Shenandoah National Park and Monticello

The carful of kids with Thomas Jefferson

The carful of kids drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday from Asheville, North Carolina, intending to make it allthe way to Waynesboro, North Carolina. But with all the stopping, exploring and the setting sun; we had to drop in on Interstate-81 to get to our final destination.

We want to continue through Shenandoah National Park via Skyline Drive to earn our Junior Ranger Badge and explore the park. The carful of kids enter through the Rockfish Gap Entrance and make our first stop the Loft Mountain Information Center, mile marker 79.

I look over the Shenandoah National Park Junior Ranger Booklet and discover that you are required to attend two ranger programs. What? I didn't schedule that into my itinerary. Then I look at the Ranger Programming and see we are at the south end of the park and all the programming is at the north end of the park.  Geez.

The carful of kids regroup for a moment and cut our losses. There is no way we are going to get to the northern part of the park (the more popular entrance because of its proximity to Washington), attend two ranger programs and get to our next destination--Hershey, Pennsylvania, today.

We decide to check out Charlottesville, Virginia, and drive around the campus of the University of Virginia--UVA instead. It is a beautiful campus that was designed by Thomas Jefferson. The carful of kids aren't doing full campus tours but we look at areas and ask, would you like to go to college here?

After lunch, we drive to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello--his home and plantation that he started when he was 26. Thomas Jefferson designed his home according to the principles of Neoclassicism and it's a notable example of Palladian architecture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-visit.

The carful of kids pay for admission ($25 for adults and $8 for kids, 5 to 11) and hop on the bus to the top of the hill where Monticello sits-Italian for Little Mount. 

Inside of the house itself is Jefferson's collection of artifacts and his unique solutions to household problems of the day. It is not a luxuriously-appointed mansion, more of a large, comfortable retreat for the third president of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson had a passion for gardening and agriculture, the collection of restored vegetable and flower gardens are amazing. The carful of kids love running around gardens, we only wish we had more time to explore Monticello--the security guard is following us to ask us to leave. We are the last people here.

Up next: Hershey, Pennsylvania and Niagara at night.

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

The carful of kids wake up in Asheville, North Carolina, after spending the day exploring Memphis, Tennessee, on our quest for the Canadian Maritimes. We will continue north via the Blue Ridge Parkway where we left off two summers ago.

We have stayed in Asheville before when we visited The Biltmore Estate and drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On the first trip, we earned our Blue Ridge Parkway Junior Ranger Badge, this trip I want to continue to earn the Blue Ridge Parkway Patch, with three more stops.

Rhododendron

We enter the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) north of Asheville at Oteen, mile marker 382, and make our first stop at the Craggy Gardens, mile marker 364, to walk among the rhododendrons. Next stop is Crabtree Falls, mile marker 340, for another quick hike. With every bend of the road, your eye meets miles of rolling smoky-blue mountains covered in verdant foliage.


The Museum of North Carolina Minerals, mile marker 331, is chock-full of facts from the state's mining heritage and the minerals that can be found here. Then on to Linville Falls, mile marker 316, for a look around.

Hydrangea

The next stop is the Linn Cove Viaduct, mile marker 304; it is built to hug Grandfather Mountain and was the last section of Blue Ridge Parkway to be completed, winning many engineering awards.

The carful of kids continue north to Moses Cone Manor House, mile marker 294, to explore but it is closed already. It is a large, Victorian Neo-Colonial home that was completed in 1901.

The carful of kids have spent the better part of the day exploring and we are no where near our destination of Waynesboro, Virginia.  Melissa does a quick search and we discover we are still 275 miles away. Remember there is a 45 mph speed limit on the BRP.

With the sun hanging low in the sky, we exit the Blue Ridge Parkway and race up the interstate instead.

Up next, Shenandoah National Park and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

A Day to Serve and Explore

For the MLK holiday, the carful of kids join other volunteers for a service project with the Centex Chapter of the Native Prairie Association of Texas. But first we take a short hike.

