Field Trip USA Highlights

We have been home for a month and are now immersed in the standard cadence of our everyday lives. Brian is enthralled with all things Jazz. Returning to Sunset High School in the middle of his sophomore year, he plays in the Jazz, Funk, and Concert bands. This past weekend he was fortunate to see McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano perform at the Portland Jazz Festival. Laura is back in 8th grade at Stoller Middle School with all her old friends. She secured one of the lead roles in the school play – a super hero named Wombat Woman – should be a perfect fit! ;-) I’m back at work at Click Commerce, helping out on the business development side and enjoying reconnecting with former customers and work friends. Teressa is thrilled to be in a house without wheels – even though she has spent most of the last month “moving” us back in.


As we reflect on our amazing six and a half month journey, we thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights and lowlights of the trip:


Top 5 Natural Scenic Wonders:

1. Fall Colors, Robert Frost’s House, White Mountains, New Hampshire


2. Grand Teton Mountains viewed from Moran Junction, Wyoming


3. The Badlands – Makoshika State Park, Montana; Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, North Dakota; Badlands National Park, South Dakota


4. Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley, Arizona


5. Acadia National Park, Maine

Top 5 Man Made Wonders:

1. The space shuttle Enterprise, Dulles Airport, Washington, DC


2. Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, South Dakota


3. Times Square and Broadway, New York City, New York


4. The Gilded Age Mansions, Newport, Rhode Island


5. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

Top 5 Experiences:

1. Shaking hands with Barack Obama at the 4th of July parade in Butte, Montana


2. National Park Rangers, Every National Park we visited, USA


3. Attending “Spamalot” with Clay Aiken on Broadway in NYC


4. The dolphin and whale shows at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida


5. The Laser Light Show and Lightening Storm at Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

Bottom 5 Lowlights:

1. Wildlife carnage on the roads


2. Trailer tires – we bought 14 on the trip!


3. Lack of recycling or recycling information in most states


4. Litter on the freeways


5. Toll roads

Top 5 Bargains

1. US Park Service Annual Pass - $80 for unlimited access to Mother Nature


2. Trailer Life Directory – the inside scoop on where to camp


3. Kyocera wireless router – a connected family is a happy family


4. HP OfficeJet J6450 printer – a map a day keeps the GPS in play


5. Panda Express restaurant – healthy fast food

Top 5 Amusement Park Rides

1. Millennium Force, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio


2. Kraken, SeaWorld, Orlando, FL


3. Shiekra, Busch Gardens, Orlando, FL


4. Superman Tower of Power, Six Flags over Texas, Arlington, TX


5. Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Top 10 RV Parks

1. Normandy Farms, Foxboro, MA – the Ritz Carlton of RV parks


2. Cherry Hill RV Park, Washington, DC – best activity programs


3. Mt. Rushmore KOA, Hill City, SD – best KOA campground


4. French Quarter RV Resort, New Orleans, LA – best inner city park


5. Lake George RV Park, Lake George, NY – best biking trails


6. Audubon Point , Memphis, TN – friendliest staff


7. Fort Robinson, Nebraska – best camping bargain


8. Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ – best state park and best hiking


9. Fort Getty Recreation Area, Jamestown, RI – best view of the Ocean


10. Kissimmee / Orlando KOA, Orlando, FL – nicest restrooms and fireplace

San Francisco

We had an amazing time today eating our way through San Francisco. The hour ferry ride from Vallejo into the city offered views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Angel Island. Temperatures were cool on the water, but warmed to near 70 during the day. Our first stop was the Hyatt Embarcadero, where the water sculpture and soaring atrium totally impressed the kids. Both lobbied hard to visit the revolving restaurant on the top of the hotel, but luckily for our pocketbook it wasn’t meal time.

We walked up market street and met Teri Yeager (a good friend from grade school, high school and college) at Union Square. Teri works in the city for the Hearst Foundation, and took us on a tour through China town, including a stop in a back alley shop where they make fortune cookies. As we watched the process, another local merchant arrived, instantly befriended the kids, and starting espousing Chinese philosophy. He gave both of them new Chinese names, declaring that English names were stupid because they don’t mean anything. He then proceeded to coach Laura on how to stop unwelcome advances from boys, including an offer to have her new Chinese “Uncle Gee” come up to Portland to rip the boy’s spleen out! He was hilarious, and I doubt the kids will ever forget him! He left with an invitation to visit him at his tea shop just down the street.

We bought fortune cookies, took a few pictures , and then headed towards North Beach to meet Mike Miller (Teressa's nephew) for lunch. As we walked by the tea shop, Uncle Gee caught us out of the corner of his eye and yelled across the street, “hey you, get your butts in here!” Half an hour, three bags of tea, and countless lessons in Chinese life later, we exited the tea shop. Our faces hurt from smiling so much, and we all felt fortunate to have a new Chinese Uncle!

As Teri headed back to work, we made our way down to Columbus Street in North Beach to meet Mike. He works as an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, and recommended a great Italian restaurant just down the street. The food was fantastic and we all enjoyed catching up. Mike has a crazy commute, leaving his home in Manteca, driving roughly 45 minutes to Pleasanton, then taking BART for an hour into the city. It all seems to work, and he really seems to be enjoying his new job in the city.

When Mike left to go back to work, we set off across North Beach to find our favorite Gelato (Italian ice cream) restaurant. With a little help, we navigated our way to Gelato Classico on Green Street. The kids quickly understood why we seek out this establishment any time we visit the city. From North Beach we took a cable car over the hill to Market Street, and then a cab back around to Ghirardelli Square. While the kids bought chocolate for their friends back in Portland, we met a good friend of mine, John Rootenberg, for drinks at a local restaurant. John worked at UCSF Medical Center in the city and helped us with strategy work in the healthcare business at Click Commerce. He is one of the smartest people I know, and we had fun catching up and trying to solve the nation’s healthcare problems. John is also a jazz pianist, so Brian was delighted to meet someone who shares his passion for music.

From Ghirardelli Square we walked along the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf, bought post cards and t-shirts, and then grabbed a quick bowl of clam chowder – just to make sure we met the daily 6000 calorie San Fran diet! As we walked to the ferry we stopped to watch an artist painting pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge with spray paint cans. If you have haven’t seen this on TV or You Tube, it is unbelievable. We ended up buying one of his paintings as a permanent reminder of our visit to the “City by the Bay”.

