The Crawfords take Manhattan- November 23rd and 24th

In the style of the city itself,  our visit to New York was an intense whirlwind of activity.  The kids and I have never seen the Big Apple so we wanted to see and do everything- in two days.  The question on everyone's mind- Where do you park a motor home in NYC? Answer- you don't.   Our RV park (AKA a marina parking lot with electrical hook-ups) in Jersey City, NJ had a clear view of  Lady Liberty and the NYC skyline.  A twenty minute ride on a water taxi deposited us into the heart of the financial district.  



For a first timer the sheer size and number of  skyscrapers was awe-inspiring.

Our budget trip to the Statue of Liberty- a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry.

The World Trade Center site is now a full fledged construction zone. Having never been to NY I could not imagine the physical void these buildings left and  the constant reminder of loss.   The museum across the street  and the fire fighters' memorial gave us a small glimpse into both the pain and heroism of 9/11 and the continual grief shared by so many families. 

This is the only thing on Wall Street you can get close to.  If you would like to see a NYPD police officer, Wall Street is a great place to look.  The security surrounding the stock exchange is extreme.  We asked if the viewing gallery was open and the guard joked that we were ten years too late.  Enough said.

After a slice and a soda in Greenwich Village we had to go see where "Carrie" lives.  Apparently so do all the other tourists.  The occupants have a chain and a nice box asking that if you take pictures please leave some change for the local no kill shelter.

Andy was so excited to get to Times Square..

and we were so excited to see Whoopi Goldberg.

Karly told us Toys r us has a three story  ferris wheel so we had to make a stop. 

Live from New York...it's Tuesday night.

I finally got my girls to the American Girl Place for lunch.

And Andy got to see the home of the Yankees. [ He would like me to point out that an error on my part meant they arrived too late for a tour. ]

A quick stop to see the Plaza and watch guests arrive for the Thanksgiving Ball.

Where in the world are the Crawfords? [center front]

On a giant TV screen in Times Square.

Who captured Kung Fu Panda?  One of my many guidebooks for our adventure, 1000 Things to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die, lists the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Thanksgiving dinner at the Plimoth Plantation.  Pretty much impossible to do both in one day so we settled for watching them inflate the balloons the night before.

Our  grand farewell to New York-pretzels, hot dogs and soda from a street vendor.



Hershey, Pennsylvania- November 21st and 22nd

After a late night we made it to Hersheypark just one hour after they opened at noon.  The park has huge roller coasters, but Andy would like to introduce the theme for our trip as "Closed for the Winter."  It was their special Christmas celebration, but alas all of the big coasters were closed. Instead there were a few large carnival style rides and lots of kid friendly rides.  The Christmas decorations and light shows were beautiful, but Andy kept asking what happened to Thanksgiving.  We had dinner next to the park at Chocolate World and saw how Hershey makes all the great candy we love.   At the The Hershey Story museum the next morning we learned all about Milton Hershey, how he revolutionized candy making and his idea to build a perfect factory town.  It seems like a great place to live, but for some reason the movie Stepford Wives kept popping into my head.   

"Dasher" at Hersheypark- otherwise known as Number 33.



It really is a chocolate world.  Even the streetlights in downtown Hershey are little Hershey Kisses of big, big chocolate.



Ohio- November 20, 2010

I was one day early to rendezvous with David and three hours late picking Karlyne up at the airport.  Our timing is just a bit askew.  After leaving Louisville we knew it would be a long haul to Philadelphia to get Karlyne at midnight, but we didn't realize we would find so much to do on the way.
We stayed near Cincinnati Friday night so we could explore the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.  After an emotional tour we began our nine hour drive east. We made it to Frazeysburg, Ohio just in time for a harried shopping trip in the Longaberger Factory store while dinner was cooking in the oven.  Then back on the road, and an expensive road it was.  Thank goodness David realized that my plan to disconnect my car at a service center on the Pennsylvania turnpike was deeply flawed.  I would have tried to exit the turnpike in Philly with no entrance ticket- HUGE FINE!  At the next exit David veered off to Hershey and I took my GPS's very obscure route to the Philadelphia airport.  After driving safely across eight states I almost hit a deer in some suburb of Philadelphia.  I especially loved seeing the beware of deer sign around the next corner.   I made it just in time to be three hours late picking Karlyne up.   At least it was midnight her time.   





