August 17: Macon to Orlando - The Finish Line

This day was uneventful, and it was meant to be. We had just 389 miles to go to complete our Odyssey, and we were ready to get going once we had enjoyed our "complimentary hot breakfast" of bagels and yogurt. I-75 pulled us southward, and Spanish Moss began to appear on the trees. Bit by bit, it started looking like Florida, as billboards announced discounts on Disney tickets and approach of "adult friendly" truck stops. Before long, we had turned from I-75 onto "Florida's Turnpike," and soon, after stopping only thirty-eight times to pay tolls, we were exiting onto Alafaya Trail in East Orlando, and being greeted warmly by Campus Crusade colleague Randy Hepner (whom I knew from Lithuania) at the Cypress Lake Apartments. We had been on the road for over two months, traveled some 15,000 miles, slept in 26 different beds, passed through twenty-four states and six countries, but, for now, we were home.

August 16: Memphis to Macon

For the second year running, I spent my birthday in transit. We said goodbye to the Johnstons and headed south across county roads so minor that the entry into the state of Mississippi was not signed. We soon hit a good highway, a future Interstate no less, and struck out ESE toward Birmingham and Atlanta. We were pleasantly surprised at how hilly, wooded and scenic the route was. We knew we were in The South, though, by the kudzu vine that so thoroughly covered almost everything in sight.

August 16, of course, is not only my birthday but also the day Elvis died, so we continued the pilgrimage by visiting his birthplace in Tupelo, which is conveniently just three miles south of the highway. The shack where he was born has been well preserved, and the church where he sang as a child has been relocated to the site as well. It was a nice little place for a sandwich break.

After lunch, we continued on through consistently attractive countryside. I was very disappointed not to find CD's for sale at the mini-markets, as I desperately wanted my first visit to Alabama to be accompanied by the tunes of Lynard Skynard. Skunked at the filling station, I had to resort to the radio, but just as the Memphis stations were disappointingly Elvis-free the day earlier, so as we approached Birmingham, it seemed that there was no one to love the Governor but us. Birmingham turned out to be a remarkably hilly city, very attractive, and I regretted not having been able to track down any friends to stay with there. Only later did I remember that I have a friend in Montgomery, which, it turns out, is also the capital, so why they love the Governor in Birmingham is beyond me, but with nowhere to stay, we pushed on east, exiting Alabama accompanied by Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" without having made so much as a gas stop. (According to Kid Rock, they also love the Governor in New Orleans, which is even more mystifying. I don't really know which Governor they mean. I have always taken it to be a sort of magnanimous blanket endorsement of hard-working public servants, but perhaps I am missing a sub-text.)

Soon, we had turned south on I-75 for Florida. I knew we were in Georgia when we saw Chic-Fil-A, Home of the Original Chicken Sandwich,of which my Georgia-born colleague Sharon Denny had always spoken fondly, so we stopped there for dinner, drove another hour, and stopped at a Holiday Inn near Macon. Tired though we are of fast food, Chik-Fil-A turned out to be a winner.

August 15: A Day in Memphis

There's a lot to see in Memphis, but you can fit in a lot in a day. Our first stop, of course, was Graceland, which Julia had seen on her 1996 cross-country-and-back journey. We arrived at 9:30, and crowds were already setting out folding chairs for The Vigil, for August 15 is the Eve of the Death of the King, and the candlelight vigil is the annual memorial, and a major holy-day on the liturgical calendar of Elvis fans.

Next, we met Mike Lipscomb, a colleague from Moscow, for a lunch at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous Restaurant, where the specialty is the dry smoked pork ribs. A Memphis institution, foreign heads of state have been feted there, notably Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi, who visited during his pilgrimage to Graceland. They work with another Memphis company, FedEx, to deliver ribs around the world.

Properly sated, we rode the streetcar, free during lunch hour, a mile down South Main Street to The Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is excellent, and now includes an exhibit in the building from which James Earl Ray took his fateful shot.

We then rode the trolley to Mud Island River Park, a less well known Memphis attraction, but one that is unique and should not be missed. Guests cross a bridge to the Island, or, if they wish, ride a tram. The bridge and tram were featured in the "chase scene" in the movie The Firm. The first stop on the Island is the Museum of the Mississippi River, which includes reconstructions of paddle wheel riverboats and ironclad warships and a thorough discussion of the Big River's contribution to American culture, from Mark Twain to the blues. The museum is excellent, but Mud Island's unique attraction is the 1/2 mile long scale model of the Mississippi River. Christopher had been asking "what's so cool about a model of a river?" but as soon as he glimpsed it, he got it. The rain was just starting as he sloshed upstream to St Louis, took a look at the models of various tributaries (the Missouri, the Ohio, and the upper reaches of the Mississippi itself) and it was pouring as he turned and headed south again. He spent nearly an hour splashing his way along the route taken by Huck and Jim, and was thoroughly soaked by the time he reached New Orleans. Since swimming was not allowed in the Gulf of Mexico, he amused himself by jumping in the fountain that was set in the middle of Lake Pontchartrain, while the adults sought shelter from what was now a major thunderstorm.