Laughlin, Nevada

On our trip from Phoenix to the KOA here in Laughlin, we set foot in our 47th and 48th states yesterday! We haven’t updated the map on the back of the trailer yet, but will shortly. When you look at all the states on the map it hardly seem possible to visit them all on the same trip. What great memories!

We met our friends, Wade and Kathy Campbell, for breakfast in downtown Phoenix at 10. They kept all our freezer food at their house while our trailer was being serviced. Kathy picked us up at a local grocery store parking lot, so we didn’t have to try to park the trailer at the restaurant. The food was great and we enjoyed spending time the extra time with Wade and Kathy (Wade worked with me at Sequent in Portland). We were back on the road again a little before noon.

Yesterday’s drive was uneventful, but we did see more RVs than any other day driving on our trip. Interstate 10 leaving Phoenix was crowded with RVs going both directions. When we got to Quartzsite, there were RVs parked in the desert on both side of the road for miles. I later found out that the BLM allows people to park in the desert there for free, and obviously many snowbirds find that attractive. Combined with one of the world’s largest flea markets, it pretty closely matched my vision of “hell”! ;-)

The two new tires seem to be holding up well. I had to put air in both of them before we left the campground in Apache Junction, but with Carlisle’s new radial design they ran a lot cooler than the other two tires. Unfortunately I have completely lost my trust in trailer tires, and with the 20 – 25 miles per hour winds coming across the desert in Arizona and California, I must have convinced myself I had another flat over 100 times! Luckily it was just my imagination, and we arrived at the KOA here in Laughlin right at 5:00 with no issues.

The KOA is connected with the AVI casino, and is another example of cheap camping at gambling establishments (Vicksburg was the other). The rate for a full hookup was less than $25! We did walk across the road to the Casino last night, but only to eat at the Panda Express, one of our favorite Asian fast food establishments. We considered betting the trailer (if they would take it) on the number 48 (for the number of states visited) on the roulette wheel, but reason overcame us – that and the fact the numbers only go to 34 on the wheel!

Monument Valley, Utah

As many of you have noticed, we are running a little behind on the blog. We took a quick trip to Montana over the holidays to spend time with families. When we returned to Arizona we spent a week trying to get our RV fixed, and finally had to leave for a few days to tour the Four Corners region via car. The RV is supposed to be fixed now, so hopefully we will be back on track (with the blog updated) soon. Here is Teressa's journal entry from Monument Valley:

After a light hotel breakfast looking out over the icy Animus River, we took a quick morning drive through downtown Durango. Durango, an old mining and mill town, reminded us of Bozeman, MT and Wallace, ID with its old building, trendy restaurants and hip shops.

Rather than retrace our steps as we once again headed west, we took a back road from Cortez, CO toward Hovenweep National Monument. It was a bit windy, but there was little traffic and pretty scenery as we left the snowy mountains of Colorado for the red rock of Utah. Almost to Monument Valley, we noticed a large boulder perched precariously on a tower of rock. We were all alone as we pulled down a side road to get better pictures of what we later learned to be Mexican Hat. It was so quiet, peaceful and beautiful. Ah...to be out west again!

Near Monument Valley we all tried a Navaho taco at Goulding's Statecoach Restaurant, which is chili, cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato on Indian flatbread. Pretty good. Monument Valley is on Navaho land and, therefore, is subject to a $5 per person fee to enter. They recommend a guide drive with you through the landmarks at a cost of an additional $60 per person. We passed on that and enjoyed the scenery along the pothole dirt road to the valley floor. What a magnificent work of nature it is with the magestic red spires, blue sky, green shrubs and a dusting of white snow. Tonight we are staying at a Hampton Inn in Kayenta. Apparently I kept the kids awake last night and, since the beds here are doubles, we sprung for 2 rooms that are adjoining. Tomorrow we shall return to Phoenix and assess the situation of what Laura now calls, "the box".

Canyon de Chelly and Four Corners

Teressa did the write-up for today: The Holiday Inn Express had a great complimentary breakfast. Around 9, we drove East out of Holbrook to the National Park visitor center for the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. Live and learn, but we were at the far end of the forest with limited time, so we watched their film and looked at the petrified samples. Consistent with our experience with the National Parks, the film was very informative and worth the stop. The Petrified Forest was created nearly 250 million years ago back in the Triassic era, when this region was an inland sea, and all the continents were together in one large land mass.

Later, in a little town called Chinle, we grabbed a burger at A&W. Just out of Chinle is Canyon De Chelly (De Chay), a national monument. We drove to the end of the park to see Spider Rock, a tremendous spire of red rock rising from the base of the canyon to the top of the canyon walls. Wow! At the base of the canyon a little further down are two separate ancient villages, one above the other. This ruin is called the White House and was built around 1200 AD by early Pueblo ancestors known as the Anasazi, or "ancient ones". The area is one of the longest continually inhabited landscapes in North America, as the canyon was first inhabited nearly 5000 years ago! Due to slick conditions, we did not hike down to the ruins, but it was tempting.

Next stop--Four Corners. Four Corners is a National Monument but is on Navaho land, so they charge you to get in. We arrived after they had closed the tils, and they were kind enough to allow us to enter anyway. We got our photos in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all at once. OK, it's cheezy, but you have to do it! Brian drove until dark, and Gary drove from Cortez, CO over the icy mountains to Durango. I have wanted to see Durango ever since I saw Oprah go there. After getting settled at the Doubletree Hotel, we drove into downtown Durango and found a local joint for dinner, the Old Timer's Cafe. They had great pork green chili and regular chili. The employees' tshirts read, "we cheat tourists and drunks." We hoped that after our glass of wine they wouldn't consider us both!

Saguaro National Park and Sonora Desert Museum

Today we toured the Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park near Tucson. Brian and Laura spent last night at our friends the Kayfes’ house (Randall, Angie, Alyssa and Hailee), while Teressa and I braved the cold (for Tucson) temperatures in the trailer at Catalina State Park, about fifteen minutes away. There was frost on the ground and windows of the truck when we awoke in the morning, as the temperature hovered around 32. After a quick breakfast and shower, we drove over to pick up the kids and head for the park.

