Road Trip Day 27, Mount Rushmore

We were up and out of our motel by 7:30 am. South Dakota so far has been long, straight stretches of road along rolling grassy prairies and expansive sky. We saw a few antelope a couple times, just grazing in the fields, but most notable were the hundreds of billboards, often ten or more in a row for the same thing. There was very little traffic, and long stretches of nothing but country for miles on end. At some point, though, we entered "The Badlands," a very interesting section of smooth, rocky, bare land striated with pink and tan sections.
We stopped at a gas station and found some pretty cool sling shots with different animals carved into them. I'm glad I got a souvenir for J.J. here, because our next stop was Wall Drug, "The Biggest Drug Store in the World" and their prices on everything were quite inflated. What a fun place, though - it was more like a mini-mall than just a drug store, with tiny little themed shops throughout. After getting their souvenir smashed pennies, the boys and I skipped through the shopping part to the "Back Yard," sort of a western-style mini theme park with water play area, kiddie rides, a roaring/flashing T-Rex and a huge, saddled Jackalope for picture-taking.
We came upon a young man named Taylor who was in charge of an attraction where you could go mining, sluicing, or digging for polished rocks, gemstones and fossils. The kids were having a hard time agreeing on with activity to do, so Taylor was very gracious to let them do two for the price of one. First they donned hard hats and headlamps and entered a darkened "cave" complete with dripping water sounds. They had so much fun searching for fools gold and rocks that after finding them all, J.J. hid some and they searched again. Then they took their little tin pails over to a big sandbox and dug like little archeologists, sifting the sand to find fossilized plants, shells and teeth. When they were done, they each got a full-color brochure with all the different kinds of stones and fossils pictured so that they could identify what they had found.
We topped off the fun with some ice cream and headed out to Mount Rushmore. As soon as we turned of I-90 to get to the memorial, the Black Hills of South Dakota rose up sharply and we found ourselves surrounded by pine forests. As we drove along, old abandoned gold mines were clearly visible in the sides of the mountain.
We arrived in the afternoon and the kids quickly put together a satisfying meal of chicken, rice and broccoli. They took a short hike and then we sat for about half an hour and tried to sketch the mountain. It really was impressive, although the carvings themselves were smaller (yet higher) than I'd imagined. Sketching them proved to be very challenging, with most of our being a unique "impression" of the noble memorial.
The next stretch of driving took us all the way through South Dakota and into Cody, Wyoming. What we didn't know was that we'd be driving over a very steep mountain pass on a little two-lane road (that was under construction in several places) with twisty, turning switchbacks both up and down. Add to that the late hour, windy conditions and pitch blackness of the night and the fact there were no lights or sign of civilization for miles around, and it all made for some pretty intense travel (including one sick kid who was sound asleep one moment and hurling up his dinner the next). Halfway down the mountain (it was 1 am by then), our little caravan stopped in the middle of the road and we got out, stretched our legs, marveled at the stars and switched drivers. We didn't get to the hotel until 3 am, and by then I was only half-conscious as I stumbled into the bed and slept soundly until 8 o'clock the next morning.

Road Trip Day 26, Chicago to Sioux Falls

The girls banded together and made breakfast for everyone this morning, toasting waffles on the grill along with other leftovers from the different groups. Our journey this day took us from Chicago, through the upper corner of Illinois and along the southern ends of both Wisconsin and Minnesota into Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We saw more of the same beautiful land and weather today traveling through America's heartland.
When we stopped at a Subway in Wisconsin for lunch, I spied a cheese market nearby and ducked out in search of my favorite food! A funny little guy behind the counter with his Swedish/Minnesota accent sliced me samples of salmon-dill cheddar, chicken soup jack and salami-in-cheese yumminess. I settled on a purchase of the sharp white blueberry cheddar and a sampler bag to share with the staff later.
We crossed over the Mississippi River again while Shelle and I formed a plan for the food on the upcoming final leg of the trip. We decided that with all the miles on the road over the next three days, it was best if the staff purchased food for the kids to save time. Those of us in the little silver van (Caeden, Tienna, J.J., Shelle and I) zoomed on ahead of the bus and big passenger van to a Walmart near our hotel in Sioux Falls and filled two shopping carts with snacks and sandwich fixings. Add to that about 8 bags of ice and we were packed FULL. We squished the three little kids into the back of the van and piled bag after bag of bread and chips on their laps. Then we fill the two seats in front of them up to the hilt.
When we got to the Motel 6 a few miles away, the big group had arrived and were cooking mac-n-cheese for everyone. We tossed them the hot dogs and peas we'd just bought and called it a meal.

