Mackinac Island at last

When we started out on our trip, it seemed a little daunting. Taking a carful of kids close to 2,000 miles to see Mackinac Island. It took several long days of driving and a couple of hissy fits but we are here. I have to say it is a must see even for the most seasoned traveler. The weather has cooled considerably now we are near the Canadian border. The heat wave of 2012 is still baking the heartland but we are well north of it now. Don't get me wrong, they are complaining of their 90 degree plus days and there is air conditioning, but not all air conditioning is created equal.

We wake up to the sound of rain. Really. We have vacationing to do. We do not have time for rain. Melissa and I decide to sleep in a bit because it is still dark. Since she is a self-proclaimed weather junkie, she has one eye on the iphone weather app watching the bands of green wrap around us. I sense this and decide to get up. We are not terribly optimistic at this point as we try to plan our day in the bathroom so we won't wake up the kids. Melissa and I decide to herd the kids down to the complimentary hot breakfast and wait it out. Well everyone decided to do the same thing. The place is packed, I leave one kid in the make your own waffle line while I get cereal for the rest. My middle child usually gets the job done. Sure enough he heads back to the table with his first waffle. He got a little burned but the nice ladies working the breakfast bar got him a bag of ice. We make it though breakfast and head over to the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce where I have to pick up my tickets. The very nice lady working the desk tells me I am pronouncing St. Ignace wrong. In my defense, it sounds much prettier when I pronouce it with a French flair. I purchased the Mackinac Island Experience Package in advance for our day on the island. It includes a round trip ferry ticket, all of the transportation on the island and entrance fees to the state park, butterfly conservatory and The Grand Hotel. It is $60 for adults and $28.25 for children 5 to 12. My youngest is free. It sounds a little pricey but not after you add it all up. Mackinac Island is an island, everything has to be brought in by ferry. So just be prepared for higher prices.

Our first stop is Shepler's Ferry. It is right across the street from the Chamber of Commerce office. We arrive at the rather large parking lot, remember no cars allowed on the island. They advertise the fastest, friendliest service for over 50 years. A few minutes later, after the mandatory restroom break, we board

our ferry. I have ridden ferries before and was expecting a slow, leisurely ride to the island. No Way! Shepler's uses twin engine 150 passenger ferries. The captain announces that we will be on the island in 16 minutes. What! Really? Really, it is like riding in a giant speed boat. The kids love it. This is our third boat ride since leaving home. The paddleboat on the Mississippi River fell flat, the schooner on Lake Michigan was a little better. I have to admit this ferry is fast and fun. On schedule, we arrive at the docks on Mackinac Island 15 minutes later.

"Hey, Mom can we ride the ferry again?" chime the carful of kids.

"Yea, sure that's how we get back the mainland. Hey look over there. I see buggies and horses!" I point to Main Street.

The first thing you see is the horse-drawn carriages clopping down the street. The second thing you notice is the evidence of having horse-drawn carriages clopping down the street. The weather has cleared since the showers earlier that morning but the puddles left on the island have a yellow hue to them.

"Hey kids! Don't walk through the puddles!" I try to tell the boys before they walk through one.

"Why not?" as one of the boys steps square into the puddle.

"Because that is not just rain water, buddy. I think it might be horse pee-pee." I try to explain nonchalantly.

Too late, the carful of kids chant, "Gross!"

That is the reality of life before cars. The puddles are more than just rainwater and the road is riddled with horse manure. They are teams of men with push carts and shovels all over the place but they are 400 horses on the streets moving the masses of tourists. Our first stop is the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours to start our fun-filled day on the island. It was started in 1869 and is the world's largest, oldest, and continually operated horse and buggy livery. You can walk the island but we have just one day to experience it all. This is the way to go. We board our carriage and the carful of kids are thrilled as the team pulls out. The carriage drivers are also tour guides and give us a great introduction to the island. There are many stops on our tour and a hill

that the horses have to climb. So the livery uses two and three horse teams, the same horses work together everyday. The interesting thing is that the horses stand in the same order in the corral as they do when they are in the harness working. We arrive at the Surrey Hill Museum and tour the display the historical carriages. I find this some what interesting but the carful of kids are more interested in the gift shop. The next stop will be more the kids speed.

Down the hill from the carriage museum is the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory. The carful of kids love catch butterflies. They have contests it see who can get the most butterflies to land on them. We spend quite a few minutes playing with the butterflies. I try in vain to catch one of the beautiful blue butterflies on my camera. I have a personal writing project about a beautiful blue butterfly that is caught. I really want a photo of one to help inspire me. The butterfly will not be caught on camera.

