July 7, 2001

After weeks of planning, packing, and dreaming we set off for our five week family adventure to the Pacific Northwest. John and I have traveled to 46 of the fifty states, and we are now about to complete the set! This, without a doubt, will be a trip of a lifetime. Mom and Dad, Mike, Barbara, and Erik came down to see us off. John and I had been up until 2:30 a.m. finishing up trip details, so we decided to sleep in and start with a leisurely takeoff. We loaded our very full van, including the car top carrier borrowed from Duane and Cathy and the stowaway carrier which John purchased and attached to the hitch. We gassed up at Meijer and Mom and Dad got us doughnuts and then we began the trek west at 10:25 a.m. EST.  I used the time to start our trip log, journal and expense account. The day before we left John purchased a new laptop, Apple's latest and greatest, the G3 500MHz iBook with DVD CDRW. So, the task is a real joy and occasionally I take some time for some "executive diversion", as John calls it. In other words, I get to play a game or two. Each of the kids is keeping track of their own expenditures as well. John Michael began the trek with $124.00. Annie left home with $134.00, and Laura started out with $237.00. They had all worked hard to save from their chores around home, baby sitting, and paper routes.  The kids seemed to enjoy the down time after several days of rushing around. They read, played video games and both girls slept. Laura even wrote her first letter to Ryan. We stopped near Greenfield, Indiana at a rest area for a picnic lunch. Luckily, the rain that we left home with had cleared off. We continued on west enjoying beautiful scenery which included rolling farmland of Wisconsin and Minnesota and glimpses of the mighty Mississippi River. We stopped in a Wisconsin Arby's for a quick and tasty dinner and then continued on for a couple of hours stopping for the night at a Super 8 Motel in Rochester, Minnesota. We pulled into the motel at 10:10 p.m. CST and settled immediately and were too tired to notice that we weren't in our own beds.

July 8, 2001

I was the first one awake at about 7:00 a.m. CST. I rested and dozed until about 8:10 and then woke the kids up to go swimming. We grabbed a bite at the rather skimpy breakfast bar and then the kids took to the water. I wrote letters home to Brenda and Mom and Dad. John slept in a little bit while the kids swam. We showered and loaded up and left the motel at 10:20 a.m. The hotel was short of towels, so at checkout I complained a bit and received a $5.00 discount. We gassed up, and John pulled into a car wash and sprayed off the bugs we had attracted thus far. Back on I-90 West and we were headed for South Dakota. After just a few miles we decided to take a detour and journeyed south about 10 miles to take in another state. We took a picture and crossed into Iowa and then did a quick U-turn to get us back enroute. We stopped a bit later for a picnic lunch at a Minnesota rest area. We crossed into South Dakota at about 3:30 p.m. The kids watched a movie while I cleaned out the accumulation of trip brochures. Our load should be a bit lighter now! In Mitchell, South Dakota we stopped to see the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is a building decorated with 3,000 bushels (275,000 ears) of corn, inside and out, made into murals. The original building was built in 1892 to commemorate and draw attention to South Dakota's vibrant agriculture business. We continued on westward looking for a familiar name to stop at for dinner. We found none. Our next point of interest was Wall Drug. We decided just to grab a bite there. The kids enjoyed shopping and we ate sandwiches and fries. And, of course we had our infamous free water that one gets at Wall Drug. We took a few pictures, John Michael bought a ring, and I bought a mug before continuing west. We arrived late at Mt. Rushmore but just in time to see the faces illuminated. As John parked the car, the lights on the mountain went out. We weren't able to get pictures, but we did get a short glimpse. The kids had all been asleep prior to arriving at the memorial. The girls crashed again while we took the scenic and windy road to the campground. By the time we arrived at a little after 11:00, all three kids were zonked out. John and I set up camp and then woke the kids to put them to bed.

July 9. 2001

We all seemed to sleep well and woke up a little after 8:00 a.m. We ate a breakfast of cereal and picnic cake. John and Annie swam in the nice in-ground heated pool. Laura and I took showers, and John tore down camp and then took a shower. We got ice from the camp store and checked out to head for Mt. Rushmore. We took the scenic route which offered many nice views of the memorial prior to getting there. We walked through the Avenue of Flags to the base of the monument. WOW! What an awesome sight! The kids were thrilled. We took the Presidential Trail for a closer look at the faces. We wandered through Borglum's studio and then proceeded to the gift shop. While we were shopping the rain moved in. It absolutely dumped! We stayed in the shop with many other tourists turned shoppers due to the weather. After a bit of waiting Laura wanted to run to the car in the rain. So, during a weak moment of mine, I agreed to go with her. We were going to close the windows that John remembered leaving cracked, get the kids' passport books, and get a plastic bag for John to put his camera in. We did all three, but came back drenched and cold! By this time the rain had subsided quite a bit and we all ventured out and across the walkway for some ice cream. We all enjoyed wonderful ice cream cones. The kids got their passport books stamped, and we ran to the car as the next downpour was beginning. As we were leaving we got a few more pictures, including the one at the sign. We stopped at a Taco Bell in Rapid City and got some tacos to go and continued west on I-90. We stopped briefly at a rest area and then cruised on. John decided to take another detour to add another state to the kids' repertoire. We continued west on I-90 another 11 miles beyond our turnoff so that the kids could cross into Wyoming. We then turned north to head into John and my first new state of the trip, North Dakota. We entered Theodore Roosevelt National Park around 8:00 p.m. We chose a campsite in Cottonwood Campground, set up camp, and warmed up some Tasty Burgers for a late supper. The flies and mosquitoes were also hungry, so we bedded down around 10:00 p.m.

July 10, 2001

John Michael and I were the first to wake. Annie was close behind us. We were all five up by 7:00 a.m. We ate another breakfast of cereal and picnic cake before sorting through things and reorganizing the van. Feeling recomposed, we loaded our gear and headed for the visitor's center. We watched a 13 minute film about the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, purchased a book and then began the 36 mile loop drive. The land was hilly with varied colors and layers of rock evident in many panoramic vistas. Probably most exciting, especially for the kids, were the close up views of the bison. In all we saw seven, four of them were within four feet of the van. We also took a couple of short trails for different views of the landscape. We completed the loop drive and continued west towards Montana. We entered Montana at nearly noon, the 48th state for John and I. We soon stopped at a roadside rest area for our picnic lunch. We stopped to fuel up in Circle, Montana at a full service Sinclair station.  Our kids had never seen a full service station before. The attendant asked where we were going and how we were planning to go. He advised us of an alternate, more scenic route. We opted for his suggestion and took Rt. 200 west towards Great Falls. This is where we plan to stay this evening. Great Falls is only 150 miles from Glacier National Park. Therefore, tomorrow will be a welcome change of pace. We stopped in Lewistown for our ice cream fix at McDonald's. The drive west across Montana was mostly rolling farmland in vast proportions. The cattle and horses became routine and we even saw a few wild deer running across the prairies. The kids busied themselves by reading, writing postcards and watching "The Parent Trap." I mostly cropped pictures. I have only one stack remaining to crop. It's not the best car activity, but it gets the job done! John, of course, drove unceasingly. We arrived at Great Falls, Montana at a reasonable hour of 7:00 p.m. We checked into the TownHouse Inn of Great Falls, unloaded our belongings, and ordered a Pizza Hut, stuffed crust pizza. We just kind of relaxed and sprawled a bit while we waited for the pizza to be delivered. Then John and I, along with ice cold water and margarine, painfully removed John's new ring he purchased at Wall Drug, from Laura's finger. It had been stuck for nearly 36 hours and she was nervous and upset by the whole deal. Thankfully, it did come off which saved the ring as well as a trip to emergency. We enjoyed the pizza and then we all headed for the hotel pool. The kids seemed to love the water and the time to expend a little energy and practice their swimming strokes. John headed back to the room a little early for some down time of his own. I stayed with the kids and wrote letters and read some. We all headed back to the room around 10:30 p.m. and turned in for a great night's sleep.

July 11, 2001

We all slept in today, feeling refreshed and renewed. John and I were the first to wake at about 8:10 a.m. and we finally woke the kids at about 9:30. We breakfasted in our room. Then Annie, John Michael and I headed for the pool again. Laura lounged in the room while John took the van to wash it and refuel for the day's trek. We all returned to the room around 11:15 a.m. to shower and load up. We had asked for a late checkout time and were granted an extra hour and therefore, had to be out by noon. From Great Falls our journeys took us north heading for St. Mary, Montana and Glacier National Park. After a relatively short traveling day, we arrived at Glacier National Park at about 4:00 p.m. We took are pictures at the entrance sign, stopped at the visitor center and then proceeded on to St. Mary Campground where we had reservations. We set up in our small yet comfy site and then prepared a yummy dinner of hamburgers and mashed potatoes. The kids took a walk around the campground and found a creek not far from our site. We all went over and skipped rocks and looked for pretty or unusual rocks. After returning to camp, the kids got ready for bed, I wrote a few postcards, and we all had a snack. The kids turned in around 9:30 p.m. John and I studied the itinerary and maps for the next few days before going to bed around 11:30 p.m.

