The Arch

Anyone who has talked to me about our stop in St Louis knows I was really excited. Not just about the conference, or the award I would be accepting for my NJHS chapter, but also about our hotel's location. The Hyatt Regency at the Arch- that HAD to be close to the arch, right? I was really looking forward to going up in the arch.

We finally got our chance on Sunday the 26th. The long lines and my tight schedule had kept us away until then. One glance at the long line, and we were wondering if we really wanted to do this. But then we spotted a sign that said "alternate entrance", and we decided to check it out. We walked along a winding path that led us to the service entrance- and no line! We made it through security in no time- and got some advice from the guards on how to make the most of our time inside.

The guard told us to buy tickets up first, since the wait could be a while. He was right- our time to go up was an hour and a half away! So we watched a movie on Lewis and Clark, then checked out the "Westward Expansion" museum. Both were really fascinating- even the girls found things that caught their interests.

Bella in the museum

Finally, it was time to head up. That was 5:40. We stood in line for another 20 minutes, wondering what we had gotten our selves into.  Then, we were told we'd have to split up our group or wait 20 more minutes. So we split up for the ride upwards.  We rode in these little "trams". Five people were crammed into a windowless space that was MAYBE 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep. (Rick compared it to Kaya climbing into the dryer and shutting the door)

Thankfully, our ride was only about 4 minutes long. The top of the arch is actually a space about 4 feet wide and maybe 20 feet long. People were crammed on each side, looking through window slits on the side. It was basically a "butt buffet" -since everyone's rear pointed to the middle as they climbed toward the viewing area. We spent about 5 claustrophobic minutes up here, and then made our way to the line to tram back down. We got to ride together down, which was nice.

All in all, I don't think I ever need to go up in the arch again. It's beautiful from the outside, and that is all I need to see.

Sharing a window view

The western side view

Shimers in a "tram"

Bella posing at the arch

Daddy, Kaya and Bella go to the zoo

(Mommy is typing exaclty what Kaya says, so that our readers can get Kaya's story)

We took a train and then a bus to the St Louis Zoo. We rented a stroller when we got there, and we got a map. First we saw the penguins. Next we went to see the brown bear. Then we went to look for the red panda. It was actually red! Then we went to see the giraffes, and something with the a-word, I think. Daddy, what was that called? Oh yeah! The Somalian Wild Ass! Daddy let me say the name once, because I thought it was very funny. (She also came back and had to tell it to Mommy)

Bella and me took pictures of a prairie dog. We stopped for lunch. We shared corndogs and french fries. Daddy had ice cream, Bella had cotton candy and I had a pushpop for dessert. We rode the train and bus back to the hotel to meet Mommy for dinner. It was ALOT of fun!

(Editor's note: Rick shared with me that they also saw a male zebra getting friendly with a female. Apparently, people came runnign from all over the zoo to witness this- and all Rick wanted was to move the girls away! The noises were confusing the girls a bit)

City Museum

There's a lot to do in St Louis. Rick and the girls planned their days while I was busy conferencing, and left a few exciting things to do with me. (I will be posting a blog written by Kaya about their adventures without me, later)  Our first big adventure together was City Museum. 

Kaya was bursting with excitement when she saw this place!

 Rick and I decided this place is a Chuck E Cheese for Urban Hippies. I still cannot find the words to describe this place, not really. It's a collection of castoffs from different cities around the country. They've been revamped and assembled in the midst of interesting tile mosaics and concrete sculptures. All of which is open for you to climb on, over, under and through. Everywhere you look there's a cubby hole to explore- and who knows where it will lead?  Every inch has amazing detail and surprising beauty- I was overwhelmed by it all.

Each metal path above this bus could be climbed

 The museum has indoor and outdoor spaces. We soon made our way to the outdoor climbing area. It felt like a collection of crazy catwalks with slides, stairs and planes thrown in. One of our favorite parts was an enormous ball pit. The balls were the size of the big bouncy balls you can buy for a couple bucks at WalMart- and the pits were about 2 feet deep, filled with bouncy balls. We spent a few hours roaming the different paths, until lightning shut down the outdoors. By now it was WAY past bedtime, so we called a cab and headed back to the hotel.

A tree sculpture inside

Yeah, this pathway made my heart pound a bit

Twisters

With Wisconsin in our rearview, we set our sights on Kentucky. Rick's grandmother lives in Simpsonville, and we planned to spend a few days with her before my NJHS conference in St.Louis.

