A Grand Tour of The Entire Midwest, But Mostly Wisconsin (UPDATE 11/12--BONUS Texas TR NOW COMPLETE)

[irene_dsc]

Somehow, I'm still not getting notifications, but it suddenly occurred to me that I probably wasn't, and...4 or 5 more pages! Good thing I woke up super early with nothing to do but catch up on TRs.

Starting from the end - I also had spinal fusion surgery about 30 years ago for scoliosis. Missed a lot of school, and can't do gymnastics (no backbends, etc), but otherwise good. Will keep Sarah in my thoughts.

I also share your thoughts on football. I love watching it, but hate seeing people get hurt. I'm thankful my son chose not to play, even though he'd probably be very good at it. One of dd's friends plays, and I worry about him, esp when I watch a player on tv being carted off the field.

Pkondz - it's probably too late if you missed it in your planning, but the Chicago Botanic Gardens have a Japanese garden! It's actually north of Chicago, I think in Glencoe. There also are Japanese gardens in Rockford, about an hour west of me. Anderson Gardens, iirc.

All the dam jokes remind me of Percy Jackson, lol.

Drew sleeps a lot like dd did at that age. She finally outgrew it, but I failed to document it in photos while it lasted. One of my many parental failings. But, I looked at the link from the old TR with David. That was quite impressive! I can see why you needed to record it for posterity!

I do love that you have mapped out your 50 state plan. It actually looks pretty doable! I am at 42 right now, but don't have a plan to get the rest, and many of them are without the rest of the family. And dh has 2 I don't have - Hawaii and Washington.

It also appears I need to track down Steppe's DL TR...

 

[pkondz]

I've been asking that for years, and yet you guys keep reading this crap.

You just answered your own question.

Where does one find crap?
where does one tend to read it?


voila.

Until you're the one making the rules.

My bad
It should be. Other people's rules are meant to be broken.

Now this is a man who loves him some Japanese gardens. I hope it was worth the trip!

Doing things like that does make for a good story. I would do it for certain sporting events. Like if I got tickets to the Masters, or something.

Totally get that.
If someone told me Indy cars were going to the Milwaukee Mile...

I've been trying to get the items to re-create this:

Cuts down on the commute time, too.

I don't usually talk much about my day-to-day life here on the boards. Mostly it's because I don't think you'll find it very interesting.

This is very, very true.




(Actually... not according to your always entertaining FB posts.)

Yesterday, we had our yearly checkup. Sarah's curve now measured 58 degrees

Oh, no. I'm obviously uninformed, but that sounds like a lot in one year.

So...we are looking at major surgery for our daughter.

Oh, man. for you and your family.

I asked for adamantium rods as well as retractable claws like Wolverine, but the doctor obfuscated in his response by giving me a lot of medical mumbo-jumbo such as, "Adamantium doesn't exist" and "you're an idiot". So clearly he just doesn't know what he's talking about.

Leave it to you to find the humour in a difficult situation.
You did that for us to make us more comfortable. Thank you.

All kidding aside, this is major, major surgery and is not to be taken lightly. On the plus side, this hospital is one of the best children's hospitals in the country, and the doctor is a nationally recognized expert. So we are in very, very good hands, and we've talked to many families who have been through this procedure. It seems to have a very high rate of success, and if successful, she should be able to live a completely full life: pain free, no movement restrictions, able to play sports, ride roller coasters, have kids, etc. When you look at the long-term quality of life, the decision is a no-brainer in my opinion.

It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research and know what is best for her.

if all goes well, she should be home by day 3.

Wow! That's... incredible.

So, if you think of it, please lift up Sarah in your prayers. Thanks!

Oh, dude. I already was.

 

[akemom]

I got a little behind but I just finished reading about your last few days, glad your flight home was uneventful!

I will keep your daughter in my thoughts, young people heal so fast and truly bounce back quickly! I know a girl that had the same surgery as a teenager and it truly changed her life! Now she is finishing her nursing degree and plans to work in orthopedics. And she's 3 or 4 inches taller! My sister also works at a hospital for an orthopedic surgeon so I hear about these surgeries- apparently much more exciting than the everyday knee replacement! Universal will be an awesome surprise!