July 12, 2001

We all got up together, around 8:00 a.m. We dressed and ate breakfast before leaving for the day at about 9:15 a.m. Our first journey took us north to Many Glacier, MT to the stables of Mule Shoe Outfitters. We checked in to confirm our 10:45 a.m. trail ride. After doing that, we had some extra time to walk around the hotel and take in a few more beautiful sights.  The kids and I reported back to the stables around 10:30 for our trail orientation. We then mounted a horse and set out for a two hour journey into bear country. We had chosen the Cracker Flats Trail, which we now learned was an area closed to hikers due to heavy bear activity. After only 20 minutes of riding we spotted a black bear near the water's edge just over the hill from us. The scenery was both varied and pretty- mountains, streams, wooded area and open grasslands. It wasn't too long into the ride that it began to lightly rain. We continued on, with Joe as our trail guide, humoring us along the way. The horses, of course, were well trained and obedient to the path. All 15 riders seemed to enjoy the trail. As we made the return loop of the adventure it began to rain a bit harder. By the end of the trail we were rather wet and cold. While we had been riding John had walked around the Many Glacier area and taken some pictures. When we returned he was in the van attending to the iBook. It was great to get inside the van and feel the warmth it offered our cool, wet bodies. It was still sprinkling and we set our in the car for the northern part of the park in Alberta, Canada- Waterton Lakes National Park. With beautiful sights at every turn, the mountains and their grandeur almost become routine. We went through customs and then entered the Canadian park. We stopped for a roadside lunch of PB & J and bologna sandwiches. We are quite good at stopping for a brief meal, loading up, and journeying on. We stopped for just a bit at the park's visitor center and then continued on to take one of the scenic drives through the park. We stopped along the way for pictures and other interesting sightings. Among the most interesting today were certainly up close views of deer and one grizzly bear along the side of the road. We left the park and returned to St. Mary. The kids stopped and shopped at a gift shop while I made a few phone calls. I talked with Rozella and everything at home is fine. I also made hotel reservations for tomorrow evening in Missoula, Montana. We then stopped for a few necessary groceries and then went back to camp to prepare supper. The kids wandered around the campground while John and I fixed supper- chicken breast with alfredo noodles. After cleaning up the dishes, Laura and I walked up to the phones and called Grandma and Grandpa and Brenda. It's always good the hear familiar voices from home. When we came back to the campsite John had started a campfire. The kids roasted marshmallows and made smores before calling it quits for the day. John and I stayed up a bit longer and enjoyed the fire and then turned in ourselves.

July 13, 2001

We started this day at about 8:00 a.m. John and I worked on fixing a breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese while the kids rolled up their beds and dressed. We ate breakfast and then tore down camp. With the good help of everyone we were torn down, cleaned up and loaded, ready to pull out at 10:00 a.m. The girls had decided that they wanted to return to the gift shop for a few final purchases before leaving the area. I picked up a few things for gifts as well. Annie purchased a stuffed TY dog which she promptly named Max. We then began the 50 mile scenic Going to the Sun Road. This drive is noted as one of the most scenic 50 miles in the continental U.S. Indeed, it was beautiful. Fantastic views surrounded us- lakes, streams, waterfalls, mountains, pines, and wildflowers. We only wish we would have seen some large wildlife. The highest peak on the drive was Logan's Pass where we also crossed the Continental Divide. We continued west and finished the drive at West Glacier, Montana where we did a little souvenir shopping and continued the search for trip T-shirts for all of us. Not finding what we wanted, we headed on down the pike. We stopped at a roadside stand and purchased 1/2 pound of huckleberries to have with our lunch. The girls and I had seen a variety of huckleberry items and even purchased some jam and lotion earlier. We found a picnic spot within Flathead National Forest and dined on our typical menu adding our fresh huckleberries to the fare. The kids have seemed a bit restless today, so I insisted on quiet time for 30 minutes or so. They then watched a movie while I plugged away at the journal and John tirelessly drove on. Today's traveling was shorter than the norm. We continued south to Missoula, MT, a larger city with many familiar accommodations. We had reservations for the C'mon Inn. We pulled in there at about 6:15 p.m. WOW! By far the best overnight stay of the trip so far! The facility was large and new with a rustic, log interior. They had a large indoor heated pool and five hot tubs. We checked in, and John and I quickly took advantage of the showers while the kids crashed in front of the tube. We then set to the road. We dropped off our laundry at a nice, new, clean, laundromat. We then went to the Fuddrucker's for great burgers and drinks, including slushies, which thrilled the kids. We all left there, full and very satisfied! We stopped by and put our laundry in the drier and then finished our outing with shopping at the Dollar Stop and Albertson's Grocery. I was thrilled to find most of what we needed on their weekly specials, therefore, we paid about what we would have at home- almost unheard of on vacation! We picked up our laundry and then headed back to the hotel. The kids immediately suited up for the pool while I repacked the coolers and folded laundry. We all really enjoyed the luxuries of this fabulous hotel. John sat by the pool with the kids and then I took my turn while he dumped his digital photos to the laptop. We let the kids take advantage of the nice pool and swim until it closed at 11:00 p.m. They then put their PJ's on and hit the sack. John and I stayed up just a bit longer and then turned in ourselves. All in all, we had a great day and really enjoyed the Missoula area. The Combs put to rest the bad superstition of Friday the 13th. We had a super day!

July 14, 2001

I was first up at 8:30 a.m. I checked out the breakfast bar which added to our satisfaction. It was complete with fruit, cereal, bagels, donuts, milk, juice, coffee, and flavored teas. I enjoyed breakfast and a little reading. John was next up. We ate and then woke up the kids in time for them to eat a bit and swim before checkout. I swam for a short time with them and then showered and loaded the van. Everyone showered and loaded up for the trip south into Idaho. We checked out of the hotel at 11:55 a.m., just before the deadline and headed out of Missoula. John stopped for a few pics of the Montana Rail Link. We then made one last stop at the Hostess Thrift Store for some nutritional goodies before leaving town. We stopped in Darby, MT for a fuel up for the van as well as ourselves. We picnicked in a municipal park and the girls visited a candy store. We traveled south at a rather slow pace on winding country, mountainous roads. We crossed into Idaho, state #49 for John and I, at about 3:45 p.m. The terrain was varied with mountains, hills, and farmland. We arrived at Craters of the Moon National Monument at nearly 8:00 p.m. The very strange 75 sq. mi. stretch of land was deserted and very different looking. Volcanic activity thousands of years ago left the area with black lava fragments and cinder cones all around for miles. Nearly void of plant life the hardened lava was of very porous texture with sometimes sharp edges. The visitor's center was already closed, but we were able to get a map and explore the 7-mile loop drive on our own. Ourselves and maybe two other cars took the lonely tour of the park. We had learned that the campground was closed due to a water main break. Therefore, we completed the drive, along with a few short walks among the lava fragments and then headed south for Twin Falls, ID. Since we hadn't had supper, we snacked on chips and pop in the car enroute. At a very late 11:30 p.m. we got to Twin Falls and checked out a few hotel prices and availability. We settled on an AmeriTel Inn with a very nice king room with a kitchenette. While the kids were getting ready for bed I warmed up sloppy joes for a very late supper. I started a load of laundry and stayed up till about 1:45 a.m. to finish it. Everyone else crashed by 12:30 a.m. I enjoyed the down time and caught up on some reruns of "Gilligan's Island" and "I Love Lucy."

July 15, 2001

I awoke on and off until finally getting up at 9:00 a.m. I also woke the kids so we could partake of the continental breakfast. Everyone enjoyed it which included fresh waffles, bagels, sweet rolls, yogurt, juice, cereal, and cappuccino. I woke John at 9:40 a.m., just in time to get his fill of the morning goodies. We requested a late check and were granted an extra hour. John Michael, Annie, John, and myself took to the pool for some refreshing fun. Laura showered and crashed in the room. The rest of us showered after swimming and then loaded the van to head further west. We were now somewhat off of our planned itinerary. We are running ahead of schedule. Therefore, I called about the Hell's Canyon boat tour and moved it up a day. We checked out of the hotel at 12:50 p.m. (MST) and got on our route west for Oregon. We crossed into Oregon about 2 1/2 hours. later. We stopped at the first rest area and had a picnic lunch. Oregon landscape was beautiful winding, rural mountains and farmland. John spotted a train just east of Baker City and we turned around to catch it and take a few pictures. Being sure we wouldn't see any more in the next 30 miles before turning off we continued on. We were wrong, however. Two more Union Pacific trains came toward us in the next ten minutes. We got off the interstate in Baker City to head on to the canyon. We made a pit stop for gas and ice cream cones before proceeding northeast to the park. We found a campground on the side of a grassy hill on the shores of the Snake River. It was a public spot with self registration and no attendant on duty. Tent camping was $6.00 a night including flush toilets, one shower and water. We set up our tent on the grassy area and then fixed spaghetti and garlic bread for supper. The kids ran around camp a bit and then played a few computer games with Dad. John Michael went to bed first, around 10:00 p.m. and the rest of us bedded down around 11:00 p.m.

