neighbors. Lots of RVs here! We make a great dinner and then cake and presents. They actually set off the smoke alarm in the RV with the candles. Thanks guys. What a great birthday.
The best part of this vacation is that I get to spend so much quality time with my guys! I love you Ken and Logan.
Kat
Having relatives in MN, I have traveled this road many times, but not in probably 20 years. It was so much fun and I wonder why I have not come this way sooner.
The campground is beautiful with a great swimming lake (which Logan and Chrissy quickly take advantage of). The site is nice and so are our neighbors. Lots of RVs here! We make a great dinner and then cake and presents. They actually set off the smoke alarm in the RV with the candles. Thanks guys. What a great birthday.
The best part of this vacation is that I get to spend so much quality time with my guys! I love you Ken and Logan.
Kat
Oh! Hi (o) from Ohio.
Here we are in beautiful Ohio. I grew up here. The weather is beautiful and the scenery is not unlike Eastern PA.
We drove down the turnpike, through the tunnels, over the mountains and along deep drop-offs.
By the way, if anyone happens to see Gov. Rendell, I have a suggestion of what he can do with Pres. Obama's stimulus money.
FIX THE PA TURNPIKE!!!!
There are many miles of continuous bump, bump, bump.
We christened and named our vehicle. His name (thanks to Stephanie's brilliant suggestion) is:
HaRVey, the RV.
Tomorrow we visit my home town of Parma Heights, then Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, followed by a boat tour of the city skyline (on Lake Erie).
Ken
We drove down the turnpike, through the tunnels, over the mountains and along deep drop-offs.
By the way, if anyone happens to see Gov. Rendell, I have a suggestion of what he can do with Pres. Obama's stimulus money.
FIX THE PA TURNPIKE!!!!
There are many miles of continuous bump, bump, bump.
We christened and named our vehicle. His name (thanks to Stephanie's brilliant suggestion) is:
HaRVey, the RV.
Tomorrow we visit my home town of Parma Heights, then Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, followed by a boat tour of the city skyline (on Lake Erie).
Ken
Leg One, Across Penn's Sylvan Land.
Here's the first leg of our trip: Home to Ohio.
We'll post how it went when we get there.
Ken
P.S. It's Kathy's birthday!
We'll post how it went when we get there.
Ken
P.S. It's Kathy's birthday!
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Ken