Nearing the End of Our Trip...Feel Like You Missed Something?

I have a habit of building up grand plans, executing them, then realizing I haven't got the time to spend writing about them.  Such has happened with our big summer road trip.  Wanting to give each experience it's due grandeur, I put off writing about Day 1 which backs up days 2-40+.  

Yesterday I had an epiphany.  We're finally nearing the end of actively living out of our van so why not start with today and work my way backwards.  Kind of a "deconstructing" of a summer-long roadtrip.  Rather than tell you where we started I'm going to first share where we ended and leave you wondering for a couple days each time how in the world we got there.

And so, without further ado, THIS is where we are on August 6, 2013, Day 68 of our epic summer adventure ...

...now, wait with baited breath to find out more 

about this awesome night's sleep...

Road-Trip Ramblings #3: Songs for Driving

I've realized while driving over the past two weeks that I have three specific go-to songs when the road keeps stretching on and on and the in-car company has exhausted all things interesting to talk about.  No, not tunes that I punch up on my playlist.  These are coming straight out of my mouth, often for entire verses before I realize I've started singing.  They are:

Phantom of the Opera

      Oh, if my high school choir teacher could see me now!  The original tune and chords only last so long when the open road is stretching out before me.  With imperfect juxtaposition, I promise I've created any and all possible variations of minor chord melody that my mediocre vocal abilities can give to this song.

Hooked On A Feeling
     The chorus of this song lends itself perfectly to masking or bringing on sleepiness.  Try it with me...

(wide open mouth here)

I-I-I-I-I....

I'm hooked on a feeling...

    Tell me you didn't finish the chorus through a yawn!

Do You Think I'm Sexy
     It's a little embarrassing, but when I'm dead tired and at the end of my rope behind the wheel, this is the song that ALWAYS pops into my head.  In doing my research for this post, I now know that it's a Rod Stewart song and somehow that is not making it any less shame-worthy to me.  In the spirit of head-bopping drivers everywhere, let me entertain you with this winner of a song in Mr. Stewart's glory days, not the post-midlife era that I recognize him in...

Please do tell me you were there flashing your long hair around with Rod in his heyday!  And then help me expand my repertoire-

What are singing behind the wheel?

Trip Plan B?

What's a plan without a little turmoil and change?  One week into our ambitious summer road trip, B broke his arm while playing with his cousins in western Nebraska.  Figuring we were still relatively close to home, we drove back to have it checked out and now find ourselves on a 2-week appointment rotation for the next several months.

Could we still drive across the country to North Carolina to see our friends?  We could.  But it would mean many long days of driving with little time for stopping along the way.  That's not what I want this summer's memories to be about.  So, after a very stressful night of me confronting my dislike for change once a plan has been made, we've dumped Plan A that would take us east, and jumped head-first into Plan B which has taken us for a drive down the Oregon Coast (to start with, anyway).

I hope you're still excited to travel along with us!

Do you have a favorite stop along the Oregon Coast?

Park Watch: Laramie, Wyoming (In Case You're Ever Passing Through)

The start of a new series where we focus on parks and playgrounds you'll miss if you don't get off the main highway,,.because we all need to stop and stretch our legs...

Getting There:

 Take I-80 Exit 313 (Third Street)

 Go North to E Ord Street

Turn Right, then drive 2 blocks on Ord Street.

For more information,

City of Laramie Undine Park

Summer Road Trip: Hotels Used To Be Built With Character

I get such a thrill out of finding unusual places to stay.  Most of the time it's a quirky b&b or hidden away apartment rental, but occasionally it also turns out to be in a conventional hotel.  Check out the "loft suite" we stayed in last week at the Salt Lake City Airport Radisson...

This hotel was built in 1989 and I have to imagine a staircase like that would never meet code in a hotel being built today.  To prove it, the first thing B & P did was climb up the outside of the banister.  All uniqueness aside, I did have hesitations about the kids leaving the room while I was slumbering in the bed up above.  Sure enough, I'd barely laid down my head the first night when I heard P turning the deadbolt and peeking his head outside.  He spent the rest of the night in bed with me and somehow I ended up the second night on the pull-out sofa to keep him from trying to escape again.

Maybe logistically this wasn't the best choice in hotel rooms, but for the same price of a generic square-box hotel room, we got something fun to stay in and talk about later!

Tell me about the most unique lodging you've ever stayed in!

Summer Road Trip: Salt Lake City's Tracy Aviary

I am not a zoo person.  They're hot and smelly.  Too many times the animals are hiding lifeless in the shade or absent from the exhibit all together.  I just get really bored.  A "zoo" dedicated to only one type of creature wasn't that exciting to think about, but B & P both love birds and I knew it'd be a memorable way for them to start their summer vacation.

Once inside, all I can say is that this is not another boring zoo.  Each enclosure holds several different types of birds and it was engaging to search around for birds that were camouflaged or scavenging for food.  Since birds obviously live in trees, the entire aviary is cool and covered in shade.  Even in the heat of summer I think it would be a welcome respite from the sun.

Here are the birds we loved the most...

Pelicans

Red-Tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle

Scarlet Ibis

Trumpeter Swan

What type of bird would you want to see while you were there?

Useful Information:

Tracy Aviary is in the southwest corner of Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.  

The park is super easy to find, but the entrance is a little tricky.  

To avoid driving around the entire park twice like I did,

 you'll need to enter the park on  the north end of the park

 and follow the one-way road around to the right.

There are bird shows throughout the day,, 

but I was a little confused at how they are not announced 

and the times are not listed in the map/brochure. 

 Do a little research on their website before you go 

to ensure you don't  miss a thing.

Liberty Park is definitely worth extra time when you're done at the aviary.

The playground is designed for children of  "all abilities" with astroturf in some areas for wheelchair access and oversized swings for older children who may be interested in swinging.

Also check out the beautiful musical area with chimes and xylophones of all sizes.

Very cool place to play.

We're Officially Homeless

My boys and I moved out of our house yesterday.  We moved there 4 years ago with B as our only child.  Three kids later and we were bursting at the seams.  With my husband off to Alaska for his summer employment adventure, it's time for me to finally make good on the dream which has lived deep down inside of me for years.  We're going on an adventure!

That's right-we're not moving into someplace new...yet.  Instead, we've packed the minivan and are taking off on a 6-week cross-country road-trip, just me and my 4 boys.  I hope you'll come along with us!

Here are a few of the things we have planned (with a lot of unknown adventure in between):

Exploring close to home in Salt Lake and Park City

Respite in Wyoming at Little America

(you know I'm looking forward to doing that drive again...)

Our first annual cousin's conference in western Nebraska

LDS Church History Sites in Missouri

Driving The Great River Road down the Mississippi

Possible celebrity sighting in Louisiana?

Jaunt across to the Carolina beaches

Kitty Hawk for my kindergartner

Stops in Knoxville and Clarksville, TN

Nauvoo, IL, where our little family began

Across the top of Wyoming

Oregon Trail sights

Back to Utah by mid-July

I hope you'll come along with us!  And if you have ideas of great local activities anywhere along our way, we'd love to hear them!  There is an exciting summer coming!