More Water

After crossing into the great state of North Montana…(jk—Canada), we enjoyed Timmy’s breakfast and headed back out on the open road.  It wasn’t long before we ran into water….literally!  There are some flooding issues up here as well.  All Matthew could say was “Wow---WATER!”  That pretty much summed it up for all of us!

This is a picture out our window as we drove down the road.  If you look close you can see the white line along the  edge of the road.

Follow the leader so you know where the road is!

 Location:  Southern Saskatchewan

There is no room at the Inn/ Border Crossing

There is No Room At the Inn

Our goal last night, (Tuesday pm), was to drive, at least, to Fargo, ND before turning in for the night.  Our trip went quite quickly and we were there before we knew it.  At the same time, all the kids were zonked out in the van and Dave was all good for driving further, so off we went.  I fell asleep, waking periodically to get my bearings.  But before long, we were near Jamestown, ND, and there was no room at the inn…at ANY inns!  Every hotel gave us the same story:  “No Rooms Available!”

On we went into North Dakota’s abyss.  The clock rolled around to 1:30 am and our van was still trucking down the road.  We finally pulled into an empty parking lot in Harvey, ND, (population: small).   Dave slept for maybe 2 hours and then took off down the road again.  At 5:30 am we pulled into Minot, ND.  The gas station could provide us with fuel and the use of the bathroom but no coffee!!  There is water contamination because of the recent flooding, so no coffee available!  The restaurants were not open for the same reason—bad water.  We would have taken pictures but the sun was just coming up and it was still too dark.

The Border Crossing

Despite lacking coffee, Dave pressed on!  Everyone else was still sleeping and he figured he could make some good time without hearing, “Are we there yet?” so on we went.  The next time he pulled off the road, we were at the border and he felt we shouldn’t wake the kids just for customs so we all took in more shut-eye.  The sun found us at 8 AM all needing a bathroom break.  We made our final stop in the States at a gas station where a small can of peaches cost $2.89!  

The border crossing happened with little incident.  There was no one in sight and I would have thought it was abandoned except for this sweet little man who appeared out of the booth directing us to the right lane…the ONLY lane!   Welcome to Canada!

More Traveling Down Memory Lane and Celebrating Samantha!

Our next major stop was North Central University in Minneapolis, MN, our alma mater.  After 16 years, there have been some major changes but the basic bones of the structures are there.  We hung out in Elliott Park to stretch our legs before we made our way into the CLC (College Life Center) to get “permission” to meander around.  The kind receptionist welcomed us in the old NCU way along with giving Dave and I nice shirts and toys for the kids! J   Our tuition dollars are starting to pay dividends.

As we walked around, Dave and I slipped back into our old roles.  I know you wouldn’t believe it but Dave became cautious as we snooped around saying:  “Rachel, you know they have cameras here!”  I, in turn, would respond, “Yeah, but let’s go down this hall, I mean, what are they going to do, kick us out!” 

For those who attended NCBC with us, we snuck up the back stairwell in Carlson Hall to see the morgue on the 4^th floor.  I also made it up to my dorm room in Miller Hall; the one where Becky Brogden trapped Tracy May inside and we had to call the Mpls fire department to get her out. (I was bummed, because I forgot to take a picture until after we left! L )  My kids were shocked to hear all this information about their mother.  Samantha commented, “Wow, I am seeing a different side of my mother in the last 30 minutes then I have seen in all my 15 years!”  By the way, it is Sam’s 15^th birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my sweet Samantha!  We also took a walk down Elliott Avenue to see if the giant silver fish sculpture was there, but sadly, it is gone!  Dave and I stood on the sidewalk square by Carlson Hall where 18 years ago, the revelation came to him that I was the one for him!  Sweet memories! J

Driving around Mpls was great fun as we took “tourist” pictures out the window while driving.

We shared with Sam all the great restaurant spots and for her birthday dinner she chose LeeAnn Chin’s.  What an excellent choice!  Sam kept saying, “Wow, this is the best Chinese food I’ve ever had!”  Yummy!

Night with the Heimer’s

Going back to Dave’s college days, even before me, is Dave’s roommate, Wade.  Now for those who know Dave and love him, Wade is a reflection of Dave’s inner child.  There is no telling what will happen when they are together.  There is never a dull moment with them.  Dave and I use to double-date with Wade and Andrea and through the years, Andrea and I have shared quite a few laughs at their expense.   Wade and Andrea pastor in Marengo, Illinois and we had the privilege of staying in their home Monday night..  (Yes, they actually let us in!)  We invaded around 9:30 pm.  Again, I am reminded of how much I love being with Andrea.  She’s a woman of ‘like-mind.’  She is an awesome decorator and I love going to her house just for new ideas! J  We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning catching up and having fun.  We decided the Heimer’s and Quigley’s must have a vacation together.  Maybe we can rent some cabins somewhere ½ way between our homes and just relax.  Aahhh….I’m more relaxed just thinking about how much fun that would be!    

