The Final Frontier (An Alaska Trip Report - UPDATED 4/25)

[juniorbugman]

And there you have it. It took us eleven years, but we finally reached all 50 states (except Drew, of course, who has 49 and still needs to visit Hawaii, which means we need to go back—darn it all!).

50 states

44 national parks (of 63)

6 Disney theme parks

31 Disney restaurants

42 major cities

Summing up this whole adventure requires more thought and its own chapter, so I’ll save most of my musings for that. But suffice it to say: I’m so glad we did this. There were too many special moments and memories to count. Even the hassles were worth it, because they ended up turning into good stories later. Traveling is the best money we ever spent.

Congratulations on finally making your 50 state goal. What an accomplishment.
I am sure that the family loved their trips and can't wait for more.
Not sure what trips you will be taking now that 2 of the kids are in post secondary or is it just 1 now and 1 starting in the fall?

 

[pkondz]

On our final day in Alaska, we ran out of stuff to do.

Understandable... it's not a very big place, after all.

But the weather was cool (55F/13C)

Bit of a typo there. You wrote "cool". I think you meant to say "warm".

A large portion of its funding originally came from settlement funds from the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster.

Huh!

Drew could have told you that as soon as he found a boat play area.

What's not to love? Boys and boats. Match made in Heaven.

One of the scientific displays was an example of a thermal imaging camera, which can be helpful when finding life in the cool waters of the ocean or spotting teens throwing up gang signs.

I do believe it was the latter reason that the cameras were developed in the first place.

They had plenty of tanks filled with the requisite exotic fish, which of course we did not write down and now cannot identify.

Black & Yellow Rockfish.


You're welcome.

This particular tufted puffin was very entertaining. He was constantly shaking, diving, fluffing his feathers, and generally looking like he was experiencing seizures. We did what all compassionate visitors would do and laughed and took pictures.

But of course! I hope you pointed at it, too.

You might be shocked to learn that an animal this size can eat quite a lot of fish.

Actually... I'm always shocked at the shear size of them.

Julie used up the last of our food supplies to make our final round of PB&J sandwiches for lunch.

Yusssss...

We reached Turnagain Arm (again),

again?

Driving all the way to town would have required using a tunnel that is shared with a train, which could have made for an interesting experience. They have to shut down the road every time a train comes through, so there’s a chance you can get stuck in Whittier for a while.

I understand not wanting to get trapped, but... that sure would be a cool experience.

Even when it's cloudy... still beautiful.

There wasn’t much to it, but we got to learn a bit about the area and watch a short film on the residents of the area, some of whom lost their small village to the Exxon Valdez spill.

Really! I didn't know that people were displaced as well.

The first, as I had mentioned in a previous chapter, was the chance to see a bore tide. As you can see from the photos, the tide was out, but we had a chance to watch it roll in if we stopped at an overlook called Beluga Point. The problem was that when we reached the overlook, we were still 45 minutes early for the tide. We technically had the time to wait, but it was very cold and windy outside. Windy enough that it was hard to walk or stand still. And no one wanted to sit in the van staring at the water for 45 minutes. So we abandoned that idea.

I think I would've waited, but... 45 minutes for me? Nothing. 45 minutes with kids? Eternity.

perhaps the greatest name I’ve ever seen in my life: the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ.

Sounds appealing.

I guess we’ll have to come back someday.

Sure, why not. I mean... you already live in the same country. So you're practically there.

we heard the front desk quoting a two-hour wait to some walk-ins.

I went for the double-dipped fried chicken sandwich

Oh, man... that sounds (and looks) good.

And he said it was good, saw it was good, and it was good.

So... you're saying it's good?

Julie ordered a fettucine jambalaya that she seemed to enjoy quite a bit.

Dang... Can I have both? Love a good fettucine jambalaya.

We’ll give out one final Drooling Homer Award here.

Sounds like it was well deserved.

I find that it’s always much harder to travel east than west when it comes to fighting jet lag.

I'd agree with that.
However, if the distance is great enough... I don't know if it matters which direction you fly.
If we're talking North America... I consider myself fortunate to live in the middle where there's generally only a 2 hour difference no matter which direction I take. (Alaska would be 3, but... usually max dif is 2)

This theory assumes, however, that the traveler has no problem sleeping on a plane.

