Lori has gotten her seafood fix a few times around the country, but she was in lob-stah heaven last night as she showed everyone how to take apart and devour lob-stah (as it's pronounced here). The kids were enthralled with playing with the lobster...pulling off legs, putting things in the claws and giving voices to the poor lob-stah as they moved it around the table. We all had bites, but Lori and Carlos were the main connoisseurs of the local crustaceans. The waters around Maine, and more specifically, the geography under the water makes this a unique haven for lobsters. The glaciers left mounds of earth underwater on the continental shelf that tends to deflect the warmer ocean water from the south while allowing the colder water from the polar region, so the waters here create a cool environment where the lobster population thrives.
by Joe (dad)
Lori has gotten her seafood fix a few times around the country, but she was in lob-stah heaven last night as she showed everyone how to take apart and devour lob-stah (as it's pronounced here). The kids were enthralled with playing with the lobster...pulling off legs, putting things in the claws and giving voices to the poor lob-stah as they moved it around the table. We all had bites, but Lori and Carlos were the main connoisseurs of the local crustaceans. The waters around Maine, and more specifically, the geography under the water makes this a unique haven for lobsters. The glaciers left mounds of earth underwater on the continental shelf that tends to deflect the warmer ocean water from the south while allowing the colder water from the polar region, so the waters here create a cool environment where the lobster population thrives.
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by Joe (dad)
Fortunately for us, Salem is on the North Shore commuter rail lines so we had an easy time getting into Boston...you could almost hear Paul Revere riding through the streets to warn everyone we were coming! We walked the entire Freedom Trail (some parts twice) covering 2.5 miles of historical sites around Boston. Boston was one of 7 original shipyards in early America and was widely known for their innovative contributions to ship building....like engineering the first dry dock for working on the hulls of ships. Before that, they tipped ships over onto their side to expose the hull on one side and then tipped it over the other way to work on the other side of the hull! The USS Constitution was was launched in 1797 in Boston and is the oldest commissioned ship in the world and is still manned by active duty Navy personnel. We made the short uphill hike from the USS Constitution to Bunker Hill, the site of the first major engagement of the Revolutionary War in June 1775 after the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord a couple months earlier. The battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill, right next to Bunker Hill. The order of the day was to occupy Bunker Hill, but in the dark of night when the "rebel militia" advanced up the hill, they actually dug-in their position on Breeds' Hill rather than Bunker Hill! The kids worked on various Junior Ranger activities at each site we visited along the Freedom Trail and after passing the Old North Church (where the lanterns were hung..."one if by land, two if by sea" before battle at Lexington and Concord) and Paul Revere's house, the kids were finally awarded their badges at Faneuil Hall. We continued our hike past the Old State House and Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, John Hancock and other Revolutionary heroes are buried. We had a picnic dinner in the Boston Commons by the current State House and found the Ducks in the Public Garden...we had pictures of Joseph when he was about 2 years old at those same ducks...now we have a picture of the whole crew on the Ducks! Boston is a wonderful city to walk around while at the same time having lots of public transportation options for when your feet get tired. The many historical sites are generally well maintained and locatable to make connecting with our nation's history tangible and engaging. Of course any location is only as good as its people and we couldn't have topped off our visit to Boston any better than connecting with the Foleys in Hingham. John Foley and I are cousins by marriage and our families finally got to meet each other and our kids loved learning to handle lacrosse sticks and ride skateboards while we BBQ'd for dinner. The ice cream bar with all the fixins was the best! Thank you John, Kathleen, Liam and Julia! by Joe (dad)
We had good luck finding a service opportunity in nearby Lynn, MA. The Child Care Program run by Catholic Charities was in the midst of moving to an alternate location while their primary building is renovated this summer. We had just the crew to help sort through their many boxes of children's books and help pack up many of their toys and games so they are ready to load on the moving truck. This project was a perfect fit for the family as everyone was able to contribute...and there were toys close by for when Michael or Mariana just couldn't sort another book and needed a break. The kids got to help Donna (the director) use special tape to identify the boxes in a clever scheme to keep track of where boxes are supposed to go when they get moved. The staff was grateful for the help and I was grateful for the chance to have the whole family help on a project! Good luck to the staff and families served by the Child Care Program and thanks for including us. by Joe (dad)