The carful of kids board another carriage, this time a three horse team to tour the state park and see Arch Rock. It is 146 feet above Lake Huron. Made of limestone, it is rare occurrence to have natural bridge form. The Native Americans gave the sight reverence, the Europeans saw it as a curiosity to visit. We unload from the carriage and climb the stairs to Arch Rock. We don't have a ton of time here, I wanted to spend some more time and the view is unbelievable. I look down to the beach below and wish I could spend some time relaxing in a chair but that will have to wait for another day. In my world

with three active kids, I rarely get moments of total relaxation. The carful of kids load back on the carriage to see the next stop on our tour, Fort Mackinac. Two battles were fought here in the war of 1812. After the war, fur trading was centered here which eventually gave way to commericial fishing. Fort Mackinac was built in

1780 and decommisioned in 1895. It now features daily court martial reenactments among its restored building and costumed tour guides. The reenactment is a little dull for the carful of kids and Melissa and I head for the gift shop. The crowd is snapped out of their doldrums when the cannon is fired. The boys really love the cannon.  While watching the reenactment,  my daughter spots a fellow Girl Scout.  Fort Mackinac is home to Michigan's Honor Scouts. They are part of the Governor's Honor Guard and act as tour guides, perform flag cermonies and stay in the scout barracks that is behind the fort.  The carful of kids decide to move on to the next destination but first we have to wait for the next carriage.

The next must do on Mackinac Island is a visit to The Grand Hotel. It has been on my must see list for years, so I am giddy with anticipation. The Grand Hotel is a Queen Anne Victorian built in 1887 by the Michigan Central Railroad, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and the Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company. It was designed by architects Mason and Rice. It took just over a year to complete. There are several places in the hotel that reflect the rushed construction. The main staircase slopes and can be disorienting if you are not paying attention. When The Grand Hotel opened, it advertised room rates from $3 to $5 a night. Not the case today, the hotel is on the American plan--meaning that all meals are included in the nightly rate. The facilities include individually decorated rooms and classically designed common rooms. The main attraction is the front porch, which measures 660 feet long. It is lovely and if I didn't have a carful of kids, I would stop and have a cocktail. I respect the guests enjoying their afternoon drinks on the porch and I keep my herd moving. The

property is idyllic with impeccably landscaped grounds and planter boxes. The array of red germaniums is unbelievable. The activities include golf, tennis and the Ester Williams swimming pool. The Grand Hotel tops the lists of one of the best places to stay in the world. Definitely worth the $10 they charge to enter the hotel if you are not a registered guest.

We take the short walk back to Main Street in hopes to find a family friendly restaurant. After having locally caught fish and chips for dinner, we get serious about the souvenir shopping. I find a lovely miniature original watercolor by Mary Lou Peters at the Lilacs and Lace shop. I collect tiny originals

from the special places that I visit. I love the small size because they are easy to pack in your luggage and quite a value for original art. Melissa picks herself up some fudge. The boys each want a boat in a bottle that we found at the cheap tshirt place on Main Street. My daughter wanted a hoodie and we got a t-shirt for the Dad at home. We are cutting it close and decide to run back to the ferry dock. At this time of day, there is only one ferry every hour back to St. Ignace. Sure enough, we made it just in time. In a flash, Shepler's have us back on the mainland. We get back to the hotel and decide that we need to take a swim. Sleeping will be easy tonight.

Headed to Mackinac Island

After an action packed day in Chicagoland, I need to load up the carful of kids and head for Mackinac Island, Michigan. But first you have to get out of Chicago. To get out of Chicago you have to get your car that you blindly left with a valet who promised to keep it under lock and key. You are at this lot because your hotel has run out of parking for the day. You go back to the lot 2 days later and hope to retrieve your car. Of course, in my mind I am thinking of the scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off when the valet heads out the back exit with the car in which he has been entrusted. The valet is asking a lot of questions when I hand him my valet ticket. Why are you asking me the color, year, make and model of my car?! Shouldn't you know this already? I let it slide and hope for the best and scan the lot. I don't see my car anywhere. I am not alarmed. Maybe they only keep the nice imports inside the locked and secured garage. I immediately visualize my 10 year old Toyota 4Runner sitting out on the street with busted out windows and on blocks. Ahhh I hear a truck, that is a 4Runner that turns the corner but not my 4Runner. "Here you go" said the valet. "No, that is not my car" I reply. "Yes, it is a silver 10 year old 4Runner with a roof rack, sunroof and Texas plates, but that is not my 4Runner." I argue with the valet as he is questioning whether or not I recognize my car. Suddenly he realizes his mistake with his broken English-Serbian accent. "Ah, yes that car is in the basement. I will go get." Off he goes with someone else's car. By the way to the person with my car only lighter and from the Dallas area, you can thank me later for keeping your car safe. In no time I hear another truck turning the corner and alas it is my truck. Yea! No dents, no dings. Wait, why is the valet hanging around? That is right, he expects a tip. Really. I just paid you 50 bucks for kinda keeping up with my car. And I was almost an accessory to a felony and now I am suppose to tip you. Sure, all is well that ends well--I hand over the 5 and look down at the gas gauge. Didn't I have more gas?!