Finally, we headed for the car. Dinner along Beale Street would have been the perfect ending to the ideal Memphis day, but with a soaked-to-the-skin nine-year-old in tow, we just headed back to Germantown to rest up for our penultimate road day.

August 14: Fort Worth to Memphis

By now, a 510 mile day seemed pretty light. We circled around Dallas and headed east, leaving the grasslands behind and saying hello to the piney woods of east Texas. By the time we entered Arkansas, it was all forests. We chose a pleasant rest stop for our Cajun picnic, and then sped toward the Mississippi. We gave up the chance to get another stamp in our National Parks Passport when we bypassed Hot Springs National Park, where I had camped on my 1988 trip. Missed also the charming resort town of Hot Springs, where Bill Clinton spent his childhood. Lingering there in 1988 had caused me to miss Graceland. We crossed the big river before sunset, and soon were in the charming home of Joan and Jerry Johnston in the Memphis suburb of Germantown.

August 13: Seeing Fort Worth

In cutting south from I-40 to Fort Worth, we were retracing my journey of twenty years early, with the same goal: A visit to college friends Kelly and Becky Sharp. Kelly and Becky were both active in Campus Crusade in Brown. Kelly was a year ahead of me, and led the Bible study I was in. Becky was my classmate. They were married right after her graduation. Last time I visited, they were living in a small apartment, establishing Texas residency so Becky could start Medical School. Now, she is an established internist, and they have just built a comfortable house in one of the last forested sections of Fort Worth, which they share with their two daughters.

Since we are big zoo afficiandos, Kelly took us to the Fort Worth Zoo, where we fed the birds in the parakeet enclosure,

and checked how Christopher measured up to the Lone Star State's indigenous birds of prey.

We then had a wonderful lunch at Papadeux Cajun restaurant, with portions of shrimp and catfish so generous that we took a picnic for the following day. When the waitress heard we were driving all way to Memphis, she packed the leftovers in high quality take-out tubs, and threw in an extra loaf of bread, picnic forks and napkins.

That evening, we had dinner with New Life Bible College alumnus Stas Yermolaev (class of 2001), who is now a student at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, and met his wife Julia. We were joined by our former Senior translator, Olga (nee Sidorova) and her husband, Arthur Alard. Both are students at Dallas Theological Seminary. They plan to return to Arthur's native Cape Town, South Africa, and minister as church planters. Their departure from Texas will have to await both their graduations, and the birth of their first child, an event expected early in 2009.

This was also the day we got the air conditioning fixed on the Miata, which made the rest of the drive much easier on Julia.

August 12: Amarillo to Fort Worth

[Todd writing] Megan lives within blocks of the historic route of Historic Route 66, and Amarillo is, after all, one of the cities in which Nat King Cole urged us to get our kicks. With a short 350 mile day ahead of us, we felt we could afford a few kicks before we hit the road. We started with a real southern breakfast of biscuits and gravy at "J and M's Cafe." (J's Cafe & Catering - "All Sandwiches & Burgers Come With A Choice Of Fries, Chips, Potato Salad Or Tater Tots! 3700 W Sixth Avenue; Amarillo, Texas." Italics added by author.) Had we known about the Tater Tots!, we might have stuck around for lunch. What sold us on J& M's though was that, following a divorce, it was rechristened simply as "J's", and there is still a big white space on the sign where the "& M" was painted over.

We left J's with our stomaches full, but with our souls still hungry for culture. Amarillo is an artsy sort of town, regularly hosting exhibitions such as this one:


We were looking for something more offbeat, more avant guard, less accessible, yet not off the beaten track, as we had a drive ahead of us. Few tracks are more beaten than I-40, and right by I-40 is arguably the most often viewed modern art installation in the country, Cadillac Ranch. In my memory of a National Geographic feature on "historic" Route 66, this was a row of pristine, vintage Cadillacs, planted face down in a cornfield, perhaps in a Narnian expectation that they would grow. Today, it has become an interactive installation, where visitors themselves participate in the art, by means of spray paint. It is thus a constantly evolving, and degrading, installation. What could be more American?

AUGUST 11: Flagstaff to Amarillo

[Todd writing] The 605 mile drive to Amarillo would be the second longest driving day of the trip, and Julia was still sunburned from day one. Also, since Arizona does not participate in Daylight Savings Time (they have so much they don't need to save it), we would lose two hours en route. Still, we didn't want to miss Walnut Canyon, which is one of the less known gems of the National Park System. The site is on a U-shaped turn in a deep river canyon, which left what is now called an Island behind. As the softer layers of stone eroded out, and the firmer layers above remained, a sort of covered porch was created that allowed as many as 300 Native Americans to build shelters, and a village thrived for several hundred years. Sadly, the path to the "island" was crushed by a boulder last winter, and remains closed. Still, on a summer morning following a rain, it was a lovely place to start our morning, and allowed us another stamp in our National Park Service Passport.

