Road Trip 2011 - The Way Home

We had one last stop before we stopped heading north and west.  A visit to see Tracy's Aunt and Uncle on their cabin cruiser docked in northern Wisconsin.  What a treat to see them along with my cousin and his lovely wife.  They graciously took us on a tour of the gorgeous Apostle Islands, allowing the children a chance to steer the ship.  The weather was gorgeous and we soaked it up after being in the RV for the day.  Aunt Paula shared photos from years gone by which was great fun.  Again, our visit was all too brief, but we were so greatful for their kindness and the boys left determined to get their boating liscenses asap. ;-)

We left there and set our sights on our old stomping grounds of Minnesota.  After some deliberation at the WI/MN border, we chose to head to downtown St. Paul to catch the 4th of July fireworks that night. David was SO excited to see them in the middle of the downtown buildings. I was a more than nervous about driving the RV there, but I'll admit, it was a pretty cool experience. ;-)  I don't have pics from that night, figuring they wouldn't turn out real well in the dark. I did, however, catch one of this cool water tower on our drive into the city.

We spent the night at another Walmart and then headed to Como Park for a picnic breakfast. After that, we headed to the zoo to meet with my dear friend that I met on my favorite internet forum, MOMYS.  I was SO excited to finally meet Deb in real life after our daily chats on the computer. We invited them to join us for a picnic lunch and then we spent the afternoon visiting while the children played and David enjoyed a well-deserved nap in the camper.

After our restful afternoon, we loaded up and headed to the Mall of America for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and a stop at Legoland, among many other places. ;-)  Too bad the camera battery died just after dinner. Booo.

We pretty much shopped until we dropped and then headed out to the RV. What next? Where should we sleep tonight? Think our dear, old friends the Olson's will have us?  Oh, we were so fortunate they were home and welcomed us in! We had a late night of showers, legos, and visiting until the wee hours of the morning. Glenn and Anne are two of the most precious people in my life. The Lord has used them mightily again and again over the years. Glenn performed a part of our wedding ceremony and Anne was my matron of honor. It was such a joy to have time with them on our trip. Sadly, you'll have to trust me on this one, as I don't have any pics to share.

The next morning, we headed out for a tour of my old hometown, Hastings.  We visited some of the sights I didn't want the children to miss. I was sure they'd be so excited to see Momma's old stompin' grounds, but, alas, everyone was spent.  This kind of fast travelin' wears a body out fast.  So, after our quicker-than-quick tour, a stop at the Walmart to see another dear friend, Nancy, who works there, we hit the road heading back east.

Downtown Hastings where I used to work and we used to live when we were first married.

The church we were married in!

One of my favorite sights, driving in to Hastings, approaching the bridge over the Mississippi.

They are replacing that bridge, so there was construction all over.

Our First House!!! It was built in 1860.

The Vermillion Falls. One of my favorite hangouts when I was a girl.

Gone were our thoughts of slowly meandering home, stopping along the way. Everyone voted to put the pedal to the metal and get home fast!  So, we kept on cruising that day and into the night, getting through Chicago with no troubles this time, as it was nearing midnight. Another truck-stop sleep over and we were back on the road the next morning. 

We had our sights set on another lovely state park in upstate NY, when we were halted to a standstill on the itty-bitty piece of PA that we needed to travel through. That was rough. So, we took the closest state park once we cleared the border and relaxed for our last night on the road. It was wonderful to have a real dinner together, sit by the fire, and I even enjoyed a little quiet time alone after everyone went to bed.

Next morning we were up before the sun, aiming for home. I reveled in the beautiful sunrise, but kept missing the perfect shot as we drove along. 

That day I napped hard and when I woke we were only a couple hours from home. We decided to go through one of my favorite stretches in VT this time and we were glad we did. Simply beautiful and no construction to hold us up. Whew! 

That brought us home again-home again jiggety-jig.  We were back by late afternoon, the house had that wonderful...Feels Like a Castle thing going for it and we all crashed happily in our own beds.  The weekend ahead of us was full with cookouts and parties and visits.  So, while we were worn out from the mad dash home, we were glad we made it for the next session of summer fun. :-)

Here's a few miscellaneous pics from the trip. I'm so thankful for cameras to keep these memories forever. :-D