Sedona, Grand Canyon and Cali, Oh MY!

Parked in the Hampton Inn...

Entry 8

A special shout out to Dorothy and Lori, the latest Adventurers to donate to our road trip! We'll be using those donations at Legoland and Disneyland over the next two days! The kids and bffC are so excited, but honestly? I think bffC is the MOST excited about Disneyland! *chuckle*

I'm starting to think if I could, and if I didn't want to be predictable, I'd start every one of these blogs with "I'm so tired..." However, not wanting to be predictable, I'll start instead with, "Holy Golden Gate, Batman! Who knew driving in California could be so life threatening?"

Let's see... my last blog left off in Sedona. A very full Wednesday started out with a jeep tour of 'sacred sites' in Sedona. My bffC really felt called to do this and at first I grumped about it, but turns out? It was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far! We used a company called Earth Wisdom Jeep Tours. Our tour guide was named Blair. He was fantastic - if you ever head to Sodona, look them/him up; well worth the money. Mads, Gman, bffC and I climbed into the jeep:

The first site we went to on our two hour tour was called cathedral rock:

If you use your imagination, you can 'see' the first man and woman standing in the middle. bffC had a very intense experience here, it isn't for me to tell her story, but she really felt the energy. It was a strong, shaking energy and I vote for super healing! Go Sedona!

We took the jeep offroading - I was a bit worried at first but bffC handled it like a pro. At one point the whole jeep lurched sideways and I thought we were goners, but Blair navigated the gullies all the while sharing fascinating tidbits about Sedona and answering all my questions!

Yay seatbelts!

After we returned to our beautiful room in Sedona, we were on our way to the Grand Canyon. Having seen the amazing rocks and outcroppings of Sedona, I really didn't think the Grand Canyon was going to be that amazing.

Believe it or not, this outcropping you see is where the original plans to build Disneyland were set. Luckily, Eisenhower turned it into park land and Walt had to go to Anaheim. It would have been an ecological disaster to have put Disneyland in Sedona. *whew*

When we first arrived (after several hours of driving) at the Grand Canyon, I think we were all overwhelmed. Not with the scenery, we saw NOTHING the way we entered, but overwhelmed by all the PEOPLE! It was crazy. I let bffC off to the vistor's center and then drove off to try to find a place to park. Imagine my surprise and dread when I realized my worst Chevy Chase movie moment had come to pass. I parked the RV, got out, fought through the insane amount of tourists and probably 20 other identically marked RVs... only to find a big sign that said "Sorry folks, visitor's center is closed for installation of an exhibit" really? REALLY?

The most frustrating part of the Grand Canyon was the lack of information. Especially for ways to view the park if you can't walk. BffC isn't able to walk long distances, especially in hot weather. Nowhere do they post any driving tours or ways to see the Grand Canyon without paying for a plane/helicopter or a mule - which she also couldn't have done. After driving Myrtle around, I saw a place I could dump them off then I could circle around to pick them up. They all scurried out of the RV and while I was trying to circle around to find them? I got lost. Seriously! Finally, I found them again and they all piled back in the RV and I was frustrated I didn't get to see anything. All that driving to see NOTHING?

After forcing poor Nix to get out of the RV and ask someone, (no park ranger was around to really help us, but Nix just asked a random guy in the gift shop for help), we struggled with the limited map we got, and figured out we should drive down Desert View Dr. I kept thinking "I am sure the rocks in Sedona were just as lovely as the rocks in the Grand Canyon... " Then? I saw this:

I absolutely couldn't breathe. 

We stopped at our first view point off the side of the road. There was almost none of the pushing/talking/cacophony we found when navigating the crowd at the (closed) Visitor's Center. 

The pull off was peaceful and serene. I felt overwhelmed by the immensity and beauty of the landscape. None of my photos show it justice. I think the only thing that would have made it better would have been the eye of an archeologist who could have, once I absorbed the incredible tranquility and majesty of what I was seeing,  told me more about the rock formations and the history of who lived there, the ruins found there, answered the thousand questions that floated through my mind... I'm kind of geeky like that. :)

I am not going to try to put in a bunch of photos, because truly, they do not begin to communicate the vastness and magic of the surroundings - on any level. If you ever have the chance, GO. Just go. Because we only spent a few hours driving along and looking and even that was amazing. Exploring the Grand Canyon more fully is something I will have to do in my lifetime for sure.