We load up all the stuff and the kids and head out of Chicago. Well we try to head out of Chicago. I really think Google maps has an agreement with the petroleum industry because they will always route you in at least one complete circle. But we navigate the surface roads and some dicey neighborhoods in South Chicago to get on our way. You know that the neighborhood is getting a little rough when the bars on the businesses give way to boarded up windows. We found our way to the Chicago Skyway after two blocked entrance ramps and one detour. We get on the tollway and they have the gall to charge us $3.50 for what seems like 100 feet of road. But to their defense, there was a nice colorful pot of flowers at each toll booth. We pass the toll booth and see the sign "45 MPH" Really? In Texas where I am from, the tollways have an 80 MPH speed limit. Not much value for the buck if you ask me. We spend the rest of the day driving through the trees on our way to the cooler Great Lakes.

We drive across the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the western hemisphere. The Mackinaw Bridge or "Big Mac" as it is called locally was opened in 1957. The road deck of the bridge has one open grid roadway in each direction and is shaped like an airfoil. This provides stability in winds speeds of 150 MPH. The Mackinaw Bridge is a toll bridge and costs $4.00. Melissa and I thought we might run into a backup crossing the bridge, but that was not the case. The weather is beautiful and the wind is non existent. We arrive the sleepy little tourist town of St. Ignace, Michigan.

We drive over 2,000 miles to get to "da UP", or the upper peninsula. St. Ignace has several ferries, motels and lots of parking for all the cars that you can't take to Mackinac Island. They are also know for the Pastie, a sirloin steak meat pie packed with root vegetables. Melissa grabs one at a shop next to the gas station. I take a bite and it tastes just like my pot roast.

We check into our hotel on Lake Huron. The Best Western Harbour Point exceeds our expectations with its 11 acres of landscaped lawn, two pools, a nightly campfire that is right on the lake. We are frequent guests at the Best Western so we get an upgraded room. Out our room's door, the kids run to the lake. That is where they spend the next several hours happily playing. The sun finally fades and the sky begins to light up with fireworks. We have up to 10 different shows to watch at different points around the lake. The wind is light, the temperature is perfect and the fireworks are amazing. It really doesn't get much better than this. Oh yeah--I also had a glass of wine. Off to bed we go, tomorrow we take on Mackinac Island.

Kids always have fun at the art museum

The carful of kids eat their lunch under the trees in the park. The temperature starts to heat up in the Heat Wave of 2012. We head indoors to the Art Institute of Chicago. Did you hear that too? It is the kids groaning. I know I am the mom dragging the kids through the art museum on vacation. I hope that eventually they will learn to live life through an artist's eye. Not everyone falls in love with art at the first sight or feels it in their soul. If that doesn't happen, I am hoping that enough exposure to art will at least produce some appreciation later in life. We get ourselves in line and Melissa decides to head to the gift shop. I think she needs a moment away from the kids. It is the early afternoon in what I call the "whining hour". Am I crazy? Why am I taking my two boys into an art museum? That is right, I am in Chicago, I love art, I haven't been here in 15 years and I deserve some cultural enrichment. I have tutored my kids every afternoon during the school year. I have sat through every performance. I have driven the kids to countless practices. I have slept on concrete floors for scout sleepovers. I think the kids can take three hours in a museum for good not so old mom. That being said, at the present I am trying in vain to get the kids to at least show some respect for the people around us who are enjoying the art. These people are now shooting the kids "the look". Moms out there know "the look". The one that says "why don't you take those kids to the playground. Somewhere we are not." Well, if kids are only exposed to "kid only places" how do they learn to function in the adult world? I know some parents that take their kids to cultural events are usually doing it with one child at a time. I am bringing my carful of kids and I am out numbered. I am hoping for the best.

I buy tickets for the adults. The museum lets the kids in for free. Great! I can get used to that. Next stop, the entrance--where I see the BIG sign that says "No backpacks, no food, no drinks". Melissa looks at me and grins, "What are you going to do with that big backpack with drinks and snacks?"
"What are you taking about--my purse with the supplies to keep my kids alive." I reply. Sure enough I am told to take my backpack to the coat check. Melissa shoots me a sideways glace at the pesky sign reminding us "No Food, No Drinks".
At the counter, coat check attendant asks, "Do you have any food or drinks?" "No, I don't" I hand over my bag and walk off.
Melissa deposits her bag and leans in "What are you going to do if we get back and there is a trail of ants marching to your backpack of snack, treats and drinks?"
"I guess tell them they need a good exterminator."