With eight of us we took two vehicles across the valley to the museum. Temperatures started in the mid 40s, but warmed into the mid 60s as the day went on. The Sonora Desert Museum had been recommended by almost everyone we met on the trip, and we weren’t disappointed. Offering a unique blend of historical and animal exhibits, the museum does a great job of educating while entertaining. Our favorite experiences from the day were the big cats (cougar, ocelot and bobcat), hummingbirds, and hawks. The Harris Hawks, one of the only raptors to hunt cooperatively in family groups, were spectacular. A special program featured four birds swooping over the guests’ heads, landing on large saguaro cactus spires, and floating effortlessly on the afternoon thermals. We also enjoyed the diversity of cactus life in the desert – saguaro, organ pipe, jumping cholla, teddy bear, etc. One of the docents was describing the unusual phenomenon that saguaro cactus plants only seem to grow in Arizona, and that the minute you reach the California border, they disappear. Nobody knows why, she said. I thought for a moment, and then said “It’s obvious, Arizona is a red state!”. She laughed and said she would use that in her future talks. After thinking about it further, I’m pretty sure it is true. Saguaros are very rigid and a little prickly – just like George Bush! ;-)

After enjoying some of the best museum food on the trip at the on-site café, we drove a few miles down the road to the Saguaro National Park. Again we found the park rangers extremely helpful. Teressa was curious about the snakes in the park so one of the rangers, a retired military instructor from Spokane, educated us on all the wildlife in the park. She also gave us a great recommendation for a short hike in the hour we had before dark. We drove to the trail head and then hiked to Signal Hill to view Indian petroglyphs – drawings chiseled into the stone. With the sun setting over the desert illuminating the carved figures in the stone, it provided the perfect venue to reflect on the events of a perfect day!

PS – My brother Dirk and niece Cece made it safely home to Helena late yesterday afternoon – driving the 2700 miles from Durham, NC, in less than 72 hours! At that rate, we could have done our whole trip around the USA in less than three weeks!

Allen, Texas

The temperatures are moderating here in Texas, with the high today predicted to be near 60 and the low tonight down to 45. That’s much nicer than the 18 degrees we hit in Oklahoma City yesterday, and nothing like the -15 to -20 degrees the rest of our family is enjoying in Montana!

The kids studied in the morning while Teressa and I did four loads of laundry. The KOA here in Arlington is larger than we expected, with lots of people either living here or visiting for an extended period over the winter (we met several retired couples that are visiting their kids for a couple of months over the holidays).

After lunch Brian drove us the 50 miles from Arlington to Tim and Julie’s (my cousin) house in Allen. Essentially it is one big city the entire way, even though the names change every 10 miles or so (Arlington, Irving, Richardson, Plano, Allen, etc.). We all commented that it’s a fun place to visit, but we wouldn’t want to live here -- the drivers are insane. We drove the 60 mph speed limit most of the way, and everyone else was doing close to 80. Tim said the police won’t pull you over unless you are doing 15 mph or more over the limit, and they are really looking for people doing 30 over!

We had a great visit with the Woods/Marks clan. Julie and Lois (my aunt) had the house decorated for Christmas by the time we arrived just after 2. Julie took Brian and Laura to pick up Andy after school at 3:30, and Tim made it home from work around 4:30. We visited and munched on appetizers, and then had pizza delivered for dinner. They all seem to be doing well, and we got to tour Lois’ new RV. She didn’t have any trouble getting to Texas from Arizona, except for the high winds along the way. We finally left around 8:30, making it back to the trailer around 9:30.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Another day, another two new tires! These are the eleventh and twelfth tires to grace the Cougar since we purchased it a year ago. As we were leaving the campsite in Oklahoma City Teressa noticed a bulge in one of the tires that we had purchased in Ohio in August. I pulled back into our campsite, plugged back into power, and spent the next hour calling dealers all over Oklahoma City before finding one that carried the right trailer tire. They are the same brand, so technically I could have just replaced the bad tire, but decided to get two new perfectly matched ones on the front axle. That leaves me with two good spares, so the next blowout I won’t have to buy any more tires (no matter which tire blows).

The day started innocently enough. I got up at 4:30 and got a lot of things accomplished before Teressa and the kids stirred. We left the trailer and drove down to the Federal building memorial in Oklahoma City, the site of the bombing back in 1995. The reflecting pool was frozen over due to the cold temperatures, but the site was beautiful. Across from the reflecting pool are rows of chairs, one for each person that died in the bombing. Two park employees greeted us and provided lots of history about the site and event – we were the only ones out on such a cold weekday morning. I think the kids are getting tired of seeing so much death and destruction (e.g. Revolutionary War battlefields, Civil War battlefields, the Holocaust Memorial, 9/11 memorials, etc.), but it gives them a much deeper understanding of our nation’s history. Life’s not just iPods and roller coasters!

The Goodyear dealer was located right in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City. They didn’t have a facility large enough for our trailer, so while they stopped traffic on the main street, I backed the trailer into their main driveway and as close to the building as possible. Luckily I was able to avoid hitting any cars or their building, as it was a rather tight squeeze. Our tire adventures did allow us to sample a great little Thai restaurant across from the Goodyear shop. When the owner found out we were from Portland and on a trip around the country, she sent us out the door with two additional “take home” containers of food from the buffet, so we had Thai food for lunch and dinner yesterday! With our late start in Oklahoma City, we violated my “no driving after dark” rule by an hour, arriving at the KOA in Arlington at 6:30.

Other than the propane running out in the middle of the night (I had to go out at midnight and switch to the backup tank) and the water line freezing (it was 5 degrees colder than forecast last night), it was a perfect day and evening! ;-)

Branson, Missouri

It is a cool 19 degrees here in Oklahoma City, with the wind chill factor hovering around 5 degrees. We arrived at the Twin Fountains RV Park shortly after 4:00 yesterday afternoon, and after fighting 30 mph winds and freezing rain most of the way down from Branson, abandoned our plan to outrun the storm into Texas. Apparently there were over 100 wrecks across the state of Oklahoma yesterday, and one tornado near Tulsa, but thankfully we just caught the edge of the storm. We’ll wait till things thaw out a bit this morning, and then wind our way down to Arlington this afternoon.

