Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Ok so we woke to a beautiful day in Cincinnati. It was so nice, I decided I needed some girls to walk with Summer and I. Franki was not excited to get up and go but she did and Miss Mena was all about it. She was going to be a good listener today – she told me. We made our way all the way around the lake of the campground. It was already warm out and the sun felt fabulous.
Crazy….today is the ROYAL celebration at home! We have friends already posting about heading downtown early to get a good spot on the parade route. Even a few that got hotel rooms and headed down last night. My sister and her family are heading down to her work and walking to Union Station and hoping my parents brave the crowd and bring down my nephew, Finn with them. Hopefully they can all meet up and stay together.
We get back to RV and then I send Q out on a walk around the lake so Summer got 2 walks this am. Dawson was out jump roping and we cleaned up our beds, got breakfast and I pulled out some school. They were upset that I wanted them to do school knowing that everyone at home was out of school. We muscled through and got most of it done. Then Q and Mena wanted to fish. Franki and I read one of her books and played a few hands of cards then tried to start streaming the parade. I got on early to see tons of traffic online on the plaza and downtown. It was nutty to watch all the people walking by and the cars – lots and lots of them. Then the RV park wifi locked up on me. It is a good signal but they told us it won’t be able to stream too much and if you do – it will probably kick you off the network. Well, I continued to log back on and all but was struggling to maintain the connection. Franki was sad and I told her to relax that the parade still didn’t start until 1 our time as we are in the eastern time zone now. We would figure it out.
We enjoyed our afternoon by the lake and soaked in the sun. Franki made lunch again as she is getting good at mac and cheese and her siblings love her cooking it up. Dawson had a couple more calls and then was going to wrap up his day too. We had plans to take out mid afternoon and head to Columbus, Ohio a few hours away. Well, when he got done with his calls he fired up the hotspot and we streamed the parade and the rally. Super cool and very fun memories made as we will always remember being on the RV Trip and in Cincinnati when the ROYALS won it ALL!!!! 2015 = while not on home we watched the city celebrate on dad’s computer in the RV. We made popcorn and had chips and salsa! And enjoyed it and talked about it being a great way to see the parade. We talked about the crowds and the walking and how maybe, just maybe our memories of the celebration would be better than actually being there. We had our own energy and excitement around the RV and Cincinnati this weekend. We will carry this proud feeling on down the road and wear our Royals gear proudly. Franki wants to log on and pick out a shirt or 2 and a hoodie. I think we will do that this week.
Anyway, we got caught up in the excitement of celebrating and needed to start getting ready to pack up the RV and van for departure. Dawson has an appointment in Columbus on Wednesday mid morning. He was open to just driving there for the day and back but instead we decide we would all go for a change in scenery. That is the nice thing about the RV – the change is kind of fun. Anyway, with the falling back of time and it getting it darker sooner we maybe shouldn’t have celebrated so long. It was almost 4 or so when we were finally on the road. We had to go through some traffic in Cincinnati and then even experienced some in Columbus.
Well, we got all packed up and heading out and experienced some of the bigger hills we have had in the RV. It is different to be in the RV and experience going up and pulling the van and then the brake noises and all when going down the hills. It got dark shortly after we got out of Cincinnati and the Lazy River Campground we were headed too had told Dawson they would just leave us a map of our site on the door. It is the off season for them so they are not in the office all day like in the summer. Erica also told Dawson that there was a bridge out by the campsite and we would need to follow some detours. So as we were driving down the highway, Dawson asked me to pull up their website and look at the detour info. I did so and then I pulled open our huge atlas. Well, I didn’t have enough lighting up front and I wanted to look at the map under the light so I took his phone (my battery was so low) and the atlas to the back and sat at the table. Well, this stretch of road was very bumpy and infact Dawson had just commented that the road sucked. You see when you have all your stuff in the RV bumpy roads make a lot of noise as stuff is bumping and rubbing and clanking down the road. Anyway, I decided to stand up and use better light by my sink and I had his phone in my hand and well….another big bump and guess what I dropped as I tried to brace my stance??! Yep, the electronic device – Dawson’s PHONE……..I tell you these things are going to be the death of me on this trip. But really I didn’t think it was any big deal…..he has a cover on his phone and it didn’t fall that hard. Well, I picked it up to look at the website again and wow…..I could hardly see the site – the screen was SHATTERED!!! I was so mad, I wanted to cry. We are driving down the road, I was trying to help him out, we were both stressed from traffic, turrain, darkness and still being rookies at all this! And now I just broke another electronic – DAWSON’s Iphone – UGGHHH and now I have to tell him and make him more stressed. And the kids were hungry and had the giggles and then were fighting over candy or something crazy in the back. OMG …..what are we doing!!!!! And after already being sad today that we weren’t home this was not my idea of a good time. Yet, all of this was my crazy idea!