Yeah... I get that. I don't sleep on planes either.
(Although you did manage some. Kudos.)

When is your vacation officially over? Some would say it’s when you get back home. My answer is that it’s over when you check your bags and have to get into a TSA line that looks like this:

Hmmm... actually, that's a good question. If I'm driving, it's over when I get home. Flying? I think for me it's when I land at my home airport.

and by some small miracle I managed to take two or three hour-long naps on that flight,

<applause>

I remember waking up when we were directly over Winnipeg and giving @pkondz a wave.

If you'd kept your eyes open for another second, you would've seen me waving back.

I figured it was some ungodly hour like 4 in the morning so he was very likely at work trying to make sure Canada was safe from an Oblivious Family invasion.

Reasonable assumption. I certainly see plenty of flights off PANC.

As always, the cost for a ride to/from the airport from a family member is a Claymont cheesesteak, which is a price I am always happy to pay.

I totally understand that!

And it sure beats long-term parking.

Dunno... what if you could get one cheesesteak per day parked?

we finally reached all 50 states (except Drew, of course, who has 49 and still needs to visit Hawaii, which means we need to go back—darn it all!).

Impressive... and yes... I think an Oblivious do-over is in order.

50 states

44 national parks (of 63)

6 Disney theme parks

31 Disney restaurants

42 major cities

But suffice it to say: I’m so glad we did this. There were too many special moments and memories to count.

There sure were some incredible things on this trip.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Congratulations on finally making your 50 state goal. What an accomplishment.
I am sure that the family loved their trips and can't wait for more.
Not sure what trips you will be taking now that 2 of the kids are in post secondary or is it just 1 now and 1 starting in the fall?

Thanks!

We'll have to see how things go. Dave is a senior in high school and will graduate this summer, so we're trying to put together a summer trip for him. We're looking at southern California, since it's an area we haven't explored much yet. There will be lots of DIsneyland and baseball if all goes well. (and the baseball lockout ends)

Thanks for reading along, Randall!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Understandable... it's not a very big place, after all.

For such a big place, there isn't much of it that you can actually reach easily.

Bit of a typo there. You wrote "cool". I think you meant to say "warm".

It's all relative.

What's not to love? Boys and boats. Match made in Heaven.

Truth. Actually, that's true with pretty much any mode of transportation.

I do believe it was the latter reason that the cameras were developed in the first place.

Not even going to look it up, because it sounds so true.

Black & Yellow Rockfish.


You're welcome.

Thanks! There are a lot more colors present, though.

But of course! I hope you pointed at it, too.

Naturally! And then tapped on the glass.

Actually... I'm always shocked at the shear size of them.

They are massive. Hard to believe they can even move, let alone as fast as they do.

again?

And again.

I understand not wanting to get trapped, but... that sure would be a cool experience.

I definitely couldn't afford that chance on departure day, but I thought it was a unique little quirk.

Even when it's cloudy... still beautiful.

Really! I didn't know that people were displaced as well.

Yeah, if I remember the film correctly it was somewhat due to they way they lived off the land/waters. When they're poisoned, it forces them to move on.

I think I would've waited, but... 45 minutes for me? Nothing. 45 minutes with kids? Eternity.

Agreed. I would have liked to have seen it, but that would have been a chore to sit there.

Sounds appealing.

I smile every time I hear that name. Love a place with a sense of humor.

Sure, why not. I mean... you already live in the same country. So you're practically there.

Practically next door!

Oh, man... that sounds (and looks) good.

And it was....

So... you're saying it's good?

Good!

Dang... Can I have both? Love a good fettucine jambalaya.

If you're paying, you can have whatever you want!

Sounds like it was well deserved.

I'd certainly say so.

I'd agree with that.
However, if the distance is great enough... I don't know if it matters which direction you fly.
If we're talking North America... I consider myself fortunate to live in the middle where there's generally only a 2 hour difference no matter which direction I take. (Alaska would be 3, but... usually max dif is 2)

Makes sense. Living on the east coast does make it a bit tougher. From my own experience, flying to Hawaii was a very long day, and we were tired when we landed. But then we got a second wind and were able to stay up late to help with the transition. Whereas coming back east we were forced to take a redeye and that never goes well.