Petrified Forest National Park has entrances at the west and east ends, so we figured that we wouldn't lose much time taking this scenic detour. It turns out the road within the park mostly runs north-south, so it was quite a long detour. We planned to do a sort of jump-out/jump-in sort of a visit, taking a quick snap of the iconic "Old Faithful" petrified log and then jumping back in the cars.
Just as we arrived at the visitor center, the once-a-day Ranger Program began, so what could we do? We were allowed off of the official paths and afforded a much better understanding of the site. We were allowed to pick up objects from the out of bounds areas, as long as we returned them to exactly the same spot. (2000 lbs of minerals are stolen from the park every day, and $1000's of fines are levied on thieves who are caught).
This program allowed Christopher to earn another Junior Ranger Badge. It was a great visit, and we agreed that it was well worth the time spent, even though our arrival into Amarillo would be pushed back well into the night, and Olympic viewing would be out of the question. The park road finally returned us to I-40, and we sprinted eastward toward New Mexico, which we honored with little more than a gas stop on a Navajo Reservation and an over the shoulder glance at a gorgeous desert sunset.

By the time we reached Texas, there was litte light to see my second-favorite welcome sign, which reads: "Drive Friendly, the Texas Way!" (My favorite, on a small county road entering Wyoming from Colorado reads: "Somehow, nothing seems to satisfy quite like Beef." The driver is left to infer that his welcome to the Great State of Wyoming is conditioned upon his consumption of large quantities of the same. But I digress.)

It was after 11 p.m. when we reached the Lights of Amarillo and the home of Megan, my sister-in-law's little sister, and one of our nephew Dexter's two Auntie Megans.

AUGUST 10: The Grand Canyon

[Todd writing] There was a reason to drive those 756 miles in one grueling day. We didn't want to have to do any distance driving on the day we visited the Grand Canyon. We started our day in Hog's Family Restaurant. On a street of national chain restaurants, our Travel Lodge was serendipitously attached to an authentic, American, local joint, with a pig-themed decor (the pig in the Harley-Davidson jacket tipped us off that owners are as interested in riding a Harley down Route 66 as as they are in cooking pork products) and photos of local servicemen and women who are serving in Iraq. One table is perpetually reserved for return veterans. Our table was right over a half-wall from the kitchen, so close that the dishwasher splashed water on our table over the wall. That's the kind of authentic American experience you don't get at Appleby's.
After a filling breakfast we drove scenic Hwy 180 up to Grand Canyon National Park. We walked the length of the Southern Rim from Mather Point to Grand Canyon Village, an awesome 2 1/2 mile stretch. A hiker from Canada had fallen to his death the previous day, but we made the
walk without incident.

The rim echoed with foreign voices, with French at times more common than English. It did us proud to know that people come from all over the world to admire our Canyon. Part way along the Rim Trail, we joined a Ranger-guided tour, which was the last of Christopher's requirements for the Junior Ranger Program-Coyote Level. He was sworn in by a Ranger with the unlikely name of Jennifer Onufer. (I assume it rhymes, though I didn't ask.)
The plan for the day was to see both the Grand Canyon and Walnut Canyon National Monument, which Julia had "discovered" during her first cross-country drive in the White Cheetah in 1996. But Walnut Canyon closes early, so we headed back to the Travel Lodge for another fortifying Hog's meal. Julia and Christopher then swam in the "Pool & Jacuzzi surrounded by lush, tropical grounds", while I got caught up on e-mail, and we all cheered as Jason Lezek took the 4 x 100m relay away from the Frenchman Bernard by 7/100ths of a second. We wish the French no ill will, and are very happy to share our Canyon with them at any time, but it's hard not to be jingoistic during the Olympics.

AUGUST 9: Oakland to Flagstaff

[Todd writing] When we decided to say goodbye to Russia and hello to America with an epic surface-transport-only trip from Moscow to Oakland, we expected to be landing in California long term. When no opportunities appeared in California, and we decided to sign up for the "Lake Hart STINT" furlough/re-entry program in Orlando, we realized that we would have to make a final drive across the country in the heat of August. I drove our mini-van, the "Silver Bullet", while Julia drove her 1991 Mazda Miata, the "White Cheetah," which had been brought out of storage after 10 years.

