The Traveling Continues!
March 2008:
Palm Springs Trip:
Jackson and I took a trip to go visit Grandma and Grandpa in Palm Springs. After being stuck inside with snowy and frigid temps for three months, we were ready to warm up a bit. Upon arriving in Palm Springs, Jackson informed me that: “Palm Springs is the best place in the world!” I agreed. The weather was gorgeous and the flowers were blooming at the airport.
We had a wonderful time at the resort. Jackson would swim consecutively for about 5-6 hours a day. He met some wonderful friends at the pool including Sophie, Sienna, and a nice boy named Charlie. Charlie and Jackson spent time throwing hot water on the ants on the tree and doing cannon balls off the side of the pool. Since I'd been gunning to have our baby named Charlie, I made sure Brian knew that Jackson had met a friend named Charlie and he really liked the name. Believe me...I'm not above using my children to try to get what I want!
In the evening, we’d cook out with Grandma and Grandpa and Jackson would talk and talk and talk. Jackson got to play tennis with Grandpa, watch movies, and go on walks with us in the morning.
Jackson dyed Easter Eggs with my mom and also made special cookies, which he shared with his friend, Charlie, at the pool.
We also got to take a trip up to Disneyland, where we had fun at the Haunted Mansion, Tom Sawyer’s Island, Fantasy Land, Toon Town (despite the roller coaster debacle), and our new favorite Buzz Lightyear ride where you get to try to shoot targets! We ate hot dogs and ice cream sundaes. So much fun!
The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was just what we needed after a long cold winter. When we arrived home we had another surprise! Brian had fixed up the nursery while we were gone. He painted the top 1/2 of the guest room yellow and put white wainscoating on the bottom 1/2. He put together the crib and all the bedding...and he agreed to name the baby Charles Walker! Charles is the name of my dad's favorite Grandpa (Grandpa Charlie) and Walker is my late Grandpa Frank's middle name. I was very touched by Brian's agreement and effort on the baby's room.
I got busy putting away all the baby clothes and hanging them up in the closet.
Southeastern Trip:
We left the Friday before Easter bright and early to head out east (after another midnight barfing episode by Jackson). We drove down through Illinois, which was extraordinarily boring. Brian and I have decided that all the eggs were put in one basket in Illinois -- Chicago. Not much else is redeeming about the state. We did, however, discover Metropolis, Illinois. Their claim to fame is that they are the ONLY city in the U.S. named Metropolis, and therefore, can sell a lot of Superman crap.
We reached Nashville around 6:00 p.m. The weather was nice -- 75 degrees. We headed downtown to a rib joint where they played live music (too loud, according to Jackson). The food was good. Dry rub ribs, baked beans and cornbread shaped like a pancake. http://www.famousdaves.com/
On Saturday, we hit Sam Davis' home - a confederate spy. http://www.samdavishome.org/. They hosted an Easter Egg hunt on the premise, and had a bunch of other activities for the kids. We got Jackson's face painted, did a cake walk, looked at a cotton gin, and enjoyed the spring flowers, which will not arrive in Peoria perhaps until next spring.
After Davis' home we traveled to Andrew Jackson's home -- The Hermitage. http://www.thehermitage.com/. We toured "Old Hickory's" estate by foot and by horse-drawn carriage ride. The weather had cooled considerably, so we all huddled under blankets while guided along the back end of the property. Although a Democrat, Andrew Jackson still achieved some rather nice goals while in office. They also sold some of the Presidential China in the gift shop. Andrew Jackson's pattern is blue and yellow/gold. We bought one plate to display in our china cabinet at home.
That evening, Jackson got sick again. He threw up all over himself in the hotel room after enjoying pizza. We showered him off and prepared for the Easter Bunny's arrival the next morning.
After finding all the Easter Eggs, we headed downtown to an Episcopal Cathedral for Easter service. http://www.christcathedral.org/. It was a beautiful church, and all the little boys and girls (and their parents) were dressed to the nines. Jackson actually fell asleep in the pew during the service, which was nice for us!
The rest of our Easter day was uneventful. We drove through the Smokies, the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountain range. We drove past Knoxville, TN, which looks like a pit. Upon arriving in NC we the landscape dramatically changed (for the better). Asheville, NC looks beautiful. We weren't able to stop off at the Biltmore estate, but plan to do so on the way home. The trees are blooming in the Carolinas, and it is very pretty. It will be a let down to head back through TN and Illinois this weekend.
North Carolina is the furniture capital of the U.S. We saw countless furniture discount stores along the freeway. It would be a fun "adult only" trip to come here to shop for furniture, china and Oriental/Persian rugs. They also have the store Replacements LTD - where they sell discontinued china patterns etc.
We spent the night in Greensboro and then made our way to Raleigh/Durham. We made our way to a store called "A Southern Season" and toured the Capital. We are hoping to see Duke University this afternoon/evening, along with the University of North Carolina.
After Raleigh, we all headed south to Charleston, SC. The weather was gorgeous and even had me thinking Charleston would be a nice place to retire until I started thinking about the Palmetto bugs, snakes and alligators. Then I decided being a tourist in April or September would be just fine.
We arrived Wednesday evening and I was relieved of parental duty long enough to go out and hit a few stores by myself before hitting the town with the guys. The shopping is so fun there!