On the way, we stopped to tour the Jelly Belly factory. We got to ride a special little train around the warehouse, learning the history of the candy and how it's made. Did you know Ronald Reagan loved them? Apparently they invented a blue one so he could celebrate his inauguration with red white and blue jelly beans? Neither did we. Upon finishing our tour, we were also given small bags of free candy. I have no idea what the savory bean flavor was that Rick got, but I know he could not get it out of his mouth fast enough!

Staying with the Rudicels (Rick's grandma and her husband) was wonderful. "GG" (as the girls call her) found our strong willed Bella to be endlessly funny. The girls were thrilled that this experienced grandma had endless snacks and patience on hand. When I incredulously told them that her breakfast table was not GG's Buffet, she calmly told me that it was. Bella was in heaven.

One night during our stay, the rough weather that had followed us down from Wisconsin got pretty rough and the weather radio kept going off. Apparently, just after we'd put the girls to bed, the tornado warnings got stronger and we were all watching the sky and listening to the warning sirens. I have never heard tornado sirens before- I couldn't help thinking of "Twister". 

We decided to be cautious, woke the kids up and bundled them into the car to head down the road to Rick's Uncle Tim's house- where the basement was a bit bigger and sturdier. Kaya played with Rick's cousin Brock in the game room, the rest of us watched the weathermen on tv get all kinds of excited as they gestured wildly at the radar maps. While I did not want to be in a tornado's path, I couldn't help watching the sky with some excitement.

Eventually, the danger passed, and we got the girls home to bed. I finished my blog on the Deyoung Zoo and we headed towards bed ourselves. It had been a very exciting night.

The other exciting parts of our trip were a driving tour of Lousiville one night after dinner at Golden Corral (Kaya's favorite), a day at the Hershey family home (Rick's uncle and his family) and a short visit with our old friend Shaun in Frankfort. Unfortunately, the driving tour showed us the tornado's damage around Churchill Downs. No horses had been hurt, but some stables and buildings were damaged. I think I'm glad I didn't get to see a tornado touch down. Frankfort was a fun time, at a place called The Dragon Pub. It was on a hill overlooking the Kentucky River- so beautiful!

the Yum Center made us giggle- alot.

Drivin' Around

I've mentioned "driving" in passing in a few blogs, and thought I might share a little more about that part of our adventure here. So far, we've spent roughly 35-40 hours in the car. Wow. That sounds like a lot when I put it that way.

Our trip "legs" have ranged anywhere from 10 hours (once) to 4.5 hours each time. We usually stop every 2-3 hours, regardless of how far we're going. We might picnic at a pretty stop, eat at a restaurant, or tour some roadside oddity. It all depends on what's available and what we're in the mood for.

Rick and I try to keep the driving evenly split, so neither of us is too worn out. However, I jumped on his obvious excitement at driving through Chicago- I wanted nothing to do with that!  Whoever isn't driving gets to handle passing stuff to the kids, navigation changes/questions, and taking photos of the passing scenery.

The scenery has chnged quite a bit! Now we see more farms than anything. I still don't understand why there are so many beautiful old barns tumbling into ruin along the way. Why isn't anyone taking care of these old buildings? It makes me sad.

We've seen lots of funny signs, too. I think my favorite was one that read, "6 flat acres for sale" in West Virginia. I had no idea flat land was so special there! They should check out Indiana- dear lord is it flat! Another sign in Illinois read "prison nearby, do not pick up hitch hikers". Quite the security system there!

I've been amazed at the range of gas prices. The highest so far was Chicago, at $4.30. The lowest was $3.39 in Frankfurt, Kentucky. The Gas Buddy app has helped us watch our gas pennies, too. A few exits can mean ten cents a gallon!

While we drive, the girls have videos, crafts, music, and each other to pass the time. Sometimes they trade movies ("Mom, I wanna watch what she's watching!") and they repeatedly ask for "their" songs. Bella claims one Pink song (darned if the names just run out of my head!) and Kaya claims "Raise your glass". I think we've burned through the cd. It's hilarious to hear Bella scream along that she's gonna get in a fight to her song.

Since the girls are drawing, each stop involves picking up rolling markers and ripped out paper. Bella has colored on her seat and the windows- she is only allowed color wonder now.

