Rover and Dover Adventures

Today was an odd day in that it started with the sounds of an alarm clock - something I hadn’t heard in nearly a month.  Because we wanted to get into Universal Studios early and try to beat some of the crowds we knew would be there, we set the alarm to get us moving.  Hesitantly, we got out of bed and jumped into the car to cruise across the LA metro area.  Unfortunately, we encountered two things that LA is famous for - smog and traffic.  Ugh. As was expected, especially since it’s Friday, we encountered a lot of people at Universal Studios.  The lines proved to be manageable though, with the exception of the Mario Kart ride which never went below 2.5 hours while we were there.  We decided that no ride could possibly be worth that kind of a wait so we just explored the area of Super Nintendo before we moved on. One area that I was excited to see was the Harry Potter area.  Apparently, they had opened the Harry Potter area in Orlando first, but it was such a success that they did one

Unlike yesterday, we managed to get an early start to the day.  This was great because it meant that we arrived at the gates of Legoland right as they were opening!  It was also great because we had to bring Dover along with us to Legoland so having fewer cars to deal with was definitely a plus.  The parking lot was so empty, I was a bit concerned we had a Wally World situation on our hands! Even before we were walking in, there were Lego statues/structures everywhere.  The creativity to put them together was amazing.  As we strolled in, there was a dragon in a castle and at times the dragon (again, made of Lego) spewed smoke. We went through the gate and apparently joined all the crowds that were there because we waited for what turned out to be our longest line of the day for the Ninjago ride.  We all agreed that it wasn’t worth the wait, but others really liked it. The second ride was one for Robinson only - the Teknik coaster.  Robinson LOVED it and said “fast, giant stomach drop”.

We started our day with a hearty breakfast of pancakes and eggs because we knew we were off to walk a lot!  It has been more than a few years since our last visit to the San Diego Zoo, but we still remember how long we walked due to the lack of an efficient way to see all the animals.  After filling our bellies, we started downtown with only a small stop at the post office to drop off some post cards between us and the zoo. On the way to the zoo, we got lost, but it we knew it was okay because we ended up on Robinson Avenue! The zoo continued to be a challenge from a layout perspective and so we repeated the picture of Amy trying to figure out the map so many years later. The San Diego Zoo really is HUGE and has so many animals.  Sebastian wanted to see everything, but Robinson was more interested in repeatedly riding the skyfari.  So we split up and let each of them do their bits. While in the park, Rob was our photographer - he was very interested in capturing the animals which was g

As is now becoming a trend, we got a slow start to the day because it was just such perfect weather for sleeping.  Crisp, clean air despite being surrounded by the vast metropolis of Los Angeles.  We started with breakfast on the picnic table and just enjoyed the view of the golden hills. We checked out and started to head south towards San Diego.  It was more tense than I would like it to be because a) we didn’t know the area and b) it was LA traffic with a trailer, but eventually we made it near our destination.  We opted to stop at a Walmart close to our final destination because we knew they were friendly to trailers and we thought we had some time prior to check-in.  However, by the time we finished grocery shopping and snacking, it was close to time so we decided to see if we could check-in early.   At Guajome Park, we met some very friendly rangers and after pleading, we were allowed to set up our trailer earlier than the rules suggested.  They even gave us some free stickers fo

Ahhh, cool desert air and no winds that kept us awake overnight - that’s the way to start the day. The day was destined to be another long day as we wree set to jump across the Mojave Desert jumping from the oasis that is Las Vegas to get over to Southern California.  While Amy took care of some packing up and laundry, the boys and I went over to the pool and they jumped in to start their day.  We pulled them out as part prunes around 10:00 and it was clear that the sun was going to turn Vegas into a hot place to be.  Time for us to go. Before we hit the highway, we had a few errands to run.  We stopped by Goodwill to donate hte toaster oven that had come along for the trip but never been used.  We also bought a second microwavable bowl which we needed way more than the toaster oven.  We also had the bench break on us so we stopped at Harbor Freight (sensing a trend?)  to get a drill and some screws to fix that.  Nothing major, but another repair to be made - part of the territory. We