Road Trip, Day 25 - Toronto to Chicago

Today we said goodbye to Canada and crossed the border back into Michigan on this sunny but chilly day. We stopped at a beautiful park for lunch that rested on Lake Huron's sandy shores and ate at picnic tables while huge steamers slowly chugged by. The water is incredibly clear and blue and all of the great lakes are so big that they look like oceans, complete with waves.
Katherine and her three closest buds (and a couple of the boys) have come down with a pretty crazy virus. They're all dizzy and weak, with coughs and sore throats and head congestion and pink eye! They walk around arm-in-arm, holding each other up and swaying around, the poor dears. We've got them isolated in the white van with one of our nurses (Angela Loverage).
This part of the country is absolutely beautiful - I think I could live happily here with the dense deciduous forests and thousands of lakes. We noticed quite a lot of road kill on the freeways, so the wildlife must be plentiful, too. Between the Canadian border and Yellowstone National Park, we counted over 15 dear and numerous raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, skunks and birds all victims of vehicular collision. I even saw one white-feathered chicken and what we thought might be a fox.
We arrived at our destination in Chicago around midnight and the kids did an impressive job of unpacking the trailer (fire-line style) in almost complete silence (in consideration of neighboring houses nearby the church annex we slept in). They have really come a long way and are working so well as a group. I am surprised there hasn't been more interpersonal stuff going on (getting on each others' nerves or fighting). That's not to say there hasn't been ANY, but when conflict has arisen, things have gotten worked out quickly and with very minimal drama.

Road Trip, day 24 - Niagara Falls

Shelle very graciously dropped Katherine and J.J. and I off at my cousin Lynn and her family's hotel this morning. My two aunts, Sue and Nancy (and their husbands) had already arrived and were finishing their lunches so we broke out our sandwiches while we got acquainted with precious little Lia and Jaden.
Katherine was feeling dizzy and tired this morning (what I thought was a leftover affect from yesterday's roller coasters turned out to be a really nasty virus, and I only hope none of our family we visited caught it from her), so Dick and Nancy drove her with Sue and Don down to the Niagara Falls viewing area (on the Canadian side). Mike, Lynn, and their kids walked down to the falls with J.J. and I and we had a bit of a hard time connecting with the driving group (it was pretty crowded with this being Memorial Day weekend).
It was a warm, sunny day and the mist coming off the falls was refreshing! I was surprised that the water was so beautiful - a clear greenish-blue with little pools of foam from the churching waters along the shore. The American Falls were beautiful and rocky at the bottom, but the Horseshoe Falls were the most impressive - so wide and high with so much water tumbling over that you can't see much of the bottom for all the spray coming up.
After we all joined up, the Donoahues and Pens decided to try the Maid of the Mist boat tour of the falls and headed off to do that while my aunts and uncles stayed back on shore. We donned our blue plastic ponchos and boarded America's oldest tourist attraction that's been running since 1846. After being herded down the gangplank and into the boat like a bunch of cattle, we found a place on the top deck where we could see the falls, hear the roar and feel the full spray from one of the world's 7 wonders. It was amazing to go so close to the falls and hear stories of people who had gone over these falls and lived to tell about it.
We met back up with family on the shore, got some frozen yogurt for the kids, and enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the park that borders the falls view walk. It was nice to have time to talk with my family and get caught up on life. Dick was very kind to J.J., letting him take pictures with his big, fancy camera, and it was a blast to see the cousins playing together and pick wildflowers and climb trees along the way.
We walked a little further to the Macaroni Grill, which we soon learned was their grand opening night. Staff were swarming everywhere and nervous servers took our orders and brought our food. The meals were delicioius, though, and we left with full, happy bellies (once they sorted out our bill, which took quite awhile for some reason). They even sang to us in Italian (two girls with lovely voices) and when J.J. requested they come back and sing (in French), he gave them his pocket change as a tip.
Jaden kept us entertained by making hilarious faces and trying to stuff noodles into his apple juice cup - I think he's destined for the stage because he is just such a character! Poor Lynn lost her voice during the meal, so it was a good thing we had paper table-covers to write on to communicate (and play tic-tac-toe on, too.
After dinner, we said our goodbyes and walked back to the hotel where we would be picked up and rejoin our group, but not before ducking into a souvenir shop on the way. What a beautiful day to share with wonderful family at an amazing place! Back at the hotel, we tucked the sickies into bed and a rep. from each room did a load of laundry (I hear they didn't get to bed until after 1 AM).

Road Trip, day 23 - Toronto

Most of the kids went to Canada's Wonderland, an amusement park today. I was tired and asked to stay behind and J.J. wanted to stay with me (he's often too short to ride on anything but kiddy rides, so it's sort of a bummer for him). There were 4 kids who were quite behind in their homework and had to miss the fun, so they stayed back at the hotel with us. They all had really great attitudes about it, though - very mature and they worked hard for quite awhile.

Around lunch time, I found two of the boys standing in front of the vending machine, 2 king size candy bar wrappers on the floor, and more money being fed into the machine. I think they ended up eating 5 candy bars, Mt. Dews and some chips for lunch, even though I offered them some alternatives. They did get all caught up on their work, though, but I felt really bad they had to miss out on the roller coatsters. Everyone enjoyed a swim in the pool when the big group got back from the park. I feel much better having a day off to do laundry and rest and get caught up on journaling.

