A No Good, Very Bad Day

It all started with the snow.   We started out at 9:00--right as big, fluffy flakes started to fall.   The snow made Keith and I nervous and we both felt that stopping, even for a half an hour to visit my friend, was probably not a good idea.  Regretfully, I had to call and cancel.  The snow increased as we headed south until we were driving through slush, in traffic with horrid construction all the way through Salt Lake City.

Heading into the SLC area

Snow, snow and more---snow

Then, south of SLC, the engine started hesitating.  In the middle of nowhere to be exact. Mona, UT.  It turns out that the air filter was *sopping* wet.  So much for the redneck water ingestion solution.  It's still snowing and it's FREEZING.  Thankfully my dh is uber prepared and had a spare air filter with us and the know how and tools to change it.  The old one sat on the dash with Slippery Soap and we set off again.

Mona

Changing out the air filer

Two hundred miles later, going over two 6600 feet summits with snow the ENTIRE way, we end up at the KOA.  We miss the entrance to the campground so we have to turn around. As we turn around we go over a large bump and hear a very loud clank.  We pull into the KOA only to find that, somewhere along the way, we had lost the nut that secures the ball hitch on the trailer. The trailer is now off the hitch.  A trip to Napa  for a replacement hitch and a SPARE nut has everything back where it should be (not without a few choice swear words and all around bad attitudes--from the adults this time).

Keith replacing the &*^&%$%  nut

The &%$%# nut

At least the mountains are pretty

Thankfully the snow stopped and the sun came out.  Finally.

Of course, the advertised heated, INDOOR pool is actually an OUTDOOR pool and is closed for the season.  At least the kids were able to use the swings.....

Ah, blue sky

Here's looking forward to a better tomorrow.....

Sunset photo taken by Jake

Slippery Soap from Blue's Clues-- Really?

Yup.  Really.  Slippery Soap is along for the ride.  Now, I did not know (until yesterday) that Slippery Soap was in the RV.

Now, before you think I've gone totally off my rocker, I have to fill you in on the backstory.

A long time ago in a far away time, my children loved the show, Blue's Clues.  *I* loved Blue's Clues (and Steve--Joe was a poor substitution) because Blue meant a solo visit to the bathroom.  And so entered Blue's Clue's toys.  The mailbox, a Blue pillow and-- a small stuffed Slippery Soap. The toys were much enjoyed but, the children grew up and no longer played with Blue and his friends.

It was time for the toy purge.

I  gather up all the Blue's Clue's toys and outside to the garbage bin they go---however, in my initial sweep I had missed Slippery Soap.  So, off to the trash Slippery Soap went.  All by himself--face up.

Along comes my husband--he opens up the trash bin and there is Slippery Soap, staring at him.  So, he rescues him and pulls him out of the bin.  Now, my husband is a smart man.  He knew that Slippery Soap had worn out his welcome inside the house.  He proceeds to place Slippery Soap on the dash of his work truck.  Slippery Soap lived many happy years in Keith's work van.

When the time came to turn the work van back in to the company, Slippery Soap somehow made his way into the house--I'm pretty sure he spent some time in a drawer or a cupboard, but I didn't see him.

When Keith started working out of state, Slippery Soap went with him.  In the RV.

So *that* is how Slippery Soap ended up on our cross country adventure.  Since he's here, he might as well join us. I expect you'll see Slippery Soap at all our major stops. :)

Slippery Soap in Idaho

Utah

As we made our way on I-84 toward Utah today, a couple of things stood out.  The very large, very clean rest areas in S. Idaho and the absolute horrid road conditions on I-84.  One bump after another.

We kept climbing up and up, seeing some snow (none on the road, thankfully!) as we went over Sweetzer Summet at 5530 feet elevation.

Sweetzer Summet

After about 350 miles, we pull into our RV park in N. Utah surrounded by mountains.   Jake forgot to pack his pajamas, so we walked to Wal-Mart, taking pictures the whole way, of course. 