Mads and Gman standing infront of the fence. 

Can you believe I actually watched someone go OVER the guardrails/fence? It was at least an 800 foot drop to the level below and who knows how many more feet to the actual bottom of the canyon. Taking risks is fun, but taking stupid risks that can get you killed? Life is too short for such stupidity.

Although the drive around the rim of the Grand Canyon was worth every penny we paid to get into the park, it put us about two hours back in the wrong direction. It took five hours to get to the Kingman, AZ where we finally collapsed for the night. That was after the tour in the morning, driving to the Grand Canyon, then retracing our steps and pushing forward until 11:30 at night.

Today? We got up early, had some awesome chicken fried steak and headed to California.

Traffic in California makes Seattle look like drivers with training wheels. *deep breath* My knuckles were on the steering wheel so tightly I had to pry my fingers off. I got a crazy headache from locking my jaw. *ugh*. Driving the vast nothingness that is AZ and parts of TX and NM was bad, but it was NOTHING like this:

And this? Wasn't even the bad traffic!

Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't of been up and down hills with traffic going 70 and Myrtle lucky to be going 55/60. Let's just say, I have a WHOLE new appreciation for truckers and people in large vehicles!

So here ends the saga for tonight. It's midnight and this RV is turning back into a lemon. Oh wait. Too late for that! hahahaah,! 

I need to get some sleep - it's LEGOLAND tomorrow and Disney on Sunday. Then? Then we start the blessed trip up the coast toward home... (home... doesn't that sound like a wonderful word?).

I am so fortunate to see all the incredible things I have been able to see and do all the fun things I've been able to do on this trip. I've loved getting to hang with Mads and Gman... they are really growing so fast... I haven't had a lot of quality time with my bffC... probably because I do all the driving and she usually sits in the back. Plus? She is a night owl and I am a morning hen... So I tend to sleep in the RV and she sleeps in the hotel room. Tonight is no exception. Mads is already asleep and I am finishing up my blog and joining her. 

I think a big reason why I am looking forward to getting home it that I'll get a few days with her at my quiet, peaceful house. Just 'us girl' time. I'm going to send the kids off with my sis to go shopping and bffC and I can just relax and spend that quality time together I've been craving. Tonight? Nix is being wonderful and doing our laundry so we have clean clothes for the rest of the trip. LOVE YOU NIX!!!!! *hugs*XOXOXOXOXO

As for this point in the trip? We're all about done with each other *chuckle*. Too many days in a rolling tin can - as the genie once said in the Disney Aladdin movie, "PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS! Itty-bitty living space!"

I'm excited about getting back home and having time together where I don't have to drive and we can all just enjoy each other without having to figure out where we are spending the night and not fighting about which kid gets to sit behind the driver and which doesn't! *smile* I learn something new every day and for that, and for those I love... I am grateful.

Happy Trails!

MaryKate

In God's Hands...

A little deep breathing music please...

Entry 6

I'm going to make this a relatively quick post. Mostly because I am 'sneaking' on a computer while I am waiting to get news about the RV.

We're still in Clinton, OK. The nearest RV center is Oklahoma City about an hour and a half in the wrong direction. We should be seeing the Grand Canyon today instead of the locust infiltration and inside of an RV repair shop. I had no idea the first sign of the apocalypse was "broken down RV" THEN the plague of locusts. Who knew?

This morning at 8:30am CruiseAmerica called me. I missed the call and called them back. They were sending out a tow truck to tow the RV to an RV shop. The tow shop then called me and said they would have a truck out to pick me up in an hour. We rushed to get everything out of the RV (we have an amazing amount of food and crap already gathering and multiplying in the dark cabinet corners) and threw it in our rooms, then I called the hotel and said we'd be here another night.

