Day 10: Mile High City

July 28, nine days in to our amazing vacay and we are headed to.....DENVER, CO!  Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and one of my best friends EVER (also my sister-in-law) were on the list.  We got in late, slept, and got up to GO!

First order of business were the Manitou Cliff Dwellings.  We walked through ancient carved cliffs learning about their customs and life style.  Basket weaving, cradle boards, hunting and gathering, and dwelling development were covered in a short tour.

From there, we journeyed up Pikes Peak.  Have you ever driven up a mountain?  I don't think I ever will again.  It was terrifying.  There you are, 10,000 feet in the air with a suggested speed of 35 mph with NO SIDE RAILS.  Just a soft, gentle drop off a CLIFF.  Did I mention it started raining?  And since the altitude climbed, guess what the temperature did....it dropped.  Guess what happens to rain when it gets cold?  IT FREEZES!  So I'm driving the 19 miles up past 14,000 feet with no side rails in freezing rain.  I don't know why they don't sell beer at the top.  I could have used one by the time we got to the summit.  

Honestly, I think the only reason I got down with less anxiety was a mild hypoxia.  But we made it!  

Garden of the Gods was only a few miles down the road, and the rain had let off, so, we hiked it!  It is truly a marvel to see, and it is very well named.  Spears of rock, ascending to the sky, with boulders precariously mounted on the spears.  Below is "Three Cathedrals".  The weather was perfect, and thankfully held back the rain the entire time we were there.

The day ended driving back into Denver where SIL and I took the kids to a horrible Mexican Restaurant, Casa Bonita.  The food sucks, but there are cliff divers.  

It was a packed day, and we slept well.  We woke up the 30th, had lunch with a friend of mine from RN school (small world), shipped some cookies home from Victory Love and Cookies, said our good byes to SIL, and headed WEST.  Next Stop....GOBLIN STATE PARK!

Days 5-9: The Burg

I'm from a little house on the prairie.  Not the show, an actual little house on an actual prairie.  I love calico, ice cream socials, and green rolling hills.  Galesburg is home to the Birthplace of Carl Sandburg, the Landmark Cafe, a Lincoln vs. Douglass debate site, and two of my favorite bloggers!  

These women know Galesburg and they know travel!  When I post about my silly little US road trip, I dream of going the places these people go.  Katie and I were good friends in kindergarden. We often pretended we were Anne of Green Gables characters walking a path between our houses, young girls with great imaginations.  You'll enjoy here thoughts on life at Nonbillablehours.  

Christy and I were in high school together and I recently accidentally bought some belts from her on E-Bay.  That was a fun invoice to see!  She is also a Galesburg native and suffered through high school volleyball with me at our super-small Christian school.  You'll love her photos and travels at Laneletters.

But I digress....Galesburg.  

Galesburg is where my kids go fishing at Lake Story

Galesburg is where Middle D JC climbs higher than the house in the same tree I climbed when I was young

Galesburg is The Taste Of Galesburg with Turtle Crepes from the Landmark, and Baby JC eats the cherry.

Where my son holds my daughters hand as we walk

and grandparents take time with little folks for waffles in the early mornings.

We made it up to Rock Falls to see my favorite Aunt and Uncle, and my niece with her parents.

Its a sad, dying town since Maytag took its business out and stole jobs from thousands, but it is where my heart is, where my parents are, and one of my children's favorite places to be.  We only make it back a few times a year, but we love Galesburg.  It has been a wonderful break from being on the road, in the car.  We've played, built with legos, played in parks, visited with folks, and enjoyed our time.  Galesburg, I love you.  Days 5-9  are in the books.

Off to Omaha and DENVER!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 4: A Day with the Lincoln Family

Day four was another unexpected stop.  After having talked to Grandma and Grandpa, the recommendation to stop at the Springfield, IL Lincoln Museum was made.  Having previously established the nerdiness of my crew, this made perfect sense.  We had a quick breakfast with our favorite Airman near Scott AFB

And headed up to Springfield.  It was only an hour and a half drive, which was a nice reprieve from the previous days 5 and 6 hours.  We met at one of the Springfield malls, ate a little more, and went exploring!

The Great 16th President has always been a love of mine.  Maybe its partly genetic, as my grandfather was also enamored with the man.  Maybe its in my roots in the Land of Lincoln (my bff makes fun that I dress like "Little House on the Prairie"...I told her that is because I'm FROM a little house on the prairie).  IN any case, I LOVE LINCOLN.  The museum in Springfield does a fabulous job helping kids love learning about him as well!