July 16, 2001

We heard rain off and on through the night and woke to a steady fall of rain this morning. We stayed in the dry tent instead of fixing our planned menu of pancakes. John Michael and I eventually dodged the raindrops to retrieve Pop tarts, cinnamon raisin bread, chocolate doughnuts, and milk for our morning meal. We finished breakfast and it was still raining, so we played a few rounds of 31. Eventually, around 11:30 a.m. it did stop raining, and we scurried about to tear down camp and load the van. We all took a little extra time to look for John's new ring which he had lost last evening somewhere in the grassy area. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it. I called Mom Combs to check in with her. She was glad to hear from us and said all is fine at home. We then took the winding road through the canyon to Hell's Canyon Dam where we were to catch the boat. We got there a little early and so we viewed a movie about the canyon at the visitor's center and then grabbed a snack before paying for and boarding the boat for the two hour tour. The ride was scenic and informative with a stop downstream to get out and hear a little about the history of the Native Americans who had inhabited the area. We conquered a few Class 2 rapids on the way downstream and then watched another boat and raft conquer some Class 4 whitewater. We then turned around and trudged back upstream to the dock. We all grabbed a snack to hold us until we got to our stop for the night and were able to get supper. We headed back to the highway on the one winding road that had led us to the canyon. Traveling northwest took us near the Oregon/Washington border to stay in Pendleton, Oregon for the night. We checked into a Holiday Inn Express and then went down the road a couple of miles to get supper at Burger King. We came back to the hotel and carried our gear upstairs and then the kids and I headed to the pool. John joined us later and he and I enjoyed the hot tub for a bit. The pool was supposed to close at 10:00 p.m., but no one kicked us out, so we stayed until about 10:30 p.m. along with many other hotel guests. We then went up and some of us showered before calling it quits for the day. John and I stayed awake a little longer and watched old black & white reruns of "I Love Lucy" before drifting off for the night.

July 17, 2001

Today started out at about 8:40 a.m. for the kids and I. I woke them and herded them downstairs for the free continental breakfast. This meal included yogurt (Annie's favorite), bagels, English muffins, cereal, danish, fresh fruit, juice milk, and coffee. Annie and John decided to hit the pool for a bit and Laura finally got a hold of Ryan on the phone. After a 30 minute conversation, she decided to stick her feet in the pool. However, by mistake she got her shorts wet and thus decided, she, too, might as well swim. I called Rozella and Barbara while they swam and then I sat and read. We went back to the room to shower and load and be out by noon, which was our now usual one hour extension past the regular checkout. We gassed up and left Pendleton heading northwest towards Washington. We soon realized that we finally had cell phone usage. John checked in with Monte Holm, a railroad acquaintance from Moses Lake, WA. We were to meet him to see an Alaska Railroad Steam Engine. Then I took advantage of the free airtime and called Mom, Brenda, Kathy Resler, and Cathy Anders. We made two side stops for photos at some rail yards along the way. We arrived in Moses Lake at about 3:30 p.m. and tracked down Monte Holm, a collector extrodinaire. He is an very friendly guy who owns a junk yard in Moses Lake and for years has collected valuable things from old time cars to whiskey bottles to sewing machines, and even an old Alaska steam engine #557. That is what John came to see. But before getting the tour of the locomotive, we walked through his multi-million dollar museum of collections. The man greeted us warmly and immediately offered us a handful of Werther candies. One of his workers actually gave us the tour. Then we wandered back and talked to Monte a bit and purchased one of his autobiographies. He gave the kids and I each a Susan B. Anthony coin telling us not to spend it but to hold on to it for luck. We took a few pictures and then continued on our way each of us anxious to read his story and learn about this good man a little more. We left his bedraggled shop and pulled off to the side of the road just long enough to make sandwiches for the drive north. I made sandwiches for everyone and then got us drinks and a few snack items to hold us to our next meal. As we left Moses Lake, we stopped at another bread thrift store and got bread and snack pies. We journeyed north less than 50 miles to Sun Lakes State Park where we were to sack out for the night. We set up camp, including our wet tent, and then loaded back up to drive a little further on to see the Grand Coulee Dam. We arrived at the dam at about 7:45 p.m. We took a few pictures while it was still light out and then went inside the visitor center to see a movie about the making of the dam. This massive structure is one of the largest concrete structures on earth. It contains 12,000,000 cubic yards of concrete which is enough concrete to build a highway from Seattle, WA to Miami, FL and back. The dam is the largest hydro power producer in the U.S. and third largest in the world with a capacity of 6,809 MW. After the movie, we went outside to grab a good spot along the wall to view the laser show that would begin at 10:00 p.m. The show was a spectacular display of lights and color using the flowing water over the dam as its huge backdrop. After the show we traveled back the 40 miles or so to our campsite. We got back at nearly 11:30 p.m. and quickly heated up some sloppy joes before crashing in the tent.

July 18, 2001

Most of the camp was up before we were, but John and I got up around 8:00 a.m. and the kids soon followed. We ate a non cook breakfast of yogurt, cereal, and pop tarts before tearing down camp to continue on for North Cascades National Park. We stopped for gas as we were leaving the area and then headed west for the next national park on our itinerary. The kids kept themselves entertained but we all enjoyed the reading from Monte Holm's autobiography along the way. We arrived at the east end of the park at about 1:30 p.m. We enjoyed the drive through the park, stopping occasionally for pictures. Probably the most distinctive features of the park seemed to be mountainous terrain, many tall pine trees, lots of very green water in the form of lakes and rushing rivers, and moss growing on everything in the woods. We drove to the east end and chose a campsite at Newhalem Campground which was inside North Cascades National Park. The kids set up camp, almost without assistance. John and I fixed a late lunch of chicken with alfredo noodles and garlic bread. We all devoured that quickly. After cleaning up the meal four of us, excluding Laura, hiked the 1/2 mile trek to the visitor's center. It was getting ready to close, but we looked around a bit before heading back to camp via the trail behind the visitor's center. The kids then just played around camp as well as walked around to the other sites to scarf up left over firewood for our evening campfire. Upon their return they entertained us with the "Meow Mix" song, complete with charcoal whiskers on their faces. John and I warmed up water and washed his hair. Then, John started us a fire. We all enjoyed its comfort, aroma, and beauty. Before too long, we got out the hot dogs, brats, and smore making goodies. We all ate until we were full. John Michael had incurred a few minutes off his bedtime, so he turned in around 8:30. The rest of us sang songs, told jokes and played a lively game of "I'm goin' on a trip..." before turning in for the night.

July 19, 2001

I was the first one awake at about 8:30 a.m. John was not long after that. We got up and then the kids were up within 30 minutes or so of us. I fixed a breakfast of pancakes that filled us all. John and the kids tore down camp while I cleaned up the "kitchen" and packed it away in the blue plastic tub. We were loaded and out of site #13 by 11:10 a.m. We made a return trip to the visitor's center to purchase a book about the park as well as to view a movie and the static displays. John Michael made his "unique sighting" early in the day when he saw a grand opening sign for an ice cream shop on the side of an old red caboose. John made a quick turn-around and we all went in for a bite. Annie and I, however, had more than just a bite. We ordered the "ginormous bullet cone" which was one foot tall and cost $1.50. YUM!!! John and Laura both ordered Reese Pieces blizzards, and John Michael ordered the Boxcar, a smaller version of mine and Annie's. We continued on west on Route 20 and eventually reached interstate in Burlington, north of Seattle. Of course, interstate means cell phone service. So, the girls and I didn't want the minutes to go to waste. Annie called a couple of friends, Janetta, Jaleesa, and Emily. Laura called Allison Bergman. I checked in with Brenda, although she wasn't home and I had to talk to Rick. I also called Kathy Resler and discussed with her the recent happenings in her life. Just this week she resigned from Stillwater and is making plans to live at home with her parents before heading to California to reside in the area where Aaron lives for awhile before they marry. I made a call to reserve a a hotel room in Everett, just north of Seattle. We traveled south into the Seattle area and drove to Arthur Goss's home. We enjoyed a nice visit with him. He gave us some maps and info about visiting the Seattle area. We made plans to see he and Danee on Sunday. We left their home, stopped at a grocery for milk and cereal and then checked in at the Holiday Inn in Everett. We unloaded our supplies that we would need for the night, and then Annie and I ordered supper from Pizza Hut. We enjoyed our stuffed crust cuisine before heading for the hotel pool. The pool was overcrowded as there was a youth band staying here and monopolizing the swim area. The kids tired of the noise and lack of space in the pool, so we went back to the room and hoped for better odds in the morning. Laura found "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" on TV, so we watched that for an hour before the kids turned in. I called home and talked to Mom and Dad for awhile, enjoying the cell phone being within a service area. The kids bedded down, Annie taking her turn on the floor this time. John and I worked on the computer, read, and watched a movie before calling it quits for the night.