We run through the museum, absording art as we go along. The Art Institute of Chicago is a great museum, we see our fair share of old Masters as well as their American counterparts. The carful of kids are engaged for first 30 minutes. But even my artsy daughter is starting to fade out after 45 minutes. They are now racing from gallery to gallery to sit on the benches. Good spot for them. Well let me tell you, the security guards of the Art Institute do not hestitate to correct your children. I personally do not have a problem with that. I am tired of telling my kids to slow down, sit up, behave, et cetera, et cetera. Maybe if another adult tells them--they will listen. Sure enough, they get their first reprimand, "No lying on the benches." Of course, I am enjoying the art and not looking at the lounging kids. I didn't hear anything so I assume everything is good. I sneak off to the next gallery. Those aren't my kids. Sure enough they follow. The carful of kids behave for the next few galleries. Then I hear "No running" Geez Really. I grab my middle child by the hand and now he is my museum buddy. We continue on at a fairly fast clip to see everything I want to see before they close. Somewhere along the way the middle child gives Mom the slip. They now are in a gallery that doesn't have benches. So what do the carful of kids do? They lie in a pile on the floor. This doesn't go over well. Of course they are reprimanded for a third and final time. We are about done, I shuffle the kids out the gallery and head to pick up my backpack of snacks. I get there just in time. A fly is circling my bag.

On our walk back to the hotel, an easy walk for adults, but another test for mom's determination--we discuss dinner. I am a foodie and trying to raise children who will eat real food. I checked out Diners, Drive-ins and Dives before we left town. I know that there is a great Italian Market down the street from our hotel. The carful of kids need some pool time but we don't have enough time for dinner and pool. I am trying to convince my best friend, Melissa, she needs to get dinner and bring it back to the pool. The kids will scarf down the food and we get a few moments of peace. She is a little hesitant at first but soon realizes that I have the best plan. She heads to Panozzo's Italian Market on Michigan Avenue. I get everyone into swimsuits and make some cocktails for the ladies. We head to the pool. The kids dive in before I realize that there are no towels. Ok. What do I do? I can't leave the four year old unsupervised. I can't take three wet kids to the lobby. I don't have my phone. I decide to send the eight year old son. He is willing to go. He will have to navigate the elevator on his own, get to the first floor, and ask the front desk clerk for towels. Just what every hotel wants--a wet eight year old dripping across the lobby. Off he goes on his mission with a "may the force be with you". Sure enough my boy shows back up with towels. Good for him! And looky there--here comes housekeeping with more pool towels. All it takes is one wet kid in the lobby.

Melissa brings back some delicious roasted chicken, sausage and peppers, with a couple of pasta salads even lemon shortbread cookies for dessert. The meal is delicious, even better poolside. The chicken has been brined for juiciness and rubbed down with herb butter and roasted to perfection. We also try house made sweet sausages and peppers. It is served with marinara that is made in house. My husband is a classically trained chef, this mom knows the real stuff when she tastes it. We also sample the Pesto Pasta salad and the Penne Margherita, both solid sides. The Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies are delightful. I love the sophistication of the thyme but not noticeable to the kids. I thank Melissa for the heroic effort on dinner and we drink our new favorite drink, San Pellegrino Limonata and Vodka at the pool.

You would think that this crazy mom would call it a day--but no. We head back to the room change clothes and grab a cab for Navy Pier. We can watch TV at home. The carful of kids take their first cab ride. As a former NYC resident, this is a treat for me. The kids handled it like champs. The kids are all eyes as the cabbie takes the corners a bit faster than Mom. We get to Navy Pier a few minutes later and the experience costs me $10 plus tip. The Navy Pier is the Chicago's number one attraction. It was constructed in 1914 as a commercial pier and entertainment area and was named after the Navy personnel that stayed there in WWI. It is 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops and restaurants as well the departure point for many sightseeing boats. The carful of kids take a stroll down the pier. My youngest decides to take a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. The carful of kids really want to try the ferriswheel but the adults decide to take a sail on the tall ship Windy, a 148-foot four-masted gaff topsail schooner. Since it was the last departure of the night, it has a pirate telling ghost stories. The kids love the stories and Mom loves staring at the lights of the Chicago skyline. We spend an hour sailing before we head back to shore. After our trip we head back to the hotel. No problems getting the kids to go to sleep tonight.