We enjoyed several interactive exhibits and some films.  We got to see authentic artifacts and letters from Abe himself, as well as tour some of the sets and see the grand costumes from the movie, "Lincoln".  After we finished up (we spent probably 6 hours there.  I highly recommend visiting!), Grandpa JC took the two oldest female JC's up to Galesburg, while Grandma JC and I took Boy JC and Baby JC to a special flag ceremony at.....

LINCOLN'S TOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 114th Illinois Volunteer Regiment gave a fabulous presentation with flag lowering, taps, marching drills, and cannon fire.  Boy JC was quite impressed.  After the ceremony, he got some cool pictures holding a sword

And holding a rifle

We were very fortunate that the tomb, which normally closes at 5pm, was re-opened for the observers of the ceremony.  Entering the Tomb Of Lincoln.  Even the thought gave me goosebumps.  In the last 4 days, I've been in the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, seen the grave of the Voodoo queen, the future resting place of Nicholas Cage, the home of Elvis....and here I was at the grave of one of the most influential and controversial men of the last 200 years.  The hype of the previous dead we'd visited pales in comparison, and the pomp and circumstance of pop culture faded to the gravity and somberness entering the grave site of this great man.  

I can't even begin to describe the heaviness and the mustiness, which you can breath in and enjoy because you are breathing with the ghosts of greatness.  I was walking on The President Himself.  Humbled.  Beautiful.  Day 4 was in the books.

Day 3: Memphis/St. Louis

We left New Orleans and headed up to Memphis a little early to start fresh.  We had beautiful weather on the drive up.  We left the rain in Louisiana, and headed through Mississippi (state 3).  We stopped at an awesome park near Jackson, MS for dinner.

The kids got out of the car, ate, played, and ran.  It was a lovely break!  Back in the car to T. O. Fuller State Park where we camped for the night. 

 In the morning, poptarts were the prize for waking up at 5:00! 

 The old two slept for almost another hour 

while the little girls and I enjoyed some time together looking at the scenery.  

#nofilter

We had shower (YAY!!!!!)  and did a load of laundry (YAY!!!!!!) and headed into Memphis to explore Mud Island!

Unfortunately, Mud Island is closed on Monday.  Epic Mom Fail.

Do you know what else there is to do in Memphis for kids?  Fortunately, a bunch!  We hit up Graceland,

The Peabody Hotel for the Duck March,

The Civil Rights Museum

,

 And of course ate some FABULOUS BBQ!!!!!!!!! 

We finished up around 1pm and headed North to an unplanned stop,

ST. LOUIS, MO!!!!!!!!  Through Tennessee, Arkansas (Are Kansas to Boy JC), and into Missouri, we jetted to the first logical touristy place we could think of...GATEWAY ARCH.

We surrendered the pepper spray (I still need to buy more) to be admitted to the State Park under the arch.  There, we purchased tickets to the top.  I really wasn't sure how the baby camper would do.  I shouldn't have worried.  She faced the height with all the gumption I would expect of one of my kids.  

The view from the top was spectacular.  It was so worth the trade for time in NOLA.

630 Feet in the air with 4 kids.  Amazing.  

We found a camp site which reminded the Oldest JC and I of a scene from Criminal Minds.  Lacking in pepper spray, we opted for a Target parking lot in Shiloh, IL...just across the Muddy Mississippi from St. Louis.  We had alternative reasons for camping there.  Cool nights, good sleeps, and Day 3/ State 7 in the books.

Day 2: NOLA

New Orleans.  The Big Easy. NOLA.  The City the Care Forgot.  We started bright and early in our Wal-Mart parking lot.  With a dead battery.  No joke.  No problem, as we got a jump very quickly and were able to enjoy some Wal-Mart doughnuts while we waited for help!  We drove to the French Quarter and parked.  We putzed around Jackson Square and the French Quarter, just taking in the sites.

Unfortunately, we didn't have a great experience with The Crescent City.  Just crossing Bourbon Street, we were greeted by the smell of vomit and stale alcohol.  The entire city reminded me of peopleofwalmart.com.  There was voodoo practice, palm readers, and tarot card readers on every corner.  We were briefly chased by a transvestite.  Wearing fishnet stockings.  At 10:00 on a Sunday.  This momma was NOT impressed.  

We trekked to St. Louis Cemetery #1.  There, we saw Nicholas Cage's future final resting place, as well as a menagerie of historical grave sites.  It was an "interesting" place to visit.

Thankfully, it started raining!  A beautiful, torrential, cleansing rain.  

We left New Orleans.  I doubt we'll return, but we had fun none the less.