Our Summer Trip

Leif and Jason with the RV.

Leif and Mallard Duck chill in the backseat of the Honda Element. 

We worked as Transporters for a week, driving a brand-spanking new Honda Element from Merritt Island, Florida up to South Bend, Indiana.  Then we drove a 40' Fleetwood Storm RV from South Bend to Merritt Island.

The drive up was quick since we had to get the car up as soon as possible.

The drive back was lazy and fun!

And we've become addicted to RVing!

It's like sailing, but on land.

Jason was Captain, Leif was 1st Mate, and I was Navigator.

On the way up, we went through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana.

One the way back, we went through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Leif has now been through Kentucky and Indiana (those are firsts for him, the rest he's been through many times!)

 

This was the view through almost all of Indiana.

(This was our first day with the RV and the windshield was filthy.  We discovered that it got dirty quickly on the road, so at every gas station, we washed it until it was sparkly clean!  Leif helped.)

Indiana is just like I remember it with a few exceptions.  (I lived there for 5 years as a child, for those of you that don't know that, but this was my first time back in the state since then).  

It was cornfield after cornfield after cornfield, just like I remember.

What had changed, though, was the amount of chain stores and restaurants.

They weren't there when I lived there! 

 

We saw lots of Round Barns like this one and Jason explained the benefits of a Round Barn vs. a standard Rectangle Barn.  He is full of bizarre info like that. :)

 

For a large part of the way back, Leif got to ride shotgun up front.

He loved being up there with his Daddy, pointing out things, talking, and taking in the view.

I think that picture was either Southern Kentucky or Northern Tennessee.

Even though the RV had a TV and VCR, we didn't need to use them once.

Leif loved RVing - it was so much more spacious than a cramped car! 

 And the view from so high is great!

Leif climbed the rock to watch the choo-choo-ing train go by.

We stopped at a place called Amish Acres in Nappanee, Indiana.

We didn't get to go in, because they didn't open until 10, over 2 hours after we arrived (and we couldn't wait).

But Leif at least got to run around and watch trains (that's where the above photo was taken).

 

Checking out some things on the RV.

We got to stop and visit with Oma Ru and Aunt Nancy in Tennessee.

We stayed with them for two nights, but for some reason I didn't get any pictures of them!

 

They took us to Fort Loudon, an historic fort from the French and Indian War.  Leif loved this model cannon in the visitor's center.

We watched a movie on the Fort and after it was done, Leif climbed off my lap and said, "Well, that was fun," which made us all laugh.

 

Jason sweeping out one of the barracks.

He's always sweeping at State Parks!

After our visit, we drove on down to Georgia, where we frolicked at Vogel State Park.

 

This is where we frolicked.

 

One of my goals for the trip was to play in a creek.

We got to do that here.

We all loved it, especially Leif.

But when it came to leave, Leif and Jason were calling me out of the creek.

I didn't want to leave!

 

The water was co-old!

 

I took a ton of pictures from the banks of Jason and Leif, but my camera is having a focusing problem again, so most of them didn't turn out.  These are the few that kinda did.

 

Leif scampered over rocks and fallen trees like he'd been doing this all his life.

Even though neither Leif nor Jason had shoes on, we couldn't keep up with Leif!

He's taken to climbing trees in our yard since we've gotten back home.

I rather dread his teenage years where he might start looking to taller things to climb, like cliffs and mountains (says the pot about the kettle).

 

After Leif was warmed up, Jason bought him a tangerine lollypop. 

It nearly took him all day to eat!

Then we got back on the road again (naturally to Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" which we played every time we got back on the road.)  Leif has been singing it since we've been home.  Last night, he ran in circles around the house with his banjo, singing, "I like making music with my friends" etc.

 

As chief navigator, I tried very hard to keep us off of scary roads like The Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway.  I'm not sure, but we may have ended up on the skyway anyway.  It may be fun on a bike, but in a giant RV, it's downright terrifying (says Wimpy Me).  You see the road curving around and down?  Yeah - miles and miles and miles of that.  I think I said "Are you in a low gear?" and "Slow Down, Jason!" around every five seconds for around 15 miles.  Jason, I'm sure, appreciated my concern. ;)

Leif in the doorway of the RV, putting on his shoes.  (Doesn't he look just like a little Jason here?)

  

Finally, we were out of the heavy mountainous area, and we stopped to refuel.

Leif loved helping with that!

Even though the RV only got 8 miles to the gallon, we didn't have to stop that often for fuel, and it didn't cost much more overall than taking a car on the same trip.  I'm not sure how that worked out, but it did. :)

After we dropped the RV off in Merritt Island, we drove home (not a short trip in itself!)

We stayed at home for a day, and early the next morning, drove to Jacksonville (also not a short trip) to meet Grandmom and Granddad, who flew in for the day to visit.

We went to the beach and Leif played in the waves with his grandparents, and Jason and I went on walks down the beach.  It was beautiful....rough seas, but not very many people because the beach was at a Naval Station. 

 

Leif playing in the waves (and no, he wasn't all alone...Grandmom was just outside of the picture).

 

It was a great day for the beach - slightly overcast, so no beaming sun making it too hot to handle. Hot, but not sweltering, with a nice breeze.

 

It was weird to be at the beach (skin cancer and all) but I wore my big sunhat, long pants (which got soaked and started falling off - not so fun) and a shirt with sleeves to my elbows.  Every exposed part of me was slathered in sunscreen, and we were only there for an hour and a half, so that was good.

 

Jason watching Leif and Grandmom from the shore.

 

Leif and Grandmom watching a plane fly overhead.

 

Leif in the surf with Granddad.

 

Out of the waves to rest a bit.  But he still didn't want to let go of that noodle!

 

Grandmom washing sand off of Leif with her ingenious little bag o' water. :)

 

Once more into the fray!

The conditions were right for the kite to take flight. 

 Jason set it up as soon as we got there and Leif had some fly time after he was tuckered out by the waves.

We're back home now, all tuckered out from a few crazy weeks.

Why is it that sitting in a car for 18 hours straight is so tiring? :)

We had lots of fun, and it was just what we needed - a change of scenery and a chance to relax!

Here's to unplanned Summer Vacations!

I'm going to go eat some crab now.

;)