Rick wins the award for buying the loudest car toy. He got Bella a memory game where you can change out cards for new games in a wooden case. You open and close wooden flaps to reveal what is inside. Let's just say, the child needs felt for that thing!

Well, I planned to show you a few of our pictures from the road, but the internet here is so slow I can't. I promise to share some when I can. Thanks for reading!

Deyoung Zoo

When my cousin's fiance, Alisha, warned me that the zoo she was taking us to "might feel like a dive" when we pulled up in the parking lot, all kinds of warning bells went off in my head. Ummm.... What makes a zoo a DIVE? But, Monday morning saw our family caravan of cars head north to Michigan, to the zoo. As we wound through country roads lined by farms, her words kept echoing in my head. I admit it- I was nervous.



A photo op before the zoo (Grace, Kayleigh, Kaya, and Bella)

 The parking lot was muddy, but not too bad. As we paid our fee they warned us to hurry to a yellow tent, the baby animals would be out for a little while longer. So we beat feet over, wondering what animals would be around. (I secretly had visions of a docile animal suddenly latching onto my 2 year old, but don't tell Alisha!)

We got there to see a baby tiger on a leash. Just like the leash I use for my dog, only blue. Kids were clustered around rubbing her tummy. As we approached, the kids wandered off and the tiger started to roll and play with its keeper. Kaya and Bella were able to walk right up and pet her. Wow! That was worth the price of admission right there.

A few feet from the tiger were two baby monkeys. They were 8 and 10 weeks old- and so freakin' cute!!! There was a small crowd, but the kids managed to scoot in with minimal pushing. All too soon they announced time was up, so the crowd disbursed.  The tiger, however, had started to play with a resident dog and was not ready to head in. So the keeper allowed Kaya and Bella to sit down and hold the monkeys while she waited for the iger to join them in going inside. Oh.My.God. It was so special! Each girl played with the monkeys for a bit, then their mommy had a turn. Holding those tiny creatures was great. The older one kept climbing onto the other, so it was like a snuggly rolling ball of life in my hands.

Bella was soon ready to meet other babies. She wandered over to the baby piglet, and got to hold it in it's blanket. Apparently, this guy was the runt of his litter, and if he hadnt been moved he would probably not have made it. He was so little! And SO tired. His little head kept drifting to the side. of course, that was before Bella squealed while holding him.  So he scooted over towards me and drifted off with his head in my hands. It was magic.

We spent the rest of our time at the zoo roaming through the various animal areas, waiting for the adult feedings. We got to see the adult lions and tigers being fed. The owner said they go through 2 cows a day. That's a lot of beef.

The funniest part had to be when one of the owner's dogs hopped on the back of the food 4 wheeler and stole a hunk of beef. One exceptionally smart person thought she was going to take the meat away from the thief. Lucky for her, she didn't get bit herself.  When the owner heard about the theft, he laughed and said the dogs do it all the time. I guess he brings out extra.

 

I don't think I will ever forget our trip into Michigan to go to the zoo. When else would we get so close to so many babies? And I have never seen the big cats eat like that. All of us left there amazed by our adventures.





More Fun in Wisconsin

Sunday I got to spend my second ever Father's Day with my father.  What made it even more special was having my husband and children there, too.  I was so excited about the gifts we picked out for the men in our life!(Papa, you'll have to wait til we see you in New Mexico :)!)  We found a Dremel tool for Dad, since he is doing so much with his woodworking tools and has made a few comments about Rick's. He seemed pretty pleased. The girls and I created a gold pony for their dad, since he is always responding to their "I wants!" with an "And I want a gold pony". It was a really nice way to start the day.

From there we were supposed to meet up with several cousins and a few aunts to go to Bay Beach amusement park in Green Bay. Ya know the feeling you get when you're walking around in cool, rainy weather and your flip flops are soaked? That sorta sums up our time at Bay Beach. We got into the parking lot, I bought some tickets, and the downpour started.  Since the "wonderful" smartphone radar looked like the last band was overhead, we decided to wait it out.

The kids rode a couple rides, we ended up in the bumper car area. Then, all the employees disappeared. We're talkin mass exodus here. We soon learned it was due to lightning in the area. But we weren't ready to admit defeat yet. Rick and I started a game of red light green light with all the kids (and a couple adults) while we waited. A grumpy park employee walked by to tell us to "settle down" and ended that fun. Shortly after that, we decided to admit defeat and head for lunch and shopping. 