Two hours later I still hadn't seen hide nor hair of the tow truck. My cell phone rang. The tow truck dispatcher sent the tow truck to CLAYTON, OK not Clinton. It was about 2.5 hours away in the wrong direction. Sooo... they sent out another tow truck and he arrived around noon. I had on the *wrong* dress to climb up into a semi cab. You need a mighty big tow truck to haul an RV! So I changed quickly, left everyone at the hotel to get laundry done and organize the volumnus amounts of 'stuff' we had hauled into the hotel room and off I went with the tow truck driver. We went maybe three miles to a 'diesel' repair shop. He left me off here at Challis Diesel Service:

At first I was sort of freaking out. There was one 65-70 year old gentleman here, nowhere to sit and GASP no air conditioning. I had no idea what to think. I mean it is 106 outside with a plague of locust. I don't have my camera only my poor cell phone, or I'd show you exactly what I mean. They've only come in the last day or so... kinda creepy. Just saying...

I kept myself collected and talked to the owner of the repair shop. He was very kind and he let me sit in his office near a fan. I am sneaking his assistant's computer right now while he 'fixes' the electrical system on the RV.

I have no idea what is going to happen next. I was feeling really frustrated by the whole thing... but then I had a wave of "everything is going to be okay" pass over me and now? Other than sneaking on the computer? I feel okay with things. I realize it is all going to be okay. I don't want all this to ruin our trip. I thought about just renting a large van or SUV to finish off the trip, but it is over 4K to rent a car one-way from OKC. So, that is off the table.

I am going to trust that cruiseamerica is going to do right by me and my intrepid campers.

When I know more, you will know more... but I know many of you want to keep in the loop of what is happening.

Originally? I'd be posting pics of the Grand Canyon right about now... not the RV with the hole in the roof and electrical problems and the plague of locust at our hotel. *laughter*

But these are the things kids remember. The laughter. Finishing the puzzle we started last night. Last night, Mads wanted to sleep in the queen sized bed with me. I said okay. About halfway through the evening, she started making 'anxiety' noises in her sleep - enough to wake me up. I reached over and patted her hair and she calmed down and stopped whimpering.

For me? That is what this trip is about. Forging those bonds that matter. Loving my bffC. Laughing with Nix in the evening. Loving on Gman and watching him grow up and try new things. Being the only boy, we were walking from the pool yesterday and he said, "It's hard being the only boy on this trip." And I said, "That just means I get to love you even more because you are special." He threw up his hands in the air, but it made me smile.

That is what this trip has been about from the beginning - no matter what happens with the RV or with this experience. No matter if we see the Grand Canyon, Disney, Seattle... I know in my heart and my soul that it will all be okay.

Because this trip? Is about love. Not about destination.

Happy Trails,

MaryKate

ETA: I want to take a moment to truly thank Ray Challis, his helper (Tony?) and wife. Ray especially took the time to make sure the RV was as good as he could get it before I left. I went to Challis Diesel to get my RV fixed, I left having made a new friend and someone with a heart as big as his smile. Thank you Ray... for calming me down, for going to bat for me to get a replacement RV and realizing that it wasn't going to happen and making sure you did the best you could by me and my friends to keep us safe for the rest of our trip. <3
-MaryKate

Aaand we're down but not out...

Drama at the Ramada


Entry 5


I could tell you about the 108 degree heat today. Or, I could tell you about the 'shortcut' dirt road suggested by the really cute waiter that almost shook us out of the RV and caused a twenty minute detour before we finally found a place to turn the monster around. I could tell you about the 30 minutes Nix (formerly cousinN... I just like Nix so much better... it's what I call her when we're driving) lasted trying to drive the beast down the highway! *lol* I could tell you about the amazing soda/gas station we stopped at and had dinner: Pops Soda Ranch.  I could tell you about the wildfire that shut down 35 and forced everyone off the highway...


I could tell you about all of that. At the end of the blog I'll post a few pics of those cool places. But the real story? Is why I'm sitting in a Ramada Inn with Nix and Mads in my room and my bffC and Gman in the room next to us and the RV parked outside the door with a hole in the roof. 


Are you feeling the Chevy Chase love yet? 


So pulling out of Miami, Oklahoma, this morning we were happy and ready to push on to Amarillo, Texas. We planned on taking historic route 66 for most of the afternoon and then when it got dark heading back to the interstate and into Amarillo. As my dad says, the best laid plans of mice and men...