The Ohio River represented freedom from the slave state of Kentucky for thousands of Black Americans before the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 allowed slave traders to track runaways into free Ohio.

Yes, the Longaberger home office is really a giant basket! 



Louisville, Kentucky- November 19, 2010

The day began in typical Crawford fashion- we hit the road around 10:00am.  That, coupled with the hour we lost when we crossed the Kentucky border put us in Louisville a little later than we had hoped.  Thankfully, in the kids eyes, there was only one sight to see- the Louisville Slugger Factory.  No problem locating this place, just look for the 120 foot bat out front.  
We finished our day having Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky. Doesn't that make it just fried chicken?
Actually we finished our day with the kids riding their scooters in the back of a Wal-mart parking lot.  Perhaps we are getting a little too comfortable camping at Wal-mart.  Can't I count these as PE hours?



Batting practice at the Louisville Slugger cages.

That is an awfully big glove to fill.



St. Louis Missouri- November 18, 2010

I can tell David is here because I woke up to the NOAA weather report broadcast throughout the motorhome.  He said he thought it would get us up, but Andy and I both said it was more likely to put us into a coma.  It gave the weather report from the day before and a long list of areas it covered for its hazardous weather report.  Finally it said there was no hazardous weather to report today.  Well, thank goodness. 
It reminded me that it was cold and windy yesterday as we took a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River.  It confirmed that it had warmed up a little in the afternoon as we toured the Anheiser-Busch brewing facilities.  And it was a perfect crisp autumn day  as we sat in the hospitality room enjoying our free beer.  I now know that it was in the freezing temperatures when we were digging through a dumpster outside Steak 'n Shake looking for Andy's retainer that he accidentally left on the table.  A shout out to all the kids- when the orthodontist tells you not to wrap your retainer in a napkin please listen.  Leave it hidden from the other table occupants but in plain view of the bus boy clearing the table.



It wasn't as clear as the day we went up in the arch, but it was fun to be out on the Mississippi River.

Anheiser-Busch used Dalmatians to guard the beer crates on the wagons while the drivers made deliveries.






"Mommy, what are we going to learn about today?"

"How to make beer."

A pilgrimage to Andy's mecca.

 

Meet me in St. Louis- November 17, 2010

It is official -the Crawfords are together again.  Well almost all of the Crawfords.  Karlyne arrives Saturday night.  If we were true romantics we would have engineered a meeting at the top of the St. Louis arch.  Instead David picked us up at the RV park in St. Charles and we drove into the city together. The arch took our breath away and then we did what we do best- dinner at Spaghetti Factory. 



Peering out the little windows at the top of the arch.




A replica of the tiny tram car we rode to the top.

The arch in all of its glory.






































Day Ten - Hannibal, Missouri

[Andy has suggested that I use our locations in the title because we are losing track of what "numbered" day it is.  We don't have reliable internet everyday so when we have to catch up on the blog it makes it even harder.]

We have now crossed back over the Mississippi from the land of Lincoln into Missouri.  We spent the night at the Injun Joe Campground west of Hannibal, Missouri.  I was excited at the prospect of RV hookups and more importantly -laundry facilities.  We arrived after the office had closed, but we were thrilled to find the laundry room unlocked.  Unfortunately, we were less than thrilled that we could not find the light switch.  We did two loads of laundry by flashlight, then gave up and went to bed. 