Love your future travel plans, especially Alaska! I can't wait for your tips to get a large family there on a reasonable budget. Are you thinking about an Alaskan cruise? Or will it be a land trip?

I look forward to reading about your family's next adventure!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hey, I too know a thing or two about being a public/gov't worker!

It's all peaches and cream, right? According to the newspaper, we all live like kings!

Oh a much more serious note, I will absolutely be praying for Sarah and for your whole family. I had major hip surgery at age nine, for hip dysplasia, so I know a thing or two about orthopedic surgery on a personal level. The surgery itself and the recovery is never fun, but the outcomes are generally excellent. I was also fortunate to have my surgery at a top ranked children's hospital, by an expert in hip dysplasia, and so I know how much of a comfort that can be too. Would love to share my story further with you (or anyone else), if you'd care to read it.

Absolutely, I'd love to hear about your experience. I've been trying to talk to as many people as possible to get an idea of what to expect.

I'm sorry to hear about Sarah's upcoming surgery, but can understand why you are feeling relieved to finally just have an answer and an action plan. It's such a scary/helpless feeling to have to watch our kids go though medical stuff.

We were getting tired of hearing, "It's borderline, let's wait on it and come back next year and see where she is." I'm better when I know what's coming and can prepare for it. I'm sure most of you feel the same way.

But yes, it's not going to be fun to endure this. Sarah will have the worst of it, to be sure, but it is very hard to be helpless as a parent.

Once again, thanks for giving us another informative and entertaining report! Looking forward to your Poor Man's pre-trip report for this summer (and any TX and NM stuff you care to add!).

I need to upload our Texas photos! Seems like summer has been crazy busy for us so far.

praying

Thanks, Randall!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Somehow, I'm still not getting notifications, but it suddenly occurred to me that I probably wasn't, and...4 or 5 more pages! Good thing I woke up super early with nothing to do but catch up on TRs.

Weird. Sometimes I get lost and miss updates, too. It happens.

Starting from the end - I also had spinal fusion surgery about 30 years ago for scoliosis. Missed a lot of school, and can't do gymnastics (no backbends, etc), but otherwise good. Will keep Sarah in my thoughts.

I'm glad it worked out for you! Are you glad you had the surgery done? I'm sure it's changed quite a bit in 30 years.

I also share your thoughts on football. I love watching it, but hate seeing people get hurt. I'm thankful my son chose not to play, even though he'd probably be very good at it. One of dd's friends plays, and I worry about him, esp when I watch a player on tv being carted off the field.

I'm sure that would be hard for any football parent. I don't know if I would let my kids play or not. Luckily, they're all built like me and would get annihilated if they ever set foot on a field, so we all just know to avoid it.

Pkondz - it's probably too late if you missed it in your planning, but the Chicago Botanic Gardens have a Japanese garden! It's actually north of Chicago, I think in Glencoe. There also are Japanese gardens in Rockford, about an hour west of me. Anderson Gardens, iirc.

Gotta love the DIS...always willing to help out!

All the dam jokes remind me of Percy Jackson, lol.

My son read that book and pointed that part out to me. For some reason, he thought I'd like it.

Drew sleeps a lot like dd did at that age. She finally outgrew it, but I failed to document it in photos while it lasted. One of my many parental failings. But, I looked at the link from the old TR with David. That was quite impressive! I can see why you needed to record it for posterity!

We need this for the rehearsal dinner! Like you said, he won't sleep this way forever. At least, I hope not.

I do love that you have mapped out your 50 state plan. It actually looks pretty doable! I am at 42 right now, but don't have a plan to get the rest, and many of them are without the rest of the family. And dh has 2 I don't have - Hawaii and Washington.

I hope we can pull it off! Alaska is going to be a tough one for sure. Just set a goal and then work to make it happen!

It also appears I need to track down Steppe's DL TR...

I totally missed that one when she started it.

You just answered your own question.

Where does one find crap?
where does one tend to read it?


voila.

I am a full-service operation here.

My bad
It should be. Other people's rules are meant to be broken.

That sounds more fun.

Totally get that.
If someone told me Indy cars were going to the Milwaukee Mile...

We've all got those certain things we just can't say no to.