DAY 1 was to be the longest day, a 12-hour push over Altamont Pass, down the San Joaquin Valley, over Tehachapi Pass, across the Mohave Desert, over the Colorado River, and then up onto the Colorado Plateau of Northern Arizona. We rolled out of Oakland at 9:00 a.m., on a morning so foggy that the tree drip was like rain. But at the first gas stop at the turnoff from I-5 to Bakersfield, Julia put down the top on the Cheetah and announced that the air conditioning wasn't working on the Miata. It had been too cold in California to notice. She drove on through the 100+ degree heat with the top down, stopping in Barstow for Gatorade, to fend off heat stroke. Not long after we crossed into Arizona,

a massive lightning storm hit, and she had to pull over right on I-40 as the clouds opened. That added stress to a very nerve-wracking and exhausting day. Well after sunset, racing past the most scenic part of the day's drive, we finally reached Flagstaff and checked in to the Travel Lodge just in time to see Michael Phelps receive the first of his Gold Medals.

DAY 30: Journey's End

July 15

For pioneers crossing the Great Basin, the Sierra Nevada Mountains were the last, great, daunting obstacle before they reached the promised land of California. For us, they were a welcome sight, a grand, glorious welcome home from the Golden State. As one last attempt to help the kids understand what it must have been like for their forbears, who made the trip without DVDs, air conditioning, cars, roads or even food, we visited the Emigrant Trail Museum and the Pioneer Monument at Donner Memorial State Park.


From Donner Pass, we made the familiar drive across the state, and soon were emerging from the Caldicott Tunnel into a sunny Oakland afternoon. We had done it. We had traveled half way around the world in 30 days.

DAY 29: The Great Basin

July 14

This was the last of our hard-driving days. After a make-your-own-waffles breakfast at the Best Western in Price, Utah, we crossed Utah's Wasach Mountain Range on Highway 6, and rejoined the Interstate Highway System at I-15N. After a flying glance at Salt Lake City, we headed west on I-80 past the Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats and into Nevada. We stopped for gas in Wendover, and again in Lovelock, the childhood home of family friend George Loorz, and reached the home of Hilary and Jack Vonich in Reno at six. Hilary was a friend and neighbor of ours in Oakland, and we all served on the First Covenant Church Urban Outreach ministry team the summer of 1985. We had a chance to speak to the Vonich's Bible Study group that evening, and our kids instantly befriended their kids, Paden and Cate.

DAY 28: Into the Land of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

July 13

This morning, with great reluctance, we said goodbye to Keystone, with its resident and migratory population of Granties and Gruncles, and headed west over Vail Pass, down Glenwood Canyon and out into the Great Basin. We had decided that the day's drive was a light one, and we could afford a detour down Highway 128, the "Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway," to Arches National Park.

We told the kids that there would be no movies played that day, to keep them looking at the country as we listened to books on tape instead. We had, in any case, been unable to find any Road Runner and Coyote cartoons on DVD, and knowledge of Looney Tunes is a definite gap in the Cultural Literacy of our Third Culture kids. They were left to admire the beauty of the Balanced Rock on its own merits, without pondering how to knock it off its pedestal and crown a passing roadrunner.

DAY 27: A Visit to the Keystone Science School

July 12

This day was a down day, which means a laundry day. The kids enjoyed spending time in the pool and looking for beaver dams along the Snake River. In the afternoon, we visited the Keystone Science School, a mile down the Snake River from Grauntie Joan and Gruncle Bill's house. The occasion was the dedication of the Science School's new Observatory and Yurt. I'm not sure why Yurts are all the rage in Keystone, but you'll see more of them here than in Kyrgyzstan. The Observatory was named for Bob Craig, the founder of The Keystone Center, which in turn spawned the Science School. The anonymous donor who chose to honor Mr Craig in this was, of course, none other than Joan.

Even in the bright daylight, filters on the telescope made Venus visible to Andrew.

After touring the Science School's Museum, and learning about how the Pine Beetle is managing to so devastate the local forests (and what should or should not be done), we took at look at one of the School's 32-bed dormitories, Henry Hall.

It was named for Todd's maternal grandmother, Kitt Daniels, and there is a painting of her on the wall in the entry. Joan, for reasons I never understood, called her mother "Henry," so that's the name she gave to the dorm.

DAY 26: Katie turns Five!

July 11

For the second year in a row, Katie celebrated her birthday at the home of her Grauntie Joan. (Grauntie = Great Aunt; Gruncle = Great Uncle. Note to OED editors--Joan herself coined these terms.) Her haul for the day included a bag of polished semi-precious stones from Grauntie Helene and Grunkle Larry.
Her cake was designed in light of her road trip to California, and gave us some design ideas for the Silver Bullet. She blew out her five candles in only three tries.

After the cake, the kids moved to the deck to roast marshmallows.

