Last few days of RV trip 7/11-7/12

Now for the finish of our trip. We spent our last day at Indiana Beach which is an old fashion amusement park right on Lake Shafer. There was a water park that was lots of fun and many round and round rides that David and Jason rode non stop.
The next day we dropped off Rachel at Momentum in Ceadarville OH and drove all the way to my brothers in Fayetteville NC. It was a total of 12 hours-a brutal last day.
The grand finally was at my brothers where David Jason and my niece Abby stayed up all night long!!!! They finally fell asleep at 6:30ish. My brother ate cookies with them at 3:30 while Tim and I slept in Steve's office outside and didn't hear a thing.
It was great fun for them!

I am sad to be home-it was a great time and more relaxing than I thought it would be!
Now we have a fun summer with our new dog.

Ella arrives

We made it back and have added a new addition to the family.

Meet Ella....our three month old Whippet.

Doorly Zoo

Yesterday July 9^th we went to Doorly Zoo in Omaha NE.

This is the coolest zoo we have been to. The first place we went was a discovery building which was pretty normal for a zoo but the next place called the Lied Jungle was really spectacular. As you entered you felt like you were really in a rainforest. The animals were all visible from many angles and it took at least an hour to see the whole thing. The kids loved it.

After that we went into one of the coolest aquariums I have ever seen.

Words cannot describe but there was a tube we walked through and all the fish, turles, sharks etc. were swimming over and around us.

The jellyfish tank was amazing too.

They had a butterfly experience that was great. The butterflies were everywhere and they were so pretty.

I would highly recommend this Zoo.

KOA

Great relaxing afternoon at the KOA outside of Omaha, NE.

Colorado Springs

We arrived in Colorado Springs on the Morning of July 6^th. We had to go over Monarch Pass at 11,321 ft. The sloth was hurting both up and down. We had to stop because the brakes were smoking and the whole RV smelled for the rest of the day. When we got there what do you think the kids wanted to do 1^st? Go see Pikes Peak? No they wanted to go to Sonic. They are addicted. So we went to Sonic Happy Hour, all got large drinks and headed up Pikes Peak. Let me say this is a scary drive. We climbed over a mile from the bottom with many steep drop offs right out my window. If you think the kids went up for the view you are mistaken. They went up for the donuts!

When we got to 14,110 ft. and got out of the car and we started running for the gift shop (3 of us finished our large Sonics and needed to run) our heads immediately started spinning from lack of oxygen. Then the worst possible thing happened. THEY WERE OUT OF DONUTS! All that way and no donuts :)

However, God was smiling on us probably because we were so much closer to Him.

The secret ingredient arrived just after that and-----

Alas the special high elevation donuts!

Nothing could top that excitement. We drove through Garden of the Gods the kids were unimpressed and then we ate dinner in Manitou Springs.

On the 7^th we traveled to Loveland CO and had a needed day of rest since it rained all day.

We are now on our long drive to Omaha NE. Eight days till we get home. The kids are ready to be home. I am not. I miss all my friends but not the work that will be waiting for me with unpacking etc and a new dog. Here’s the newest picture of Ella.

Mesa Verde and Ouray Colorado 7/3-7/5

On July 3^rd we arrived at Mesa Verde Co. On the way we stopped at 4 Corners which is the place where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado all meet up together at one point. Unfortunately the monument where they all meet is under construction so all we could do was walk around the fence through the 4 states.

There were plenty of opportunities to buy souvenirs though.

After that we drove on to Mesa Verde.

There is a national park there that has preserved some old cliff dwellings. Mesa means table and Verde means green which translates to a very steep climb to the top of the Mesa on a very curvy road. It was a great 360 degree view of surrounding area. The RV park had a great pool for the kids to play in so they could exhaust themselves. That was thefirst place that we have experienced cold nights. We all woke up freezing.

We left Mesa Verde on the 4^th of July and had to go through 3 terrifying mountain passes to get to Ouray CO. The last one Red Mountain Pass (peaking at 11,000 ft) had some very steep drop offs right out my window. I gripped the seat and prayed hard. Tim even said it made him sick.

One of many treacherous curves on Red Mountain Pass

Once we came down we were in the town of Ouray just in time for the parade. It was similar to Middletown except they were advertising their own specialties like Jeep tours through the mountains.

So we were all enjoying the parade and all of a sudden we heard the sound of a head against the pavement. It was David. He blacked out and fell to the ground hitting his forehead on the pavement. Fortunately, there was a surgeon standing right next to us who came right over and she and Tim got David back on his feet. The surgeon, I think her name was Elizabeth, was from Washington DC. Small world.

