Postlude

Well, it's now been 4.5 years after my last post and I'll conclude it with the advantage of lots of time between the trip and now.  

I can't remember just why I didn't finish the last post and the rest of the journey, but likely it was a mixture of being exhausted, physically and emotionally.  We definitely bit off too much.  Too many miles, too many places, too much packing and repacking too long.  I think we spent two days in bed, resting and sleeping when we got back home!  But I'm sorry I didn't finish this blog properly contemporaneously.

I believe Skyler enjoyed the trip, mostly.  His temperament and maturity let him be more relaxed and less agitated.  Even today when I mention something about Tha trip, his face lights up and there's genuine interest in whatever I mention.  For Riley, when I mention the trip, he definitely has no interest.  Back then, he was just too young to have an appreciation for what we were doing.  He wasn't exactly homesick, but he sure was tired of riding.  And he was right about that!  Even today, he has zero interest in a road trip...

Overall, the boys were very good on the trip.  They fought very little, demanded very little, and played together extremely well in the back seat.  I can't say that enough; they were very, very good.  Looking back, I wish we had gone half as far in the same amount of time; it would have helped Riley and given us time to rest a bit.  I regret that we were on the road, driving, so much of the time.

Janice was wonderful on the trip.  She loves the boys and tried her best to help them when they were stressed.  She truly loved the sights and places we visited.  She has some nomad in her, so she enjoyed the adventure.  She's a great travel partner.

For me, I'm glad we did the trip.  Wish it had been a year later and shorter in distance. I met my objective--to share places I had visited that I believed they would enjoy.  It was another trip of a lifetime (I've already had more than my share of them) and I'm happy we did it.

Memphis

Sitting here in Memphis, in our hotel room, nearly home, I reflect back on the last 28 days with Janice and the boys.  We're almost home; two more days on the road and we'll be dropping the boys off with their mom and dad, and my love and I will complete our trip back home.

I am so grateful for the time with loved ones.  Most people aren't in a position to do what we've done; I'm so thankful for being able to realize yet another dream I've had for a long time.

As I've said in earlier posts, parts of the trip have not been easy.  Traveling with little ones is a real challenge. Most folks we told we were doing the trip with our grandsons told us we were crazy.  I knew the boys were manageable and that we'd be okay.  Some even predicted the trip would be cut short so they could go back to mom and dad.  Those people don't know my boys.  I've kept them singly and together since they were very small, and I think I have a tight bond with each of them.  I spank when it's needed.  They know I will, and while they're small, they're pretty controllable.  Yes, the spankings will not be a solution much longer, but I want them to learn about authority and listening to eld

Mid-level Mexico

Greetings from New Mexico!  We have been on the road for over 3 weeks now, and are officially beginning the long trek home.  Janice and the boys have now seen many of the wonderous sights I've seen over the last 9 or so years. First with Gary, my good friend, on motorcycles in 2007; then with Barbara in a car in 2011.  None of the trips were the same, but this trip is the most special because of the people with me.  My new wife and my two only grandsons make this the best trip ever.

There have been some difficult times along the way.  I get very tired at the end of the day, and my patience gets very thin. At those times, if the boys aren't behaving, I get really cranky.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I feel bad when I get short with the boys, but I don't seem to be able to prevent it.  So, I'm feeling down tonight.  I don't want to admit it, but maybe I bit off more than I can chew.  Four and a half weeks on the road, unpacking and repack ingredients the car every day, with two energetic boys is a lot.  15 National Parks or monuments in 23 days is a busy schedule!

But there have been many, many great times as well. I cherish the talks I've had with each boy.  I've explained to them about my lack of contact with my grandfathers and the reasons for this trip, and I believe they understand. Each has told me that they will remember me.  Both have told me how glad they are that they are with me and Janice on the trip.  So, the good far outweighs the bad.

The list of "to dos" for the trip are nearly completed.  We still have more than 2,000 miles between us and home, so perhaps we'll stumble into some interesting stops en-route.  In any case, I will cherish the time with Janice and the boys between here and home.

Yellowstone Update

We're spending our last night in West Yellowstone tonight. Today it was overcast and showers, so we came in early, missing out the new only one "must see" item.  Rain drove us away, but we plan to go there tomorrow as we're leaving the Park.  Otherwise, our time in the park was perfect.  We saw just about every hot feature, most animals, and every Creek and river there.  Jessie and Adrian were amazed, and my gang loved it.  This being my fourth visit, I spent my focus  on them and their level of satisfaction.  I am very pleased that they have enjoyed it as much as they have.

