Fri 6/24: Packing
The three girls helped pack the MH. We started with their own clothes duffel bags that they each helped pack this week. Then they carried in groceries and other essentials. They didn't like me "dragging them around" (their words) to shop and pack. But I'm glad they know how much I put into our trips and hope they appreciate it!
Having the MH (versus truck and trailer) was nice for travel days, mostly because we didn't have to negotiate bathroom breaks. Chris let me share some of the driving on this 10 hour driving day. The girls rode some of the trip in the back bedroom next to Cali, to keep him company in his cage which sat on the bed. Addisyn said she felt better back there (since she gets headaches and tummy aches while driving), and I think the motion sickness medicine helped her on this long day too.
After a deserved relaxing morning checking out our surroundings (playground and train depot), we headed over to Bearizona, a drive-thru zoo. We had bears crossing the road in front of us. We drove through twice and the second time we followed a tour bus feeding the animals so they all came out close up to get food. The walk-through part featured a bird show and we had owls and falcons flying over our heads. This was a fun place for all ages.
DAY 3 -- Mon 6/27: Williams--Train Day
We planned this part of the trip for Jacob's love of trains. Before our ride, we stood at the train depot, dwarfed by the huge trains and waved them on. Then we enjoyed the cowboy show (and assured the kids that it was all pretend). When we boarded the train it was all exciting. Jacob loved taking it all in, and looking out the big windows. Thank goodness Susan upgraded our tickets to an enclosed train car (with air conditioning). It was a long ride and it was warm out. And Jacob got a fever. And Addisyn got altitude/motion sickness on the train. And half-way through the day Megan got a fever too. It was HOT at Grand Canyon today so we didn't walk around too much. We saw the Grand Canyon Village and the popular part of south rim.
Addisyn's Journal: "Today is Day 3. This morning I woke up from the train wissle. At about 8:30 we wached a wiled west show. After the show we got on the train. The train took us to the grand canyon. The train ride back was a little crasy because I threw up."
Piper's Journal: "This is the Grand canyon. I beleev that it is more than 900 and 99 feet deep and wide. I was like this: WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told two joke's on the microphone on the trayn. It was my first time ever tuching a microphone."
Marissa's Journal: "I told the cowboys "my pockets are empty" and they let me pet their horses. We rode the train to the Grand Canyon--it is really big. The other side is far away."
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| What's the most beautiful thing you see? (Daddy points to his girls!) |
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| The return trip wore them out! (Marissa slept on me, Addisyn passed out on bench next to me) |
We packed up and drove through sleet and a thunderstorm, but winds were head-on so it wasn't a hard drive. The weather was good upon arrival so we relaxed. Our campground inside the park had hook-ups so it was like home-away-from-home for us.
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| When the watermelon rolls off the counter while driving (because I forgot to put it somewhere safe), you eat it sooner than planned! |
DAY 5 -- Wed 6/29: Grand Canyon. Chris & Karen Helicopter Tour. Visitor Center, Drive the East end of South Rim.
-Chris and Karen left the kids at camp with Grammy & Grampy and took a 50 min helicopter tour. We got some amazing views of the canyon from above and inside it.
-In the afternoon we were about to start our bike ride on the rim, but we didn't even get out of our campsite when a thunderstorm rolled in; bike ride rescheduled. Instead, we drove to the visitor center and enjoyed two educational films and several hands-on features for the kids.
-Fun facts we learned about the Grand Canyon:
-Average width 10 miles, 18 miles at widest point
-277 river miles long
-1 mile deep
-River carves it deeper--about the depth of a sheet of paper each year.
-It was formed in 2 stages: 1st- building layers of sediment over billions of years and was underwater for part of it's history as the continents moved; 2nd- the carving out of the canyon via river--washing out boulders the size of trucks.
DAY 6 -- Thu 6/30: Grand Canyon. "Mini Hike"
-We told the girls last night that we were going for a hike first thing in the morning. They laced up their shoes and we rode two shuttles for an hour to get to our destination: Hermit's Rest. The "red line" shuttle was longer than expected because that part of the handy map was not on the same scale. It was nice getting so far out and almost having the place to ourselves. We estimated we went down about 10-15 stories (trying to compare to Chris' office building). What an amazing view from INSIDE the canyon! We were careful to stop before we got tired and teaching the kids about making sure you have energy to get back UP! As the sign said, "Going down is optional; going up is mandatory". Start to finish, including rest/admiration breaks, we hiked one full hour. Addisyn, Piper, and Jacob did it on their own. I required Marissa to stay in my backpack child carrier for safety reasons. We made sure we held hands with the kids, 1-1 adult-child ratio, and talked about safety and loose rocks, etc. Katherine stayed at the trailhead with feverish Megan and got her to nap in the stroller a bit.