Cuts down on the commute time, too.

And you can drop anvils on your enemies!

This is very, very true.




(Actually... not according to your always entertaining FB posts.)

Well, thank you. Mostly those are just describing whatever dumb thing Drew is doing that day. If it was just about me, it would be: got up. Went to work. Worked. Came home. Ate dinner. Went to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Oh, no. I'm obviously uninformed, but that sounds like a lot in one year.

Yeah, I've been shocked twice in the last 2 doctor visits. Last year was her first out of the brace, and she was still going through the end of puberty. So I thought for sure that her curvature would worsen after taking the brace off. Instead, it measured exactly the same as the year before, at 48 degrees. So this year, I didn't know what to expect, and was waiting for yet another "wait and see" direction from the doctor. Instead, it worsened by 10 degrees. It's been a weird ride, for sure. But I do prefer to have a definite answer over "wait and see".

Oh, man. for you and your family.

Thank you. It really helps to have so much support from our friends.

Leave it to you to find the humour in a difficult situation.
You did that for us to make us more comfortable. Thank you.

I do that for me, too. If I can joke about it, then it doesn't seem as scary to me. It's also, like you noted, a way to release the tension for all of you. It's a signal to let you know that hey, it's ok to joke about it. You don't have to be solemn. Life is still going on. We are all called to go through tough stretches in life. There are so many people who have it much worse.

It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research and know what is best for her.

The hospital has been really good about putting information in our hands. The doctor is very knowledgeable, and great at taking the time to answer our questions. They put on a seminar once a year where kids who have had this surgery, and parents who have been through it, take the time to talk to us about their experiences. It's been very helpful.

Wow! That's... incredible.

Yeah, I really hope she is home that fast. Nobody wants more than the bare minimum of hospital food. I'll probably have to smuggle food in to her as it is.

Oh, dude. I already was.

Thank you so much. We appreciate your prayers and everyone else's!

I got a little behind but I just finished reading about your last few days, glad your flight home was uneventful!

Nice to have a boring flight for once!

I will keep your daughter in my thoughts, young people heal so fast and truly bounce back quickly! I know a girl that had the same surgery as a teenager and it truly changed her life! Now she is finishing her nursing degree and plans to work in orthopedics. And she's 3 or 4 inches taller! My sister also works at a hospital for an orthopedic surgeon so I hear about these surgeries- apparently much more exciting than the everyday knee replacement! Universal will be an awesome surprise!

That's great to hear! It's always comforting to hear as many success stories as possible. Sarah is very excited about getting taller!

Love your future travel plans, especially Alaska! I can't wait for your tips to get a large family there on a reasonable budget. Are you thinking about an Alaskan cruise? Or will it be a land trip?

Well, we don't know if the budget is reasonable yet!

I would love to do a cruise, but I'm not sure it will work. Cruising is very expensive to begin with. Most cruise ships are not set up to take more than 4 people in one room, so the options for us would be either to book the most expensive suite or 2 rooms. Both of those options would take the price from "expensive" to "LOL". So I think it will most likely be a land trip, unless I can convince my parents to come along and take a couple of kids in their room.

I look forward to reading about your family's next adventure!

Thanks! Hopefully one day I'll get the time to write about it!

 

[afwdwfan]

So, if you think of it, please lift up Sarah in your prayers. Thanks!

Done.

It sounds like you've taken plenty of time to think about everything and you're definitely making the right choice. I know it will be scary, but it will definitely be best for her in the long run.





I would look into finding a different doctor though. If he can't make her Wolverine, he must be a quack.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I would look into finding a different doctor though. If he can't make her Wolverine, he must be a quack.

I have to agree. I mean, seriously, how hard can it be to come up with some adamantium?

(Seriously though @Captain_Oblivious, I'm keeping you, Sarah and your family in my thoughts and wishing you the best possible outcome.)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Done.

It sounds like you've taken plenty of time to think about everything and you're definitely making the right choice. I know it will be scary, but it will definitely be best for her in the long run.

Major surgery is never something you enter into willingly or lightly. And there are always risks with it. So that's the scary part. But in talking with the doctors, they've told us how all of their studies show going without surgery will make her quality of life so much worse down the road. It's not hard to picture that. So I think it's the only logical choice.

