Yellowstone Trip Diary

Day 1: July 5, 2012, Best Laid Plans 6:35 p.m. The plan was to leave at 3 a.m. and drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, check into a hotel with plenty of time for the kids to swim. In order to make that happen, we would’ve had to grow a brain and THINK for minute and realize we need cross bars in order to attach the car top carrier to the top of the car! The light bulb moment occurred around 4 p.m. on July 4th. Of course nothing was open and one Craigslist ad and drive to Ballwin later, we remained cross bar-less. So, instead of leaving at 3 a.m. we left at 2 p.m. after finding a dealership that had the part, installing the cross bars and the car top carrier and loading everything up, jam packed even with the car top carrier. Love my Acadia but the one, and only, complaint I have about it is the lack of luggage space. This trip so far has been typical of others. We packed too much, planned too little, left too late. I always envision leisurely preparation with every member of our family happily lending a helping hand. But what actually happens involves much more complaining, arguing, cursing and my attempt to referee and look on the bright side. Bottom line is there is nothing we could do to change it so why get too upset about it. Once we actually left the house, everything went smoothly. That is after one return home to get the charger for the Garmin when we were about a mile away from home. Then the questions began which all begin with one word…Mom…and included “I’m hungry!” I fielded questions, started a movie and then took a deep breath. So, now we are on our way. We are almost to St. Joseph, Missouri. We are 27 states into the license plate game and have stopped two times. We had one scary moment. We were right behind two semis, one was passing the other. The one in which we were directly behind didn’t pass the other completely before he decided to merge into the right lane. Had that other truck not swerved onto the shoulder…. The important thing is, we’re alive! Here we are…And btw, in the pic there are only sunglasses on my head. Grace’s DVD case is balanced vicariously on all of the blankets and pillows crammed in the backseat but it was well behind me.

8:20 p.m. Just ate the dinner that was supposed to be lunch. Why are we eating so late? Because another one of our family traditions is to bring a bunch of crap to eat along the way. And strange thing about road trips…everyone is hungry all the time! We can go through a typical day at home satisfied with three meals and a snack or two. In the car when we are all sitting and not expending much energy, everyone needs to eat every ½ hour, buy candy at every gas station, and we all must have a soda at all times. Can you say sugar high?

About three hours away. Please….no one say they need to go to the bathroom!! Fat chance of that. Nathan had ½ of a huge bottle of Powerade so any time now…

8:53 p.m.

So far so good. Nathan is singing in the back…”Today I swear I’m not doing anything. I’m just laying here in my bed. I don’t feel like picking up my bones. So leave a message at the tone. Today I swear like doing anything.”

Then he suggested maybe Samson should have come along. Mike told him we didn’t have any room. He said, “Yes we do…he could sit on mom’s lap!” Ha!

9:30 p.m.

Bathroom break for boys…exit in the middle of nowhere, shoulder on the exit ramp. Better than peeing in a cup as someone in this crazy place suggested.

9:52 p.m.

How quickly things can fall apart when we have all been in the car for 8 hours! Gum fell out of Nathan’s mouth…can’t find it. Mike is freaking out!!! Looks like no more gum for Nathan!

12:30 a.m.

Finally arrived at our first stop…Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Holiday Inn Express and Suites. After unloading, checking in, getting ready for bed, a significant amount of arguing about who is sleeping where, and me turning into a drill sergeant, we all went to bed. Long day!