Vacation Journal

Ok we have just started out on a family vacation.   I can’t help but have visions of National Lampoons Vacation and their family of 4 as they climb into the green station wagon.    

We are in a station wagon of sorts (Chrysler Pacifica).  We are all equipt with our own cell phones, the children are watching a movie in the back, I’m journaling on the laptop.  John is also in on the fun; he’s driving but also has a TomTom that is honking at him when he speeds.

Poor little sketch has made a nest in his kennel; he comes out now and then to sit on the boys.

We didn’t make a reservation for a hotel tonight, we had no idea how long we wanted to drive we just knew that we wanted to get past Omaha.  We got about 30 miles past Omaha and stopped at a super 8 and it had no vacancy, so we went to an American Value and it was $85!  It’s 10 o’clock at night we are staying 6 hours we aren’t paying that much.  So we just kept on the road and stopped at another super 8 30 miles down the road in Rock Port, MO again no vacancy, so up the street was a cute little Inn, the Rock Port inn to be exact and now it is 11pm.  To get a room you have to go to the drive up window, open the slot thing, and pick up the phone to get the desk lady. 

So we did that and she appeared behind a curtain, and just poked her head out to do the transaction and when she spoke through the microphone she sounded like darth vader.  So I walked the dog, went up to the room and immediately I’m like oh hell no.  John you better come up here and look at this before you unpack anything.  The lady gave us a smoking room AHHH! Just because we have a dog doesn’t mean we will accept a smoking room! Gross! So John said you have to go get the refund then. Fine by me!  So I went and got my refund and snapped a picture of this wacked place.  So here we are 30 more miles down the road at another super 8 to see if they have a room for us.  What I’m noticing is that every 30 miles after Omaha is a town with a super 8, McDonalds and a shell station.St. Josephs, MO.   Now it’s 9:55 am and we are driving through Kansas City, approx. 4 more hours until we hit Cassville, Mo where the wedding is.  I didn’t consider Kansas City as the South but it’s already humid outside, I have seen that vine that covers the entire south, and just saw a Waffle House.

We arrived at our cute cabin at about 2 on Friday afternoon.  It rained all afternoon, not just sprinkles we’re talkin big fat rain.  So we drove around Cassville and found a bowling alley.  A cute little thing with 8 lanes, we had fun bowling!! 

Saturday morning we got up at 7 got ready for the day (so glad I brought coffee from home).  We went to the Rolling River State Park and trailed around for a while. 

There is a trout hatchery there and the water was so clear you could see all of the fish.   We did a little hike to the top of a spring, and saw a snake which we can’t wait to Google to see what kind of snake it was.  Then we decided to go to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Eureka Springs is a tourist trap, we did get to see our first armadillo, it was dead but we saw it. 

John even picked it up by the tail and flicked it over to the side of the road so we could touch it and take pictures of it.  Then on our way back to Cassville we took the boys pictures by the Welcome to Missouri,

Welcome to Arkansas

and Mark Twain National Forest signs.

All of these twist and turns in these hills are making us car sick.  John just pulled to the side of the road to puke… poor fella.

Last night was our dear friend Jessica’s wedding, what a lovely wedding we are so glad we were able to go. The wedding was at the amphitheater at Rolling River State Park,

followed by a nice reception and dance at the golf course.  We did a little dancing; my youngest almost caught the garter.  It was fun; lots of kids to play with the boys also had a great time.

Got up this morning and we are headed to Kansas City, MO, I am really excited for a real hotel, I am looking forward to no humidity in our room, everything wiped perfectly clean, a breakfast in the morning, maid service, pool, cable TV and the illusive WIFI.

This is where the journal ended, from here on out we swam did waterpark in the hotel and went to Loose Park which was amazingly wonderful.  We had a fab time in Kansas City, MO