I would look into finding a different doctor though. If he can't make her Wolverine, he must be a quack.

I think he's lazy and just doesn't want to do it. But if you're going to be doing all this work anyway, why not go full Wolverine?

I have to agree. I mean, seriously, how hard can it be to come up with some adamantium?

I was just at a baseball game last night, with guys on every street corner trying to unload adamantium. No excuse.

(Seriously though @Captain_Oblivious, I'm keeping you, Sarah and your family in my thoughts and wishing you the best possible outcome.)

Thank you, Jeff! We really appreciate it.

 

[scrappydew]

I will definitely keep Sarah and your family in my prayers. Hope you have a wonderful summer, and am looking forward to more trip reports!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I will definitely keep Sarah and your family in my prayers. Hope you have a wonderful summer, and am looking forward to more trip reports!

Thank you! I appreciate the prayers, and I hope you have a great summer too!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 23: The Final Countdown


As I mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, we ended 2016 with the big kids at 42 states and Drew at 32. Sarah just finished her freshman year of high school, so we have four more summers to try and finish off the 50-state quest before she leaves for college, which is the completely arbitrary deadline we’ve set for ourselves. As it is, we’ll probably start having to deal with summer jobs and trying to schedule our trips around those pretty soon—because working around the school schedule just wasn’t challenging enough. Anyway, here is the tentative plan to get to all 50 states:


2017: Road trip through the deep south. This will get us five more states we need: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I’ll go into more detail in the Poor Man’s PTR below.


2018: The 50-State Tour goes on hiatus for Drew’s first Walt Disney World Extravaganza. Our reasoning for doing this in 2018 is as follows:

1. It’s Disney. Isn’t that reason enough?

2. Our kids were last in Walt Disney World in 2012. They’re going through withdrawal.

3. Drew is now over 40 inches tall (yes, he’s big for a 3-year-old), so he hits the magic number for most of the rides.

4. My brother and sister-in-law want to take their kids for the first time, and asked for us to go with them to provide expert assistance.

5. I saw that Star Wars Land is opening in 2019. While I love Star Wars, I hate crowds. And I think this announcement means 2019 is going to be insane at WDW. I have learned the value of patience as I’ve aged, and do not feel the need to be the first to get the latest gadgets, see the new movies, or ride the new rides. I’m happy to wait out the crowds and head back for my taste of Star Wars land in a couple of years.

2019: Pacific Northwest. This will get us to Oregon and Washington (and hopefully we’ll get to see @Steppesister !). My struggle in looking ahead at this trip is trying to figure out if I should go for Glacier National Park or Yosemite. I think it’s probably biting off more than we can chew to do both in the same trip.


2020: Just after Sarah graduates high school, we’ll be ready to take on Alaska. As long as I have the funding figured out by then.


Before I get to the plan for our Deep South trip, here’s a final look back at my personal rankings of the experiences we had on our tour of the Midwest (but Mostly Wisconsin). As always, I will do this in list format, because it’s easy and I’m lazy. And then it will devolve into random lists that have nothing to do with anything, other than it’s fun to put things in lists and then debate them.


Best Attractions We Visited

6. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
5. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
4. Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, Illinois
3. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
2. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
1. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, South Dakota


Top 5 Meals

4. Fritz’s, Kansas City, Missouri
3. (tie) The Machine Shed, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
3. (tie) The 5-8 Club, Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. (tie) Millstone Family Restaurant, Rapid City, South Dakota
2. Wurst Bier Hall, Fargo, North Dakota
1. Kansas City BBQ Extravaganza, Kansas City, Kansas


Worst Drives

(Tie) I-94 through North Dakota
(Tie) I-80 through Nebraska
(Tie) I-70 through Missouri

Basically, just don’t drive in the Midwest.