Road Trip, Day 22 - Quebec to Toronto

Today was a travel day, spent almost exclusively in the small silver van with J.J. and Shelle and Caeden.  I got J.J. going on some homework and then he got to play PS2 when he finished.  I drove for awhile, but Shelle did most of the driving.  We stopped for lunch at a neat park (closed for the winter, but when we were there it was 87 degrees out and felt just like summer.  We made lunch in the shade in the parking lot area and then walked down to the sandy beach area (with grass umbrellas and boats and slides and lifeguard stands.  A few kids dipped their toes in the water, but it was EXTREMELY WINDY!  They were doing some construction and it wasn't a real safe place to be, but it was fun to stretch our legs and look around for a few minutes.

We continued on, reaching the Eastern end of Lake Ontario around sunset.  It's so big you can't see the other side so it looks like the ocean.  Montreal had heavy traffic as we passed through around noon.  Tonight we're staying at a dorm-turned hotel in Toronto.  The rooms are a little run-down, but there's a lovely atrium where we can meet as a group, and there are laundry and kitchen facilities.

Road Trip, Day 21 - Quebec

For the first time in a long while, we did a bunch of stuff together as one group today. We started with going to the top of the tallest building in Quebec - 31 floors - called L'Observatorie for a 360 degree view of the city. Then we walked to the chocolate museum - a tiny little place, but they did have a lot of info about cocoa and where it comes from and how it's turned into chocolate (and the history of all that happening around the world). They also had an entire working mantle clock made of chocolate as well as sculptures and other works of edible art. We got samples, too, and then we all swarmed the retail section to buy a bit of heaven to take with us. I got J.J. a milk chocolate dipped marshmallow and I enjoyed a chocolate cookie.

While others were making their chocolate purchases, I ran next door to a mini-mart to get some uniquely Canadian chips to share with the kids. They have sweet chili & sour cream flavor, dill pickle flavor, but I got the Ketchup chips for the kids to try. I also got some Honey & Roasted Garlic chips since I'd never had those before. Very fun (and most of the kids instantly fell in love with the ketchup chips).

Next we drove to a nearby mall that had an entire amusement park inside. J.J. and I hung out together and wandered through the shops. I found a great little

antique/gift shop with the cutest items. They had a Dollar Tree type store, also, but items were more than just a Canadian dollar. After the mall, we headed to the Parc-de-la-chute Montmorency: a beautiful waterfall taller than Niagara and wider than Multnomah Falls. I was so worn out that I opted to stay in the bus with a few others while the group hiked up hundreds of stairs to an observation deck and bridge that went across the top of the falls.

The kids picked 2 from each group to do Costco shopping this evening, but couldn't find everything the American Costo's stock. When they got back, the staff went out to dinner and I ordered the cheese fondue to share. What I was served was a little wheel of breaded and deep-fried cheese, but boy was it good. I slathered it on the crusty french bread that was served with it and a little side salad. For dessert we shared a trio of creme brulee (chocolate, espresso & vanilla) and a plate full of little vanilla ice cream-filled pastry puffs topped with hot fudge (called Panetafoles?).

Road Trip, Day 20 - Quebec

There was a slight mix-up at the lovely hotel this morning - a "lost in translation" thing about breakfast - but we ended up paying for and enjoying an elaborate buffet.  We then headed down to Old Quebec and broke up into groups with these 3 assignments:  to spend an hour or so sketching/painting something unique to this city, take $10 U.S. and buy lunch (exchange and order in French), and explore the city and find three things they'd like to do tomorrow.

I was in a group with mostly boys this time, and they headed straight for the Citadel - an amazing fort that proved quite impervious through many attacks (by Americans!).  For almost 2 hours straight, we walked under and over and through and around this huge fort and finally settled on a wall to sketch what could be seen.  J.J. drew a lantern on the Citadel wall and I tackled La Chateau Frontenac - an amazing castle that now serves as a hotel and numerous small shops.  

After the girls rolled down the hill a few times, we headed down into the city to find some lunch.  Most of the places we found were fancy restaurants (one serving game such

 as elk and caribou and other wild game was very interesting) that were far out of our price range.  Then we found a deli that suited us and enjoyed a light lunch, followed by ice cream cones.  We walked down further towards the St. Lawrence river and wandered into a cathedral whose exterior was rather plain looking, but was amazingly ornate inside.  

The light signals are very long here, with a cycle for pedestrians in all directions so that you can walk diagonally across the intersection if you want.  

The stoplights are horizontal (versus lights stacked up and down) and can be confusing with turn signals in with the reg

ular lights.  The city is extremely clean, though, and except for a few "Quebec Libre" graffiti tags, there were no signs of vandal

ism.  All the tulips are blooming here right now and it's simply stunning!  

It was very cold tonight as we all cooked dinner outside in the blustery wind - the past was barely lukewarm by the time it got to my mouth.  It still tasted great, though - peppers & asparagus in red sauce over spaghetti.  Everyone went swimming and/or watched American Idol finals after dinner.  After all the walking today, my feet were tired and I was happy to have a warm bed to sleep in.

Road Trip, Day 19 - Boston to Quebec

We were up early and packed up, off to the Y for showers and on the road by 10 am.  The drive through New Hampshire and Vermont was beautiful, although the mountains here barely reach 2,000 feet high.  We passed an impressive granite cliff (Mount Cannon?) and many quaint little towns.  For lunch, we pulled into Littleton (great little park with a hill the kids all rolled down) and the kids cooked waffles with bacon and grilled cheese sandwiches.