Chicago part 2

We start the day with some breakfast in the room. The Best Western Grant Park does not serve breakfast so the kids are eating their tiny boxes of cereal that I brought with us. Melissa and I are eating yogurt. We had to change the schedule of activities up a bit because of the massive heat wave dominating the midwest. We decide to start the day at the Grant and Millennium Parks. This is a win/win for all of us. Melissa and I can enjoy the glorious gardens and the kids can run around. Grant Park was designed by Daniel Burnham in 1909. It was named after Ulysses S. Grant and is 319 acres in size. It has been expanded over the years using landfill from various transportation projects. Primarily landscaped in the beaux art style, the garden is divided into lushly landscaped "rooms". The American Elms planted in allees help divide the expanse of the park. After hitting the Starbucks for coffee and the Trader Joe's for a picnic, we start on the southwest corner of the park. We discover Agora by Magdalena Abakanwicz. A sculpture installation of 100 headless and armless figues walking in different directions. The kids really enjoyed running among the oversized rusty people. We continue to scroll in the gardens enjoying the colors and contrasts of the flowers. In the center of the park is the Buckingham Fountain. Designed in 1927 in the Rococo wedding cake style, it is dedicated to Clarence Buckingham. It is modeled after the Latona Fountain at Versailles. Interestingly enough, it is the eastern endpoint of Route 66.

We make our way to Millennium Park, a 25 acre parcel that is in the confines of Grant Park. The area was originally the home of the Illinois Central Railyards, parking lots and some park land. The parking was relocated underground and now houses over 2000 spots. It is now considered the largest green roof in the world because of the parking structure underneath it. Originally designed by Skidmore, Owens and Merrill but later to include the star architect Frank Gehry, it was fraught with cost and time overruns. However the end product is spectacular. Construction began in 1998 and originally scheduled to open for the millennium but it was not dedicated until 2004. The jewel of Millennium Park is the Pritzker Pavilion and the Great Lawn. Designed by Frank Gehry, the architect most known for his titaniun-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain. The pavilion was named after Jay Pritzker whose family owned the Hyatt Hotels. It cost over 60 million dollars to build. It features 4000 fixed seats and a great lawn that accommadates 7000 more. The pavilion's orchestra shell space is 100 feet wide and 50 feet tall. It is is supported by a series of north-south trusses and east-west truss girders. The orchestra space is enclosed by glass doors 50 feet tall that resemble aircraft hangar doors. The pavilion is composed of 697 stainless-steel clad aluminum panels that are 14 inches thick. The bandshell is connected to a trellis of steel pipes in a parabolic grid that support the state of the art sound system. The sound quality is similar to an indoor concert venue. As we walk through the park, we hear the orchestra practicing for

an upcoming event. Frank Gehry hit the mark. You are cocooned by the music at the same time freed by the absence of a traditional roof. Best of all the street noise vanishes. This is accomplished by the BP bridge.

The BP bridge is also designed by Frank Gehry. It is a 935 foot girder pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drive. Gehry uses his signature biomorphic style as this bridge resembles a snake with its serpentine lines. His extensive use of stainless steel plates resembles the scales. The parapets have multiple uses--conceal the box girder design, act as sound barrier and are used as a hand rail. With its 5% grade, the BP bridge is barrier free and accessible. But this did not come easily. There were up to 10 different designs for the bridge. So what does the carful of kids think of the bridge. "Awesome! Because you can run really fast!" chime the boys.

After traveling over the bridge in both directions. We head to Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor. With its 168 stainless steel plates that are highly polished with no visible seams, it is affectionally known as "the bean" and resembles liquid mercury. The sculpture weights whopping 110 tons but has a flowing lightness to it. There is a 12 foot arch under Cloud Gate that leads to a naval or "omphalos". With all the reflections and distortions, this sculpture is a magnet for children and tourists. The carful of kids ran their fingers along the metal and gazed at their own distorted reflections. I loved the fact that the kids were engaged with one of the most iconic sculptures of the new millennium.

Before we head to the Art Institute of Chicago, we sample a Chicago dog. It is an all beef frank that has "been drug through the garden" according to the largest manufacturer, Vienna. Common toppings are yellow mustard, white onions, sweet relish, tomatoes, pickle spears and celery salt all on a poppy seed bun. The kids love it. I have to admit I am not a lover of most hotdogs but this is probably the best street dog I have eaten. Just in case you are not a local...

Chicago Part 1

The carful of kids is in Chicago. This is the first really big urban city that they have visited. I will tell you that I am a little pensive about taking a nine year old, an eight year old and my very independent four year old into the big city by myself with the help of my best friend, Melissa. My kids live in a small town of 15,000 people. Their school has one class for each grade. They have never been in an truly urban city with crowded sidewalks that they can easily get lost. I am explaining to the kids since they can get lost we have to hold hands when I ask. The boys are not happy about this. We go over the cross walk signs and how we have to pay more attention when we walk around a big city. There will be street people that might come up to them and ask for money. I tell them it is problably best not to make eye contact with people that they do not know. They see their first subway train. It is really fun to see them discover all the new experiences of a large world class city. In my life before motherhood, I was a flight attendent and lived in New York City, so I have been to Chicago more times than I can remember.