Not far from our home base is Granger Lake and Dam, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, where we join in on a hike to look for mammals and birds. Kirsti Harms, a volunteer naturalist with a passion for birds, organized a bird walk along the San Gabriel River below Granger Dam.

For close to two hours we explore along the river, listening for bird calls and looking for scat. Along the way, we see several birds and my boys find skeletons in the knee-high grass, along with discarded shot gun shells and an arrow.

With a bag of trash that we find along the river, we meet more volunteers at the Blackland Prairie Replication Site. First task, the carful of kids help unload little bluestem plants that were rescued from a construction site along I-35, north of Temple, Texas, last May.

After the plants are unloaded, we grab a shovel and start digging holes. With a hole deep enough, the carful of kids transplant the clump of little bluestem. After several pots, the carful of kids are experts at backfilling the dirt around the plant.


The Native Prairie Association of Texas helps in conservation, restoration and appreciation of native prairies and grasslands around Texas, and help manage this area of restored prairie.

Up next, the carful of kids return to their East Coast road trip in North Carolina, exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park.

Elvis for Breakfast, Ribs for Lunch.

The carful of kids wake up early in Memphis, Tennessee; we are headed to Graceland, the iconic enclave of Elvis Presley before the crowd arrives. There will be tour buses bringing fans from all over the world and we would like to be there first.

We buy our tickets ($60.00--this includes a free kid and my student discount) and get in line for the bus.  As the carful of kids are whisked through the entrance gates, we get a brief history.  My first impression is how modest the outside of the home is, not nearly as large as I would have thought.

Yellow TV Room

Our group is lead through the public rooms of his house, the first floor, the basement and the legendary Jungle Room. Don't blink or you will miss it; the tour moves fast. Once outside, the group tours the other buildings, including the Trophy Building and the Racquetball Building, where the iconic jumpsuits are on display.

Trophy Building

The carful of kids finish the tour in under two hours but you can make a day of it. We see the highlights of the legend and we are satisfied--the carful of kids are a little young to be die-hard Elvis fans.

Next up is the Peabody Hotel Ducks that ceremoniously march downstairs from their Royal Duck Palace on the roof to swim in their marble fountain at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. The regally-dressed Duck Master adds to the production. This is a must for kids, but get there a bit early for the best seat, the lobby will be full.

The carful of kids are hungry so we head over to Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous for some ribs. From his basement, Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous has been serving up his charcoal broiled ribs since 1948.  It is a Memphis institution and should not be missed.  The kids, Melissa and I devour a couple of large orders of ribs and leave nothing but bones in return.

With full bellies, the carful of kids drive over to Sun Studio for a tour of the legendary recording studio--where Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Ray Orbison, among others, have all cut tracks. This is an intimate behind-the-scenes tour and our tour guide adds to the enthusiasm.

I am a huge fan of Johnny Cash and spent some time working for record label so I enjoy the details and memorabilia. The kids love the fact that they are able to sing into the old microphone. If you have a limited amount of time in Memphis, this is your stop.

With a few highlights of Memphis under our belt, the carful of kids look east. Mom has drive to Asheville, North Carolina, by the end of the day.

Up Next: The Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park.

Hey Moms! You can dig for Diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park!

The carful of kids pack up the essentials and hit the road again for Nova Scotia. Why? Well, I don't know--it's there, we've never seen it and it'll be fun. This might haunt me later.

Before you can get to the edge of North America, you have to drive halfway across North America. The carful of kids live in Central Texas so we like to check out a few things every time we pack up the SUV and head out.

I start early on the first day of a road trip and log a lot of miles--the kids are excited. Melissa (my best friend and road tripping accomplice) and I talk over the options as we race up I-35 towards DFW.  The choices are: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site or Crater of Diamonds State Park, both in Arkansas.

Learning how to mine for diamonds

While both have their merits, there's only one where you can dig for diamonds. This road tripping mom is feeling lucky. The carful of kids roll into the park in the early afternoon and notice it's busy. There is a waterpark next to the diamond field.