At the Canadian border, the two vans breezed through

, but everyone on the bus had to get out and show each passport and permission slip.  The officer we spoke with asked, "What are you doing so far from home?" 

Then when we explained our road trip she said with her french acce

nt, "What kind of school ees thees that can travel for such a long time?"  As we travelled North, our GPS led us onto Route 116 which looked liked a main highway, but was simply a 2-lane rural route through dairy farmland.  I was s

urprised to see that about every other house had a swimming pool!

John (our French teacher) was driving the van and we made the kids unplug their ipods and listen to French radio while the sun set on the beautiful coun

tryside.  By 7:30pm, we pulled over and regrouped and found our way back to the main freeway.  Not too much later, we found a rest stop and Kevin treated everyone to dinner at Tim Horton's (a very popular Canadian fast food chain that serves donuts and sandwiches - Quizno's meets Dunkin' Donuts).  We all had to order our food in French (which was not too difficult since the menu was in French AND English.

Road Trip, Day 18 - Boston

Today the kids had their choice of going back into Boston or hanging out at the Greater Boston Academy where we were staying.  Staff got to choose what to do and kids could join or stay behind.  Except for a few kids, most of them chose to stay at the school, get caught up on homework and rest.  J.J. and I, however, ventured out to the Museum of Science.  We got a ride to the subway station and J.J. navigated us to the museum where we saw cool animal displays (including a ginormous African bullfrog), dino fossils and an explanation of how wind energy works.  We also saw an indoor lightning storm by the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator in the Theater of Electricity and discovered that the strident bird call I'd heard that morning was made by the Common Grackle (they had a great display of all the birds found in New England habitats).

Then we met up with Shelle at the Bunker Hill memorial just before it closed for the day.  She and J.J. ran up the 294 steps to the top while I watched a reenactment of the battle at the museum across the street.  We had a bit of time before picking up Jr. (one of the kids that wasn't able to come earlier on the trip) from the airport, so we drove around Boston Common (park) and the nearby Public Garden (with swan boats and botanical garden).  

Road Trip Day 17 Boston

We all slept in today - I slept in my clothes last night since we got in so late, but it made it quite easy to just pop out of my sleeping bag/air mattress bed and be ready to go to the Y for showers. It was a beautiful morning and I sat out on a bench under a tree (that rained little green silkworms on me) and listened to the amazing variety of birds. I had a wonderful time talking to Jesus and praying for each of the kids and reading the Word. When the kids all awoke, the older groups fixed some pretty amazing strawberry crepes for breakfast.
We arrived at Boston Common and Kevin split us into groups by grade level - Christy and I got the 8th Graders. Our mission was to walk the Freedom Trail: a series of historic landmarks and buildings along a two and a half mile trail marked by red bricks in the sidewalk. This group of kids really did not want to be doing this and were pretty bored with everything. I bought a guidebook for J.J. and I so we'd know a little about each place we went, and the kids had a more in-depth version. I tried to point out stuff along the way and some of them listened, but they were also just clumping in a group sort of oblivious of the world around them. They lost the trail a couple times, but found their way back on it.
Even with the frustration of my group, it was thrilling to see some of the oldest architecture and graveyards in U. S. History. We saw the Old South Meeting House where Sam Adams and his men gathered on the night of the Boston Tea Party. We went by the site of the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere's house (and learned that he had 16 children). We went in the marketplace at Feneuil Hall but couldn't go upstairs because of an ROTC graduation ceremony. We saw Old North Church where the lanterns were hung to signal the British troops attacking, and walked to the site of the the Battle of Bunker Hill where a monument much like the Washington Monument stands. Many places were closed because it was late in the day, but it was still neat to walk the narrow streets and imagine the history that had taken place here.

Along the way, J.J. and I had several interesting conversations with people. Everyone here seems to be very friendly, and J.J. loves talking with different people. We met a kindly older security guard in Feneuil Hall who showed us where we could mail our postcards. A toothless old woman in her housecoat popped her head out her apartment door as we were passing by and said something about my "precious little deary." J.J. heard a group speaking French and went right over and told them he could speak French, too. They were excited and started rattling off sentences, to which J.J. just kept answering, "Oui!" They were quite confused because J.J. had said he was from France, as they were, but they couldn't figure out where Portland was in their mother country. When I mentioned Oregon, they looked confused, but they did know where California was, and that was close enough. We also had a lovely conversation with a mom and her son Antonio on the T(subway). Most all of the locals have a heavy Boston accent, and it was sometimes easy to slip into it ourselves.

J.J. and I also passed by Engine 50 Fire Station and stopped in for some water (they had a sign advertising their drink machine). J.J. asked if he could look around and they said, "OK." They were fixing dinner, so we didn't stay long, but it was fun to see the trucks up close and their boots and heavy clothing all sitting out ready for action.

Road Trip Day 16 - Boston, Mass.

