One Big 'Ol Road Trip

This is a really long, picture filled blog...for a really long, eventful road trip. Jason had decided a while back that he wanted the family to take a trip towards Indiana where his BFF lives. We have never really traveled as a family before. At least not in any way like this trip. Our trip began very well. We left Boron around 6:30 pm and Jason drove through the night to Moriarty New Mexico. This is where we were stopped from traveling the 40 because of a blizzard in the pan handle of Texas. We had heard that the road could be closed until 10 pm at least if it opened at all the next day. we had also heard that the storm that had covered much of the country had moved from the north and was going south. So, we decided to re-route up north. Little did we know that as we began this little adventure we'd end up adding about 500 miles and 7 hours to our trip. It is hard to see in the picture below, but the blue highlighted area on the map is the majority of our re-routes (x4!), up into Kansas and then I highlighted orange again the last 7-8 hours into Branson, Missouri.(Above) Icy picture #1 is some place in Oklahoma, or Kansas...it's pretty hard to tell. Much of our trip there was flat and covered in snow. Picture #2 is just out of Wichita Kansas. We had stayed there because the roads got too Icy and slippery by the time we got there at around 10:30 pm. Jason was driving about 15 mph over an icy bridge when he finally decided to call it a night. This was day #2 of the trip. We should have been there by then if things had gone better. The trees and literally everything else was covered in ice. Hundreds of power/phone lines were down and broken in half because of the weight of the ice on the wires! But...we made it!! Day #3 and all together about 30 hours of driving. Other than a few arguments here and there the kids did suprisingly well and actually never really complained about the drive. Amazing!

The Resort
View from the balcony. When we weren't out and about, the kids played and played on the ball courts and in the rec room. They loved it and slept quite well.

Monday we rode the Ducks. A tour through/of Branson via an old amphibious military vehicle that eventually made its way into the Table Rock Lake. The kids all got to captain the floating Duck, and have certificates to prove it.

Girlie Ducks.

Branson tour atop the Peak of Branson...checking out some antique military vehicles and the lake.



Floating duckie boys

Captain Jacob


Captain Laynah and Captain Clyde

Captain Josh

Quackin' Cliffords & Fealys


Next is all about Tuesday (my last day in Branson). Old Time Photos, Inspiration Tower, and The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest.

The 250 ft glass elevator to the top.

The Butterfly Palace was so cool...

So this was about the end of my trip. Jason had to take me to the airport Wed. morning so I could work Thurs, Fri, Sat. He took me about 45 minutes out of the way too to Taco Johns a fast food place that we found in Blue Springs, MO. I had worked at a Taco Johns for 2 years when I lived in Nebraska. Nice guy huh? Oh, the things he does to make me happy. I'm not sure it was worth the drive but good anyways. I ordered half the menu to get my fill since I'm sure I won't be back...lol. So maybe that was my problem but my stomach kinda hurt the whole flight home. Below is a place we drove by on our Taco Johns detour that we both really liked. Missouri was very pretty. I think I could live there. Jason said the same as we drove by this place.

WILD WOODYs' ....Whoo hoo! There was like 6 of these in Branson. I did get to ride this before I left, but everything pictured next is what I missed :o( with them. Including the long ride in the Civic home.

Daddys girl...

Dinosaur Museum & Haunted House

Laynah & Jason wanted Stateline pictures one the way there but only got the way home.

Bye, Missouri...

Bye, Oklahoma...

Bye, Texas...


Bye, New Mexico...
Bye, snowy Arizona...and Arizona Rocks...

Bye, Arizona...Hello, California. Laynah wants to know why our sign is so boring! LOL

What a busy, eventful, stressful, unforgetable, exciting, and fun trip. Sorry for such a long blog, hope it wasn't too bad. I'm so thankful we got to go and with or without the chaos it started with...it was so worth it!