ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!
THE DATES: MAY - JULY, 2018
THE ROUGH ITINERARY:
Our goal is to visit and take in as many National Parks (with ease) as possible. Ya see Olympic National Park up there in top left? I can't wait! Joel is looking forward to Glacier/Waterton near the Canadian border. The boys heard Disneyland and went immediately deaf. We'll see how it comes out in the end. Off we go!
THE MUSIC
Billy Joel's Greatest Hits
Hothouse Flowers - Home
Lyle Lovett - Joshua, Judges, Ruth
Joe Cocker's Greatest Hits
Train - Drops of Jupiter
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Prince - Sign O' the Times
Edie Brickell - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
Fleetwood Mac - The Dance
Train - Train
Peter Gabriel - Us
Bruce Springsteen - The Seeger Sessions
Proclaimers - Sunshine on Leith
Del Amitri - Twisted
Paul Simon - Graceland
Jamiraquai - Synchronized
The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos 2 & 3
Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos 2 & 3
THE RIDE/HOME
Learning to live in a tiny space. Eek! I admire those tiny-house-living people.
May 4
WICHITA FALLS, TX
We climbed the world's shortest skyscraper. The boys were
not impressed. Interesting history despite the growling.
May 5-6
PALO DURO CANYON, TX
While driving across the Texas plains you practically fall into this enormous canyon. We hiked and biked and fell and climbed and laughed and cried and complained a little. Jude climbed every rock available and unavailable. I am thrust back to his toddler days! Gulp! Sweet Jesus, save my son from harm. Not kidding.
May 6
CADILLAC RANCH, TX
The boys practiced their graffiti skills on these iconic pieces of pop art. Apparently, everyone who visits does the same. Jude came away speckled in blue and tagged in bright orange. His shorts may become a souvenir complete with orange, blue, black and a hint of green spray paint. Jules managed to escape most of the splatter. Neither a shocker.
May 6
Goose-bumping and jumping in:THE BLUE HOLE - SANTA ROSA, NM
At 61 degrees year round, Joel and I opted to let the boys explore the depths of this gem on their own. The Blue Hole is a natural pool that appears out of nowhere in the desert. It's 60 feet deep and is connected underground to 7 sister pools. Crazy awesome, right? The azule-colored water cannot be captured on camera. It's gorgeous! My boys have proven themselves to be insane/brave/fearless/koo-koo-crazy-sauce. Just watch the videos. You'll see. Again, Jules is a climber and now a jumper. Help me, Lord God. Again, not kidding.
May 7
Visiting the White house, among other things in:ALBUQUERQUE, NM
3828 Piermont Dr. Albuquerque, NM, the home of Walter and Skyler White. Did these people living in this house know what they were getting themselves into? Did they allow the crew to film here or did they buy it afterwards? Either way, whew, it's a rough life. See kids? Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. Now onto the passport office! It's a totally different adventure behind those doors, for sure. We half-way searched for the A-1 Car Wash. We didn't find it. There's a little tour possible if you have/want to take the time. We didn't have it. Passports are essential to international travel these days. We're grown-ups, we gotta get things done. [Big, exhausted sigh.]
This was an unexpected side-visit recommended by my dad. The meteor crater is ENORMOUS! Standing on the edge, I COULD NOT see the 6' tall astronaut statue next to an American flag without the aid of binoculars. The museum was fascinating to the boys. Jude didn't want to leave. I love that!
May 17
I am loved. Joel calls me Lolly.
Sand angel
With desert mountains to the East and snow-capped mountains to the West, this is by far my favorite place we've stayed. I followed Jules and Jude on death-defying climbs all over these fantastic rocks!
So apparently, a long time ago, a volcano erupted and this is the result. Totally fun to explore!
watching a hydraulic leak. :-/
oops
Can't see me. Head's down always saves the stomach. I am a total wuss these days.
I rode in these teacups when I was little. Jules is taking a short nap.
I flew with Dumbo when I was a child. It was such an adventure with Jude. We laughed and laughed.
Blue Churros! Mmmmmm.
We watched the first 10 minutes of The Incredibles 2! CAN'T WAIT. This first Incredibles is way high on my list as the best of all time.