We all got up at 6:30 this morning since we had to be out of the gym by 7:15 when the school kids got there. We ate a quick breakfast and then headed off to the YMCA for showers. After that, we all stormed the local laundromat to clean our clothes. With wi-fi there, the kids caught up on homework and we found a place next door baking fresh pizza to provide our lunch. Then we all went to Costco to stock up on groceries for the next few days. Food groups were determined by age this time (to allow the younger kids a chance to lead and make decisions on their own). They did fairly well and we all enjoyed ice cream or smoothies afterwards in the food court. That pretty much took up the day, and instead of trying to fit in a trip to Walden Pond or Lexington & Concord (where the "shot heard 'round the world" - the beginning of the American Revolutionary War took place), we simply went to a nearby park and let the kids play for awhile.

After getting back into the school, the kids fixed dinner while the staff when downtown. We ended up at Long Wharf, where the bars were overflowing with some of the 300,000 college students that come to Boston each year for school. Once we got a table, we all ordered fish and had a great time enjoying the adult conversation (although we had to yell to hear each other over the roar of the college crowd). Shelle and I shared the Boston Baked Scrod (a mild white fish breaded and baked in butter with almonds). Justin and Christy had fish and chips. We walked around briefly and looked out at the harbor lights before heading to the airport to pick up John. When we got back to the school, it was midnight and everyone was asleep.

Road Trip Day 15 - Sturbridge, Mass.

We left New York City today and headed out through the chilly, rainy morning in rush hour traffic. We passed through Connecticut, stopping at Subway for lunch (actually, the kids in the bus and van had Sub sandwiches, but Shelle and I and the little ones had leftover NY pizza). We got to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts around 2:30 in the afternoon. It was only a bit drizzly, and we quickly formed groups and headed out to explore the different buildings. The kids were pretty much bored and unengaged at first, but after a few live demonstrations by volunteers in period costumes, they figured out this place was pretty cool.
We saw a carding mill and sawmill that were water powered - pretty amazing that all the wood and leather parts still worked. Then we watched a tinsmith make a cheese grater and a cobbler make a shoe. We also wandered through homes, churches and other buildings and ended with a demonstration at the Potter's house who made a drinking mug and candle holder of clay. Kevin very generously let the staff pick out a souvenir from the incredible gift shop (I could've spent hours in there)!
It wasn't too much farther to the school in Stoneham (outside of Boston), but it was dark and raining pretty hard when we arrived. This poor little school had a leaky roof and a pretty run-down building, but our kids were amazingly generous in spirit and thankful for what they had. We all made our beds and one group of kids rigged up tarps outside and set up stoves while others prepared food. It was nice to be all together in one room versus split up in hotel rooms. There were no assigned meal-prep groups and no menu, but we all pulled together to make dinner happen. While that was going on, the rest started playing basketball, and when we were all full of spaghetti, salad and Skylar's fried cheesy bread the basketball group did the clean-up.
We circled up afterwards and special recognition was given to A.C. and Ethan Morrow by the staff for their attitudes and behavior thus far on the trip. It really was very hard to choose just 2 kids to single out because so many of these students have had stellar moments of growth. We discussed about 7 or 8 names before agreeing on these two, and I wish we could have given them all prizes. It's really been a privilege getting to know these kids and going on this journey with them.

Road Trip Day 14 - NYC

Because we had tickets to Mary Poppins, we unintentionally made our group exclusive for today (I so wish I had got a ticket for J.J. - I just forgot since he was not with us that day). Natalia and Katherine and I set out for the play and had a little extra time, so we popped up into Grand Central Station. It took awhile to get out of the basement, so to speak, and felt claustrophobic with the low ceilings and rivers of fast-moving people. But once we were up 3 levels, we entered an amazing terminal with vaulted ceilings that were turquoise and painted with gold constellations. The floor and walls were completely covered in cream-colored, polished marble and elaborate chandeliers hung around the central terminal. We poked around in little shops with $200 purses and silk scarves and hats. We went through another hallway and found a market with fresh produce, deli-type salads and the most amazing display of CHEESE I've ever seen. There were three deli cases stacked high with goat, sheep and bovine cheeses with every sort of spices and casings imaginable. There were also roasted veggies, pot pies, fish, squares of mac-n-cheese and spinach quiche.

We went back down to the stuffy, urine-smelling underbelly of the subway station and found our train to Times Square. We saw some interesting musicians in the different stations - a sax player, harpist, and a Chinese stringed instrumentalist. There was also an elderly black man playing a saw (with a violin bow). Others saw the infamous cowboy: guitar-playing singer wearing only underwear (or was he the robot-dancer, now I can't remember).

Mary Poppins has been playing in the New Amsterdam Theater (original home of the Zeigfield Follies) for two and a half years. Down in the "Gentleman's Smoking Lounge" was a collection of paintings of early American Explorers as well as theater artifacts and photos of actors who performed there. There were ornate carvings all over and even the box seats were impressive little alcoves, but it seemed very old and rather dingy despite the recent renovations. We were just 8 rows back from the stage, on the right side of the orchestra level. The orchestra pit went back WAY under the stage, but that allowed the audience to be right up next to the performers.

