Southern Comfort - March 2010

We were recently down in Columbia, SC, for the Autodidact Symposium. One of the libraries there, the Richland County Public Library, had its children's section designed by "Where the Wild Things Are" author Maurice Sendak. Kimi & a few of her friends are posing above along one of the walls. It was really an enchanting place!

Later in our trip, we traveled to Asheville, NC, a favorite city for us to explore! We met up with two other families & spent St. Patrick's Day enjoying many of the fun things Asheville has to offer. The tangle of legs (top-most picture) occurred at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, a must-see-and-eat source of all things chocolate! The staff got a huge kick out of the kids enjoying themselves & even took their own photos. It was a great time!

We Be Buggin'!

We've been so busy this week!

Tuesday was a picture-perfect beach day. Nearly all of our group ended up on the beach - with hardly any other people around us. It was sunny, the waves were a great size to play in, huge sand-buildings & fortresses were erected. Just lovely!

In the evening, we had a pot luck - we contributed a huge pasta salad with asparagus. shallots, garlic, carrots, red peppers & chives. Some of our group set up a music area & danced the night away. Phil & I went back out to the beach in the evening - there was so little light pollution that we could see the Milky Way above us. The moon wasn't out, but one of the planets was & it shined so brightly we could see it's reflection in the waves as walked along the shore. There was very little breeze so it was very comfortable and, yes, quite a bit romantic!

Wednesday was a rainier day - although that didn't stop Phil & I from going back to the beach for a long walk. We wore our rain gear & nylon bottoms, so even though we got wet we were still comfy. When we got back to our condo, the Lovejoys' place (which shares our entrance balcony) was filled with people playing Bananagrams. We joined in & had a lot of fun just hanging out.

Dinner was another group effort - BBQ! I have an unnatural attraction to Kelly's pulled pork. I'm comfortable saying that now. Add her homemade spicy sauce & I am out of my mind! There were also ribs & other fantastic meaty entrees. Other contributions included slaws, salads, scalloped potatoes & baked sweet potatoes. I made my famous maple-glazed roasted carrots, adding nutmeg, cinnamon & cloves to my usual recipe. We had 10 little baby carrots left over from 5 pounds of carrots!

Later that night, a bunch of us drove into Charleston to The Pour House to hear some live music. A group our friend Alice was familiar with was scheduled to play. Unfortunately, the start times listed apparently are really more like suggestions, so we had a lot of down time before the opening act. Fortunately, they were really good! The Two Man Gentlemen Band from NYC is an old-fashioned looking 2-man band - they play bass, guitar, banjo, cow bells & kazoos! They also dress in 1930-ish looking attire. Their music, if you just listened to the music, was solid old-time bluegrass/Americana folk style. But if you listened to their lyrics, well, let's just say they were quite humerous & witty! Most of what they said was totally clean, & yet of course it wasn't. That was the joke - they looked & sounded innocent, up to a point! We all enjoyed them immensely!

Alas, it was nearly 11:30 pm & the headliners hadn't appeared, so some of us, including Phil & me, left to go home (it was a 30 minute ride each way). Although we didn't see the group Alice wanted to share with us (who did start playing about 10 minutes after we left) we still had a fun night out.

Thursday was Seafood Day!

26 of my nearest & dearest (but no one else from my family!) went to lunch at RBs, a seafood restaurant in Mount Pleasant Kelly went to as a little girl. It was pretty place, with rooms overlooking the Shem Creek, so we could see boats passing by & lots of pelicans hanging out as we ate. The food was delicious. I had tuna sashimi with a seaweed salad, plus a bowl of she-crab soup (the "she" in she-crab means that the roe is used in the making of the soup - helps it taste richer). I also had Key Lime pie for dessert, with homemade whipped cream draped over it. Yummy!!

It was another beach day that afternoon - a good opportunity to walk off my lunch! Near dinner time I decided it was time to cook some of the maple bacon I had brought with me from home - & suddenly I heard the thunder of many feet coming up the stairs to our condo - my kids & their friends heard the call of the bacon & came to devour!

I used the drippings to cook up some garlic, onions & mushrooms, which Phil & I spooned over tortellini for supper. I'm definitely not starving here!

More to follow when I'm not racing the kids for the one shower!