DAY 25: Crossing the Great Plains

July 10

This was the longest driving day of the whole trip: 863 miles in 12 hours 22 minutes of driving time predicted GoogleMap. It was also the first day that we used the onboard navigation computer on our minivan, the Silver Bullet. It calculated a route that was two miles shorter, and took 40 minutes longer to drive. The onboard computer has every house and road in America programmed in, but doesn't have the speed limit information that Google has. It did take us along part of the Iowa "Scenic Byway" or something like that, so that time wasn't totally wasted. Iowa really does have some of the lovliest farm country to drive through.

Soon, though, we had crossed the Mississippi River into Nebraska, and a mere five hours later, having crossed the Missouri and the Platte Rivers while in Nebraska, were on the plains of Eastern Colorado. The kids, of course, were oblivious to the scenery, as they had the DVD player going non-stop. We did pause the player so they could watch a gorgeous sunset over the Rockies.

A couple hours short of midnight, we reached another major crossroads on the trip, the Continental Divide, which we reached on Loveland Pass, the highest paved road pass in the Rockies. (It was too dark and cold for a photo when we crossed, so we went up the next day to snap this one.) The real highlight of the day came about 300 yards below the Summit of Loveland Pass, when we came across a family of shaggy white Mountain Goats, drinking from a rivulet of snowmelt by the side of the road. Four adults, and two little kids. Shy as they are, they allowed us to come within 15 feet of them, which was pretty amazing. Unfortunately, 15 feet is more than the range of our camera flash. Half an hour later, we arrived at "Bear Maximum," the home of Todd's aunt Joan and uncle Bill. We were also pleased to learn that Todd's uncle Larry and aunt Helene would also be there.

DAY 24: Tornado Tourists.

July 9


After breakfast, we head out for a tour of natural disaster damage. We begin with the flood damage to the town of New Hartford. Then it is a brief stop at Steve’s house before heading with the whole family to Bret’s house.

We then stop by unannounced at the farm where my mother grew up. The house that my grandfather built was not in the path of destruction, but they did find a great deal of debris and wreckage in their yard and fields. I stopped here for a visit when I drove through town 12 years ago on my last drive across the country. Then I was impressed by how well maintained the farm was and by how charming the young family that had taken it over. They were sitting outside by a wading pool and their young toddler was busy throwing his shoes in the water. Twelve years later we drive up and I see a boy that looks about 13 riding the mower around the extensive front lawn. When we park and get out, Steve Koop, who owns the farm walks up and greets us. He asks “You look familiar. Have you been here before?” I can’t believe he remembers. The Koops are as friendly and hospitable as ever and stronger by two more kids. They invite us in and show us the features of the house that my grandfather built and they have lovingly refurbished. Then outside to meet the calf, the goats and to climb on the new combine.

There is a large friendly dog named Lucky, and so Andrew, who has an irrational fear of dogs tours the grounds on Todd’s back. There are also two friendly and affectionate kittens who follow us much to the delight of Christopher and Katie. Steve proudly points out that it is my grandfather who was the first in the area to terrace his farm and thus was a sort of pioneer in soil conservation. Steve also is interested in environmentally friendly farming and is proud of his choices of crops and pesticides. It is wonderfully reassuring to know that the farm is in the care of such likable and like-minded people.
Reverse Culture Shock Moment: At one point Steve offers the kids some pop and Christopher says “Sure, what’s pop?” He probably would have had the same reaction had he been offered a soda, and it makes us all laugh.
Then over to the town of Parkersburg where the damage is unbelievable! I have seen tornado damage before and I was struck then by how capricious a tornado can be. It touches down here, then there, striking one house, then lifting up and passing over the next to strike the third. Parkersburg was different. This was no capricious, fickle tornado. This tornado was serious and hell-bent on destroying everything in its very wide path. Every single house on both sides of the highway is completely leveled. One block over the houses are badly damaged and it is unclear whether they can be repaired. Another block over and things seem completely fine, though some houses have a broken window or two. It is as if a gigantic tank has plowed through the town squashing everything. The kids proclaim it “Spooky!” and that pretty well sums it up.

We go back to Steve’s house where Elizabeth and her mother are waiting to go swimming. They come back to our hotel and the kids enjoy a very well earned afternoon of play in the pool. We have dinner again at Steve and Pat’s and we stay way too late catching fireflies and enjoying the beautiful Iowa sunset with family. It’s too hard to leave even though tomorrow is an insanely long driving day.

DAY 23: We Reach Land's End

July 8

We say good-bye to Kevin and Bekah as they head off to work, and then we pack up the car for another day on the road. Todd yesterday e-mailed a high school friend who is working in Dodgeville for Land's End, which is directly on our path to Iowa. In the morning, Alan writes back that he IS in town and can see us for lunch today. Nothing like giving someone a little advance notice! A few hours later we see Alan’s smiling face on the steps of Land’s End.

The kids are getting used to meeting this endless string of “Friends of Mommy and Daddy” and love having a fresh audience for all of their tales (some on the tall side) of their adventures. Thanks Alan!