Kaya and Grace on the carousel

Josh and Grace against Alicia and Kaya in the bumper cars

All in all, it was a damp, but really fun Father's Day. We ahd fun running in the rain, getting in trouble, and enjoying the company of those who were crazy enough to venture out with us. I will forever think of these cousins when I play red light green light with the kids. I will also make sure and try this place again next time I go- the Zippin Pippin looked like a lot of fun! (By the way, it rained most of the day- smartphone loses a few pints, here)

Wondrash Family Reunion

The Shimers left the waterslide hotel on Friday and headed for the little town of Lena, in Northern Wisconsin. My dad, stepmom, and sister flew in from Arizona to meet us. What led us to this little place? A family reunion with Dad's side of the family. Dad has 4 sisters and a brother. Do you have any idea how many spouses, kids and grandkids that means? I sure didn't.  The best headcount we had was about 55 people (all family members)- and there were a few cousins missing.

Aimee, Marcia, David, Mary Pat, Margee and Kenny



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We stayed at my Aunt Margee's house- also the location of the party. Kaya was amazed at the basement "apartment" (her words) we stayed in- I was amazed by her beautiful flowers everywhere.

There were at least 5 six year old girls running around. They all shared similar "leadership" traits. There were only a few squabbles as they adjusted to each other. Several of the parents had gotten together to rent a bounce house for the kids- and someone had the brilliant idea to get out the sprinkler. Those kids were in heaven! We spent the day watching the kids run around and laughing and talking (as we ate, of course).  It was really great, everyone was so comfortable with each other. I had several kids come to me and ask for my help, or hand me their trash, just like my own child would. One cousin explained, "They're used to us all- any adult will do." One youngster was certainly comfortable- he stopped in front of all of us and helped water the flowers. Although I could share photos (no, I didn't take them...) I think I'll leave them out. It was hilarious, though.

The aunts got out old photos around the picnic table. I got to see pictures of my grandparents, great grandparents, and all kinds of other "greats". I didn't know my great great aunt was an artist nun. I didn't realize so many people had my crooked nose (I should show the doc who swears I broke mine and dont recall it). I loved the old stories that went with the pictures.  

The main event had to be my aunt Aimee's husband Ron's firework show. He spent a few hours setting up, mortars and accessories lining the drive. The kids were setting up, too. They kept dragging their chairs around, trying to set up for the best view. It was hilarious. But once night fell, all of us were looking for a great spot. Someone spread a blanket for the kids, the rest of us pulled chairs over or sat under a tree. Bella curled up in her 16 year old cousin's lap and covered her ears.

With the first "boom" I was in awe. That had to be one of the most amazing fireworks displays I have ever seen.  It went on for an eternity- and then paused because a sudden drizzle dampened the fuses. After our intermission we went out and finished being thrilled with the lights and sounds.

I think it was after 10 before Rick and I got the girls in bed. But boy, did we have fun.

A change in plans

Our wet tent led to lots of changed plans. After checking the weather we realized it was supposed to rain off and on all weekend in Indiana. So, after debating a bit, we decided to clear away the camping stuff and head towards Chicago.

Did you hear any screaming around 3pm? That would be Kaya on Navy Pier's ferris wheel. It was her idea to go- but boy did it scare her at first. We spent a few hours roaming the pier and playing in a fountain at a nearby park. Then we headed out of town, looking for a hotel a bit outside of town.

Rick led us to Gurnee Mills, which is near where he used to spend the summer with his dad. Just across from the giant mall was a new hotel. Okay, a "water resort". This place, like many other hotels we've passed lately, had water slide tubes coming out the side. Ironically enough, it has a great cheesy Florida theme. I admit, we were going through some serious water withdrawal, but this is a major cure... So we decided to check in.

Wow! This place has the coolest indoor pools I have ever seen. There's a lazy river, 4 giant slides, and several smaller slides. We spent a few hours there last night, and plan to go there again today. The kids couldn't get enough of all the waterplay. 

So if you need us today, we'll be at the pools/slides. At least until it's time to head for our next destination.

the view from the ferris wheel

Our room keys and waterpark passes

a view of the pools

I didn't order a waterbed...

