The Dry Heat Expedition (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Disneyland)--UPDATE 6/12 (KSC and DTD)

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Absolutely fabulous, as always! Though I'm nosy...is that pin for NC at Kitty Hawk? You know I'm a big fan of my home state.

I anxiously await the next TR! I'm jealous of your plans, because right now our exciting family trip is to Myrtle Beach. With the dog, so we'll see how that goes. Of course, I can't say too much, because my job is sending me to Europe for free. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. Too bad Joe gets left at home

 

[franandaj]

Much of the American Southwest feels like another planet. The heat, dry air, and rock formations are totally foreign to me as an East-Coast-dweller.

Funny, snow, humidty, and cold are totally foreign concepts to me!

And anyone who considers themselves a fan of Disney should make the effort to see the original theme park.

No truer words have been spoken.

Most Valuable DISFriend on this trip: Alison (duh)

aw shucks!

As most of you figured out from my very subtle hints, our primary destination is Yellowstone National Park.

Or maybe not so subtle....

Who needs a TV when you can see geysers? And Julie and I both survived living in college dorms, so the shared bathroom thing doesn’t faze us.

The TV part I can work with, but sharing bathrooms down the hall is not. Sorry, I'm a bathroom snob. I also bailed on the dorms for an apartment after my freshman year.

Sunday: Canyonlands National Park. Stay in Moab, UT.

I've been here! It's very cool! We drove the 50 mile 4WD route that you have to camp out 1 or two nights back somewhere around 30 years ago.

In any case, I’m in the middle of grabbing hotel reservations and finding organic/health-conscious/vegan restaurants for our meals, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please fire away!

I'm sure you will find lots of those in the Midwest, and you'll find plenty of delicious choices that your family will enjoy. Much like how I'm trying to find things I like on my "yummy" new diet plan.

I’m sure I will attempt another Trip Report on this one. Since there is no Disney element involved, I will most likely post it on the DIS Dads boards (under Family) here.

Please post a link here or send out a Bat Signal. I don't frequent the DisDads forum, and I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on the next Oblivious vacation!

Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and he’ll have to chase after you in his socks.

I am really looking forward to more.....

 

[Poolrat]

Furthermore, we want the kids to have the experiences. Don’t tell them, but this is a big part of their education. They only think they’re on summer break. In reality, we’re just trying to give them a more fun, spectacular, and memorable classroom. I really believe traveling shapes your character as well. I don’t have any scientific proof, but I believe someone who has to deal with the hassles of various modes of transportation learns to be flexible and ready for sudden changes. Someone who experiences various terrains and climates learns to appreciate the variety, and embrace new experiences. And someone who meets people from various locales learns to appreciate the differences in people, and how to be open-minded instead of rushing to judgment.

Well said and I agree.

And, of course, someone who is willing to eat a burger patty made of 50% ground bacon demonstrates a truly refined palate

Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and he’ll have to chase after you in his socks.

and also true.

I should have made food a higher priority at Disneyland. We were just focused on the rides. Food was a minor detail.

I did the same thing...... Went back and did better. Still might need some tweaking though...




Mark, I enjoyed the journey, You and Julie are brave and fearless with you itinerary and a baby in tow. You handled it like champs and so did the kids. I look forward to hearing all about Yellowstone.
Fingers still crossed for you about the job.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

(be sure to tip your faithful reporter on the way out).

And it'd be nice if you helped him back up again afterward

Furthermore, we want the kids to have the experiences. Don’t tell them, but this is a big part of their education.

one I wish more young'ens could experience.

And, of course, someone who is willing to eat a burger patty made of 50% ground bacon demonstrates a truly refined palate.

Truly

Anyway, like I said, I don’t have any proof of the above statements, but they feel right, and now they’re written on a web page, so they must be true.

"FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!"

One thing I definitely know is true: traveling is expensive.