And now I get to go back up front as my husband drives a vehicle equivalent to 25 elephants or something crazy like that down the road with van attached, in the dark, with my kids and dog aboard – to tell him I totally shattered his phone after just breaking his ipad about 1 week ago on the way to Indy. He will probably think or at least hope I am joking….but I am not! And to top it off I hope he isn’t so mad that he can’t take all this and something happens. The glass was so bad I think I got more in my finger again – just like last week. Only this time – I still needed to look at the website to figure out how to help co=pilot him to our destination. I was more than mad at myself too! I knew it would be another super expensive mistake. And I still didn’t come up with another route with all that work.
Anyway, he was mad and should be but once again he handled it better than I thought he would. Then we got to Columbus and I wanted him to take a route around the city but he said it was too late and so through the city we went. Crazy and in the dark and it seemed the RV NUVI wanted us to keep taking left exits. Well in this rig, you don’t do that very quickly in traffic, in the dark. We got through Columbus and were thinking we were getting close to our exit for this small town called Granville. It was taking forever it felt like. We finally excited and I started reading the directions on the rv website about the bridge detour. When we got off the exit the streets were really narrow starting with our first left turn. And they seemed to get darker and narrower as we went……Granville is a cool rustic town – old school charm…..and it was quite interesting driving the RV right down what felt like main street USA. And then we turned off on a winding 2 lane very narrow highway that was very hilly and curvey…..oh yeah and throw in super dark by now and also deer everywhere…..and mailboxes and electric poles. And really no shoulder – oh did I say super skinny! Several times it felt as if we were driving off the edge of the earth as the headhights are so high that we would hit the top of the hill and literally could not see the road. The kids were hungry and anxious and just ready to stop – they were not listening well and Dawson and I were extremely stressed. I was just praying to get there safely and quickly and let the driving be done. It felt like it went on for ever and the detour was crazy not to mention the turns that D had to make in this rig on these skinny country roads. My thought was – where is this crazy campground….and why so far from the city. But you know how it is when you don’t know where you are going and what it looks like – takes for ever so it seems. Now we are back on the road where the bridge is out and the camp ground is suppose to be. For those that have been there - it felt like Cuchara – like we were on the road leading to our mountain town cabin. It was narrow, twisty, and looked to have a ledge or drop down on the side. And I see the sign saying bridge out 2 miles ahead and I don’t understand where the camp ground is and I am so worried that we will not be able to turn around if we get up there and this is not the right place. And so we see a fork in the road to a dirt road and I tell Dawson he has to stop there and at least take the car off the RV. It was nuts!
Thankfully the van started right up as sometimes it doesn’t after we pull it. God knew we didn’t need that issue right now. Dogs at the houses down the street are barking at us – we are on a dark country road and here comes a pick up truck on the dirt road. He stopped as Dawson seemed to be trying to get his attention to ask if the RV park was close – the answer was yes – follow me. He wanted to get there so badly he forgot that he can't back up with the van still attached. I stated we couldn’t as you can not back up with car in tow. Dawson said, I can turn here and I knew that was not going to work. We finally got the van off and Dawson was able to back the RV back down to the paved road and head on up this crazy mountain road. Then there FINALLY was the LAZY RIVER Campsite on the left….and it too had a very narrow driveway.
Wow, my shoulders are tight and my hands sweeting just writing this and reliving it! We aren’t going to do that again….in the DARK! We pulled in and D had me drive in front to follow the map and find our spot and scope it out with the van before he got down there. We finally got in a position to back into spot 77 ( I need to look up that number) and then was out with Summer and the kids in a very dark campground in the valley of woods surrounded by giant hills you could almost call a small mountain! Anyway I looked up to see a giant falling star so big and bright and the kids saw it too. I started to relax and was just so thankful that we were here and that my feet were on the ground and not on the RV still driving …..Thank you God and your army of angels for keeping us safe! That was absolutely nuts!!!!
Although driving at off times sometimes including night and working around D’s schedule is how we knew we could make this adventure work – that was not our idea of a good time. Anyway, we are here…..I am sure when we wake up and see this place and the drive in the daylight it will be absolutely amazing! For now, deep breathes -sighs of relief!!!! Never again!
Good night – God continue to protect us and keep us!
Amen!!!