BUG - Beach Unschoolers Gathering

We drove down to Isle of Palms, SC yesterday, joining 60+ others for a beach vacation. We've rented out an entire condo building, which has been quite nice. Our family has a two-bedroom apartment, with a fully-equiped kitchen & spacious living room. Other families have one or two bedroom apartments or studio apartments - different sizes for different needs. We're a short walk to the beach, which has been great. Lots of waves, lots of space - it's off season so it feels like we have the entire place almost to ourselves. The kids are having a blast hanging out with their friends at the beach, at the pool & in each other's "pads", as Shaun has been calling them.

Last night, our first night, was Italian night - everyone contributed something to a huge buffet we set up in the parking area behind the buildings. Delicious food, great music & wonderful company. Today many of us ended up at the nearby Whole Foods stocking up on yummies. A big rain storm drove us off the beach late in the afternoon, but after it passed everyone circulated around to each other's rooms, sharing food & drinks with whoever visits.

I'm now quite tired & Shaun just came in to get water before heading out to play live action World of Warcraft with friends. Another long night for the teens & tweens while we older folk try to catch some zzz's...

Tomorrow's forecast: Beach!

South Carolina Airshow

Ben is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. This weekend there is a big airshow planned. However, today there was a special show just for the miltary families & friends. We got to tour around the grounds & look at some pretty impressive planes up close & personal. We also were able to sit in the VIP tent, eat lunch & watch the demonstrations, which included seeing four helicopters perform close formation manuvers, aerobatic airplanes &, most impressively, an F-16. We needed ear plugs for the F-16!

It was hot, though; low 90s. It was nice getting back into the air conditioning afterwards. More people arrive tonight...& pizza for supper!

Southern Comfort Tour 2009!

Well, another autumn, another trip!

We left on Wednesday, finalizing our packing of the RV between torrential downpours. We got ourselves down to southern NJ, dry-docking at a Camping World. Thursday we spent the entire day driving the rest of the way down to Columbia, SC, to the Lovejoys' house.

We were fed bbq & slaw & sweet tea - welcome to the South!

Time to start the vacation...

We're on the road!

We've been traveling, but I don't have the ability to connect my camera to any of our laptops, so I'll be posting more about our adventures when I can actually "illustrate" them.

In the meantime, check out some fish-eye lens photos done by James Coburn at the Live & Learn Conference - go Unschoolers!!!

Umm...so THEN what happened?!?!

Did you ever start a book, then, for whatever reason, had to stop reading for awhile? Did it feel weird coming back to it - trying to remember what had happened, where the plot was heading?

I stopped writing about our great adventures for very prosaic reasons. I got tired. Here's what I never said:

After leaving Texas we ended up spending a weekend in NC. Kimi attended the NC Homelearners campout while Shaun & I explored the Biltmore Estates. We then headed down to South Carolina to visit with our friends the Lovejoys. We had a marvelous time visiting Charlestown & the SC State Fair. Spending time at a real house, eating Kelly's homecooked meals made us feel grounded again. No more wanderlust - we just wanted to cocoon!

As luck would have it, Phil had a business trip down in Atlanta & was able to fly in & meet us in Charlotte, NC. He drove the RV the rest of the way. In fact the last day of our trip started Saturday morning & ended at 2am Sunday morning - at a certain point, he decided to just get us home!

We were gone for 2 months, traveled around 12,000 miles & visited 23 states. It was a trip we will never forget.

Thank you for sharing in our adventures.

Day 53: Dallas/Ft. Worth area

Another driving day as we try to cross over to the eastern end of the country quickly. Not a whole lot different from yesterday. We got into Dallas/Ft. Worth in early afternoon, so traffic wasn't an issue. We are staying, technically, in Grand Prairie, which is pretty much right between the two cities. Starbucks are plentiful around here, so Mommy's a happy camper!

And I'm going to need the caffine tomorrow! We have a huge driving day to Memphis - 465 miles! It's definitely going to be an all-day affair. But it's totally worth it - we have plans to meet up with friends in the Carolinas this weekend & we're very excited to see them!

But first, rest for the road weary!

Day 52: Texas Travels

We enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the camp lounge this morning. We met a retired couple who were former teachers. They were very inquisitive about our homeschooling, in a polite way. The husband was funny & sociable, telling the kids the same kind of corny jokes my dad tells (Hi, Dad! Love ya!)

