Day 33 - June 30, 2012

Day 33 – June 30, 2012

Minneapolis/StPaul – Des Moines, IA

240 miles/3 hours, 45 minutes

We had a very easy drive today, all interstate.  It was beautiful!  Corn stalks for as far as the eyes could see, dotted with silos and red barns.  Gorgeous.

Much hotter in Iowa than Minnesota, but I will not complain, as all my loved ones back home are suffering 100+ temps! 

The Iowa State House may be one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, but the kids begged me not to go in, and I relented….they were hot and I know I’ve pushed them too hard.

We checked in at our absolutely gorgeous hotel!!!!  It’s probably the nicest hotel so far, but there are no up charges!  We are in prime downtown & parking is free & so is internet & no bellman/valet (at least that I saw).

There is a swanky wedding going on, but I think they are more worried about my entourage, than I am about their after parties!   Should be a quite (fingers crossed) night.

We swam in the hotel pool for about an hour and then went to our favorite watering whole…Barnes & Noble, where we killed another hour.  Then we had a very nice dinner (by road trip standards) at the Rock Bottom Brewery.  Everyone has been wonderful today.

We are dialing up a movie tonight & going to bed early….big day planned tomorrow, heading to the Land of Lincoln.

Iowa, here we come

Downtown Des Mones

State House

Kids found cars outside the bookstore and helped themselves...

Day 32 - June 29, 2012

Day 32 – June 29, 2012

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

Are you bored yet?  I think we are…either that, or it’s just Minnesota.  Really not much going on here.  I’m tired too…and hot.

We hit the State Capitol first…missing the tour by 10 minutes, due to downtown St. Paul roads being torn up.  So we perused the pretty building by ourselves, for just a little while.  Next stop of our tour was the Mary Tyler Moore statue in downtown Minneapolis…which meant nothing to the kids, but I thought it was cool.  She (the character) was one of my childhood heroes, I wanted to work in a news room….it’s the reason I ended up at Loyola, in New Orleans, studying communications…before I chickened out.  (Long Story.)  But every time I moved to a big city…New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta…I thought of her when I caught sight of the city’s skyline, when driving up to the city, for the first time.

Next, the Minnesota Sculpture Garden….LAME!  Then I went to the house that served as Mary’s home (when she lived in the little apartment in Phyllis Linstrom’s house & Rhoda was her neighbor).  Although, it’s a private home and there were all kinds of police signs warning you not to park….blah, blah, blah.  Got my picturesJ.

Speaking of parking…I am happy to report that I did not pay for any parking today!  For all four sights, in the city….I parked illegally & got away with it!  Feeling like a rebel (and NO, I didn’t not admit my crimes to the children, I may be devious, but not dumb).  So, either the universe is paying me back, for spending a small fortune in Chicago Philly & Boston….or I’ve got some bad parking karma coming down the road…with three more cities to go.

Next, the Mall of the America.  Depending on how you look at it, it was a good or bad thing that this destination is at the end of the trip….tired and broke doesn’t bode well for shopping.   This did not affect the kids.  I’m not sure if the purpose of this mall is to promote retail shopping or serve as an entertainment complex for children.  They got to ride a roller coaster & a water flume.  Plus, all the Nickelodeon characters were walking around (which terrified Camden).  It was a mini Disney World.

Below are the pictures of all of us, on the water flume…look at Barrett’s picture.  I laughed so hard when I saw it, I started crying.  The girl who printed it out, doubled over in laughter and wiped her tears….she said it was, hands down, the funniest picture she’s ever seen, from the ride.  Poor Bear Bear…

There were tons of kiosks, with those pesky sales people, who accost you as you walk by.  One guy gave me a free sample of lotion and tried to get me to stop.  I explained I couldn’t because I had four kids.  Audrey piped up and said that wasn’t the reason….she explained that I don’t do that anymore because the last guy who stopped me tricked her mom into spending a hundred dollars, and that (with all the Audie-sassiness she could muster, hands on her hips) wasn’t going to happen again!  Swear to God.  I was speechless, and so was the guy.

