"going to carolina's" - Day 1

Sunday, July 2nd. The Drive

The Participants: Scott (37), Maggie (36), Devin (14), Dylan (7), Harper (5), Harris (3), and Henson (11 months).

The Missing: Daniel (16), grumpy teenage boy + long car ride + small cottage in mountains = grumpy Dad and not much of a vacation. Result: teenage boy left at home with family friend. Outcome: Everyone gets what they want and is happpy!

The Objective: Driving to North Carolina for vacation. Maggie and Henson are going on a working vacation to The Mountain (a retreat and learning center) just outside Highlands, North Carolina for her job at our church. Scott, Devin, Dylan, Harper, and Harris are going to stay at a cottage in nearby Franklin, North Carolina (about 45 minutes away).

The Drive: So, around 7am this morning we packed the kids and our stuff into the minivan and headed off to North Carolina. With a 7-8 hour drive ahead of us, and the prospect of unhappy and uncomfortable kids looming, I longed for time travel to quickly become a reality. When no one was looking, I clicked the heels of my sandals together and did my best Dorothy impression "There's no place like North Carolina. There's no place like North Carolina." Sadly, when I opened my eyes we were still in Florida. I am now convinced that Time Travel is indeed possible, but it has been squashed by the all powerful transportation industry and, the equally sinister, hair replacement industry. Both have the motives and the means to ensure that time travel never sees the light of day. Trust me, one day this scandal will be exposed!

Paranoia and dramatics aside, it actually was a pretty good trip. Of course, there was the expected complaints that come with any long trip. If you have ever been on a family trip, either as a child or as a parent, you've probably said or heard them all. So, I won't bore you with the details. In addition, there is always a certain question that gets asked over and over again. You know the one...say it along with me now. "Are we there yet?" Harris (our 3 year old) added a new wrinkle to this by repeatedly asking just where it was we were going. Once he had the information he needed, he frequently reminded us that we were "going to carolina's."

Henson, our sweet and beloved infant, did his part to keep the trip interesting by using his "I'm trying to break glass" scream throughout the drive . Clearly, he hasn't been taught the proper travel ettiquette and for that we are to blame. I did my best to impart onto him just how much we did not enjoy the screaming by using Dad Superpower #47.

In a deep and booming voice, I shouted "Henson, stop that!" Much to our surprise it worked. Of course, I then had to contend with feeling like a heathen as I watched his tiny lips curl into a pout, and then into a frown. For the next 20 or 30 minutes he would remain quiet, but he also would not look me in the eye. That, I'm afraid, is one of the dangers of using Superpower #47.

Note: I really do not have Superpowers, nor do I claim to be a Super Hero. Please don't ask me about Dad Superpowers 1-46 because there are none. It just sounded cooler this way.

Dylan, Harper, and Harris, also known as "the boys," were pretty excited about going to the mountains. There was much talk between them on the ride up about seeing mountains and how cool it would be. About an 1 and 1/2 from our destination, Dylan started to get excited about the mountains he was seeing out his window. Maggie told him they were just hills and he was amazed. Once we got closer to North Carolina he was in complete awe! It was fun listening to him and his brothers gushing about the views. They pointed different mountains out to each other and were continously exclaiming how awesome they were.

The Cottage: Once we arrived in Franklin, we headed to our cottage. Truth be told, up to this point I was not excited about the place we were staying. I had my heart set on another place that was more in the mountains but it turned out not to be available. Well, the cottage turned out be be really cute and was nestled nicely in the hills. It had lovely views and lots of room for the kids to play outside. I know that I drove Maggie crazy the week or two before the trip and I am hereby admitting I was wrong about the cottage. The only downside, the windows were not able to be opened. It seems strange to have a place in the mountains and not be able to enjoy the cool evening air. Oh well. It was a small inconveniance. After unpacking, we headed off to take Maggie and Henson to The Mountain.

The drive from Franklin to Highlands is amazing. Lots of winding roads with mountains, gorges, rivers, and water falls along the way. One of my favorite things about coming to the area 4 years ago was just driving along the winding roads and I quickly remembered why. Once we arrived at The Mountain Maggie got settled into her cabin and we all went to look at the amazing view from the lodge. Again, it is breathtaking and the kids were in awe. There is a valley below with mountains in the distance. The Mountain retreat sits atop Little Scaly Mountain and has great views all around. (I hope to add pictures to the blog in the coming weeks.) After we said goodbye to Maggie and Henson, the kids and I drove back to Franklin to do some grocery shopping at a small local store before heading back to the cottage.

Of course, being the directionally challenged person that I am, the trip back did not come without a few minor "detours." I was able to pass off the first couple of detours as "wanting to explore" the area, but my kids are pretty clever and quickly caught on. We were never really lost, but it did take a couple tries before we actually reached the cottage. Once we arrived, we had a late dinner, enjoyed the cool mountain air on the deck while watching the fireflies, and then went to bed.

Tomorrow will be our first full day in North Carolina. We may go do some more "exploring" or we may just relax at the cottage. Stay tuned...

Day 1 Highlights:

- The kids excitement about seeing mountains and waterfalls.
- Driving and "exploring" the mountain roads.
- Shopping for groceries with the kids.

Things I learned about the kids:

- Harris finds water towers as exciting as mountains.
- Dylan and Harper say "dude" way too much; "Dude, look at that moutain!" "Dude, a butterfly!" (I'm still not sure where they get this from.)
- Devin is not as directionally challenged as her father.
- Dylan is a very observant passenger; "Haven't we passed by here like 3 times?"
- Mountain air makes kids tired!!!!