We are so much wiser because of our time spent on the road...

Well we left New Orleans without incident and arrived back to Central Texas safe and sound.  It took several days to get back into the swing of things.  There was a SUV to unpack, sand and snacks to vacuum out, a mountain of laundry to do.  I also had to get the carful of kids ready for school.  I got all that done and I had a moment to think about our trip.  I asked the kids their favorite and their least favorite parts of the trip.  I thought about it myself and I asked Melissa.

I will start with some numbers.  The mileage came in close to 5,000 miles.  We were gone for a little over 2 weeks.  We averaged about 300 miles a day.  I always plan for the first day out and the last day of the road trip to be mileage heavy. It was that way this trip.  The first day we drove a total of 703 miles and the last day of our trip we drove 507 miles.  The first day was a little rough on the carful of kids, especially the driver--Mom.  We covered some ground on this trip.  We started in Central Texas where we live and drove all the way to 50 miles from the Canadian Border.  That is the furthest North the kids have been.   The second furthest was last year when we went to Rocky Mountain National Park.

So on to the reviews.   I will start with my daughter who is nine.  She liked the St. Louis Arch and going to Chicago.  She wants to make Chicago dogs for dinner some night.  Great--I will have her help make dinner that night.  Well thinking about it, she can probably do it all by herself.  The ferry ride to Mackinac Island was a hit.  She thought it was cool the island didn't have cars.  She clarified by saying that she could ride her bike anywhere she wanted.  She loved the beach in Florida.  She is my beach girl.  She thought finding the shark's head was really cool.  She didn't like the driving but the kids didn't complain that much either.  A day in the car is better than a day on the couch.

My son, the eight-year-old liked running for the ferry and riding the train.  He liked playing in the sand and going so far out into the gulf he had to swim.  Note--he had on a life vest and was with an adult the whole time.  He also liked playing in Lake Huron.  He loved feeding the alligators at the Crab Shack.  He is an action boy.   The skateboarder in him was disappointed that the skate park in Asheville, North Carolina was flooded.  He didn't like the Art Institute of Chicago.  He said he didn't like the driving as well.  Though he was the best at sitting there and looking out the windows.  He seemed content to watch the countryside go by when he wasn't belting out Kidz Bop out of tune.

Big Boy's of Michigan

My four-year-old son didn't have an opinion good or bad of the trip.  He was there for the ride and an occasional fit.

The carful of kids drove through many regions of the country and tried to sample different specialties from each.   I tried to stay away from national chains when we were driving.  When we stopped for lunch I tried to find regional restaurants.  Most of these I found by paying attention to billboards and the blue signs on the side of the highway.   While the carful of kids loved the fudge of Mackinac Island and the beignets of New Orleans.  The overall winner for the carful of kids was the Chicago Dog.  They still talk about this hot dog.

Here is the recipe, or really it is just a list of ingredients.  You start with a boiled all-beef hot dog then add it to a poppy seed bun, top it with some yellow mustard and sweet pickle relish, throw on some chopped onions, slide in a dill pickle spear and tomato wedges,  sprinkle a couple pickled peppers and a dash of celery salt.  There you go--you have a Chicago dog, but whatever you do, don't add ketchup!

Dad adding poppy seeds to the buns

The trip according to the adults.  Melissa had not been been to this part of the country before so it was all new to her.  She loved the museum and wanted to spend more time there, except without a carful of kids.  She thought Navy Pier was a little over rated but enjoyed the Schooner ride on the Windy.  The Millennium Park was an unexpected surprise.  St. Louis was just too hot--not its fault.  Melissa loved Mackinac Island but found the drive to the Upper Peninsula a little tedious.  She loved the sugar sand beach and the gardens of the Biltmore Estate.  According to Melissa "the act of getting out and doing something new has the power to change your attitude."

The trip according to Mom,  I did a lot of driving.  It was worth it to give my children the exposure and confidence to travel when they are older.  Most physical things can be taken away from you--but no one can take away your education or your experiences.  I know that is a little deep for a travel blog.  I am trying to show my kids through example some of the best things in life are not things.  Have a life instead of trying to buy one.

I saw the baths of Hot Springs for the first time and thought "What architectural gems".  The trip to the St. Louis Arch was great.  My soul sings for great design.  I loved that I finally made it to Mackinac Island and enjoyed my time at The Grand Hotel.  I can say that I have been to the UP--uppper peninsula.
I agree with Melissa that the drive up there was a little monotonous.  The Smoky Mountains were nice but I prefer the Rocky Mountains or the Sierra Nevada's better.   The Biltmore Estate was another great property that I am glad I got to visit.  I recommend it to anyone who loves castles because that is what it is--an American Castle.  The beach in Florida was a personal favorite.  It is a great beach area for the family.  It has not been taken over by hotels, bars and drunks.   I love New Orleans for its history, authenticity and the beignets.

Some of the great things I learned from my trip this year.  That I love when housekeeping says, "No problem."  That eases my harried life as a traveling mom of a carful of kids.  Mom doesn't get to sit down much except behind the wheel of the SUV.  But when she does, it is bliss because it is a mist the most awe-inspiring scenery.  I know that I am very lucky to have a friend of thirty years to accompany me and my kind but rambunctious kids across the country every summer.  She was there before my husband and she was there before my kids.  She knows my past and has lived through my present and with her in my passenger seat I can coast into my future.  I am forever grateful for her friendship, her honesty and her loyalty.