Minions, Harry Potter, the Simpsons! We had a blast! If you're a Harry Potter fan this is a MUST-SEE. Moaning Myrtle will visit you in the bathroom. Crazy awesome! Butter beer is a sweet delight - like butterscotch cream soda. The Walking Dead haunted house was fun and not too scary. The water rides are always the boys favorites. This one was Jurassic Park themed.
We spent this weekend with my old college roomie. She's a hair and make-up artist. I am so proud of her. She just won an Emmy! It's on its way from being personalized. The others are Hair and Makeup Guild awards, which are awards from her peers. The coolest kind of award, I think.
In front of Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood.
Hollywood walk of fame with our high school friend, Ashleigh. She's an amazingly talent women! So proud of her too!
Can you see the Hollywood sign in on the hill in the background?
Jude tries out Shirley Temple's handprints.
Ashleigh and Joel
The boys in my uncle's Morgan. Such a beautiful piece of machinery.
The ferry to San Fransisco was great!
Sea Lions in San Fransisco. There were not many, but this guy swam up while we were watching.
We found a mirror maze downtown and had to check it out.
Cookie dough in a cone. And bright green at that! In a pitch black cone. Not awful, not awesome! Just my opinion.
You can't see it, but we're on Lombard Street in San Fransisco. The boys are pointing to the super curvy part up to the top left.
Coit Tower
This sculpture is amazing. This particular area of San Fransisco has quite a few heroine addicts strewn about. I say strewn because they look like they just fell down haphazardly. Their arms and legs covered in needle marks. It was heart-wrenching. If I didn't think I'd get hurt, I'd try to help. Can't mess with heroine. It's terrifying. Perhaps I need to educate myself a bit more. Will do right away.
One of the first Snoopys.
Dancing lessons.
Fun with a zoetrope!
Bathroom tile. Love it!
Skating at the Charles M. Schultz museum! The boys want a rink in our back yard.
Joel is getting help from the newest doc on the block, Dr. Jules.
Eat banana slugs!!
Can you see Jude? He's inside the tree to the right.
Tired of trees. Tired of hiking.
Jude inside a tree
An awesome snail on our trail!
Just look at the size of these things!
Climbing trees is awesome.
Yep, it's bluer in real life. If you can imagine that.
Volcanic pinnacles were a new thing for us. What a fun science lesson.
Well, our entire trip is one science lesson after another.
The boys favorite part was playing in the snow!
Jude's butt was wet from sliding down the hill. Yes, in shorts!
Our home away from no home.
We visited my friend Michele and her family. It was a blast! We love them dearly.
Being sworn in for the tenth time! Junior Ranger programs are crazy education and fun. Even when the boys complain, they love being sworn in when the ranger asks them questions about their studies. The swearing in procedure always makes them smile.
Handsome boys with 10 badges each.
The next day! The clouds were thick and low. There's Mt. Rainier.
Right there. Behind the thick veil of clouds.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA
SEATTLE, WA
GIG HARBOR, WA
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UT
CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UT
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, UT
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UT
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, CO
CLOUDCROFT, NM
CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK, NM
LUBBOCK, TX
DALLAS, TX
HOUSTON, TX
M'KUSHI, ZAMBIA
FINDING A HOME SOMEWHERE
May 9
PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK, AZ
The Petrified Forest National Park is a must-see part of Arizona. The boys loved hiking! They wanted me to take a picture of every petrified log they found. We discovered that silica (the little packets that come in your shoe box) mixed with water infiltrated the logs. The logs were cut off from oxygen deep in the mud and over a crazy long period of time they petrified as the silica reacted with the organic material. Amazing. We stayed just outside the park at the Sun Valley RV resort. I'd say the term resort is pushing it. The people who work there are lovely and that's all the luxury I really need at this time in my life.
Again, there's Jude the free-climber! I'll post the pic soon. Whew! I'm convinced, if there is a vertical surface with a single foothold this kid will find a way. Again, gulp!
Jules and Jude earned their Junior Ranger badges. They were so proud and excited! We ran through the door just before 5:00. A kind Ranger swore them in at the last moment. Whew! I am so grateful to this man! He was a good sport and a trooper for sure.
During our "tour" the boys can earn a badge at each park. That means they'll have 27 shining achievements to make this trip more memorable. It's all about the memories, people!
