Minnesota Day 1

Well, I have just returned from a week in Minnesota. My cousin Allison was getting married (more on that tomorrow) and the whole extended family gathered for the wedding. First though, we had to drive from Wyoming to Minnesota with two small girls. The trip is more than twelve hours of driving time...not counting bathroom breaks, meals, snacks, road work, weather, traffic, and all of the strange stops that Elise required ( ex: "These crumbs are hurting me!! Ahhhhh!!")

We left last Thursday morning at the crack of dawn. I had spent two days advance prepping and packing (Sarah P. you would have been proud) so we were all ready to go forth on an adventure. I had everything ready, right down to the packed vitamins!

We drove much of the day and were in such good spirits that we made lots of plans for our return trip. Those are the plans people make on the first day of a trip, but by the last day of the trip they are never mentioned because by then everyone is dreaming of their own bed or bathroom. Can we just take a minute to weep over the state of truck stop bathrooms and using them with small children? I cannot tell you how many times I said,"Nobody touch anything in the room."

The day of driving was a lot to ask of two girls, but they were really awesome for the entire trip and back. They watched movies, looked at books, played with toys. Elise asked for a MILLION snacks.  I seriously think there was no more than a twenty minute stretch the entire trip where she wasn't asking for snacks. She was well fed, with limits. Girl likes her snacks. Have I mentioned that she is now nicknamed Snacks?

We took a break in Rapid City, SoDak and had some lunch. We also let the girls stop in and pick something small from Toys R Us. Then it was back on the road.

We discovered something about South Dakota; every town has a thing. Maybe they have a six ton prairie dog statue, Laura Ingles Wilder's home, an 1800s town, a Dance's With Wolves collection, vintage cars, Abe Lincoln's beard hairs (ok I made that one up)----each town had a thing. It was funny and awesome. Branding brilliance!

We found a fantastic antique store in Chamberlain. I bought three amazing vintage dresses and Eric was excited about vintage Garbage Pail Kids cards.

We finally stopped in Mitchell, SD where we made dinner in the hotel and then went swimming before putting the kids to sleep.

Once the kids were asleep Eric decided to open the 20+ year old packs of Garbage Pail Kids cards.

Inside of the cards was ancient gum. Yes, we tried it. It was not good. 

Road Trip: White Sands and Copelands

Our last full day in New Mexico was jam packed, like every other day of this trip. We just had so many things we wanted to see and do. The morning started a little bit later than we had anticipated. We all slept in a bit or at least what seems to us to constitute a late morning (8am).

Once we were all dressed and fed we decided that we absolutely had to take Cordelia out to see White Sands. Have you seen it? Truly an amazing a beautiful place to be. However, the  New Mexico sun makes White Sands incredbly hot this time of year so we were trying to get out there before the heat of the day really picked up.



So, for those of you who aren't aware White Sands is a desert in the midst of the Tularosa Basin that has been formed by pure white gypsum sand. It is the exact color of the bleached sand one finds in hour glasses. Apparently the white sand desert is growing each year and it will eventually (in a couple of millenia) cover the town of Alamogordo. On windy days the sand picks up and makes a white cloud that can be seen from miles away. When northerners visit for the first time the sand looks exactly like hills of snow. Cordelia had a little difficulty understanding (as we drove in) that she was looking at sand and not snow, but once we got out she knew exactly what to do.



She ran, she jumped, she made sand angles. We spotted some white lizards. We rolled in the sand and jumped off the dunes. We dug our toes in deep to where the sand retained the cool temperatures of the night before.





We stayed out there until the heat of the day became oppressive and then headed back to town. We stopped and had lunch with the in-laws. Eric went through some of his childhood belongings. Cordelia might be the most adorable vegan cowkid in this straw cowboy hat. When she put it on she had to howl like a wolf.



We had some more family visiting to fit in for the afternoon. Eric's entire family lives there so we really have to hustle to get in some quality time with everyone. Late afternoon we headed over to spend some quality time with the Copelands. You've probably noticed that I've mentioned them a time or two on my blog.

On our way over Cordelia fell asleep, of course. We had such a hectic schedule that she was surely feeling its effects at this point. So we just brought her in and let her nap while we were able to get in some quality grown-up time with no toddler wrangling.



We sat on their back patio which is something of a desert oasis and talked and talked. It was so wonderful. Being with close friends is just about the best way to spend an evening.

We got to check out their latest art projects, enjoy some good company and relax into an experience. After days of go-go-go it was a perfect change of pace to just sit, relax and enjoy.



Eventually Cordelia woke up and once she had shaken of the post nap grogginess we took a little walk before dinner.