We found out there are not a plethora of RV campsites around Boston, but we found a terrific spot in Salem at the end of Winter Island Park, which used to be a Coast Guard Station up until 1970 or so. Salem is notorious for the witch hunts and executions back in 1692, but the city really thrives on its sailing and maritime heritage. Back in the 17th Century, Salem was the 6th largest city in America and was stocked with artisans and sailors who could make, repair and operate ships like nobody's business. We were able to ride bikes into town...not only good exercise, but parking the truck would have been a challenge. Most of the witch sites around Salem have been leveled and built-over to try and bury the witch history, but the preponderance of "witch" museums and souvenir stores keeps the witch legends alive...alive enough to draw over 100,000 people to Salem for Halloween every year! Pretty much the whole month of October is a big scary party that some people likened to Mardis Gras but with scary costumes! There were 20 people convicted of being witches and executed in 1692. Over one hundred others were accused of being witches....but after the governor's wife was accused of being a witch, the witch hunts came to an end. A couple of the kids wanted to go into the witch museum(s) but a couple others were resolute in wanting no part of witches. We settled for a bed-time story about witches and that was enough "scariness" and the kids who didn't want to hear just covered their ears. by Joe (dad)
Traveling as we have for the past year has definitely taken a toll in some areas. We've shattered 2 windows on the trailer and had to get them replaced; one of the wheels on our trailer all but fell off and had to get some emergency repairs; and making way for each other all the time as we maneuver around the trailer has helped us really learn to read body language. We've washed and dried every dish by hand. We've had to find reasonable grocery stores, gas stations and laundry facilities on a weekly basis. We've had to figure out where to park our 40-ft trailer and make (sometimes re-make) reservations as our itinerary unfolds. But all these "tolls" are par-for-the-course and a small price to pay for the opportunity to travel this year with my wife and kids. BUT....the tolls that really annoyed me were the TOLL ROADS in the Northeast United States! Collecting $3 or $4 per car every now and then may not seem all that big a deal....but do it with a 1-ton dually truck and a 3-axle trailer and I literally felt robbed as we made our way through New York! The worst "premium" we paid was for a small bridge on our way to the train station in New York. The car toll was $1.50, but we had to pay $7.50 for our truck....and we weren't even pulling the trailer! I should have known something was up when the toll booth guy started salivating as he saw us drive up. We easily paid hundreds of dollars in tolls for roads from Pennsylvania to Maine. I've tried to be charitable in my attitude (since I've already been charitable with my wallet) and keep telling myself we're supporting the local economy and helping to put someone's children through college to make our world a better place..... by Joe (dad)
We had little idea of what was around us when we set up the trailer in Old Mystic Connecticut for a long weekend, but what wonderful Connections we made! We discovered the submarine base in Groton and the Coast Guard Academy in New London. The USS Nautilus was our first nuclear powered submarine and is moored just outside the submarine base with free tours for the sub and the museum. The Nautilus was the first sub to navigate under the North Pole back in 1958...they went under water around Alaska and came up again near Greenland...how's that for a trek! The Coast Guard Academy was getting ready for graduation festivities so the football field was adorned with the graduation platform, the band was practicing and the cadets were doing walk-throughs for various events. The best connection we made in Connecticut was meeting the Kerlin family after mass. They have 8 kids and anchored one side of the church while our family anchored the other side. They graciously invited us to visit their farm and spend some time together. We toured around the farm to see the Icelandic sheep and rams they raise as well as all the chickens and freshly planted produce. All the kids made fast friends and had great games of hide-and-seek, football, British bulldog, four square and any other game they could think of. BBQing chicken that used to walk the farm was certainly a treat and tasted great! The kids had so much fun making new friends, they unanimously agreed they would rather go back to the Kerlin's on Sunday rather than go to Six Flags New England! We enjoyed another afternoon of fun on the farm and sharing times with a wonderful family, complete with learning a new game, kubb, which is kind of like a wooden stick version of bocce ball that traces back to Viking days. by Joe (dad)
