Las Vegas -- shh

Stratosphere roof top pool; not quite like the Monticeto.

New York, New York Coaster

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas; suffice to say the kids got kicked out of a Las Vegas lounge club.

Pawn Stars pawn shop is the real deal on the strip

P.S. Big Elvis is still big!

Four Corners to Grand Canyon

Thanks to Dad's smooth driving and nerves of steel we made it to the Grand Canyon on July 31st. On our way, passing any tractor trailer or RV that was in our way, we swept through the praries, plains, and dessert to make it to another national landmark - Four Corners, U.S.A. Doug had been looking forward to stand in one spot and be in four different states(Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado) since he heard about it in grade school; unfortunately it did not live up to his expectations. Four Corners Monument is managed by Navajo Nation and is currently under renovation so the monument itself was not accessible, however you could walk around the borders of the small park and make it through all 4 states in a matter of 5 minutes, which is just enough time to see the arts and craft stalls set up by the locals.

Four Corners Monument

As we continue on our way to Cameron Trading Post, just outside the Dessert View entrance to the Grand Canyon, we are all getting excited to get out of the car again! Established in 1916, the Cameron Trading Post is an authentic Indian trading post, and a pleasant stop in the middle of nowhere. The general store is flanked by a post office, Native American art gallery, restaurant, hotel and gas station -- everything you need, all in one place.

Sunset at Cameron Trading Post

At the rim

Whoa, that's deep!

Hazy, but beautiful.

The views were spectacular! The colors in the different layers reveal 100's of millions of years of history. It's not easy to capture in one snapshot. It was definately worth the trip, once.

Lost Springs, Wyoming

As we fly home today, 30 thousand miles above the roads, moutains and parks we visited, I realize that it's not much different down there than it is up here. Up here in the seemingly infinite sky is one plane, while down there moving over the miles and miles of road ways are the occassional tour bus, trailer, RV or car crammed with a family's vacation worth of "stuff." Over the course of the last 15 days and 4,300 miles, we have accummulated our share of souvenirs. As we packed our bags last night and tried to squeeze as much stuff in our bags as we could, we were able to get it all into the original bags we packed, plus one more carry-on. Way to go us!

This trip made me realize, as I thought it might, how much there is to see in this country, and how much space is in between it all! The "in between" is just as fascinating as the places to see and the things to do. As we drove on the seemingly endless two lane highways, I wonder where one plot ends and where another one begins, where the "driveways" lead to in the unseen distance, how frequently someone drives down to their mailbox, and how many miles the UPS truck has logged on the lonesome desserted roads. As we drove along one such road, Highway 20 in Wyoming at the posted speed of 75mph, we passed through Lost Springs. With a bar on one side of the road and a general store on the other, he/she must be one busy dude!

Could I live like that out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors for miles and miles? No, not for too long. I think it's wonderful that someone does, although I hope they have a friend or two stop by or a really good calling plan without roaming fees! I can't imagine they ever get to leave town for very long without boarding everything up.

Arches National Park - out of this world!

I've never been to Rome or Greece to see ancient ruins, yet these massive rock formations at Arches National park that were created by natural forces made me think these are some of the world's most ancient ruins . Giant rocks look as though they rising from the earth, when they've actually been exposed from the top down by millions of years of weather and erosion. They look very much like massive Native American faces, totem poles, mammoth animals and tributes to gods rising from the earth to the sky. It made us pause and wonder if there aren't some other forces at work to create this unique space in the universe - maybe aliens!

The Balance Rock looks stategically placed and yet it seems like it is tetering on the edge ready to fall at any moment. Monica is a managing to keep it in just the right spot; hope her cellphone doesn't vibrate!






Arches National Park is one of the finest examples of the delicate balance of nature with over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. It was very different than anything we've ever seen anywhere else, especially in New England! Moab, Utah was just supposed to be a sleepover stop on our way from South Dakota to the Grand Canyon, yet it turned out to be a fantastic surprise for all of us.

Dreams Captured in Stone

Visiting monuments like these bring tears to my eyes. I am awed at the sheer will and determination necessary to see dreams and lives carved into stone. Mt. Rushmore exemplifies dedication to god, country and man more so than any other structure I've ever seen.



It was a terrifying drive to get here from Yellowstone as we drove over the Beartooth Scenic Byway(I-90). White-knuckled and praying all the way that we would make it up AND down and over AND around some of the most curvy and winding roads we have ever been on. We drove up several thousand feet into the snow-capped mountains on the narrowest roads still under construction! We now have a new found respect for the small luxuries of guard rails and breakdown lanes that we used to take for granted!



