cadMOM and I just returned from what I felt was the trip of a lifetime (she may have different ideas). cadKID#2, a rising JR at Annapolis now "qualifies" to have a car on campus, so we decided to drive him one from Stockton, CA to the East Coast.
Picture National Lampoon Family Vacation...
Grand Teton / Jackson Hole was the first stop (not much across NEV/UT, then Yellowstone (we saw elk, moose, buffalo, griz, sheep, goat, fox, antelope, marmot, prarie dog, and rattle snake), got snowed on, then Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum.
Got snowed on again in the Big Horns, then on to the Black Hills (missed the turn off for Devil's Tower) and Mt Rushmore. WALL Drug, then the Badlands and the Corn Palace in Mitchell (for years cadMOM thought I was just kidding), then the World's Largest Tin Foil Ball, a tornado (very close) in Tomah, Wisc. Too late one night for Juanita The Bearded Snake Lady, but next was the Muskie Capital of the World in Eagle River and off through the UP of Michigan. The Straits of Mackinaw were all fogged in but Harbor Springs was lovely.
We caught up with ofcrKID#1 and the Lakewood Blueclaws in Hagerstown, MD and toured Antietam Battlefield. A week of watching college wood bat in the Cal Ripken League (the Siver Springs Thunderbolts of all things!) and then 10 days of watching the BC's on the Jersey Shore.
5500 miles all together. Never spent over $100 on a hotel room. Best meal on the trip was papusas at a Salvadoran restaurant in Bowie, MD. cadMom promised to help with the driving... one morning she pulled the car around from the back of the hotel... we are the best friends in the world!
Wonderful to see our boys, and wonderful to enjoy this unbelievable country of ours...
Now I sleep...
cadDAD
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Posts: 475 | Location: California | Registered: December 16, 2005
Sounds like a Great trip! Seeing God's handy work throughout this grand nation of ours, with your best friend who happens to be your spouse and topping it all off with getting to see your boys play baseball. It just doesn't get much better than that!!!
We got to visit a friend who lives in Eagle River, in the UP following a baseball tournament in 2001. One son Still talks about Thimble berry jam. He's a Senior this year in High School and he wants her to send him some for Graduation!! Hope you had some while you were there!
This summer we went to visit our Oldest Son who is playing ball in the Valley League. We got to meet Hokieone and have the best milkshakes at the hometown drugstore in Woodstock! Our player had a couple of days off and the whole family celebrated the fourth of July in Wash DC by viewing the declaration of independence, constitution and bill of rights, national monuments, and museums. We observed the fireworks by sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looking out across the reflecting pool towards the Washington Monument, awesome. As someone else has said "baseball has been very, very, good to me."
Enjoy your rest...
Posts: 196 | Location: TN | Registered: October 24, 2006
I am soooo jealous ... sounds like a wonderful road trip and right up our alley. We have a travel trailer and I love to go where many do not travel around the greatest country on God's green earth.
As for sharing the driving ... my husband might "let" me pull the car around from the back of the motel, but despite offers by me on a regular basis to share the driving, he continues to get behind the wheel ... thinks I don't drive quite fast enough. Oh well ... his loss, my gain.
But it sounds like a wonderful trip ... especially when sons are at the end of the driving ... and am so glad you shared it with us.
Mary Ann * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 [8/21/08]
Posts: 3937 | Location: Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight ... | Registered: January 02, 2003
WOW! Sounds like something we would LOVE! So glad you got to take that trip and enjoyed yourself - and got to see some baseball at that!
quote:
Originally posted by FutureBack.Mom:
As for sharing the driving ... my husband might "let" me pull the car around from the back of the motel, but despite offers by me on a regular basis to share the driving, he continues to get behind the wheel ... thinks I don't drive quite fast enough. Oh well ... his loss, my gain.
Heehee - total opposite in our household. I never "let" my husband drive! I don't trust him. I guess since he was 14 and I was 18 when we started dating - that's the way it'll always be too! I remember one trip to Kingsport, TN to a baseball tourney, we took out the middle van seats and hubby and son set up the playstation back there while I listen to the comedy staion on XM up front. Fun times.
Posts: 139 | Location: Texas | Registered: June 05, 2005
Grand Teton / Jackson Hole was the first stop (not much across NEV/UT, then Yellowstone (we saw elk, moose, buffalo, griz, sheep, goat, fox, antelope, marmot, prarie dog, and rattle snake), got snowed on, then Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum.
Got snowed on again in the Big Horns, then on to the Black Hills (missed the turn off for Devil's Tower) and Mt Rushmore. WALL Drug, then the Badlands and the Corn Palace in Mitchell .