July 20, 2001

Laura was the first to wake this morning and then John joined her. John and I woke at about the same and promptly got in the shower. Annie then woke up, and I took she and John to the pool. Lucky for them, they had the pool to themselves. They enjoyed the swim and then we returned to the room for our own breakfast of fresh raspberries, cereal, Pop tarts, and of course, John had the leftover pizza. YUM! We checked out at our deadline time of noon and then headed north for Randy Thompson's home. Randy is another railroad buddy of John's. John met Randy about four years ago over the internet. Randy used to live in Alaska and work for the ARR. He and John spent about a week together in Alaska in June of 2000. We stopped for gas and a detour past a garage sale for me. Love to hit at least one while on vacation! We got to their house in Monroe, a suburb of Seattle, at about 1:30 p.m. We were greeted warmly by Randy and Teresa. They showed us around their lovely home and made us feel at home immediately. John and Randy disappeared into Alaska Railroad land. The kids faded into the toy room, and I soon left with the van to go into Monroe to get an oil change. Annie went with me and we stopped at their variety store to pick up a few items. We returned to the house and made a few rounds in the field on the four wheeler. Then we spent some time cleaning out the van, complete with total unloading and vacuuming! Before we finished that task, Teresa's sister and her family arrived. They and Teresa's brother came for a halibut cookout. We had halibut, wieners, macaroni salad, lettuce salad, baked beans, chips and salsa. Everyone except for John and Randy enjoyed a friendly game of baseball in the back field. Robin, Teresa's sister, has seven children and is expecting her eighth. They were all cooperative and well behaved kids. We enjoyed their company. Everyone seemed to get along well and enjoy the visit. Their family left around 9:00 p.m., and we helped to get the kids situated and down for the night. We all turned in soon so we could rest up for another day of fun.

July 21, 2001

We all woke earlier than our usual. We breakfasted on cereal and toast together. The guys took off first, around 8:00 a.m., for the train yard. They were meeting another internet acquaintance of John's, Steve Noland, for a tour of some of Seattle's train yards. The girls, Teresa, Laura, Annie and myself, left their home around 8:30 a.m. for the Woodland Park Zoo. Enroute we made a side stop at Value Village, a used clothing store where Randy and Teresa sometimes shop. I purchased a pair of shorts and some paddles for playing with the Koosh balls. We went on to the zoo and parked and began our walking tour of the park. The zoo was a fun experience, seeing the animals in habitats similar to their home environment. The day was cool and slightly overcast so the animals were more active and the crowd was much less than it could have been. We walked the entire park seeing almost every animal in the zoo. Annie's favorites were the penguins and the sea otters as well as the giant climbing tree and the gift shop. Laura preferred the small monkeys and the gorillas. I liked the new baby elephant and ape. We spent quite a bit of time watching the baby ape and his mother, Naku and Alafia. We also took pictures of the baby's grandparents, Pete and Nina. We spent about 3 1/2 hours seeing the sights at the zoo. By then, the guys had called us on the cell phone and we were to head for the space needle to meet them. We journeyed into the heart of Seattle to find the guys waiting for us at the base of the needle in the midst of thousands of people who were there for the Bite of Seattle. The crowd was a bit much and none of us felt the need to stay, so we walked a few blocks to partake of Dick's famous burgers. We ate a delicious lunch of burgers, fries, and shakes and then walked back to the car via John Street. We snapped a picture there and then loaded up in our van to head for the locks. We had trouble finding a parking space, but finally did. We walked to the locks and watch several ships go through heading from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. After picking up their car downtown, we came back to Monroe. The guys came on home while we stopped at the store to pick up pizzas and ice cream for supper. Upon arriving home, we baked the pizzas and heated up leftover halibut. We all ate and eagerly enjoyed ice cream sundaes for dessert. The kids watched a movie and played with Lego. Laura then entertained us on her flute, and Annie played a tune or two on their electronic keyboard. The kids turned in around 10:00 p.m. John and Randy spent some more time looking at ARR memorabilia and pictures. Teresa and I looked through Randy and Teresa's wedding pictures. We all went to bed around 10:30 p.m.

July 22, 2001

We all got up around 8:30 a.m. Randy and Teresa had plans to meet their family at the beach today. They invited us to stay and use their home until we leave the area tomorrow. We took them up on it, accepting their gracious invitation. We fixed a tasty breakfast of sausage and pancakes for all of us before they left for the ocean. We all said our good-byes and Randy and Teresa took off. We called Art Goss and firmed up plans with him for going to their house for dinner this evening. We then decided to just chill out here for the day in the Thompson's beautiful home. The kids were thrilled to just veg in front of the TV while playing Lego. We all showered and worked for a bit cleaning up the van contents and coolers. Laura and I ran to the store to get milk and few other items that would put us back on the road for a few more days. When we got back from our errands, we all ate a bite of lunch: bologna sandwiches and fruit. I worked on the trip journal and watched "Mrs. Doubtfire" with the kids. John enjoyed time to be on the computer. We headed south around 4:30 so we could be at Art and Danae's by 5:30. We arrived at their house and enjoyed some fabulous salmon and hamburgers off the grill. The kids played in their beautifully landscaped backyard and especially liked the large hammock hanging between their cedar trees. We enjoyed dinner, a fire in their outside grate, and good conversation before leaving around 9:45 to return to Monroe. The kids showed signs of being tired on the way home and seemed to welcome bedtime when we walked in the door. I loaded a few things in the van and took advantage of being able to do one more load of laundry while John worked on the computer to get our current trip journal online. We marveled several times at the advances in technology in this trip versus others for us. We are traveling with a new laptop (iBook, 500 MHz, G3, with DVD & CDRW), two cell phones, TV with VCP, digital camera, video camera, John's Cannon camera (for slides), my Olympus camera (for prints), plus the kids' cameras and individual CD players. Anyway, we did a few things to ease our takeoff in the morning and then turned in around 1:00 a.m.

July 23, 2001

We rose early today so we could load and be at Arthur's at a decent hour for our tour of downtown Seattle. It was hard to leave the Thompson home behind. Although Randy and Teresa weren't there, we had had such a wonderful time with them at there home it was with mixed emotions that we headed down the road. We met Art at his home a little after 9:00 a.m. and followed him into Seattle. We found parking in the Seattle Center parking lot for $5.00 each. We parked and headed straight for the Space Needle. Contrary to the horrendous crowds of the weekend, there was no one waiting in line. So, we purchased our tickets, visited a gift shop, and then ascended to the top of the needle to the observation deck at 550' above the ground. WOW! The sights were tremendous. Although it was a little cloudy, it was not raining or overcast. We could see some of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains and foothills of Mt. Rainier. We descended after spending about an hour above the city and caught the monorail. We took the tram to the other side of the city, getting off at its terminus, just one mile from where we boarded. We then walked through town observing many of the different fiberglass pigs that are on display throughout the city. We walked to Pike Place Market. We first watched the famous "low flying fish" counter as the guys heaved large salmon and monk fish to their counterparts to wrap up and send home with a paying customer. There were flowers everywhere: some being sold, some in planters along the street and some along rooftops adorning the downtown. There was everything from fresh fruit to higher end clothing within the market. The masses were watching and purchasing. There was lots to watch. Beggars and musicians were on hand with a tin cup to take your spare change. We then descended the many steps to sea level and walked along the waterfront peering in gift shops and food vendors of every kind. We stopped for lunch at Red Robins for some gourmet hamburgers. We dined outside on their deck overlooking Puget Sound. Some of us selected their burgers and bottomless fries. I, personally, was thrilled to get a large grilled chicken salad. We left there stuffed to capacity and caught a local street band. We walked on a little further to "Ye Olde Curiosity Shop" which was full of strange things like two mummies, real shrunken heads, jackalope heads, "The Lords Prayer" written on a grain of rice and Indian ceremonial masks. Art knew this would be a shop John would enjoy. He was right! We then turned around to head back to the monorail making a few pit stops for purchases along the way. I bartered with a street vendor to purchase Seattle T-shirts for all of us. We boarded the the monorail after walking the necessary few blocks to the terminal. We returned quickly to the Seattle Center. The girls stopped in yet another gift shop and we all returned to our cars. We said our good-byes to Arthur, having thoroughly enjoyed his company and appreciated his knowledge of the city. After a little reorganization of the van and its contents, we were on our way at 3:15 p.m. We drove to the pier to board a ferry for Bainbridge Island. After waiting just a short bit, we drove onboard. We walked to the front and rear of the large ship which afforded breathtaking views of the island and the Seattle skyline. The 35 minute cruise across Puget Sound ended on Bainbridge Island. By road we then continued northwest heading for our night's destination, Olympic National Park. This park would be the furthest point from home on this trip. We arrived at the park and chose a campsite in Heart o' the Hills Campground. The area was full of towering cedar, Douglas Fir and varieties of pine trees. Large rocks, fallen trees and moss covered much of the terrain. They created a natural obstacle course that the kids enjoyed romping over and timing themselves through various paths. The kids set up camp, nearly by themselves. I fixed dinner: sloppy joes and macaroni & cheese. I also called and checked in with Brenda. It's so fun to have the cell phone and be able to keep in touch. I worked a little on the journal, and then John played a few computer games before turning in before 10:30.