Tomorrow we leave and head south into the Grand Tetons National Park. We'll have two cars, so we'll not be able to share as a family on the way there and on to Jackson.  But I intend to make the most of it.  The boys wanted to ride with their parents, so it will be some alone time for Janice and me.

After Jackson, we all leave on Tuesday morning for Salt Lake city got out last night together on this trip.  Wednesday morning, Jessie and Adrian will leave us at the hotel and fly to San Francisco for several days there and then several days in the Napa Valley.  Then home after that.

We, on the other hand, plan to head east to Dinosaur National Monument and then south to Moab and other parks and attractions.  We're approximately half way through our epic adventure. I am so blessed and pleased to be able to do this with my family and my wife.  I don't know why God is so good to me, but I recognize that HE is and am so thankful for that blessing.

More down the road.

West Yellowstone

8/3/16 We made it to West Yellowstone!  Tired, and a little beat up, but we're okay.  Traveling with two rambunctious boys takes a lot of energy and patience.  We love them with all our hearts, but they're two very active boys.

Their parents have now joined us.  Their travels worked just as planned, so they met us at the hotel.  The boys were so excited to see mom and dad.  While the boys never whined or complained about being homesick or missing their parents, it was easy to see their eyes light up and their excitement on their nightly telephone calls or Face Time sessions.  So having them to touch and hold, and their voices made them very happy.

I can tell that their behavior is different when mom and dad are with them, but only a little.  They are good boys, pretty normal from my perspective.

Janice is doing fine now.  She's like a kid seeing something exciting and new for the first time.  She gets excited and grabs the camera to record what she's seeing.  I'm so happy that we are able to do a trip like this with loved ones.  She's loving time with the boys.

We've had one significant downer on the trip.  About 4am on August 1, my phone rung.  It was from my son in law.  He was on his way to work and he glanced at our property as he does every morning. He noted that the roll-up door to our shop was open.  He knew we were out of town and it was shut each day earlier.  Driving down the driveway and behind the house to the shop, he could see that the 4 wheeler always  parked in the shop was missing.  Someone had broken the locking mechanism and stolen our almost-new ATV!

He called law enforcement and waited on their arrival.  After 2 hours, the deputy arrived, did his investigation, found one partial fingerprint, and filed a report.  We have some suspicions as to who did it, but we know it had to be someone who knew we had one, knew where it was kept, and knew we were away from home.  Damn!

Initially we were pretty upset.  But after thinking about the situation, decided not to let a stolen 4 wheeler spoil our vacation.  It's a shame that there are low down thieves like that, but there are.  It can be replaced.

The other part involving the incident is realizing that in spite of a good lock and family being fairly close by, we're vulnerable.  I'm glad we were gone; it's just not worth getting hurt or worse over a 4 wheeler.  I'm thinking on how to make the garage and the rest of our property more secure.

While I'm writing about the less than fun topics, I'm also in the process of selling my townhouse.  I have a buyer, we've struck a deal, the home inspection issues are nearly all resolved, and the closing date is scheduled for a date that we'll still be on this trip.  I think we're down to one last issue--the renter had a big dog that stayed with her and her friend.  Unfortunately, the dog left the place smelling very doggy.  So I need to get the carpet deodorized refund what is left of the tenant's deposit to her.  Hopefully this phase of my life will then be over.

I'm sharing these two downer items just to illustrate that life goes on even when you're on vacation.  It will all work out....

First Week

Today is Saturday, the sixth day of our adventure.  And, it has been quite an adventure for each of us, in different ways.

I'm not going to write so much about what we've done, but instead, more about the part that actually matters, their (Janice, Skyler and Riley) emotions and reactions to various things along the way.

I believe they will remember the trip and time with Gram and Gramps.  The boys have giggled and laughed more than I thought possible as they've played together in the back seat of the car.  Over the last 2,000 or so miles,  they've done excellent overall.  Skyler has been a dream, following instructions and listening well.

