Hello out there... out there... out there..........
Well, we've passed the 6 month mark on our trip and we are nearing the end.
I spent about a week pouting when I realized I could count the number of our remaining stops on one hand. But if there's one thing constant in this life, it is change. Mike and I sat down a week or so ago and discussed what we wanted to see and where we wanted to head for the remainder of the trip. I was able to book us in Thousand Trails campgrounds all the way home, while still getting us to 2 more six flags parks.
Fast forward to maybe Tuesday or Wednesday of last week. We get an email from the school. They've canceled the 8th grade trip to Washington DC for this year. Great! Callie is going to be so mad and so sad. We all know the trip to DC is a rite of passage. It's not about the monuments either. For most kids, it's the first time they've left their immediate vacationing vicinity. For even more kids, and I might argue all of them, it marks their first real adventure without parents. It's about friends and making memories. So, yeah, it's a big deal.
We both sat on this new information for about a day. Then we reconvened the planning committee and did our research. We decided to go for it and made some changes, but not many, to the itinerary and booked a really nice campground just outside DC. We have to drive by there anyway, right? I was still up the whole night thinking... that's still not enough. It's about exploring with your friends, not your parents.
So, Friday night, staying in Lenoir, NC after 3 days of rain (yes, we did hope for rain, but we're over that now), we decided to go downtown and get something to eat. We broke the news to Callie, both bad then good, but as expected, she wasn't happy. So Mike and I had a sidebar and I suggested we attempt to get her best bud down to meet us, so they could do DC, together.
Within 30 minutes of sending the message, I was in the phone with BFF's mom, making plans. So, (cut to the chase Val...) it had been arranged that tomorrow, BFF will be delivered to our campsite by her parents who are doing a marathon drive down and back. YAY!!!
DC, prepare yourself, because here we come! Oh, and as luck would have it, Six Flags America in MD is 20 minutes from our park as well. Score! BFF, Callie, Mike, and I are now in vacation mode! 7 days in DC/Six Flags, 4 days in Amish Country, 4 days in NJ for another Six Flags adventure and maybe a pop over to Atlantic City, then heading for home.
Home sweet home 🏡
I've come around to the fact that's is time to go home. I'm ready. But not so ready that I'm not stoked for the rest of this trip with an added passenger! Callie really needs some buddy time. The phone isn't enough (imagine that). BFFs mom said she needs this too. So glad the girls are going to be able to adventure together!
In other news...
We've stayed in Colorado...
Missouri...
Tennessee,
Kentucky...
and North Carolina so far this month....
We've driven through Colorado...
Kansas...
Missouri...
Kentucky...
Illinois...
Indiana...
Tennessee...
And North Carolina...
and we are currently driving through Virginia... all since August began.
We will stop soon at a Walmart for the night. Tomorrow, Maryland!
We've still got several more new states to stay in before we get home: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, all need to be added to our map. I can't wait to see the travel map once we get to Jersey. It's going to be very full. I'll take a picture for you.
We've gone to Six Flags Mid-America and we rode all TEN rollercoasters.
New Jersey is going to be crazy. ELEVEN rollercoasters, including some truly terrifying ones, particularly, the Kingda Ka, advertised as the world's tallest rollercoaster... check it out...
https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/attractions/kingda-ka
https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/attractions/thrill-rides
We are definitely getting the most we can out of our season memberships.
OK, we're almost to Walmart. Time to sign off. Stay safe, stay healthy, do something that makes you happy!
