And in the End...

 So we've been home for a few days, unpacked the stuff, got on talking terms with the cat again, and entered all the receipts in the checkbook register.

Some parting thoughts:

- Budget! We made a budget for the trip for everything from gas ($3.75 average per gallon x 10 miles/gallon x 2,544 miles) to tolls to food on the road. Even with thorough budgeting, we still missed a few things like tips (even though we were on the meal plan). Thankfully, the one thing we always put into our budget is a margin. The beauty of a budget is you can relax and enjoy your vacation without coming back to financial mayhem.

-Make peace with the fact that there is no "winging it" with Disney. My art school approach of "let's see where the project goes" will make for some frustration.

- If you're traveling with the whole crew, try to arrange for time alone with the spouse. Send the kids to the playground, give them a roll of quarters and send them to the arcade, lock them in the van, whatever you have to do to get a few hours alone to re-connect with your spouse. Because there is no privacy in an RV. We could hear the kid on the other side of the rig scratching their nose so this limited the conversation topics for the spouse and I.

-Plan for no more than three days straight driving before taking a day off to just chill-lax. This has physical and mental benefits.

The kids learning how 10,000 chicks are transported

-Take the scenic route if you can. Robert Frost was right about taking the road less travelled and having no regrets about it.

-We've found that 260 miles a day is about as much as we can do. This allows for spontaneous stops, stops for potty, fuel, iced coffee and other supplies as well as getting into camp early enough to relax and maybe enjoy some of the camp activities.

KOA selfie #smallcamperproblems

- Audio books, NPR podcasts, other podcasts are great way to pass the time.

Meet Crush - our wire sea turtle mascot

- You will still need an atlas. I don't care if you have a GPS device and an iPhone, there were still times we navigated old school because the GPS didn't understand we wanted a scenic route but only up until the next town and then the highway, but not that one, this one, etc. etc.

- Take pictures.

Like a book, we have some acknowledgments to make here:

Our thanks....

to all the friends and family who offered opinions and helpful hints about Disney

to Rousseau's RV Rental Center for making the whole rental process easy

to Newfangled for their support in allowing Bo to leave for three weeks

to the Iacobbos for letting us boondock

to Christina for cat sitting (feeding her not actually sitting on her)

to our neighbors for keeping an eye out on the ol' homestead

to WalMart for being everywhere and having everything (did you know RV's require special toilet paper?)

to our children for having a good sense of humor and patience. You are a blessing.

Signature Game

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of our favorite games to do on a road trip is the Signature Scavenger Hunt. The kids are given a sheet with a short explanation of the game and spaces for signatures. The kids are to collect as many signatures as they can and the signatures are given points based on who they are from. For example, police officers, whom we hopefully won't see as much, would be worth 10 points where as Dunkin' Donuts employees would be worth 2 points since Mom needs her iced coffee on an hourly basis.

So the results of this trip's Signature Scavenger Hunt are as follows:

Winner based on points: Princess Git Er Done
W. Bear was actually in the lead when Git Er Done saw a bunch of cadets from the local military academy getting lunch. She also scored the bonus points for the signature of a Rhode Islander obtained outside of New England.

Winner based on sheer volume: W. Bear
Dude was relentless in playing this game. Anyone who could hold a writing implement was asked to sign his paper. Alas it was not enough to compensate for Git Er Done's military score.

Winner based on sportsmanship: Tater
Things got a little touchy between the older kids as they accused one another of underhanded practises. Tater however just kept plugging along, being his charming self.

Winner based on thinking outside the box: Princess Buttercup.
Not only did she collect signatures, she sought out people she thought would add an interesting angle to her sheet. She also kept track of who the people were who signed. By this I mean: "this was the captain of the ferry at Disney!" "this was the cashier at Pez Museum!" "this was the cashier at Peach World!"

Winner based on family motto: Baby
The Kerr family motto is "Sero sed serio" which is Latin for "late but in earnest." A little lacking as far as rousing battle cries, but I didn't think it up. Anyway, Baby didn't really give the game much thought until about three days before we got back. But when he got on it, he gave it his best shot.

Winner in his own mind: Gummi
Didn't even try this, but still thinks he's awesome.

End of the Road

 So we're almost to the end of the road. We're in Copake, NY tonight with a short ride to Rhode Island tomorrow. We'll also have to clean out the RV which might be kind of scary. Ending a trip like this is always bittersweet. I'll be glad to get back to larger living quarters, but I think I will miss the fun interludes in my day.

Bo and I thought we'd poll the kids for the best and least on this trip.