Our one night stand in Branson on Monday was highlighted by a trip to see the Grand Jubilee at the Grand Country Music Hall. Here is Laura’s account of the day:

Today we took a long drive down to Branson, Missouri. To get to our campground, we drove through the town to see what it was like. The whole way, I was glancing out the car window thinking... "Cheap version of Las Vegas". There were tacky stores and hokey displays all along the road. I told the family, "I don't think I'd want to live here. I'm more of a NYC girl." Later, we decided to go to a play called the Grand Jubilee. While we were getting our tickets, someone decided they didn’t want their front row seats, so we immediately took them! The usher escorted us to our seats, and was very interested in our trip across the country (see our picture together). In the performance, there was a quartet, a female singer, and a couple comedians. I got to go up at intermission and get their autographs, and we all had a great time. Plus, at the beginning of the show, I recognized one of the singers in the quartet as a man named Jason Pitchett, who was in last season's "America's got talent" that I love to watch. As my brother put it, I was pretty "star struck". :^) I got to talk to him a little and got a picture with him, where I suppose my smile went from ear to ear. Yup, I would have to say I'd give that show a 10! It was a fun night full of great music, and amazing talent! **And I am so thankful for such loving, caring, amazingly BEAUTIFUL and HANDSOME parents! ;) Thanks mom and dad! **

Laura now thinks that living in Branson might be a great thing to do, assuming she can get a job performing in one of the shows!

Throwed Rolls, Sikeston, Missouri

As Teressa mentioned in her journal entry, we arrived at our campground around 1:30 and then took a leisurely Sunday drive across the Mississippi and Ohio rivers into Western Kentucky to explore. We had fully intended to have dinner back at the trailer, but kept seeing signs for Lambert’s – the home of the “throwed rolls”. When we arrived back at the campground, Teressa went to the office in search of enlightenment on this new culinary mystery. The staff here said that Lambert’s is “the destination” in Sikeston, and that people come from all over the Midwest to experience their unique southern comfort food. Rationalizing the experience as part of the kids education, we jumped in the truck and headed to Lambert’s.

When we arrived, the place was hopping. License plates from every state and neon signs grace the walls. The main restaurant is a large open room with booths around the edges and open booths with big wooden tables in the middle. Everyone in the place seemed happy – the staff, the customers, the cooks. Their strategy is simple – great comfort food in large portions – and throwed rolls! What’s a throwed roll you ask? Well, just stick your hand in the air, and from across the room comes flying a hot freshly baked roll. The only tricky part is catching it, although I’m happy to report our family was three for three (maybe we should get the kids back in baseball!). When you catch your roll, the place erupts in loud cheers. If you miss, there are groans and another server comes by and tosses you a short “gimmee” from the aisle! And this is all in an establishment that doesn’t serve alcohol (probably a good idea or things might quickly degrade into a full blown “Animal House” food fight!).

The most amazing thing was that the food was outstanding – meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, hamburgers, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra, etc. I don’t think we have ever enjoyed such good “comfort” food at a restaurant, and with the portion sizes, we will be having it again tonight. If you ever come to Sikeston, don’t miss Lambert’s – but make sure to practice “catching” beforehand.

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Teressa provided the write-up for our visit to Memphis:

Saturday morning Brian drove us from our campground in Mississippi to Graceland in Tennessee. Graceland exceeded our expectations in that it had all the warmth and charm of a real home--not a show home like the Antebellum houses of the south. Throughout the self-guided audio tour, we heard Elvis crooning or watched him on videos placed throughout the house and grounds. He truly was gifted--especially in his younger days, in my opinion. During one of his concerts he sang a medley of Dixie and the Battle Hymn of the Republic that brought me to tears. As much as we appreciated Elvis' amazing voice and talent, we were disappointed to hear that more people watched Elvis's Aloha concert in Hawaii than watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon!

After Graceland, Brian drove us into downtown Memphis to Beale Street. We were all hungry and on these kinds of excursions we just can't go back to the RV to eat. Too many miles. Within a block of parking the car we were conned out of some money by a recovering drug addict who claims to have been clean for 11 months. His gig is to approach the tourists and give them all kinds of information like best places to eat on Beale Street and history about the statue we were looking at (at first I thought it was Louis Armstrong, but was corrected as it was WC Handy, the Father of the Blues). The guy wanted money to help pay the costs to sleep at the Baptist church/rescue mission. Whether he conned us or not, we were impressed that he was offering a service. We saw him hit up a bunch of other tourists and wondered if we might have to borrow some money from him when we return from our trip...

Beale Street was...unique. It's a pretty run down part of downtown Memphis. We did get to hear good music coming from many of the clubs (all taped as it was afternoon). The whole of Beale Street is about 4 blocks of clubs and restaurants. The kids wanted to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe but we talked them into trying one of the local joints – Alfred’s. It was reasonable and had the ambiance of a not-quite-seedy blues club, and it had good food. Brian thought the Cajun fettuccine was one of the best things he has ever eaten.

Saturday evening Gary and I had errands to run. We left the kids home and went to get gas and buy some things at the local Walmart. Upon checkout, I happened to do a 360 degree scope of the place. Of over 100 people, Gary's was the only white face I saw. Quite a contrast from our demographics in the West. To me, it was fascinating to be seeing the reverse of what so many African Americans in the West see every day.

Today, Sunday, we left Mississippi and drove north through a piece of Arkansas into Missouri. You won't believe us, but we probably saw 300 hawks today. They were perched in the trees or on telephone posts along the freeway. Pretty cool. We are staying at Hinton RV park in Sikeston, MO. In order to get our Kentucky post cards, we had to drive 30 miles, across the Mississippi (again) and the Ohio rivers. We found a little shop in Wickliffe, Kentucky. I kid you not---1/3 of the store was cigarettes. The rest was staples and tourist stuff. We found our post cards showing Kentucky horses and stables, none of which we saw, and hurried back to Missouri before dark. Oh---most of the Arkansas post cards had hillbillies on them! I chose not to buy those and perpetuate the stereotype, but I thought that was interesting.

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Here is Teressa's account of our visit to the Vicksburg battlefield:

Brrrrr... it is cold here in the south. The temperature dropped into the low 30's last night. Fortunately our propane heater keeps the trailer toasty warm, but the dog walking chore is not the most popular these days.