Amen to that

We’ve cut and squeezed every dollar from our budget that we could in order to do this. And I have no regrets over doing so.

and Amen to that as well

I would rank Bryce Canyon, Zion, and of course the Grand Canyon as 3 places you really should not miss.

They're certainly on our radar

And anyone who considers themselves a fan of Disney should make the effort to see the original theme park.

Working on it.

Yes, he was up at least twice a night, which was not fun. But he would have done the same thing at home.

And that's the real trick to it.
A lot of the barriers to new experiences are the ones we put up ourselves.
Well, except for that money thing, that one's fairly real.

Sights I Never Need To See Again
6. An expired, unused Indiana Jones Fastpass

Still having nightmares?
You may need to start a support group.

Disneyland Rides Which Are Better Than Their Disney World Counterparts

Until we can get out there, I'll have to take your word for these
But I'm not surprised by the list either.

Best Drive: Eastern entrance to Zion National Park through the tunnel

Duly noted.

They don’t typically tell you the name of the hotel where you are getting the deal until you book it, but if you read through the ratings and features carefully you can usually figure it out.

Care to write a chapter listing some of those tips for figuring them out?

I’ve been trying to book 2 or 3 per month that way in order to spread the costs out. The downside of that approach is that it’s non-refundable, but our plane tickets are already bought so we’re committed anyway. Spreading the costs out month by month and paying slowly in advance will help us in the long run, I think.

Well just saving the money means that there is always an amount of cash sitting aside that can be delved into to solve unrelated and what appear at the time to be immediate needs. Thus ensuring that you'll never actually use it for what was intended. You method does have a - use it or loose it - incentive built in to make sure that the travel does actually take place.

As most of you figured out from my very subtle hints...

Hints? Subtle?!?
You gave hints?
you wrote something subtle?
Where was I when this happened!

The Old Faithful Inn is the building that served as the primary inspiration for the Wilderness Lodge...

Say no more

...there’s no air-conditioning, no TV, and you have to share a bathroom with other guests.

Whoops... glad you said more.
Not an issue to me, convincing thr boss might be a tougher sell.

Here’s the plan:

And a pretty good plan form the looks of it.

In any case, I’m in the middle of grabbing hotel reservations and finding organic/health-conscious/vegan restaurants for our meals

It's on the internet, so it must be true

so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please fire away!

When in Denver, try the brownies...

Once again, thank you for being such faithful readers and being willing to suffer along as I relate our family’s misadventures.

What suffer?
A lot of it I'll never see.
Good that someone got to.

So, I bid you a fond adieu (does anybody really say that?)

Ummm...
Actually, I may have done so once or twice.
Should I feel bad about it?

Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and he’ll have to chase after you in his socks.

I might also recommend that you ask the elephant how he got into your pajamas before you shot him
or you'll never know how he did it.

 

[WDW2012]

Too late to wish you good luck on the interview but please keep us updated. I hope it went well. Thanks again for sharing your adventures with us. I look forward to this summer's report. Yellowstone is on my bucket list for sure!

 

[glennbo123]

Loved the report Captain. I hope that I'll have a trip in the works someday that will cause me to come back here and brush up on your list of favorites.

Best of luck on the potential new assignment/promotion!

 

[nodnol]

Hi Mark, thank you very much for going on vacation and writing trip reports for us! As I've been to the Southwest in July/August I'm definitely in aw about how much you accomplished on your trip. Although I want to see and discover things as well while on vacation, the climate there just slowed me down quite often. I really enjoyed re-visiting some places with you and also noting down new places for another trip there.

 

[eandesmom]

Of course both your updates happened while I was on work trip! LOL!

I’m already in a bad mood because there’s no more Disney and we have to leave. I get all of the bags in just the right place. Then I slam the door. There’s a loud thunk and it fails to close. Grrrr. I thought I had everything in just right. Well, I know how to fix this.


Slam harder.


THUNK.


Slam harder.


THUNK.