Pictures could not capture the momentary relief of getting out of the car. This wasn't even the highest point in the drive. The nightmare continued as we made our way down the other side. We blessed all the people who were working on this maze in the mountains and prayed for their safe completion of this project. If we were assigned this job, we would have quit on the first day!

Before getting to South Dakota we drove through a portion of Montana and stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Famous for Custer's last stand, Little Bighorn is also home to Custer National Cemetery where veteran's and their spouses were interred from 1886 through 1978. It was a quiet stop and a good place to stretch our legs during the 250 mile drive today. The kids learned a little bit about history that they don't talk about in school.

Custer Nation Cemetery

Mt. Rushmore-July 29, 2010

Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse are fantastic projects completed with the will and perseverance of man. It's hard for us to imagine what it was like for the people that worked and continue to work on these mountains. The tools alone were heavy, the dynamite was dangerous, the wild life encountered in the mountains must have been scary, and the weather was not always as pleasant as it was on our visit.

Their massive size of these pieces of art are only specks on the landscape surrounding them.

Crazy Horse Memorial in Black Hills of South Dakota

After seeing the monuments we had some fun at an old gold mine turned tourist trap in Keystone. The Big Thunder Gold Mine was first discovered in 1882. For nearly 32 years two gentlemen worked this mine searching for their lucky strike ultimately digging out about 10 ounces of gold; not too profitable! Ultimately these gentlemen were also munition experts who also worked in other mines and that's how they supported their hobby. The mine is now a fun activity for kids and families where we all had fun on the tour and then panned for gold. The kids discovered a few flecks of gold along with several pieces of pyrite. It was really quite a relaxing activity where we spent an hour or so swirling dirt, sand and rocks.

Getting ready for the tour of the gold mine

Later in the evening we returned to Mt. Rushmore for an evening ceremony at the monument. It was a solemn ceremony about the making of the monument, the leaders immortalized in stone, and a recognition of veterans that sacrificed to serve our nation and preserve our freedom.

You Smell Like a Geyser Basin

Another feature in Yellowstone that is practically unmatched anywhere else in the world is it's collection of geysers, and other thermal features. They are magnificent to view along side the road. You can see the steam coming up on the horizon as you drive along the roads leading you around the park.

As we get out of the car to view them up close, we are greeted with the "sweet" scent of hydrogen sulfide gas. The kids didn't care for the rotten egg smell and tried to cover their noses as we walked the trails around several different geyser basins. And so we coined the phrase, "you smell like a geyser basin" instead of "you stink."

Sulphur Caldron along the Yellowstone River

Bubbling Mud or Paint Pot

Cone

Spring

Grand Prismatic Spring

The colors and intensity of these sights is not easy to put into words. The pools of azure color water look so inviting, but would be dangerous to touch. The heat coupled with the low oxygen content make it difficult for most living creatures to survive here except the smallest bacteria and algae that contribute to the colors in this picture.

Sunrise at Yellowstone

As the sun begins to rise we are already out and about in Yellowstone National Park. It's a great time of day to see wild life and you feel like you have the whole place to yourself.

Yellowstone is huge. It covers more than 2 million acres and expands into 3 states. My husband and I have both agreed it is one of the most beatiful places we have ever been, and we've travelled many places over the years. It's just so pristine and even though millions of people visit, it is just maintained so well that it appears to be untouched by human hands.

There are grasslands, mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, waterfalls and cascades, not to mention the geysers, steam holes, mud pots, natural springs, paint pots, and so much more! In our short time here we only scratched the surface of what there is to see and do. One of the best things about it, however, was the lack of t.v., cell service, and internet connection! That alone is worth the price of admission!
The animals you can see in Yellowstone are just as impressive as the land formations! We literally saw buffalo(a.k.a. bison) crossing the road, trotting along a river, and herds of them making their way across a valley.

One gentleman was so kind as to let us see through his monocular and showed us long horned sheep up on a mountain top, as well as both an adult bald eagle, and a juvenile bald eagle. We were also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a black bear cub on the side of a hill! That was just the icing on the cake!

For those of you that don’t know, Elko, NV is home of White King, the world’s largest dead polar bear. If you’re ever in Elko you have got to stop at the Commercial Casino and get a picture with White King. He is an awesome specimen. While there enjoy a delicious breakfast in the coffee shop at the Commercial Casino too, it was very good. Doug and I each dropped a quarter(yes, you can still use coins in some of these machines) into a couple of slot machines. It was worth the fifty cents just to say we did it.