From our campground in Old Mystic, Connecticut we ventured across the border to Newport, Rhode Island...known as the Yachting Capital of the World. I checked the web and at least one site listed Newport as the Yachting Capital of the World, but the same site also listed 4 other "Yachting Capitals of the World" so Newport is at least in rare company for their sailing heritage. We didn't know about the famous "cottages" in Newport, but I'd love to vacation in one of those "cottages"! Bellevue Avenue is home to many of these spectacular cottages and we made a quick stop at Chateau-sur-Mer to get a picture. Several cottages are maintained by preservation societies and give tours, but most cottages are still privately owned. Pictures we saw of the cottage interiors reminded me of Hearst Castle in California. We drove around Ocean Avenue to Brenton Point State Park to park the truck and get on our bikes. Fort Adams State Park was within riding distance and was hosting a stop-over for Volvo's Ocean Race and we rode our bikes to Fort Adams to catch a peek at the racing sail boats. Volvo was obviously a proud sponsor and they had several cars on-site parking themselves autonomously to highlight their latest technology! The sail boats enjoyed an enthusiastic send-off as they pulled out of the marina to have a quick race around the harbor before continuing their race across the Atlantic. I'm not sure who was winning the race...I asked a couple young ladies who were distributing give-aways for one of the teams who was winning the race....they didn't know either. Whether you followed racing or not, the stop-over celebration was a fun place to be for the afternoon. by Joe (dad)
We moved from one Army post to another in going from Ft. Dix, NJ to West Point and the US Military Academy in New York, which postured us well for plunging into New York City. West Point encompasses beautiful vantage points of the Hudson River and we loved being at Trophy Point for sunset....why they call it Trophy Point must have to do with sports other than football since Army hasn't won the Commander-in-Chief trophy in about the last 25 years. We figured out the north metro train routes, parked the truck FAR away from New York City and navigated the Big Apple on foot and subways. My highlight of the day was having lunch with my college roommate, Dan, who lives in New York. Thanks Dan for getting us pointed in the right direction for lower Manhattan and for a terrific lunch! Our day was filled with highlights including Central Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral (much of the inside is under scaffolding though), Mother Seton Shrine, Staten Island Ferry and visiting the World Trade Center site. We visited the National Shrine for Mother Seton in Emmitsburg, MD, but we didn't know about the site in NYC where Mother Seton gave birth to one of her kids. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good when it comes to planning out an itinerary. The World Trade Center site has been beautifully restored to both remember those who perished in 2001 and show our resiliency in rebuilding the new World Trade Center. Two square water features mark the footprints of the original towers with water running from edge of the squares down about 40 feet and into a smaller square below. The sound of the flowing water is peaceful and reminded me of the life-giving nature of water providing for our physical hydration and also our spiritual "hydration" through baptism. I'm not sure if the kids had more fun taking the train into the city, the subway under the city or the ferry across the water. Much to Lori's chagrin, the kids' favorite part about the subway was standing up without holding on to a rail. Of course the kids braced their legs in their best surf board riding pose and their hand was about 3 inches from a rail, but technically they were not holding on...alas no one fell over. Lori was grateful and relieved to get off the subway. Everyone did a super job looking out for each other and we got back to the truck at the end of the day with the same number of kids that we left with....they were even the same kids! New York City is definitely a unique place and I'm glad we all got to experience life in the big city even for just a day and even if it only highlighted why we enjoy the wide open spaces of National Parks so much. by Joe (dad)
We didn't camp in Delaware, but we did go out in search of the First State National Park in Delaware. We found it....sort of. First State was just declared a National Park a few months ago so their signs still say National Monument. There wasn't even a Visitor Center yet, just some nice fields and old looking buildings. No Visitor Center also meant no Junior Ranger program yet, but I spoke to the Superintendent of this brand new park and he assured me the Junior Ranger program is definitely in the works. The kids weren't denied a Junior Ranger badge for long as they brushed up on their Revolutionary War history at Valley Forge and earned their 40-something-ish Junior Ranger badge. George Washington led his army to Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778 for their winter camp. Valley Forge wasn't the harshest winter weather that Washington's men endured during the 6-year Revolutionary War, but it was the hardest because of lack of supplies and rampant disease. For every 1 man who died in battle, 10 died from disease or other causes - yikes! The soldiers at Valley Forge made wooden huts for themselves...12 to a hut for enlisted soldiers and 3-6 to a hut for officers. George had the huge stone house down by the water. Just as Gettysburg was a dramatic turning point during the Civil War, Valley Forge was a dramatic turning point for the Revolutionary War. The Continental Army entered the winter camp with few victories and bleak prospects for the winter months. The Army suffered terribly during the winter, but the turning point had 2 dimensions. First, the army courageously survived the dismal winter and survival an of itself was a dramatic success. Second, the army reinvented itself through training under General von Steuben's tutelage so that when the army emerged from their tough winter, their resolve was hyper-strong and their training was razor sharp. While the war against the British would continue another 3 years, the Continental Army under General Washington was consistently on the rise following their brutal encampment at Valley Forge and culminated their efforts by defeating General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781 and accepting the British surrender. by Joe (dad)
