How to road trip like a BOSS

My husband is from Southern California. I am from Southeast Michigan. We live in Virginia.  We literally have family spread all across this country, and the only way to see them is to travel to them.

Road trip summer 2016

We have always enjoyed travelling together, ever since our first trip from Michigan to California via the Greyhound bus. Now a days we do our travelling mostly via our own personal car. Through the years we have realized some things just don't work for us. Like driving straight through to anywhere.  We have to plan stops, and places to get out and explore. Otherwise I think we all get overtired and cranky.

open road

Tip #1: Set a time limit. If you cant stand being in the car longer than 4 hours, then make it a point to preplan a stop someplace every 4 hours.  Whether it be to just get out and stretch your legs for 15 minutes at a rest stop.

rest stop in Arkansas

Tip #2: Decide how long you will drive total each day.  Driving coast to coast is a several day drive, no matter how you plan the trip.  We set limits to staying in the car no longer than 12 hours every day, total.  Which usually means 10 hours of driving time, and 2 hours worth of breaks, to eat, for rest stops, and for and adventure.

Foamhenge

During our trip last summer we planned one roadside attraction every day. Usually we would stop halfway through the day and spend an hour just exploring, and seeing new things.  In Virginia we visited Foamhenge. In Tennessee we stopped and saw The Statue of Liberation. Oklahoma we stopped at Pops 66 Soda Ranch and had lunch. Of course we couldn't leave without buying a few cases of unusual soda. Texas, we saw the inspiration for Ramones Auto body shop in Disney's Cars movie.  The building is an old Conoco gas station, but now serves as Shamrocks Chamber of Commerce. We also stopped at the Cadillac Ranch and left our mark on Amarillo.

Tip #3 bring healthy snacks, and a few non-healthy ones too.  After being in the car for 4 days, there is nothing I crave more than REAL FOOD. Especially the way we used to travel. We would bring chips and soda and crackers and junkfood.  You need to bring a cooler with some nutrition.  If your anything like me, car rides make me swell up like a balloon.  Its painful and can be dangerous.  Make sure you keep your cooler filled with fresh veggies, and hummus, or bread and fillings for sandwiches.  It saves you a ton of money, by not stopping at fast food joints.  It also makes the trip more enjoyable. I am not saying not to bring chips, but make sure you get some good food in there too.  It will make everyone happier. My favorites are cheese, and crackers, carrots and hummus, or premade sandwich wraps or burritos.

Tip #4 bring things for your kids to do.  Music, tablets, coloring books and crayons, blank paper so they can play games like tic tac toe. My daughter likes to bring a journal so she can draw, and so she can log all the fun stuff we did along the way, or meals she really enjoyed. What can i say shes a foodie. They are not going to look out the window and enjoy the scenery the same way you will. So let them keep themselves busy any way they can.  But please limit their phone use.  We brought our nieces on a trip to Smoky mountains this year, and I took her phone away completely.  She has a habit of nonstop texting. While I appreciate that she loves her friends (shes 13) this really is a time for family togetherness.  And if they always have their minds on whats going on back home, they arent really truly bonding with you.  And they aren't creating memories of grand adventures, because their minds are back home.

Tip #4  Take time to visit some natural wonders.  We made a plan to visit some of our nations National Parks.  We bought the annual pass, to save a little money.  We knew we would be visiting several parks, and some of the fees are pretty high. For example the fee for the Grand Canyon is $25 a day. So we figured if we spend $80 on the year pass, we can visit as many of the parks as we want over the next year. The pass has already paid for itself. During this trip we visted Grand Canyon in Arizon, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, Arizona, Sequoia and Kings in California, and Seguaro in New Mexico. It was like traveling to completely different distant lands, and some times it felt like we were on another planet altogether. Spending time in nature is a priceless experience.  Its good for the soul, and the brain.  There is so much you can learn by visiting our National Parks.  Your kids, and you, will learn things they don't teach in school.  And I can tell you, there is no experiance that compares to touching a giant Sequoia tree, or getting poked by a Saguaro Cactus, that only grow in a very small area in the Sonoran Desert.

The Grand Canyon

Painted Desert

Seguaro National Park

The best tip I can give you to road trip like a boss is this, Sit back and enjoy the adventure.  Stop the rushing to get to your destination. Enjoy the sites, enjoy your family, soak it all in.

Sequoia and Kings National park

Mothers day

To start off I will say, Mothers day is both the most joyous holiday for me, and the saddest.  Being a mom, is the greatest gift that God, and my husband has ever given me. Mothers day means more to me than my own birthday.  However, anyone that has had a mom who is no longer with them on Mothers day, also understand how sad that can be.  I miss my mom all year long, but Easter and Mothers day I miss her the most.  My mother was an extraordinary woman, that has left a hole, that nothing could ever fill. However, I know my mom would not want me to focus on that at all.  She would want me to be celebrated for the Mom that I am.  So thats what we are going to focus on today.

me and my mom

My husband is usually really good at spoiling me.  Probably too good at it in fact.  He would spend every penny he had to make me feel special. This year, our washing machine blew up. Not literally, but whatever happened, it left black powdery scorch marks on my floor.  So we will say it blew up. While I have a beautiful new washer, we were left broke as a joke. I will admit I really felt sorry for myself for a minute there.  I felt like I didn't even want to celebrate Mothers day. Its been a rough week. 

I told my daughter to just sit down and make me cards with her brother, and that would be fine.  I love homemade gifts from my kids.  That wasnt good enough for her.  So I gave her my credit card and said $20 max, but I would prefer you spend closer to $10.  Her daddy took her to the mall, and they did there best to find me a gift I could open.  I requested Lil man to buy mommy some chocolate and I told him I would share it with him. 

