Day 11- Destination Nashville, TN

It was nice to sleep in a little while knowing the drive today was only 6 1/2 hours. We left about 9:30 after taking Jake for a long walk around the campground. It was a friendly, nice and clean campground. It was not busy at all. Met the people next to us packing up too and they had just been in SD too visiting and went to western part where all the site seeing is. Still eating donuts for breakfast which has been like every day when we are in the RV. 

Off to Nashville...

The drive was nice seemed to be by pretty quickly and sometimes you see some strange things...We were in Peculiar, MO and it was quite that. We were at a truck stop waiting for a pump to open and here comes a Uhaul and the driver turned but misjudged and took off the front end of a car that was getting gas but the owner was inside paying! What a disaster and the place was so busy we got outta there in a hurry and went across the road to another gas station. Charlie gets out trying to pump and the guy ahead of us too is trying to pump but nothing's coming out...The whole gas station is completely out of gas! Luckily we had enough to to get to another one down the road! 

We got into Nashville later than we had planned but it was still light out but just in time to check in as they were soon closing the office. We stayed at a really nice campground The Two Rivers Campground which is located a mile from the Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland area. 

After Charlie got us all hooked up and set I walked down to the pool with the boys and a guy was setting up to play music...but of course we are in Nashville. So they have live music every night poolside. How fun is that! He was actually really good to. So we enjoyed that the first night then thought we better get something to eat because it was getting late. 

So we thought we would go somewhere close by and just looked up on the map and saw there was a sports bar close by...thought that would be good. We called up Uber and as we pull up the adults in the car are noticing it is kind of in a back alley and sort of looks like a strip club! So the Uber driver kept on and we ended up at a Nashville famous restaurant John A's and it was good and typical Nashville place. It had live music. It was almost like a lounge type feel and gaudy furniture and decor. We were just happy to finally get something to eat and be in Nashvile and as Braedyn said, "It doesn't matter that it's 10 pm and were eating dinner, we are in Nashvegas". 

Had a nice dinner and back to the campground. That campground does not allow open fires so we just watched some TV and went to bed. Ready for some walking and touristy stuff the next day!

Day 10 - Hitting the Road Again-Goodbye SD-Destination Springfield, IL

Departing South Dakota...

It is always a sad day when we have to leave. Goodbyes are always hard. We had such a wonderful time and it goes by too fast.

We just put the kids in the RV with their Jammie's on about 6 am and they went back to bed and we hit the road.

Next destination...Springfield, MO 

We even got some homework done on the trip... Was making me think homeschooling wouldn't be all that bad if we can do things like this!

We made good time and pulled into Springfield, MO around 3:30 to the KOA campground on Route 66 where we made the reservations. We pulled in and got situated and it was going to be the first time Charlie had to use the hook ups and figure everything out...So I thought lets get out of his way. The kids noticed they had a little gem mining thing up by the store so of course they were excited to go do that. The pool wasn't happening because we only had a short time before we had to find a cab to town to a baseball game. 

Boys love rocks and doing the gem mining was something fun to do after the long ride. The sat and compared rocks and looked up to see what kinds they had found. 

Charlie was able to get everything hooked up but the A/C would cut off and on so we were a little concerned about that but it was time to leave and it was running. 

We got a cab into town for a 6:00 baseball game. The Springfield Cardinals. They are the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a really beautiful stadium.  We just got our tickets when we arrived and sat behind the visiting team. It was the San Diego Padres affiliate. The boys had a blast and it was a lot of fun and the heat wasn't too bad after the sun went down. They met the mascot and Braedyn got a little souvenir from the game staff. According to him "She threw it to the cute one". After the game the boys got to run the bases. Jordan loved that.

We took the cab back to the campground and poor Jake the AC had went out sometime when we were gone...I took him for a walk and cooled him down. Charlie tried to get a hold of someone but at this point it's like 11:30 back on NC time. It was like a sauna in there. I think I would've slept on a lounge chair outside if it didn't turn back on. They show you so many switches the day you go to pick it up and he was getting so frustrated because he knew they showed him but couldn't remember where the breaker was. Finally they called back we got it figured out and of course was a flip of a switch and it never did it again... There's always going to be some hiccups along the way and a learning curve! Luckily that was an easy fix and we all went to sleep very comfortably.

Day 8/9 Back in Viborg

Woke up back in Viborg at Charlie's parents. It was so beautiful out and no humidity...I could even go for a run at noon and wasn't dying from the heat and humidity...I sure cannot do that in NC. I love running there it is so peaceful and feels like home being back out in the country.  Growing up I always loved being at my grandparents on the farm. It takes me back to that time. I just loose myself in my music and the gravel roads that seem to go on forever. On my way back I saw 6 deer and 2 babies...

The boys went for a ride with Grandpa around the farm on the mule...no not an actual animal but the Mule is a off-road vehicle like the John Deere Gator. It is kind of a cross between a Gator and a golf cart...Braedyn got some driving lessons.