Bo

favorite part of Disney: the resort we stayed at (Fort Wilderness)

least favorite part of Disney: having to plan and reserve everything, the Mission Space ride

favorite part of RV trip: being together, spending time together without killing each other

least favorite part: the driving (the monkey butt issue)

Me

favorite part of Disney: the dinners out, the train between the "lands"

least favorite part of Disney: the scheduling

favorite part of RV trip: getting to knit a lot, the little stops, Skyline Drive

least favorite part of trip: end of day crankiness

Buttercup:

favorite part of Disney: the roller-coasters!!

least favorite part of Disney: end of the day crankiness

favorite part of RV trip: all of it (she can't decide)

least favorite part: that hour of the day when everyone is strung out

Git Er Done

favorite part of Disney: the beverages and the pool at the resort

least favorite part of Disney: Mission Space, all the walking

favorite part of RV trip: Jacksonville/St Mary's KOA (where they did the hay ride and bingo)

least favorite part: being sick and arriving late at camp

W. Bear

favorite part of Disney: going to the Japan section of Epcot, the pool at the resort

least favorite part of Disney: walking around a lot

favorite part of RV trip: the KOA's

least favorite part: the long car rides and the "ghost town" KOA (Enfield, NC)

Tater

favorite part of Disney: the pool at the resort, the all you can drink soda (even though he only had 2 cups)

least favorite part of Disney: all the walking around

favorite part of RV trip: all the KOAs we stayed at except the "ghost town" one (Enfield, NC)

least favorite part: just before we get to camp when everyone get cranky

Baby

favorite part of Disney: the pool at the resort and the pool slide

least favorite part of Disney: the Mission Space ride

favorite part of RV trip: all the KOA pools we've been in (we were only in one)

least favorite part: Charlotte, NC KOA (had a spooky castle)

Gummi

favorite part of Disney: the water slide at the resort pool

least favorite part of Disney: all the walking around

favorite part of RV trip: getting the RV

least favorite part: weoirweroiu (I couldn't understand him)

The good news is everyone is still willing to do another RV trip sometime in the future. We just need to win PowerBall to finance it.

Day 14

Wow. We've spent 14 days on the road. And no one has called Grandma to rescue them.

We spent last night at one of the most scenic KOAs I've been to. We didn't make it to the Luray Caverns as it would have cost a small fortune for us. We did however drive a part of the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park. If you're ever driving out this way, I highly recommend it.

Here are some photos we took:

When the kids were younger, we use to point out any and all animals to them that we saw (being city folk, and all) We'd say, "Look, kids! Cows! Moo!" Now all the kids have gotten into the habit of saying, "Look, Moo Cows!"

What is this Moo Cow you speak of?

A helpful reminder from the KOA.






















Some scenery from the Skyline Drive:

A picture of the whole crew:

This time we included our intrepid driver.

After we took the picture, Baby said, "I want to climb that!"

Unfortunately, we did not have the time for that.


We also made another stop at the Wegman's in Harrisburg, PA. The kids were quite excited about it. We must be the only family who could make a vacation highlight out of going to a grocery store.

Things I've Learned.

Things I've learned after two weeks on the road (posted by Bo Hunkmeister):

1) The Luray, Virginia KOA in the Shenandoah Valley is one of the most beautiful campsites I've ever stayed in. (the KOA in Enfield, NC is for sale if anyone is interested).

2) I can't believe I'm starting to look forward to "Adventures in Odyssey" episodes during the morning drive time.

3) 100 miles of driving is about all my middle-aged legs can handle before they start cramping up.

4) I'm seriously coveting my neighbor's RV (all of them).

5) I can't believe I'm going to be thankful to get 12 MPG again once I stop hauling a 25 foot trailer.

6) After 20 miles, my son in the row directly behind me who is sucking on a jaw breaker sounds like an industrial washing machine.

7) When filling a 28-gallon gas tank, one should be able to lock the pump nozzle and walk away to clear the 10 pounds of bugs that have accumulated on the windshield instead of standing next to the pump breathing in the gas fumes (I'm looking at you, Rhode Island and Massachusetts).

8) Despite my intermittent losses of temper, I'm enjoying the extended time with my family.

9) Yard sales are a great way to entertain yourself while on a road trip. And cheaper than most other roadside attractions.

10) Chick-Fil-A is the cheapest place to feed a family of eight and still feel good about the quality of food. Word of caution: go easy on the waffle fries if you're going to be together in an enclosed space afterwards.

11) Taco-in-a-bag should be the next menu item at Taco Bell. Or a new food truck.

12) A Ziplock baggie with one of the corners snipped off makes a handy funnel.

13) The peach fritters at Peach World (exit 58 off Route 95 in Georgia) are worth the stop. I'm not kidding, they're as big as your head.

14) I'm starting to learn how to take each day as it comes instead of worrying about tomorrow. I hope I can carry this over into my non-vacation life.

Day Whatever

After Disney, we were on the road for two days. The first night we were in Savannah, GA.  We decided to borrow a DVD and watch a movie that night. When we turned on the lights, the camper was swarming with tiny gnats. Then the campsite lost power so we couldn't use the air conditioning. It was almost enough to send us to a hotel room. But we killed the gnats with windex, stuffed toilet paper in the screen gaps and made the best of it.

