Floods in South Dakota!

We watched with interest last month as much of the Dakota’s demanded constant national coverage because of the significant flooding they experienced.   As we left Mt. Rushmore, we felt a sense of urgency to get to our destination in Cedar Rapids before the angry clouds in the sky set forth their wrath.  Just as we approached the outskirts of town, the sky opened up.  Almost immediately the roads disappeared as a lake of water rose from nowhere.  We have never been so happy to see a campground sign as we pulled in and waded to the check-in.  As we rounded the corner to park, these pictures show you what Mike and Melody’s RV site looked like.  It was under water!  Once we were all settled, we could not hook up the power on the bus to the electrical pole because that could not be accomplished without standing ankle deep in water!  We called Pizza Hut, tipped the guy extra, and enjoyed a movie night together.

Mt. Rushmore

Having grown up in the shadow of Stone Mountain, I was prepared to not be too impressed with Mt. Rushmore.  I was wrong.  Stone Mountain, the world’s largest solid piece of granite, is a wonder in and of itself.  However, since it stands alone in the otherwise flat landscape of the metro Atlanta area, it can barely be seen until you park and walk in to the beautiful grand lawn.  Mt. Rushmore is a mountain among many majestic mountains.  As you drive in, you see the carving close to eye level from many different vantage points.  This makes the wonder and excitement build as you travel closer.  The detail, while every bit as grand at Stone Mountain, can be seen so close that you see the faint line of Roosevelt’s eye glasses, and the familiar curves of the Lincoln cheekbones.

 Did you know how they picked the four men whose faces grace this mountain?  It is the four presidents who, at the time, had taken the time and effort to visit South Dakota. Don’t you know the ones who did not regretted it!

Meet the Hudlow Family

Ted has three sisters.  Two older ones, then a gap, then he and Melody.  The two of them were close growing up and were sometimes called "Donnie and Marie".  Melody and her husband Mike have been married for 19 years and live in Conyers.  Mike is an electrical engineer with Jackson EMC.  They were really RV'ers long before we were and were a wealth of information when we first began.

The Teenagers

Those of you who have teen age boys will understand that, although I am sure they are really excited on the inside, evidence of their excitement is often only displayed in grunts and absent-minded nods of the head!  No, really, they are wonderful to travel with.  They sleep alot, eat alot, and come in really handy when you have heavy lifting.  

The Life of the Party

Traveling with Adam and Evan is so much fun! These two don't miss a thing and spend a lot of time with their heads hanging out the window taking it all in.

Breaker Breaker ...

Fortunately, Ted and Mike both have CB radios so we communicate with them that way.  We also track our I-Phones in real time on the computer so we can keep up with where we are.  I have an air card so every time someone comes up with a good question, no matter how trivial, I can have an answer in minutes!  Traveling has never been so easy.

Bye Bye Car!

Well, this is certainly a first!  I can't complain too much because we have towed this car over 30,000 miles, but it just refuses to go a mile further.  Actually, the transmission went out on it and just four short days before leaving on this trip we got it out of an almost month-long visit to the shop for a brand new transmission.   Unfortunately, the cap that keeps the fluid in our brand new transmission was not put on tightly enough at the service center and it leaked all the transmission fluid out during our journey to Paducah.  I have learned that an engine can't live without transmission fluid, sooooo the nice man at AAA came and towed her all the way to Evansville, Indiana.  I will have to figure out later how to get it back.  This will be the first time we have travelled without a car.  What a pain!

Dinner Time in Nebraska

We stayed at a beautiful RV Park in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  The kids played and ran through the soft green grass.  Melody and Mike took a long walk, and Ted and I jogged for a little while throughout the hilly park.  We wrapped it up with dinner outside among many other families there for the Memorial Day Weekend dining, laughing and sharing good times around us.

Lacy in the Heartland

This picture was taken somewhere in Nebraska where we saw miles, and miles, and miles of agriculture.  What a beautiful place it is.  The weather has been very sunny, windy, and beautiful!

A Special New Friend in Paducah, Kentucky

My very favorite thing about life on the road is the many unforgettable people who come into our lives. Meet Mike Vessels, a native of Paducah.  "Mr. Mike" was spotted in the office playing an instrument called the Psaltery when we checked into the Duck Creek RV Park.  The Psaltry is an ancient stringed musical instrument dating back to King David.  It only took minutes for our very musical Lacy to join him, and she was soon followed by Evan and Adam.  As the evening progressed, Lacy and Adam both went to get their guitars and the music began.  These three played together and enjoyed this special fellowship until we finally had to drag our two back to the RV to go to bed after 11:00 p.m. (midnight Atlanta time)!  I'm sure our travels will now bring us back to Paducah to check on our new friend.