The RV started acting funny just outside of Pops Soda Ranch. I couldn't get it started. There is an emergency switch on the dashboard, and by pushing it down and turning the key I finally got the beast to start. We forged onward.. Somewhere outside of Clinton, OK, we couldn't find bffC's phone. It was turning into a bit of drama so I stopped in a gas station and turned off the RV. When the cell phone was located everyone went to the restroom and I waited. When we all loaded up I turned on the RV and had zero luck starting it. We were about 180 miles from our destination of Amarillo, Tx. Finally I got the beast running again and as I merged onto rte40, the RV started lunging and the lights on the dashboard kept flicking off and on and the engine kept cutting out. I pulled off the highway and couldn't get back on. I was on business 40 apparently. I called cruiseamerica and got a tad testy with the guy. I was REALLY trying to remain calm and polite but it was HOT and I was tired and I had already spent time getting the rv fixed once... :(. So I realized I couldn't get any closer to Amarillo, the RV was barely moving. I drove into Clinton, OK and started looking for a hotel. The first three we passed were not okay. I was determined to find a decent place to sleep that had a name I recognized. 


Up ahead in the distance? I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim... I had to stop for the night... oh wait. Got carried away there. I saw the sign in the distance "Ramada Inn" and had to stop for a red light. Again? The RV cut out on me. Emergency button pressed, key turned... and we lurched into the parking lot.  I saw the lobby in the distance I was ready to pull in next to entrance when the lights and power steering and brakes all died at once. I was coasting into the lobby, uh... literally. I put on my brakes to stop, but the RV had serious forward motion - she was MOVING of her own weight and volition. For a moment  was worried I couldn't stop... No need to fear loyal readers, the AWNING of the hotel stopped the RV for me.  And as I plowed into the awning of the hotel and heard metal crashing into metal I thought... omg. Did I really just plow into the awning? 


So, I used the emergency starter again put the RV in reverse and as I heard both the awning and the roof of the rv grinding, and saw plaster and metal falling,  I put my head on the steering wheel... and low and behold the darn RV stopped flickering and starting working just fine. Really? REALLY????


I'll be getting a new RV sometime tomorrow. I don't care if the old beast now runs like I do after a cup of coffee in the morning. There will be a new RV seeing as there is a HOLE in the roof now where the vent cover used to be and I believe I whacked the air conditioner. Mads calls it sun roof; I call it a gaping hole. Besides, I have had enough of electrical drama and fridges that don't work and and and...


Luckily, we're all laughing about it and I have to call cruiseamerica at 8am in the morning. I suppose the 'good' news about it all is that if we had made it to Amarillo, the nearest rental location woud have been Albuquerque... from here the closest cruiseamerica is in OK City... only about an hour and a half away.


So, Mads is curled up with me... she had a little bit of a difficult time when she saw me get upset.. I didn't remain upset and she calmed down and now we're sitting here in the nice, chilly hotel room with the hat she just made on the loom Nix got her. She looks cute, Gman just came over 'visiting' and is getting Pringles crumbs in my bed. Life seems to be rolling along as it should be. Tomorrow... new RV, new start and maybe a little pool time. That is, if it isn't 110 degrees!


Peace everyone.


And Happy Trails.

MaryKate


pics: 


Breakfast - some of the best we've had! Certainly the cutest and sweetest waiter:

Pops Soda - an awesome lunch/dinner:

Gman waiting for dinner:

The walls of Pops Soda Ranch:

Best Soda flavor ever:

Wildfire (lots of ash and cinders swirling all around us):

RV damage, hotel damage will have to wait until tomorrow, however, :

more RV pics:

OOOOOKlahoma where the wind goes sweeping down the lane...

Entry 4

First... we would like to thank Adventurers Hans and Bob for their love and support on our big trip across America. Without you this trip literally would not have happened.

So I had this illusion that I would be updating my blogs before going to bed at night. Uh. That isn’t the only idea that has had to be kicked to the curb. *chuckle* Apparently, crashing and burning after 9 hours of driving the monster on rte 66 is enough. :-).