Again, there's Jude the free-climber! I'll post the pic soon. Whew! I'm convinced, if there is a vertical surface with a single foothold this kid will find a way. Again, gulp!
Jules and Jude earned their Junior Ranger badges. They were so proud and excited! We ran through the door just before 5:00. A kind Ranger swore them in at the last moment. Whew! I am so grateful to this man! He was a good sport and a trooper for sure.
During our "tour" the boys can earn a badge at each park. That means they'll have 27 shining achievements to make this trip more memorable. It's all about the memories, people!
May 10
METEOR CRATER, AZ
This was an unexpected side-visit recommended by my dad. The meteor crater is ENORMOUS! Standing on the edge, I COULD NOT see the 6' tall astronaut statue next to an American flag without the aid of binoculars. The museum was fascinating to the boys. Jude didn't want to leave. I love that! May 11-12
SEDONA, AZ
I hiked here 20 years ago with my friends Beth and Mark. It might be the most beautiful place on Earth. Perhaps we'll settle in Flagstaff? Hmmm. We swam in a chilly stream in a park called Crescent Moon. The Cathedral Rocks made a surreal backdrop. We also visited the church built into the side of a cliff. Inspiring. We stayed in a place called Pine Flat just up the mountain toward Flagstaff. It was quiet, peaceful and we all slept well.
May 12-13
THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ
This is our first time to the Grand Canyon. I should have expected the paved hikes and overabundance of touristy stuff. We have met people from all over the world. An older couple from China even wanted to pose with our family for a picture. It was fun. The view is so surreal that I think its majesty is lost on the boys. Not on me or Joel. It is more fantastic than in my dreams. The boys want t ride their bikes all over this park.
Jules and Jude earned their Junior Ranger badges. My aunt Pam bought then Junior Ranger Vests! Gotta pin those tiny pieces of gold onto a vest or we'll lose them. Jude already lost his Petrified Forest badge. It was devastating. We'll get another one via mail.
The boys all rode their bikes all over the green-dotted trails of this park! It was their favorite thing! I sat in the marketplace cafe trying to update this blog with a wacky internet connection. Patience is becoming my new profession.
The forst night we stayed at Mather campground inside the park. It was nice. A lot of harrowing, death-defying hills for the boys to speed down on there bikes. That gives it an A plus, 5-star rating in our family. The second night we stayed out in the middle of nowhere, just outside the park. It was amazing! We could scream and dance and sing really loud and NO ONE COULD HEAR US! Inhale. Exhale. Ahhh, the peace of being ourselves.
The boys all rode their bikes all over the green-dotted trails of this park! It was their favorite thing! I sat in the marketplace cafe trying to update this blog with a wacky internet connection. Patience is becoming my new profession.
The forst night we stayed at Mather campground inside the park. It was nice. A lot of harrowing, death-defying hills for the boys to speed down on there bikes. That gives it an A plus, 5-star rating in our family. The second night we stayed out in the middle of nowhere, just outside the park. It was amazing! We could scream and dance and sing really loud and NO ONE COULD HEAR US! Inhale. Exhale. Ahhh, the peace of being ourselves.
May 13
HOOVER DAM, NV
It was a drive-by to say the most! The park was closing in 5 minutes, so Jules and Joel dropped Jude and me off and we took a few quick pics. Wish I knew more than this enormous feat of engineering was built during the great depression and was renamed after President Hoover after the fact. You can Google that. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I spent too much time Googling things. I am incurably curios. Hoping to pass that on to my kids.
May 13-16
LAS VEGAS, NV
I can't believe this is our first time in Las Vegas. I have to say, it is pretty spectacular. The boys are having a blast!
First, we went to the M&M store. Four stories of pure awesomeness! We watched a 4D movie on the 3rd floor. It was Oscar worthy as far as the boys were concerned.
The Coca-Cola store was fun too! We tasted a flight of 16 sodas from around the globe. I included pics. Some were great. Some were, well, the pictures tell that story. We laughed and gagged, made faces and smiled a ton!
OUR AMAZING ADVENTURE in Las Vegas was
Oh, yeah! The boys lost all control even at the end of the day in their sweaty stupor. It's a MUST SEE FOR AVENGER FANS! I loved it! Joel loved it. "Loved it" did not describe the boys excitement! The pics are not awesome, mostly because it was dark are TOO AWESOME for me to take time to photograph. Sounds crazy, but it was that FUN!