What a blessing to meet so many of the planners working on the World Meeting of Families coming up in September this year in Philadelphia! Since January, I have been helping "spread the word" about the World Meeting of Families to be hosted by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from September 22-27 (including a visit from Pope Francis!) and we were finally able to meet many folks in person that I had only emailed or talked to on the phone. Meghan Cokeley has been my link to Philadelphia and gave us a tremendous welcome to the city -- Thank you Meghan! Visiting the Cathedral and meeting Bishop McIntyre who is overseeing the WMOF preparations were definite highlights of our day! The Franklin Institute is a kid-focused science "museum" and we got to watch the dissection of a cow's eye and walk through the heart (artificial of course) of a 220-ft tall human being. The kids earned their Independence Park junior ranger badge as we visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Ben Franklin's grave. We also found St. Joseph's Church, the first Catholic Church in Philadelphia and many of the signs around the church captured the struggle to keep St. Joseph's Church from being closed by the government back in Colonial times...not too far off from similar struggles today for religious liberty. What trip to Philadelphia would be complete without stopping at the Art Museum made famous by Rocky Balboa's running up the steps in the Rocky movies?! We arrived at the steps around sunset time and there were an army of people working out all over the steps! Some people walked up and down; some ran sideways; some skipped steps; some hopped up on one leg....you name a way to go up steps and people were doing it! The really intense workouts had people doing squats and push-ups at the top of the steps before they went back down....only to return up the stairs again for more! We got back to the trailer and could definitely tell we walked all around town...but we sucked it up and went to Six Flags the next day any way! Six Flags in New Jersey has some one-of-a-kind rides and the crowds were small so we barely had to wait 15-20 minutes even for the best rides. All of us tall enough to ride went on Kingda-Ka that accelerates from 1 to about 120mph in a few seconds on its way to going totally vertical up to a couple hundred feet before peaking and coming straight back down! That ride has got to be the closest thing to experiencing a launch from an aircraft carrier without actually flying off a carrier as you can possibly get! Joseph, Morgan and William all went twice! by Joe (dad)
There's nothing quite like being on a farm to sooth the soul and return to all that is simple....not necessarily easy, but simple! We've always enjoyed spending time on the farm with Lori's family and this trip was no different...maybe even better with all Lori's cousins now making their own way in life, yet returning to the farm each week to share dinner together! Joseph got to drive the lawn mower and was so excited he cut everyone's yard, not just the yard that actually needed to be cut. The kids all got to ride in Cousin Chopper's 4-wheeler (thank you Chopper)....Morgan, William and Michael especially loved the freedom of driving by themselves -- only on a farm! Visiting cousin Sony's farm was probably the favorite farm story for the kids since they got to peel corn to feed the ducks and guineas and put out hay to feed the cows. Of course, making forts in the hay loft was tons of fun too. We got to visit extended family in different towns around the farm too and as long as I wasn't pulling the trailer through the windy and often narrow roads through the hills, we enjoyed driving around the lush farm land in this part of Pennsylvania. The best family time was the spaghetti and sausage dinner on Sunday night with everyone together on the back porch at Uncle Denny and Aunt Maria's. Uncle Denny made his famous homemade ice cream and Lori's cousins took turns spinning hilarious stories about growing up under the calm and nurturing "tutelage" of their older brother Chopper....who happened to be in Aruba and wasn't there to defend himself. Special thanks to cousins Charly and Avery for sharing their toys, trampoline and car that races down the hill! by Joe (dad)
Mom and dad moved with us from Front Royal to Gettysburg and had a nice cabin in the same campground where we setup the trailer. Our campground was just outside the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park, so we had terrific access to the park and visitor center. The Civil War battle in Gettysburg took place on July 1-3, 1863 between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union General George Meade's Army of the Potomac. The park is remarkably well preserved and has tons of signs about how the battle was prosecuted and even more monuments to the men who fought courageously on these grounds. The Confederate army massed forces on Seminary Ridge as they prepared to assault the Union army dug-in on Cemetery Ridge...just a mile separating the two lines. While General Lee wasn't planning a large engagement, the first day of the battle went very well for the Confederates and General Lee decided to go for a "game