  Both of my kids have heard excerpts from Tom Sawyer before and we learned a bit about Samuel Clemens at the National River Museum. However, the whole concept of Samuel Clemens writing as Mark Twain, fictionalizing his own childhood stories in Hannibal into Tom Sawyer was a bit lost on them.  Regardless, we headed out to get lost in Mark Twain's cave.  This was the highlight of their day.  Because it is well past tourist season around here, we garnered our own private tour of the caves.  It was going great until our guide demonstrated the pitch darkness underground, thanked us for taking the tour and said goodbye.  Well not really, but she had Kristen fooled and she was genuinely scared.  Thank goodness she got over that quickly so she could enjoy our bat encounter around the next corner.  The darkness she hated; the bats she loved.
A few miles from the cave is downtown Hannibal.  It was fun touring Samuel Clemens' real neighborhood and hearing the stories that were streeeeeetched into great entertainment in his books.  The tour guides and displays were so fun that Andy offered to put down his non-fiction books for awhile and pick up Tom Sawyer.

The "exact" location where Injun Joe hid his treasure.



150 years later and kids are still begging for a turn to whitewash a fence.

While we were having lunch in the motorhome, at a riverfront park,  Andy commented that it was very smokey outside.  Because we are such great tourists we snapped some pictures of the Mark Twain Riverboat on fire. Within minutes the waterfront was busy with emergency vehicles and local press.  Huge excitement for the small town of Hannibal and for us as well.



Day Nine

The Lincoln's actual family room.  Mary's style was known as "Harmony through Contrast"

The Lincolns at the White House.

For the history nerd inside me, today was the absolute best.  We immersed ourselves in everything Lincoln that Springfield, Illinois had to offer.  First stop was the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  The exhibits there were high tech, educational and engaging.  There are 4D movies, interactive displays and even a "Mary's Attic" play area for kids. The museum was great about showing the honest side of Abe.  They delved into the controversies he faced during his life, opinions of his critics and how he has become a larger than life mythical man.  From the super high tech museum we went to the National Park that preserves Lincoln's entire neighborhood from 1861 when he left for the White House.  This was my absolute favorite part of the day.  We walked through the house Lincoln lived in for 17 years, saw many pieces of his furniture, clothing, and artifacts.  After walking around downtown, by the old State Capital Building where he laid in state and his famous law office, we went to see his final resting place.  History definitely came alive for the kids today and I had the time of my life.

The Lincolns at home in Springfield.

Day Eight

Yes, I know I skipped day seven, but we basically spent that day waiting out a storm of wind and freezing rain in Waterloo, Iowa (home of John Deere, but we were there on a Saturday when the factory tour was closed).  Today is also known  as "Andy Day."  We trekked out into the cornfields into his "Field of Dreams."  He was disappointed the field wasn't as big as a big league ballfield, but it was the perfect size for a ball game with his little sister. 
From Dyersville, Iowa we headed to the mighty Mississippi.  We spent the whole afternoon exploring the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium  in Dubuque, Iowa. If you are ever in this area look this place up.  The kids especially loved "piloting" a boat down the Mississippi on a simulator.  It is a good thing David is the mariner in our family, although they did get the hang of it after taking out a few bridges. 
Sunset on the Mississippi and then off to Illinois.

The kids had to reenact parts of the movie.  I wonder if Andy will revive his sister.

"Is this Heaven?"
"No. This is Iowa."

Day Six



Just a little bit corny!