Then it was time to hit the road. It wasn't long before we crossed into Texas. Moving into El Paso takes you right next to the US/Mexico border, just like the day we drove to Yuma. We had to pass through a border inspection, which led to a discussion about immigration with the kids.

The drive was simple &, although a long distance, it was made shorter due to the speed limit being 80 mph! I set the cruise control to 78 since my RV's maximum vehicle speed is 80 & I didn't like its frequent automatic slowdowns as we moved up & down slopes. The road terrain is pretty flat, but still has some gentle hills. Off in the distance we could see craggy mountain ranges, but only once did we have to actually climb one.

Tonight we are staying in Big Springs, which is between Midland & Abilene. Tomorrow - Dallas!

Day 51: Oct 1st - Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Today is my parents' 40th wedding anniversary!! Just thought I would share...

We drove from Yuma to Las Cruces, NM. We got to go through Tucson, which is huge & sprawling. It's still hot & quite dry. I'm driving tired because, alas, although we liked the Yuma campground during the day, we found that during the night the trains traveling past so nearby blow their horns at each road crossing as they pass through the city. This means all night long I kept getting jolted awake from the noise every hour or so. Not fun.

The campground in Las Cruces has a beautiful office/lounge area - adobe style with fireplaces inside & out. Very pretty. Hopefully this will be a more restful stay for us.

Day 50: Goodbye, September...

I can't believe it's the end of September - especially when it's nearly 100 degrees out! Seeing Halloween decorations around the campsites is plain & simple weird. There is no way my poor brain can connect this heat with "autumn" things. Saguaros & tumbleweeds just don't change colors like the leaves back home.

We arrived at the campground, about an hour east of Tuscon, in mid-afternoon, which meant swim time at the pool. They had a nice float, which I used to, well, float, while Kimi enjoyed the warm water for immersively. Later, laundry (clean clothes, yahoo!).

Since I'm writing "live", I don't know if anything interesting is going to happen later tonight, but since it's 8:30 pm my time, I doubt it. Two weeks & two days to go - unless our plans change, we should be home on Monday, Oct. 16th. It's been quite the trip...

Day 49: Is there a doctor in the house?

Shaun had been walking Buster this morning when, while rounding about the back end of the RV, he smacked his head into the extended slideout. I heard his cry & knew it was the kind you don't ignore. He was holding the front of his head (&, amazingly, also Buster's leash). When he pulled his hand away the blood was flowing, hard. Calling out to Kimi, who was washing up in the bathroom, I yelled for paper towels. It soon became clear that, despite the copious amount of blood, he was not going to need stitches (thank goodness). Using my supplies from the first aid kit, I was better able to clean the wound & stop the bleeding, all while we were standing outside in our pjs!

When we were at Legoland yesterday, we were able to purchase next-day tickets for just $8 per ticket more (a deal when you realize that for the 3 of us it cost $130, including 10% AAA discount, that first day!). We had to think about whether it made sense to go back. After laying down to rest, pluse drinking fluids & taking some Ibuprophin, Shaun decided that he did want to go back.

We choose to do things at a slower pace, & skipped any rides that moved around quickly. We had fun doing some of the things we missed the day before, & had a nice big nutritious lunch. It worked out fine, & Shaun was fine the rest of the day. We bought him some new Bionicle sets & Kimi got a couple of Star Wars sets - things to play with while on the road.

Then, on to Yuma, AZ. We traveled through the desert - 105 degrees! When we got to the campground, around 8pm, it was 97. It felt so weird walking around. It was a dry windless air, very quiet & still. Buster loved it, & walked for nearly a half an hour, sniffing only goodness knows what, tracking some critter trail all over the campground.

More desert tomorrow - hot, hot, hot!

Day 48: Lego my Legos!

Today we tackled Legoland - a wonderful amusement park filled with rides & activities. We arrived soon after opening & got right to it on the Coastersaurus ride. Then we quickly made our way to the electric car driving course - designed to look like a driver's ed course, complete with stop lights & signs, two-way traffic & hazard cones. The cars are free-moving, not on any kind of track, so it's a lot of fun for kids. Plus, for a fee, the kids were able to get "real" Legoland licenses - color photo ID, thick plastic, dated, the works!