We think he either locked his knees or was dehydrated and not adjusted to the elevation. He is now fully recovered.

The town has a traditional water fight each year on the 4^thso we went to see it. It is a water fight between teams of two that are battling each other with fire hoses until one team falls down. Of course the spectators get wet as we were all surrounding the fight. I thought it was neat but the kids really couldn’t see since we got there late. So we went shopping and got ice cream. Later we went to see the fireworks. Before they start there is a parade of Jeeps coming down from the mountain with flares on them (never would they allow this in MD). All you could see were the flares. The fireworks were typical except they were fired from the middle of a mountain.

Pretty scenery before the fireworks

Today we went to the hot springs pool. It is fed by spring that flow out of the San Juan Mountains at a temp. of 150 degrees. They cool it with the local water so the pool has different areas ranging from 80-101 degrees. You can guess where I spent most of my time. Actually the favorite was the 93 degree pool. Tim found out that you can get bad sunburn even if you are entirely submersed under water. The sun is strong. Tonight we plan to have our first campfire this whole trip. So far it has been too hot, we’re too tired or it’s too windy. Let’s hope for the best. We are all feeling refreshed and energized by the minerals in the hot springs.

Two Days at the Grand Canyon

Let me first say that it is so nice to not be driving for a few days. We spent July 1^st and 2^nd at the Circle Pines KOA one hour south of the Grand Canyon. It turned out to be very kid friendly. They had an indoor pool that the kids loved and banana bikes that we all rode for about an hour.

We went to the canyon on the first day. Photos do not do it justice. It is so huge. It was 5 miles across from where we were standing but it was hard to get perspective. It is a mile down and my kids said that the people hiking down looked like ants. There were numerous warnings and true stories of people who tried to hike down and back in one day. Many die and 250 people a year have to be rescued. Needless to say we did not try it. However, we did hike down into the canyon a bit. Down is easy, up is another story. No shade and very hot. I think we were on the same path as that Brady Bunch episode since there were a lot of “droppings” along the way. Last night we went later to see the sunset. It was beautiful. The wind was so strong up there and as soon as the sun set it got cold fast. The stars are so clear and plentiful here since as Zach put it “we are in the middle of nowhere”.

We are now on our way to Mesa Verde, CO to see the cliff dwellings and stay the night. Mountain driving is slower and more nerve wracking than highway driving. Tomorrow is the 4^th of July and we will be heading to Ouray, CO.

The kids have the life they are all still sleeping!

MasterCard

Souvenir Sling Shot: $9

Honda window replacement: $250

Having your son enter the RV and say, "Aaahh, I broke something.": Priceless

Slide Rock State Park

Today we went to this awesome park. It has natural water slides down some very slippery rocks. The kids had a great time playing in the water and going down the slides. I went down as soon as we got there. People said it was cold but I wasn’t expecting super cold. As soon as I got in it took my breath away and as I was sliding down all I could think of was how cold it was.

This is not a place to visit if you want to be graceful. The first time I tried to get out I fell straight down on my arm. The next time I crawled. Tim’s got some dignified pictures of me crawling through the water. Tim, Zach and David jumped off a cliff into that freezing water.

To end our wonderful day we arrived back at our RV only to find some nice Arizona resident parked about 2 feet from our front bumper. Ranger Ron said all you can do is wait it out, sorry”, knowing Tim though he was going to find a way out. So against all the warnings not to back up with the dolly on the back, he did and we got out. Tomorrow we are off to the Grand Canyon.

Useful trivia

Cup of Fruit containers explode spraying juice everywhere when taken from sea level to an elevation of 7000 feet and then opened.

Unscheduled stops

We had some extra time today so we stopped at an Indian Trading Post.  The kids were extremely excited about the souvenir possibilities.  We also took a detour through the Petrified Forest National Park which was pretty cool.

We just arrived at the Flagstaff, AZ KOA after some tight maneuvering to get the RV refueled and will head out to Sliding Rock State Park in the morning.

White Sands

Spent the morning yesterday sled riding down the sands dunes at White Sands National Monument and today we will be driving through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.  We stayed the night at a KOA in Grant, NM where there is a dormant volcano.  Right at the park was a collapsed volcano bubble.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rapptim/RVTrip#5488054187399633026

Carlsbad Caverns

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

Christina found a friend on her walk at the Carlsbad KOA

Six Flags (Hurricane Harbor)

Spent all day Sat (26 Jun) at the water park in the Texas heat.  Great fun but everyone was beat.  We found a Jason's Deli and ate there for dinner which Jason thought was pretty cool.  Just about everyone had a Muffuletta.