Piper's Journal: "It was amazing. I love it. We were clows [close] to the botum. I was amazed. I went on a trawl [trail]. It was steep and rocky."
That afternoon we drove to the watchtower. Marissa fell asleep on the way, so I held her passed out on my shoulder (all the way UP and DOWN three flights of narrow stairs).
On the way back, cars were stopping to take pictures of elk on the side of the road. It rained off and on for the remainder of the day. Chris enjoyed cooking on the charcoal grill, but our flank steak got wet when it rained on it (it still tasted good)!
Marissa's Journal: "The lightening came really close to us and we got scared so we went to safetyland!" ["safetyland" = Grammy's MH]
Today was Chris' day for not feeling well--he was laid up all day with a fever. Karen, Mike, Grammy & Grampy took the 4 oldest grandkids on a "Rim Ride." We left from the visitors center to Kaibab Point. It was the most beautiful bike ride I've ever been on. Jacob and Marissa got a ride in a bike trailer. Addisyn and Piper rode their bikes. They did a good job of following the leader and staying clear of the rim side when taking in the view. We took a break at the point for drinks and to take in the gorgeous view. By the time we got back to camp we had rode almost 7 miles. Addisyn and Piper were tired! They did have the option to go straight back to camp or detour to the market so grammy could buy them a cold treat and couldn't turn it down, but they sure were pooped out when we got back! Piper laid down and fell asleep immediately. Apparently she got the fever now too.
Piper's Journal: "We went to the edge of the Grand Canyon. I was scared because I had my legs over the canyon so I held onto mommy when we were taking pictures. It was beautiful."
Marissa's Journal: "I rode in my pretty bike trailer because it has purple on it. I took one of my baby Megans [dolls] with me -- she liked the bumpy parts and going fast. ... I used my new red binoculars."
Addisyn's Journal: "This morning we saw elk in the camp! We went on about a 7 mile bike ride. When we got back we chilled out. It didn't rain until 5:00. The bike ride was very tiring. I finished my Junior ranger book!"
DAY 8 -- Sat 7/2: Travel Grand Canyon to Page, AZ.
This was a good route for Karen to practice driving and maneuvering the MH through curvy roads, a couple sharp turns, and elevation changes, over 140 miles. Chris says he enjoyed being passenger (and set a selfie of himself as my phone's wallpaper). Piper slept (but says she was just pretending). When we got settled in our new campground, we took the Jeep over to the Glen Canyon Dam, where we watched a film and picked up Junior Ranger activity books (free!)
Addisyn's Journal: "This morning we drove to the visiter center. We got a Junior ranger
bage. Then we went back. When we got back we drove 3 hours. THEN we got page Arizona.
Then we unpacked and headed to the vizidor center and then went shoping at walmart. I
hope tomorrow will be FUN!"
Dam facts: -as much concrete as a highway to Chicago, -controls water resources, -2nd largest dam in USA, -18 men lost their lives building the dam, -built about 50 years ago.
DAY 9 -- Sun 7/3: Page, AZ. Boat rental at Lake Powell.
We went to Wahweap and rented a 19' speed boat for the day. In the boat we found Navajo Canyon, swam in the lake, and climbed the rocks. Addisyn and Piper looked like mini-teenagers sitting in the bow of the boat. When we stopped for a break to swim and cool off, Addisyn and Piper were surprised that they could push/pull the boat around while swimming in the water. Addisyn jumped off the bow, like her dad. Marissa was nervous jumping into the water from the boat.
We wore sunscreen, but we got so much sun, and were worn out tired. Addisyn and Piper were both remarkably in bed by 7/7:30pm.
We are thinking we would like to do a houseboat trip after Marissa learns how to swim.
Addisyn's Journal in (modified) Diamante poetry form:
DAY 10 -- Mon 7/4: Page, AZ. Antelope Canyon/Slotted Canyon tour. Independence Day.
We had heard going to the slotted canyon was a "must-do" in the area, and it did not disappoint. Antelope Canyon is a slotted canyon, which means it was narrow and looked like it was washed through by water. I don't know if the "upper canyon" was different from the "lower canyon" but there were lots of heat warnings for the upper, so we took the lower, run from Indian Reservation land. We had a short walk down to the entrance in the sun, but once we got in the shade and underground, the temperatures were nice. I am glad Chris scheduled an early hike (we went at 10am) rather than departing at mid-day.