We spent the day in St. Louis, so we arrive in Chicago in early evening. We decide that we have to have Chicago-style pizza. After all we are in here and what kid doesn't love pizza. After a quick search on the smart phone, we decide on Lou Malnati's. Routing ourselves through an unfamilar city can be a challenge but we get there. I draw on my experience living in Queens. My best friend that lives in suburban Houston, is a little leary at leaving the car in a grittier neighborhood. I look around. It will be fine, it is early. I try to be open minded but we are two women traveling alone with three children in an urban city with urban crime so we have to be observant. I am more of a thin crust pizza girl but I did like the Lou Malnati's pizza. The pizza is well over an inch thick with its sausage, cheese, pepperoni and robust red sauce. I am afraid that the crust would be soggy but it is crispy crust perfection. After dinner we find our way to the Best Western on Grant Park. I forewarn the kids that we will be in a small room because the larger the city, the smaller the room. Sure enough I am sitting on the bed right now and typing this on the desk--no room for a chair. Well baths for the carful of kids and a little TV before bed. We have a big day tomorrow.

St. Louis Arch and the Mississippi River

The carful of kids love cultural icons and national parks and the Jefferson Expansion Memorial or Gateway Arch is both.  We visit this national treasure and take a ride on the mighty Mississippi during an epic heat wave.

I made reservations to ride the tram to the top before I left town; if you order tickets online you miss out on the long lines and are rewarded with the earliest times--if touring in the summer the Gateway Arch trams are not air-conditioned.

The carful of kids are always dangerously close to missing our reservations; I park the SUV on the bank of the Mississippi, run the kids up the stairs to the monument, herd them through the airport-like security, fetch our tickets from will call and make the tram just in time. Oh I forgot, we make a bathroom break as well, there are no restrooms at the top of the arch.

Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1947 and constructed between 1963 and 1965, the Gateway Arch is the largest architectural structure designed as a flattened catenary arch. The carful of kids are mesmerized by the sheer scale of the monument and the way the sunlight bounces off of its stainless steel skin.

The Gateway Arch Visitor Center is underground and is reminiscent of the TWA terminal at NYC's JFK Airport--another work by Saarinen. There are several similarities between this project and the iconic terminal.

Not too sure about this Mom

The carful of kids wait in line for our turn when I notice the small size of the tram door.  Geez--I wonder how small the tram car is; I got my answer as soon as the door opened--TINY.

The carful of kids are a little hesitant when stepping inside the space-age pod that will transport them to the top of the 630-foot arch. If you take a closer look at the seat, it is reminiscent of Eero Saarinen's tulip chair.

Hot Kids

We have five people in the tram and it is tight but the ride is quick. My middle child, the skateboarder, is the most nervous and he does not like the movement or the creaking of the tram's mechanisms.  In all fairness, he can't see out the tiny window.

When the carful of kids get to the top, we enter the observation deck and look out of the small exterior windows.  You can see for miles and don't miss it even if you aren't fond of heights.

We return to the visitor's center to tour the exhibit and earn our Junior Ranger Badges from the National Park Service before heading back to the Mississippi River.  Next up is a tour of the Mississippi on the paddle boat, Tom Sawyer.

This is the carful of kids' first riverboat ride but we are in St. Louis during the heat wave of 2012; it's 10:30 am and the kids are melting right before our eyes. Out come the snacks before they start to whine. After riding up the Mississippi River for an hour, the carful of kids are ready head to our next destination--Chicago.

Up Next--two days in Chicago.

Traveling East Bound...

Today the carful of kids have their eyes set on the Jefferson Expansion Memorial.  That is the St. Louis Arch to everyone else. It has been on my architectural must see list for years. But before we leave Arkansas, I want to visit The William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The library was designed by Polshek Partnership. The library was designed to cantilever over the Arkansas River. This is direct reflection of Clinton's campaign slogan of "building a bridge to the 21st century." The area was an abandoned warehouse district before the library was constructed. Located adjacent to the library is the 1899 Rock Island Railroad Bridge. It was owned by the now defunct Chicago Rock Island Pacific Railroad. After several delays due to funding--the bridge has been repurposed into a pedestrian bridge. The Clinton Library complex in an excellent example of urban renewal and is an easy exit off of I-40.

The carful of kids is back on the road and headed for St. Louis, Missouri, another new state for them. Before we head north on I-55, we decide to stop for lunch in West Memphis. On our reoccurring theme of local burger joints, we decide to try Krystal's. They are known for their small square hamburgers. The kids each had one and I had a Krystal Chik. I liked my little fried chicken sandwich that had lettuce and tomato and the size is perfect for me. The boys inhale their square hamburgers, I really don't know if they even taste them. My daughter "the tween foodie" is not impressed. But she has been known to tell us she doesn't like "cheap ranch dressing". I share the other Krystal Chik with her and she seems happy. We finish up and head north for Missouri on I-55.