July 24, 2001

John and I were up at 8:15 a.m. The kids were tired, and we finally woke them at 10:00 a.m. I had enjoyed the quiet of the campground and wrote a few letters and postcards. We all ate a breakfast of cereal, Pop tarts, banana muffins, and bagels. We then tore down camp and hit the road for another day of driving and sightseeing. We took Hurricane Ridge Road to the end. We started in a heavy fog covering, but eventually drove out of it catching glimpses of snow-capped mountains, wildflowers, towering trees and God's beautiful creation surrounding us. We took pictures and read in our park book to learn more about the park and its inhabitants. Laura and I learned a few wildflower names of which we had been admiring. We completed that drive and then drove into Port Angeles to pick up some milk and ice. Finding a deal on yogurt, I bought 12 cups and we all sampled one. Seeing a bargain on Burger King's marquee, we continued our progressive lunch and stopped in for five 49 cent cheeseburgers. We then got on Route 101 and headed further west around the perimeter of the national park. One of the best parts of the trip for me so far was the stop today at the Hoh Rainforest. We hiked about two miles along the Spruce Trail and the Hall of Mosses Trail. What a fascinating world of green! The epiphytes, moss and lichen, were everywhere. They blanketed the ground as well as the towering and fallen trees. The forest was much like what I picture an enchanted forest to be like. We enjoyed the scenic views along highway 101, especially Lake Crescent and then later when we caught glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. We decided it would be fun to camp along the ocean, so we checked out a couple of campgrounds. The first one was full, so we settled on South Beach which was at the southwest corner of Olympic National Park. This campground was more of a large gravel parking lot for RV's. Nonetheless, we found a level spot and erected our tent under John Michael's direction. Each of the kids has been taking turns at leading the set up and tear down of camp, and it had gotten around to John. After the tent was set, the girls took off for the ocean and their first chance at beach combing. John Michael stayed to arrange the bedding and Big John began our late supper of grilled cheese sandwiches. After the beds were in place John Michael and I took a quick trip to the ocean to at least touch the water. Unfortunately, John Michael turned his back on the waves and the approaching tide came over his feet, shoes, socks and pants legs! We all enjoyed a quick meal of sandwiches, chips and fruit. The air was chilly and the breeze brisk. Therefore, we opted to turn in early to keep warm. Sleeping by the ocean was probably John's and my favorite part of this site. The roar of the water lulled us to sleep quickly.

July 25, 2001

Morning came earlier than usual for some of us. John and I were both awake by 7:45 a.m. and encouraged the kids to get up as well. We had a fair distance to travel and lots of sights to see. We dismantled the tent and loaded the van. Without breakfast but after a little beach combing, we pulled out by 9:30 a.m. We decided we'd watch for a picnic table along the way to do breakfast. We traveled for nearly two hours and hadn't seen an ideal spot for a pull off, but had come to a fairly decent sized town. We grabbed a bite of brunch at the Aberdeen Dairy Queen. We refueled the van as well and continued southeast, heading for Mt. Rainier. At about 3:00 p.m. we entered Mt. Rainier National Park. We took the driving tour to Paradise, catching many glimpses of The Mountain as well as forest land, waterfalls, rivers, and glaciers. We reached the visitor center at Paradise and viewed a 30 minute movie about the park, had the kids passport books stamped, and shopped in the bookstore. The Mountain, which stands over 14,000 feet towers above anything around it. It's an active volcano, waiting to erupt on its schedule. We then began the return trip to the southwest entrance from where we had come. Along the way we saw several black tailed deer, including one mother with two fawn. Before exiting the park, Laura and I traded seats in the van. This was my first time to be in the back. We watched "Singing in the Rain" to help pass the time while we traveled. After two nights of camping, John was ready for a stop at a motel to clean up and refresh. We headed back to I-5 to find a reasonable motel and to be a little closer to tomorrow's destination of Mt. St. Helens. After checking through the coupon books, the most reasonable with a pool and free continental breakfast, our two preferred requirements, was in Centralia, Washington a little northwest of tomorrow's national park. We traveled, without event, to Centralia and checked in to the King Oscar Motel. While John sat at the pool with the usual swimmers, John and Annie, Laura and I drove down the street to find a Subway. We located one, but finding it closed, we decided upon Burger King. After refueling the van and picking up the burgers, we returned to three hungry bodies at the motel pool. We all went up to the room and filled our stomachs with burgers, fries, and Diet Coke. Five showers later, and a little journaling, we all zonked out for the night, well fed, clean, and comfortable.

July 26, 2001

We all rose early, at 7:30 a.m., to get a decent takeoff time for Mt. St. Helens. John had checked in with another railroad/internet acquaintance, Allen Hurst, last evening and we were to meet he and his wife at the Mt. St. Helen Visitor Center at 10:00 a.m. today. We traveled I-5 South to Route 504 to Mt St. Helens. We ran a little late, but arrived at the visitor center at about 10:45 a.m. John's friends, Allen and Beth Hurst, were anxiously awaiting with cameras aimed. We entered the center and watched the informational movie and looked at the exhibits. We took several photos, bought the book, and took the short walk to an observation point near the blast site. The awesome destruction of the May 18, 1980 eruption was clearly evident. Twenty one years later and the new growth is beginning, but the land is extremely fragile. To quote one of their multitude of signs, "Plants grow by the inch and die by the foot." We then got back in our cars and journeyed to another visitor's center. We picnicked in the parking lot before entering and viewing the film and observing the 3-D display of the presumed eruption. We left the park and headed south towards Portland stopping at several train yards for photos and good views of engines, cars, and yards. One of the drawing attractions to the Portland area was that Allen knew of a former Alaska engine (1810) that was in the area and he wanted to show it to John. The 1810 is now owned by Dick Samuels of Oregon Pacific Railroad. He uses it on his shortline hauling cold storage items up the 22 miles of track. After viewing and photographing the former Alaska unit, we continued on to the Hurst's home. We arrived there around 8:00 p.m. and they ordered a "take and bake" pizza. John and Allen went and picked them up and brought them home to bake. We hungrily dug into the yummy dinner and topped it off with Tillamook peaches and cream ice cream. The kids watched a bit of the video "Prince of Egypt" before turning in. John Michael was thrilled. His bedroom was downstairs and had Allen's model railroad running right above his head. Before crashing for the night he even got a demo run. This was the first night of the trip that all five of us were in a bed! John and I visited a bit with our gracious hosts, Beth and Al, before putting another day to rest.

July 27. 2001

We enjoyed sleeping in and catching up a bit on our sleep. Al and Beth prepared us a fabulous breakfast of omelet, cinnamon rolls and cantaloupe. It was both filling and tasty. We leisurely gathered our things and loaded the van. We departed from their home and took a side jaunt to Al's railroad club layout. All of the guys went in to see it while the girls waited in the car. We then stopped at the grocery for a few items before getting on the highway to head west. We took Route 6 west to Tillamook. After stopping for fuel and a phone to make a hotel reservation for this evening, we pulled into the Tillamook Cheese Factory, as we had been advised. We took the self guided tour of the factory, sampled their wares and then purchased a Tillamook ice cream cone. YUM! We then headed out of town to begin the scenic Route 101 drive down the Oregon Pacific Coast. With occasional glimpses of the Pacific Ocean and beautiful views of lighthouses and the shoreline, we headed south for Newport, our night's resting place. John stopped in one small coastal town and The Candyland, a goody store that appealed to all three kids. Later we stopped at the beach, just outside of Newport, for the kids to play in the ocean for a bit. Laura and Annie started by wading, but got in just a "bit" deeper. John Michael chose to spend his time in the sand building a castle, complete with mote. They had a delightful time. laughing and splashing for about an hour. In Newport we pulled into the Puerto Nuevo Inn and settled in our room. Complete with microwave and 'fridge, we felt comfortable and able to relax for a while before ending our day. John and Annie spent some time in the whirlpool, and then we all showered and got our jammies on. I laid out a spread of taco fixins. We all ate soft tacos with chips and salsa. Then we watched "Patch Adams" on the in house TV/VCR and zonked out for a good night's rest.

