“Vacations” are few and far between for this family because the girls emphatically dislike the idea of sleeping in cars, and thus never do it. Well, not never, but in, let’s say, 100 hours of more-or-less long-distance driving, they’ve slept maybe four hours, combined. (This week, I had a well-meaning someone at work advise me earnestly that we needed to be sure to drive at a constant speed. As if.)
So Shannon and I started the drive up to Nonna and Boppa’s house expecting no sleep in the backseat. We weren’t disappointed (un-disappointed?) in that respect, but I for one was happy that the two non-sleepers did fantastically well anyhow. All three driving breaks were thoroughly enjoyed, there were no meltdowns (or accidents) while rolling, and the two girls even entertained themselves and each other for a while. (After that, the fifth family member, the white MacBook, stepped in with some Barney videos.)
The view to the left of the passenger seat:
The view to the right of the passenger seat:
We broke a family tradition by not stopping for lunch at the Sauk Center McDonald’s (motto: “It’s cold here nine months of the year, and we have the only indoor playground between St. Cloud and Moorhead”). Instead, we dined al fresco at a highway rest area (motto: “Your tax dollars are at work cleaning whichever rest room you need to use most”). The girls enjoyed this quite a bit. Picnics go over quite well with the knee-high set.
The fare was excellent – thanks to Shannon’s planning and faultless execution – and we followed the noshing with a walk around the rest area, during which Vivi noticed this leaf. She pointed at it, then looked up at me and exactly duplicated the facial expression.
Lunch: $0. Entertainment: $0. My two year old: Priceless.
I like the Sinclair Lewis museum and rest area in Sauk Centre, right near the Gopher Prairie Motel, where I’ve actually spent the night (my only night in a motel without my family ever in my life).
My younger boy hated long car trips in the days of car seats because, he complained, the straps of the car seat impinged uncomfortably upon his private parts. At least you’re spared that.
How wonderful!
We much prefer picnicing when we travel. Except when we drive to NY for Christmas. Picnicing at interstate rest stops in December is quite as nice.
I made our little girls “bingo” cards. Things they could look for and identify on the way. With the miracle that is the computer, you could make hundreds!
When the kids come up here to visit, they get just as excited about stopping at the Eau Claire mall as they do about actually visiting me. The Eau Claire mall has a food court, a play area, and, most importantly, a bathroom with a small toilet and sink. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about going potty in that small Eau Claire toilet.