The second night, we ended up at a KOA in Charlotte, NC. Since it was close to a residential neighborhood, the next morning, we unhitched the van and spent the morning hitting some yard sales. We scored a couple of cd's for the road: the Eagles, Tom Petty and Elton John. After loading up the RV, we moved on to our next stop.

We stopped for two days at Camp Uncle Danny near Winston-Salem, NC. This was a fun stop as we had a bonfire, a marshmallow roast, grilled pizzas, sleeping out in tents and a fun excursion to a Greek festival. And we got to hang with some cool people too! We really liked this camp and it was not just because they fed us cheesecake.

We got on our way early Monday morning, taking one of my favorite routes north - through the Shenandoah Valley. It is really just some gorgeous country out there.

Here are some pictures we took. Please excuse the iPod photography.

Camp Uncle Danny

Which of these is not like the other?

Mt. Pilot

Chimney ruins near the campsite

Some cows behind our lunch time rest stop

The view while I'm knitting

Tonight we are at a KOA in Luray, VA up in the mountains eating grilled cheese on Aunt Michele's English muffin bread. It's beautiful and quiet here. Well, except for our free-range boys.

Peach World

 Day 9

The bright side of our dinner flub the previous night was we now had sit down meals to use for breakfast. We had a nice buffet breakfast the next morning served by Donnell, who regaled us with tales of growing up as one of eight. We packed the RV and headed out happy to be on the road again.

Having stopped at Peach World on our way down, we wanted to stop on the way up for more pralines and fritters. Peach World is not really a "world" in the Disney sense, more of a house next to a gas station by the side of the road. In an effort to park in a place that would not inconvenience everyone else, Bo pulled the rig around the back of the gas station. The kids and I jumped out to go use the restrooms at the gas station and find my beloved pralines. Meanwhile, my dear Bo got out to look for my lost crochet needle on my side of the van. When he stood up, the local sheriff was approaching.

"Hey there, whatcha doin?" said the sheriff.

"Uh, I'm looking for a crochet needle." says Bo.

"Ok. Well, we normally don't have people parking behind here. May I see your driver's license?"

Bo politely obliged and the sheriff ran his license number. I suppose crocheting behind a gas station is not looked upon kindly in these parts. After realizing Bo was just a crafter traveling through, the sheriff returned Bo's license just as all the kids came running up with their signature sheets out. You see, we have a game we play on road trips where the kids collect signatures from people we meet as we travel. Certain signatures are worth more points than others. For example, military personnel are 15 points while DD employees are 2 points. So when the kids saw their dad talking to the sheriff, 15 points flashed before their eyes and they all came running with pens and papers flailing. Thankfully, the sheriff good naturedly signed all the sheets. He left on his way, I came back and we were back on the road with more pralines and a good story to tell.

Road Trip Knitting!

Here are some of the projects I've been working on.

1. The Universe is complete! I finished the shawl I was working on before we left. The finished dimension is 35". I was actually kind of hoping it would be larger.

2. Monmouth cap. This is an old fashioned hat that someone from the pirate crew mentioned to me. I like this pattern because it's based off of the study of existing historic hats. This one is actually a trial run. I need to use bigger needles.

3. Bunnies! This is a crochet pattern that I stumbled across that was just too cute to pass up. It's two bunnies, the grass mat, and a log (which I still need to make) which will all fit inside the egg. I'm not sure of it's purpose outside of just looking adorable.

Hollywood! (Day 8)

So we followed the new and improved plan of lounging by the pool side on the morning of our last Disney day. I tell you, it might be worth it to just come to Disney for the resorts and skip the parks. The pool is lovely, the staff is friendly and there's less walking around.

Anyway, we ate lunch at the snack bar and afterwards I took the two little ones for a nap. The others stayed pool side and enjoyed the novelty of swimming in the rain. That is, until the thunder started. Then we reconvened at the RV.

We made it to Hollywood Studios around 3:00pm. It was pretty quiet there because the rain had chased a lot of the crowds away. We were early for our first FastPass so Buttercup, Tater and Bo did the Aerosmith roller coaster while the rest of us rode a - slow - ride through a history of movies. You've never seen a girl happier to ride a roller coaster. Tater however, apparently spent the time crouched down under the seat. Afterwards, we saw the Lights! Motors! Action! show which was pretty incredible. The kids were enthralled with the stunt driving. I think Baby discovered his vocation in life, which I wouldn't mind because I'm sure there's some cool benefits to being a Disney stunt driver (free Coke slushies?)

Or he could be a song and dance man.