changing" assault against the Union army. The battle climaxed with what became known as "Pickett's Charge" even though General Pickett only contributed about 1/3 of the forces. Confederate Generals Pickett, Pettigrew and Trimble led a daring assault with 12,000 soldiers at the center of General Meade's position. While many Confederate soldiers reached the Union lines, they were not able to hold the position and the Confederate army suffered a costly defeat and retreated back to Virginia. The battle at Gettysburg is often referred to as the "High Water Mark" of the Confederacy as the momentum of the Civil War thereafter mostly favored the Union army. One of the best aspects of the battlefield is the accessibility to visitors. The roads through the park go up and down the Confederate and Union lines, so you can drive the 24-mile route or you can ride bikes as we did. Mom and dad had a CD audio tour and drove the route while we biked the main portions and "sponged" additional information from mom and dad as we made our way around the park. When we weren't at the battlefield or in Emmitsburg, the kids re-created their own battles in camp using several hiking sticks as their rifles and taking turns flanking each other's battle lines. We BBQ'd and made smores and the kids got to take turns staying with pop-pop and gramma in their cabin eating up all the sour-snacks they could handle. We had a wonderful week with mom and dad while soaking in some meaningful history about the Civil War. by Joe (dad)
Mom and dad stopped in Washington DC on their way back from Kuwait to California, which was great timing to come and play with us while we were around Washington! They had a couple nights in Front Royal with us and then came with us to Gettysburg, PA. Emmitsburg Maryland is a bit over 10 miles from Gettysburg so we came down for an afternoon to visit the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine and the Grotto at Mt. Saint Mary's College. Mother Seton was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized as a saint and established several schools in her adult life. She was married and had 5 children of her own in addition to taking care of her husband William's 6 younger siblings after her father-in-law died. Mother Seton's faith grew even as she endured the death of many family members (including 2 of her own children), her family's bankruptcy during the years leading up to the War of 1812 and her own husband's passing in 1803 from tuberculosis. What struck me most about Elizabeth Seton's life was the witness of the Filicchis family from Italy. The Setons met the Filicchis through William's trade business and visited them in Italy. Elizabeth grew up in the Episcopalian faith, but was struck by the deep faith and devotion of the Filicchis family. Mother Seton eventually converted to the Catholic faith and was called to religious life after her husband died. I don't know any more about the Filicchis family, but their faithful witness inspired a future saint! I was filled with gratitude for the Filicchis family and the strength of their faith. What if the Filicchis were just lukewarm in their faith...what if Elizabeth Seton hadn't been inspired by this family? Thank you Filicchis family and may we all strive to be genuine witnesses to all that is good, beautiful and true. by Joe (dad)
Amid our travels, we've only had a precious few opportunities to really be absorbed into the community and our 2 weeks in Front Royal was one of those special opportunities! What started as a whimsical exchange between old buddies turned into an invitation to teach a science and math class at Chelsea Academy while a staff member was out on maternity leave. The staff and students readily embraced not just me, but also Lori and our kids as "part of the family" and we were each enriched from being part of the community. I did have to invest a little time brushing up on physical science, but we had some good demonstrations in class...I think the best one was testing saturation by adding lemonade mix to water and the students being able to drink their demonstration at the end! The 6th grade math class is full of experts on using measuring devices and we had a couple fun days measuring things outside to collect data for some pie graphs. THANK YOU to everyone at Chelsea for including us in your lives! The school was certainly the hub of activity (our kids got to go to classes a couple times too), but the parish community at St. John the Baptist was equally as welcoming and the neighborhood pot-luck with our friends the Nolan family on our first day in Front Royal really highlighted the wonderful sense of community in Front Royal in general. Joseph and I got to join in the men's basketball games on Friday nights too and run some full court pick-up games. Nothing like a little basketball to draw people together! Between visiting old friends in Springfield and making new friends in Front Royal, 2 weeks seemed barely enough time to enjoy such a terrific community. We were indeed doubly blessed by both old friends and new ones! by Joe (dad)