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the first act. The orchestra overpowered the voices at times, and some of the dialogue was lost because they seemed to be rushing. Also, some of the performances didn't seem fully committed - like they were just going through the motions, and there was a fair amount of noise from the audience (school groups and toddlers at this matinee). At intermission, the interesting (mentally challenged, I think) gypsy family sitting next to us started yelling, "Is that it? Is it over?" Katherine and Natalia were very gentle and gracious as they explained it was just a break in the show. But Act II was amazing as Burt tap-danced up the walls and across the prosceniumm. The dancing in general was pretty impressive and the sets and costumes were amazing. The kid actors were OK, but I like to think some of our CYT kids could do just as well. There were quite a few new songs in the play, which were pretty interesting. I'd love to see CYT perform this someday.

After the show, we went back to Grand Central Station to get dinner. The girls shared a slab of lasagna and fresh sliced mango while I got a broccoli-cheese focaccia loaf and fresh fruit salad. Yummy!

Road Trip Day 13 - NYC

Today I got to hang with just my daughter and her friend Natalia. We felt very independent buying our Metro day passes and finding our way to Lower Manhatten and walking through the financial district to the 1/2 price show ticket office. We got our tickets to Mary Poppins for tomorrow's matinee, then walked back to Battery Park to see Lady Liberty in person. On the way, the girls bought a caricature sketch of the two of them. It was a beautiful, sunny and breezy day.

We hopped back on the subway and went to the Ground Zero site of the 9-11 World Trade Center bombing. It was a huge area, fenced off with lots of construction activity going on. I was surprised to see that the surrounding buildings all had scaffolding and repairs going on STILL! One building nearby was still visibly blackened; stained by the smoke and flames from 9-11. Katherine said, "Should I feel something, mom? I don't feel anything." It was sort of weird to be in such a heavy place but with so much hustle and bustle still going on. I would have liked to find the memorial site, but the girls were hungry, so we looked for a place to eat, but couldn't find anywhere that took credit. So got back on the train and went to Times Square where we found a little Europa Cafe. Had a wonderful cup of pea soup with a roll and a big slice of strawberry cheesecake (Katherine and Natalia shared some broccoli cheese soup).

We then spent 1/2 hour in Footlocker looking at shoes as well as a few other shops in Times Square. Then we took the Metro to Central Park and considered taking a bike-driven carriage tour of the 250 acre park. The girls weren't too interested, though, so we just walked a bit and then settled down on some rocks to people-watch. Not too far off, there was a drummer and trumpet player and in another area there were some dancers practicing a routine. Lots of people were walking their dogs and kids were playing on the playground. It was amazing to look up in the tree canopy and see sky-scrapers looming in the distance, in fact we walked right in front of the Trump tower coming out of the Metro station.

J.J. went with the other little kids (Caeden, Tienna, and Ali) and a few high schoolers (and Paul) to M&M's World, Build-a-Bear Workshop, American Girl store and Hershey's. J.J. got a Panda bear that he'd wanted for his birthday last year but was unavailable. He also got to eat a NY hot dog for lunch and play capture the flag in Central Park.

Road Trip Day 11 - NYC

We checked out of the Marriott and headed over to the Navy Yard for a tour of the D.S.S. Barry battle cruiser where the kids had been sleeping for the past couple nights. The young Navy airman with a slight Irish accent who conducted our tour shared that he used to be assigned to Arlington Cemetery. Not too long ago, though, he had to hand a flag off a coffin to the soldier's 7 year old daughter and interacting with her really affected him. He asked for leave and was reassigned to doing the tours of the Barry. It really hit home the price so many men and women pay to secure the freedoms and privileges of this country we live in.

After the tour and a trip to Starbucks, we headed to Costco for groceries and pizza for lunch. Then we were off to New York City! We arrived on the outskirts of town at sunset and were wowed by the lights and dazzle (and traffic and fast pace) of this metropolis. Little did we know that our GPS would steer our bus with trailer and two vans smack dab through the middle of Manhatten. Weaving through traffic, with taxis turning left in front of us (from the right lane), we all made it through by relaying directions via cell phones. As soon as we hit the city, the kids started scrambling to get their homework done, because they knew they'd be grounded to the hotel until it was all finished.

By 10:45 PM we were checking into the hotel, but the kids hadn't eaten. J.J. desperately needed sleep and nourishment, so I did my best to get him food and tuck him into bed (after a dose of cough syrup). We handed out Cup-O-Noodles to the rest of the kids and they really did a much better job of settling into their rooms than at the last hotel. It was pretty squished with one person on the floor and our huge luggage bags everywhere - there was no space to walk. But we didn't care much - we were in NYC and the girls were already looking up Broadway show times and prices and availability! WooHoooooooooooooo!