We spent the rest of the day making our way around the park. We've been to Legoland twice before, most recently 2 1/2 years ago as part of our Australia trip. It was fun visiting old favorites (except for the Dragon coaster, which, sadly, was being refurbished this week) & discovering new ones. A newbie for us was a water ride where you sit in a pirate ship that navigates a set waterway loop. It allows passengers to sit on either end, facing out with water cannons, which riders/pirates can use to squirt at targets, other boats & innocent people walking near the ride. We got pretty wet in the process, too!

As we started to wear out at the end of the day, we visited the gaming area, where people could try out Playstation versions of different Lego themed games, including Star Wars, which we own. Ever since Sept 12, when the new Lego Star Wars II game was released, we've been trying to find it to buy it. Each time, no luck. Going to the Big Store we were optimistic, but alas, again, not available for GameCube, which is our gaming platform. Shaun was SO disappointed!

Bound & determined, we stopped at a WalMart on the way back to the campground &, finally! We found it!! Shaun of course started playing it as soon as we were plugged back into the site.

Now the world can rest easy - Shaun Skywalker is on the job!

Day 47: The San Diego Wild Animal Park

The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a bigger, & in our opinion, better version of the San Diego Zoo.  The layout is huge, & many of the animals are able to roam freely within a huge natural “preserve”.  A train takes visitors out & around this area, where the animals can be safely observed behaving more like wild animals than they ever could in a traditional zoo envirnment.  This is also where the breeding program does what it does.  They have been in the news as of late because of their latest accomplishments:  baby’s!

The first baby we saw was the elephant.  On September 11 at 7:49 p.m., a 209-pound (95-kilogram) female African elephant calf was born at the Wild Animal Park, marking the second birth for the herd rescued from culling in Africa in 2003. The calf was born to 16-year-old, first-time mother Umngani.  This morning she was happily bouncing beside her mom.  The train guide told us that she didn’t know how to operate the strange floppy thing that hangs from her face – it is only by watching the older elephants that she will learn how to use her trunk.  She was very cute & active!

Later in the ride, we passed a pond where many different types of birds live.  Some of them are flamingos, & with them were these very fuzzy gray things on stilts – yep, baby flamingos!  As they age, they lose the gray & grow out their white feathers.  That’s right, flamingos are white – unless they eat certain foods.  Then their feathers take on their characteristic pink hue.

Much later in the day, while noshing on Dippin Dots & frozen lemonades, we were clued in by an employee to head over to the Lion Camp.  There we found the family – proud mom & dad with their twin cubs.  It was amazing.  The enclosure has a section that is rimmed by a glass wall.  Along part of the wall, a dirt “platform” provides a shady lounging area that places the resting lions at eyeballs height.  The cubs were both hanging out here near their mom.  Suddenly, she got up & walked over to dad, who was out in the grassy area.  The cubs, who are 3 months old,  quickly followed, nippy at each other’s legs all along the way.  It was great fun watching them – the “kids” tussled with each other in the tall grass, then stalked their parents.  At one point, dad got up & gently charged at his offspring, causing great delight for cubs & spectators alike.  Later, back at the window ledge, he wrestled & pinned them down.  It was always a thrill to catch the eye of one of the lions – they look you straight in the eye & really seem to be considering you, probably wondering what disease caused us to lose all of our fur.  Man, we make for really ugly lions!

We were about to leave when Kimi placed her newly-purchased stuffed wolf on the window ledge near the lions.  One cub took immediate notice.  As Kimi moved the toy, the baby lion tracked the toy’s movements with his head.  Kimi, not letting this opportunity slip away, moved the toy as if she were playing with cat & this little cub took the bait.  He scrunched down his body & then pounced!  Finding nothing but smooth glass for his efforts did not disuade him.  For nearly 10 minutes Kimi kept the cub fully engaged in trying to catch the toy.  People on our side kept taking photos & encouraged him to “Catch it!”  He tried different positions of attack, at one point using all four paws to press against the glass.  It was so fun watching him try to figure out this challenge.  Eventually, he did get tired of the game, & looked away, just like a human baby will when tired or overwhelmed by a game.  We are so grateful to have had this inter-species connection.  