We took over 100 pictures of rocks. The kids took turns using the orange ("shock-proof") camera, plus me with the zoom camera, Susan's camera, and Chris' iphone. When we got to the patches of light coming in, Piper wiggled to let the light shine and dance from her patriotic sequined shirt onto the rock walls, and Marissa "disco-danced". Marissa played in the sand the whole way through and had her twig taken away after being told not to scrape the walls with it. Addisyn was a little weak (from not eating dinner last night and only a small breakfast) and sat down inside whenever she could. I am proud of my children for all being well behaved-- they were good listeners and followed directions, without any whining. Awesome and amazing!
Rock formations: "Lion", "Lady Freedom", "Indian Chief"
When we got back Marissa was hot. The fever has been passed on again! Marissa napped and so by evening we were able to enjoy taking everyone out for the fireworks show in Page. Marissa was looking forward to it because we had been reading a chidren's book about the fourth of July. Chris had scoped out the best viewing locations ahead of time. The city police seemed to be very organized about traffic before and after. It was busy, but not packed, so we had plenty of space to spread out our blanket and chairs on the golf course grass, just 30' from the car. Marissa had decided before it even started that it was too loud so she sat on my lap and had me cover her ears from the booms. We enjoyed the colors and describing the fireworks shapes--like flowers, pom-poms, planets, and rockets. The girls have been enjoying singing The Star Spangled Banner with me and we learned a little history about America's birth.Marissa's Journal (7/5)-- She drew all the color on the fireworks in the picture:
Piper's Journal (7/4)-- very patriotic:
DAY 11 -- Tue 7/5: Page, AZ. Mini hike from RV park, Dam tour, Jr. Rangers. Lake beach.
Mini hike--a walk up the hill from the campground had great views!
The girls all turned in their Junior Ranger books for Glen Canyon Dam and Rainbow Bridge (even though we didn't make it there, we learned about it), and received badges which they proudly pinned on their pink Junior Ranger vests.
Today we finally got to take the Dam tour. We took the first elevator ~110' down to the top of the Dam wall. It was neat to see it up close and get a different perspective on the river. The Dam elevator was broken so we didn't get to go all the way down to the bottom where the Dam hydroelectric generators are, but it was still a good Dam tour, and we followed all the Dam safety rules. The Dam tour guide was a walking encylopedia. The Dam turbines are HUGE. And we had fun telling all the Dam jokes we could muster for the day!
We picked up lunch and them proceeded to find Lone Rock Beach Lake Powell, just across the Utah state line, where we parked the Jeep 10' from the water and enjoyed a few hours of relaxation and playtime in the clean, clear, refreshingly cool water. This would be a fun place to return to to camp on the beach and bring the quads for some off-roading on the hills behind us.
The battle with fevers continues--two kids with elevated temperatures tonight. Marissa didn't like the medicine but was happy to feel better later. We gave Piper Benadryl also since she has red dots on her skin, and then she was too exhausted to eat, falling asleep on the dinette bench while the adults ate dinner outside--Chris and I had to lift and shove (quite literally) her into her upper bunk bed and she slept right through that too!
DAY 12 -- Wed 7/6: Drive to Sam's Town, Las Vegas, NV
For some reason, the kids had obnoxiously goofy behavior today. We woke up and got moving so we could pack up before the heat kicked in too much, then let the kids swim at the campground's indoor pool before departing at 11am check out for our 5 hour drive. It was a windy drive, and I was getting tired of arguing with kids about writing in their journals daily.
The highlights today were stopping in the city of Hurricane, UT--namesake of our MH, and trying to diagnose and fix our generator that wouldn't turn on while driving. It got warm inside the MH, so we gave Cali frozen water bottles to lay with in the back, while I tried to share the a/c vents in front with the kids, and tried to keep the kids entertained so they wouldn't notice that it was warming up inside.
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| Chris thinks it's hilarious that I fall asleep as a passenger. |
DAY 13 -- Thu 7/7: Drive to South Carlsbad.
We got a late start today because the generator still won't start. Chris ran to the store and tried filling it with oil to rule that out. Then he spent an hour on the phone calling place after place to find an Onan generator tech that can help us out last minute... not having good luck, so we took off.