We spent the whole evening outside, it was perfect. We watched the sun slip behind the mountains together.



After the sun had set it was time to eat and if you know anything about Victoria then you know that this woman can cook! She made us an absolutely mouthwatering and memorable meal. Here is her recipe for a truly Wonderful Wild Rice that I have been dreaming about since we left. I am making it this week, absolutely! AND if you want a recipe for the best Fruit Salad that anyone has ever made, ever click this link (and note the awesome high school photo of Eric and I).

We were clearing the table after dinner and I was shocked to see that six hours had passed in the blink of an eye. So, we had to say our goodbyes as we were hitting the road early the next morning. What a perfect night we had, one that I will probably remember and treasure for the rest of my days.

With that another day in New Mexico was put to bed as we passed out in exhausted heaps.

Road Trip: Butterfly, Cloudcroft, Bowling, Family

Saturday morning Michael, my nature loving nephew, had a special treat planned for Cordelia. He had harbored a butterfly in it's coccoon until it emerged and was now ready to go. He though perhaps Cordelia would get in on the action. She was more than game.





We watched the beautiful butterfly move away to rejoin it's natural habitat. Beautiful!

Later we decided to drive up into the mountains and check out the small town of Cloudcroft (isn't that a dreamy name?). I hadn't been to Cloudcroft in nearly a decade, but I found it little changed.



The town is very small set within the piney forest. There are houses, restaurants and a main touristy strip. The air is fresh and clear and seems to vibrate with the trilling sounds of hummingbirds who frequent the abundant red feeders.



We walked around the tourist strip and checked out a few shops. Finally at noon we met up with an old high school friend and her family. We enjoyed lunch, a little play time in the park (for kids) and then a little more wandering around before we said our goodbyes.



We cruised back down the mountain and all the way back out to Holloman Air Force Base to bowl with our nephews. Well, I wasn't really in a bowling mood so I just offered support.



After several rounds of bowling, some dramatic gambling wins among my betting nephews and Eric's redemption (he bowled until he had a satisfactory score) we called it a day.

Eric, Cordelia and I picked up some food and headed out to have dinner and some fun time with his parents.





Finally, we returned to his sister Denise's home and settled in for an evening of  playing cards and talking. The day was lovely and very full and we fell into exhausted heaps, sleeping solidly through the night.

Road Trip: New Mexico

Now before I forget, let me answer your question about the whole "drive safe and sanitary" comment I made on my blog yesterday. You can read the story of our family lore here, at my mother's blog. Now that we have that squared away let's move on with the story of our road trip, shall we?

We left Trinidad under heavy cloud cover in the morning.  We were thankful for the clouds so we didn't have to battle road blindness. That makes me crazy and gives me a raging headache so I was pleased to avoid that. We drove through Raton Pass, which is a scary pass for the native New Mexicans, but having spent so much time up north we hardly even registered a pass at all.





Coming out of the mountains we cruised by the welcome sign for New Mexico and took in the familiar landscape. One thing about New Mexico, or really any western state, is that when you cross state lines you really can still have a long journey ahead of you. We drove through Raton, stopping briefly in the small town of Maxwell, and then down through Santa Rosa where we assembled something that passed for a vegan meal at a gas station. Note to vegans, New Mexico does not have many food options, plan accordingly.







We got back in the car after lunch and drove down the isolated highway from Santa Rosa all the way down to Alamogordo.Hours passed. Cordelia slept in the car seat. There were snacks, some DVD watching, singing of songs---the general stuff that accompanies family travel.  We stopped a few times along the way to stretch our legs, to take photos and of course for the seasonal road construction.





Finally, in the midst of a dust storm we made our way back to our former home of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Eric has been reunited with his family. We are staying in his middle sister's amazing home. One of our nephews (we have 7 total) has given us his room---which is quite posh. So we are feeling well cared for and happy to be here with the crew.

Have you ever been to Alamogordo? White Sands?

Road Trip: Wyoming Through Colorado

Yesterday we made it about halfway to our destination. Normally the trip from WY to NM is about 13 hours, but that travel time increases exponentially when you factor in a toddler and a pregnant lady. So we decided to break the journey into two days that seem less taxing on all parties involved.

Yesterday morning we left our house and animals in the care of my family and hit the road by mid-morning. We cruised along at a pretty good pace. Cordelia was entertaining herself in the backseat and Eric and I talked and talked. We stopped for lunch in Cheyenne, taking our sweet time.

Finally making it to Colorado which is green and beautiful this time of year. We followed the interstate ever South, stopping for the night in Trinidad, CO which is just a short distance from the NM border.