This morning (Thursday), our first stop was the Vicksburg Park and Museum. The museum has one of those boards that light up with red for the Confederate troops and blue for the Union troops and shows their movements throughout the days of the battle. We studied that for a few minutes and proceeded to the auditorium for a short film about the battle followed by a drive through the battlefield with an informational CD.

Everyone, it seems, wanted to control the Mississippi River, and for a long time the Confederates had it. But, Federal naval and military forces fought southward from Illinois and northward from the Gulf, capturing post after post. By the summer of 1862 Vicksburg was one of the last areas on the river still controlled by the south, and it was--according to Lincoln--the "key." General Grant marched his troops down the Louisiana side of the river and circled back to trap General Pemberton at Vicksburg. After trying to take Pemberton's army the honorable way, through hand to hand fighting, Grant finally resorted to a siege and basically cut off all supplies to the Confederate troops as well as the civilians of Vicksburg until, nearly starved, the Confederates called a truce.

Again we were amazed and horrified by the number of dead. The cemetery at Vicksburg contains the remains of 17,000 Federal soldiers. Only 4,000 are identified (and have full-sized grave markers). The other 13,000 graves are marked only by a 4" square white marker. Although the Union won this battle, only 5000 Confederates are interred in Vicksburg making it a monumental win but at an incredible price.

Our children are sick of Civil War battlefields, so I believe this will be the last. ;-) The rest of our day was spent driving. We were underwhelmed with Mississippi. The small towns between Vicksburg and Memphis are depressed. The countryside is heavily treed and views were few until we got to the northern part of the state. Tonight we are at the Audubon Point RV Park in Horn Lake, Mississippi. Upon arrival, they filled our propane tank and sent someone out with a compressor to top off our tires. This is a pretty area and is just 10 miles from Memphis.

Natchez, Mississippi

Good morning from a chilly Vicksburg, Mississippi. We have ice covering the mud puddles this morning, and the high this afternoon when we arrive in Memphis is only predicted to be 40. I know that’s not cold for you Montana folks, but it sure feels cold in a trailer!

We got a slightly later start than planned yesterday leaving New Orleans. Teressa and I had to make a quick trip back to the French Quarter to pick up a few extra items, and since it was pouring down rain at the time, we took the truck. Driving isn’t a problem in the Quarter, as most streets are one way and it is laid out in an easy grid. Parking is the challenge. I had to drop Teressa off and then circle for a while before picking her up. We finally hit the road around 10:30. The first 50 miles of interstate was all causeway, concrete pillars rising 30 feet above the swamps of southern Louisiana. Even though we stuck to the Interstate, it was slow going – the concrete slabs had ridges between them that shook the truck and trailer pretty good. We stopped for gas and a late lunch at a Cracker Barrel just before entering Mississippi.

When we finally arrived in Natchez at 3:30 in the afternoon, we were faced with a dilemma – keep driving north to Vicksburg for another 90 minutes, or violate my nighttime driving rule and stop for a couple of hours in Natchez to see the Melrose Mansion operated by the National Park Service. We stopped, and were very glad we did. A Greek Revival style home, the Melrose mansion was completed in 1849 and is an excellent example from the Antebellum period (the period between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars). Four massive columns grace the front of the house, and a two-story colonnaded porch spans the entire rear elevation. The home was owned by John McMurran, a northerner who married into a rich southern family. His father-in-law gave him the 133 acres of land to build the home.

Melrose and the other large mansions around Natchez are not plantation homes, as we had assumed. The large plantations were located in southern Mississippi where the soil was better. The Natchez mansions were trophy homes for the rich plantation owners and their families to showcase their wealth. Guests were only allowed on the lower floor of the home, and nobody other than family ever stayed the night. The tour guide indicated that all the movies you see about southern hospitality were made up in Hollywood. These were very private people who only interacted with others in their same social circles. The mansions around Natchez were saved from Sherman’s plundering during the Civil War, largely because the townspeople were friendly to the Union, letting Grant use many of the homes for his campaign against Vicksburg. And it appears that many of those here in the south still haven’t forgiven the people of Natchez!

The tour ended at 5:00, and we traveled in the dark on good roads another two hours into Vicksburg. It took a little longer than planned, as I couldn’t cross three lanes of traffic in .3 miles to make our exit when we arrived in town, so we ventured across the Mississippi into Louisiana and back just for fun! Our RV park is run by the Ameristar Casino here in Vicksburg, and cost a whopping $22 per night plus two free breakfast buffet coupons. As long as you stay out of the casino, it is a great deal!

New Orleans, Louisiana

Just like hurricane Katrina, we first touched New Orleans from the eastern side of the city. Traffic on the bridge across Lake Pontchatrain was restricted down to one lane, so we were stuck in a traffic jam for 20 minutes on the way into town. Waves from the 25 mph winds stirred the sediment in the large shallow brackish lake, turning it the color of coffee (with cream) for our morning ride. Entering town it was immediately obvious that the city has a long way to go to recover from Katrina. Many homes are vacant – some boarded up, others in shambles.

Our RV park is located just a few blocks from the French Quarter, near a couple of the old cemeteries and one of the city’s housing projects. The facility is first rate, with brick parking pads, an exercise room, and a salt water hot tub and pool. It is completely surrounded by a concrete block fence with razor wire on the top. The owners recommended we not walk outside the walls (they have a golf cart to shuttle guests the four blocks to the visitor center in the French Quarter).

On Tuesday morning the kids did a couple of hours of homework before we ventured into the French Quarter. Our hosts at the RV park provided a ride on their golf cart to the visitor center on the edge of the Quarter. There we watched a short film on the history of the Crescent City, including the destruction caused by hurricane Katrina. Armed with recommendations and maps, we ventured south into the Quarter.

Brian and Laura had fun trying on Mardi Gras masks and shopping for shirts in the shops along Bourbon street. We stopped for lunch at the Gumbo Shop restaurant on St. Peter street, a recommendation from the staff at the RV park. The food was outstanding – Teressa and Laura had gumbo with chicken sausage, Brian ordered jambalaya, and I enjoyed the best red beans and rice of my life! Our waiter was a real southern character, and kept us chuckling the entire meal. After Teressa had ordered a spiced sausage appetizer on ihs recommendation, he said “Did I mention we also have alligator sausage?” Without hesitation Teressa replied “I figure if I don’t eat them, they won’t eat me!”. Our waiter considered her response for a moment, then retorted with a wry smile “You feel free to test that theory out in the swamps Ma’am!” ;-)

From the restaurant we headed south to Jackson Square, and enjoyed several street musicians playing jazz on the sidewalk. We toured the Cabildo, the Louisiana State Museum where the Louisiana Purchase was signed. The museum provided an excellent opportunity to learn about the rich history of the city, from the early native tribes, to the Spanish and French explorers, and on through the Revolutionary and Civil wars. This diverse history gives the city an incredible character and has helped it withstand more than its fair share of disasters (fires, wars, and hurricanes).

