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Sheila Burke's Column
While visiting FreelyLivingLife she gave me an idea. To blog about my adventures in traveling. I don’t travel much. With 3 kids and a bad economy, we haven’t been anywhere much since 06. But, in 06 we took a road trip. From Ohio to San Francisco and back. None of us had been West of Ohio (except for a layover in Chicago on our way to Disney in 01) so this would be quite the adventure.
Let’s just say…there’s something about a mom that distorts our sense of reality. Like…for instance…planning a road trip that includes 3 teenagers and expecting total bliss, sunshine and happiness. Plus…having a husband who thinks no one on the road is qualified to drive. Like June Cleaver on happy pills… I planned this trip. There would be laughter and hugging and oozing with bonding moments.
I had two rules: For the kids: No bickering and complaining. For Shane: Calm down and don’t drive like an ass. Let’s just say that both these rules were torn to shreds an hour into the 15 day vacation.
I had planned this trip to a T. Complete with two maps just in case one was wrong. I meticulously calculated travel time, time changes and what time we’d end up where. Epic Fail. The traffic and construction we hit in Chicago threw us all off, and my foot needed to be pried from the dashboard by the time we stopped for gas outside the city. Shane is THEE most impatient butt munch behind the wheel. He hates traffic of more than 2 cars besides him and no one but him should have a driver’s license. Don’t drive slow in front of him and omg, trucks…I surely thought we wouldn’t make it through this alive. But I gave him another chance in the morning when we woke up at the Best Western in Wisconsin.
The sunrise began the new day and we were off! We’d soon be approaching the Mississippi River. Our first milestone. We exited the highway and stopped at a couple locations to get some photos at the river and stretch our legs. We found a place that had access to the river bank. It was so exciting and cool! So…we seriously took like 100 photos here and I even called my mom to report ‘we’re at the Mississippi!’. We collected sand and shells and little rocks and put them into anything we could find to hold them. It was awesome!
Turns out….we were NOT at the Mississippi. We were at the Black River.
SO…back on the highway to find the damned Mississippi. It wasn’t much further and we pulled off to explore.
Kaylee missed her boyfriend and MC was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers. Both of which reflected in drawings in the sand.
Okay. So. So far so good. On schedule!
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We were now headed for The Corn Palace in South Dakota….our half way stop til we’d arrive at Mount Rushmore! Stay tuned.