That sounds exactly like a vacation we took when I was a kid, only in the other direction.
Apparently this is the week for HSBBWers to wax nostalgic!!!
Posts: 1251 | Location: Illinois | Registered: January 30, 2006
CadDad - That's a sweet story! We have so many wonderful memories of traveling - primarily baseball releated. My kids will say that most of them involved taking a side trip getting us lost - but hey, that's a way to see more of the country too!
I just watched "Vacation" the other day - the first one. It is a true classic - one of the funniest movies ever!!
Posts: 5352 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: December 30, 2004
I'll take that FUNGO, that NLFV,..and raise ya both a homemade peanut butter/honey sandwich and as a bonus buck, will toss in some home-grown, midwestern, hot~n~humid Kansas corn field dust. How bout' it?
What's that Willie Nelson song?
Hummm hummm hummmmm.... " On the road again,..just cant wait to get back on the road again".......hum da dee deee dum.
Son got his baseball bag all packed and its sitting in the back of the car. ( Gosh, dirt and all,...I've sure become accustomed to and like the way that looks. ) Bats strategically placed under every seat. Pillows, ice chest, gatorades, pb & honey sandwiches ready to go in the frig, sunblock, and seeds a plenty.
Zipitty doo dahhhh,.... Oil changed, tank filled ( Ouch! $$$ Quite possibly could have flown to Tahiti-for the cost of a full tank-eeek! ), & air in tires checked.
Off we head tomorrow morning, 5 a.m., across the great prairie lands. A little baseball here,....and then some more baseball there.
No ipods or personal CD players packed,...just plain ol' conversation & the standard radio, ahead.
Life is grand.
This is our last summer of this kind before baseball son heads off in a few weeks to play college ball. Just ss son and ssmom cruisin' down the dusty country roads again. ( Insert more humming & some happy squeals from me. Oh to love the game of baseball and all that comes attached with its adventures. )
So many wild turns up to this point. The ups, the downs, and especially all of the inbetweens, which at the time seemed mildly insignificant, yet now when looking back, are perhaps the most precious.
I'd be fibbin' if I didnt say that I'm going to be taking in every last moment of this trip & holding them close to my heart. Can't make too much of a sappy " ta-do " about it in front of baseball son though, cause I know how ready he is to fly on his own. He's worked hard, real hard, to get to this point. Can't hold him back now.
This baseball mom is sure stinkin' proud and when he's not looking I'm sure there will be tears down my cheek,...( the bustin' buttons & grateful as-all-heck, kind ) as this trip rolls to an end.
It's been a wild ride and we both have learned so much,...not only about baseball but about who we are, as people.
Although this last road trip doesn't promise to be fancy, or out of the ordinary spectacular,...... it's sure going to be priceless to me.
Happy safe summer trails to all!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " Play both sports until the competition convinces you otherwise!! " " ...because baseball is just GOOD PRACTICE FOR LIFE ".
Posts: 2968 | Location: Kansas | Registered: March 18, 2006
Just came back from Virginia/WashDC area, Had a great trip. DC, Loray Caverns, Gettysburg, Mt. Vernon. Was not able to call and visit Acadamy Dad's Cadkid#2 at Annapolis, as we were short on time. But would have loved to see the Academy. Oh ya saw some summer league baseball as well. Back to work tommorrow. EH
Posts: 2431 | Location: northern california | Registered: December 17, 2005
What a GREAT trip. My favorite was to Nebraska and back, and I too shared in some of the driving (maybe an hour before time to stop on the road for the night). Satellite radio helped keep us company with MLB games to listen to along the way. Not sure what we would have done without it.
Posts: 10723 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
Off we head tomorrow morning, 5 a.m., across the great prairie lands. A little baseball here,....and then some more baseball there.
Life is grand.
This is our last summer of this kind before baseball son heads off in a few weeks to play college ball.
We are leaving tomorrow for my son's first real away tournament (I'm not counting 1 or 2 nights)2 states away. He's so excited, I can't describe it. I feel as though I'm under prepared and don't have everything we need, but the car is full to the top, so I guess I can't bring anything else.
Posts: 58 | Location: a ballpark somewhere | Registered: March 12, 2008
We are leaving tomorrow for my son's first real away tournament (I'm not counting 1 or 2 nights)2 states away. He's so excited, I can't describe it. I feel as though I'm under prepared and don't have everything we need, but the car is full to the top, so I guess I can't bring anything else.
and topping it all off with getting to see your boys play baseball. It just doesn't get much better than that!!! 