WHY WON’T (SLAM) THIS @#$% (SLAM) DOOR CLOSE?!?! (SLAM)


Maybe it’s because I put my video camera down on the ledge, right where the door is supposed to close. The same video camera that used to have a flat top, and is now concave.


I realize what I’ve done, and try to power on the camera to see if it still works. Nothing.

UGH!

9:03 a.m.

—Our family suffers from a genetic condition known as DDP: Disney Departure Procrastination. Symptoms include an extreme reluctance to leave any property owned by the Walt Disney Co. around the world, and those afflicted with this condition may exhibit irritability, depression, fatigue, and/or nausea at the thought of having to return to the work force. The treatment typically involves the start of planning the next vacation.


We’re treating our condition by heading once more to Downtown Disney.


9:12 a.m.—The first stop is Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express for breakfast. I believe it was Cynthia who had recommended the beignets here, and that sounded much more appealing than Pop Tarts. It’s also a good medication to help treat DDP.

If you don’t know what a beignet is, then I feel terrible for you. It’s the New Orleans version of a doughnut, or fried dough covered in powdered sugar. They’re really good when served hot. You can get 10 beignets for 10 bucks, so we go with that option. Believe me when I say they don’t last long.

YAY! That's a perfect way to ease a little bit of the pain of leaving. Love the aftermath.

9:42 a.m.—Looks like there’s some conference going on. Why didn’t I choose a job that gets me into these boondoggle “conferences” all over the country? In my next life, I’m going to fix that.

lol.

Oh my word on those burgers! I'd not heard of that place, will need to keep it in mind. Can't go wrong with CL! BLEH on the car pick up keys fiasco but really, no cell phone? Um the point would be to be able to call each other? Impressive that you can manage with only one.

This brings us to the plan for Summer 2015. As I mentioned, we are still reluctant to tackle trips with several days of back-to-back long drives until Drew gets a little older. And we’re still hampered in our funding by having only one steady income and my yet-to-be-promoted status.


We decided to take another fairly long flight this year in order to take advantage of the last year in which Baby Drew flies for free. That way, I only have to pay for 5 tickets. I’m also getting better at using Priceline and Hotwire to get better deals on hotel rooms. They don’t typically tell you the name of the hotel where you are getting the deal until you book it, but if you read through the ratings and features carefully you can usually figure it out. I’ve been trying to book 2 or 3 per month that way in order to spread the costs out. The downside of that approach is that it’s non-refundable, but our plane tickets are already bought so we’re committed anyway. Spreading the costs out month by month and paying slowly in advance will help us in the long run, I think.


As most of you figured out from my very subtle hints, our primary destination is Yellowstone National Park. I had the fortune of visiting twice when I was a child, and the entire area contained in Yellowstone and Grand Teton N.P. is one of my favorite places on earth. I can’t wait for the rest of the family to see it.


One of the big things I’m looking forward to is staying in the Old Faithful Inn. Before we’d even planned this trip, I had called last summer to see if I could get a room. I knew that in order to get in, we needed to make reservations at least a year in advance. It’s similar to the Grand Canyon that way—rooms get booked very quickly. When Julie and I kicked the idea around, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to have the reservation in hand, knowing we could always cancel it later.


The Old Faithful Inn is the building that served as the primary inspiration for the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World, so you can imagine why I was drawn to it. If you’re willing to “rough it” a bit, it’s also one of the best deals you can find. If you get a room in the historic wing, there’s no air-conditioning, no TV, and you have to share a bathroom with other guests. For being willing to do that, you can stay right next to the Old Faithful geyser for a little over $100 a night. Looking at temperatures, it doesn’t appear that we need air-conditioning. Who needs a TV when you can see geysers? And Julie and I both survived living in college dorms, so the shared bathroom thing doesn’t faze us. Much better than shelling out $200 or $300/night in the rest of the area.