Halfway to Iowa and we are making great time today. We arrive at the hotel in Cedar Falls a half hour sooner than expected but my mom is already in her room waiting for us. The kids are absolutely thrilled to see her. Much as they have enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends, they are VERY glad to have their very own Grandma Darlin’ with them now. All is well.

We head out together to my Uncle Steve’s house where dinner and family await. Katie has a special treat. My cousin Todd has a daughter named Elizabeth who is 10 days older than Katie. As we pull up in the driveway, Elizabeth runs out to meet us and she and Katie are instantly best friends. They run off together and we will hardly see them apart for 2 days. The boys, too, are enjoying running around, catching fireflies, and enjoying the wide open spaces after so many years living in a high rise apartment and then so many days strapped into the car. It is a wonderful, relaxing evening with family!

After dinner, Renee, my cousin Bret’s wife, takes my mom, Christopher and myself over to her house for a grand tour. We have noticed on the way in the gaping holes where houses used to stand until the tornado came through about 6 weeks ago. On the way to Bret’s house we look up at the hillside and can see the path the tornado took. It is about a mile wide and there are skeletons of trees and piles of burning rubble reminiscent of war movies. Volunteers have been combing the fields for weeks and what cannot be salvaged has been put into a pile and burned. We pass on the way the Quonset hut where my cousin Bret and his son-in-law Matt found refuge during the storm. There is a big dent in the side where something really heavy hit it and it is missing the front door, but otherwise it is intact. Bret’s house, however, is gone with the wind. Christopher asks “Where is the house?” and we just point to the fields towards the North. The foundation and front steps remain, and so do the lily bushes which are in full bloom, but otherwise there is nothing. Had Bret and Matt found refuge in the house instead of the Quonset hut, there is no way they would have survived. We are so thankful that as bad as the storm was, no one in our family was injured!

Back at Steve’s house, Christopher captures a couple of fireflies he is determined to keep as pets. I doubt they will survive the trip to Colorado, but for now he is happy and settles down to sleep with the jar tucked in by his head.

DAY 22: Return to North Park

July 7

In the morning, the stresses of yesterday’s drive have diminished if not faded altogether. I contact my friend Francesca, whom I have not seen in close to 11 years. She is working at Northeastern Illinois University which is conveniently located next to North Park University, my alma mater. So, we agree to meet for lunch at the Swedish Restaurant right across the street from my freshman dorm. It is great to reconnect with Francesca and the kids are still so exhausted from yesterday that they sit flopped in their seats and are quiet while the adults get caught up. Again, the time is all too brief, but now that we are on the same continent I am hoping that I won’t have to wait 11 years to reconnect again.

We say good-bye to Francesca and then take a tour of North Park.

It has changed a lot since I have seen it last, but all for the better. It also retains enough of it’s former self that it is not too disorienting. The kids are tired, but we reassure them that it is a small school, and so it won’t take long. Back to Kenosha in time for Todd and Kevin (Bekah’s husband) to take the kids to the beach while Bekah and I can relax and chat. Kevin, God bless him, has picked up Giordano’s pizza on the way home so we feast in grand style. We get the kids to bed and then Kevin runs us to Blockbuster to replenish our DVD stores for the long drives ahead. Thank you Kevin, aka the DVD Fairy! Our kids have sung your praises across several states! We have clean clothes and a well equipped car and we are ready to head off to Tornado Alley tomorrow.

DAY 21: Niagara Falls to Kenosha Wisconsin

July 6

We wake up in plenty of time to take advantage of the minimal breakfast the hotel offers and get to the Maid of the Mist before the crowds. How unlike the Ellis Island misfit operation! There is evidence everywhere of crowd control minus the huge crowds. We are ushered quickly through the system, given our raincoats and miss being on board the first boat only because we were dawdling and admiring the view. While we waited for the second boat of the day, the guide entertained us with stories and interesting facts about the Falls. Andrew is reluctant to board because he is under the impression that we will be going under the Falls. He agrees to go along, but I can tell he is a little unsure of it all. It is breathtaking and he is glad of his decision when it is all over.

It is running late, and we are debating whether to go into the tunnels under the Falls, but Christopher really wants to do it. It is another pretty amazing view and we get even wetter.
After 3 hot days in NYC, the cool wet mist from Niagara is very refreshing.