Jake is loving it back at the farm he can roam and it is like home for him to and we don't have to be so concerned of him running off. He actually didn't leave the house to far. He is having fun exploring too.

The cousins always come over and have fun together.

It is always relaxing back in SD!

The boys decided to stay at Jeana and Todd's for a sleepover so that was fun for them.  Then Charlie also was finally able to check in at work and log onto some wifi over at their house...it is so weird and freeing at the same time not to have any wifi! So he made sure everything was fine at work.  Someone has to pay for the trip...haha

Charlie and Boyd disappeared for quite some time out looking at land...which I am not sure how many beer that required so we can just assume a few...

The boys went over and swam at Swan Lake at some friends cabin and they were having a party at the Shore Store and we got to say goodbye to everyone that night.

We would have loved to stayed longer but 6 am wake up call and a long drive ahead of us. We called it in early.

Day 7-De Smet

Thursday

We left that lake after finally getting all packed up. We planned on going to De Smet to visit with Andy again before we head back. He wanted us to come see him again. 

It is good to spend some more time with him since we don't know when we will be able to do that again. 99 years old...He amazes me! When we pulled up he was out weeding his garden!

Hard to say goodbye to him...

Day 5/Day 6

Tuesday

It was another beautiful morning for a run. I have to say I was quite sore from skiing. It's muscles that haven't been used like that in a long time. 

When I got back Charlie's Grandpa Andy and Uncle Richie came over to visit. We had breakfast with them and they stayed all morning until early afternoon. It's always so good to visit with him and Charlie and him have a lot of special stories together growing up. The boys loved listening to his stories

He is 99 years old! Amazing! 

The kids played and swam each day. They love it up there.

On Tuesday late afternoon we had a little excitement with storms coming in. The siren went off at the lake and everything and the boys were freaking out. It can be kind of scary because you just never know what those storms will do. Luckily Grandpa Andy was a very smart man when he put the cabin in and he put in a storm shelter. Probably one of the only cabins up there that have one! So we would have had a place to go. 

Wednesday 

We hung out and it was our last full day at the lake and the cousins stayed until late afternoon to play too. They had to get back home. The boys took in some more fishing, swimming and building castles and other things in the sand. They also decided to try to catch minnows...Cooper was successful and he caught three...I know one of them he named Gary. They watch too much SpongeBob Square Pants. He put him in a jar and wanted to bring him home.

Cooper ended up going in and napping and he missed out on another tubing excursion. The neighbors on the other side had a bunch of high school kids and a jet ski. They had also had a fiasco of locking their keys in a car. Charlie came to the rescue and got the door unlocked for them. They offered to take boys out when they wanted so of course that evening then Braedyn and Jordan took advantage of that. They took them out for a long time and they had so much fun!

Day 4 - Fourth of July

It was a beautiful, crisp and cool morning. It felt so great I went for a run. The cabins are near a golf course community which has another lake attached to that so it is always a nice peaceful run in the mornings at the lake! A great way to start the day!

Dad went to put the boat in about noon and we started in on the water sports...I decided I wanted to ski. I have not skied since probably 2000 or even before. I started skiing when I was about 7 and I knew I could do it...it was like riding a bike. I got right up and dad pulled me around the lake for quite awhile. It was fun for the boys to see mom doing that. The only thing that was a little shocking to the system is the lake was still quite cold! After I got done since Cooper got up last year he wanted to try again. The first try he got up but leaned to far back and fell and then he got inside of his head so that was done...we got out the tubes instead and they had fun on those...it goes a lot faster than the pontoon can pull them :) The older boys really liked that!

Then it was time for dad to relax...that can be a little stressful because sometimes the lake gets busy and those other boaters aren't watching and they are pulling people too. It's not like out at Lake Pepin which is HUGE! You can pull someone and never see a boat. 

Jeana and Todd's friends stopped by with a pontoon and pulled the kids again later and they liked that. They would go all day I think.

They did some more fishing and swimming. We did some relaxing, eating and drinking! 

Dad always bring the Fourth of July fun! He did stop and get the REALLY BIG fireworks. So the boys had a blast lighting those off and they were something. They were big and bright and loud. Poor Jake was pacing up and down the camper and Charlie went to check on him...We didn't bring his sedatives. He survived...the A/C helped drown out the noises.

Day 3-headed to the Lake

On Sunday we woke up early again so we could get going to the lake. Lake Poinsett is 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive north of his parents. It is near where his Grandpa lives by De Smet, SD.

This is Charlie and the boys favorite place to when we go back. It is so relaxing and the boys love fishing, swimming and going tubing. The pontoon was broken so we couldn't take that out this year but my mom and dad were coming with their boat for a couple days. 

We got there and got all set up with RV and the boys ran to play with their cousins. They were going to be at the lake with us. The neighbors had let their college age kid and friends take over their cabin and the boys loved going over there and playing cornhole and whiffle ball with them. It was kind of free babysitting...They were fun and polite kids. We joined them for a couple drinks to and had some fun with them.