Yesterday spent the day in St. Louis at the St. Louis City Museum. It was fantastic. I went to get th fridge on the RV fixed at RecTec. If you are ever in St. Louis and need your rig fixed up? They are wonderful! They got my RV in quickly, fixed the short that was causing the fridge not to stay cool while driving and got me back on the road in about 2 hours. They had to pull up the bed in the back to fix it, so I say… well done guys! Also? Hat’s off to CruiseAmerica. They stayed with me every step of the way. I was *very* impressed with their customer service. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about cruiseamerica and I’m sorry that is what is out on the web, because so far? I have been impressed and have really enjoyed the trip so far. Of course I had the ability to drop the kids, bffC and cousin at the museum and wait while things got done, but the efficiency and such to *get* things done was all around impressive.

No pics of me in the waiting room. (Too bad, ‘Brad’ was both helpful and cute). But good pics of the kids at the museum:

We made bookmarks for all the wonderful people who donated to our cause! We’ll be trying to get those in the mail in the next few days! Yay!

Just too darn pretty for words!

So much to climb, so little time! After the museum, we decided to start our trip to Tulsa. On the way? We saw the infamous, “mine for stones” signs at Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Mo. Well, we HAD to stop and do a little mining. So I bought the minimonsters each a bag of dirt and we went ‘prospecting’.

Fun times and the kids LOVE looking at the stones and matching them up to the cards with the pictures.

After Meramec Caverns, I started to drive. And drive. And drive. About 11:30 I decided I’d had enough. We had another hour and a half to Tulsa. It was too long for everyone I stopped to get a room in Joplin, Mo. But the big Asian festival there and the tornado relief people had every single room filled. We all needed a hotel and a hot shower and solid bed, so we pushed on to Miami. Where apparently? All the other Asians and construction workers were pushing on. I stopped at a motel and got two of the last rooms in the city. Yay Oklahoma for the one nonsmoking room (which was smoking) and the smoking room (which was as advertised). bffC and Gman stayed in the single bed in the nonsmoking room and cousinN, Mads and I stayed in the double smoking room. And even though it took a while to get the room cool? It was a good night’s sleep. Just have to work in the goat chewing Mads hair in her dreams. Because she felt the need to kick *me* in an effort to make the goat stop. *chuckle*.

This morning we got up ready to eat and get on the road. CousinN is driving for the first time today. She’s pretty white knuckled and realizing this rig and the crosswinds aren’t friends. It’s pretty hard driving. At least we are out of the hills of the Ozarks. Those were killer with a full RV! Thank heavens for the ‘towing’ option which helped the engine keep cool.

We had breakfast at Buttered Bunns Café. Our waiter had the cutest Nashville accent. He was all, “Yes ma’am. I’ll get that for you right away, (insert adorable smile here).” He got a good tip. I’m just saying, 2 kids, 3 adults make for a needy group to feed!

Now? We’re on our way to Amarillo with cousinN driving.

It’s about 7 hours away. Not sure if we will stop in Amarillo or try to push on a couple more hours. It depends on how the kids are doing and how much we’ve needed to get up and out walking around and bathroom breaks and pain tolerance.

Thanks again everyone for all your love and support!

Happy Trails,

MaryKate

Day One - AAAnnd we're driving and we're driving...

In one piece if not one peace...

Entry 4

First a loving shout out to Grandpa Jaccaud! Thank you from all of us intrepid tripsters! Your love and support are well appreciated!

And we made it to the St. Louis RV park.

 Took us a while, I was *sure* we weren't going to make it by 11pm when they close the gates. So I'm driving at 65 and 70 when the speed limit was 70. Let's just say, when I go fast? The 'monster' is soo happy! It drinks gas like a child gulps lemonade after playing outside on a hot summer day. Hello 8 miles a gallon! *laughter* Then? As I stopped to get us gas and grab KFC to eat in the monster while we drove? The thrilling insight hit me. St. Louis? Is 1 HOUR BEHIND! Woohoo to the additional hour! Joy oh joy! :)