Then, while wandering through a candy shop we ran into fellow Rhode Islanders who go to our church. None of this surprised any of us because, no matter where you are in the world, and perhaps the universe, you will run into a fellow Rhode Islander. I could be trekking across the outback of Australia for miles and the first cafe I walk into will be run by a former Rhode Islander. Very possibly a cousin. For such a small state, we are out in the world in force.

The candy apples were a meal unto themselves.

We hung around the park until our dinner reservations at 7:30pm. When we arrived at the restaurant, the hostess informed Bo that we had inadvertently picked a "signature restaurant" even though there was no show. Therefore, we did not have enough credits for dinner and would have to pay for half of us with cash. We asked the hostess what our other restaurant options are and she helpfully said, "Well by this time, everything is booked." Given he had six hungry, tired kids in tow and was just told there were no sit down dinner options, I'm really amazed more colorful words were not used other than, "Thank you." Rather than shelling out $150 for four additional hamburgers for the boys, we decided to skip the "signature restaurant" and find a quick serve. Now for some reason, half of the food concessions closed before the park itself does. So we stood in line behind 20 or so high school band students to wait for mac & cheese and sandwiches. Not exactly what we had planned but in the end a quicker, and therefore more appealing, end to the day.

All in all, it was a better day. Now if we just could have figured this out the first day....

Jedi in the woods.

That Day

If there was a "wrong" way to do Epcot with the family, I think we nailed it. We took six tired children, two of whom were whining before we even left the camp ground, to a park where the main attractions were learning, shopping and various cocktails that can be made with sparking wine.

After a late start, we got to Epcot around noon time. We started to walk around the International Pavilion. Shopping in the quaint little stores and taking in the different cultures were not Baby and Gummi's idea of a fun time. Also my allergies, who decided that they had enough vacation, were ready to get back to work full strength. By the time we got to France, I was sneezing like I was looking for a world record. I finally had to go to the First Aid station to get Benedryl.

getting an autograph from one of the characters

this one didn't want to sign autographs

When we all reconnected, we went to Mitsukoshi, a Japanese department store and one of my fondest childhood memories. Bo got the three of us ladies pearls, the dear man that he is, and the kids had fun pointing out their favorite Japanese snacks. However, Tater learned a tough lesson about how when you spend money, it doesn't automatically regenerate in your wallet.

After talking Tater out of a meltdown of epic proportion, we had to make a dash to get to our FastPass reservation at the NASA space flight simulation. Now I should have know this was not a good ride for some of us when I saw the sign talking about a green version of the ride being is less strenuous. The sign also mentioned being in small dark spaces. But we put on our brave fronts and marched ahead. The preview video, starring Gary Sinise, told us that if we wanted to opt out of the ride, there was still time to do so. When I requested to do so, the ride attendant told me, "It's not that dark, it's just a big video game!" Now W. Bear had been spooked the previous night by a similar ride and was a bit unsure. However, because of the attendant's assurances, W. Bear and I decided to forge ahead. Next thing we know, we're locked in a tin can. Already I'm having regrets and I'm looking on their control panel for an "abort mission" button. Meanwhile, I'm also making funny conversation to keep W. Bear's mind off of the fact we're in a small tuna can that's about to get smaller. So the ride starts and we're shaking and jostling around, there's a video monitor two inches from my face, Gary keeps telling us to hit some buttons, and I'm trying to lean over and see how W. Bear is faring. He's leaning over to see if I've lost it yet and Gummi is whooping it up like he's Buzz Lightyear. The ride finally ends and we beat a hasty retreat. We meet up with the rest of the gang, who did the more adventurous version of the ride, outside and they all look like they're ready to toss their cookies. We sat and pondered for a while the wisdom of running halfway across the park in this heat so we could ride a vomit-tron.

At this point, Bo and I decided he should take the two little ones back for a nap at the RV. I would take the four older kids to lunch and some other, less nausea inducing rides. After a few hours of wandering around trying to find a ride that was open and bathrooms because we emphasized hydration, we all ended up reconnecting so we could go to our dinner reservation. By this time, Tater is fussing about not having money, the girls are upset with me over a missed meeting, Gummi was still fussy because he didn't nap and Bo is trying to make sure we all don't kill each other. We limped over to our dinner spot which we chose because it was one of the earlier seating times. We did not know it was a German Biergarten in the fullest sense of the term. We walked in while a rather loud leiderhosen clad band was playing the Chicken Dance. I about cried. This is where the flexibility thing comes in. On any other vacation, Bo and I would have conceded defeat, skipped dinner and took everyone home pizza and an early bed time. However, at Disney, if you cancel a dinner reservation with less than 24 hours notice, you have to pay a surcharge of $10 per person. That's $80 for us to skip dinner and go home early. So we forged ahead.