We are road tripping in the middle of a Midwestern heat wave. We are from central Texas so we can handle our fair share of heat. But the Midwest has a summer secret weapon--humidity. I am rearranging our daily schedule to accommodate the 100 plus temperatures with the high humidity. We are touring any outdoor activities early in the morning and saving the indoor activities for the hotter part of the day. Another effect of the oppressive heat is afternoon thunderstorms. We were driving outside of St. Louis, Missouri and drove through a massive "red storm", named after the color of the storm on the NOAA radar. My travel companion, navigator, and road trip weather junkie has her nose in the iPhone trying to get a handle on the storm. The straight line winds are blowing my higher profile SUV all over the road. Everyone has their flashers on. There is leaf litter all over the interstate. "Man, the Midwest doesn't mess around with their thunderstorms" I comment while white knuckling the steering wheel. My best friend is using her knowledge of meteorology picked up from reading weather blogs to see if she can locate any "hooks" on the radar for possible tornadic activity. We are still driving 20 MPH at this point. We have to remind the carful of kids that Mom and Melissa are concentrating on driving and we can't talk right now. My oldest explains we are in a "red storm" and a hush falls over the back seat. I really don't know if it safer to be stopped on the shoulder of the interstate or drive slowly. I really need a faster windshield wiper setting. We make slow progress and the storm moves east. Another badge of honor on the Mamma road trip driving challenge--adverse weather related driving.

We arrive in the St. Louis area a little later than anticipated due to the inbound weather delay. (Note to reader--I used to be a Flight Attendant and I still like to use the lingo.) After the stress of the drive we decide to call it an early night. A dinner of comfort food at the Cracker Barrel and an after-dinner swim for the kids. I sat out this time, enjoying my adult beverage pool side in my acrylic glass. We also use this opportunity to do some laundry. Somewhere along the way I took too long to move my clothes. I came back to fold the dryer full and found my laundry neatly folded on top of the dryer. Wow! What a treat, some nice lady folded my laundry! I wrote a quick note of thanks and apology for taking too long to move my stuff and left it on the dryer. It is nice to know that there are still nice people in the world.

It is an early day tomorrow, we have reservations to ride to the top of the arch at 9 AM. Time to go to bed.

Is 3 in the morning really morning?

Today is the day. My best friend and traveling companion arrived last night and packed up the car. The kids are bathed and in their beds with comfy travel clothes on. Just one less thing to do in the morning. My older son is at camp near Possum Kingdom State Park which is 50 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas. We have to pick him up at 9 in the morning. For us to be there on time, we decide to leave at 4 in the morning. That means that we have to be up at three in the morning. Is it really the morning because it feels more like the middle of the night. The alarm goes off. My husband hears it first. He hits snooze and on the second try he is dragging me out of bed. Why is he so excited? That is right, he gets some man time when we are gone. Because of his work schedule, he can not take a lot of vacation at once. The kids miss Dad but they really enjoy spending time with my best friend growing up. Lots of stories about when we were kids way back in the Eighties. We get ourselves dressed and start loading the cooler and a few last minute bags. I make myself a chai latte and my best friend a coffee. We are on the road only 5 minutes late, a personal best. Off to pick up the older son.

We arrive at camp on time and gather one tired, worn out kid and on the road again at 10 AM. We head east to the Dallas/Forth Worth Metroplex. The recently released camper is asleep in the back seat. We see a In-n-Out Burger on I-30 on the way to our first stop. We love In-n-Out. We decide we have to have burgers for lunch. We always are looking for regional burger joints to stop for lunch. This is the first Texas In-n-Out burger we have been to. Yes, it is a good burger but it is not the same as the West Coast. The onions are not grilled the same and the fries did not seem as crispy. The rest of the restaurant is exactly as it should be. We eat our burgers and suck down the chocolate shake. Good times for the carful of kids, we were not expecting to get In-n-Out this trip. It is a treat when we head out West. Loaded back into the SUV, which always requires multiple "Are you buckled yet?", we make our way east.


The hours trickle by and before you know it we are at our first new state--Arkansas. The carful of kids have never been to Arkansas and Mom has never driven through it. The first thing we notice is the lack of feeder roads that we have in Texas. This is where we put all the gas stations and fast-food restaurants. We are driving in a forest. It is quite scenic. The miles slip away and before you know it we are in Hot Springs National Park, our first destination. The carful of kids have been completing Junior Ranger Badges with the National Park Service for several years now. They have earned more than 15 badges. Now keep in mind that each badge requires a completed workbook and usually attending a Ranger program at each park. Some parks also require you to collect a bag of trash. If we are really cruising on a badge we can get one completed in a couple of hours. The program is designed to enrich the national park experience for the kids. It has been enriching for me as well. I recommend it to all parents traveling with kids. Best of all, the teachers back at school are always impressed with the "summer homework" and the cool little plastic badges that the Park Rangers give you.