Yeah... I get that. I don't sleep on planes either.
(Although you did manage some. Kudos.)

That was probably the best I'd ever done. Usually I get maybe an hour tops.

Hmmm... actually, that's a good question. If I'm driving, it's over when I get home. Flying? I think for me it's when I land at my home airport.

That seems reasonable. The TSA line there felt like a hard dose of reality.

If you'd kept your eyes open for another second, you would've seen me waving back.

I did look. To be fair, it was pretty cloudy.

Reasonable assumption. I certainly see plenty of flights off PANC.

I almost thought there was a better chance of you being there at 4 a.m. than during normal business hours.

I totally understand that!

It's really a win/win for both the driver and the travelers.

Dunno... what if you could get one cheesesteak per day parked?

Oh man....I know I'd weigh 50 lbs. heavier.

Impressive... and yes... I think an Oblivious do-over is in order.

I guess I'll get on that!


(hoping for 2024)

There sure were some incredible things on this trip.

Alaska is easily one of the top-5 most beautiful places I've seen. It was just incredible.

 

[pkondz]

For such a big place, there isn't much of it that you can actually reach easily.

Now that I believe!

It's all relative

Nope. My sister says it’s warm too.

Thanks! There are a lot more colors present, though.

Hey, I didn’t name it.

Yeah, if I remember the film correctly it was somewhat due to they way they lived off the land/waters. When they're poisoned, it forces them to move on.

Ooooohhh. Right.

If you're paying, you can have whatever you want!

Yuss…

Makes sense. Living on the east coast does make it a bit tougher. From my own experience, flying to Hawaii was a very long day, and we were tired when we landed. But then we got a second wind and were able to stay up late to help with the transition. Whereas coming back east we were forced to take a redeye and that never goes well.

Good point! Been to Hawaii three times and coming back was harder.

I did look. To be fair, it was pretty cloudy.

That’s right. I remember now.

Alaska is easily one of the top-5 most beautiful places I've seen. It was just incredible.

You’re making me very glad I’m going.

 

[luv2sewtjr]

I’m a long time lurker and have enjoyed all the trip reports. Congrats on 50 with most of the family!

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

Thanks for reading along, Randall!

 

[afwdwfan]

Drew could have told you that as soon as he found a boat play area.

So you were there for a couple of hours you say? I'm guessing this took up at least a solid hour and 45 minutes of that.

We drove north and as we went, Julie used up the last of our food supplies to make our final round of PB&J sandwiches for lunch. It’s rare that we don’t end up with leftovers, so we congratulated ourselves on some truly fine asset management in this case.

I'm impressed! Excellent job!

The problem was that when we reached the overlook, we were still 45 minutes early for the tide. We technically had the time to wait, but it was very cold and windy outside. Windy enough that it was hard to walk or stand still. And no one wanted to sit in the van staring at the water for 45 minutes. So we abandoned that idea.

I get that... Would be neat to see, but after all that time sitting in the van over the course of the trip... yeah, kind of makes sense to move on.

The other miss was a meal stop. In this case, it was the middle of the afternoon and we’d liked the idea of using up all of the lunch supplies so we didn’t have to pack anything or throw out perfectly good food. This was a good thing, to be sure, but it meant that we missed out on a stop at a restaurant that has perhaps the greatest name I’ve ever seen in my life: the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ.

Definitely sounds like your kind of place!

I don’t have any visual evidence of a dessert. We may have had the rare occasion when we were too full to order anything else. Nevertheless, the food was terrific and made for a great last meal in Alaska. We’ll give out one final Drooling Homer Award here.

Looks incredible. As good as dessert is, looks like they gave you enough food to feel completely miserable by the time you left.

I find that it’s always much harder to travel east than west when it comes to fighting jet lag.

I don’t sleep well on planes. Or in cars. Or sitting up in general.

I can relate. Definitely makes for a rough transition back.

When is your vacation officially over? Some would say it’s when you get back home. My answer is that it’s over when you check your bags and have to get into a TSA line that looks like this:

No. This isn't when it is over. This is just the Hell phase of the vacation.

And there you have it. It took us eleven years, but we finally reached all 50 states (except Drew, of course, who has 49 and still needs to visit Hawaii, which means we need to go back—darn it all!).