Day 46: Special Delivery!

The campground is separated into 2 sections:  the lower section is at street level, the upper section is, well, higher, reached by driving up a hill to another flat section.  We “live” in the upper level, which gives us a nice view of the crescent moon hanging over the opposing hillsides each night.

Kimi & I took a morning walk around the campground & started to head up the hill ramp when a FedEx truck passed us.  As we neared the crest I could hear the truck’s motor as it rounded through the roadway’s loop.  I suddenly had a thought – the package I knew Phil was sending us has arrived earlier than expected.  I quickened my pace & lo & behold, the truck was idling right in front of our site.

I caught the driver’s attention & he told me he had delivered the package onto our door steps.  Picking up the envelope, I was able to confirm everything by the return address.  Phil had sent us 3 DVDs, each containing 4 episodes of Gilmore Girls.  Kimi was ecstatic!  She really is a huge fan, & this little gift from home chased away some of the homesickness both kids have been experiencing.

We had already decided to not drive anywhere today, so this was perfect timing.  We quickly did some laundry & hung it up on our wooden clothes hanger to dry.  Snacks & drinks in hand, we settled in to some GG time!

As we watched, we couldn’t help piping up whenever we saw something that reminded us of things we saw, learned about or did during the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.  Watching a bunch of shows back to back also allowed us to catch a couple of goofs – small continuity issues, but it proved that we were paying attention.  The issues that the characters face offer great opportunities for discussion – from armchair refereeing of who wronged who to the “what would you do” to what if X happened instead.  Whenever we’ve mentioned our love of all things Gilmore to others, those who have seen it all respond very positively.  I think these families also see the great value it offers, outside of the (quite humorous) entertainment it provides.

Day 45: You know you've had a bad day when...

1) the hose you are using to drain your RV tanks disconnects from its coupler

2) you were draining the black water tank at the time

3) the black water tank aint exactly "water"

4) you go back into your RV to clean up & the dog backs away from you

5) you're trying to find Trader Joes & Starbucks but your GyPSy is "confused" & tells you to take non-existant turns

6) you manage to find your way, but at 4-way stop signs, inconsiderate drivers decide you don't need a turn, causing you to repeatedly stomp on the brakes

7) you finally arrive at the campground to check in & they say they don't have you listed

8) they finally find your packet (since you were pre-registered), you find your site, you back it in without crashing into anything, go to hook up the water & electric and...can't open the door

9) after trying to push, kick & "move it with your mind" the door handle instead crunches your pinkie finger

10) your kids learn a new curse word (note to self: in homeschooling report, add vocabulary lesson)

11) you call National RV & calmly explain the situation & they tell you it will take about an hour before the locksmith can arrive

12) you call National RV 1 1/2 hours later & calmly explain the situation & they say they will call you right back

13) 20 minutes later the locksmith guy calls & tells you he had the wrong address, but will be there shortly

14) while waiting for the locksmith guy the kids decide to entertain themselves with a game I'll just call "Let's Bounce Off the Walls & Make Loud Noices"

15) while waiting for the locksmith guy your sweet husband calls from a plane that has very loud announcements occuring each time you try to talk to him

16) the locksmith guy arrives while you are shout-talking to your husband, causing you to have to hang up on him, not knowing if he was leaving or arriving (he was leaving)

17) the locksmith guy walks up to your RV, sees you through the window, looking like a lost puppy, & says, "So you're good now?" (you find out later that he thought he was supposed to unlock a car door, & since there was no car at your site, you must have fixed it already)

18) after explaining that, no, you are actually locked inside the RV, the locksmith guy reaches up &, with the ease of slicing warm butter, opens the door

19) even though you're grateful that the door now opens freely, you feel like an idiot because he didn't even have to use a tool or anything. The saving grace is that this is all on National RV's dime.

20) now that you can come & go freely, the first thing your dog does is go, freely, twice, in big piles outside the RV (at least he waited until he was outside!)

Day 44: It's all about heading back now...

Today we start heading back home, sort of. First, we have to backtrack past LA down to Legoland. Then we begin traveling in an easterly direction until we find ourselves home.

We drove down CA-101 down to Santa Barbara - a very pretty oceanview trip. Unfortunately, our campground, well, sucks.