Tiffany
Ok so we woke to a beautiful day in Cincinnati. It was so nice, I decided I needed some girls to walk with Summer and I. Franki was not excited to get up and go but she did and Miss Mena was all about it. She was going to be a good listener today – she told me. We made our way all the way around the lake of the campground. It was already warm out and the sun felt fabulous.
Crazy….today is the ROYAL celebration at home! We have friends already posting about heading downtown early to get a good spot on the parade route. Even a few that got hotel rooms and headed down last night. My sister and her family are heading down to her work and walking to Union Station and hoping my parents brave the crowd and bring down my nephew, Finn with them. Hopefully they can all meet up and stay together.
We get back to RV and then I send Q out on a walk around the lake so Summer got 2 walks this am. Dawson was out jump roping and we cleaned up our beds, got breakfast and I pulled out some school. They were upset that I wanted them to do school knowing that everyone at home was out of school. We muscled through and got most of it done. Then Q and Mena wanted to fish. Franki and I read one of her books and played a few hands of cards then tried to start streaming the parade. I got on early to see tons of traffic online on the plaza and downtown. It was nutty to watch all the people walking by and the cars – lots and lots of them. Then the RV park wifi locked up on me. It is a good signal but they told us it won’t be able to stream too much and if you do – it will probably kick you off the network. Well, I continued to log back on and all but was struggling to maintain the connection. Franki was sad and I told her to relax that the parade still didn’t start until 1 our time as we are in the eastern time zone now. We would figure it out.
We enjoyed our afternoon by the lake and soaked in the sun. Franki made lunch again as she is getting good at mac and cheese and her siblings love her cooking it up. Dawson had a couple more calls and then was going to wrap up his day too. We had plans to take out mid afternoon and head to Columbus, Ohio a few hours away. Well, when he got done with his calls he fired up the hotspot and we streamed the parade and the rally. Super cool and very fun memories made as we will always remember being on the RV Trip and in Cincinnati when the ROYALS won it ALL!!!! 2015 = while not on home we watched the city celebrate on dad’s computer in the RV. We made popcorn and had chips and salsa! And enjoyed it and talked about it being a great way to see the parade. We talked about the crowds and the walking and how maybe, just maybe our memories of the celebration would be better than actually being there. We had our own energy and excitement around the RV and Cincinnati this weekend. We will carry this proud feeling on down the road and wear our Royals gear proudly. Franki wants to log on and pick out a shirt or 2 and a hoodie. I think we will do that this week.
Anyway, we got caught up in the excitement of celebrating and needed to start getting ready to pack up the RV and van for departure. Dawson has an appointment in Columbus on Wednesday mid morning. He was open to just driving there for the day and back but instead we decide we would all go for a change in scenery. That is the nice thing about the RV – the change is kind of fun. Anyway, with the falling back of time and it getting it darker sooner we maybe shouldn’t have celebrated so long. It was almost 4 or so when we were finally on the road. We had to go through some traffic in Cincinnati and then even experienced some in Columbus.
Well, we got all packed up and heading out and experienced some of the bigger hills we have had in the RV. It is different to be in the RV and experience going up and pulling the van and then the brake noises and all when going down the hills. It got dark shortly after we got out of Cincinnati and the Lazy River Campground we were headed too had told Dawson they would just leave us a map of our site on the door. It is the off season for them so they are not in the office all day like in the summer. Erica also told Dawson that there was a bridge out by the campsite and we would need to follow some detours. So as we were driving down the highway, Dawson asked me to pull up their website and look at the detour info. I did so and then I pulled open our huge atlas. Well, I didn’t have enough lighting up front and I wanted to look at the map under the light so I took his phone (my battery was so low) and the atlas to the back and sat at the table. Well, this stretch of road was very bumpy and infact Dawson had just commented that the road sucked. You see when you have all your stuff in the RV bumpy roads make a lot of noise as stuff is bumping and rubbing and clanking down the road. Anyway, I decided to stand up and use better light by my sink and I had his phone in my hand and well….another big bump and guess what I dropped as I tried to brace my stance??! Yep, the electronic device – Dawson’s PHONE……..I tell you these things are going to be the death of me on this trip. But really I didn’t think it was any big deal…..he has a cover on his phone and it didn’t fall that hard. Well, I picked it up to look at the website again and wow…..I could hardly see the site – the screen was SHATTERED!!! I was so mad, I wanted to cry. We are driving down the road, I was trying to help him out, we were both stressed from traffic, turrain, darkness and still being rookies at all this! And now I just broke another electronic – DAWSON’s Iphone – UGGHHH and now I have to tell him and make him more stressed. And the kids were hungry and had the giggles and then were fighting over candy or something crazy in the back. OMG …..what are we doing!!!!! And after already being sad today that we weren’t home this was not my idea of a good time. Yet, all of this was my crazy idea!