While on the road, Onan helped us find a mechanic in the Riverside area, so we didn't have to drive too far out of our way to find help. Even better, they didn't have to take it apart. Our theory is vapor bubbles in the gas line from the heat of the highway driving through the desert. By the time we got to Riverside, it did start with some coaxing. So we had an hour or so delay with that. We at least got to run the a/c for a bit to cool the cabin down while driving, then we let it cool off more so it could run in the parking lot while we grocery shopped and ate dinner in Murrietta to avoid evening rush hour. I can't believe that took another three hours! Well, I guess I can believe it when I think it takes that long to run errands with just me and Marissa normally. Just surprised to not hit to road until 8pm, which means pulling into South Carlsbad campground after 9, in the dark, with three tired kids. We got this. This is just practice for our "big" trip cross-country in a few years. We've got to be flexible and adaptive because we know with so many variables and time on the road, something can, and will, not be perfect.
Oh, and after talking to the pharmacist about Chris' sore throat which he's had for a week, he thinks he might have Strep throat. Can we just be healthy please?
Piper's Journal: We have been driving for like an hour. We could not turn on the A/C and I was really hot. The generator was broken but they fixed it.
DAY 14 -- Fri 7/8: South Carlsbad.
We love this campground. The girls are having a blast climbing and playing in the trees. Addisyn & Piper are doing a fair job of looking after Marissa and each other. Karen took the girls on a little walk on the beach and staked out a spot for our EZ-up.
Since we were back in San Diego, Chris went to the Dr...and was diagnosed with an ear infection (what!?). At least he is starting to feel better with antibiotics. Chris got back around lunch and we went down to the beach for 3 hours Friday afternoon.
Addisyn's Journal: "This morning I did yesterday's jurnle. Then we climbed the tree, that was fun. The tree is like a jungle gym. Then we went down to the beach. We didn't bring our buggy bords, so I bodysurfed and that was the best part."
DAY 15 -- Sat 7/9: South Carlsbad.
Karen and Piper drove to swim practice, and Piper napped in the car on the way back. I love seeing the kids sleep in the backseat--it's so cute to see them looking so young and vulnerable when they spend their waking hours expending so much energy.
At camp, Daddy bought the girls mermaid toys from the camp store. Marissa loved playing in the sand with them, then brought one out to the waves to swim while Marissa jumped the waves. Addisyn got sunburned. Marissa pooped in the bushes (what!? why does she think THAT is okay!? I think they were playing "house" ... right when I was about to eat a nice warm dinner cooked by my hubby).
Friends Marc and Kim Gallo had rented a trailer this weekend and had a poor experience (mental note...don't just go with the cheapest company). The company had only provided approximately 10 gallons of water which meant minimal showers and flushes all weekend (apparently the employee filling it didn't have much experience and didn't know it wasn't full), and they hadn't fully charged the batteries or left enough gas in the generator for dry camping. So on departure today, we laughed because the employee picking it up ended up driving off with the slide sticking out 6-8" still! I hope it made it back safely, but we felt it was a natural consequence for not providing a rig with proper set up.As they left, we enjoyed one final day of vacation. Gallo let us borrow his boogie boards (we didn't pack ours--didn't want to carry ours around for two weeks). We went for a family bike ride--that made me feel happy. And was good for Marissa who rode in the trailer and really needed the down time. We hit the beach late... not until 3:30, and Piper made a friend and together they shivered in the late afternoon together catching waves on boogie boards...until I convinced her that I was freezing and needed to go up.
Addisyn's Journal: "This morning I sleped in. when I got up I helped cook breckfest. Then we went on a big bike ride. It was hard and fun. Then we went to the beach and on one of the waves I hurt my ancle. When we did smores mine was super sticky."
Piper's Journal: "We went to the beach. I had fun. I maid a new frend. I was cold. Addisyn and Marissa went up to the moderhome first."
Marissa's Journal: Sometimes I like to ride my own bike and sometimes I like to ride in the bike trailer. Yesterday I rode all the way to the camp store--that was hard but I was proud to do it all by myself.
LAST DAY 17 -- Mon 7/11: Travel South Carlsbad to home!
I'm mentally "checking out". Yesterday, when I saw dirty underwear on the couch, I was like, "whatever...we only have a day left...we'll just drive a messy MH home...", but now I realize we can't... so this morning I got a little frustrated when the kids were asking to do stuff, but their messes were out and we had to get out before check out time. I think we are all excited to get home. I'm trying to prepare the kids for the concept that they have to help carry stuff up to the house, even though our usual "tradition" on home day is that they watch TV while mommy and daddy unpack.