 We found a fun RV park in Mitchell S.D. last night with an indoor pool and new waterslide :)  I almost turned away because 1)it is at Days Inn and because of two horrific experiences our family has a "no Days Inn" policy and 2) they had shut off the water outside because it was getting down in the teens that night.  Well we needed electricity for such a cold night and the kids had seen the pool so I didn't really have much of a choice.  Of course we ran out of water in the motorhome so our showers were rinsing off after swimming in the poolside shower that had either hot or cold water.  Thank goodness that morning brought us to the Corn Palace.  I can't believe the Corn Palace has been around for over one hundred years.  You just have to see it to appreciate what you can do with corn.  I guess we use corn for everything else these days so decorating a palace shouldn't seem so crazy. 
This was all just a precursor to my favorite part of the day.  We made the trek to De Smet, S.D., the setting for my favorite childhood books.  We took a tour with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical Society and a driving tour of the area.  I have always loved the Little House books, but this tour gave me a new appreciation for the Ingalls/Wilder women.  Hearing their stories made me realize what independent and resourceful women they were.  And yes, I had Kristen dress up in a prairie dress and run around in the grass.  All of my dreams fulfilled! (Karlyne is soo excited she is far away from here)   Leaving De Smet we drove the Laura Ingalls Wilder historical highway into Minnesota.  I had planned to camp along the way, but the towns kept getting smaller and smaller.  First population 200 then 100.  It is much more difficult to find a place to pull over and camp in a town that small.  When the population hit 61 I was scared to stop for fear they would run out and change the sign in the morning, plus the snow started falling and I decided it was time to head south.  The chance for a trace to 1" predicted in Iowa sounded far better than Minnesota's 5 to 10 inches.

We were the only ones at the Ingalls Homestead and this stray cat decided that she belonged to Andy.  The kids begged me to bring her with us.  That is just what we need- a pet on this adventure.



I am so happy I made it here while one of my children would still dress up and run around.  The other two would have required a major guilt trip or some serious monetary compensation.



Day Five

Driving out of Rapid City, SD the kids were kept entertained for miles and miles with the signs for Wall Drug.  We couldn't wait to see the six foot tall rabbit, get some free ice water, and the 5cent coffee sounded like heaven to me.  We did all of that and more.  Personally, I not only enjoy the coffee, but  I also feasted on a buffalo burger and picked up a few Christmas gifts. I gave the kids $10 each and they could have spent all day going through all of the departments over and over again picking out just the right souvenir.  Thankfully, they each picked out something small (we are in very tight quarters) and we were on our way.  That afternoon we immersed ourselves in Badlands National Park.  You see prairie all around and then off a cliff are the most amazing (Andy had to tell me to stop saying that, I guess I need to "unpack my adjectives"- yes, we have been watching School House Rock) rock formations you have ever seen.   We just had to stop at every viewpoint and hike out into the landscape.  The Badlands got their name because pioneers and Native Americans said it was a "bad" land to cross.  Well, I wouldn't recommend a covered wagon, or try to get anywhere quickly but it was a fun place to run around.  And it was perfect place to watch the sun set on Veteran's Day.  Thank you to all of our veterans, past and present for protecting our beautiful country!

I hope this doesn't spoil the surprise for anyone.  But really, Wall Drug was a blast!

Day Four

This morning we unplugged our beloved electricity and headed into the Black Hills.  First stop was Deadwood, SD, made famous by the HBO series of the same name.  We took in some museums and walked in the footsteps of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.  The town is now a gambling mecca and we had to take advantage of the cheap eats at the Miss Kitty Saloon for lunch.  We filled our afternoon and evening taking in the beauty of Mt. Rushmore.  Andy was glued to the binoculars for his first glimpse of the mountain, and the mountain did not disappoint.  There were so many things to do in  the Black Hills we decided to try to stay overnight.  We scoured the campground guide and found a few options that were open in the winter, but Nope! when we arrived they were most certainly not open.  So we headed up the hill to Custer State Park.  Learned a great lesson tonight:  always, always, ALWAYS check your detailed AAA map of an area (not just GPS).  If we had checked the map we would have seen the warning for the narrow tunnels and would not have had to back down a hairpin turn, on the side of a cliff, alone in the dark.  Andy is the best co-pilot ever, and walked beside the motorhome, yelling directions the whole way.  After that fun the kids were ready to return to civilization, so we are camping at Wal-mart in Rapid City, SD.   

Much like Wild Bill Hickok, Kristen never saw it coming.



It's a good thing she captured him later.



Beneath each flag is the state or territory's name and the year it joined the US.  Kristen recited each one to us.

Ice and snow strikes again.  No hiking on Mt. Rushmore today.