And now I get to go back up front as my husband drives a vehicle equivalent to 25 elephants or something crazy like that down the road with van attached, in the dark, with my kids and dog aboard – to tell him I totally shattered his phone after just breaking his ipad about 1 week ago on the way to Indy. He will probably think or at least hope I am joking….but I am not! And to top it off I hope he isn’t so mad that he can’t take all this and something happens. The glass was so bad I think I got more in my finger again – just like last week. Only this time – I still needed to look at the website to figure out how to help co=pilot him to our destination. I was more than mad at myself too! I knew it would be another super expensive mistake. And I still didn’t come up with another route with all that work.
Anyway, he was mad and should be but once again he handled it better than I thought he would. Then we got to Columbus and I wanted him to take a route around the city but he said it was too late and so through the city we went. Crazy and in the dark and it seemed the RV NUVI wanted us to keep taking left exits. Well in this rig, you don’t do that very quickly in traffic, in the dark. We got through Columbus and were thinking we were getting close to our exit for this small town called Granville. It was taking forever it felt like. We finally excited and I started reading the directions on the rv website about the bridge detour. When we got off the exit the streets were really narrow starting with our first left turn. And they seemed to get darker and narrower as we went……Granville is a cool rustic town – old school charm…..and it was quite interesting driving the RV right down what felt like main street USA. And then we turned off on a winding 2 lane very narrow highway that was very hilly and curvey…..oh yeah and throw in super dark by now and also deer everywhere…..and mailboxes and electric poles. And really no shoulder – oh did I say super skinny! Several times it felt as if we were driving off the edge of the earth as the headhights are so high that we would hit the top of the hill and literally could not see the road. The kids were hungry and anxious and just ready to stop – they were not listening well and Dawson and I were extremely stressed. I was just praying to get there safely and quickly and let the driving be done. It felt like it went on for ever and the detour was crazy not to mention the turns that D had to make in this rig on these skinny country roads. My thought was – where is this crazy campground….and why so far from the city. But you know how it is when you don’t know where you are going and what it looks like – takes for ever so it seems. Now we are back on the road where the bridge is out and the camp ground is suppose to be. For those that have been there - it felt like Cuchara – like we were on the road leading to our mountain town cabin. It was narrow, twisty, and looked to have a ledge or drop down on the side. And I see the sign saying bridge out 2 miles ahead and I don’t understand where the camp ground is and I am so worried that we will not be able to turn around if we get up there and this is not the right place. And so we see a fork in the road to a dirt road and I tell Dawson he has to stop there and at least take the car off the RV. It was nuts!
Thankfully the van started right up as sometimes it doesn’t after we pull it. God knew we didn’t need that issue right now. Dogs at the houses down the street are barking at us – we are on a dark country road and here comes a pick up truck on the dirt road. He stopped as Dawson seemed to be trying to get his attention to ask if the RV park was close – the answer was yes – follow me. He wanted to get there so badly he forgot that he can't back up with the van still attached. I stated we couldn’t as you can not back up with car in tow. Dawson said, I can turn here and I knew that was not going to work. We finally got the van off and Dawson was able to back the RV back down to the paved road and head on up this crazy mountain road. Then there FINALLY was the LAZY RIVER Campsite on the left….and it too had a very narrow driveway.
Wow, my shoulders are tight and my hands sweeting just writing this and reliving it! We aren’t going to do that again….in the DARK! We pulled in and D had me drive in front to follow the map and find our spot and scope it out with the van before he got down there. We finally got in a position to back into spot 77 ( I need to look up that number) and then was out with Summer and the kids in a very dark campground in the valley of woods surrounded by giant hills you could almost call a small mountain! Anyway I looked up to see a giant falling star so big and bright and the kids saw it too. I started to relax and was just so thankful that we were here and that my feet were on the ground and not on the RV still driving …..Thank you God and your army of angels for keeping us safe! That was absolutely nuts!!!!
Although driving at off times sometimes including night and working around D’s schedule is how we knew we could make this adventure work – that was not our idea of a good time. Anyway, we are here…..I am sure when we wake up and see this place and the drive in the daylight it will be absolutely amazing! For now, deep breathes -sighs of relief!!!! Never again!
Good night – God continue to protect us and keep us!
Amen!!!
Tiffany