July 28, 2001

Morning came just early enough for us all to grab a bite at the hotel's free continental breakfast which was a little on the meager side. I woke at 9:30 a.m. and quickly stirred the kids so they could get a doughnut and juice. They seemed to be running out, so we supplemented with our own oatmeal and Pop tarts. John showered and we loaded the van, ready for another day on the road. It was misting and had rained through the night. We were all glad that we hadn't camped. We headed south down the Pacific coast. We stopped occasionally for photo opportunities of the beach, the shoreline, lighthouses, or waves splashing against the black rocks. After a couple of hours on the road, we spotted an old-fashioned A&W Drive-in. So, we pulled in and placed our order for root beer floats from our car. The kids were pretty impressed with the service and the unique atmosphere. We then purchased small souvenir mugs to take home to use for juice cups. Continuing on we found some beautiful sand dunes, Oregon Sand Dunes National Recreation Area. We parked and ventured up the tiring climb. Once to the crest, however, we were rewarded substantially. The rolling giants seemed like an endless playground. The kids climbed, walked, ran, rolled and buried Annie in the mountain of sand. John and I took pictures and enjoyed the breeze and fun that our kids were having. We soon jutted east away from the coast, heading for Medford which was our day's goal. We stopped in a municipal park for a picnic lunch. Not long after our stop we sighted a herd of 60+ elk. We paused there for quite awhile and watched and photographed the large mammals. John Michael and I switched places, so he could ride in the front with Dad and I could watch the rest of "Singing in the Rain" with the girls. We got into Medford, Oregon at about 7:40 p.m. We checked into the Reston Hotel and unloaded our gear. Laura got to pick our supper location as a prize for "most unique sighting" and she selected KFC. We ate a hearty meal of chicken, potatoes, and biscuits and then headed back to the hotel. The kids all headed for the pool, hoping they would close it later than the posted time of 10:00 p.m. I headed for the hotel laundry facilities. They got to swim for about 20 minutes before being thrown out. I worked on laundry, washing and drying three loads before turning in at one in the morning.

July 29, 2001

John Michael woke me at 8:10 a.m. I woke the girls and we went down to the breakfast room for the hotel's continental breakfast. We helped ourselves to danish, muffins, bagels, cereal, yogurt, juice and milk and then fixed John a plate to have when he woke. John and Annie were then ready to hit the pool again. Laura and I lounged on the side, reading Harry Potter. Around 10:00 a.m. we went back to the room for showers and departure. We had nearly emptied the van, so we meticulously put things back in the vehicle, hoping to cram and stuff in such a way as to save a little more space than we had before. On the way out of town we refueled the van and stopped at a car wash to vacuum out some of the sand from yesterday's adventures. We got to Crater Lake and stopped at the visitor center for the film and to pick up our souvenir book. We then decided to take the 33 mile loop drive around the rim of the lake since it appeared that the clouds were moving in. The views were outstanding. The water was very blue, hence the nickname The Lake of Blue Waters. Holding the title of the deepest lake in our nation at 1,932 feet, it is also 6 miles long and 4.5 miles across the chasm. The colorful lava cliffs surround this vast lake and make it a fantastic sight to behold. We completed the drive, stopping frequently for photos. We then pulled into Mazama Campground around 7:00 p.m. We set up camp in the misting rain and John started us a campfire to cook supper on. We roasted brats and wieners while the light precipitation continued. After cleaning up the dinner mess as well as the liquid soap that had spilled in our kitchen box, we turned in for the night to our dry tent. John stayed up a bit a wrote postcards while I read Harry Potter to the kids.

July 30, 2001

A damp morning arrived at about 8:00 a.m. for John and I. Our surroundings were damp and mist was still in the air, but at least it was not pouring for our tear down. John showered while the kids and I disassembled the tent. We all loaded the van and then ate a quick breakfast of cold cereal, Pop tarts, and granola bars. We left camp around 10:30 a.m. and took the drive to the lake for one last look at its beauty. We then set route for California and Redwood National Park. We crossed into California, our last touring state of the trip, at about 2:00 p.m. We reached Crescent City and stopped at the Redwood National Park visitor center so the kids could stamp their passport books, We then continued on and stopped at the Crescent City Beach. John and Laura headed straight for the water. After a brief time, they were back to change into their bathing suits. Annie stayed out for a bit, but soon decided to join the fun. They played in the waves for about an hour and a half before heading back to the car to be desanded. We were just a few miles from our campground. We drove through the park being awed by the towering and majestic redwoods. We stopped for a few pictures and a short walk into the path of the giants. The incoming fog seemed to add to the beauty and grandeur of these coastal trees. We checked in at the already full Elk Prairie Campground. Fortunately, we had reservations for the night's stay. We set up our tent and then fixed supper of spaghetti, garlic bread, and tossed salad. Even the girls had salad without even being asked! We all seem to be missing veggies from our diet. We rushed to beat the dark from settling as we cleaned up our evening meal. Not long after, we settled in for the night, glad to be drier than the night before.

July 31, 2001

Up and at 'em at 7:00 a.m.! This was probably our earliest morning yet. We tore down camp and ate oatmeal and pulled out at 9:00 a.m. We stopped in the park for a couple of short hikes among the redwoods. We all enjoyed their massive uniqueness. We got some very up close views of three elk along the trail. We then headed out of the park and down the coast towards San Francisco. We stopped at a tourist shop in Orick to pick up some postcards, and I decided I really wanted to take home a bear carved out of redwood. The kids and I shopped around and looked at maybe 50 different bears in order to pick the cutest one to go home with us. Now all we have to do is come up with a great name for him! After a few highway miles we decided to take a more scenic route, Avenue of the Giants, to get another look at the redwood giants. We traveled on south to the edge of San Francisco and decided to gas up before we entered the big city. We crossed the Golden Gate in fog and nearly bumper to bumper traffic. John did a fabulous job of maneuvering in the city to our hotel at the corner of Van Ness and Lombard. We checked into the motel, carried our things to our room, ran a comb through our hair and headed for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We put our names on the waiting list and then shopped for John's souvenir shirt. He and Annie both picked one out. Annie will be getting hers for a Christmas gift. Then we paid, got a 10% discount for having AAA, and got a free shot glass for bringing in a coupon. We were seated and ordered our food, enjoying the music videos and atmosphere while we waited. When we were ready to pay, I asked if we could get another shot glass even though we didn't have another coupon. Our waiter said he'd check on it. He soon brought us FOUR shot glasses and said he hoped it'd be awhile 'til the kids used theirs. He also commented on what nice manners the kids had! The food was spectacular, the service great, and we left full and satisfied. We went back to the hotel and settled in for the night by 11:00 p.m.

August 1, 2001

Our day started out earlier than some. We had to be up and out by 9:30 in order to be at Pier 41 for our tour of Alcatraz. We all showered and loaded the van and then walked a few blocks to Fisherman's Wharf. We already had our tickets, and so we got in line to board the ship. It wasn't long until we were all on board to take the short cruise across San Francisco Bay to the island of Alcatraz. We got off of the ship and had our orientation by a NPS Ranger. Then, it was off on our own for a walking tour of the island and penitentiary. The prison was a maximum security federal pen that once incarcerated such notorious criminals as Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the îBirdman of Alcatraz.î It was a very interesting tour and yet a bit eerie. Both girls were ready to leave after about only half of our stay. One special addition to the day was that Leon "Whitey" Thompson, a former inmate of Alcatraz, was onsite signing his books and chatting with the tourists. We spoke with him a bit and purchased his book to take home. After about two hours on the island we boarded the Royal Star and went back to the wharf. Enroute I asked one of the the employees on the ship for a recommendation for a seafood restaurant on the wharf. He told us to check out The Crab House on Pier 39. On solid land again, we walked to Pier 39 and the recommended dining establishment. We were all seated, by the window overlooking the water, and ordered our seafood. The kids' meals seemed okay and John enjoyed his crab enchilada. I decided to be a bit daring, so I ordered seafood stew. It was okay, but overpriced ($14.90 for a bowl) and had many things in it that I certainly couldn't identify. All in all, a rather expensive meal and not the Combs' choice of entrees. After lunch, we walked along the wharf, stopping in a few shops and observing the vast assortment of people along the way. We were fascinated watching the mimes elevated on boxes entertaining crowds in their shiny silver attire and hoping for a buck or two to be dropped in their cup. Of course, in the midst of nearly every block was person who appeared to be homeless begging for money to feed his next habit. Many of them bore signs that pleaded their case and some said "Why lie? It's for beer." Rollerbladers and skate boarders flew around us, and hair of every color and style was in each direction. An occasional cable car would ride the rails and cars weaving in and out between each other were rampant in the streets. Motorcycle riders seemed to make up their own rules of the road and would by ride between the lanes of cars to make better time. After several blocks of walking the streets of San Francisco we found ourselves back at the motel where our van was parked. Fortunately for us, they permitted us to leave it here while in the city. Parking was indeed a problem, and due to the car top carrier, most garages were off limit to us. We loaded up and proceeded towards Lombard Street to see the famous crooked street. We got right to the top of it, but I was chicken to take the van down. We tried various ways to approach it, but they all included incredibly steep inclines, and I was much too nervous. Thankfully, John abided by my wishes and we decided to wait to see Lombard Street on our next visit to San Fran. By this time it was nearly 3:30 p.m. and we had several miles to cover yet today, so we headed for the city's northern limits. We got to cross the Golden Gate once more as we exited and headed for Muir Woods. John Michael had done a biography report during this past year at school He had chosen to report on John Muir, a conservationist. Therefore, we made a special effort to see Muir Woods. We drove a relatively short distance of 17 miles from the hubbub of the city on a hill to this quiet, relaxed, atmosphere among the redwoods. We stopped in the visitor center and hiked along one of the trails before feeling we must move on to make it to our night's place of rest, Yosemite National Park. We headed east across California looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. I called Mom Combs and chatted for a bit. The kids took turns leading the game of "I'm thinking of something..." It was Annie's turn to choose where we ate. She selected Subway which received cheers of joy from within the van. We stopped and picked up the sandwiches and got out our own pop and chips. After eating while chalking up the miles, I read several chapters of our family reader, Once a Hobo.... We stopped for gas and the sun went down, but John drove on with no complaint. As we neared Yosemite, the roads became more winding and steep. The kids all fell asleep. Once in the park John cautiously proceeded on pausing for a deer, a bear, and two coyotes crossing the road. We arrived in Lower Pines Campground at 10:50 p.m. The area was quiet, and we let the kids sleep while we set up the tent and arranged the bedding. John and I took several minutes to totally empty the van of every morsel of food. Signs were posted everywhere stating that fines would be assessed to anyone not using the bear proof storage bins. I also talked with a lady and she told me that they had had bears in the campgrounds nearly every night. Hoping we were bear proof enough in site #22, John and I finally shut our eyes around midnight.