Before we could do anything else we had to reward our amazing traveling toddler with some swim time.







Since I am not the owner of a maternity swimsuit, nor do I intend to be, I opted to take photos and watch a little father daughter time in action.

We went and grabbed a few supplies and had dinner in the hotel room. Eric ran off to get his hair cut (what you don't have your hair cut at random roadside salons?) and then we retired for the night. Now we are going to grab a bite to eat and head to New Mexico. We will continue to drive safe and sanitary. Hope you are well.

Have you ever been to Colorado or New Mexico? If so what did you think?

New Mexico

New Mexico is the place where I spent my teen years. The place where I got into more trouble than I had any business being in. The place where doors were slammed for teen angst emphasis, later to be quietly opened as I slunk out to apologize for being a teenager. New Mexico was where I was my most wild, raw, self-indulgent (as I think most teenagers are).

New Mexico is also where I met and fell in love with Eric, come to think of it I first met Eric (when I was just 14 years old) 17 years ago next week. New Mexico is where I found myself to be an artist. New Mexico is where I made some lifelong friendships. New Mexico is where my husband grew up, where my in-laws live. Where I had my first job. Where I enjoyed the beauty of the sunsets and the evening air. Where I moved out on my own and started college. Where I married my husband. Where I started to become the woman that I am today.

New Mexico is where we are headed for a visit. This will be Cordelia's first trip to the state. We won't be there long, just a visit for a few days where we will visit Eric's hometown and the place where we both graduated from high school.

When we go back to New Mexico we are both filled with that strange sensation of past meeting present; something that becomes more defined as the years pass. Our primary goal is to visit with Eric's family and to celebrate the retirement of my father-in-law. I am sure that we will visit some old haunts. We are looking to see a few friends and we cannot wait to see our beloved Copelands!

So, we leave our home and animals in the care of my family. I love that my family will stay in our house while we are away. I don't have to worry about our animal family or my plants, so I can just focus on our journey. We plan to drive safe and sanitary. I will be reporting back to you as always, though my posting times may be a bit erratic as I search for time/internet connectivity.

Sunday Quote: Few

Few are those that see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
~Albert Einstein

Choose Your Own Adventure Vacation

A couple of years ago I invented a new type of road trip, the choose your own adventure road trip. Now a few of you may remember the Choose Your Own Adventure novels from your childhood, this is very similar. One Friday we were let out of class and I surprised Eric with a little choose your own adventure vacation. I presented him with an envelope. I will give you the general idea, the letter read something like this," You just got out from class. You go back to the car and see that it has been packed for a weekend getaway. You gas up and drive to the Interstate, do you go left or right?"

Then Eric got to choose which direction we would go. Based on his choice I would hand him another envelope that offered another choice, each choice leading us further on our journey. The idea was that on Sunday night, regardless of his choices we would inevitably end up in Seattle to watch a Siouxsie and the Banshees show we had purchased tickets for.

The first night we ended up in Couer D'Alene, Idaho. We walked by the lake, took photos, and acted like shameless lovebirds. We went out to eat at what is possibly the best Chinese restaurant on the planet. The next morning we went out for breakfast and I presented him with another envelope. We drove through Oregon cruising through some serious fog in the green mountains. With his decisions we eventually ended up on the coast of Oregon.

This was the first time either of us had seen the Oregon coast and man-alive is it beautiful! We ended up in Seaside a normally small community. Driving past Tsunami warning signs Eric became nervous, but he managed to forget his fears once we saw the big beautiful ocean. We watched the sun set and were generally in awe. Before we knew it we had to find a hotel.

Little did we know that the hotel situation would be more difficult than originally anticipated. That very weekend was the annual sandcastle competition and apparently it really draws in a crowd. So, we ended up staying in a "hotel" of less than desirable qualities. After surviving the night we ventured out to see the coast again. We stumbled upon the sandcastle competition (see picture) and had a bite of breakfast before continuing the choose your own adventure road trip.

We drove up the coast into Washington. Good gravy that was such a beautiful drive. If you have a house in that area and want to give it to me I will not put up a fight.

Eric at the coast

Me at the coast

We made it to Seattle in time to see Siouxsie at the Showbox. What a wonderful show. I even managed to avoid my usual panic attacks that come when I fear people will stampede.

We did not get much sleep that night as the show ran late and we had to head back to Missoula early in the morning with consideration for the time change. I forgot to mention that early afternoon on Monday we had a major test for which we had not studied. So, the entire delirious drive home we crammed facts and attempted to learn everything for the test. We made it back into town with time to park and head to class. I am happy to report that we both aced our exams, a lovely end to the choose your own adventure road trip.