Our tour of Hot Springs National Park starts with a walk down the Grand Promenade. There are 47 springs in the park that supply the fountains and the bath houses. The water is a constant 143 degrees. The kids are shocked by how hot it is. We then tour the Fordyce Bathhouse. It was built in 1915 and is quite a showstopper. There are Tiffany stain glass windows in several spots and marble benches to sit on. After a trip to the basement to see the spring in action, we walk down Bathhouse Row to the see the rest of the architectural gems. We end our first day out eating breakfast for dinner and roll into bed exhausted.

Packing the car and preparing the mind...

What is required to take three kids ages nine, eight and four on a 4,000 mile road trip? Well, I would like to say months of planning, days of meticulous organizing and a day dedicated to the packing of the car.

In my world, where I don't have the luxury of finishing a complete sentence, that's not a possibility. I generally run through the mileage and try to keep the daily mileage at or about 500 miles per day. I have been known to push the mileage to 750 miles a day, but Mom is a zombie by the time we pull into the hotel.

Typically I try to find an interesting stop along the road for the kids to run around. This can be a smaller national or state park. We're always earning National Park Junior Ranger Badges on our road trips; letting the kids run around instantly diffuses their energy. If you feed them after running around a park you can usually get a good nap out of them and a peaceful drive for yourself.

Sometimes their silence is golden, other times it can lull you to sleep. It can be a challenge to stay alert on the road but I have a few tricks. I always have something to sip on, but nothing really sweet. I feel the sweet drinks make you sleepy. I pack some minty gum and Tic-Tacs. The minty flavor is energizing for your mouth. I pack nuts for myself to munch. The protein is filling. I really have to fight the bored munchies when I am behind the wheel. The kids have every snack you can think of. But that is part of the fun for them.

When I am planning my road trips I usually book rooms with Best Western. They are in most towns that have national chain hotels. They are generous with their rewards program and they have an adequate breakfast in the morning. Did I mention they have a pool for the kids. Many a night we are at the pool. Sometimes I get in other times I am sitting on the edge with an adult beverage in my plastic stemless glass. Most summers they have a promotion where if you stay 3 nights at different properties you get a free night free. Great if you are trying sneak in another trip. I know the Best Western is no where near glamorous. But a road trip with the kids is not glamorous. It is a family friendly adventure where you are never sure what lies around the next bend.

We have had several multi week road trips before so I have worked out a few kinks on road tripping with the kids. When packing--just pack up your house. No, that won't work. I have tried and I just end up getting frustrated every time I have to load and unload the ca . I usually pack enough clothes for one week, knowing that I will have to wash some clothes along the way. I bring a little thing of Tide with me and a leak proof bottle of Woolite. I pack clothes that can be washed together. I pack heavy on socks and underwear. They don't take up much room and it is harder to ignore them when they are dirty. I usually throw in a fleece and some jeans. I have umbrellas in the car and most tourist spots have cheap ponchos that they pull out in case of showers. I have a extensive first aid kit with common over the counter medications for children and adults. I have had to treat earaches, nausea, vomiting, pink eye and assorted allergies. My kids don't get sick that often but it always helps to be prepared.

A quick word about car maintenance. I am out on the road putting 3,000 to 4,000 miles on my car per trip. I have a trusted mechanic that I take my car. I tell him what kind of road conditions that I will be encountering. He thoroughly inspects my SUV and knows that I am traveling with another woman and my carful of kids. I have a Toyota 4 Runner with 4 wheel drive that has close to 130,000. I have maintained the SUV according to the manufacturer's recommendations. I like my SUV and have treated it with respect. Now what the kids have done to the back seat is another story. I have good tires and change the oil frequently. I check my tire pressure several times during the trip. I also know how change a tire and have done it on my own. I have no hesitations about the ability of my SUV to get the carful of kids around the country and back home safely. Because I am out on the road with my best friend and my carful of kids I make sure that I know any conditions that my car has before I leave. Car maintenance is an ongoing project, don't underestimate the important of a well maintained car.

Here We Go Again...

The Carful of Kids are always loaded to capacity.

To all of our friends out there, the carful of kids are gearing up to hit the road again. This year we are headed to the heartland.

We have an itinerary packed full of American architectural icons, national parks, a world renowned art museum, several boat rides and one scenic train. Who are we, you may ask if you are not acquainted with us.

We're a pair of school girls that dreamed of seeing the United States together. Well at least that is how we started. We're actually best friends of 30 plus years that get itchy feet and yearn for adventure.

Each July, we load up in my Toyota 4Runner with every road trip snack imaginable, a cooler full of high-end cold cuts and eclectic mix of bottled beverages. Giddy with excitement and girlish giggles, we set out usually singing to Willie Nelson's On the Road Again. OH and did I mention that we are taking my three kids with us.