Best Drive

Needles/Iron Mountain Highways, Black Hills, South Dakota

Best DISMeets

Hanging out with Barry (@FreezinRafiki ), Bambi and Family
Hanging out with Karin (@MNtwinsplus1mom ) and Family
Gorging on BBQ with Aaron and Family


Things I Never Need To Experience Again

5. I-94 through North Dakota
4. I-80 through Nebraska
3. The line to get into the Gateway Arch, St. Louis
2. Carrying Drew on a mile-long walk through a rainstorm
1. 9 hours of flight delays, followed by a cancellation, followed by our bags disappearing for 2 days, followed by getting up at 1:30 a.m. for the new flight, followed by discovering all of our clothes are soaked in our luggage.


Best Spur-of-the-Moment Idea

Visiting Bay Beach park in Green Bay, Wisconsin (credit to Bambi, wife of @FreezinRafiki i)


Biggest Regrets

4. Missing out on Voyageurs National Park and the Lake Superior coast/scenic drive, Minnesota
3. Missing out on lunch in Fargo with @pkondz
2. Being unable to figure out how to fit Winnipeg into the itinerary
1. Missing out on the Twins/Phillies game the first night and having to break the news to my son


Most Likely Return Visits

• Black Hills region, South Dakota
• Kansas City, just for the barbecue
• Chicago Museum of Science & Industry
• Lambeau Field, if Barry ever comes through on those tickets
• Do-over for northern Minnesota

Least Likely Return Visits*

• Ekalaka, Montana
• Most of North Dakota
• Most of Nebraska

*--I would have included Iowa, but as it so happens I am being sent to a conference for work in Des Moines in July!


Best Books I’ve Read in the 21st Century

(Hey, this is travel-related. I read a lot of books on airplanes)

9. Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
8. The Boys In The Boat, Daniel James Brown
7. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
6. A Higher Call, Adam Makos
4. Bull Mountain, Brian Panowich
4. The Martian, Andy Weir
3. The Given Day, Dennis Lehane
2. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
1. 11/22/63, Stephen King


Favorite Movies of the 21st Century (in no particular order)

Gladiator
Creed
Finding Nemo
Inception
3:10 To Yuma
Gravity
Casino Royale
Argo
Black Hawk Down
Hell or High Water
And I'm really impressed with how they've pulled off the whole Marvel shared cinematic universe.


Favorite TV Series

Justified
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
Fargo
Cheers
Band of Brothers



A Poor Man’s Pre-Trip Report for the Deep South, 2017


Have I lost you yet? You’re still here? Fine, here’s the plan for our summer trip this year.


Day 1: Driving all day to my uncle’s place in Virginia. Crash there.

Day 2: Hiking/shooting stuff, as my uncle likes to do. Then drive to Cherokee, North Carolina.

Day 3: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, followed by Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Day 4: Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia. Still undecided on doing World of Coca-Cola or CNN Studios tours.

Day 5: MLK National Historic Site in the morning. Then driving west to Arkansas, with a stop for BBQ in Memphis.

Day 6: Hot Springs National Park, followed by Crater of Diamonds State Park and a quick hop across the border to cross off Oklahoma. Sorry, Oklahoma. Spending the night in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Day 7: Vicksburg battlefield (Mississippi), then New Orleans (hopefully visit N.O. Jazz National Historic Site).

Day 8: Thought about more New Orleans here (WWII Museum), but instead we’re managing long drives over the next two days. Stopping near Pensacola, Florida for Gulf Islands National Seashore, finishing the night in Tallahassee, Florida.

Day 9: Driving all day to W. Palm Beach, Florida.

Day 10: Everglades National Park and Biscayne Bay National Park, returning to W. Palm Beach.

Day 11: Kennedy Space Center, followed by [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Day 12: [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Day 13: Driving all day to Fort Mill, SC. Possible DIS meet(s) happening.

Day 14: Heading home.

Day 15: Crash.


So there you have it! I think this may actually set a new road trip record for mileage for us. Unfortunately, that mileage will be piled onto our own van this time.


But, hey—that’s what we have it for.


Let me know what you think! Are we nuts? Any suggestions? Things we should do differently? Places to eat? Things we shouldn’t miss?


Coming Up Next: I’ll do a quick TR of our Texas vacation over spring break, if I ever get the photos uploaded.

 

[Steppesister]

Hey Mark,

Finally have a few open minutes to fill with stuff I wanna do (like read TRs) rather than with stuff I have to do (like go to work and come home, eat, lather, rinse, repeat).