What's Up with the Straws? and The Price of Moving

What’s Up with the Straws?

Before this vacation even began, our neighborhood McDonalds had forgotten to give us straws for our drinks, TWICE!!  I know… all the responsible ones out there are saying, “You should check those things before you leave the drive-thru.”  I know!  But I was busy checking the food count and I didn’t notice the missing straws until all the food was divvied out and we were down the road with no straws.  We then came up with this brilliant idea to pick up extra straws along the way for our own private stash.  So for all those following our adventure: Day one = 3 straws.

We are also playing the traditional “license plate” game.  We are hoping to see all 50 states along with all 10 provinces and 3 territories.  By the end of Day 1, our count is:  29 states, 3 provinces, 0 territories.  We are pretty impressed we spotted over ½ the states in one day!

The Price of Moving

Monday’s Cheapest Gas Price = $3.19 per gallon (Of course, we saw this right after we filled up at $3.43  Can’t complain though, that’s still cheaper than NY)

Remembering Perkins

Monday night, we stopped in Elkhart, Indiana for dinner at a Perkin’s restaurant.  There’s a special place in Dave and I’s heart for Perkin's.  I shared with the kids last night, the stories of Dave and I in our poor college dating days.  Ordering a pot of coffee and large plate of fries at Perkin’s and sharing hours of talking because that’s all we could afford!  Dave piped up:  “Yes, and look at us now:  eating full meals and paying for 4 kids!”

Another great thing about being back in the Midwest is experiencing the friendliness of the people and great customer service!  We did however draw some attention as we walked into the restaurant filled with only 10 other local patrons.  They all seemed to notice the carrier on top of our van along with the New York plates.  It didn’t help that Dave decided to have some fun with the hostess of the restaurant.

By the door, a sign read : “It is our pleasure to seat you.”  Dave asked, “So, how much pleasure do you get in seating families like ours?”  She was caught a little off guard but responded nicely, “As much as seating others!”  (heehee)  The others in the restaurant snickered.  And of course, she seated us smack dab in the middle of the restaurant at a large table with the locals in booths surrounding us…another adventure with the Quigley’s! J

Where Leaving in a White Van! 6/27/2011

Monday morning (yesterday) at 8:35 am I was singing, “Our bags are packed, we’re ready to go….We’re leaving in a white van, don’t know when we’ll be back again.  Oh yeah, we’re glad to go!” J 

After heading down East Shore Drive, we returned back home at 8:48 am to pack Matt’s movie: Bear and  the Big Blue House;  which reaped great benefits further down the road when Matt was ready to have a meltdown.  All in all though, despite 753 miles of driving and one short nap of 55 minutes, Matt did quite well for a 2 year old.  I was another story all together. J

The Cleaning of the Van

As we continue to prepare for this epic journey.  We decided to clean out the place we will call "home". 

Vacuuming out Dorito chips, cereal and old M& M's was all part of the day!  We had to head out this evening to pick up some things for the trip and the kids commented:  "Wow, Mom, this van is so clean it's like we just bought it!"  What a nice compliment, however, I don't know how long that clean Armour-All smell will last.

 On a side note, we were asked if we will be adding pictures.  The answer is: Absolutely!  Along with a map posting to show where our current location will be.  So glad you have chosen to share this journey with us!

Two Provinces and Twelve States (Thirteen if you include crazy)!

The excitement is rising!  In a few days we leave on our family vacation that will take us through twelve states:  NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, SD, ND, Saskatchewan, Alberta, MT, NE, and IA.  We are guessing we will be putting over 5000 miles on our van in a little under three weeks which will consume over 220 gallons of fuel, (or 860 litres).  This will enable us as a family to spend quality time in roughly 200 cubic feet of space for over 86 driving hours expending just under 2000 BTU/hour.  It's going to be a blast!  Like the old saying goes, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." 

Maybe we are a little crazy...but who says therapy isn't fun?

Why not blog your vacation?

In only a few short days, our family is going to be embarking on a monumental journey (at least for us).  We will be driving from upstate NY to Edmonton, Alberta in a minivan.  That's six travelling Quigely's crammed in with all the gear to take a trip cross country and then some to visit the family north of the border. 

Was talking to someone recently and they said, "Why not blog your vacation?" or something along those lines.  We were planning on journalling as we went - having everyone contribute their favorite moments and stories, or simply capture thoughts along the way.  Since we are becoming more technologically savy, we said, "WHY NOT?"

So we'll see how it turns out!   

Now, off to bed.  Need to get some rest before we roll out in less than a weeks time.

So long for now.