Thankfully, the food was decent, the band took a break shortly after we arrived and after dinner we took one last pleasant - slow - ride through Spaceship Earth. We got back to the RV about 10:00pm

Now I don't want to sound like a complete buzzkill. We are having some enjoyable moments. But there is the nagging feeling of how much time and effort has been spent to put this Disney portion together and in turn a pressing need to take in as much as we can. However, taking in as much as we can does not mesh well with young children, who, whether they acknowledge it or not, need a quiet time midday. There is no 2:00pm caffeine/energy drink pick me up for that set.

So we've changed our strategy for tomorrow. We're going to lounge poolside until after Gummi's nap time and then go to the Hollywood Studios park for the afternoon and evening. Our dinner time is still later than I'd like, but at least the little ones will have had a nap.

I'm so sorry, Pluto.

post script: one of my long held beliefs has been that Goofy is a cow because if he's dog then why is Pluto subjugated to walking on all fours and not talking? Bo found this poster in the art gallery yesterday which he told me was proof that Goofy is indeed a dog (or "dawg") and thus Pluto is getting the really short stick of the deal. I think part of my childhood just died.

Whoa.

 We woke up bright and early, had ourselves a spot of breakfast and resolved to face today with optimism. This quickly dissolved for me when we "needed" to schedule some FastPass rides and all the restaurants were "booked" so we had to reserved dinner at the same place we ate at last night.

Again, my inner six year old started stomping her foot at the notion that I had to be at some place by 1:00pm for some prescribed fun. And that there's no dinner opportunities until 7:00pm. When I'm shelling out this kind of cash, why are they telling me when and where to be? Maybe this was the wrong vacation to take, I thought. After all, we're the type of family that likes to hit the road with no particular schedule; we stop if we see something interesting like Peach World or I need an iced coffee refill. Bo tried his very best to talk me out of my tree while we made our way to the ferry boat.

One of the benefits of staying at a Disney resort is the free inner transportation everywhere. To get to the Magic Kingdom this morning, we took a lovely ferry ride across a lake. We docked just off to the right of the main entrance and were released into the hoards of people. We chose this particular time of year to visit because it's considered a "slow" part of the season. I was still floored by the mass of humanity.

Hey, that guy with the ponytail, I think I know him!

We made our way up Main Street trying not to trip over our ever dropping jaws. After a couple of rides (don't even ask me to name them because it's all a blur) I got over myself and was able to relax a bit and enjoy the experience. I know the kids certainly did. We traipsed around the park going on rides and browsing through stores. I think we hit just about every "land" there was.

But I tell you, Disney today is not the Disney I remember as a kid. We had little RFID bracelets that we used to get onto the FastPass rides and pay for our food. Let me tell you how handy it is not having to fiddle with tickets, cash or credit cards every time you wanted to do something. We're also on the meal plan. This is a very good thing in terms of money. Not only do you save money by purchasing the meals up front but it also cuts down on the "Oh my goodness, everything is so expensive, kids - you're only getting pizza slices!" at every meal time. You just march up to the counter, place your order, scan the bracelet and the receipt comes up $0.00. The "free snack" per day on the plan is also kind of interesting. The food that qualifies ranges from a Twix bar on up to a large, two scoop ice cream sundae. You play your cards right and everyone can have two snacks in a day by virtue of the portions being so large.

Also, Bo downloaded an app called My Disney experience for his iPhone. We've used this to book the FastPasses, book the dinner as well as find out wait times on rides. It's a handy thing to have.

We ended our day at the Magic Kingdom with said ice cream sundaes. We took our tired, spent selves back to camp and had a quick swim before dinner to revive our selves. Back at the all you can eat buffet restaurant, Baby resolved to have two servings of ice cream again.

After dinner, Bo took the older four kids back to the park. I gladly stayed back with the two little ones to put them to bed. I think Gummi was asleep a minute after he got horizontal.

We've already schedules our FastPasses for tomorrow as well as made our dinner reservations ("Consider it a suggestion, not a scheduled obligation." says Bo) at Epcot. I'm looking forward to it.

Day 6, I think

After a night at the Swamp Fox Campground in Florence, SC (I'm not sure why the swamp theme but go with it), we shoved onto our last stop before glory, Kingsland GA. Thankfully it was a short mileage day. This allowed us the luxury of stopping at a roadside stand called Peach World. Just about anything you could think of to make with a peach, they had. The peaches were wonderful, the fritters lovely, the praline pecans like crack, but you can keep the boiled peanuts. Like the overly salty country ham, there are just some culinary delights I cannot understand.

We spent the night at the Kingsland KOA in Georgia. I'm so happy we got in early here. They had a pool which was positively refreshing after a day of driving. The kids also partook of a hay ride and a rather raucous bingo game. The next morning was a free waffle breakfast. It's funny how KOA's can range from being nothing more than parking in someone's front yard to being like a cruise ship on land - more activities than you have time for.

We left Kingsland shortly after breakfast, and made it to Disney around 3:00pm. Boy howdy am I glad we got here early.