Congratlations!!!! I'm already looking forward to Drew's Hawaii trip.

 

[Steppesister]

I can't keep up here either. So I can only follow a couple of TR's and I just choose to stick with the friends I've developed over the years, like you and pkondz and Alison. I don't have the bandwidth for more. And I'm sure the slow updates mean other readers lose interest, but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm just doing it for fun anyway.

I think the folks I'm subbing in to are having to realize that commenting is going to be less than I'd like. Sadly, I've also had to let go of the ones where there wasn't any reciprocal interaction. I can't invest a lot of time where there doesn't seem to be a turnabout in interest. I will read if the writing is really top notch but, like you, I've had to be a bit more choosey given the limited time I have.

Yeah, it's not any fun to realize that we can't do all the things we used to be able to do. I really work hard to be efficient with my time, too. Sitting around makes me feel like I'm "wasting time", even though I know it's needed.

Exactly. It takes more intentional time just resting in order to recharge for the work week and while the guilty feelings I too have are there, it's really necessary.

Pretty much. We were there about 45 minutes early for one, but it was extremely cold and windy on the point and nobody wanted to wait around in that weather.

I hate to see that your plan was messed up from weather. BUMMER!

It's been a struggle for sure. I certainly don't want to get into debates over which sources are more reputable than others. I think I'm more upset by the way everyone instantly has a fully-formed opinion, and then when presented with new information that contradicts that opinion they resort to shouting it down rather than allowing their minds to be changed.

We all need a big dose of humility.

Another point we agree on.

But at this point, we’ d crossed everything—national parks, wildlife sightings, glaciers—off the list of items we’d wanted to see.

And yet, since it's so spectacular, no reason to not be eager to see some of it again.

But the weather was cool (55F/13C) and very overcast, so it was very iffy whether we’d get to see anything as a reward for the effort.

A bit cold for my own comfort too.

which can be helpful when finding life in the cool waters of the ocean or spotting teens throwing up gang signs.

We reached Turnagain Arm (again), and began the drive around the long inlet. This time, however, I made a right on the side road towards the town of Whittier. Driving all the way to town would have required using a tunnel that is shared with a train, which could have made for an interesting experience. They have to shut down the road every time a train comes through, so there’s a chance you can get stuck in Whittier for a while. Rather than chance it, we stopped just short at Portage Lake.

For a bit I thought you meant you could be IN the tunnel at the same time as the train. Now THAT would be pretty cool. One for real thrill seekers.

There wasn’t much to it, but we got to learn a bit about the area and watch a short film on the residents of the area, some of whom lost their small village to the Exxon Valdez spill. Again, this was a nice little distraction to help break up our drive.

I didn't know that folks had to abandon homes and towns. I also wonder why they can't, or don't want to, go back.

The problem was that when we reached the overlook, we were still 45 minutes early for the tide. We technically had the time to wait, but it was very cold and windy outside. Windy enough that it was hard to walk or stand still. And no one wanted to sit in the van staring at the water for 45 minutes. So we abandoned that idea.

While it certainly looked like a super cool thing to see, yeah, I think I'd have bailed too.

but it meant that we missed out on a stop at a restaurant that has perhaps the greatest name I’ve ever seen in my life: the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ.

That's perfection in BBQ nomenclature.

I find that it’s always much harder to travel east than west when it comes to fighting jet lag. When you go to the west, you can just stay up late and generally make the adjustment to the new time zone in a day or two. Coming back east, your whole body clock is completely messed up. It’s time for bed and you feel like you should just be sitting down for dinner.

Having traveled... a lot, I agree.

When is your vacation officially over? Some would say it’s when you get back home. My answer is that it’s over when you check your bags and have to get into a TSA line that looks like this:

Yeah, that's about when it hits.

I remember waking up when we were directly over Winnipeg and giving @pkondz a wave. I figured it was some ungodly hour like 4 in the morning so he was very likely at work trying to make sure Canada was safe from an Oblivious Family invasion.

As always, the cost for a ride to/from the airport from a family member is a Claymont cheesesteak, which is a price I am always happy to pay. And it sure beats long-term parking.

Can I take you to the airport sometime?