We once again had some discipline issues.  I was in a store, which I cannot name, because I was there for Rich (remember we missed his birthday).  The kids were all segregated to an area by the door, and told to sit and behave while I checked out.  At one point Audrey did something, that led to one of the store clerks asking me if I minded if she stopped her from doing what she was doing (of which I was unaware).  I told her I absolutely didn't mind...have a go at her!  After that, I reminded the kids that there was no monkey business or we were leaving…last warning.  Well…you know how this ended.  We left the mall (“The greatest mall ever!” according to their cries)…with three of the four CRYING, begging for one more chance.  It's a sad day when Barrett is the best behaved of the bunch (of course, he was experiencing post traumatic stress from the ride).

I was glad to leave, because honestly, they were going shake me down for something.  Those rides weren’t free.  We stopped for a late lunch, on the way back to the hotel, and they were still crying/pouting.  The waitress walked up and gave me a tentative look….she asked me if everything was alright….I assured her that I was fine.  She asked me if I needed a cocktail…I laughed and told, yes, but no thanks.  Then Audrey , hiccupping, explained (to the waitress) that it was all her fault and she should never have been born.  Nice, huh?  Drama, drama, drama...

Back at the room…I’m reading  & watching TV & no one is talking to me, it’s awesome!  But I guess I’ll have to make-up with them before dinner.

I guess next year, I better keep the trip to just 4 weeks.

Minnesota Captiol

Minneapolis!....Mary Tyler Moore:)

The only cool sculpture in the Garden

Mary's little apartment...on the third floor.

Off they go, on the roller coaster

Poor Cammy...too little to ride.

Jimmie Nuetron

the Flume

Look at Bear Bear

Day 31 - June 28, 2012

Day 31 – June 28, 2012

Madison, WI/Wisconsin Dells/Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

290 miles/5 hours

Much better day today, people, much better!  Sorry for the vent yesterday.

After boogying out of Madison, we landed in Wisconsin Dells, which was very charming…, think Ocean City on a river…the Wisconsin River.  I haven’t seen that many rollercoasters, well probably ever, one after the other…who knew?  I was shaking in my shoes, thinking the kids would hound me about them, but I guess they were a bit imposing?

We took a jet boat ride on the river, full of high speed, donuts and lots of water.  It was fun.  The river and the surrounding rocks were so beautiful.  I was going to suggest miniature golf, after the ride, but the kids were all anxious to get to the hotel…little did they know it was 4 hours away.

They were troopers, though.  We got to Minneapolis/St. Paul about 3:30pm.  Our hotel has a “play land”….kinda like McDonalds on steroids.  I may not have to leave the hotel! 

We had an early dinner and planning an early bedtime.  Tomorrow we’re doing a quick tour of the Twin Cities, then the “play land” & the Mall of America.

Hot in Minnesota…95 degrees at 7p.m., but according to Rich, the ATL has us beat.

Day 30 - June 27, 2012

Day 30 – June 27, 2012

Madison, WI

A month, a whole freakin month!  I feel it today….all thirty days.  I think the kids do to.  We’ve hit a wall.  We are completely and totally on each other’s nerves!   That and it’s very, very hot!  95 today.

We went to the breakfast buffet, as we’ve done most mornings of the road trip…this should be old hat by now.  But they act like cows at a stampede.  They storm the buffet like they’ve never seen food before and God help the other guests in their way. 

Barrett has his routine.  He does the Safety Dance, in front of the juice dispenser, jumping with glee as he lets the juice fill up to the rim of his glass…and then, he squeaks like a mouse if he stops it, before it spills over.  Then he walks, on his tippy toes, gingerly, with the too-full glass out in front of him, as far as it can go.  Next, he sets it on the table, ever so carefully, then does his happy dance (not to be confused with the safety dance) and claps, and then, after he’s sat at the table, he inevitably spills it, while he takes the first sip.  Every time.

They fight over who gets the first waffle, they fight over which table we’ll sit, they fight over who sits next to Camden, they fight over which hotel had the best scrambled eggs…

I’m tired today and no good explanations as to why.  I slept really well and yesterday was a relatively easy day.  I was excited to be in Madison, because I’ve always read really nice things about the city.  But I think I’m a little burnt out.  Also not helping, is the audio book I’m listening too, by Anne Rivers Siddons.  I like my fiction light and there’s a good reason for it…the sad stuff really messes me up.  So far, the childhood best friend, the mother, and the loyal dog have all died.  Are you kidding me?  Where’s 50 Shades of Grey when you need it?