We finally are clicked into our seatbelts and ready for the long drive to Kenosha at about noon. It is much later than we intended and we have a long drive ahead of us. Oh, we are so grateful for the built-in DVD player in the car. We can’t watch the movies in the front seat, but we will listen to the soundtracks of the 3 movies we have over and over again over the course of the day and the kids are quiet except for the occasional giggle. It does take a certain amount of concentration to focus on the road while hearing Looney Tunes sound effects coming from the back seat. We do not have a map, and so we are at the mercy of the Google directions, but they do not fail and after a long drive across Ontario we prepare to enter the US again. There is an amazingly long line at the border which slows us down by about an hour and a half. Just as we approach the actual border, a group of US border agents rush out of the office heading toward a gate about 6 lanes over. All the lanes are stopped now and nobody is moving. Five minutes later the agents are back leading first one man in handcuffs, then a woman, then another woman. It is mildly diverting little moment, but we have lost a lot of time on a day we can ill afford it. Things are fine through Michigan, but when we hit Indiana traffic again comes to a complete halt. Returning holiday traffic combined with endless road construction means we are slowed for another hour and a half in bumper to bumper traffic. It is late as we pass through Chicago and then on to Kenosha finally arriving at my friend Bekah’s house around midnight. Bless her heart, she is still waiting up for us! We get our sleepy brood settled and then relax a little with Bekah before turning in ourselves. At this point no one is interested in ever getting into a car again, but for now, we don’t have to think about it and we settle into our cozy beds and rest.

DAY 20: Drive to Niagara Falls

It is the maiden voyage of the Silver Bullet and as Todd drives I am studying the Owner’s Manual to figure out all the bells and whistles, which are numerous. We found a set of the entire Chronicles of Narnia on CD at the Strand Bookstore, so the kids are kept busy for awhile listening to tales of Narnia. We are planning to stop along the way to visit the Foresmans, friends of ours from Moscow, who are summering at their house along the finger lakes. 10 minutes from their house, along a very windy farm road Andrew announces he is car sick and 2 seconds later the car is officially baptized into the family. We limp into the driveway at the Foresmans and while the kids take a swim, Luda gives me some disinfectant and a roll of paper towels and I get to work on the car.
Even so, it is great to see familiar Moscow faces again. Luda’s mother has made us some homemade chicken noodle soup and Bob offers me the ultra comfortable lounge chair with the view of the lake. We would love to stay much longer as we are enjoying hanging out with fun friends in a beautiful setting, but Niagara Falls awaits us about 2 hours away.
Todd has booked us a room in the Travel Lodge close to the falls on the Canada side. I did not realize just how truly tacky the strip at Niagara Falls is. It is like staying above the wax museum on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Loud, too. But the room is clean and we are about a block and a half from the Falls, so we take a quick peek before bed. They are decidedly not tacky, but rather spectacular and we are looking forward to a closer view in daylight.

DAY 19: Happy Birthday America!

July 4

New York has promised us the largest fireworks spectacle in the country and the only question is whether we have the stamina to stay awake long enough to view them. We begin our day on the subway to the American Museum of Natural History. We are getting used to the subways but they are very different from the Moscow Metro. The most rundown of stations in Moscow seems palatial compared to the New York version. Moscow also has bright, color-coded maps posted in every station and on every car. The system is also fairly straightforward, with no express trains to worry about. In contrast, though, New Yorkers that ride the subway are very friendly and helpful. We are making friends on every ride and having a great time. By day 3 we almost have the NY system figured out and are slowed down only slightly by the fact that the B train, which will take us directly from our Brooklyn neighborhood to the front door of the Museum doesn’t run on weekends or holidays.
Huge dinosaurs, stuffed animals, cool artifacts, the kids are in paradise.

The kids really want to see the Central Park Zoo, after seeing the movie Madagascar. We are not sure we are going to get there before it closes and we are way too tired to hurry so we begin to meander through the park anyway, to see what we can find on the way. What we find is a lake that has row boat rentals. An hour of floating on a pond in the middle of Central Park was a pretty good way to spend the 4th of July.

We also find cool statues to climb on. And we find the Zoo, but it is definitely closed. A map of the zoo reveals that there is no lion, zebra, giraffe or hippo in the zoo, so it is not as if we have missed much.
It is beginning to rain, we are all tired and it doesn’t seem like we are up to the fireworks. As we turn a corner in the park though, I catch sight of fireflies along the path. Christopher has read about fireflies, but I don’t think Andrew or Katie even knew such a creature existed. Certainly none of the kids have ever seen one and they are spell-bound. In the fading light of day, in a quiet corner of the park, it was a magical moment. We decide then to head back to Brooklyn and enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of the sofa. We stop on the way to buy some Jiffy Pop and ice cream to enjoy with the show. It is spectacular, but all the better to be able to go to bed as soon as it is over. We have pushed ourselves hard and seen a lot, but it is time to say good-bye to NYC and see the rest of the US.

DAY 18: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

July 3

We are off to a slow and sleepy start this morning. Todd has very cleverly reserved tickets on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty at 2:30 in the afternoon so we can afford to sleep in and then have a nice lunch with another of Todd’s college friends, Dean. On the way to lunch we manage to stop at the Strand bookstore and load up on discounted kids books and movies. We will be very grateful for the movies in a few days as we begin the road trip part of our venture. For now, though, Katie’s stroller is quite loaded down.