Traveling is the best money we ever spent.

PREACH!!!

 

[WDW2012]

Wow! As always, thanks for sharing your journeys with us. Can't wait to hear the final wrap up on all 50. What an accomplishment. You seem to have raised very well rounded children and I am sure they appreciate these journeys you have been on and I am even more sure that the older they get, they will appreciate them that much more. My youngest is 15 and is just starting to understand and appreciate all that we do as parents. What an amazing gift you have given them. They (and you) are very lucky!

 

[franandaj]

On our final day in Alaska, we ran out of stuff to do.

I find that hard to believe!

My original plan had been to try and do a couple of hikes I’d researched that we could get to on the drive back. But the weather was cool (55F/13C) and very overcast, so it was very iffy whether we’d get to see anything as a reward for the effort.

So we improvised.

That's always a solid move!

the Alaska Sea Life Center had caught our eye. I’d read good things about it on travel sites, and my parents had recommended it as well. Seemed like as good a place as any to spend a couple of hours.

Sure, why not?

Drew could have told you that as soon as he found a boat play area.

Score!

They had plenty of tanks filled with the requisite exotic fish, which of course we did not write down and now cannot identify.

I take pictures of the signs for things so I'll remember. I may not post the pictures but at least I have a clue of what it is. Then again sometimes not.

This particular tufted puffin was very entertaining.

He looks cold.

Julie used up the last of our food supplies to make our final round of PB&J sandwiches for lunch. It’s rare that we don’t end up with leftovers, so we congratulated ourselves on some truly fine asset management in this case.

I'd say that was very good asset management. At the end of our last trip, we gave the Bellman 3 2-litre bottles of zero sugar soda because Fran only drank one the whole trip. Plus we put about a six pack of 500ml bottle in our suitcases.

We technically had the time to wait, but it was very cold and windy outside. Windy enough that it was hard to walk or stand still. And no one wanted to sit in the van staring at the water for 45 minutes. So we abandoned that idea.

I would have played games on my tablet, but kids probably aren't as easily entertained.

we missed out on a stop at a restaurant that has perhaps the greatest name I’ve ever seen in my life: the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ.

That owner has surely got a sense of humor.

This was one of the more popular places in Anchorage, and a reservation was a necessity—we heard the front desk quoting a two-hour wait to some walk-ins.

Yikes! I would never wait that long for a meal.

I went for the double-dipped fried chicken sandwich and washed it down with their version of an oatmeal stout. The sandwich ended up featuring a chicken breast as big as my face.

That looks like the chicken sandwich at Pym's Test Kitchen!

Julie ordered a fettucine jambalaya that she seemed to enjoy quite a bit.

Now I want pasta. Good thing it is on the menu for tomorrow night!

And a couple of the kid split the fish and chips option.

Those look very good, but not enough chips.

I find that it’s always much harder to travel east than west when it comes to fighting jet lag.

Really? I'm not sure if I get jet lag, but it does kill me going from being a late night(ish) owl on the West Coast, to having to get up before the morning is gone when we travel to WDW.

When you go to the west, you can just stay up late and generally make the adjustment to the new time zone in a day or two.

I always try to use my East Coast momentum to accomplish things in the early mornings, I don't even think I got two days out of it this time.

Coming back east, your whole body clock is completely messed up. It’s time for bed and you feel like you should just be sitting down for dinner.

Well, I don't know about that, but for sure I'm wanting dinner and all the kitchens are closing!

When is your vacation officially over? Some would say it’s when you get back home. My answer is that it’s over when you check your bags and have to get into a TSA line that looks like this:

Since my only vacations lately have been to WDW, I would say it ends that morning when you get up and have to throw your remaining items into the suitcase and call Bell Services. Nothing really fun is going to happen after that.

As always, the cost for a ride to/from the airport from a family member is a Claymont cheesesteak, which is a price I am always happy to pay. And it sure beats long-term parking.

We got our first "ride" to and from the airport this past trip and it was really nice not to fork out the $120 for parking and to get home more quickly.

50 states

44 national parks (of 63)

6 Disney theme parks

31 Disney restaurants

42 major cities

Hey that's pretty cool that you can know that, plus the fact you know you've eaten at 31 Disney restaurants. Now how did you determine that? Was it just on Disney property or do they have to be owned and operated by Disney?