Today our plan is to drive nearly 500 miles from Nevada to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We pass through Idaho where there are fields and fields of potatoes and sunflowers. Then we go back into the nowhere; barren land with double-wides dotting the landscape. Before entering into Wyoming we pass through a small corner of Montana. We're just seeing so many beautiful sites that it's hard to keep track of where we are when we see them. We actually passed over the Snake River at one point and stopped to take some pictures:

We are discovering that the landscape of this country is on a scale we are just not accustomed to; everything is just so much bigger and bolder than on the east coast. It's just so grand! Even upon entry into the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park we are greeted by our first animal encounter:

We think this is a young moose. It has a collar on it for tracking purposes. It was right by the side of a river right on the main road. This was very exciting for everyone!

More spectacular pictures from Yellowstone to come!

Hittin' the Road

As I write this today, we’ve been in a car, airport, plane, monorail, and again in a car. This car will be our home on wheels for the next 14 days. I have to say everything is going very smoothly. We didn’t have to wait in any lines, there were no delays and the weather is just perfect. Today we flew from Boston to San Francisco, so that we can now 518 miles to our first one-night-stand in Elko, NV. Ultimately we will be driving through several states along our trek to Yellowstone National Park(Wyoming), Little Big Horn Battlefield(Montana), Mt. Rushmore(South Dakota), Grand Canyon(South Rim), Las Vegas(Nevada), Disneyland(CA), and finally up the California coast back to San Francisco. We have the route planned out and reservations were made months ago. It is an aggressive plan to see as much as we can in the next two weeks. For all of us this will be our first time at almost all of these places. This family adventure is one none of us will ever forget, and our kids are just at the perfect age to remember it all!
The route we follow through Nevada will bring us through Reno, to Elko, ultimately exiting into Idaho. We call this drive, “into the nowhere.” Literally this route is dotted with little except small gambling towns, infrequent rest areas without “services” and vast areas of NOTHING. Just dry desert. When we landed in San Francisco the temperature was about 60 degrees as we drive into Nevada the temperature climbs into the 90’s.
Along the drive “into the nowhere” we needed to stop to use the “services.” The first road-side rest stop we came to was a necessity as we could wait no longer. A couple cups of coffee, and some juice on the plane, followed by lunch at a “quick” fast food joint, is the perfect recipe for pee’ing in your pants. In order to avoid that embarrassment in front of my kids, I had no choice. The rest stop was literally a brick s#!t house as my husband came to call it. It was the absolute worst, most disgusting “bathroom” I have EVER been in! EVER! As we were driving in and parking the car you could smell the stench coming out of this building. I was gagging, it was so gross. If anyone ever came to clean this place they’d have to bring a fire truck and blast the s#!t off the walls. I didn’t think I would ever get the stench of that place out of my nose and off my clothes! (No pictures were taken; you’re welcome.)
Of course, once you pee, you need more coffee to keep you awake and so we stopped to get gas and coffee. Now when you order two coffees through the drive thru of your local golden arches, and you ask for both with cream and one with sugar, you’re not expecting to get asked, “which one would you like the sugar in?”. And, thankfully, the drive thru attendant caught herself just as she was about to say it! And when you drive up to get the two coffees, you also don’t expect the associate handing you the coffee to attempt to determine which has sugar by opening the lids and taste-testing them! And thankfully, my husband grabbed them away just before she was about to! You just can’t make this stuff up! As this just followed the s#!t house of horrors, this too was scary and disgusting, yet full of hilarity for all of us. Again, better to laugh than get angry or cry; just another story to share.

Welcome to the Family

Weddings are an easy way to grow an extended family very quickly. One day, in a matter of minutes, you are hitched, and are now a member of a whole other family(like the one you had already wasn’t enough!). And so, like with a wedding, we are inviting you to become a member of a whole new family. We will meet and come together around the laughing table as stories, opportunities, adventures and day-to-day “stuff” come up.

