Marci's Family: idaho

Last summer we decided to take a road trip to a family reunion in Mount Ida Arkansas, my father's birthplace. We were excited about getting out on the road, hitting all of the normal highway hot spots. I had planned it all out... we would stop at the Grand Canyon, 4 corners, Cadillac ranch, then hang out at with our friends Becky & Kelly who had just moved to Texas, and eventually we'd make it to the little cabin in which we were to stay nestled in the Ouachita Mountains. It was a wonderful trip, although I didn't enjoy sitting in the truck for 10 hours at a time on a few occasions. We managed to touch 12 states in less than two weeks. I took hundreds of photos (none of which have actually been printed out yet), and relished in the fact that my children were experiencing a once in a lifetime adventure that few children get to participate.

Now fast forward one year... it's the spring of 2008 and we hear that our brother-n-law Bryan is going to participate in another Iron Man competition in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. Mike & I think, "Fabulous! Another Road Trip!". I proceed to get on the internet and check out everything from here to there, research all of the aweso.me places to visit. I order brochures, travel dvd's and get on mailing lists hoping to hear about the latest and greatest places to stop. I finally narrow things down... we will leave early, stop in Quincy Washington to visit relatives, hit Coeur d'Alene for a few days, and then... since we are in the area we might as well head over to Yellowstone to see all of the natural wonders in that part of the world, and then... you know, since we are already in the area a short jaunt over to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore was not really out of the question... so of course I booked it!

Now... last summer we traveled light... just the truck and the family. This summer... things would be different... we had bought a HUGE 31 foot camp trailer so instead of reserving at a cushy hotel that left us chocolates on our pillows we were looking at RV Resorts (as they are called now - no one calls them RV parks anymore). I have come to find out RV Resorts are no small business... not only do they all have pools, internet & cable tv, but some of them even have huge waterslides to attract families (we plan on frequenting one of them in South Dakota in a few days... it was my obligation as a good mother to let my children try one out). Anyway, things were also going to be different this year because of an addition to the family, our keeshond puppy Shasta was going to be coming along.

In my mind I had everything worked out, how fun it would all be... the opportunity for the entire family to see all of the incredible sights of the north western states... I had however forgotten one little detail that seemed quite small at the time but turned out to be quite large as our vacation plans proceeded... it turns out that my children don't like road trips. It apparently ruins their summer vacation. At this point in their lives they have no interest driving for hours at a time to stop for 5 minutes at a roadside attraction and then drive on... What in the world was wrong with them? Why... those... little ungrateful turkeys! Didn't they have any idea how lucky they were that their parents wanted to travel with them and that we could afford gazillion dollars per gallon fuel prices. I apparently had failed as a parent creating two boys that could care less that Old Faithful was going to blow every 90 minutes! I quickly got over my anguish of a doomed trip and decided they were going and they would like it! They would surely appreciate all of our attempts at exposing them to new and interesting sights in the future... much later in the future, like perhaps when they have their own children, but nevertheless that day will eventually come. And then... I will bask in the glory of the unwanted road trip that we forced them to go on.

Now fast forward a bit more to this very morning... I sit here in a lovely RV resort, on the banks of the Coeur d'Alene lake (I didn't think to research what it's name was!), typing on our laptop, internet signal strong, listening to the sounds of camp around me. The boys & Mike are asleep... the dog finally is back to sleep... but not me. The sun apparently comes up at around 4:30 in the morning this far north and my little internal clock says that it's time to wake when the world gets light. So for... oh... about 4 days in a row, I've waken up early to take the dog out (his internal clock gets up with the sun too), and haven't been able to get back to sleep. I WILL enjoy this trip though... sleep deprived and a bit grumpy... my back hurts from the crummy trailer bed, and my feet hurt from living in flip flops for the past week. I will go on... because heaven forbid I go over to the dark side with my children and join the 'ANTI-ROAD TRIP' club. Send me "happy" thoughts & prayers.

Another note...
I have always prided in my ability to take great photos... I don't think about it I just see it and take it. Apparently my gift is fading because I have not taken a single great photo in the few days that we have been on the road! I have had more beautifully scenery around me within these few days than I have ... well since our last road trip! Surely it's the camera getting old. I'll post a few pics though... and promise to make an concentrated effort to resume to my normal fabulous photography today. HA HA HA! The photo at the top of the page is our rig... lucky my husband is a truck driver and can drive it like a breeze...