My Journal (David)

First I went to the pool. It was fun. The next day we had Subway for dinner. Then we played games and the next day we went to the pool again. It was fun and today we are in the RV driving.

I saw 12 FEDEX trucks so far. Today we are going to Texas. Tomorrow we are going to Six Flags water park. I think it is going to be better than when we went to water park at the Diamond Crater State Park.

Diamond Mine State Park Arkansas

On Thursday June 24^th we went to the Diamond mine. First thing we noticed was it was very hot. There was a sign that said the heat index could reach 110. After that we noted that the water park out front was a must. We rented our equipment and headed out into this big open field of dirt. Apparently the kids thought it would be more like the mine in Snow White rather than on open field of dirt. We made 2 teams. Team 1 me Tim David and Jason. Team 2 Rachel Zach and Caleb. Here’s the process. First you find a spot to dig(there is no shade), then you sit down and dig up dirt and sift through it looking for diamonds. You could sit there all day. This is not really the kind of fun the kids were expecting. It took Jason 2 minutes to say he was bored. We dug for about an hour and half until the water park opened and then we made a b-line straight there. Now that was fun!

Rachel drove us 30 minutes home from the mine to the park with a stop at Sonic.

We are on our way to Texas and we are dead armadillos, churches and Sonics. David is recording the count in his journal.

BTW Tim is doing a fantastic jog driving this behemoth which we call the Sloth. He has had to maneuver around many interesting obstacles and crazy traffic. We’re now entering Dallas. He’s doing great. We’re almost to our destination for the day!

I'm Still Alive!

I don't feel like writing so I'm going to make a list..

1) We ate spaghetti with spoons, on the first day... it was pretty great

2) I've had alot of naps :]

3) The RV floor is actually the most comfortable place to sleep

4) I am the first kid to write on the blog! thank goodness they aren't making all of us do it :]P

5) Zach refuses to take pictures but I have one so far! And there will be more... right Zach (lavender haha) :]

6) I'm pretty sure the previous post is going to start a blog battle

7) thats all :] Have a GREAT SUMMER!!!!

~ Rachel

Things I learned today

There have been a number of lessons learned in the last 24 hours.  To recap:

Lesson 1 - When you know something is a good idea...do it.  Especially when your neighbor also believes it's a good idea.  The plan prior to departing was to put the Honda up on the "universal" tow dolly just to be sure there weren't any problems.  In the flurry of packing, this was a task that went into the wayside.  What could go wrong?  It's a universal tow dolly isn't it?  Well the Honda wouldn't go up the ramps without tearing off the front bumper.  So Monday night I found myself running to Home Depot for a couple 2x10s at 9:45pm.

Problem solved.  Right?  No no!  Even with the car fully on the tow dolly the ramps wouldn't tilt down to lock the pin in place because the hitch is 1 1/2 inches too high.  So at 11pm Phil (my KOA neighbor and new best friend) are both wishing we'd paid more attention to the levers/fulcrums lesson from Physics class as we contemplate how to shift the center of gravity on a 4000 lb car. 

 Phil helping with the tow dolly...we finally got it on and locked down.

Lesson 2 - Always ask more questions.  Not wanting to mess with the car and tow dolly if we didn't have to, we figured we'd call Rock City and see if they had RV parking.  This would allow us to stop there before the RV park and not have to upload the car.  Their answer "Of course we have RV parking.  It's at the top of the hill."  Off we went blissfully missing the details many of you have already picked up on (i.e. "at the top of the hill").  Now if you've ever been to Rock City you know that it's at the top of a very narrow windy road.  After scaring the life out of several families in oncoming cars and some smoking brakes on the dolly, we made it to the top and back down.

The real answer: "Yes there's RV parking up here, but there's no way to get your RV up the hill!!"

Up early

Up at 5ish closed up the RV. Off we go.

Tim did a great job maneuvering the RV out of the KOA. We are on i95 just crossed into NC. So far our GPS Einstein has taken us on some interesting back roads that the RV barely fits on.

We are heading to rock city TN hopefully we will be there by 4.