It took us 30 minutes just to check in so we could understand where we were headed. "Is this your first time here?!?" asked the gate clerk. When we said yes, she handed us buttons that said "First Time at Disney" with our names and dates on it. We might as well have written "Newbie!!" on our foreheads. She then told us about the Fast Pass system and restaurant reservations. I told her I didn't want to schedule things because I was on vacation. "Oh, honey," she said, "You're not on vacation, you're at Disney!" She proceeded to fill us in on how to do Disney and this is about when my head exploded. I have vague recollections of Buttercup soothing me with, "It'll be alright, Mama, it'll be alright." I don't know if it's the six year old inside of me that just doesn't like being told what to do, or the notion that my vacation, wherein I vacate my daily grind of schedules and timetables, would have to be scheduled as well.

Once we got the RV to our campsite and plugged in, we decided to take a walk around. We went to the snack shop near the pool. Here the cashier said, "Is this your first time to Disney?!?" then patiently explained the arm band/meal plan situation to us. We acquired our refillable mugs (with RFID chips inside?!?) and had some snacks. While wandering around the store in a daze, Bo made us some dinner reservations.

We took the courtesy shuttle to the restaurant which was a western themed buffet. Again the waitress said, "Is this your first time at Disney?!?" I was beginning to think we were living in an alternate reality. I ordered a sangria and tossed it back pretty quick as our waitress gave us some helpful hints (maybe you should get out more, stop hiding under rocks, etc. - no, just kidding). We had a nice dinner, the highlight of which was watching Baby realize an "all you can eat buffet" really means all you can eat. He had two desserts. I think this might be the best day of his life so far.

We took a shuttle back and at our stop, the bus driver held up traffic so we could cross the street. I tell you one thing, these Disney folks are nothing if not helpful.

So we've settled in for the evening. Bo is doing some laundry and then we'll formulate a plan of attack for tomorrow. Hopefully we won't stick out like the plebes we are and my head won't explode.

Day 4 or 5 or something...

You know you're getting into your vacation when you lose track of time. For some reason the kids are still asking me, "What day is it?" And I truly have to think about it before I give them an answer.

It seems like each day is a trip unto itself. Each evening I think, "Well, here we are in XYZ." and then, "Where were we this morning?" so I'm checking our little travel itinerary to give you an update  because all I can remember about the past few days are sick kids and coke slurpees.

When last I posted we were in Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, VA. We drove through some beautiful Virginia countryside to get there. A little tedious when you're a land yacht but the scenery was worth it.

We left there and did 168 miles to Enfield KOA in North Carolina. We got here early and the kids had some time to play mini-golf (or put-put as some of you may call it) and we got some laundry done.

Our plans for the next day were to boon-dock in Florence, SC. For the uninitiated, that means camping out in a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club parking lot. The upside is you can legally park overnight and not have to pay a camp fee, but the down side is you have no connections. This means what ever levels your tanks are on (fresh water, waste water, battery) you have to live off that.

However, once we realized the weather heats up down south (we're slow learners) we figured boon docking was not a good option. Without an electric hook-up, we wouldn't be able to use the air conditioning unit to alleviate the heat. Not wanting to sweat to death, we decided to find a campground for that evening.

Having some margin built into our day, we made a stop at JR's. I'm not sure how to describe it. I think it started out as a cigarette, cigar and wine wholesaler which grew into something bigger. For you New Englanders, I think the best way to describe it is like Ocean State Job Lot only neater and cleaner. And with people carrying out ten cartons of cigarettes at a time. The kids found some trinkets, I got a new Pyrex bowl and a Coke Slurpee, but we left the strawberry smoothie wine behind.

And here is where building margin into your day is a good thing. We got into camp around 4:00pm. However, three of the kids have been warm and complaining of headaches for a few days so we decided to get them checked out. Bo found a walk in clinic two minutes from here and we came to find out the three kids have strep. With the wait at the clinic and then running to the two CVS stores to get the meds, Bo didn't get back until 9:00pm. If we had tried to pack in more miles to our day, he would not have gotten back until midnight. Having picked a camp and limited the daily mileage, he got back at a reasonable hour and had a cool night's sleep.

While I feel bad the kids are sick, they function fine once the Motrin kicks in. I'm also so very grateful to have with easy access to healthcare and medication.

So today we're off to Kingsland, GA. It's a bit longer day mileage wise, but we will be fortified with a Waffle House breakfast and an early start.

Here's some pictures so far.

Toasting marshmallows at Enfield KOA

JR's Cigar, Cigarette and Stuff Emporium

some of the lovely, blingy items available at JR's

The Bieber perfume set I'm getting for all my mom friends for Mother's Day.

Quiet time on the road.

