June 6,
8:08am, 0 miles, 66°F
We just left. The back seat is really crowded. I was impressed with myself for the prompt departure. I put food where I could reach it and packed the kids with every toy they could need... but no electronics.
9:47am, 106 miles, 73°F
We’re in Tennessee.
9:45am (or 10:45)
We’re in a new time zone. On Nickajack Lake there was a pelican and a lot of jet skies. We took a rest stop break and ran around for a bit, but the kids still seemed to be in good shape.
1:00pm, 250 miles, 81°F
We just ate lunch. I had a sandwich and cherry 7up. We’re off to Louisville! Unfortunately we had trouble finding a place for lunch, so we ate in a grassy bit off from a gas station parking lot. They were good sports about it fortunately.
1:32pm, 284 miles, 82°F
We’re in Kentucky! Finally! Arrived at BK, MK and LK’s house. It had been so long since we'd seen our former neighbors, I wasn't sure how a visit would go. They were so happy to see us, and so generous, that the kids acted as if it had been a day and not a year. I was plied with drinks and quickly relaxed from the long drive. Their cousins live down the street and soon eight boys were running around playing hockey, catching frogs and screaming like only eight young boys can. They were outdoors until 10:30, possibly the latest my boys had been awake. When we went in, and cousins went home, Mom (Formerly) Next Door set up sleeping bags. Then, at 11pm, she asked them what movie they wanted to watch. Bug was wired and didn't go to sleep until after midnight. I pulled myself out of bed the next morning at eight, but I'd heard kids since 6:30.
June 7
2:50pm, 433 miles, 86°F
We had a good time in the pool. They live in a nice neighborhood. I figured the sun would add to the exhaustion from the lack of sleep and they'd sleep all afternoon in the car. Fortunately, I was right.
3:19, 456 miles, 88°F
We took a long bridge across the Ohio River.
4:55pm, 565 miles.
We’re in Indianapolis.
5:12pm, 575 miles.
We just got to Nana and Papa’s house. We’ll stay here until Friday.
June 8
Today we went to the zoo. We saw the dolphin show. The rhinoceroses were sleepy.
June 9
We went to Conner Prairie. Conner Prairie is a place that is made to be like the 1830’s. We went in a hot-airballoon.
The hot air balloon ride was a simulation of an experiment in mail delivery. The mail was intended to go from Noblesville, IN to NY, NY. It ended up in Louisiana and took the train to NY. Our balloon took a tethered 350 foot trip up and returned right where it had started. It was just windy enough to be exciting without being scary. The rest of Conner Prairie is a pioneer village. We enjoyed seeing homes and watching women cook on open fires, spin yarn or teach us at "school". We saw the carpenter's new quarters which we'd seen him building last summer. The kids might have had the most fun chasing (and holding and feeding) a bunch of chickens in the yard of one home.
June 10
Today we went to the children’s museum. We saw the Star Wars exhibit. We looked at the gigantic Fireworks of Glass sculpture by the artist Chihuly. Then we went to a room and learned about the ocean. Then we went to the planetarium and watched a movie on the ceiling about how the universe started. The dinosaurs there look and sound really real and there is thunder sounds and a place where you can see real dinosaur fossils. My favorite was a computer program letting you design your own dinosaur. We had a group effort and made a plant eater who managed to defend itself against a T-Rex in the simulation.
June 11
We didn’t have time to finish the entire Children’s Museum so we went back on Thursday. We rode the carousel and looked at the Science room, the Power of Kids exhibit and the water clock. We also looked at the dinosaur art gallery. The Power of Children exhibit had profiles on Ryan White, Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges. I decided that I was too tired to approach either AIDS or the holocaust with my 5yo, so we went to a program on Ruby Bridges. They understood the racism issue and seemed to appreciate the significance of the program. I'm impressed that the museum has opened this very serious exhibit amid all the fun and play. The museum is a huge and fabulous place. If you're ever in Indy, spend a day (or two!) visiting it. I certainly have not yet outgrown it.
June 12
9:30 am, 638 miles, 64°F
We are leaving Indianapolis and heading to Tennessee, to Grandma and Grandad’s house in Smyrna.
11:36 am, 756 miles
Entered Kentucky.
2:30 pm, 893 miles, 83°F
We’re back to Tennessee.
2:09 pm (or 3:09) 950 miles
The time has changed. We’re at Grandma and Grandad’s house. We saw a wild turkey in somebody’s yard. We had a relaxing afternoon and evening and the kids crashed pretty early. Bug hadn't had a nap all week and was showing the effects.
June 13
10:28 am, 951 miles, 77°F
Leaving Smyrna. We had a good time. We had waffles for breakfast. It's all about the sourdough waffles. Our visit was nice, but I was so ready to get home.
11:11 am, 1000 miles.
Manchester, TN Pook likes to play with numbers and this combination of time and miles attracted his attention. I should teach him about spedometer poker.
12:39pm, 1062 miles, 87°F
We just ate lunch.
12:48 pm, 1071 miles
We’re in Georgia
2:40pm, 1176 miles
HOME! We’ve been gone a week. We had a really fun time. CD greeted our tired souls and listened to three people telling him six stories at once. We'd had phone calls but the boys usually offered two sentences and then ran off.
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