Vacation
So now we're back from our 2,800 plus mile road trip that took us to Alliance, Loganville, Pigeon Forge, Philadelphia, Wappingers Falls, and finally back home. Plus all the interstates and a few other highways that connect these places.
Whew!
Two weeks a way was good but we're all glad to be back. Isaac traveled really well - I mean *REALLY* well for a 2.5 year old. Caleb and Christen also, but they're older so I expect them to do so.
We saw family and friends, plus the new Georgia Aquarium with it's HUGE VIEWING WINDOW. Their main tank is the size of a football stadium and there's a massive window where you can watch the whale sharks (3 with 2 more on the way) and other fishy friends swimming around. I thought about putting up a picture of this but I don't want to spoil the surprise if you're planning to go. It's wonderful! Just make sure to get your tickets in advance as they can disappear quickly.
We also had the fortune of being in Georgia with all the fires. One day was really hazy as all the smoke blew toward Atlanta. That same week Andrew Speaker made headlines. I'm glad I don't fly (much) anymore.
Pigeon Forge is home to Dolly Parton and Dollywood. She wasn't there so I was mildly disappointed. The rides and other entertainment made up for her absence, however. Two things about this park stand out. Dollywood is clean. There was very little trash on the ground, the rides and buildings were in perfect condition, and smoking was allowed only in designated areas.
Dollywood was also filled with Gospel and Southern Gospel music. Everywhere you went strategically placed speakers provided various hymns and other songs as background music. As we walked along I commented to Brent about "the very stones crying out" as we passed a deceptive speaker giving us Dolly's version of "How Great Thou Art".
I have to admit that Dollywood wasn't on my list of places to visit - not just missing the top 10, it missed the list entirely. Our friends from Pensacola, Brent and Dee, had rented a cabin nearby and invited us up for a few days. Since we hadn't seen them for 2 years and this was probably as close as we'd be for a few more, we added this leg of the journey to our itinerary. They have kids, we have kids, who could ask for anything more?
Philadelphia was educational. We toured all the historical sites: Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's house (more accurately the foundation and replica) and much more. While I understand the historic value of many of these items, I can't help feel like we're witnessing the slow birth of a new religion that worships our Founding Fathers. "Here's the actual chair where George Washington sat", "This may be the such-and-such", "Ben Franklin's so-and-so"... It reminded me of early church history and the veneration of saints' bones, fragments of the Cross, and other relics. We'll just have to wait another thousand years and see what develops.
If you plan on going, try to find a deal that includes parking. Our hotel had a 2-night special that saved about $60 on the room plus the $36 each night for parking (saving nearly $200 for the weekend!) and was only a 15 minute walk from the Visitor Center. Independence Hall requires a ticket, so show up at the Visitor Center before 8:30 am. Tickets are free but disappear quickly. Since we had no schedule we took the 9:00 tour and by the time we returned to the Visitor Center at 10:30 all the tickets for the day were gone. You can also get tickets online for $1.50 each but you can only do it 24 hours in advance, not at 10 pm the night before like we tried. But it all worked out.
Finally we crashed at another friends house in New York. It's been three years since we've seen Mark and Amy and their brood. We also saw Bruce and Paula at church Sunday morning. Score!
For some strange reason I suggested to Mark as we made plans that my family would be willing to sing at church on Sunday morning. For an even stranger reason the Pastor accepted my offer. So the Traveling Drurys made their first summer tour of only one stop and only one song. But it's a start!
So now we're home! Our fish are alive, the grass needed mowing, and mail was piled up on the counter. We had asked one of the twenty-somethings at church to house sit for us (I think she's the ONLY twenty-something...) so we wouldn't have to put the fish in a kennel. I'm not even sure if they have fish kennels. Maybe a boarding school...
Melissa mowed the lawn, not me.
Whew!
Two weeks a way was good but we're all glad to be back. Isaac traveled really well - I mean *REALLY* well for a 2.5 year old. Caleb and Christen also, but they're older so I expect them to do so.
We saw family and friends, plus the new Georgia Aquarium with it's HUGE VIEWING WINDOW. Their main tank is the size of a football stadium and there's a massive window where you can watch the whale sharks (3 with 2 more on the way) and other fishy friends swimming around. I thought about putting up a picture of this but I don't want to spoil the surprise if you're planning to go. It's wonderful! Just make sure to get your tickets in advance as they can disappear quickly.
We also had the fortune of being in Georgia with all the fires. One day was really hazy as all the smoke blew toward Atlanta. That same week Andrew Speaker made headlines. I'm glad I don't fly (much) anymore.
Pigeon Forge is home to Dolly Parton and Dollywood. She wasn't there so I was mildly disappointed. The rides and other entertainment made up for her absence, however. Two things about this park stand out. Dollywood is clean. There was very little trash on the ground, the rides and buildings were in perfect condition, and smoking was allowed only in designated areas.
Dollywood was also filled with Gospel and Southern Gospel music. Everywhere you went strategically placed speakers provided various hymns and other songs as background music. As we walked along I commented to Brent about "the very stones crying out" as we passed a deceptive speaker giving us Dolly's version of "How Great Thou Art".
I have to admit that Dollywood wasn't on my list of places to visit - not just missing the top 10, it missed the list entirely. Our friends from Pensacola, Brent and Dee, had rented a cabin nearby and invited us up for a few days. Since we hadn't seen them for 2 years and this was probably as close as we'd be for a few more, we added this leg of the journey to our itinerary. They have kids, we have kids, who could ask for anything more?
Philadelphia was educational. We toured all the historical sites: Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's house (more accurately the foundation and replica) and much more. While I understand the historic value of many of these items, I can't help feel like we're witnessing the slow birth of a new religion that worships our Founding Fathers. "Here's the actual chair where George Washington sat", "This may be the such-and-such", "Ben Franklin's so-and-so"... It reminded me of early church history and the veneration of saints' bones, fragments of the Cross, and other relics. We'll just have to wait another thousand years and see what develops.
If you plan on going, try to find a deal that includes parking. Our hotel had a 2-night special that saved about $60 on the room plus the $36 each night for parking (saving nearly $200 for the weekend!) and was only a 15 minute walk from the Visitor Center. Independence Hall requires a ticket, so show up at the Visitor Center before 8:30 am. Tickets are free but disappear quickly. Since we had no schedule we took the 9:00 tour and by the time we returned to the Visitor Center at 10:30 all the tickets for the day were gone. You can also get tickets online for $1.50 each but you can only do it 24 hours in advance, not at 10 pm the night before like we tried. But it all worked out.
Finally we crashed at another friends house in New York. It's been three years since we've seen Mark and Amy and their brood. We also saw Bruce and Paula at church Sunday morning. Score!
For some strange reason I suggested to Mark as we made plans that my family would be willing to sing at church on Sunday morning. For an even stranger reason the Pastor accepted my offer. So the Traveling Drurys made their first summer tour of only one stop and only one song. But it's a start!
So now we're home! Our fish are alive, the grass needed mowing, and mail was piled up on the counter. We had asked one of the twenty-somethings at church to house sit for us (I think she's the ONLY twenty-something...) so we wouldn't have to put the fish in a kennel. I'm not even sure if they have fish kennels. Maybe a boarding school...
Melissa mowed the lawn, not me.
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