Its only redeeming quality, being close to the highway is immediately off-set by the fact that the highway is right next to it, along with the railway. A little "sound barrier" fence is all that separates us. The "campground" is a nasty cramped dirt lot with facilities. Needless to say, we will never return. Blech!

Day 43: The Santa Cruz Amusement Park

The boardwalk amusement park is one of the last of the oldtime beachside amusement parks, & its carousel house is an historic landmark. Expecting something closer to Coney Island (which has seen better days) we found a great place for exciting rides & delicious "junk" food. The rides were clean & reasonably new with a great variety of thrills & chills. The developers have used their space well, creating multi-level areas. Just when you think you've seen all the rides, whoops - there's a new section.

There are a lot of midway booths to try to win a prize - & I did! Shaun had been trying his luck at one of those squirt water into a target to move your racer to the finish line kind of booths, hoping to win a stuffed dragon. After 2 attempts, no luck. He went back for a third time (at $2 a pop) but didn't have anyone to race. So, being the sucker, I mean, good mom that I am, I ponied up my additional $2 & beat the pants off my son. Yes, yes, I let him keep "Blaze". Sheesh!

The food was really good, although Shaun had the misfortune to order popcorn chicken that had what tasted like Buffalo sauce on it. Good for mommy, not so good for Shaunie. I tried to trade my pad thai (told you they had good food here...) but he doesn't like peanuts. Fortunately, he did like Kimi's teriyaki chicken & rice, plus bought a jumbo corn dog, so all was good. Later we ate: Dippin' Dots ("Ice Cream of the Future"), soft serve ice cream with a "dipped" chocolate shell, funnel cake, caramel apples & chocolate covered strawberries. Well, we didn't all eat the above, but collectively it's an impressive list. And nobody barfed! Despite the spinning, swirling, dipping, splashing & flashing (the lights, not us) we all kept our heads, & tummies, together.

Eight hours later, we headed home, tired, tanned & terrific!

Day 42: Sept 22 - Happy Birthday, Kimberly!

My little girl is 12 today. Gulp. I can't believe how fast it's gone. I know that's a cliche, but there it is anyways.

We drove into Santa Cruz & I found a parking lot that could hold our beast of an RV very near the wharf. We walked down the pier & Kimi chose a restaurant for lunch. Then we walked back to shore so that we could walk along the boardwalk. Unfortunately, being after Labor Day meant that the amusement park was closed until the weekend, but we were able to walk in it & get the lay of the land to plan our visit on Saturday. We also talked to a security guard, who let me know about RV parking next to the far end of the amusement park, which was a good 15-20 minute walk from the place we parked at today.

However, where we parked today was great for walking into the downtown area. We found a Borders Bookstore where Kimi & Shaun endulged themselves. Then we wandered over to an organic food store & bought some fresh produce, including some amazing apples. Then we drifted over to a Cold Stone Creamery & pigged out on ice cream. We dragged ourselves & our bags back to the RV & headed back to the campground. Kimi finished off her birthday by watching "Much Ado About Nothing" & eating popcorn. Tomorrow - birthday, part 2!

Day 41: Hello, Santa Cruz

On the drive up today, we found a nice little shopping plaza with both a Quiznos & a Starbucks - lunch & supper without me having to cook, woohoo! While waiting for my grande soy no whip cafe mocha, I spotted the newspapers. The articles were indicating that the awful spinach contamination was being traced back to the Salinas CA area - right where we were! In fact, we drove right through Salinas. It was strange to realize that an area I had never heard of, but was now in, was so completely in the news.

The valleys, so near the seashore, are flush with growing yummies, such as strawberries, field greens & lots & lots of vineyards. We drove through Castroville, which proudly proclaimed itself the artichoke capital of the world. Each huge field displayed gorgeous shades of green, interspersed with reds & yellows. Watching the irrigation sprays was like watching an octopus flailing its arms around its head.

We didn't actually get to Santa Cruz yet. We are staying at a KOA campground 20 minutes outside of Santa Cruz, in Watsonville on San Andreas Rd. (The kids don't know the reference, but I sure do!) The road is narrow & windy, lined with lovely beach houses & huge trees. At one point it runs right next to a beach entrance, then pulls away, just in time for the campground. Tomorrow - Kimi's birthday!