I had read your post about Sarah and have been praying for her and you 2 as you make decisions. No, every surgery has risks and should be done with an informed, sound decision. Sounds like you've got a good team on your side and I absolutely agree, solid direction, either way, is better than, "let's wait and see, we're not sure".

Thanks for the update and keep us posted as you journey through this. We'll be here for you standing in the gap.

 

[Steppesister]

I see you simultaneously posted when I did. So.... this PTR is for THIS summer??

When?

So, a trip to the PNW! Nice!

ETA:

No, I'd not suggest you do both. Honestly, if you do Yosemite you could also hit the Sequoias and the Redwoods and SF on the way up, but Glacier may be equally scenic. Tough call.

(Passports for the whole fam will be spendy.)

 

[Allison Joy]

3. Drew is now over 40 inches tall (yes, he’s big for a 3-year-old), so he hits the magic number for most of the rides.

Oh wow! You want to know when I hit 40 inches tall? When I was seven. Seriously. I just checked. (Yes, my growth was unusual enough for me to keep records as an adult) I was paying adult prices at Six Flags while still not being able to ride quite a few of the rides. Go figure, right AFTER I hit the height to be able to ride all the rides is when they changed it to height based instead of age based. (Looking at when I hit 48 inches (age 11) it was probably only one year where I was paying the higher price, but still.)

Best Attractions We Visited

6. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
5. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
4. Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, Illinois
3. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
2. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
1. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, South Dakota

I'm actually impressed that the arch was number 2!

Worst Drives

(Tie) I-94 through North Dakota
(Tie) I-80 through Nebraska
(Tie) I-70 through Missouri

AMEN to that one. I have a love-hate relationship with I-70... I love to hate it. And avoid it whenever I can. Even if it's supposed to be the best route downtown, I avoid it, based purely on the principle of the matter.

Best Books I’ve Read in the 21st Century

(Hey, this is travel-related. I read a lot of books on airplanes)

9. Dark Matter, Blake Crouch
8. The Boys In The Boat, Daniel James Brown
7. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
6. A Higher Call, Adam Makos
4. Bull Mountain, Brian Panowich
4. The Martian, Andy Weir
3. The Given Day, Dennis Lehane
2. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
1. 11/22/63, Stephen King

Oh my goodness. 'Unbroken" was a wonderful book. An extremely hard read at times, but just... wow. Mind blowing.

And "A Higher Call" (after Googling it) looks like one I would love too. I'll have to put that on my list.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

Really? Ready Player One, 7?

 

[Terra Nova guy]

5. I saw that Star Wars Land is opening in 2019. While I love Star Wars, I hate crowds. And I think this announcement means 2019 is going to be insane at WDW. I have learned the value of patience as I’ve aged, and do not feel the need to be the first to get the latest gadgets, see the new movies, or ride the new rides. I’m happy to wait out the crowds and head back for my taste of Star Wars land in a couple of years.

My thoughts exactly. I might seriously look at 2018 as well. It's been almost three years since my last trip so I'm due another.

we’ll be ready to take on Alaska. As long as I have the funding figured out by then.

Funding. That's always the hard part.

1. Missing out on the Twins/Phillies game the first night and having to break the news to my son

It's bad enough missing out on things but breaking the news to your kids is even worse.

And I'm really impressed with how they've pulled off the whole Marvel shared cinematic universe.

Me too. And I'm really not much of a comic book fan, but I must admit to actually owning Avengers and Civil War on bluray.

You’re still here?

Meh...most of me

Day 11: Kennedy Space Center, followed by [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Top secret? It must be Cocoa Beach! What else of any interest could possibly be about an hour drive west of Kennedy Space Center?

 

[QueenJen]

1. It’s Disney. Isn’t that reason enough?

Of course. I mean it's Disney - no reason needed.

2. Our kids were last in Walt Disney World in 2012. They’re going through withdrawal.

i think the only thing that has saved you is the trip to DL.

I have learned the value of patience as I’ve aged, and do not feel the need to be the first to get the latest gadgets, see the new movies, or ride the new rides.

I like the way you think - here I thought I was being cheap waiting - I just have patience. I only switched from a flip/slide phone to an iphone (used) a couple years ago because the price was right (read free).