The carful of kids pay our admission and rent some tools for about $30 and we're ready--until the park ranger tells us to attend the demonstration on diamond hunting.

With a little knowledge and absolutely no technique, we hit the 38-acre field. Just a heads up, it's dirty so leave the cute sandals in the car.

The carful of kids dig for an hour before we take our bucket of treasure-ladden dirt to the covered pavilion to wash our soil through a fine screen. This is a bit tedious but the thrill of discovering the next big find pushes you forward.

Being kids, they get bored before Mom finds the ultimate souvenir. We head back to the visitors center for free diamond identification.

I don't remember the names of what I found--shiny, tiny rocks that I put into a tiny glass vial. But don't let that discourage you--this is a fun day that kids will learn about geology and mining. And when you are hot and dirty from mining, you can go play in the water park next door!

For next time--mine in the morning; it can be hot and humid on a summer afternoon. If you want to make it a weekend, there are 50 campsites; reserve ahead of time, this is a popular state park.  It is conveniently located 45 miles off of I-30, north of Hope, Arkansas.

The carful of kids load back up in the SUV for our final destination of the day--Memphis, Tennessee, where we will submerge ourselves in ribs and rock-n-roll.

Drive to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia? Why not?

In the summer of 2012, the carful of kids road tripped our way east--going as far as North Carolina; this trip we will continue where we left off.  It is an ambitious 23-day road trip, logging close to 7000 miles that includes crossing the US-Canadian Border.

This is first trip that the carful of kids needed a passport and I opted for a passport card (used for land and sea crossings only) due to the kids' age and the cost. This trip has me driving some long hours and required many hours of planning.

My faithful, best friend, Melissa, joins me for the first leg and my husband finishes up the trip with us. I will give you a bit of a teaser--there is an international incident of sorts during this trip.

Below is the carful of kids' itinerary packed full with visits to the national parks, historic sites and cultural icons on our way to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and back. Some places we want to spend more time and others will return to on other trips.

Day 1 Leave Home in Central Texas

Stop at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas

Spend the night in Memphis, Tennessee

Day 2 Tour Graceland 9AM

Visit the Peabody Ducks 11AM

Tour Sun Studio tours at the bottom of the hour

BBQ lunch at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, Downtown Memphis

Spend the night in Asheville, North Carolina

Day 3 Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Shenandoah National Park

Spend the night in Waynesboro, Virginia

Day 4 Visit Shenandoah National Park

Walk around Charlottesville and University of Virginia 

Tour Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Spend the night in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Day 5 Tour Hershey’s Chocolate World

Tour Hershey Gardens

Dinner at Anchor Bar, Buffalo for original Buffalo Wings

Visit Niagara Falls at night

Spend the night in Niagara, New York

Day 6 Ride on the Maid of the Mist to visit the Niagara Falls up close

Stop over at the Women’s Right National Park in Seneca Falls, New York

Spend the night in Rutland, Vermont

Day 7 Drive by the covered bridges west of Pittsford, Vermont

Tour Shelbourne Farms Tour

Tour Cold Hollow Cider Mill

Tour Trapp Family Lodge

Tour Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream

Spend the night in South Burlington, Vermont

Day 8 Drive to Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Visit Parc du Mont-Royal

Spend the night in Brossard, Quebec, Canada

Day 9 Visit Montreal Botanical Garden and Insectarium

Visit Montreal BioDome

Explore street festival for Canada Day

Spend the night in Brossard, Quebec, Canada

Day 10 Drive to Parc National du Canada de la Mauricie

Spend the night in an A-frame tent in Parc National de la Mauricie

Day 11 Drive Portland Maine

Visit Portland Lighthouses

Stop by LLBean Flagship store—open 24 hours

Spend the night in South Portland, Maine

Day 12 Drive to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Visit the Reversing Rapids in Saint John