We’ll be doing another tour of some of the most famous National Parks of the west. This will be our first trip since 2011 that has no Disney element whatsoever, though. I fear we may suffer some withdrawal. We have been leaning heavily on Jill (@jedijill ) as our resident DISFriend for this vacation, as she is in the Denver area.


Here’s the plan:


Wednesday: Fly from Philadelphia to Denver, Colorado. Explore Denver—maybe a Colorado Rockies game?

Thursday: Colorado Springs, CO. Climb to the summit of Pikes Peak (either by driving or by cog railway—Jill says we should drive), visit Garden of the Gods.

Friday: Rocky Mountain National Park. Stay in Vail, CO area.

Saturday: visit Colorado National Monument and possibly Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P. Stay in Grand Junction, CO area.

Sunday: Canyonlands National Park. Stay in Moab, UT.

Monday: Arches National Park. Still in Moab.

Tuesday: Drive to Idaho Falls, ID.

Wednesday: Visit Craters of the Moon National Monunment, then head east. Stay in Jackson, WY.

Thursday: Grand Teton N.P. Check in for the evening at Old Faithful Inn.

Friday: Yellowstone N. P.

Saturday: Yellowstone N. P.

Sunday: Drive to Vernal, UT.

Monday: Visit Dinosaur National Monument. Drive back to Denver.

Tuesday: Fly home.


This trip should pick up 4 new states for us: Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and a little tiny piece of Montana. And we’ll be seeing a new side of Utah as well. I get the feeling the annual National Park pass will be a good investment once again. I did hear that the President announced all 4th graders would receive a free family annual pass to National Parks this year, which made me excited because Scotty will graduate to the 4th grade in June. However, it appears this program will not be available until the next school year, so, like most recent government initiatives, it really won’t do me any good.


In any case, I’m in the middle of grabbing hotel reservations and finding organic/health-conscious/vegan restaurants for our meals, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please fire away!


I’m sure I will attempt another Trip Report on this one. Since there is no Disney element involved, I will most likely post it on the DIS Dads boards (under Family) here.


Once again, thank you for being such faithful readers and being willing to suffer along as I relate our family’s misadventures. I really enjoy telling the stories, and I especially enjoy the conversations that follow. So, I bid you a fond adieu (does anybody really say that?) until next time, and I leave you with one last piece of wisdom:


Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and he’ll have to chase after you in his socks.

Ok I know you are planning ot stay in Jackson for the night but if you are willing to drive one more hour closer to Yellowstone, the Colter Bay tent cabins are pretty cool and fun in a off the beaten path kind of way. We did a reverse road trip (Seattle, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, CO, NM, AZ, OR) to get us to Yellowstone, Denver, Santa Fe and the Grand Canyon and stayed at these one night. It was fun!

http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/colter-bay-village-tents.aspx

Fun sounding trip!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dugette]

As usual, this was a vacation that involved a lot of driving, seldom resting for more than one night in any one place. I know that sounds exhausting and unappealing to many of you, but we really love it. For us, the choice between sleeping in and doing nothing or going out and seeing spectacular sights and wonders is really no choice at all. I can goof off and do nothing at home.

Totally agree with this! I find it so strange to talk to people who don't "get" why someone would travel. I have a co-worker who has no interest in going anywhere and a radio DJ was talking the same way the other day and I was just like . If I didn't have to work, I'd pretty much just drive around and see cool things all the time.

You don’t have to put your life on hold when you have a baby in tow.

Great thing to remember. I know that we never expected to do so much traveling with a little one, but we have and it's gone really well. And I like to think it's teaching her to appreciate travel and new experiences, even at a young age.

visit Colorado National Monument

So glad you are planning on this one! Back in college, over my month-long winter break, I took a 2-3 week (I think?) road trip out west and fit it in the budget by staying on as many couches as I possibly could (seriously, I studied the map and planned my route around where I knew people - I think I spent just two nights in hotels). So, one of those couches was in Grand Junction. The people I knew recommended I go see the Monument while they had classes. I didn't know what to expect, but ended up just loving the drive and the views. I had no idea something like that was even there.