 

On Sunday morning, I woke up to a lot of noise downstairs.  My husband and Daughter were putzing around.  So I closed my bedroom door, and stayed in bed until the noise died down. When I came downstairs I was immediately handed tissue wrapped gifts.  Lil man got mommy some chocolate truffles, and as soon as we opened them, he took one and popped it in his cute little mouth. Then he proceeded to throw a fit because I wouldn't let him eat the rest of them (hes 2 ).  lol  My Daughter bought me a really pretty necklace that say OHANA.  My favorite movie is Lilo and Stitch. And a POP figure of baby Moana, my 2nd fave Disney movie. I was really touched by her thoughtful gifts.  

My husband brought me a bouquet of handpicked flowers.  He went scavenging through my garden and picked me a bouquet. He said he wanted to pick some of my lilies too, but they looked too perfect and he didn't want to mess them up. This is the first time anyone has ever picked me a bouquet, besides my kids and nieces. It was a beautiful sentiment. Especially since my garden means so much to me. He also planned a beautiful picnic at one of our favorite places.  Its owned my the national park service. Its an old battlefield site.  Its absolutely breathtaking.  We sat under a tree with a soft breeze blowing by, and crystal blue skies, and rolling hills in the distance. He packed sandwiches and potato chips, and water for everyone.  We sat on a blanket and watched our kids play in the grass.  It was a picture perfect day.  

What really made our day even more special was my husband taking my camera and doing a photo session of me and my babies. I do not step in front of the camera very often.  I have huge body image issues. I feel so awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera.  Most times, I also hate the way the pictures turn out, because I am not in total control.  I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my art, and I am very very critical of my own work, let alone giving control over to someone else to do it.  So just getting dressed, and getting the kids ready, was kind of nerve wracking.  

Most photographers say, "do this for your kids, they will want the memories one day" I have to say this was entirely selfish on my part.  I wanted pictures so that I could remember these days.  You blink and life has flown by.  In what feels like no time at all, your kids are all grown.  It feels like yesterday my almost 12 year old was in my arms, looking at me adoringly, touching my face with her cute little hands.  Time goes by too quickly.  So this session was entirely for me. Before my baby girl gets too grown, while she still crawls into bed and rests her head on my stomach, and watches TV.  While she still lets me run my fingers through her hair. Those times are fleeting and they are happening less and less.  Shes growing up. 

 Or while my lil man still wants to be held and cuddled, while he still follows me from room to room like a little shadow. I want to remember these days forever. 

Granted had the washer not blown, a lot of things this mothers day would have been different.  I am glad it went the way it did.  My husband had to get not only creative, but he really was thoughtful in his gifts for me.  A picnic, a photo session, and a hand picked bouquet, meant more to me, than if he had spend a million dollars on a gift.  Even my daughter really thought out my gift.  And I will have these memories forever.  It was a truly memorable amazing Mothers Day.   

Waterfall Wednesday.

My first experience of a waterfall was when I was about 6.  My parents saved up to finally take a honeymoon.(with 3 kids in tow) It was an experiance I will never forget.  I can still see the falls today, as clearly as if I had just went yesterday.

Since then I have not seen anything that even compares to the magnitude of the Niagara falls, when it comes to waterfalls anyway.  However, I think each drop in the water, is unique, beautiful, and meant to be admired.

This one was just a little cascade in a river.  I am not even sure it has a name.  Yet it is so powerful, it deserves admiration.  This was taken in the little pigeon river inside Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

There is something so peaceful about sitting and watching the water rush past you.  To sit and admire nature in all her fury.  This water was ice cold.  In fact it was so cold that after maybe 3 seconds in the water, my feet tingled and burned like I had frost bite.  I didnt expect it to be so cold in March.  I drastically underestimated how cold it could be.  I am glad I only had the mind to put my toes in.

Different angle of the same location.

























Driving further on down the road, and through the park we happened upon another waterfall, just off the roadway.  In fact it was so unexpected we had to turn around.
Meigs Falls, Smoky Mountains. I was very grateful for the roadside waterfalls during this trip.  Hiking with our 2 year old son, is not feasible at this time. You see, he had no fear, and acts hard of hearing most times. Like most 2 year olds, he hears what he wants to hear, and ignores you when hes having fun.  Not a good combination in the mountains.

Getting to see any waterfalls, was a pleasant surprise for me.  I fully accepted that we wouldn't see any, because we could do major hiking that day. So when I saw Meigs falls out of the corner of my eye, while doing 45 down a mountain road. You can imagine me screaming "WATERFALL, WATERFALL, YOU HAVE TO TURN AROUND!!" Thankfully my husband is used to such demands, and turned around as quickly as he could.  It must be hard being a photographers husband.

                             more images from Meigs falls, Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee

The last big hike we ran for a waterfall adventure was before my son was born.  We hiked down to see Dark Hollow Falls, in Shenandoah National park, in Virginia.  The hike has a 440 foot elevation change from the top of the hike, to the bottom of the falls. Its about a 1 1\2 miles round trip hike.  But honestly the hike down was easy, getting back up was pretty strenuous. I can tell you it was well worth the trip.  The falls are spectacular.

I love family time, and there is no greater family time than spending time in nature.

2013 Dark Hollow falls, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

One of our hikes this year 2017 at Smoky Mountain National Park, with our 2 kids, and our 2 nieces.

I hope you enjoyed Waterfall Wednesday.  I hope I have inspired you to go chase your own waterfalls.