Today was going to be another long day with 2+ hours of driving to the airport and 3.5+ hours in the air.  But it started out right as we all really slept in.  In fact, two people called us before we were out of bed!  I guess we’re still living on Pacific time.   We actually ended up having to wake the boys because there was a brunch and we needed to get over there if we were going to have enough time to eat and visit before heading to the airport.  My mom had arranged for a brunch at the Univ of Madison Student Union.  It was a delicious breakfast full of fruits, veggies, eggs, sausage, bacon, and a LOT of delicious donuts nad pastries.  The boys loaded up and enjoyed their last breakfast with vacation-level sugar intakes.   Robinson was the fun host this morning and went around from table to table making hats out of the cloth napkins.  Soon it looked like a convention of archbishops - it certainly added some informality to what was otherwise a very formal room.  Everybody seemed to e

I thought after 3 weeks, it would be a good chance to reflect on where I am personally after 3 weeks of not being at work.  Interestingly, I don’t feel all that different (though I have stopped having dreams/nightmares about work so a welcome change), but I think this is likely a factor of having something to do every day so there isn’t a morning where I am waking up and wondering what to do with myself.   There was one moment of realization that I wasn’t working anymore.  We spent the one evening in an Embassy Suites and were there for both the snacks in the evening as well as the breakfast.  It was that moment, watching the corporate types there for their conference or meetings, that I realized that I wasn’t part of that group anymore.  In truth, their behavior looked so strange to me.  I knew then that I had been disconnected from the white collar community.  It’s odd. Overall, I find myself a bit more relaxed, but the most significant change is that I feel like I am being far more

  We woke up late by Central Time standards and eventually wandered downstairs for some breakfast.  Waffles were the special of the day and we loaded them up with lots of vacation treats.  Then we split up a bit with the boys and Amy headed the pool while I went over to see my parents and the guests at the other hotel. After a few hours of catching up with the out-of-town family, I went and picked up Amy and the boys.  We grabbed a quick lunch and hung around the hotel with the rest of the friends and family prior to the start of the party.  Later that afternoon, we headed over to the party to celebrate my sister’s wedding. The party was TERRIFIC.  It was a cozy, informal affair that didn’t have the traditional wedding reception activities, but instead left it as an open invitation to meet the other guests, enjoy the time with them, and collectively celebrate Amanda and Sean’s wedding.  It was great for me to have Sebastian and Robinson meet their extended family.  We also got the oppo

Well last night was not the ideal evening in advance of a long travel day.  We had heard that Las Vegas was windy and overnight it really showed its punch.  The wind was inconsistent and while it wasn’t Antelope Island strong, it was strong enough to make the camper loud and anything bud ideal for good sleep. Regardless, the morning had come and we had a plane to catch.  So, we grabbed a couple of snacks, closed up the camper, piled into Rover, and left Dover behind at the KOA as we headed for LAS airport.  We had apparently gotten everything ready faster than anticipated because we had some time.  This allowed for a stop at the donut shop which served as a great distraction to the stress of catching a plane. Because of a prior ticketing snafu, Amy was going to be flying separate from the boys and I - she would be going into ORD on American Airlines.  So, since she had a little more time than we did, she dropped us curbside so we could check our bags.  We did and then met her prior to

Today was another travel day for us.  While we thought the boys enjoyed the lake enough yesterday and wouldn’t be interested - we were wrong and before we knew it, they were soaked and COVERED with red sand again.  Oh well, at least it gave Amy and I a chance to get the camper packed up and ready to go.  I don’t know if we’re getting better at it or what, but it sure seems to be getting easier. Once packed up, we piled into Rover and headed for VEGAS!  It is true, we went to Las Vegas, but largely because we needed an airport to fly over to for the weekend.  My sister’s wedding celebration is in Madison, WI and when we were planning the trip, the best option to still see what we wanted to see was a flight into Chicago for the event and Vegas was it. Surprisingly, at least for me, the drive we did ended up taking us not only into Nevada, but also across the top part of Arizona - bonus state!  The drive was largely uneventful and fairly short.  It was so short, that we were actually earl