Traveling is the best money we ever spent.

I could say that too. As well as my walk-in bathtub. And my cooking blender. Now I feel like Steve Martin in the jerk, I'll just keep coming up more stuff!

The final word on the 50 States Quest. And if I can stall long enough, I’ll try and get the rest of the family to weigh in on their favorites along the way…as well as some experiences they don’t feel the need to repeat. Ever.

And when you get the family together ask them which park they want to start in?

 

[franandaj]

I can't keep up here either. So I can only follow a couple of TR's and I just choose to stick with the friends I've developed over the years, like you and pkondz and Alison. I don't have the bandwidth for more. And I'm sure the slow updates mean other readers lose interest, but there's nothing I can do about that. I'm just doing it for fun anyway.

I appreciate you sticking around! I'm having trouble keeping up here, so I don't mind the slow updates!

I've actually subbed into a couple other TRs, and both of them posted their first update and haven't come back since. I don't think it's just us and @Steppesister!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Now that I believe!

So much of it really felt like we were going into the wilderness, off the grid. Kinda neat.

Nope. My sister says it’s warm too.

Sounds like you and your family need to move south.

Good point! Been to Hawaii three times and coming back was harder.

Yeah, that flight is particularly brutal. You basically lose a day in recovery afterwards.

You’re making me very glad I’m going.

Can't wait to hear about it! You'll love it.

I’m a long time lurker and have enjoyed all the trip reports. Congrats on 50 with most of the family!

Thank you for sticking with me and reading along! Hope it was worth the time!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So you were there for a couple of hours you say? I'm guessing this took up at least a solid hour and 45 minutes of that.

That's...probably a pretty good guess!

I'm impressed! Excellent job!

Not having to throw anything out or find room in the suitcase for it was a big win!

I get that... Would be neat to see, but after all that time sitting in the van over the course of the trip... yeah, kind of makes sense to move on.

If the weather had been decent enough for us to walk around and climb on the rocks, I think we would have waited. But it was just too windy and cold to stay out there.

Definitely sounds like your kind of place!

Looks incredible. As good as dessert is, looks like they gave you enough food to feel completely miserable by the time you left.

Oh yeah. There was no skimping on the portions there.

I can relate. Definitely makes for a rough transition back.

So...tired...

No. This isn't when it is over. This is just the Hell phase of the vacation.

Ah, yes. Thanks for correcting me.

Congratlations!!!! I'm already looking forward to Drew's Hawaii trip.

Me too! That's looking like 2024 if we can swing it.

 

[pkondz]

So much of it really felt like we were going into the wilderness, off the grid. Kinda neat.

Sounds like you and your family need to move south.

I have thought about that... being a snowbird, I mean. Doesn't look like it's in the cards, though.

Can't wait to hear about it! You'll love it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I think the folks I'm subbing in to are having to realize that commenting is going to be less than I'd like. Sadly, I've also had to let go of the ones where there wasn't any reciprocal interaction. I can't invest a lot of time where there doesn't seem to be a turnabout in interest. I will read if the writing is really top notch but, like you, I've had to be a bit more choosey given the limited time I have.

I always tried to reciprocate in the past, but now I really don't have the time to reach out and follow a bunch of TR's. Wish I did, because a lot of my old friends have left the boards.

Exactly. It takes more intentional time just resting in order to recharge for the work week and while the guilty feelings I too have are there, it's really necessary.

ZZZZZzzzzzzzz....huh? What?

I hate to see that your plan was messed up from weather. BUMMER!

You kind of have to expect that in Alaska, though. I was actually surprised we had as good a stretch of weather as we did.

Another point we agree on.

I'd better quit while I'm ahead!

And yet, since it's so spectacular, no reason to not be eager to see some of it again.

A bit cold for my own comfort too.

@pkondz will make fun of you, too.

For a bit I thought you meant you could be IN the tunnel at the same time as the train. Now THAT would be pretty cool. One for real thrill seekers.

I don't think that would be covered in the rental contract.

I didn't know that folks had to abandon homes and towns. I also wonder why they can't, or don't want to, go back.

I think it was a matter of living off the waters there. When the spill poisoned them, it made moving necessary.