Day 1: Driving all day to my uncle’s place in Virginia. Crash there.

How fun - hiking, shooting, and it sounds like the cost for lodging is in the right range.

Day 11: Kennedy Space Center, followed by [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Day 12: [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Could it be a little mini trip to WDW just for a taste?

Unfortunately, that mileage will be piled onto our own van this time.

Ouch - Always a hard pill to swallow putting those miles on your own car in such a short period of time

Are we nuts?

I'm gonna go with yes - just because you are opening yourself up by asking this group.

Hope you guys have a great time. Can't wait to read about it.

 

[pooh'smate]

I live in Nebraska and if I never have to drive out to western Nebraska again I will be happy. I hate that drive and I hate driving through Iowa just as much.

 

[Poolrat]

You have the best adventures.. Would love to hear about Texas.

As for Sarah, all the prayers and good wishes for her surgery. I know she is in good hands.


For the summer trip.

Day 2: Hiking/shooting stuff, as my uncle likes to do. Then drive to Cherokee, North Carolina.

Day 3: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, followed by Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Day 13: Driving all day to Fort Mill, SC. Possible DIS meet(s) happening.

When ? We are pretty close and really close to FT. Mill if it works out.

 

[afwdwfan]

2017: Road trip through the deep south. This will get us five more states we need: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Nice!

1. It’s Disney. Isn’t that reason enough?

Well, yeah. So why did you feel the need to keep justifying it?

3. Drew is now over 40 inches tall (yes, he’s big for a 3-year-old), so he hits the magic number for most of the rides.

The most important milestone!

5. I saw that Star Wars Land is opening in 2019. While I love Star Wars, I hate crowds. And I think this announcement means 2019 is going to be insane at WDW. I have learned the value of patience as I’ve aged, and do not feel the need to be the first to get the latest gadgets, see the new movies, or ride the new rides. I’m happy to wait out the crowds and head back for my taste of Star Wars land in a couple of years.

I can't wait to see the new Star Wars land, but I can't disagree with your logic. Having seen the zoo that Pandora was despite so many saying they didn't care for that addition, I can only imagine how crazy Star Wars will be.

2019: Pacific Northwest. This will get us to Oregon and Washington (and hopefully we’ll get to see @Steppesister !). My struggle in looking ahead at this trip is trying to figure out if I should go for Glacier National Park or Yosemite. I think it’s probably biting off more than we can chew to do both in the same trip.

Awesome! I love the PNW. Beautiful scenery.

2020: Just after Sarah graduates high school, we’ll be ready to take on Alaska. As long as I have the funding figured out by then.

Good luck. We're all counting on you.

1. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, South Dakota

Because what is going to beat a missile?

1. 9 hours of flight delays, followed by a cancellation, followed by our bags disappearing for 2 days, followed by getting up at 1:30 a.m. for the new flight, followed by discovering all of our clothes are soaked in our luggage.

Nothing else on the list even comes close to competing with this.

Hiking/shooting stuff, as my uncle likes to do.

Well, who doesn't like shooting stuff?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, followed by Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Wow! Big day! I love going to the Smoky Mountains. Do you know what you are going to try to do/see there?

Day 6: Hot Springs National Park, followed by Crater of Diamonds State Park and a quick hop across the border to cross off Oklahoma. Sorry, Oklahoma. Spending the night in Shreveport, Louisiana.

I've been around Oklahoma. You're giving it its due.

Day 11: Kennedy Space Center, followed by [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

Day 12: [REDACTED – TOP SECRET]

What on Earth could possibly be top secret in Central Florida???

Let me know what you think! Are we nuts?

Of course you are! But we already knew that.

Places to eat?

Well, this might be a little out of your way depending on where you end up going in the Smoky Mountains, and it isn't your usual hole in the wall Diners, Drive Ins and Dives type establishment... but if you happen to make it to Pigeon Forge, there is a Paula Deen's Family Kitchen that serves lunch family style. It isn't cheap, but in comparison to what you pay at other places in the area and for the quality of food you get, the lunch is very reasonably priced, IMO. I ate probably 2 or 3 fried chickens there if you add all the pieces up. That stuff was like crack.