Our next stop was the National Park Service site commemorating New Orleans Jazz on the banks of the Mississippi river. We were able to sneak next door to Café Du Monde for beignets and hot drinks before watching the park service movie on jazz parades. Our bellies full of sugar and our heads swimming with music, we retreated via taxi to our trailer at the RV park around 4 PM to rest for a couple of hours and walk Rocky.

At 7:45 we took the golf cart shuttle to the visitor center and made our way back down to Bourbon street. The kids couldn’t believe the transformation which happens after dark, and this was a very “tame” evening in the Quarter. Music filled the street from numerous venues as we navigated our way to Preservation Hall to listen to some live Jazz. Preservation Hall is one of the oldest buildings in the city, surviving two massive fires in the early days of New Orleans. Every night from 8 to 11 they showcase local Jazz talent. They don’t offer food or drink, which is great when you have kids that want to hear jazz but can’t get into most of the nightclubs. We paid our $10 entry fee and took a seat on one of the wooden benches in the small hall. You can almost feel the history radiating from the walls, and I couldn’t help but think of my parents sitting in the same small room over 40 years ago when our family visited my dad’s aunt Lura for Christmas in New Orleans. Last night’s group, the Preservation Hall Stars, entertained the faithful with a variety of traditional Dixie Land Jazz numbers. You can’t help but stomp your feet and clap your hands. We stayed through the first set, then grabbed a piece of pizza next door before catching a cab back home. It was a great day for both young and old jazz lovers in the Big Easy!

On Wednesday morning the kids worked on their homework in the morning while Teressa and I did the laundry for the week. The RV facility here has nice new washers and dryers, and a unique “debit card” style of payment that is more convenient than searching for quarters. We finished up by 11, and after a quick lunch in the trailer, set off again for the French Quarter via foot.

Our first stop was St. Louis cemetery #1, the oldest in the city and reputed burial place of Marie Laveau, the notorious “Vodoo Queen”. Due to flooding, all the tombs are placed above ground, giving it a haunting feel. From the cemetery we walked down to St. Charles street to catch the Streetcar to the Garden District. Most of the grand old mansions along St. Charles Avenue are in good shape, as apparently this part of the city didn’t get hit as hard by Katrina. Teressa struck up a conversation with a black gentleman on the trolley car who believes “THEY” dynamited some of the levies around the 9th Ward, thus minimizing flooding in the richer parts of the city. So begins the conspiracy theory.

After our trolley ride we walked back to Café Du Monde in the Quarter for another round of beignets and hot drinks. It is a good thing we are heading north this morning, as we can’t find a single diet book that mentions beignets as a part of the plan! We walked next door to the National Park Service Jazz site so the kids could stamp their passport books (they forgot them the day before). Teressa confirmed the levee conspiracy theory with the park ranger, but still couldn’t find out exactly who “THEY” were. She did find out that the Park Service lets people bring their instruments in on Saturday to play Jazz together, but unfortunately we will be gone. Teressa told the ranger “our son isn’t saying anything, but he is a very good tenor sax player.” The ranger looked at Brian and with a big grin replied, “You don’t need to do that, you got your mama to do that for you!” We all laughed.

We did some Christmas shopping in the French Quarter as we worked our way back towards Bourbon Street. As fate would have it, Pat Obrien’s, the famous New Orleans drinking establishment was having its 75th anniversary last night. Teressa and I got half priced Hurricane’s in plastic go cups (just for old times sake), and continued our shopping down Bourbon Street. It was just after dark as we made our way back to the RV Park. Teressa heated a casserole for dinner and we watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail with the kids before turning in for the evening (we liked the Spamalot play in New York much better than the movie).

Pass Christian, Mississippi

Good morning from Mississippi. If you remember, this wasn’t our planned destination for yesterday’s travels, but more tire problems landed us here. We left the Emerald Beach RV park in Navarre, Florida just after 9 yesterday morning, joining the steady stream of post Thanksgiving holiday travelers heading west on Interstate 10. We stopped for lunch and to search for Alabama postcards for the kids’ albums just west of Mobile. It took a couple of stops, but we were ultimately successful and continued on our journey towards New Orleans.

Just past Biloxi a car slowed beside us and motioned that we were having tire problems on the trailer. I pulled onto the shoulder of the interstate and got out to take a look. The right rear tire tread had separated from the casing, and a piece had flown off and dented the fender and under side of the trailer. Since the tire wasn’t flat and the traffic was wicked on the Interstate, we limped along the shoulder to an exit ramp a half mile up the road and called AAA. I removed the damaged fender and took the spare out of the back so everything was ready for them when they arrived.

Within an hour the tire was changed and we were ready to hit the road again. We only had an hour of light left, and since the spare is a different brand of tire than the others I didn’t want to push the extra 60 miles into New Orleans. While waiting for AAA on the exit ramp we had noticed a sign to an RV park nearby, so Teressa called and booked a site (and pushed out our reservation in New Orleans). As a result, last night was spent at the “Flea Market and RV Park” near Pass Christian, Mississippi (and yes, we did check out the flea market before it closed at 5)! For $26 a night it is a reasonable campground with full hookups. There are only a handful of travelers here like us, and about a dozen FEMA trailers (old camping trailers) with residents leftover from the Katrina hurricane back in 2005! Apparently FEMA has been trying to evict them, but many have nowhere to go. Our neighbor next door is from upstate Minnesota, and was quite eager to have new people to talk with. His daughter and her family live in Biloxi, so he and his wife come down every winter to visit. He said that since the hurricane, it has been quite an experience. Apparently this RV park was almost completely full with FEMA trailers the first year after Katrina.