Good luck with your promotion!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I really wanted to comment and tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your report. We are making a half hearted attempt to get our kids to all 50 states as well (half-hearted b/c there were some places/experiences we loved so much that we are considering repeating them and just giving our kids a "good start" on all 50 - and, also, we can't seem to stop ourselves from visiting Florida every year for spring break). I also loved your Hawaii report!

Thank you for saying hello! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know what you mean about the repeat destinations--some places just make you want to go back! (like a certain destination in Florida)

I keep hoping our income will rise to the point where we'll be able to travel more than once a year. So far, it hasn't happened, but hope springs eternal. Then we can throw in some of those repeat destinations.

I was posting as you were posting your final wrap up! We are going to Yellowstone this summer ... we booked two nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge last summer ... and then booked the rest of our trip around those dates. I can't wait to read about your trip! We are driving from Michigan and will be taking a northern route through North Dakota & Montana.

Cool! When will you be there? It'll be late June for us. Sounds like you'll be covering quite a lot of ground!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Here's a tip... make sure you keep the car keys in your pocket.

"Hey ump, how 'bout a warning?"

"Sure, kid...watch out you don't get killed."

Suckers...

And slightly clogged arteries.

But only slightly. That's the key takeaway here.

If it's on the internet it is always true, most of the time.

Did you know that 73% of all statistics are made up?

I applaud your effort. I still say you're nuts, but I'm glad to see you persevered and had a good trip with Drew in tow.

Would I have preferred to sleep? Yes. Would I have preferred to sleep and not see the Grand Canyon? No.

I should have made food a higher priority at Disneyland. We were just focused on the rides. Food was a minor detail.

It's a tough call. If I had gone for a counter-service dinner, we might have made it for Indiana Jones. That Monte Cristo just looked so good, though.

That's a stretch. The dynamite, yes. But overall, I think I still like MK better.

I thought it was basically the same ride, but a little smoother and with a better finale.

This should be number one. Not because it is better than Space Mountain... but because it is so exponentially much better than Kali River Rapids that is isn't even hardly fair to compare the 2.

I didn't have it higher because technically I didn't ride it. I was going by my family's word of mouth here.

Still no news, huh?

No...I know our HR department is routinely slow, but the more time that goes by, the more pessimistic I get. Sigh...

Good call. Again, it is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, but I wish you luck.

I'm actually more worried about flying with him this year than I was last year. Babies will sleep in your arms and sit in your lap just fine. Toddlers...get a little more antsy. As you well know.

Awesome! I'm sure you'll all have a great time. More Jr Ranger badges?

Absolutely! I also read that Yellowstone offers a Young Scientist exercise as well. You get your own digital thermometer to measure hot spring temps.

Isn't that a Man Law??? If you're in town and there's a baseball game...

It's a good candidate for a Man Law. I usually have the worst luck with the home team being out of town. In this case, the Rockies are home, playing the Astros at 6:40 p.m. on the night we arrive. The problem is, we'll have flown over with a toddler for 4 hours and that start time is 8:40 p.m. back east. Plus we need to get up early the next day to get to Pikes Peak. Decisions...

Figures.

Maybe I can get a refund or something.

Darn, you caught me. And here I thought I'd slip that one past you.

Thank you! Your TR's are always fun to read, and I look forward to learning about Yellowstone!

"That ball wouldn't have been out of a lot of parks."

"Name one."

"Yellowstone."

Thanks for reading and chiming in, as always, Andy!

This is a joke, right? You're scaring me!

I can't believe nobody fell for that one.

Soooooooo - I need to go back and figure out what I missed. I thought I had caught up a little better, but apparently not!

That'll teach you to go on vacation during my TR's.

Loved your recap - your favorites and those things you hope you never have to see again. What an awesomely great adventure for your family.