Reservation for the Jolly Breeze Tall Ship Whale Adventure at 4:30

Spend the night in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Day 13 Drive to Fundy National Park

Visit Hopewell Rocks

Spend the night in an A-frame tent at Fundy National Park

Day 14 Drive to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Stop at The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou for Celidh

Spend the night in an equipped campsite at Chetichamp in Cape Breton Highlands 

National Park

Day 15 Explore the Cabot Trail

Spend the night in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada

Day 16 Take the Ferry to Prince Edward Island (PEI)—departs at 9:30

Go clam digging

Walk through Charlottetown, PEI

Visit Province House National Historic Site

Stop by Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site

Visit the beach at Prince Edward Island National Park

Spend the night at Cavendish Cottage Escape outside of Campbellton, PEI

Day 17 Tour Green Gables Heritage Place

Walk to L. M. Montgomery’s Cavendish Home

Visit Prince Edward Island Preserve Company for Dinner 

Day 18 Drive to Maine

Stop at the Saint Croix International Historic Site

Spend the night in Bangor, Maine

Day 19 Explore Acadia National Park

Dinner at a Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound

Spend the night in Boston’s Back Bay

Day 20 Boston in a Day

Walk the Freedom Trail

Tour the USS Constitution

Tour Harvard and MIT

Have dinner at Pinocchio’s Pizza in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Ride the “T” back to the hotel

Spend the night in Hartford, Connecticut

Day 21    Tour the Statue of Liberty National Monument

Dinner at RU Hungry on Rutger’s University

Spend the night in Emporia, Virginia

Day 22 Drive Home

Day 23

West Texas Road Trip Wrap-Up--things to know before you go.

The carful of kids spent six days exploring the Big Bend Region of West Texas. The first and the last day have the most driving but I tried to break those up with interesting stops, like Fort Lancaster State Historic Site.

The carful of kids stayed at the Indian Lodge, a small hotel inside the Davis Mountains State Park. It was great, but make reservations early. Though we did not stay there this time, San Solomon Springs Court inside the Balmorhea State Park would be great too-- especially after it warms up and you can enjoy the legendary pool.

If you don't have the time to make it all the way to Big Bend, then stay in Fort Davis or Marfa. Between exploring the Fort Davis National Historic Site, the McDonald Observatory and the Marfa art scene, it's a couple of days of fun.

The carful of kids spent close to two days in Big Bend National Park. We toured the park from the comfort of our over-packed SUV--making lots of stops. We hiked about two miles, earned a Junior Ranger badge and identified the plants and  animals we saw along the way. This is a successful adventure with my kids, aged 7, 10 and 12.

The park is vast--over 800,000 acres, making it one of the largest parks in the National Park System but without the crowds that the other parks have.  It is incredibly scenic, but it does not have the iconic park buildings that you find in Yellowstone or Yosemite National Parks. I have added Big Bend National Park to my list of the most majestic parks along with Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Acadia.

Things to know before you go:

• Make reservations for lodging or camping before you leave home.  The tiny towns around Big Bend National Park have limited services--this includes gas, lodging and cell phone coverage.
• The busiest times are Christmas and Spring Break.
• Pack enough water and food for several days--there are a limited number of restaurants, often with irregular hours and long waits.
• Bring your passport or passport card for a trip across the border to Boquillas Del Carmen.
• If I had an older group, I might consider tent camping but it's really COLD in the desert at night.  
• For those not interested in roughing it, there are several historic-boutique hotels.
• The longer hikes seemed interesting, definitely take a closer look. 
• There is an amazing amount of wildlife along the highways especially east of the park, if this makes you uncomfortable. Don't drive at night.
• The closest hospital is over 100 miles away from Big Bend National Park, pack a first-aid kit.
• Pack for layers, especially if you plan to attend any outdoor night activities, like the McDonald Observatory.  

This concludes the carful of kids trip to West Texas. Up next--a recap of our Summer 2014 road trip up the Eastern Seaboard and through the Canadian Maritimes.