August 2, 2001

I was the first to rise at about 7:30 a.m. John and the kids got up at about 8:00 a.m. We ate breakfast and tore down camp to be out by the 10:00 a.m. checkout time. We made it fifteen minutes early and first headed for the visitor center in Yosemite Valley to get a map and plan for the day. While in the village, we shopped in the general store and we all picked out our own Yosemite T-shirt. We then set out for a drive through the park. Our next stop was at the parking lot for the trail to Lower Yosemite Falls. We took the short hike to the rather sparsely falling water. Then we took a winding road to Glacier Point, a vista which offered a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome as well as many other lesser known peaks. We picnicked in the parking lot before descending down the winding road. The kids loved the next stop we made which was an hour long swim in the creek. As we left the park through Yosemite's south gate, we did a drive by of Mariposa Grove an area of the park which is home to Yosemite's giant sequoias. We headed south stopping only for gas and paying the least we've paid the whole trip- $1.299/gal. We traveled just a few more miles and decided to crash for the night at a Best Western in Fresno, CA. We unloaded with our usual routine and then made a call to the local Pizza Hut. They delivered our dinner within the hour and we attacked it wholeheartedly. The kids and I then headed for the outdoor pool for about an hour of swimming. John stayed in the room and worked diligently on making a movie out of several segments from the last video tape. The kids were tucked in just a little after ten but then got up for the viewing of John's finished project. John played a game or two on the computer while I wrote a postcard or two before turning in for the night.

August 3, 2001

Enjoying the opportunity to sleep in, I woke the kids at 9:00 a.m. , just in time for us to get breakfast before they stopped serving at 9:30. We ate in their breakfast room and then brought some back to the room for John. We all laid down and read or were just quiet for another few minutes until John woke up. Then, we all five showered and loaded up for the trip south to the next national park visit. Enroute we stopped at a Walmart for a digital 8 tape for the camcorder, pop, and a few more snacks that we really didn't need. I called home and talked to Jackie for the short interim that we had cell phone service. She told me about her new teaching position at Englewood Hills as a reading specialist teacher. After a scenic drive into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we arrived at Kings Canyon National Park at about 2:30 p.m. We took the north fork drive to see the General Grant Sequoia Tree, the third largest tree in the world. We hiked the half mile paved walkway to the massive giant. We then took part of the drive through Kings Canyon before turning around and heading south to Sequoia National Park. These two parks, which share a common border, are dedicated to the preservation and beauty of the massive and stately sequoia trees. Sequoia N.P. is home to the largest living thing on earth, General Sherman Sequoia Tree. It stands at an impressive 275 feet tall with a circumference of 103 feet and is estimated to weigh 1,385 tons. The drive through the park was super. We made side trips off the main road to see Tunnel Log and Auto Log. Tunnel Log was a sequoia that had fallen and they made a driving tunnel through it. Auto Log, also a fallen giant, was wide enough and had been substantiated with blacktop so that we could drive on it. We then wound down the mountain continually until John felt it best to rest our brakes. Erring on the side of caution, we took a 55 minute rest at one of the pull-offs. The kids used the time to straighten out their traveling gear in the back seat. I passed the time by reading Monte's book to us all. We were all still really taken with his candor, honesty and very hard way of life. Yet, his optimism and hope endured. By the time we started back up again it was dark. We proceeded down into the valley and checked for camping within the park. Not surprisingly since it was a Friday evening, all campgrounds were full. We looked at the map and decided to get a few highway miles behind us, use a hotel coupon and stay for the night in Tulare, just four hours north of Disney. I called ahead and got us a reservation in what sounded like a very nice Best Western. Enroute we stopped for sandwiches at Burger King. The hotel was as good as expected, had a very nice pool plus a free continental breakfast. It was too late to swim this evening, but we all settled in, hoping for some pool time in the morning.

August 4, 2001

I was again the first one up. I read Harry Potter for about 30 minutes before waking the kids to go down for breakfast. We enjoyed a tasty meal of bagels, danish, waffles, juice and milk. I took some up for John who was still sleeping. Then Annie and John hit the pool for about 45 minutes. It was a sunny, warm morning and I watched them while touching base with Dad, Mike, and Aaron Chambliss. We were planning to get together with Aaron during our stay at Disney. We then went upstairs. I showered, and we all loaded our overnight gear ready for a few hours on the road. It just so happened that our hotel was right across the road from an outlet center. We all checked out the bookstore and us girls spent some time n the Leggs, Hanes, Bali Store. Back on Route 99 and headed for Disney, we were all looking forward to our luxurious stay. We stopped only for gas and a previously promised trip for ice cream. We arrived in Anaheim, California at the Disneyland Hotel at about 5:30 p.m. We were greeted by Mickey (or at least a statue of) with arms open wide and a large motel with signs of Disney in all directions. We checked in and then trudged our gear to Bonita Tower, room 5981. The room was spacious and decorated with Disney furnishings. I called Aaron Chambliss and made plans to meet him at 6:30 p.m. in front of The Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. We then took off immediately for the shopping district, put our name in for dinner, and then shopped for nearly two hours while we waited our turn. We met up with Aaron. Then we all thoroughly enjoyed The World of Disney, and the kids were ready to spend the last few dollars left in their pockets. We walked back to the Rainforest and were seated a little after 8:00 p.m. By the time we ordered and received our food it was after 9:00 p.m. , and we were all more than ready to chow. The meal was great, our waiter was very funny, and the atmosphere unique and fun. We enjoyed the time to visit and spend time with Aaron. In perfect timing, as we were exiting the Rainforest, Sun's uncle reached us by phone. Laura had met Sun Young Kim, a beautiful young Korean girl, earlier this year while she was attending Northmont and riding the same bus with Laura. In January, she moved to California to reside with her parents and extended family. We had contacted her prior to leaving home to invite her to spend a day at Disney with us. At any rate, he offered to bring her to the Disneyland Hotel later this evening so that she could spend the night with us and be here to start the day with us tomorrow. Laura was thrilled beyond words! We all went back to the room. Annie and John went to bed. Laura and I walked the fairly healthy distance to the van to get the dirty laundry and start a load of wash. Around 11:15 p.m. Sun and her family arrived and the front door of the hotel. It was fun for Laura and I to meet Sun's family and see her again. We talked with her uncle, aunt, and mother briefly before returning to our room to catch a few winks of sleep. The girls and John turned in, and I stayed up just a bit longer to dry and fold the load of laundry.

August 5, 2001

Our alarm sounded at 7:45 a.m., and we showered, dressed, and ate a bite of breakfast before heading out for our first day in the park. We entered California Adventure a little after 9:00 a.m. and headed straight for one of the more popular rides, Soaring Over California. It was a fabulously scenic ride as if we were hang gliding over real scenes throughout the Golden State. We then spent the day dodging what long lines we could by utilizing the fairly new system of "fastpass." The fastpass was a system whereby we could get a ticket every two hours that gave us a specified time range to return to a ride and then use a shorter "fastpass return" line to enter the ride. It worked wonderfully! The kids got to go on all of their choice rides plus a few others. Screamin' California, their large roller coaster that boasted of going from 0-55 mph in less than five seconds was a favorite of us all. This was Sun's first visit to an amusement park, and she loved the coaster and any of the water rides. Our family vote was for Soaring Over California. We ate lunch at the Burger Invasion aka McDonald's within the park. The kids later found snacks that tempted their palettes. The girls, especially, relished each and every gift shop that we came to. After doing most of the park's attractions, we decided to head back for the hotel swimming pool. The kids suited up and headed for the Peter Pan pool. They got to swim for about an hour before returning to the room for the night. Sun's uncle was to pick her up at about 11:00 a.m. John, Annie, and John Michael hit the bed hard. Laura and I walked Sun to the entrance of the hotel to meet her family. After a very brief visit and a few good-byes, Laura and I returned to the room and crashed ourselves.