Road Trip Day 12 - NYC

Road Trip, Day 12 

We had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel - they provided a great variety of fruit, yogurt, cereal, breads, oatmeal and Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches along with juice, tea and coffee. J.J. was so sleepy this morning, I just tucked him back into bed. Some of the kids hadn't gotten their homework finished and had to stay at the hotel and catch up, so I'm glad he was able to stay and rest and recover from his cold. I hooked up with an awesome group whose goal was to get 1/2 price Broadway tickets (Skylar, Ethan M., Claire and Elise) and we got ready to go. Then Kevin told us that earlier this morning he had talked with the gal at SilverCup Studios (across the street) and got the OK for a tour since Skylar was interested in videography and had inquired about the studio.

So we headed over to the studio and office manager Gina (with her Jersey accent) led us around the sound stages where Ugly Betty and Fringe are filmed. It was really fun to see the sets and props and backdrops. They had just finished filming for the year, so some things were being packed up, and the Fringe sets were all being loaded into train cars to be shipped to Canada where production was being moved to. Gina gave us the inside scoop on what it's like to be famous and working with stars ("They're just ordinary people like you and me," she said "but they work really long hours and they go through lots of rejection").

We took the Metro (subway) to Times Square to the TKTS discount ticket place and got there a little early. So we ducked into the Toys-R-Us store nearby which had a Ferris Wheel inside and girls with cameras at the entrance to take everyone's pictures. We hung out with the hackey-sack demo guy for awhile and then went upstairs to see the giant Barbie castle and Animatronic T-Rex (Jurassic Park display). They also had the Empire State building, Statue of Liberty and Chrysler building built out of Legos - pretty cool!

We sat and ate our sack lunches while waiting for the ticket office to open. Once it did, we didn't have to wait long to get tickets, but found that many theaters aren't open on Mondays. Phantom of the Opera was playing, though, so the kids got tics for that. I chose not to, but Shelle and another group were going to the same show, so it turned out fine and after going back to the hotel to dress up, they met up with Shelle for dinner and the show. I wasn't feeling super hot, so I was glad to go back to the hotel and rest that evening. Katherine went to see Phantom, though, and LOVED it!

I shared some take-out Chinese food with Katarina, J.J. and Kevin for dinner. I was so tired that I fell asleep while J.J. watched Mythbusters in my room. I woke up and put J.J. to bed, then headed back to my hotel room (for some reason, we were all on different floors - 9 rooms spread out over the 10 floors of the hotel). Journey to the Center of the Earth was on, so I watched a bit of that before falling back asleep.

Road Trip Day 10 - D.C.

What a lovely night of sleep! We met our group at the Capitol Building for a tour. Very tight security - no food or drink allowed (even empty water bottles had to be tossed), all bags went through x-ray and we walked through metal-detectors. We all got a badge with barcode (had to do security checks beforehand through our State Representative to get these) and were ushered into a large theater to watch a movie about the freedom and diversity of America and brief explanation about how our government works. Next we were herded into groups, assigned a guide and handed headphones that gave a direct feed from our guide. We entered the rotunda (inside the tall white dome) and I was awed by the artwork and size of the structure.

Halfway through our guide's explanation, J.J. had a Level 10 bathroom emergency. One of the kids in our group had passed out the night before (because of Vertigo, but at the time we thought it was dehydration) and everyone was encouraged to drink a whole water bottle before coming this morning. Despite having JUST peed before the tour, J.J. was hopping around and painfully in need of a toilet. I raised my hand but the guide waved me off. I sent J.J. to the front so the guide could see that I wasn't just asking a question, and she seemed quite flustered to be interrupted, but ushered us to a security guard who had to radio to the elevator operator who escorted us downstairs and radioed to the next security person who escorted us to the bathrooms - sheesh!

At first we were told we'd have to miss the rest of the tour, but the security guys/gals were very kind to return us to our group who were then in the statuary hall. This room adjacent to the rotunda was an echoey marble room where Congress met in the early days of our country. Now it was used to house statues (2 from each state made either of bronze or white marble) of notable historical figures (missionaries, teachers, Native Americans, etc.). On the floor were a few brass plates that marked the locations of the desks of Senators who also served as President.

All of the artwork and carvings and statues were ripe with symbolism, including "Freedom," the figure that stands atop the Capitol Building. Next we were led to the crypt, where no one is actually burried, but was the intended resting place of George Washington. He died before the construction was complete, and is burried according to his wishes at his residence at Mt. Vernon. It was an arched ceiling room with many pillars to hold the weight of the high domed rotunda above.

From here we took an underground tunnel to the Library of Congress - the world's largest library - wow! I think this is the most beautiful, ornately decorated and constructed building I've ever scene. Marble everything (stairs, floors, walls, banisters, carved columns, etc.), mosaic floors, ceilings, paintings, statues, stained glass, chandeliers - simply amazing! We viewed just one wing of one level of one building (there are 26 libraries in 3 buildings, plus an archival media building in Arlington). We saw documents pertaining to the formation of our country (rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence, pictures of civil rights protests & MLK, Jr.'s typewritten "I Have a Dream" speech, a letter of encouragement from an African American soldier encouraging his brothers to join the civil war). No photography was allowed, but they have cool computer interface screens around where you can choose pictures to send to your email. We then saw the Jefferson library which comprised the first books to make up the Library of Congress, and to a large degree defined the broad spectrum the LOC contains.