My Relaxing Run

(a post by Bo)

In an effort to not lose all my conditioning I've decided to run every other day during our vacation. I took my first run this morning at our Lake Anna campsite. The roads through the park were well paved with ample shoulders in case I needed to dive out of the way of an oncoming RV. I put in my earbuds, strapped on my water bottle and was off. I planned to run three miles because I didn't want to take up too much of our valuable travel time and I also wasn't familiar with the park. After running around the cul-de-sac where our camper was parked, I headed out on the main road that left the park. It was a beautiful morning, overcast and not too hot with the lush green forest on either side of me. At 2.5 miles, I turned around and headed back down the main road. This is when my plan for a short, relaxing run began to change.

I was tired of the current music playlist, so I asked Siri to queue up something else.

Me: "Playlist. Inspirational."
Siri: "I've found four local attractions with the name Inspirational. Would you like directions?"
Me: "No." (more slowly) "Pl-ay-list. In-spir-a-tion-al."
Siri: "Playing, Inspirational."

"Thank you," I said to no one in particular.

I continued my run until my tracking app announced in my ear, "Distance, 3.5 miles." I was still on the main road and hadn't seen our campsite yet. I figured I must have miscalculated the distance a bit and would come upon our trailer soon.

I attempted to converse with Siri again.

Me: "Next track."
Siri: "I've found 12 articles on crack. Would you like me to read them to you?"
Me: "No."
Siri: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that last request."
Me: "I said, NO." "NEXT TRACK."
Siri: "Skipping track."

No thank you this time.

Just before my exercise app announced, "Distance, 4.5 miles," I saw a large lake at the end of the road. Even though we were staying at Lake Anna State Park, we had never bothered to find out where the lake was. Now I had discovered it. Along with the fact I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

"Dammit!"
Siri: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that last request."
"Shut up, Siri."

I hadn't told Dawn how long I planned to be out and I wondered if she was concerned at all. I doubled back a half mile and found where I had made my mistake. By the time I saw the trailer again, I had run over 5.5 miles, was no longer enjoying my relaxing run because I was drenched in sweat, and annoyed at Siri.

I can't wait to see what my run on Friday will be like.

It's all in the Planning

Day 3

270 something miles...

This was one of those days. Well, not really. The day was fine. It's that post 5:00pm stuff when the novelty of a road trip has worn off and you're wondering exactly when you're going to make it to camp and just how late dinner will be and how long the kids will last before someone melts down and hopefully that's not Mom.

But you're not reading this to hear me whine, are you?

In truth, today was a good day.

We woke up in a lovely camp in the woods where we were one of five campers there so it was nice and peaceful. Bo made pancakes for the kids while I went for a run. The little ones played at the playground while we made the rig ready, and we left at a leisurely pace to our next stop.

As parents, we feel part of our job is to show our kids great and wonderful things. One of those things was the joys of camping (kind of) in the woods. The other wonderful thing we showed them was Wegman's. They were kind of in awe when we walked into the store as it's much larger and prettier than stores near us. Don't get me wrong, I got mad love for PriceRite and their low prices, but let us just say interior decorating is not their forte. The kids' esteem grew as we went to the bulk candy aisle. I honestly could have gone to the cafe, had a chocolate croissant and large cappuccino, come back 30 minutes later and the kids would still be standing there with their jaws hanging. We earned Best Parents of the Year award by letting them each get a couple of fistfuls of bulk candy.

Then we went to the prepared foods court. I though Buttercup would explode when she saw the vast array of choices. Bo ended up getting honey braised fried chicken, I got sushi, and the girls shared some sushi and edamame. We had our Elevensies and by the time we got on the road, it was noon.

Herein was our problem: we planned our daily milage to avoid getting into camp late like we did the last RV trip. However, not getting on the road until noon threw a kink in the works as well as the traffic in and around Baltimore and Washington, DC.

With each traffic snarl, we did a quick calculation in our head to see how much later dinner was going to be. By the time we hit 6:00 pm and knowing camp was still far off, Bo decided to call an audible in the shape of Chik Fil A. Mom didn't have to worry about cooking, Dad didn't have to break speed limits and everyone got waffle fries; it was win, win.

So here we are in Lake Anna (a lake but no Annas in sight) a little tired and looking over our itinerary for tomorrow. Thankfully, we don't have much in the way of milage to cover and now we know not to spend two hours in the morning at our favorite grocery store.

Turkey Swamp with Little Swamp and No Turkeys

Day 2 - 259 miles

I'm half way across the universe! Well, as far as my knitting is concerned. I'm knitting the Northern Hemisphere night sky as a shawl. Why? Because. If I knew how to knit on the last RV trip, all of you reading this blog right now would be wearing a hat and scarf set from me.

Anyway, about our trip...

We woke up at 6:00am because our boys do not know the meaning of 'vacation' or 'sleeping in' or 'whisper so everyone else sleeping will not wake up.' Having woken up so early, we had second breakfast which consisted of ice cream and beef jerky. You should try it sometime.