By 2:00 we are in Battery Park ready for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Experience. We are feeling very smug that we booked our tickets in advance, passing the throngs of those who foolishly tried to show up on July 3 without reservations. Our grins will soon fade though, as the reservations seemed to matter very little. We are stuck in a security throng (I will not use the word line, as lines were not much a part of our experience. We say very little of anything so orderly as a line and much more of mad crushing hordes.) behind an elderly gentleman that is suspected of hiding weapons in his cane and thus we miss our boat to the island. We follow the masses to the waiting area for the boat and wait in 90 degree heat in an unventilated tent for 45 minutes for the next one. One woman does finally threaten to collapse and so they pull her out of the horde so she can get some fresh air. I am surprised that she is the only one to succumb as the air is stifling. The crowd is very restless and angry by the time the ferry pulls up and no one is inclined to be courteous to those with strollers or small children. It is very ugly.

We arrive at the Statue of Liberty, fight our way off the ferry and get a lovely close up peek at the beautiful green lady. Then my gaze falls upon the line, yes an actual line, for the second ferry to Ellis Island. Ellis Island is actually where I want to be, since the furthest you can go into the statue is up to the base. But Todd and the kids have never been here before and it’s one of those things you just have to do. So Todd and the kids head off into the monument

and I trek off to the find the end of the line, which seems to loop around the island a few times. By now, we are seriously in danger of missing a visit to Ellis Island as the last boats of the day don’t allow visitors to get off there. It is about 4:45 when Todd and the kids arrive from their jaunt, a little disappointed that there was so little to see, but they are just in time to meet the ferry. We push and shove our way aboard, because the line by now has disintegrated, and in a few minutes we pull up to Ellis Island.

5pm and the museum closes at 6, so we have just an hour to sprint through, what is a very fine museum and one that I am sure will be meaningful to both Todd and the kids. We race up the steps, pick up our audio guides and are just about to hit the play button when a guard announces that they are clearing the building. Apparently, although we have gone through extensive security before we boarded the only boat that brings visitors on the island, an unattended stroller in the gift shop is worthy of a complete evacuation of the building. We are stuck, useless audio guides hanging around our necks for 30 minutes while bomb sniffing dogs determine that the diaper bag hanging off the stroller contains nothing more potent than a bag of wipes and some stale Cheerios.

So, now we are down to half an hour in one of my favorite museums. The kids are hot, tired and cranky and not in the mood to appreciate much of anything. We all do our best, but all too soon the tired and cranky guards start yelling at us to get out and get in the throng to board the last ferry to Manhattan. They will not let anyone sit on the lawn, of tour the gardens while we wait the ten minutes it takes for the ferry to come, but instead we huddle together on the hot concrete and grumble some more.

A complete boondoggle and the Hornblower Lines which mismanages these ferries now rank in my affections about as high as Air France. Score one though, for verisimilitude, as I doubt that the Ellis Island experience was very pleasant for Carl Daniels and his mother either. The fact that we were herded about and yelled at by angry people in uniform will help the children appreciate what their ancestors had to endure.

DAY 17: Part 2 The New York Experience

Still July 2

Remember how I said all our plans were falling through with our housing but we were trusting that God had something worked out? Our last day on board, Todd got an e-mail from a good friend who lives in Brooklyn. We were hoping to see Andy and his family, but their apartment was too small to house both them and all five of us. The sad news from Andy, is that they were suddenly called away out of town and we wouldn't get to see them. The good news is that they would loan us their apartment to stay in while in town. While we are disappointed to have missed the chance to see them except for an all too short dinner with Andy, we are extraordinarily grateful that we have a place to stay in Brooklyn. Quiet but still close to the city. Thank you Stein Family!! Again and again thank you!

Also, awaiting us upon our arrival in New York is Matt from MATS who is delivering to us our new/used car. MATS is a non-profit group that helps missionaries on furlough purchase or lease cars. They have been super-helpful and were able to find for us a car that we trust will be able to withstand the rough journey we have ahead of us in the next few months. The boys have christened her the Silver Bullet and she is lovely. She comes equipped with all sorts of bells and whistles that we will be discovering as we trek across this vast country of ours.

For now, though, it's off to Brooklyn and then to Manhattan to see the Empire State Building. Our lovely Queen Mary slips out of the New York Harbor on her way to Boston while we are distracted by the glamour of New York.

After admiring the view of New York

We get a brief glimpse of Andy at dinner before he heads off to Long Island for the weekend. Then we head off to the American Girl Store because Katie's dear Felicity has had a few mishaps as she crossed the pond. Her shoe was lost somewhere in the Atlantic and she is looking a little windblown. The boys are extraordinarily patient while Felicity gets her hair done.

We are exhausted but exhilerated and looking forward to two more days to explore this huge town.