Jake taking his shot

The mountains on the walk to WalMart

Another view

The park sign

I realized that I didn't have any pictures of the family (oops) so I snapped a few today. 

Jake

Joey

Keely

Dad

We are off to S. Utah tomorrow--still making our way to the Grand Canyon.  

We are stopping in Salt Lake City to meet a dear internet friend for a coffee--we can't visit long, but I'm looking forward to it!!

Setting Out with a Heavy Heart

We are just getting ready to leave Idaho and head to Utah.  Keith is breaking down the RV and I'm checking email and such with the campground's free wi-fi.

I learned last night that an internet friend that lives not too far from me lost her only son in a tragic car accident last night.   I feel very conflicted that here I sit, with three healthy children, just starting a two month cross country adventure, while she and her family are waking up for the first time without her son.

If you are so led,  please pray and think about Deana and Mike as they work through losing Andrew, their only child.   Thanks.

Slowing Down

You know how sometimes even a simple summertime trip to the beach in the summer seems rushed?  This is only our first day and I’ve already caught myself almost saying “Sorry, we don’t have time for that view point”.  Umm, you know what?  We do have time to stop. Now, I didn’t pull out the big camera and play wanna-be photographer, but I did get a couple of nice pictures.  This is the Pendleton viewpoint in Eastern Oregon. 

We had a looong driving day today—425 miles and are spending our first night just over the Idaho border.  The kids are cranky and it’s a bit chilly, but the campground has free wi-fi.

And We're OFF!

We leave in the morning!  I'm hoping to leave the rain behind........

Labels?

I really *AM* blog illiterate.  I just, as in, just now on someone else's blog, noticed that she had her posts 

L A B E L E D.  

What a novel idea for a travel blog!

So, I am going to attempt to label this post.  Hope it shows up.  It's getting late and I've spent enough time messing around with colors and fonts and trying to figure out HTML code (yeah, right!)

Btw, the blog I'm referring to is Suitcases and Sippy Cups. 

Food, Food and More Food

We're down to the final few days before we start heading East and I've been cooking.  A lot.  I don't even *like* to cook, but I know this will make everything a bit easier our first week on the road.

I've made two chickens, eight pounds of hamburger, two pounds of taco meat, one meal's worth mashed potatoes, beef barley soup and maple trail mix.  I still have more chicken, pasties, pumpkin bread and crockpot oatmeal to go....

I did want to share the recipe for the trail mix.  I've never made homemade trail mix before (I told you, I don't like to cook!) BUT this is good and I will definitely be making it again.

The recipe is from allrecipes.com

Tasty Maple Trail Mix

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
•  
• 1 cup chocolate covered peanuts (such as M&M's®)

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Stir the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, combine the rolled oats, pecans, almonds, raisins, cranberries, and sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot maple syrup over top, and stir until evenly mixed. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, scrape onto a cold baking sheet, and cool to room temperature. Break into clumps and stir in the chocolate covered peanuts once cool.

The Crown is Open

BUT, we won't get to go up to the crown.  The Statue of Liberty's crown, that is.

Picture from http://how-to-visit.com/

Visits that allow you to go up to the crown are sold out for the entire month of May.  I'm very bummed.  I was able to get tickets that will allow us to go to the observation deck in the pedestal.

Hey, at least we get to go, right?  I spent 16 of the first 18 years of my life on the East Coast and never went to the Statue of Liberty.

Good thing I hadn't had my heart set on a cruise around the island and under the Brooklyn Bridge--those are sold out through October!

Taking a Little Bit of Redneck with Us

Yup, that's dryer hose.  Hear the banjos?

Keith tells me that this a fix for a water ingestion problem.  

The Gulf of Mexico

Here is where we are staying on the Gulf...in that very spot, actually.  The picture is a bit fuzzy, but it doesn't get much better than this.  Hope it doesn't rain.

Huh, Well--Shoot.

Figures.  Here's the latest headline...

Gas up 33 cents - 2nd biggest two week jump ever.  EEK! 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the RV gets a whopping 8 or 9 miles to the gallon.  Ouch.