The highlight of our day was a trip to the Pez Museum and Factory in Connecticut. Don't let the name museum fool you. It was more of a really cool Pez store. But it is the only Pez factory in North America and we got the low down on the history of Pez and how they're made. We also walked out with $25 of Pez for $9. I love a good bargain.

Where were these when we were in Japan, Dan & Ken?

We're in Turkey Swamp State Park in New Jersey for the night. I forgot to pack bowls for the soup we're suppose to eat tonight and the water hook up is 20 feet from the electric hook up. This means we can either have running water (good for drinking, flushing the toilet, etc.) or electricity (good for lights and charging iPods and computers) but not both. We chose electric because really, who needs to drink? But making sure you have your tunes is critical. Does this qualify for roughing it? No? Well, because we didn't check our water levels before leaving, Princess Git Er Done and Bo are having to fill up the water tank manually with a blender carafe and a ziploc bag as a funnel. How about now?

The night ended well anyway with a dinner of tacos in a bag. The family thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of eating out of a bag. I'm not sure what this says about us.

On the way to the camp site we passed a Wegmans so already I'm excited for tomorrow's leg of the trip. I might even score a bubble tea.

Packing

Home Sweet Home

I woke up at 3:00am thinking of things I needed to pack. No one should be up at 3:00am unless they're in labor. Or helping someone in labor. Thankfully I fell back asleep until a large dog started barking incessantly at 6:30am. Never had the desire to throttle a living creature been so strong.

We were due to pick up the rig at 2:00pm. I figured it would take us at least until 12:00pm to tell the boys we were going on a trip and then to get them and the van packed. To my great surprise, everyone was packed and ready to go by 10:00am. And by ready to go I mean they were in the van buckled in their seats. Bo had to go outside and explain to everyone that we couldn't leave until we got the call from the rental place that the rig was ready. So unless the kids wanted to spend the next four hours sitting in the van, they should come inside. I thought we should have seen how long they would have stayed out in the van until they realized we weren't leaving just yet.

We were finally able to get the trailer at 3:30pm. After a review of how to use the utilities on the rig, I asked the rental guy how high the rig was. He said 13'-6". Then we hitched up the rig and left. On our way to our first destination, Camp Iacobbo, we came upon an over pass with a sign saying, "Clearance 11'-6""

"WAIT!" TURN LEFT!!" I yelled.

The ever talented Bo Hunkmeister was able to hang a quick left into a large parking lot while I told him what our trailer height was.

"But if the guy said 13'-6", that's almost twice the height of our van." he said.

"You know, I didn't think of it that way." I said.

So we both got out and Bo, who cleverly thought to bring some tools, got out a tape measure and we measured the thing. Ten feet including the air conditioning unit on top. Having assured ourselves of adequate clearance, we still proceeded slowly through the over pass listening for that tell tale scrape. Thankfully, there was none.

We safely arrived at the Iacobbo's house at 5:00pm to prep the rig with our stuff, eat pizza, wish their daughter a hale and hearty happy birthday.

It's now 9:00pm. Things are quieting down now as the boys try to fall asleep and the girls spend some time with the Iacobbos, but we need to make it an early bedtime for everyone because tomorrow, we're off bright and early for Jersey.

On the Road Again

Hello?

*clears away the cobwebs*

I'm glad the ol' blog still works because we're going on the road again! That's right folks - those of you along the East coast might want to lock your doors 'cause the Kerrs are hitting the road!

Tomorrow morning we're taking off on a three week RV trip. I am all at once stressed and excited. Stressed because of things like: does everyone have flip flops? do we need flip flops? I should make a first aid kit with ointments, and bandages and salves? or should I just bring a very large box of band-aids and call it good?

Yet I'm excited at the thought of dropping out of our normal routine, hitting the road and seeing what there is to see. Seriously, it's a big old fun and scenic country we have here.

So far, the planning is going well and we have acquired the appropriate supplies. I bought the jumbo size beef jerky pack from BJ's Wholesale Club and made sure the iPod has the tunes we want. That should be adequate, right?

We have also decided to not tell our youngest children about the trip until the day we leave. This is in part because surprises are fun, but mostly because I didn't want to put up with being asked "When are we leaving?" 2,492 times.

No really.

Those with small children know I'm not exaggerating. As it is, if we tell the kids "Hey, we're going to FroyoWorld after dinner!" the youngest will immediately respond with, "When are we going to FroyoWorld?" So as you can see, to tell them of a trip of this epic proportion prematurely would surely result in me being committed to an institution.

As we did in '08, I'm hoping to blog about our travels to keep family and friends updated on the latest news. And so everyone knows where to send bail money to.

In the meantime, back to making sure we have enough snacks to get us to the next WalMart.