Oh to be young again...and No I did not do that!

The guy down by the water was really in the Fourth of July spirit lol looked like Waldo

Mom and dad came and got settled in. It was really too rough to do any water sports that day so the boys fished and swam a lot, played with the neighbors, played a lot of cornhole and built sand castles.

They would go in and play cards and watch some TV...and of course some games.

Braedyn's first walleye...he got 5

Daddy cleaning up the walleye for dinner

Playing made up pictionary with the cousins

Cooper and Lucy

It was great to see my parents again and my mom is doing great. We had a great day at the lake except for one minor mishap...walking back to our cabin from the neighbors they had tents tied up to trees and I had tripped over the rope and fell but caught myself and did a number on my index finger...I though for sure it was broken... But it was just jammed up really bad. Well, I think anyways...

OUCH

Day 2

We woke up and had a wonderful visit with John and Sherry and had breakfast. It was short because we needed to get back on the road as it was going to be about 12 hours this time. We had to go through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, to South Dakota.  We were thankful for the visit and letting us stay. It had been a long time since we had seen them and they had never met Jordan. Our North Carolina born baby hasn't met a lot of friends and family back home. We pulled out about 9:30

John and Sherry Morris - Boyd's good friend from the Army who they still keep in touch with.

The boys went back to bed and kept rolling...they woke up somewhere still in Indiana...

Watching the world pass by...

Road trip snacks are addicting!! Caramel Pecan Crunch! Kind of breakfast :)

Going through Illinois we passed the University of Illinois were Charlie spent three years at Law School and I enjoyed visiting him at school. That was neat for them to see where dad went to school. 

driving through Iowa we saw a nascar track that the lower class races. We saw lots of those big power windmills. There were hundreds of them in fields. You know you are in the Midwest when you can start seeing for miles...

The power windmills that line the fields in Nebraska and Iowa.

Are we there yet? How many more hours? Was the two questions we got about every hour...

More beyblades

Jake taking in that fresh cool Midwest air!!

You also know you are in the Midwest when you start seeing signs for Taco John restaurants. It's like Taco Bell chains but way better!! We got into Nebraska and heading to Soiux City, Iowa we saw lots of fireworks again as we got closer to the SD border. 

We hit rain when we got into Nebraska but only lasted until Sioux City. 

Our last gas stop came about 45 minutes from his parents...we quickly learned Jake probably was not going to do well around fireworks... It was a gas station in the middle of nowhere and people were lighting off fireworks and he as freaking out...So stopping at the big outlets for fireworks in South Dakota was not going to happen this year. 

We got to Boyd and Helen's in Viborg, South Dakota at around 10:15 pm. Charlie's parents greeted up in the driveway. The boys were so excited and relieved to be there and so was Charlie and I. The most excited was probably Jake so he could finally get out and run around the farm. He loved the open space. 

Day 1-July 1

I was worried when I dropped off Charlie the night before to pick up the RV and dropped him off at 1 and after picking up Jordan at UNC baseball camp at 4 he still was not home! I knew that was not a good sign. He came pulling in an a hatchback and said the camper's AC was not working...

So we did not get going at 8 am like we had planned. The plan was to pack the camper all night on Thursday to just get up and roll out as early as possible since we had a 11 hour drive ahead of us. 

We got the RV at 10 am Friday morning and the AC was fixed. It took us two hours to load everything up and we pulled out of the driveway at noon. If we were driving straight thru we would've arrived at around 11. but we knew that wasn't going to happen. Our first destination was Glennwood, Indiana at a family friends place outside of Indianapolis. 

We pulled out of the driveway and stuff started flying off of the countertop...oops! Forgot to bungee some stuff down and put away before we took off....rookies.

I put the toaster in the sink and bungeed some of the other things down.

It was a pretty drive through the mountains of NC on the Blue Ridge parkway, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and into Indiana. 

Pilot Knob Mountain in NC

We saw some of the recent flooding waters of West Virginia. The water was high. Saw where I have a cousin who played football at the University of Charleston, WV. The semi trucks were awful and plentiful. Going through mountains with Semis around was the worst part. 

The boys slept off and on and played on their games. They played cards. They really enjoyed laying in the back bed and waving at cars and trucks and getting semi trucks to honk at them. They played the license plate game. They brought their beyblades and stadium for it so we heard a lot of clanging of beyblades coming from the back. 

Having a bathroom while driving was key so we made good time without a lot of stops except for gas and walking Jake and letting him go potty. He loves riding in a vehicle so he did great. When we got into Indiana it was Friday of Fourth of July weekend and so we got to see a lot of different fireworks going off.

We got to John and Sherry's at around 11:30-midnight. The boys were sleeping but Cooper woke up about an hour before we got there. He was too excited to go back to sleep. 

Charlie pulled in and had to try to maneuver the big camper on these little tiny streets in this small town in Indiana. Their son had greeted us as him and his neighbor friends were up around a fire. 

We got all settled in and joined them at the fire. They were a fun bunch :)