The shield made of Vibranium! Marvel comics are king when it comes to bringing their comic universe together.
Hulk! AHHH!
Joel has big hands, but the Hulk??
Thor's hammer.
Captain America is born!
Hulk buster! Whooooooop!
Jude watching the original Marvel Avengers movie from the comfort of a Captain America chair.
Just saying', why is the Cap wearing all black in the Infinity War movie? Is Black Widow that much of an influence on him? Not that I'm against the "when a man loves a woman idea". Has he lost his way? Just questions. I don't have answers, yet. I was raised by patriots. I am a true patriot despite our political climate. I love my country. I know others loves there's for equally compelling reasons. I can love other countries for equally compelling reasons. I am so grateful for that. It's not a contest, is it?
This is a city for kids too. The adult stuff is so low-key and not in-your-face. I love that. It escaped every glance of the kids.
First, we went to the M&M store. Four stories of pure awesomeness! We watched a 4D movie on the 3rd floor. It was Oscar worthy as far as the boys were concerned.
The Coca-Cola store was fun too! We tasted a flight of 16 sodas from around the globe. I included pics. Some were great. Some were, well, the pictures tell that story. We laughed and gagged, made faces and smiled a ton!
The Hershey store, Las Vegas, NV
Worth a walk-through, but not wow-wow-wow. We did get to pose in front of two Statues of Liberty - one made from Twizzlers, the other from chocolate. They are worth our time for sure!
OUR AMAZING ADVENTURE in Las Vegas was
Marvel Avenger S.T.A.T.I.O.N!
Oh, yeah! The boys lost all control even at the end of the day in their sweaty stupor. It's a MUST SEE FOR AVENGER FANS! I loved it! Joel loved it. "Loved it" did not describe the boys excitement! The pics are not awesome, mostly because it was dark are TOO AWESOME for me to take time to photograph. Sounds crazy, but it was that FUN!
Cap's motorcycle.
Joel has big hands, but the Hulk??
Thor's hammer.
Captain America is born!
The entire iteration of Ironman suits. WHAT???
Jude watching the original Marvel Avengers movie from the comfort of a Captain America chair.
Just saying', why is the Cap wearing all black in the Infinity War movie? Is Black Widow that much of an influence on him? Not that I'm against the "when a man loves a woman idea". Has he lost his way? Just questions. I don't have answers, yet. I was raised by patriots. I am a true patriot despite our political climate. I love my country. I know others loves there's for equally compelling reasons. I can love other countries for equally compelling reasons. I am so grateful for that. It's not a contest, is it?
LYFT vs Yellow Cab
Oh, and we are all about LYFT now. We met a sweet woman and a cool guy from Hawaii who drove for us for LYFT. They each moved to Las Vegas due to the cost of living. There's a huge Hawaiian community in LV. Who knew? Just like there's a huge Lebanese community in Lafayette, La. Love these migration stories (not that Hawaiians are migrants. But I guess the beauty of it is, that we all are.) It is all deeply American. Both Hawaiians are from the big island. The volcano is of deep concern. Please pray for those who live there. It's scary. We also had drivers Sophia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Great guys! LYFT is way cheaper and less harrowing than Yellow Cab for sure. It's a service brawl for sure. Eek!Random Las Vegas pics.
This is a city for kids too. The adult stuff is so low-key and not in-your-face. I love that. It escaped every glance of the kids.
May 17
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CA
The lowest. The driest. The hottest. All crazy true here in the northern part of southern California. Our hikes were relatively short. The sand and the hills are beautiful.
ALABAMA HILLS, CA
With desert mountains to the East and snow-capped mountains to the West, this is by far my favorite place we've stayed. I followed Jules and Jude on death-defying climbs all over these fantastic rocks!
FOSSIL FALLS, CA
So apparently, a long time ago, a volcano erupted and this is the result. Totally fun to explore!
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST, CA
We camped at Mountain Table. The air was cool and crisp. We looked down on the clouds through the valley near the eastern side of Mt. Whitney (the lower 48th highest peak). A wonderfully lovely place to camp and ride bikes.