This morning we headed back down the freeway to a tire store I called first thing in the morning and had two new trailer tires put on the Cougar. The tire shop was a slice of life (see the picture of their Christmas display out front), but the staff was helpful and the facility clean. I did notice the night before while I was researching tire stores that the only reference on Yahoo for their facility was posted by a user with the same name as the tire store – of course it was a good review! ;-) They had us back on the road headed for New Orleans shortly after 10.
Stay tuned….

Navarre, Florida

Good morning from the Florida panhandle. I’m sitting at the table looking out over a white sand beach at the Santa Rosa Sound. Our campsite here, compared to the muddy Tallahassee KOA the night before, is like night and day. When we called the Emerald Beach RV park with one day’s notice here in Navarre, they asked if we wanted a beach front site for the night. For only $55, we said sure (usually they are double that at most parks, if you can even find one). It is beautiful. The kids spent several hours on the beach behind the trailer digging in the sand after we arrived yesterday around 1 PM. It was also a pleasant surprise when we hit the central time zone while crossing the panhandle and gained an extra hour. I never realized how much the east coast drifts towards the west as you travel south, and we are now west of most of Michigan!

While the kids were digging in the sand enjoying the 70 degree weather, I washed the Tallahassee mud off the truck and trailer. This is one of the few RV parks we have stayed in that allows rig washing, and in fact has a separate well system to support it. It’s the first time we have washed the outside of the trailer since Brian accomplished the task in Helena! Rocky is the only one who doesn’t like this RV park – dogs aren’t allowed on the beach, and the palm trees have no squirrels!

We sampled some of the local cuisine yesterday. Nobody was too excited about the boiled peanuts, which take on the consistency of pinto beans. You eat them right out of the shell, which is rather messy with all the liquid inside. Teressa wanted to throw the rest of them away, but I made a last minute plea bargain. The Florida grapefruit and navel oranges weren’t anything to write home about either – you can find the same quality in your local grocery store!

The gulf got pounded with heavy rains last night, and we definitely have a leak somewhere in the front of the trailer. I bought patch material at Camping World in Tampa, and will give that a try when we get to New Orleans tonight. The weather is supposed to get colder with high winds today and tomorrow, but no rain.

Thanksgiving Day, Madeira Beach, Florida

We spent a quiet Thanksgiving day near our campground in St. Petersburg. The kids slept in before we headed for Madeira Beach, only a couple of miles from the KOA. With temperatures hovering around 70 and a cool breeze coming off the gulf, it was an ideal way to spend the afternoon. The kids dug a giant hole in the sand, fed the seagulls again, and collected shells. As you can see in the picture on the right, Laura also invented a new Yoga texting plan! ;-)

A quick stop back at the trailer to change clothes and walk Rocky, and we were off to Perkins for Thanksgiving dinner. For $11 a person we had Butterball turkey with all the trimmings including dessert (pumpkin or apple pie). We felt a little guilty not doing dishes afterwards, but got over it quickly and decided might never cook Thanksgiving dinner again! ;-)

We finished the evening back at the trailer with a rousing game of Scrabble – Laura’s first ever win in a highly contested battle where everyone finishing within 15 points of the lead! Another episode of North and South, and we were off to bed.

Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

We spent Monday and Tuesday this week at Busch Gardens in Tampa. The combination ticket package (with SeaWorld in Orlando) the kids researched brought our daily cost below $20 per person, significantly cheaper than any of the Disney options. In the spirit of true roller coaster enthusiasts, we made the hour drive from our KOA campground in St. Petersburg to arrive just as the park opened each day. The weather was great except for one downpour early in the morning on the second day.

The park has a good combination of shows and rides, so there was something for each member of the family. Here is a quick summary of everyone’s favorite activities, in their own words:

Teressa – “For all those non-coaster people who fear amusement parks due to the shear fact that you will be the holder of backpacks, hats, coats, souveniers, sunglasses, cell phones, and loose change PLUS will be the designated picture-taker, there is hope. Busch Gardens has some wonderful animal exhibits and professional entertainment. One of the most enjoyable was the Christmas ice skating show which featured a US gold medalist and several pros from Russia and the Ukraine. It was an exhilarating half hour of dazzling costumes, exceptional skating and amazing acrobatics on ice. Oh, to be young again!”

Brian – “I find it rather amusing that one of my favorite coasters at Busch Gardens was everyone else's least favorite! Named "Gwazi" after a 2-headed African lion spirit, this roller coaster was composed of two separate tracks that ran at the same time; the construction was entirely wood. Wooden roller coasters have a reputation for being rickety, rough, and out of control (in contrast to the new steel ones today), so my sister and dad got jerked around quite a bit, but being the coaster enthusiast that I am, I've learned how to sit back and enjoy it without getting too shook-up. The seats were soft leather cushioned, probably some of the comfiest seats I've ever seen on a Roller Coaster! Had a good steep drop and wild twists and turns. Unfortunately my sister scratched herself on a seam in the leather as the coaster was storming through a part of the track, but I'm proud to say I got off happy and unharmed. The smoother and faster steel coasters are fun, but I love the rough and wild nature of a good wooden coaster.”

Laura – “The Roller Coaster rose up towards the sky until we were 200 feet in the air. We slowly turned right and started to go down. Once we were staring at the ground, the coaster stopped. We were looking down 200 feet below us at the tracks that dropped at a 90 degree slant. Then, suddenly, the ride shoots downwards leaving us breathless. At Busch Gardens, my favorite roller coaster in the park was SheiKra. The thrill that it gives you is unbelievable, and you feel as if you are free falling (well, with a little bit of a pull to get you started!) It shoots you down, loops you around and drops you again until you come to a stop. It had to be my 2nd favorite roller coaster ever (Millenium Force at Cedar Point being the first)! Busch Gardens had so many rides, like a wooden roller coaster, a smooth one, and a regular thrilling coaster, however SheiKra was the best in the park.”

I enjoyed SeaWorld in Orlando more than Busch Gardens – the marine animal shows and exhibits were outstanding there, although the African animals at Busch Gardens were impressive as well. Busch Gardens was more crowded, due to Thanksgiving week vacationers, but the lines were still manageable. Like Laura, my favorite ride was SheiKra – nothing like a 200 foot free fall to get your heart pounding! I feel extremely fortunate to have this quality family time, and that our children are developing such adventuresome spirits!