August 6, 2001

Up and at it at 7:00 a.m. to head for the "place where magic began." We showered, breakfasted, and did the monumental task of loading the van before heading to the park. We entered Disneyland shortly after 9:00 a.m. We headed straight for Tomorrowland and did several rides in that area. John chose not to ride some of the rides, and he went to some of the more popular attractions and got fastpasses for our use at later times. We all rode Splash Mountain and got rather soggy. We then took the monorail "to see what the Paradise Pier Hotel looked like." Actually, to the kids surprise, we had reservations for a "Practically Perfect Tea" with one of our favorite Disney characters, Mary Poppins. The English tea was complete with scones, biscuits with cream & raspberry jam, finger sandwiches, soup de jour, brownie, berry tarts, and a bite of white chocolate. Mary Poppins made several personal appearances including visiting at our table and singing a few of our favorite show tunes. The kids loved it and then we journeyed back to the park for some more fun. We returned via the monorail and then the kids rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds. From there we headed across the park to The Hundred Acre Woods to visit Pooh and his friends. Annie was feeling just a bit queasy, so we stood in the 40 minute line to hug and get pictures with Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. Then we headed for the haunted mansion followed by the Tiki Room. Fantasyland was our next stop. We rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, John's favorite (NOT!), the teacups, and the carousel. At 8:00 p.m. we got seats near the castle and watched the Parade of the Stars. After the parade, which included all of our favorite Disney characters, the kids were ready to hit the shops. They had all saved some of their souvenir money for Disney! John bought a die-cast monorail and an Eeyore shirt. Annie, surprisingly (NOT!), bought Pooh souvenirs, which included a backpack, ears, a beanie baby, and lip gloss. Laura bought a battery operated message writer that displays words in lights. John and I bought shirts for us all and a few souvenirs for others. Five tired Disney-goers then headed for the van to head out of the Anaheim area while the rush hour travelers were sleeping. Almost immediately, the three youngest were asleep in the back of the van upon piles of gear and souvenirs. John drove northeast of Disney to San Bernadino. After three attempts, at 1:00 a.m. in the morning, we settled on staying at a Quality Inn. We carried in what seemed absolutely necessary and threw ourselves on the beds.

August 7, 2001

John had made arrangements to meet Don Winslow, another railfan, to photograph some area trains. The rest of us stayed at the hotel to sleep a little longer, do laundry, and just hang a little bit. We got up at 8:45 a.m. to be downstairs in the dining room for breakfast, which stopped serving at 9:00 a.m. We enjoyed Belgian waffles along with milk, juice, doughnuts, and bagels. Back to the room for some lounging time and I started a load of wash. John and Annie soon headed for the pool and we all got showers and packed up our belongings. John returned by 12:45 p.m. or so and we utilized the hotel parking lot to totally unload, sort through, pitch out , and reload the van. Next on our agenda, was the well known Tehachapi Pass, a pigtail in the railroad track that allows the train to pass through the steep mountain terrain. Tehachapi was about a three hour drive northwest of where we had stayed, in the middle of the Mohave Desert. We arrived in Tehachapi, found the overlook, and then I yelled down to some guys who were working on the rails. They said a train would be by in 60-90 minutes. About 45 minutes later, we got to see a rather long procession of train cars maneuver the famous circle. It was both hot and dry as we waited and snapped the pictures. We then headed back for the highway, and as of 5:33 PST amid cheers from the back seat, we were officially headed east for Ohio! We journeyed across the dry and warm Mojave Desert, very glad to have a comfortable air-conditioned van to travel in. We had thought we might camp tonight so that we could use up some of our food. However, between the scorching heat, some rain and lightening, and darkness, John and I decided on an air-conditioned hotel room. I searched through the coupon books for hotel bargains in California. We decided to stay our last night in California at a Days Inn in Needles which was near the state border into Arizona. We pulled into the small town at about 9:45 p.m. We checked into the hotel and were hoping to find something to eat. However, the town was so small that they didn't have a pizza place, and the other restaurants were closed. So, the kids had a bowl of cereal, and we all crashed for the night.

August 8, 2001

I was up the earliest at 7:45 a.m. I showered and read Harry Potter until the others woke at a little after 9:00 a.m. John showered and then we all headed for the dining area for a breakfast of danish, toast and juice. Back to room, load up and we were out of there by 10:45 a.m. heading east and discussing the possibility of stopping at the Grand Canyon. John and I felt we were much to close to the natural wonder not to take the time for the kids to at least see it. So, although I thought I'd never do it, we journeyed north to Grand Canyon Village for about a 2 1/2 hour visit to the river carved chasm. We stopped at a Pizza Hut in Tusayan and enjoyed pizza, bread sticks, and pop. We entered the park and drove first to Mather Point for our first view of the Grand Canyon. WOW! It has been twelve years since I (or Laura) have seen the canyon. It is beautiful!! The park itself has changed a lot to better accommodate more tourists. But the canyon remains colorful, massive, and unchanged. We snapped several pictures and then walked to the new visitor's information center. The kids got their passport books stamped and we shopped a bit in the bookstore. We drove on to the village and found the trailhead for Bright Angel. We hiked a bit down the well trodden path to get a different perspective of the canyon. Annie shopped a few places for moccasins and then we headed southeast. As we left Grand Canyon Village we encountered rain. The further we drove toward Flagstaff, the harder it rained. It was dark and windy and visibility was poor. John proceeded on at a slower than normal pace as I read through coupons for a decent hotel in Flagstaff. We called ahead and decided on a Travel Lodge. As we entered town, we spotted a Dairy Queen and stopped for an evening treat. We pulled into the hotel at around 10:30 p.m. This was, by far, the worst of our trip's hotels. The carpet needed replaced badly, the room was cramped, the fixtures old, and just not too clean in appearance. Still, having driven through a bad storm, we were glad not to be camping. The kids bedded down immediately with John and I not far behind.

August 9. 2001

Shortly after 8:00 a.m. we were up and ready to go. John was the only one who showered. The rest of us opted for waiting, hoping tonight's accommodations were a bit cleaner and more appealing. We grabbed a doughnut and juice from the hotel lobby, loaded our van, and pulled out at about 9:10 a.m. Stopping for gas and a Walmart for pop and bread, we got on I-40 and headed east with our eyes set on Petrified Forest National Park. Again, with it being just a few miles off of the interstate we thought it a worthy stop for the kids to see. Enroute we stopped at several little shops in hopes of finding Indian moccasins for Annie. We did the 28 mile drive through Petrified Forest/Painted Desert National Park. As we neared the end of the drive the sky became dark and the clouds quickly rolled in. We stopped at a picnic area in the park and quickly made sandwiches before the approaching storm hit. The kids ran in the visitor's center to stamp their passport books, and we again headed east amid rather large raindrops and dark clouds. We tried a few more souvenir shops looking for moccasins, but to no avail! John spotted a billboard advertising A&W so we made a pit stop for root beer floats. We traveled on, driving in and out of rain, enjoying the 75 mph and relatively light traffic. John was feeling pretty good and decided to forge on for awhile clicking off the miles to home. Eventually, we picked up sandwiches for a late supper and then the kids crashed in the back of the van. John Michael woke, and we made a stop for him as well as to fuel up in Vega, Texas. We continued on for another 30 or so miles, stopping for the night in Amarillo. We hadn't yet obtained motel coupons for this new state. When we checked in at the Days Inn I inquired about traveler coupons. The clerk directed me across the street to the Denny's entrance. John was extremely tolerant and understanding of my bargain shopping- especially since it was after one in the morning. We picked up the coupon, which saved us $15., received our room keys, and unloaded for the night's stay. Everyone groggy and tired, we quickly hit the sack at nearly 2:00 a.m.

August 10, 2001

I had set the alarm, so the kids and I could partake of the warm breakfast buffet. A little reluctantly, all three kids got up and paraded downstairs for eggs, biscuits, gravy, toast, milk, and juice. We woke John at 9:30 a.m. so everyone could shower and load and be out before the 11:00 a.m. checkout. We headed east and crossed into Oklahoma in less than two hours. We made one last stop to look for Annie's moccasins and then another to pick up a salad for John. We snacked in the car on crackers and peanut butter, looking forward to our evening meal at Lambert's. Annie had eaten at Lambert's last year with my parents while traveling to Branson and desperately wanted us to try it out.