May 22
ANAHEIM, CA
Disneyland, y'all! I have not been since I was 8! It was still a magical experience - the happiest place on Earth for sure. We rode every ride possible. Jude was already in love with Tinker Bell. I think this sealed the deal.
May 23
DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Day 2 was a different story from Day 1, let me tell you! All of you who gave advice about getting to the Guardians of the Galaxy ride first thing, I hate all of you. And that's totally not my style - hate. But I have good reason. Read carefully. The Guardians of the Galaxy ride used to be called the TOWER OF TERROR! Read it again - the TOWER OF TERROR! It's a zero gravity fall ride to the vomitous extreme. Up, up, down, down, up, up, up, up, up, down to your death! Just a warning. It never stops. Not one person let me in on the details. Barf! After a full-on vomiting pregnancy I am done with that business. Again, just to make it clear - BARF!
Beautiful thing: It's a small world has not changed since it was built. It's a trip back in time. I LOVED it!
Carsland is a blast! Looks JUST LIKE THE MOVIE!
May 24
UNIVERSAL SUDIOS, CA
Minions, Harry Potter, the Simpsons! We had a blast! If you're a Harry Potter fan this is a MUST-SEE. Moaning Myrtle will visit you in the bathroom. Crazy awesome! Butter beer is a sweet delight - like butterscotch cream soda. The Walking Dead haunted house was fun and not too scary. The water rides are always the boys favorites. This one was Jurassic Park themed.
HOLLYWOOD, CA
We spent this weekend with my old college roomie. She's a hair and make-up artist. I am so proud of her. She just won an Emmy! It's on its way from being personalized. The others are Hair and Makeup Guild awards, which are awards from her peers. The coolest kind of award, I think.
The Roosevelt Hotel. Marilyn lived here for awhile. Deeply historical and totally swank.
the end of a long day....
SANTA MONICA PIER, CA
I had a killer sinus infection so my old roomie, Vanessa, took Joel and the boys to the Santa Monica Pier whilst I slept in her bed. Thanks, Van! Sorry for the cooties I left behind.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
We visited my aunt and uncle for Memorial Day. It was a sweet time. They took us for a little cruise in their boat. Loved it!
OCEANSIDE, CA
Fun with our friend Chuck and Kerri in Oceanside. We camped on the beach! Fun for sure. I can't get Jude out of the water. He was in the surf every chance I'd let him.
Malibu, CA
This tree is a Coastal Oak. It's pretty on the outside, but inside is a wonderland! A natural treehouse. We want one!
Malibu Creek, CA - M*A*S*H set
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CA
These trees are amazingly beautiful. To my surprise, the bark is soft like a dry sponge. The pinecones are tiny and smooth. Jude always wants to climb everything he sees.
KING'S CANYON NATIONAL PARK, CA
This is Lake Hume. GORGEOUS! We hung out here all day.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Jelly Belly Tour
Chinatown was a ton of fun.
SANTA ROSA, CA
Charles M. Schultz Museum and Research Center
REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK, CA
I LOVE THIS PLACE! It's two parks in one. First, the giant redwood forest (shown second). Second, the beach (shown first). Because this was my favorite part. I LOVE-LOVE tide pools. Jude made friends with a sea anemone and I spent my time chasing crabs and looking for sea stars. It was awesome!
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, OR
Well, our entire trip is one science lesson after another.
The boys favorite part was playing in the snow!
PORTLAND, OR
MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA
Each one of us, upon first sight of this gorgeous monster, found our mouths agape. Again, pictures never capture the full experience. Mt. Rainier is elusive. This was a lucky shot, apparently. It was covered in clouds for most of the rest of our stay.
Right there. Behind the thick veil of clouds.
PORT ORCHARD, WA
We went to see a 90 year old Redwood my grandfather planted in front of his parent's house. The house had been demolished just the day before. The Redwood still stands tall. I remembered an apple tree in the backyard from when I was a kid. We walked back and there it was! The last family heirlooms.
SEATTLE, WA
GIG HARBOR, WA
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UT
CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UT
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, UT
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UT
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, CO
CLOUDCROFT, NM
CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK, NM
LUBBOCK, TX
DALLAS, TX
HOUSTON, TX
M'KUSHI, ZAMBIA
FINDING A HOME SOMEWHERE