Our first adventure of the next 15 days actually does start with a wedding. As we began to plan this trip that will ultimately take us over 4000 miles and through at least 9 states, we were excited to take into our plans the wedding of Ty & Heather. Once the date of the wedding was secure, then planning the trip could start. Would we venture to drive all the way across the United States from Massachusetts to California , seeing sights as we went, and then fly home? That was the original plan. Yet after some deliberation, we decided to fly to CA and then planned out a route that would take us from San Francisco to Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Disney Land, and up the California coast. Just as the bride and groom took several months to plan their wedding, so did we. And if our trip turns out to go as beautifully as their wedding, we’re in for a fantastic time. Sure it was hot; what wedding in July wouldn’t be? And there was a torrential downpour with lightening and thunder that threatened to flood the dance floor and drive everyone to scurry for their cars, yet in the scheme of things that didn’t last too long and there was plenty of dancing and fun to be had. And, in just a matter of hours, our family had grown! How many new friends will we make on this trip, and how many will reconnect after being disconnected for too long?

Our first day is a long and busy one. Getting up at 4:30am to depart and get to the airport for a 6 hour flight and then immediately grabbing our rental car for a 6-7 hour drive so we can make it halfway to Yellowstone by tonight. It’s an aggressive way to start a vacation; it’s going to be worth the effort. We can’t wait to see the majesty that awaits us.

What's the "laughing table"?

If you could ever imagine a place and the people I will attempt to describe, then you will know the "laughing table," and you will be as fortunate as I am.

First, I will attempt to describe our family. The family matriarch is our 80+ year old widowed mother of 5, grandmother to 8, and great grandmother to 1. Mom recently told us that the current size of her family(including pets) is all she can handle at her age, and there should be no more; sorry to the young newlyweds, that means no kids for you until grandma kicks the bucket! Mom is a character that has certainly gotten riper with age; like stinky cheese. She's from a generation that was blitzed in London during war with Germany, came to America on her own following WWII, married a Navy man, and had 5 children, including me at the age of 42. She is very independent and both married, divorced, and re-married the same man in her life (our beloved dad). Much of the laughing we do around the "laughing table" is due to the fodder Mom provides. We're not laughing at her antics so much as we are laughing because we prefer to find the humor in the fact that Mom is now sometimes forgetful, hard of hearing, stubborn as a bull, uses her age as an excuse to speak her mind, and "doesn't care what we're all doing, just as long as we tell her first."

The rest of our clan is composed of myself, my 3 sisters and one brother, all of our respective spouses, exes and "friends," and all the kids, their "friends" and our littlest kid-of-a-kid that wants to know if "you got a duck in your pants?" Our family is as dysfunctional as the next with marriage, divorce, addiction, mood and anxiety disorders, various family turmoil, and, of course a love that holds us together. You name it, we've probably gone through it at some point. Yet through it all, we have often come through scathed and still able to smile.

One of our favorite places to come together is at Mom's because it's our family summer home in a gem of a location that I will not reveal yet. A dozen of us will literally sit around a kitchen table meant for 4 and talk, joke, tease, laugh and listen for hours on end, and if we're not eating all that time, we're planning what we are going to eat (and drink) next. When the weather is warm or there's a fire pit ready to burn, we'll take our stories outside and circle around again.

It all sounds so mundane and normal. One day I had the gaul to chastise us all for being so lazy for "just sitting around laughing" that I was immediately put in my place and thus the "laughing table" was born. What could be better than to be in a place where we are all accepted for who we are, and we're expected to enjoy ourselves too? Even when our memories are not so fond, we often find cause to chuckle at the random absurdity of life's curve balls. To me this is what family is all about, and I hope you have as many fond memories of sitting around your dinner table as I do.

You got a duck in your pants?

Laughter is such a free commodity when you're young. Giggling, gufahing, the occasional snort, a full blown belly laugh, or laughing 'til you cry, seem so easy for a child, and why shouldn't it be? We could say that children don't know any better, they don't have the same worries or concerns or experiences that have jaded them. But I would disagree and say that children have the same base concerns for their own safety and welfare as adults, some even more so. And yet they still know how to laugh. I would say laughter for some children is even a safety mechanism; a way to gauge a situation and learn which responses are acceptable and which aren't.

And the simplest things that sound ludicrous or inappropriate to an adult are fair game for kids. So when you say to a 2 year old, "you got a duck in your pants?" and you start quacking, of course they're going to start laughing and you could say it over and over and still get a good chuckle. How refreshing! The genuine and sincere laughter of a child is pure joy. We should enjoy it as often as we can. Not only does it make for a happier child, it will make you happy too!

Why do some of us lose our sense of humor? Is being serious going to add years to your life? I think not! So think back to a funny story in your childhood, or what used to make your own children laugh, and share it here. I'm sure you have a great story.