Princess Lacy

Does Lacy mind being the only girl? NO!  She gets the royal treatment.  Our RV has two bathrooms, one for the kids and one for us.  The master bath is located in the very back of the bus right on top of the engine.  Our cold-natured Lacy loves to stay back there in the warm bathroom with the window up watching the world go by.  She listens to her IPOD, plays her guitar, writes, reads and sleeps (as pictured to the left) all in her little world.  The boys on this trip honor Lacy by giving her the best sleeping bed, and she gets lots of attention from me and her Aunt Melody.

Meet Adam and Evan

Adam and Evan are cousins and best friends.  Adam just finished up his 6th grade year at the Young Americans Christian School in Conyers, GA.  Ted's sister and I were expecting Adam and Lacy at the same time and delivered them three weeks apart!  Both these boys LOVE exploration, adventure and new experiences.  They are "two peas in a pod" and a blast to have together.  Adam smiles all the time and is so enthusiastic about everything he does.

Meet Jacob and Connor

Jacob and Connor are cousins and best friends.  Jacob just finished his Sophomore Year at the Young Americans Christian School in Conyers, GA.  He is smart, funny, and just an all around good kid.  This is the first time we have ever brought a gaming system with us, but with four boys and alot of windshield time, we decided it would be a good idea!

On the Road to Paducah, KY!

Yes, I do drive.  That is the #1 question I get asked. Ted takes care of the really difficult driving, he is amazing behind the wheel, but I enjoy taking my turn so Ted can work so we can continue to travel!  This is the first trip we have ever taken with another family.  The kids are enjoying "RV Hopping" as they switch off with every break.

A Visit to Our Beloved Cloudland Station

           

Cloudland Station is a new "Cottage Community" of weekend homes owned by like-minded families that is developing right now on the Georgia side of Lookout Mountain.  We bought a lot there on a ridge that is not yet developed and we go visit as often a we can.  They have guest "Watercolor Cottages" we can stay in for a nominal fee when we visit.  Cloudland has a lake with paddle boats and canoes, a huge saline pool with disappearing edge waterfall, a ball field, a pond with a rope swing, hiking up a waterfall to one of several caves on the 430 or so acres ... it's just heaven.  We spent the afternoon at Cloudland while we waited for the Hudlow Family to leave after school.  Next to being in my RV, Cloudland Station is my favorite place to be on the planet.  We would love to have you as a neighbor.  They even have fractional ownership ... visit www.cloudlandstation.com!

By the way, they are celebrating Memorial Day Weekend at Cloudland so take your family and visit.  Go to the website for details.  We hate to miss it!

Yellowstone ... here we come!

Having Mom and Dad living with us is great for a lot of reasons, but one is having a photographer available for departure day! We left out of Atlanta around 11:00 a.m.  so we could spend some time at Cloudland while we waited for Jacob and Adam to get out of school.  We went to the Florida Keys in March and I had so much fun, there was no time to blog.  Each day on this trip I am going to blog the previous day instead of the day of. Hopefully this will prove to be a little easier for me.  I appreciate all of you who ask about our journeys.  I would rather be in our RV than anywhere else!  Join us on this trip while we travel with Ted's sister Melody and her family to Yellowstone Park!

Civil War Guns

Gettysburg

Hooking up the Car

This is the view I get every time we hook the car up to the bus. My trusting husband stands between me and the bus to direct me to the right location. On this day, he made the mistake of picking a really nice McDonald's parking lot in which to hook up. Before we knew it, the kids were munching on Sausage McGriddle's!

The Fascinating Amish

We were blown away at the way the many Amish in Lancaster County integrate their simple life with the hustle and bustle of a thoroughly modern town. [Watch the video below!] They plow their field with teams of horses, drive along the roads with the cars (and RV's), and hitch their horses to the ample hitching posts around town. We watched the children play in the fields, the men build their fences, and the women beat the laundry outside. I must admit it was with a little envy that I gazed their way. They don't care what the gas prices are, or if the stock market is up or down. That the long coats of last year have been replaced with belted fingertip jackets does not interest them at all. They live each day working with their hands and enjoying each other without the distractions of our modern "conveniences". I was deeply affected by this place. I look forward to my return. For those who are from Pennsylvania, I salute you. It is a beautiful place.
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