Riley has done less well, but with 20 months less maturity, coupled with his personality have caused us to have to fuss at him some and spank once.  He knows that Gramps spanks, and it's his personality to challenge authority to see how far he can go.  I've always known this, so I have to periodically show him that I will do what I say.  I can't predict whether or not there will be future spankings, but he'll get one if he's earned it.

We make a point in praising good behavior, so that they understand the difference between good and bad.

Janice has not felt good, physically for several days.  And she's not sleeping well, so her patience is lower than normal.  I find that I tire pretty badly in the evenings, so my patience is less than normal.  I believe the boys know how to read us pretty well; they behave better when they can sense that were not feeling good.

We've been to Mammoth Caves National Park, the Gateway Arch, the Corn Palace and the Badlands National Park.  Janice and the boys seemed to enjoy each of the attractions and expressed immense delight at each.  I can't tell what they like best; when asked of Riley what he liked best, his reply is consistently"All of it".  Makes my heart smile.

At each attraction, I wish for more time to show them more.  There's just never enough time.

I feel like we're melding as a family.  With Janice and I having been married less than 4 months, the boys haven't had a lot of time up to now with the Malcolm and Janice family.  They seem room accept us and always seem eager to spend time with us.  I want to share as much time with them as possible.

We set up a phone call each night for the boys to talk to or Face Time with their parents. They have not exhibited any evidence of homesickness on the trip.  It's clear that they miss mom and dad, but no  tears or pining for them.  They will see them in 4 days in Yellowstone, so I think that helps.

I guess to summarize the trip, it has been what I've wanted it to be for many years.  Creating great memories of time with family.

I'll be back in a few days.

The Adventure Begins

We're officially on the road! Daylight came early, and because of my excitement, once awake there was no more sleep. About an hour earlier than planned, I got up and went downstairs to the tantalizing odor of fresh coffee.  Yum! It hit the spot and my sleepy eyes began to focus.  Jessie and Adrian had been up a while and had breakfast almost ready.  When I left the bedroom, Janice was awake and moving, so  she'd be doing well shortly.  Skyler and Riley came down the stairs, excited and chattering into the kitchen nook.

Breakfast was delicious; Jessie is a great cook and we enjoyed the delicious meal.

Finishing the feast, we got the rest of our mess together and packed it away in the car.  

A few minutes later, we were speeding down the road headed west.  Traffic was moderate; I drove the speed limit since we were not in a particular hurry.  The day's agenda was to get to Sevierville TN with one significant stop to view the wild Elk in the Cataloochee Valley in far western NC.

The ride to Exit 20, where the road to the Elk reserve was located, was mostly boring Interstate.  The boys chatted a lot and played games quietly as we are up the road miles.  Occasionally there were slightly raised voices, when one got impatient or irritated at something one or other had or had not done.  But considering the amount of riding time they had to endure, they did quite well.

The road to the preserve revived all of us.  Two lane and very curvy, it wound up the mountain, gaining almost 1,200 vertical height.  The boys got increasingly excited as we went higher.  Just before the top, the road turned to dirt and gravel, which continued to the top, and then back down into the Cataloochee Valley.  Interestingly, inside the park, the toad became paved.  About 3 miles further, back to dirt again.  Guess there wasn't enough money to pave all of it....

Riding very slowly along the valley, we first saw 3 turkeys out in the field.  A little further, we spotted a big Brown animal grazing about 200 yards into the field.  Stopping and parking, we looked more closely and saw a female Elk with two calves and a bull Elk just meandering around and grazing.  Possibly a family, but in any case quite a find!  The boys were very excited, as was Gram.  Their first Elk totally in the wild.

A little further down the road, more turkeys.  As we met a car, they told us that a black bear was at the far edge of the field.  We stopped and studied the edge, and sure enough, a small black bear was moseying along, enjoying the day and eating whatever it was along the way.

Wow, lots of turkeys, 4 Elk, and a Black Bear, all in one place.  We did extremely well.  The boys, Gram, and I were satisfied and happy.

The drive back up and down the mountain went without issue, back to the Interstate, and on to Sevierville.  In a very few minutes, the boys drifted off to dreamland and we drove on to our destination in Sevierville.

Once in town, the boys woke from their sleep and we checked into the motel.  Checked in, unloaded the car, disconnected the trailer, and had dinner at Cracker Barrel.  Then back to the motel for a few minutes of swim time.  Then showers, quiet play for the boys, and then bedtime around 10pm,  a long, but memorable day.