Fort DeSoto Park, St. Petersburg, Florida

The kids worked on homework most of the day yesterday, with Laura finishing up her Earth Science course and Brian completing Literature. Brian also completed his first chapter in pre calculus. The promise of visiting Busch Gardens Amusement Park later this week was a powerful motivator!

The man who owns the trailer parked next to us arrived via cab yesterday just after lunch. I could hear him talking to himself as he realized he didn’t have his keys to the trailer. A couple minutes later he had cornered Brian out by our truck and was enlisting his help to try to get into the trailer. I went outside to see what was going on, and was able to reach through one of the windows and unlock the deadbolt. But the main lock was set also, so the man ended up climbing through the window far enough to get his keys off the bed and open the trailer. He thanked us explained that the trailer was making him ill, so he was picking up his stuff and moving somewhere else! The ironic thing was he spent the next 30 minutes searching for the key to his bike lock so he could take his bike back with him in the taxi. He must have tried a dozen keys at least five times each. Finally the taxi driver determined that the chain wasn’t even around the bike frame, it had just been draped over the seat! The man said “Don’t you ever tell anyone!” Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed!

Around 2:30 we headed for DeSoto County Park, at the tip of the peninsula on the north side of Tampa Bay. Our main objective was to visit North Beach, ranked the #1 Beach in the US back in 2005. After a 35 minute drive along the condos and hotels that line the Gulf of Mexico, we arrived at the park. A campground sits at the north end of the park, which was recommended by a couple we met in Vermont, but was completely booked for the week. The sites back right up to the beach, and would be great fun on a future visit. We drove a little further to North Beach, a beautiful white sand beach that stretches for miles in both directions. The kids dug in the fine white sand while Teressa and I strolled along the beach looking for shells. We also had fun bird watching – brown pelicans, sea gulls, white herons and sand pipers accompanied us. Teressa made the mistake of throwing a piece of popcorn to a seagull, and instantly we had clouds of gulls following our every move. The kids thought it was great fun, as you can see by the pictures.

Fort DeSoto has a rich and varied history. Named for the Spanish explorer that visited the area in the 1530s, the fort was used by the Union Army in the Civil war in the blockade of Tampa Bay. It was also used in the Spanish American War, and still has several vintage cannons from that era. More recently, the pilot that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima used the island for target practice before his mission, which explains some of the large “holes” in the sand flats around the island, which ironically now provide great fishing!

SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida

Yesterday we visited SeaWorld. The kids did a price performance analysis of the Disney parks versus SeaWorld (Orlando) and Busch Gardens (Tampa). They decided it was a better bargain to do the 14 day pass at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, as it cost less than half a similar Disney ticket. As you can see from Laura's write-up below, I think they made the right choice!

The large machine slowly made its way up the tracks. I looked down to see tiny little ants crawling down below us. One of the ants looks a lot like my mom… With Brian and Dad by my side, we start to descend down the tracks, and then… WHOOSH! We’re flying as we loop up into the sky and back down again. We soar past little people watching us as we sail past them. I can feel the water in my eyes leaving streaks against my skin from the amazing speed that we have reached. Then we make our way up a hill and start to slow down when suddenly we shoot downwards like a rocket. Again, we loop and drop and twirl through the crisp autumn air. Finally, our cart comes to a sudden stop, and the ride is over. We had just faced one of the top ten rollercoaster’s in the world: Kraken.

Yesterday at SeaWorld was one of the best days of the year. We started out by going directly to the Kraken without a second thought. As soon as we got there, we made our way through the empty waiting halls, until we came to the ride. There wasn’t a single person waiting in line, so we hopped onto the ride at least 3 times before we decided to go see the dolphin show. At the show, we made sure NOT to be in the splash zone (which was good thinking on our part) and watched as the lights flashed and the dolphins flipped as the music surrounded us with a beautiful melody. Then, we wanted to go try out a water ride near Kraken which looked pretty dry, for the most part. We wound our way through a dark and spooky tunnel until we saw some light from ahead. Then, without any notice, our boat soared downward, making a large tidal wave. Luckily, and amazingly, we didn’t get too wet, until someone decided to squirt us with a water gun. We thought the ride was over, but we were in for a surprise. Our boat went up another hill, and then we started to sail through another tunnel, going on rollercoaster tracks! It dropped us again into some water, but dad and I managed to stay dry. Brian on the other hand got his shoes soaking wet!

After that, we all were very hungry, so we went to a restaurant near the water. We were too late for the next show, so we decided to wait a while and go to the Pet show. The Pet show was very cute because ordinary animals like dogs, cats, and even rats were all in a cute little show. Plus, skunks, ducks, pigs, and much more were there too! Everything was like a domino effect, because as soon as one cat climbed up a ladder and into a window, a dog would come out and run to the other side of the stage, and so on.

When the Pet show was over, we had about 30 minutes to go look at the shark exhibit. They had a ton of sharks, and in one area, they had a moving sidewalk that had you in a hall surrounded by sharks. Some had large, sharp teeth, while some had noses like saws! There was so much to see, and tons of different kinds of sharks swimming around us! As we walked outside, we were looking into a little pool full of smaller sharks, when my dad pretended to grab me and push me in! Lucky for him, I let him off with a warning, but he’ll regret ever messing with Laura!

After the sharks, we went over to the show “Believe”, staring Shamu the whale. We were in the splash zone this time, but lucky for us we didn’t get wet! We had great seats though, so we got to see all of the people up close as they swam with the giant killer whales! It is truly amazing that people can swim with the greatest predators of the sea!

Once “Believe” was over, we quickly headed over to a Pirate show staring two Sea Lions! Before the show started, a mime came out to entertain the people who were there early. He was so disrespectful sometimes, you just had to laugh! The show was very entertaining, and the Sea Lions were simply brilliant! You could tell that the people just loved to do what they did. Once, the girl stuck her hand in a hole, and below her, someone else was supposed to stick their hand out of another hole. When that person did, they had a blue sleeve while the girl had a red sleeve. She looked down and started laughing. Finally she said, “You forgot to roll up your sleeve!” while holding back laughter! It was a great show, and very funny!

At the end, I made the family make a run for the Kraken before it closed. It still wasn’t very busy, so we went on at least three more times! We finally found where they took a picture of you on the ride, so we got some great pictures! Overall, it was a great day, and I’m hoping we can go to SeaWorld again!