Almost Home

After leaving Minnesota on Saturday morning, we headed East through Wisconsin to Illinois Beach State Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. The boys have become such seasoned travellers that the 7-hour trip in the van didn’t faze them, but arriving at dusk to swarms of mosquitoes certainly did and we definitely set up our campsite in record time!

On Sunday morning, we headed to the Illinois/Wisconsin border to visit the Bristol Renaissance Fair. Since both Braedon and Riley have been quite obsessed with knights and swords since they were very little, we could not help but have a great day! The fair was much larger than any other we had ever seen and was complete with medieval games, merchants, and foods including the very yummy pickles on a stick that we all enjoyed. The shows were extremely funny and kept us highly entertained all day long. We especially enjoyed the Mud Show which was a Monte Python type comedy sketch involving three actors who skilfully wove adult humour throughout the show, while also entertaining the kids. Shawn got up-close and personal with the Washer Women when he was called up on stage and his portrayal of a sexy gypsy woman named “Veronica” will certainly be something we will remember for years to come. All in all, it was a lot of fun!

On Monday, we decided to have a quiet day and enjoy the park. While the beach was very pretty, the lake was also quite cold and the kids spent more time playing in the sand with some friends they met, than they did in the water. Shawn and I thoroughly enjoyed having some time to relax and read and were happy to watch and be entertained by the antics of the children. Watching them slip and slide on the sandy banks while trying to stay on their feet was very amusing!

Tuesday morning, we rose bright and early and headed 20 minutes west to Six Flags Great America. Although we visited Disneyland and Universal Studios in California and also had some time in the midway at the Calgary Stampede, the boys were both keen to hit some roller coasters before heading home and Six Flags was certainly the place to go. With the help of our Flash Pass, which allowed us to skip nearly all the waiting time in the ride lines, we rode 12 coasters in one day leaving the boys thoroughly satisfied and Shawn and I somewhat dizzy and nauseous, but still in high spirits! To top off an amazing day, Shawn and Braedon split a bucket of rings at one of the games just before we left and won a giant stuffed elephant. Since Braedon hadn’t really chosen any large trip memento, he was absolutely thrilled and it made for the perfect ending to a great day.

Today, we are on our way back to Ontario. It is hard to believe that after nearly 24 weeks on the road will be stop today at Kim and Kevin’s house less than two hours from home! Our plan is to hang out with Shawn’s family and catch up until Friday and then head for home on Saturday morning. While we are all feeling a mix of emotions about the end of our journey, we are also very excited to be getting home and are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family. It has been an amazing journey – even more powerful and important than we ever expected and I know that the moments we have spent together on this trip will affect all of us long into the future. People keep telling us that this was the trip of a lifetime, but we are all certain that it will simply be the first of many big adventures we take together. We have an amazing family and after almost six months together in a 17 foot trailer, we know just how lucky we are to have each other. 4:Exploring… where to next?

Tammy

Back in the USA

After our humongous hike to Crypt Lake last Wednesday, we spent a much quieter day on Thursday taking a scenic drive through Montana’s Glacier National Park. Since Waterton and Glacier are collectively known as International Peace Park’s and connect on
either side of the border, we were not surprised to find the scenery on the US side comparatively staggering. Since we all had sore legs, the leisurely drive also provided the chance for a much needed rest. Although he was a little camera shy and rushed away quite quickly, we were all pleased to find a mountain goat grazing at the top of one of the mountain passes and marvelled at how well his white coat blended into the snow.

On Friday morning, we left Waterton and since have been slowly travelling East toward home. Although the drive across Montana was lovely, we were surprised that many of the small towns were not as quaint as expected and in addition to being somewhat rundown boasted numerous bars and casinos and did not seem the place for children. As a result we meandered right through and found ourselves in North Dakota by Saturday morning where we spent two days in a lovely little town called Medora. Medora sits right at the base of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and is certainly a hidden gem. During the day, we spent some time touring the national park and were fortunate to see several herds of wild bison and horses grazing in the badlands. In the evenings, we were treated to Medora hospitality taking in the unusual pitchfork steak fondue and the lively Medora Musical. Both were really fun!

On Monday, we completed another long drive East landing in Bloomington, Minnesota on Tuesday morning. We have spent the past few days shopping at the Mall of America and have enjoyed preparing for our return to school and work in September. Since both boys have been the lucky recipients of clothing hand-me-downs since they were little and have rarely had to purchase a lot of clothes, the chance to go on a true shopping spree was a new experience. Riley was clearly born to shop and had no trouble finding a mountain of things that he needed. Braedon, on the other hand, was a little more reserved and took awhile to warm up to the process. Since I have been off for almost 14 months, and Shawn almost 6, we took the opportunity to purchase some work clothes as well and will certainly have lots to declare as we cross the border!

Today, we are simply hanging out at the lovely little RV park taking advantage of the pool and games room. Tomorrow morning, we will load up and head toward Illinois State Beach near Chicago where we plan to visit a Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin and a Six Flags Theme Park as well. It should be a fun couple of days!

Tammy