Last beach day (21 June)

Last day at the beach. Tim and I spent most of the day at the Dr. with Jason. He woke with an earache. Turns out he has swimmers ear, a middle ear infection and an eye infection. Believe it or not everything went very smoothly and ended with M&Ms and a movie (for Jason). The other kids were able to spend the day at the pool with Uncle Steve and Abby. I (Christina) was back with enough time to soak up my last beach sun and jump in the ocean one last time.

Tim and I had our traditional dinner at Sticky Fingers. Then went back to the RV park to hook up the van on the tow dolly. It only took 2 hours (including a trip to Home Depot). Our neighbor Phil in the next site came over with a concern about how we were going to get the RV with the car hooked on out of our spot. He ended up spending at least an hour helping Tim get the car hooked up. They did it and we were in bed by 11:15. Success!

Einstein

We've got a GPS that the kids have named "Einstein"...Einstein it's not.

Full time relaxing

Now that we've figured out how everything works and everyone is settled, it's full time relaxing. 

Lounging by the pool

Lounging in the RV

Day 2 - Locked out

There are several things you don't want to hear your children say while on vacation sitting pool side.  One of them is your son running up and asking for the keys (the keys that minutes ago were with him in the RV) so he can get back in the now locked up like Fort Knox, completely secure, impenetrable RV.  Numerous things run through your mind...things like the "driver's door must be unlocked" or "surely he jests" or "there must be a window unlocked" or "maybe his brothers just locked him out".  No, no, no, and no on all counts.

We finally got back in thanks to the RV guy who lives 3 miles down the street and for some reason answered his business line at 7pm.  Needless to say there was a family block of instruction on how to and how not to lock the RV...any yes there was a test.  They all passed and will live to see another day.  Now where are those blood pressure pills ;)

Rapp & Salek families enjoying the view from outside the locked RV

Something you don't see everyday

Well we made it to Wilmington and got the behemoth of an RV to the park without killing or maiming anyone.
I can't say the same for the boat of some poor soul on 95. On our drive down yesterday I looked out my window to see a fairly large speed boat coming across the median into south bound traffic. Just the boat mind you...it was still on its trailer; however, the only thing attached to the trailer were the remains of the hitch that had been ripped from the truck that was pulling it. It crossed about 100 yards behind us and crashed into the woods. Ouch! It looked expensive.

And the winner is...

David, who just south of D.C. asked "How long before we get there?"
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: None

Preparing for departure

Just finished watching RV with the kids.  They are ready and fired up for the trip.  Surprisingly after packing everything there's still room in the back of the van?  I am sure we'll figure out what we left behind somewhere around Richmond.  I can't wait to get on the road.

Any guesses on what mile marker the we'll be at when we get the first "are we there yet" question?

3 days until departure

So here's the plan.  A 28 day RV cross country trip through 17 states with 13 planned stops at places like:

1. Wrightsville Beach (NC)
2. Rock City (TN)
3. Diamond Crater Mine (AK)
4. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (TX)
5. Carlsbad Caverns (NM)
6. White Sands (NM)
7. Sliding Rock State Park (AZ)
8. Grand Canyon (AZ)
9. Four Corners (UT, CO, AZ, NM)
10. Ouray Hot Springs (CO)
11. Pikes Peak (CO)
12. Doorly Zoo (NE)
13. Cedar Point Indiana Beach RV Resort (IN)

Heading back to Miami

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: None

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The steward makes us a different towel animal each night for our turndown.
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: None

SUP MOM AND DAD

HEY dad nice view what else have you been doing don't worry we are keeping the house clean.

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First full day at sea.

The weather has been awesome (sunny in the low 80's). Our room is on what is basically the top deck with a great private balcony view. We could see the city lights of the Keys last night and today we could see the coastline of Cuba. The seas have been like glass so there hasn't been any sea sick symptoms.

Just sitting in the sun watching the water go by.
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: None

The Cruise (Day 0)

Everything in hindsight is more humorous...at least that's what we
keep telling ourselves.

The flight was non eventful; however, apparently a prepaid
"guaranteed" hotel reservation in FL doesn't really mean they have to
have a room for you. At least not during Spring Break.

So at 2am Christina and I found ourselves 15 miles out of town at one
of the only hotels available and decided to take a stroll down the
street along with the hundreds of other college-aged kids roaming
around. We were quite proud to even still be awake at 2am! We decided
to head back to the hotel and just go to bed when we realized that the
thing that excited us most about all the "night life" was finding a 24
hour Walgreens where Christina could buy some earplugs. Spring break
isn't a forty-something event.

--
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