Everyone I tell about our roadtrip does the same thing. They look at me like I have 3 heads and then wish me well with the drive. After all, the drive is what sounds like the most difficult thing with 2 kids and a dog, right? Well, during the "leg" between Ohio and Wisconsin, the drive was definitely not the hard part.

It started to rain a few hours in. Since the part from Florida to Ohio had been so nice, we took this as well deserved. As the rain continued, we started to get a bit nervous. So I got out my handy dandy smart phone and looked up the number for Indiana Dunes States Park, where we were planning to camp for 2 nights. A "ranger" who sounded about 12 said she hadn't seen any rain in hours and thought the sky looked fine. Just to reinforce that good news, a break in the clouds and a glimpse of the sun soon calmed us down.

Until about 30 minutes from arrival. Then the drizzle kicked back in. We arrived at the park in the drizzle, but it was already slacking off. So we went ahead and got the tent and sleeping bags set up.

Then we headed for the giant Outdoor World we saw on the interstate. It was a fantastic way to kill time while we waited for the rain to let up. This place had an indoor waterfall and a kids shooting range with those little lights you aim up. Perfect way to stay dry!

After an hour at Outdoor World we were ready to grill. But the rain was still purin'! So, we improvised. There was this amazing covered pavillion with a huge fireplace in one wall near the camp sites. We took our little cookstove and food there. We had a blast! The sky lightened up and we walked over to Lake Michigan before we used the fireplace for s'mores. You all know me, so you know at this point I am breaking my own arm patting myself on the back. Thinking something like,"Look how well you handled this. A little rain can't slow you down!". Oh yeah, I was awesome.

On the way back to the shelter from Lake Michigan, the rain came back. We snuggled around our fire and told stories. Rick and I (at Kaya's insistence) shared childhood memories of camping. Kaya made up a story, then it was Bella's turn. It was quite memorable, so I'll share. She said"I love Mommy" after getting all of us to stop for her story. I was really moved. :)

We headed back for the tent after s'mores, still in the rain. We'll all just go to sleep together! I unzip the tent, slip the girls in as Rick locks the dog up for the night. And Kaya tells me her bed is wet. Then we realize Bella's is soaked. Yep. Our tent flaps blew up in the wind. Here it was, 10 pm, and we realize our beds are drenched. 

Hello, smartphone! Navigate to nearest hotel! Within 5 minutes we were at an Econo Lodge down the road. By 11 pm everyone was dry and snuggled in bed again.

The next day I tell Rick, you know this is going to be a great blog. He tells me I'm sick. heehee

enjoying a pitstop in downtown Sandusky Ohio. So beautiful!

The road to our campsite. The park was really picturesque.

Hanging in the window of our shelter

Checking out Lake Michigan. Kaya was awed by its size.

Our giant fireplace where we tried to wait out the rain.

Uncle "D" Graduates

One summer when I was in college, Rick's two younger brothers came to stay with us for a little while. They were about 8 & 9 at the time. We had such a blast! What I remember most is taking them to Valdosta, Georgia to play at Wild Adventures for a few days. The park was a lot like a permanent fair. There were only a few big coasters- Rick says it felt like a lost Scooby Doo episode. I can vividly recall all 3 boys playing in the rain, water pouring down Donovan's face. (I have a great picture of this at home) 

The 3 brothers...

When I think of his brothers, that's what I think of. Those adorable little boys who were so much fun to play with all summer. So it's hard for me to believe I just watched the 2nd of them graduate this weekend. The girls love their Uncle "D". I think they translate "uncle" as "slave", but he doesn't seem to mind. We've had a great time in Ohio with the family, playing games at night and playing outdoors during the day.

I cannot get over how different the trees are here- the girls call the pine trees "Christmas trees" and are amazed that they are so big. It's also shocking how chilly it is! They had a great party at this cute little park- but we needed blankets by the end of it. I am beginning to wonder if I packed enough warm clothes!

Well, it's time to start packing for the next leg of our trip- I promise to post a picture of the car next time. Rick deleted my 1st one due to poor quality... I think I'll make him take the next one. Here are a few pics of this weekend. I am also showing the famous plane, since it did not make it into the last post. Thanks for reading- let me know what you think! Dad- I hope my spelling was better this time. :)

the plane in NC- incredibly lucky that we were traveling at the right time

learning to fish with Grandpa Fred



having a blast at a little mini golf place



feeding the horses that live next door

learning to skateboard?

Uncle D fixing the net at the old high school