Leaving on Monday was nice because the traffic at the South Carlsbad camp dump station was empty and we were able to have space and time to do a good job and we know we fit (which wasn't worth the hassle on a Sunday when we had the 5th wheel), so we get to drive straight home now instead of stopping at South Shores for the dump station--yay!
Marissa is being good about sitting buckled in her carseat when her sisters aren't. As long as I don't let the older sisters walk around, then she does pretty well. And be cognizant of pointing out things to see outside because she can't see anything low outside.
Chris doesn't want to go back to work. I think being home is going to feel strange.
Piper's Journal for the last day:
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| Home Sweet Home |
All in all, we had a successful trip! We relaxed, saw new things, and few things broke on the MH.
Reflecting on our trip is good to remember the fun times, and it helps us evaluate how to make the next trip even better.
We spent the first week and the last days of our trip making a list of what to pack or modify in the MH setup before another long trip. There are things we are fine with for a weekend getaway, but for long-term travel, we are going to want to be more organized and utilize our space better. Living with hook ups is also different than dry camping. It is easier to keep things clean with hook ups.
We used our campfire evenings to discuss logistics of RVing for more than just a wknd. It involves more planning and packing, but being careful not to over-pack. We decided our west coast 3-week(ish) trip will be next year 2017. We want to go to some of the beautiful places my folks went this June, and even visit Vancouver--planning to order the girls passports after the new year!
And bringing our bunny Cali with us is "okay" but takes up space we need on a longer trip. We have to keep him cool with a/c and frozen water bottles.
The kids have been pretty good about cleaning up after themselves, but we still seem to have too much stuff out. It is hard because they don't have much space to keep anything. They were allowed to bring one bag of personal toys/books, but with a few souvenirs, they are overflowing, so they get pushed from one space to another every time we settle in or pack out.
This is also a hard trip on the kids because we have no day-to-day routine. They can prepare their minds and behave appropriately when when they know what to expect, but sometimes they wake up not knowing. At least they know we are doing fun stuff (every day they write in their journals "I hope tomorrow will be fun"), but it's too much for them to keep track of. I tried to show them the calendar to give them their bearings halfway through the trip, but it's still a lot of busy days and they get worn down. I am happy they've only had about 30 minutes of TV in 16 days.
I've used some drive time or down time every 2-3 days to journal on the laptop, otherwise I don't think I could have remembered half of what we did on this trip. The kids have been required to write at least 5 sentences each day in their journals. It is a pretty minimal quantity considering the things we've done. I expect them to pick 1-2 things each day to mention, using details and feelings words. They prefer to write "Today is Day #" or "I hope tomorrow will be fun." Since we are using the same composition books as the last few years, Piper is enjoying reading random days from prior trips. She is doing pretty good in her journal. Addisyn is more resistant, preferring to torture herself over what to write. For Marissa's, I try to write what she found special or significant each day, quote her, and let her color on it.
Looking back on the kids' journals is fun. Apparently Marissa did a LOT of riding her bike in circles at camp--it was written down at least 3 days. One the final drive home, their final journal entry was to say what is different about living in the MH versus at home and their favorite memory of the trip--
Addisyn's final journal entry: "Camping is way different because I put my bed up and down. ... I liked the Jr. Ranger program. I got 3 Jr. Ranger badges."
Piper's final journal entry: "I am happy it is the last day! It was fun. Cali servived. I played with Cali every day."
Marissa's final journal entry: The MH is different because "the house doesn't move. I like clothes in my dresser better than a duffel bag." When asked if she had a good trip, "yeah. It was a BIG trip."
I am so happy to have the quality time together with our family and our extended family. I am so glad we prioritize these types of events for ourselves. I am grateful for the resources and ability to get away as a family. It's a pleasure to be able to spend quality time with Mike and Katherine (more than just a random dinner here or there or a distracted hi/bye while picking up kids from grammy's), and to enjoy crafting train tunnels out of cardboard with Jacob (hopefully Megan won't be sick next time!).
There were wonderful moments where it felt like vacation, but the overall mindset was more a "trip" than a "vacation" and more "living in the MH" rather than "camping." There is definitely a level of "work" involved in making a get-a-way successful and I think we are finding a way to balance the work with the relaxation. We are looking forward to planning our "West Coast Trip of 2017"!
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