Creation - the Great Draw

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Expert Junior Rangers

Our four youngest boys have completed about a ton of junior ranger programs, over 50 actually, on our big family adventure. While we did not participate in Awana or Boy Scouts during this season of our lives, this system the National Park and some state parks have served as a great learning enhancer. They also encouraged lots of hands on activities and physical activities like picking up trash and taking hikes, interviewing rangers and spotting wildlife. As a body of work, doing fifty plus junior ranger programs is a feat accomplished that makes us quite proud of our boys. Blake learned a lot too, helping his younger brothers do the programs (he did about six or seven himself!).

As a matter of fact Patsy and I learned quite a bit and our knowledge of our country has broadened quite a bit since walking with our sons through these cool programs!

Campground Review - Webster Sturbridge Family Campground

We stayed a couple of nights at the Webster Sturbridge Family Campground in Webster, Massachusetts while we got a new tire for our tow dolly. While traveling through Rhode Island we had another flat tire on the tow dolly, making the total number of changed tires on the tow dolly six! The fenders were ripping them up, so we have totally removed said fenders, and were hoping were good to go now!

Staff - 9 - Owners were very nice and helped us locate a tire store.

Natural surroundings - 8 - Lots of trees and close to the lake with the longest name in the world - Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg!!

Roominess - 9 - Lots were very long where we stayed, and plenty wide enough.

Facility Fun - 6 - Older playground equipment, pool open in season, BB court and horseshoes.

Facility usefulness - 7 - Free wifi, cable, dog run, laundromat, propane, small store.

Bathrooms - 7 - Bathrooms are recently remodeled.

Cleanliness - 5 - Lots of long term rigs here, some in pretty rough shape. Also our kids found plenty of bits of junk sitting around. It needs a good litter pick-up.

Nearby attractions - 7 - Close to Worcester and Springfield and within reach of Boston.

Value - 6 - Paid $40 a night for a pull-through gravel site with full-hook-ups. 

Overall - 6 - Friendly people, but the campground needs a better cleaning crew.

Crossing the Delaware

This post has been removed because it is part of our new book - Napkin Dreams!

 

The Angel of Mary's Heights

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" -

 Jesus

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Howard's little friend

By Patsy 

 

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First Walmart and Sam Walton

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Sam Walton's 1977 pickup

Sam Walton's office

Falling Water and a Lesson on Creativity

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Big Treehouse

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Fun at the Fjeldheim Farm

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10 things to never leave "home" without

So driving down the road your mind comes up with lots of things to occupy itself. Recently I was thinking of what would I tell someone who was thinking of living on the road full-time they should definitely bring with them to survive and thrive in life on the highways. So for all you potential full-timers or long-termers here is my list of ten things to bring that you might not think of ordinarily. By that I mean I assume you will bring your underwear and some plates. This list is geared for people with kids.

1. Duct tape - Red Green said it is the handy man's secret weapon and he wasn'tkidding! Temporary fixes are a must on the road. Throw in some liquid nails and super glue while you are at it.
2. The Kindle - we read to our kids all the time and they also read. We have some books and we utilize exchange libraries all the time, but the Kindle saves a ton of space.
3. Our membership cards. Zoo, museum, Passport America, Escapees, National Park, Pet Smart and Kroger cards save us a ton of mulah!!
4. Bikes and scooters. We have some hanging from Howard's ladder, and carry some in our toadie. Kids use them all the time.
5. Toys. We have bins of legos, army men, magnetix, playdoh, dress-up, dinosaurs, Mr. Potato head, weapons, hot wheels, and remote control cars. All boys here so no Barbie.
6. Your printer. You need to print off coupons, tickets, tax docs, etc. Nice to have one with you.
7. A portable electric convection oven. Our little RV oven does one pizza at a time, so we needed more oven space. We have used our extra little oven a ton. Makes meatloaf even.
8. Crockpot. Another great alternative to the little oven. We have made some killer lasagna in our crockpot and even cooked our Easter ham in ours. Set it and forget it! (We have actually had it cooking while driving down the road before).
9. Atlas and GPS. You really need both. Do not count on your GPS to get you there every time.
10. Verizon mifi. Great little wireless internet card that gives you access wherever Verizon is found. Cant rely on parks wifi.

Just the Facts

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Yawn - Las Vegas

Only in Las Vegas can you see the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid and the Empire State Building in just a few short minutes. Forget long plane rides, pesky government agencies and getting those passports. Simply travel to the lights in the desert and viola, you can see the world.

You might see a few things you didn’t count on though. Like huge billboards of things you might feel you could have gone one living without seeing. All in all despite the faux world wonders and the explicit signage, for our family Las Vegas proved to be largely and brightly lit yawn. There was not much we found there that drew us to stay. We had a hard time even finding a cheap buffet, so we headed to Fazolis where kids eat free on weekends. Now that was something to cheer about!

We did have a nice time at the Church of South Las Vegas. We must have went to an extension campus because it was in Henderson, Nevada! Anyway they had a pretty good children's ministry and a great sermon. Our kids are getting used to just going into every church without a fuss, talking to the teachers like they were old friends!

Overall though, our time in Vegas was pretty forgettable.

Calm at the Grand Canyon

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Snapshots

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Tanner Explores Petrified Wood in 2002

 

 

Patsy and Blake at Painted Desert in 2002