Yes, road warrior momma is ready to come home.  This DOES NOT mean I am going to tuck may tail and retreat, I am nothing if not tenacious….so I will soldier on, to the bitter end…it’s just that today, home sounds like the best place on Earth.  Everyone tucked into their own bed (ROOMS).  I need space.  I need Rich. 

Enough self-pity.

We went to the city’s number one “Thing to Do”, according to Trip Advisor…the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.  Very pretty, but unless you’re a botanist, won’t blow your skirt up.  We went to the State Capitol….kind of starting to feel like, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all…!

Parked the car at a garage that charges $0.75 cents an hour!  It was like winning the lottery (after $31 for four hours in Chicago).  We walked along State Street, which connects the Capitol to the University of Wisconsin.  Lots of funky shops, and an endless stream of foreign restaurants:  Turkish, Persian, Cambodian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Asian, Indian….not a cheeseburger or grilled cheese in sight.  We’re in Wisconsin, for cryin’ out loud!  I gave up and fed them ice cream for lunch.  I literally had no more energy to fight about it….they were never going to agree.   This should have bought me some good will…it. did. not.

We headed back to the car, I was going to surprise them with an unplanned trip to the zoo, when we saw a bookstore.  I wanted to go in (I like supporting Independent Booksellers!) and everyone readily agreed.  They had a kids section, so I let them go off, while I browsed.  This should really clarify my mood for the day….I did not buy a book…didn’t feel like it.  Didn’t even write down a title, to add to my list…nada.  I went to gather the troops…

I told them it was time to go and they needed to clean up (they’d done a number).  Well Cammy lost it.  He started crying hysterically…big fat tears, hyperventilating.  “Cammy, what’s wrong?”  “Audrey didn’t let me play, she made me play school!”  More tears, threw himself on the ground.  Audrey screams, “I DID NOT!  Hunter told him he had to play (school) with me.”  Hunter’s head jerks up from a book, and says loudly & emphatically, “What the crap AUDREY!  I did not!”   Then Barrett says, “What the Crap!”  Audrey swears that he did & everyone hates her.  Hunter says she’s a liar.  Camden continues to cry and points a finger at Audrey.  Then….get ready for it…Barrett, loudly and longly (not a word, I know, but the only way to describe it) yells, “Cccccccrrrrrrryyyyyyyaaaayyyyyyaaaaaayyyyyiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggggg!”

Stick a fork in us. Needless to say, no trip to the zoo.

It gets better.  Back at the garage….I lose my ticket.  What would have cost me $1.50, cost me $25.00.  No shit.  The damn broke.  I’m embarrassed to tell you, I started crying.   The poor attendant.  She offered to help me go back and look for it, asking me a million questions about where I could have put it…gave me all kinds of forms to fill out and mail in to get a refund.  I gave her my credit card and just said, “No thanks.

"

We stopped at Target, to replace Camden’s stink bombs, then back to the hotel.  I let the kids swim and not sure what’s next.

Y’all probably think I’m crazy…but lasting 30 days before my breakdown, wasn’t bad.  I’m confident that we’ll all be better tomorrow.  As Scarlet said…”Tomorrow is another day!”

Wisconsin State House

Under the rotunda

The Thai Garden at the botanical gardens...only structure of it's kind in North America 

Lake Monona

Lake Mendota

Day 29 - June 26, 2012

Day 29 - June 26, 2012

Chicago, IL/Milwaukee, WI/Madison, WI

187 miles/3 hours

We ventured north today, to Wisconsin.  Once we crossed the border, we made a pit stop at the Jelly Belly Factory, for a tour (and tasting).  The kids were very excited, but honestly, the tour was not much.  We rode a “Train” (think Northpoint mall’s train), through a warehouse, stopping every 20 feet, to watch a monitor explain part of the jellybean production process.  It was 20 minutes tops, then a bag of free jelly beans.  I guess it was good for the kids.

