Zoe is now officially 8, and we celebrated with a trip to the International Spy Museum and a delicious Mexican dinner. Zoe tackled this enormous dessert with only a bit of assistance. The motor home is currently stashed in a state park about 15 miles away. It was quite comical (especially in hindsight) when Bobby dropped me at the hotel on Sunday-not exactly the most ideal spot for a 31 foot vehicle!
Yesterday we visited Natural Bridge in Virginia. The picture doesn't really do it justice- it started forming about 500 million years ago, and it's taller than Niagra Falls. George Washington surveyed the land at one point, and Thomas Jefferson bought it along with 157 surrounding acres for 20 shillings (about $2.50 today)...
We are on the way to DC, currently with no idea where we will park the motor home for 4 days!
We found out about a neat hike off the Blue Ridge Pkwy that led to a pretty waterfall and swimming hole. We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed a dip, although no one told us how cold that water was! Still-very nice afternoon! We are finding that time is running a bit short as I'm due into DC for my conference soon. Since the Blue Ridge Pkwy is so windy and steep, we've hopped off onto the freeway for a bit...
It had been about 22 years since I had seen this mansion-it was well worth the return trip! This is the largest privately owned mansion in the US-over 175,000 square feet and 250 rooms. Zach was most impressed by the indoor bowling alley! We ran out of time, but we also had the chance to tour their winery. They've added an inn to the grounds-would make an excellent long weekend getaway...
Given that we have spent quite a bit of time driving and exploring more historical sites so far, we thought the kids could use a break at a theme park we had heard was good. Note that I am not naming the theme park because the snob in me is holding out as long as possible. I made great fun of this nameless park the last time I traversed this territory...
Anyway, it was an epic day. It was overcast, so we avoided the scorching heat that has been plaguing us since our journey began. There were no crowds, so we walked right onto most rides. It rained a couple of times, but only while we were occupied inside some pretty good shows.
Best of all, we have finally crossed over to the period when we can all enjoy the same rides! Our very first ride of the day was the scariest wooden roller coaster in the park! ZACH RODE IT! AND HE SURVIVED!!!!! We didn't even drag him on--he willingly went, and we were sooooooo proud of him! This one had three 100-foot drops, shook like crazy the whole time, and was basically the most terrifying ride in the park.
Zoe not only survived that first ride but kept asking for more. She rode every coaster in the park (4), and repeated several (the one you'll see in the video she rode 3 times)!
Great day--forgot how exhausting all that fun can be!
We spent the morning touring Stones River battle field and cemetery where Bobby's great grandfather fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. We also witnessed the devastation brought by an F-4 tornado that ripped through here on Good Friday-unbelievable to see the trees that were uprooted and thrown everywhere!
Yesterday we traveled over 200 additional miles on the Natchez Trace. One of the highlights was a hike around this eerie Cypress swamp-we expected an alligator to crawl out at any moment. I think I can still outrun the rest of my family....
Today we visited the ruins of the once magnificient mansion called Windsor. It was completed in 1861, but its owner died only a few months after it was finished. It survived the Civil War, but a guest left a cigarette unattended and burned it to the ground in 1901. What remains is an eerie scene reminiscent of Stonehenge or Greek ruins we visited several years ago.
After spending one night at a casino RV resort in Louisiana (where I won and then lost a bit playing roulette), we crossed the mighty Mississippi River and toured Natchez today. We visited the beautiful Stanton mansion shown here-it survived the Civil War and is over 17,000 square feet. Afterwards, we drove a few miles on the historic Natchez Trace Pkwy and are camping in a lovely state park.
We've had a wonderful time in Texas visiting our family for the last couple of weeks! Loving being re-united with our motorhome, and excited to be heading out on our next big adventure!
I work for the Anchorage School District as the Coordinator of Educational Technology for Secondary. I have a wonderful family, and we love to travel, especially in our motorhome!