We visited our old neighborhood in Springfield, VA and had a brilliant BBQ with some of our former neighbors! Funny to remember Carlos and William waddling around the driveway at our old house in droopy diapers...this time through the neighborhood they had to check for ticks after trudging through the woods! Thank you to the Fryes and Delaneys for a terrific afternoon and sharing stories. We also got to reconnect with many families from our former homeschooling group at St. Raymond's parish. So much fun to see how everyone has grown over the years! Our kids (and Lori and I) took the opportunity to share some of their perspectives and memories from our trip. Mariana had her own note card and jumped right up after Michael was done so she could tell everyone about the grizzly bear we saw at Yellowstone National Park! So many good questions from the group and what fun for me to hear Lori and the kids' perspectives in their own words too. Joseph and Morgan got to try their feet at rip-sticking at the Hildebrands and all the kids had something cool to play with outside. The Hildebrand driveway was perfectly sloped for scooter runs into the grass and thankfully we avoided any serious crashes. We all cherished the time our families got to spend together....and getting out of the trailer for a night was great too. One of the best aspects of our trip this year has been reconnecting with friends along the way and our visit to Springfield was especially blessed because so many families made time to visit with us while we were in town. Thank you all for your friendship and witness!! by Joe (dad)
Having lived in Springfield, VA for several years, we had already been to many sites in Washington DC, so we focused our efforts on just a couple sites during this trip. Plus it was a bit chilly and VERY windy as we ventured into downtown Washington. The Saint John Paul II National Shrine has been completely redone since the last time we visited and the Shrine is stunning as it encapsulates the inspiring life of Saint John Paul II. The Shrine integrates captivating videos and electronic displays together with tangible mementos from JPII's life (like his birth certificate and several vestments he wore) and a broad array of his writings and reflections. There is a room dedicated to the World Youth Days that Saint John Paul II initiated that includes quotes from attendees and incredible pictures of JPII's interaction with individual pilgrims who attended the events. I left the Shrine not only more impressed by JPII's life and submission to God's plan for his life, but also more inspired to live life more open to God's purpose for my life. We drove a few laps around the National Archive in search of parking....there weren't too many one-ton dually trucks in downtown Washington, and even fewer parking spots that would accommodate our truck. Eventually we scored a place to park a couple blocks from the National Archive and we went inside to view the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States....they are still there! I knew the Archive held these important documents, but didn't realize how many more historical documents are there. I read from the actual journal of the doctor who attended to Abraham Lincoln in the moments after he was shot at Ford's Theater. He wrote of meeting Mrs. Lincoln and had described his evening leading up to the events surrounding Lincoln's assassination. The doctor had been inspired by a speech Lincoln made that day and decided to go to the theater to be closer to the President. Certainly a unique view on that critical moment in the history of our country. by Joe (dad)
We moved the trailer out to Front Royal, VA about 65 miles from Washington DC and I was reminded how much natural beauty and open space there is out toward Front Royal when you get about 40 miles outside the Beltway. The height of the natural beauty (literally high elevation-wise) is Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway that has its northern terminus in Front Royal. We got stated on the Junior Ranger program and found that Shenandoah has one of the tougher badges, so we decided not to do it all on our first trip. We did a good hike across from the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center that went by an old cemetery and a mill stone from a by-gone era of settlers before the National Park was formed. We had partly cloudy skies and warm sunshine to start our hike, but got rain for the last half of the hike...good thing we had rain jackets! We turned our hike into a rosary hike...nothing like being outside giving thanks to God for His creation even through a little bit of precipitation. by Joe (dad)
We moved up to the Washington DC area and camped at Andrews AFB. We heard lots of planes and helicopters our first night there and turns out the President was flying out somewhere! Joseph couldn't wait to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland as he still aspires to be a midshipman (I'm not sure why...), so we worked in a visit to get the admissions brief and watch the noon formation. We walked around the grounds, explored Bancroft Hall and visited the chapel. The highlight of the day was meeting Fr. Tom O'Flanagan the Catholic chaplain for the Naval Academy. He is also a chaplain for the Marine Corps and took time to talk with each of the kids (and me and Lori) and shared a bit of his vocation story with us. The Catholic community at the Naval Academy seems to be very strong, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Joseph earns and appointment to the Naval Academy. We were supposed to get stormy weather in the afternoon, but the rain held off so we went from Annapolis to the Six Flags America amusement park. One of our "investments" during our trip has been season passes for Six Flags since the pass is good at all Six Flags parks around the country. This was the 4th Six Flags park we've been to and we still have several to come! We're grateful so many other people stayed away because of the threatening weather because it felt like we had the park to ourselves. Within 2 hours we had been on just about every ride in the park and some of them twice! We saw the stuntman show and a cool laser show on top of all the rides and I think we were in the park a total of 3 hours -- such a great time without having to wait 40-60 minutes for a single ride! by Joe (dad)