Next we saw a display about Lincoln that will be on tour around the country for the next 50 years. Lincoln's documents, furniture he owned, his election posters, and the contents of his pockets from the night he was assassinated. I would have liked to see the Gershwins' piano and Bob Hope exhibit and the Bible collection, but we only had about an hour. I could have spent a week just in the LOC.

After this, we walked to Union Station, only to find it was National Train Day! Randy Jackson from American Idol was just about to take the stage and announce the next musician. The girls saw the actress who played Padme in Star Wars (can't remember her name) coming out of the station as we went in. We headed downstairs to the food court for lunch - J.J. and I shared a meatball sub and gellato shake (mango). Lauren's vertigo returned and got worse, so Shelle (our nurse) hailed a cab and (for the third time this trip) headed to the ER. While we were waiting for her, one of the MANY detectives/security guys came over to help. He REALLY wanted to call for a medic, but we assured him our nurse was on her way. J.J. asked if he could pet his explosive-detecting dog, but he answered no because he was working. But he did give J.J. a baseball-type card with his (and the dog's) picture on it.

The kids all walked back to the Mall after this to paint whatever they chose - Katherine painted a beautiful park bench watercolor scene. Then the group played ultimate frisbee for awhile. J.J. was tired, so we went back to the hotel and ordered Chinese for dinner. Went for a quick swim and then tucked J.J. into bed in our hotel room (he was very bummed he didn't get to sleep on the ship a second night, but he got to bed early and got the extra sleep he desperately needed). My feet were sooooooooooooo tired from all the walking in D.C. - I could barely move and it kept me awake a bit during the night.

Road Trip Day 9 - D.C.

The boys fixed breakfast this morning - yummy potato scramble and waffles. J.J. and I were free (no group to chaperoned), so we had a relaxing morning and then a day in D.C. to ourselves - yippee! After a brief explanation of how the Metro worked, J.J. became a pro and I let him lead us where we wanted to go. Our first stop was the Washington Monument and boy was it HUGE! Amazing and interesting history, too - the bottom section has slightly different colored brick because construction was halted during some point (can't remember which war - the civil?) and when the project resumed the stone came from a different quarry. It was quite warm today, sunny and muggy and we were glad to rest in the shade of the monument here. We decided not to walk to the other end of the mall to see the Lincoln Memorial, but we did see it from a distance.

We couldn't see the White house from here because of trees and buildings, but it wasn't too far away. Next we went to the Smithsonian visitor's center at the "Castle" in which there is a sampling of the exhibits found in the 12 museums (including the National Zoo). I asked J.J. what most interested him and it was very easy for him to choose the Air and Space Museum, so off we went. Our bags were searched everywhere we went, and police were EVERYWHERE. Two cars on every block and officers everywhere in the subway, on the streets, in the museums (and these were just the ones we noticed - John told us there are just as many plain-clothed officers around, too).

There were a lot of school groups at the A&S museum, but we plowed through and learned a ton about the history of passenger and military flight. I was impressed that J.J. was eager to learn and read all the signs instead of just skipping through (like many others were doing). One highlight was an amazing model of an aircraft carrier that took someone 1,000 hours a year for 12 years to build. We only explored the "Air" side of the museum when J.J. said, "Let's go to the Zoo." I regret skipping the space flight side now, but at the time I was totally up for it. It was free, and we knew how to get there on the subway. But after walking a ways and stopping for a little snack, I pulled out a brochure and started reading what was at the Museum of American History. So we switched plans.

The Mall is an amazing place - lots of joggers and people playing Frisbee in the grassy areas. There was a special "Public Service Appreciation" event going on, and all sorts of military vehicles and displays were being set up (ATF vans, Reserves helicopter and tanks, Border patrol boats, etc.). It is a huge area with wooded walkways on either side.

Once we got to the American History museum, we went straight to the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. It told the story about the war of 1812 when newly founded America tried to exert her new independence and paid dearly by England's response. On display were bombshell shards and charred wood from the original capitol building that the English bombed burned down. It was during one of these battles that Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner as he watched the city under attack and the flag struggle to remain standing. In a special environmentally-controlled room was the restored flag -the actual stars and strips that Key saw as he wrote what is now our national anthem. It was tattered and worn and cut up (for souvenirs), but still it was recognizable as the symbol of our free, unified country.

After this, we went on to "The Price of Freedom" exhibit about wars and conflicts. Here we saw General George Washington's epaulets, viewed what a civil war soldier's diet was like, and learned details about both world wars. There was the last Huey helicopter that left Vietnam (yes, the entire chopper) as well as twisted collumns of steel from the World Trade Center that was bombed on 9-11. Heavy stuff. To punctuate all this, as we came out of the exhibit, there was an actor in WWI military dress reading letters home from soldiers from all the different wars. There were many other live/interactive demonstrations around the museum as well. We learned so much and it made all the history we'd been learning come to life and seem more real.

Tonight we left the houses to sleep on the D.S.S. Barry battle cruiser harbored at the Navy Yard. J.J. LOVED it, but I actually slept in a hotel across the street that Betty Ann (another parent) got for us. I had the most amazing night's sleep yet!