From Jelly beans….to beerJ.  After a quick mini-tour of downtown Milwaukee, we went to Miller Valley for their tour, which was more interesting and more inclusive.  We once again, ran into a NASCAR reference….the # 2 car is parked in the bottling plant….NASCAR is everywhere.  We got to go into the original caves where they stored the beer in the 19th century.  We were the only people on the tour, must have been a slow day. 

Then we went to Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers….beautiful ball park.  Our final stop was the town of Delafield, WI, where Aunite Lynn grew up.  It was adorable, we loved it.  A little Mayberry.

We’re in Madison now…great location, the hotel is adjacent to an Avenue type mall…won’t have to hunt for dinner or entertainment tonight.  I desperately need to find Cammy shoes….the nasty odor of his feet have infiltrated the hotel room…I thought there was something dead in the air-conditioner.  It is so unpleasant.  It’ll be my third attempt on the road trip to find shoes that’ll fit his wide dawgs.  Poor kid.

In the beer caves.

Miller Park

Auntie Liynn's hometown

Day 28 – June 25, 2012

Chicago, IL          

Another busy day.  The Super-Troopers were awesome.

We slept until 8:15….swear to God.  Don’t know what is happening to us!  I know its summer vacay…but I still felt kind of guilty.  Got to the city shortly after 10;00A.M. (TRAFFIC).  Our timing was perfect.  We literally walked right on the elevator to the Sky Deck of the Sears Tower (which has apparently been purchased by an English Company, not the Chinese dadJ-if you’re reading, and renamed the Willis Tower…will always be the Sears tower to me, even though I’d never been there before!).

Beautiful day & amazing views.  They have a “Sky Deck” which is a punched-out, Plexiglas cube, on the 103^rd floor!  At first, only Hunter was brave enough to do it!  Then we saw that there was another sky deck, where they were taking pictures.  Audrey refused  (but later changed her mind as evidenced by the photo below).  I gingerly went out, holding Camden (who was not happy), and I was very, very scared.  I swear at one point, I felt the thing move…I swear.  The photographer said it was the camera moving.  Bear was as nervous as I’ve EVER seen him, but he did it.

Next, we took the water taxi to Navy Pier.  The girl on the boat did not like us (I think she sensed trouble, which I can understand, but she seriously, she did not like us).  She followed us the whole time, for the 20 minute ride, she was beside us.  The kids could kneel on the seats, which they had to do, to see anything, but their feet COULD NOT touch the seats?  She yelled at everyone one of the kids, at least once.  I didn’t dare say anything, if that tells you something.  And honestly, they were strangely well behaved.  After the first stop, the kids moved to the upper deck…she followed us, swear to God.  Whatever….I’m the first to admit, when they’re assholes, but this time, they didn’t deserve it.

Navy Pier…windy!  We rode the Ferris wheel, and I discovered Bear’s Achilles Heel.  Wow….he did not like it.  Not sure if it was the wind, cold, or height of the wheel, but he put his head in my lap and didn’t move it till we got off.  Then he held my hand for 20 straight minutes!

Next, I threw the kids in a cab, to head to the American Girl Doll place….first cab ride for most of themJ.  I was trying to save time, while they ate their French fries….and I really wanted to beat the traffic, too.  The American Girl store is probably 3 times the size of the one in ATL…Aud was in heaven!  Boys were pretty good, too.  Then we walked along Michigan Avenue to the Chicago Riverwalk.  What a gorgeous city.  I really like it here. 

We kept walking, all the way back to the car, 3 miles…I don’t know how I pulled it offJ, but I did.  They were so mad at me when I told them how far we'd walked….lazy bums.  And I had to carry Cammy 75% of the time!

Got an oil change on the way home and a cheap & easy fast food dinner….Chicago tourism adds up…cha-ching.  Sad to go tomorrow, but also ready to move onto the next adventure.

 

Views from the 103rd floor

Brave Hunter

Cammy. not happy:(

On the water taxi

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View of the Chicago Mart, from the water taxi

Navy Pier

Barrett - lost his mojo on the Ferris wheel

Chicago Riverwalk

Cab Ride

American Girl Mecca!