We had a great campground during our time in Virginia Beach and the kids took full advantage of being able to walk about 10 feet from the end of the trailer and cast out their lines! Our neighbors caught several big fish (big enough to eat anyway), but the big fish somehow eluded us. Morgan reeled in the most fish, but none were worth eating and the fish lived to see another day. No one fell into the water while fishing but we did cast out an entire fishing pole and had to scramble to get it back! Mariana can really cast a hook now as she had great mentorship from Morgan and her brothers! Navy fighter jets are always on the go around Virginia Beach and we loved watching the jets scream across the sky. Our friends David, Rebecca, Matt, Luke and Sarah moved from Colorado to VA Beach, so we got to spend time catching up and playing some front yard basketball. David gained us some great access to the flight line and we got to see lots of jets practicing their touch-and-goes from ground level where you could really feel the thrust of the jets as they flew by. Nothing really beats a jet taking off in afterburner as far as demonstrating raw power! by Joe (dad)
We visited St. Augustine, Florida which was the first Spanish settlement in America (established 450 years ago this year!), so it's only fitting that we visited the first English settlement to last in America...Historic Jamestowne! The National Park Service operates the Historic Jamestowne (distinct from the Jamestown Settlement next door) and we were treated to hearing John Rolfe's tails of marrying Pocahontas back around 1611 in large part to avoid all out war between the settlers and Native American tribes that had to put up with the growing settlement. I remember the Colonial Parkway that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown from when I was a teenager and we drove down the same pebble-stone road for at least part of the way between Jamestown and Williamsburg! Not only did the kids earn the Jamestowne Junior Ranger badge, they also got to stop in for the "world famous" Mrs. Holden grilled-cheese sandwiches! Each of our kids has been able to meet and visit with Mrs. Holden who was my English teacher in junior high and somewhere along the way, our kids decreed Mrs. Holden's grilled-cheese sandwiches to be the absolute best in the world! Such a blessing to share some time and catch up with Mr. and Mrs. Holden, who was a very influential teacher for me and has continued to be a wonderful encourager for our family. THANK YOU! by Joe (dad)
For places that I REALLY wanted to visit on this trip, Appomattox Court House was high on the list. I had 2 assignments in Virginia while I was in the Air Force and my dad was stationed in Virginia when I was a teenager and despite several very good plans, I never actually made it to Appomattox until about a week ago. General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army on April 9, 1865 to officially end the Civil War. Wilmer McLean owned one of the finest homes in Appomattox Court House and General Lee selected (or commandeered) his front parlor to have a personal meeting with General Grant to surrender the Southern Army. The National Park Service was gearing up for the 150th Anniversary that were going to include encampments, firing canons and lots of living history exhibits. We missed the cool exhibits, but we also missed the massive crowd that was expected...even got to park the truck and trailer in the grass out front of the village of restored and original buildings! We visited Charleston, SC only a few weeks ago where the Civil War started with the attack on Fort Sumter and now we visited the place where the most destructive war in our history was officially ended. Still lots of battlefields to visit from in between 1861 and 1865, but very cool we have been to the sites of the beginning and end of the Civil War. by Joe (dad)
We were able to spread out a bit and get out of the trailer for a week while visiting the Canfields in Blacksburg, Virginia...somehow the break from the trailer parlayed into a break on the blog. Visiting the Canfields is always a treat (especially with Glenda's home made rolls) and took us back to when the Canfields welcomed us to their house basically as strangers when we first arrived in Dayton Ohio about 10 years ago! Everyone had a much bigger space to sleep and plenty of water pressure in the shower...and did I mention the home made rolls! The kids made crafts, cookies and bread indoors as we hit something of a cold spell the first several days we were there. Sun came out and we hiked to Cascade Falls and enjoyed some terrific scenery from this part of Virginia. With Joseph only a year or so off from starting college applications, Glenda planted some not-so-subtle seeds for Joseph to consider Virginia Tech...he would have LOTS of home made rolls, help with laundry and a great place to hang-out when he needed a break from college. We toured the campus, visited the chapel and heard the admissions presentation about all the cool things at Tech - there are lots of them - but will have to see how Tech holds-up after visiting Annapolis and the Naval Academy! by Joe (dad)