We stayed at the Mills House, a cute little pink hotel, which has recently been renovated. http://www.millshouse.com/. They give you free drink coupons and appetizer coupons every night. We enjoyed baked brie, wine and diet coke respectively for three nights before touring the city.
On Thursday Jackson and I walked down Meeting Street to the Market where every Tom, Dick and Harry was trying to sell you a carriage ride. Being Spring Break, the place was packed. I'd done my research before and decided to give my $$ to the Palmetto company. After buying the tickets we got some coffee and walked around through King Street and the Old Market. The street pushers were still trying to sell me carriage rides offering such tempting lures as: "The best pre-natal carriage ride in town!" Ha ha! Those boys sure got a good laugh out of me. We walked past some beggars, one of which was missing a leg. Of course, Jackson had to yell to me (because being right next to me isn't close enough) "Look mom! That guy is missing a leg! Isn't that funny?" Oh yeah. Lots of fun. I'm sure that guy laughs about it every day. Geeze kiddo! Trying to get me killed!
The carriage ride was cute. We learned a lot about the city. While we waited our turn to go out, I saw a guy carrying a bucket. It was full of grease. He goes store to store picking up the grease b/c they aren't allowed to keep it in their stores b/c laws declare you can't store grease below sea level and most of Charleston is below sea level. Interesting. Our tour guide was great -- when Jackson allowed him to do his job. Jackson kept yabbering away asking questions and pestering the poor guy. When our guide discussed the steel posts used to help in case of earthquakes, Jackson promptly asked very loudly: "How do you know?" Not long after his comedic debut, Jackson fell asleep for the rest of the hour-long tour. Thank goodness! In the afternoon we spent three or four hours walking around town in hopes of tiring Jackson out.
On Friday, we drove around town, toured Ft. Sumter and the Middletown Plantation. http://www.middletonplace.org/. It was a beautiful day with temps in the low 80s. We even saw dolphins swimming around the port!
Apparently Brian and Jackson missed the 15 thousand announcements on the boat ride to Ft. Sumter to stay off the bricks, cannons and other historical artifacts. http://www.nps.gov/fosu/. While being given a 20 minute lecture on the history of Ft. Sumter I watched Brian get chewed out for allowing Jackson to climb up a bunch of bricks. Jackson of course, informed me later that it was "daddy's idea" and he wasn't really the one instigating the problem. It would have been a cute picture though. Good idea with bad execution.
We left the next day to head home. Originally we had planned to spend the night in Knoxville, TN, but after getting a sneak peak at Knoxville on the way to the Carolinas, we toyed with passing up Dollywood and other crappy tourist traps.
We hit Knoxville around 2:00 and Brian and I started to do the math in our head. We decided that if we pushed it we could make it back to Peoria before 11:00. We decided to go for it. Stupid? 7/8 month pregnant woman, 4 1/2 year old kid and one LONG drive??? Yup. I'd say it sounded stupid. However, we stopped off at a Walmart just outside Spartenburg, SC and had gotten two new Leapster cartridges so we had "bought some peace and quiet" for at least three hours. We pushed on through and hit Lexington, KY around 4:30ish -- Louisville before 6:00, Indianapolis right around 7:00 and Peoria at 9:45. 13 hours actual drive time with two plus hours of stops here and there and one 45 minute nap from Jackson.
By the end, we all started to get a little giddy. Jackson and I started singing the Tiki Room song, and then a bad smell came from the back seat. Jackson announced he had to go #2 "really badly -- I mean it". So I changed the words of the song to "In the stinky, stinky, stinky, stinky room -- in the stinky, stinky, stinky, stinky room". Not only did that elicit tons of laughter from Jackson, but when Brian took him to the potty in McDonalds near the Indiana/Illinois border, apparently that was an older man making quite the stink in the bathroom and Jackson decided the new song would be appropriate to sing. I'm sure that man needed some more humiliation.
Needless to say, Jackson was disappointed that we were home. He wanted to stay in another hotel. Brian and I have decided Jackson has two speeds: On and off. He goes and goes and goes until he is forced to sleep. After all the traveling, Jackson still woke us up at 6:30 asking us how to spell this and that and wanted someone to pour milk on his cereal.
We had a great time. I doubt we will attempt this sort of trip for a few years-- say when Charlie is around 4 1/2.
By the end, we all started to get a little giddy. Jackson and I started singing the Tiki Room song, and then a bad smell came from the back seat. Jackson announced he had to go #2 "really badly -- I mean it". So I changed the words of the song to "In the stinky, stinky, stinky, stinky room -- in the stinky, stinky, stinky, stinky room". Not only did that elicit tons of laughter from Jackson, but when Brian took him to the potty in McDonalds near the Indiana/Illinois border, apparently that was an older man making quite the stink in the bathroom and Jackson decided the new song would be appropriate to sing. I'm sure that man needed some more humiliation.
Needless to say, Jackson was disappointed that we were home. He wanted to stay in another hotel. Brian and I have decided Jackson has two speeds: On and off. He goes and goes and goes until he is forced to sleep. After all the traveling, Jackson still woke us up at 6:30 asking us how to spell this and that and wanted someone to pour milk on his cereal.
We had a great time. I doubt we will attempt this sort of trip for a few years-- say when Charlie is around 4 1/2.
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