Of course when we got here, the nice elderly gentleman who helped me hook up the RV noticed that the water was spraying EVERYWHERE. Ugh. We got that fixed (user error, can't blame the RV for that one). The real problem? Was that during driving? We realized the 12volt battery wasn't working correctly and our fridge was not cold. I, uh, have about $200 worth of food in the fridge so you know.. that wasn't okay. Luckily? I called cruiseamerica and they are getting it fixed today. I am going to drop off Mads, Gman, bffC, and cousinN at the St. Louis City Museum and I'm off to get the rv fixed. BffC is really tired today. None of us slept very well, so I am thinking she may hang out in the RV while the kids wander the museum and cousinN stays and watches them. At least this way, we aren't losing a day to mechanical stuff. And they are paying for everything to be fixed sooo... thus why I'm happy I didn't pay for an RV. :). Getting one that they have to fix makes me happy! Having to get it fixed not so much, but glad I don't have to pay for it. :D

As for everything else. It's the RV dance to keep things in check. Sleeping? Didn't work so well last night... we are definitely going to have to work something else out, because while this was cute:

 Mads is a kicking monster at night. I got about 3 hours of sleep. As the primary driver, that isn't going to work. Soooo. It's the RV shuffle. I suspect by the 16th when we pull in to Seattle? We'll have it down pat. :).

I did get everyone breakfast this morning in 30 minutes. Mads - 2 scrambled eggs with toast, Gman - 2 blueberry waffles with grade jelly, bffC - a bowl of lucky charms with milk and cousinN - egg samich. Oh, I made myself 2 eggs basted light with toast as well. I got it goin' ON in the morning! *laughter*

I might pass out by 3pm, however.

Soooo... yeah. Over all day one was okay. Other than some sibling stuff.. we arrived in one piece. Like I said... maybe not one peace, but we're all learning as we go!

Thank you again everyone for your love and support... this is certainly the adventure.

Happy Trails,

MaryKate

ps. Mads has started her own 'mini' blog version (she came up with the name all by herself, is doing all the writing herself and doing her own photos! So, just in case you wanna read her take on me... er, I mean our adventure!

The Big Day...

Off to Pick up the RV

Entry 3

First? Shout out to Carol! Another Adventurer sharing in the craziness that is this cross country trip! Thank you so much for contributing! Every penny helps!

Now on to today's leg of the journey. Nikki and I will be leaving sometime around noon to head to Cincinnati to pick up the gas monster... I mean the RV... After serious contemplation, I decided in the end *not* to buy a used one and just go with the rental. It is more expensive and I suspect if I did actually buy one, I would be happy with it. But right now I think, for me, if I wanted to buy one, I would choose a smaller one than what we need for this trip. With three of us gals (none of us tiny), the wheelchair, the walker and two kids? A nice, small Toyota or newer 19' RV isn't going to work. Plus? I gotta get through *this* trip before I go thinking about another one.

But I must admit, there is something dreamy about the idea of jumping in my small RV, driving to the ocean and doing some writing. Used ones are pretty reasonably priced...

In the meantime, it's a packing frenzy here. Well, it's 9:37am - no one is moving but me, but I am sure by NOON it will be a packing frenzy here. *laughter* The nicest thing about this trip is that we are taking things slowly and simply. We have a LOT of places we want to go and no absolutes except the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

Our extremely tentative route goes something like this:

Columbus
St. Louis - Children's Museum
Branson - John Denver or Neil Diamond Tribute. Not 100% sure about this - this stop might get nixed.
Santa Fe
Sedona
Grand Canyon
Las Vegas - not sure when, but likely we're going to be staying at the Golden Nugget or CircusCircus
Legoland
Disneyland - I'm not sure about this...  C *really* wants to go, I *really* don't.
Redwoods National Park
Portland
Seattle - Pike Place, Tilted Thunder Roller Derby Championship and maybe whale watching!

I foresee having to alter this trip a bit, but that's the tentative plan right now. We have 14 days and over 5K miles to travel, with 11 different things we want to do. I'd say several items are getting kicked to the roadside curb!

So, I'm off to pick up the RV today and we are planning on leaving either tonight or early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow's blog will have pics of us heading down the highway.

I find at times I'm super excited about this trip, and at times? I am super anxious. Luckily, C and I are very similar in that we both know, it's about the journey and not the destination.

Happy Trails!

MaryKate