Some places we visit turn out jam-packed with one excursion after another....just have to see one more site. But our stop in Greenville South Carolina was just the opposite as we gratefully spent our time catching up with great friends the Driscoll Family and Fr. Theo whom we originally met while stationed at Charleston Air Force Base in the early 2000's. We got to go to mass together, roast marshmallows and BBQ, hike around Paris Mountain State Park and generally just enjoy catching up! Fr. Theo brought a taste of his native Colombia to our campsite with empanadas and arepas to devour. Fr. Theo even took a turn behind the wheel of our truck after checking out the first RV he's ever seen up close. Saying the rosary together around the campfire is certainly a top highlight for me. Especially during the second half of our trip, we have been able to reconnect with many families from previous places we lived and every encounter has richly blessed our family. From volleyball with the Callahans to pizza with the Alexanders to the Super Bowl with the Haddocks to the backyard fire with the Gramlichs to the Cokers in the Keys to I Dream of Yogurt with the Gottriches to sweet tea with the Shahids to campfires with the Driscolls and Fr. Theo....and many others, we are deeply grateful for sharing life with so many terrific families!! by Joe (dad)
We set up camp at beautiful R Ranch about 65 miles north of Atlanta and Lori finally got to visit a German Town when we visited Helen Georgia! Helen reminded us of our time living in Germany, but definitely wasn't the same. We went to the Backerei for a treat and they had a cabinet full of donuts which you would never see in Germany. Lucky for us they also had a good spread of authentic German cakes and Lori savored her Black Forest Cake. Helen is very scenic and a river runs through town, but the kids liked the playgrounds and fudge shop the best...especially the buy 2 pieces of fudge and get one free! We made a slight detour on our way from R Ranch to Greenville, SC so we could spend a few hours at Six Flags over Georgia! We got there just about opening time and managed to get in several great rides and an Old Tyme picture before we had to hit the road again. We picked up season passes for Six Flags while we were in Northern CA (thanks Chris for the suggestion!!) and this is the 3rd park we've been to so far...definitely a fun investment for everyone. Mariana even went on the Mindbender roller coaster that went upside down a few times! She was WAY excited and kept asking to go again and again. I had a flashback to Joseph's first upside-down roller coaster when Mariana's head flopped down because of the G-forces as we went into a loop. I reached over to raise her head to the headrest just like I had to do for Joseph when he rode the Loch Ness Monster roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg when he was about 4 years old! by Joe (dad)
We have no doubt visited some wonderful places, but there are some wonderful things going on in the day-to-day rhythms of our trip too. Our trailer does have a shower...and I do actually fit in it well enough to take a shower, but the reality is that "the boys" usually trek to the shower house at the campground while the ladies more often use the shower in the trailer. Carlos, William and Michael have become quite independent and proficient in packing what they need for the shower house and actually getting themselves clean while they're at the shower house! I witnessed grown men on my military deployments who didn't have as much savvy in taking care of themselves as Carlos, William and Michael already demonstrate on a regular basis in shower houses that span the spectrum of cleanliness (or not). Our duty roster has been a big help in distributing the work load...or at least limiting the whining about "why do I ALWAYS have to...." Beyond the assigned tasks, the kids have generally stepped up to take on other duties even they aren't specifically assigned. Mariana vies for her opportunities to help too from cooking to washing dishes to vacuuming. I was washing dishes the other day (yes, dad is on the duty roster too) and I was amazed to watch Mariana quietly put down her book, walk into the bunk house (i.e. back of the trailer), and return with her special stool, which she put down beside me as she picked up a towel and started drying the dishes! How's that for taking initiative! We all have our bikes with us, but the bikes are often exposed to the elements either while we're driving or when we just forget to put them under the front of our trailer for a little bit of shelter. Some of the chains were getting a bit rusty after some Spring rain showers, so I picked up some extra rags and lubricant so we could clean things up a bit. I put the awning of the trailer out so the kids would have some shade and next thing I know, the 5 older kids were out there with their bikes upside down and scrubbers in hand to get the rust off their bikes. Of course, Mariana was walking in between everyone to see what she could do....she said "dad, we need to wipe the black off my bike too." Mariana's bike actually stows in the fully enclosed storage bay of the trailer, so of all the bikes, hers looks most like new...but she REALLY wanted to be cleaning her bike too! As we've talked to people during our trip, many say "what a great experience for the kids"....which it certainly is, but I also smile at such comments because when I witness our kids not only enjoying the beauty of God's creation, but also taking some responsibility for making the trip manageable, I realize what a "great experience this is for the parents"! |
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July 2015
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