Mom to Ava and Hazel, partner to Dan. Commercial operations leader. Passionate about gardening. Likes a good policy debate. History nerd. Appreciates good design (my husband would say I tend to prioritize form over function...). Excited about this year, and about our national park system, America's "best idea" according to writer Wallace Stegnar.
This trip might best be summed up by our 26th President's father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr, who said... "Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster."
Here's to not being an oyster!
We spent the past week in the Virginias, effectively marking the end of the first half of our trip. It’s hard to believe but November 26 marks 5 months on the road! In 5 months, we have travelled 14,778 miles and have seen all states north of the 37th parallel. We have a couple of weeks of R&R planned in Charlotte and Nashville and then the second half of the...
Let me begin this by stipulating the following: I think people who choose to homeschool their children are largely insane. I say this with some affection. I know people who homeschool their children and I know adults who were homeschooled as children. These people appear reasonably sane to me. Still, I think it is utter madness to willingly take children out of...
I have lived in homes large and small. Dorm rooms, apartments, tiny bungalows and large houses. Dorm room notwithstanding, my homes have ranged in size from just under 1,000 sq ft to over 4,000 sq ft. All that makes our current living arrangement seem a little crazy. Dan, the girls and I share 339 sq ft. Some days this seems incredibly normal, other...
Deciding where to park Moby has turned us into parking connoisseurs. Doesn’t that sound glamorous? More than 3 months on the road has honed our site selection capability. We now have a very specific point of view on all things RV parking related. But first some RV basics. RV’s need 3 things: power, water and sewer access. It’s worth a little up-front...
I know we have been radio silent the past 10 days or so. We have been BUSY! A visit to Oshkosh, WI to see my dad’s plane at the Experimental Aircraft Association HQ, a visit to the Chicago Westin (I mean to Chicago), Indiana Dunes National Park, a few days with Dan’s sister and her family in West Lafayette, IN, a visit with Dan’s cousin and his...
Mulligan. In a word, that best describes our visit to Isle Royale. We made it to the island, but a persistent fog encased much of the UP that day and we never saw more than 50-100 feet in front of us at any given point in the day. A do-over is in order! Bad weather has dogged our journey since we left Nebraska on September 7. We fell asleep the...
“I have always said I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota.”Theodore Roosevelt I have a crush on Teddy Roosevelt. This is not unusual. I often get crushes on historic figures, especially after reading a biography or other piece of historical non-fiction featuring leaders of our past. And these...
Let me start this post by stipulating three things: First, I am confessing to what some might consider petty theft. Worse, the petty theft was committed on federal property. This admission probably eliminates my chance of ever being elected to public office. Second, during my act of petty theft, I also contributed to the delinquency of a minor...
When we turned onto the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, our girls were rendered totally mute for the first time on this trip. When I peered in the backseat, both girls were silently gazing in open-mouthed awe at the giant trees guarding the roadside. Finally, a national park left them speechless! We reached Redwoods National Park by way of the 101, famous for its...
We arrived at Crater Lake following a 2-day, 790 mile sprint across ID from Yellowstone. The sprint was highlighted by a wonderful visit with family friends in Sun Valley. A visit that included our first non-RV night since Nashville. I will wax poetic about the friends and their water pressure in a subsequent post! We would have tried our luck at a first come...