While it certainly looked like a super cool thing to see, yeah, I think I'd have bailed too.

If only it hadn't been so windy! They would have loved climbing on the rocks.

That's perfection in BBQ nomenclature.

*chef's kiss*

Having traveled... a lot, I agree.

If anyone, you would know!

Yeah, that's about when it hits.

Can I take you to the airport sometime?

No one can resist the siren call of cheesesteaks.

Wow! As always, thanks for sharing your journeys with us. Can't wait to hear the final wrap up on all 50. What an accomplishment. You seem to have raised very well rounded children and I am sure they appreciate these journeys you have been on and I am even more sure that the older they get, they will appreciate them that much more. My youngest is 15 and is just starting to understand and appreciate all that we do as parents. What an amazing gift you have given them. They (and you) are very lucky!

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you saying that. The dirty secret of parenting is that none of us knows what we're doing, so it's very rewarding to hear you think we did ok. Only now are we realizing how little time we actually have with them.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I find that hard to believe!

These small towns don't always have a lot going on.

I take pictures of the signs for things so I'll remember. I may not post the pictures but at least I have a clue of what it is. Then again sometimes not.

Probably a smart idea. I always count on my memory, which...isn't working as well these days.

He looks cold.

He should have gotten out of the water!

I'd say that was very good asset management. At the end of our last trip, we gave the Bellman 3 2-litre bottles of zero sugar soda because Fran only drank one the whole trip. Plus we put about a six pack of 500ml bottle in our suitcases.

Yeah, we've had some trips where we were trying to squeeze food into the suitcase or left it for the next resident of the hotel room. It happens.

I would have played games on my tablet, but kids probably aren't as easily entertained.

Normally they would do that, too, but it helps if the car is moving.

That owner has surely got a sense of humor.

I sure appreciated it!

Yikes! I would never wait that long for a meal.

I don't want to wait 2 hours for anything!

That looks like the chicken sandwich at Pym's Test Kitchen!

It does! That's probably what I would most want to try at Pym's as well.

Now I want pasta. Good thing it is on the menu for tomorrow night!

That worked out well.

Those look very good, but not enough chips.

There are never enough.

Really? I'm not sure if I get jet lag, but it does kill me going from being a late night(ish) owl on the West Coast, to having to get up before the morning is gone when we travel to WDW.

Right. Staying up late is much easier than getting up early.

I always try to use my East Coast momentum to accomplish things in the early mornings, I don't even think I got two days out of it this time.

We always talk about trying to "stay on east coast time" when we go west, and it never happens.

Well, I don't know about that, but for sure I'm wanting dinner and all the kitchens are closing!

Sigh....

Since my only vacations lately have been to WDW, I would say it ends that morning when you get up and have to throw your remaining items into the suitcase and call Bell Services. Nothing really fun is going to happen after that.

That is so true.

We got our first "ride" to and from the airport this past trip and it was really nice not to fork out the $120 for parking and to get home more quickly.

Yeah, it's great if you can pull that off. Saves so much money!

Hey that's pretty cool that you can know that, plus the fact you know you've eaten at 31 Disney restaurants. Now how did you determine that? Was it just on Disney property or do they have to be owned and operated by Disney?

It's every single restaurant we ate at in the Disney World resort. Come to think of it, I don't know if I included Disneyland restaurants in that number. But it was those in theme parks and resorts. Now I have to go back and check.

I could say that too. As well as my walk-in bathtub. And my cooking blender. Now I feel like Steve Martin in the jerk, I'll just keep coming up more stuff!

And my thermos.

And when you get the family together ask them which park they want to start in?

Mission accomplished!

I appreciate you sticking around! I'm having trouble keeping up here, so I don't mind the slow updates!

I've actually subbed into a couple other TRs, and both of them posted their first update and haven't come back since. I don't think it's just us and @Steppesister!

Nobody has time to waste on the DISboards anymore!

 

[becauseimnew]

Thanks for sharing your big adventures with us! I can’t imagine how time consuming it must be to write these detailed reports but I sure have enjoyed them all.
Congratulations to all of you for seeing all 50 states. Hopefully Drew can put his feet on Hawaii.

 

[pkondz]

@pkondz will make fun of you, too.