We are blessed to have seen some amazing things on our travels!

Great idea to take advantage of Drew still flying free. This summers trip looks like a lot of fun. I am sure you will love Yellowstone. The only time I tried to visit Yellowstone it was closed. Yeah - I bet you didn't think THAT was possible. I was skiing in Jackson Hole and we drove out there only to find out that Yellowstone closes (or at least the entrance where we were) for a week or two between winter and spring. Nice.

I did hear that some of the roads close over the winter and the only way to get in is via snowmobile or "snow coach" run by the resorts. That does look like a cool way to see the park, though. Anyway, I'm sorry you missed out...maybe it's time to go back!

How great that you can take a nice long two week vacation. That is awesome. I look forward to reading all about it.

It's great to have the time available! Funding is a little harder to come by.

OK - NOW I think I really am caught up. I had to go back and read about WOC. But first - wow - those cars pictures are fabulous. Your low light (dusk) pictures really captured the magic. I love them all.

Thanks! The neon really looked great at dusk.

Oh My - I can't believe you kids were still going strong after WOC. Well, all except for Dave. I'm so happy you were able to get him out of the line without any problem. It must have been so cool to ride Matterhorn at night.

It was cool! And I was proud of Dave for knowing his limits. We really pushed hard that day.

So once again - thanks for an awesome TR. Now I want to sit down and plan my DL vacation!

I hope you get the chance to visit!

 

[afwdwfan]

I thought it was basically the same ride, but a little smoother and with a better finale.

It is. But I like the outdoors scenes a little bit better at WDW. And it is just a little tiny bit longer. And if something is awesome, more of it is better.

No...I know our HR department is routinely slow, but the more time that goes by, the more pessimistic I get. Sigh...

Still hoping you get some good news.

I'm actually more worried about flying with him this year than I was last year. Babies will sleep in your arms and sit in your lap just fine. Toddlers...get a little more antsy. As you well know.

Good luck.

 

[pkondz]

So I'm either on Andy's Tr, or he's on mine... whichever. Doesn't matter.
And he says something like. "Just like Captain Oblivious."

Sure, I got that (whatever "that" was).
I mean, I've seen you around on a few TRs we follow in common.

And then I wondered... and, stupid of me really, I have no idea why I never wondered this before.
I mean it's obvious, right?

Does Captain Oblivious have a TR?

Please don't ask why I never thought to ask this before.
I don't know.
Any way, I thought it now, and I clicked the link in your siggie....

And it's over!

DANG IT!!!!!!!


Ah well.
But I read the entire thing over two days.
Well, I read the first chapter or three yesterday and the rest today.

Loved it!

So many times I was kicking myself because I wanted to comment on this or that.
Too late.

But I will say this.

I really want to go to Utah now.
Beautiful! Wonderful pictures!

I admire your fortitude at taking on this trip with baby Drew in tow.
I remember those sleepless nights.
(Our first was up every three hours. You could set your watch by her.)

This had me in stitches: "Be Happy For Vague Reasons Parade"

Also the picture of Drew in the Ranger hat.

So many other highlights that I can't list them all.

But thank you for a thoroughly entertaining TR!

(ps. Thought I should mention that you're missing a link in the chapters post between... ummm... I think between 20 + 21?)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Absolutely fabulous, as always! Though I'm nosy...is that pin for NC at Kitty Hawk? You know I'm a big fan of my home state.

Yes, it is! We were there in 2010 over spring break. Had the chance to eat at Duck Donuts and visit the Wright Brothers Memorial.

I anxiously await the next TR! I'm jealous of your plans, because right now our exciting family trip is to Myrtle Beach. With the dog, so we'll see how that goes. Of course, I can't say too much, because my job is sending me to Europe for free. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. Too bad Joe gets left at home

Europe?? Now that would be a very cool trip. Where to, exactly?

Funny, snow, humidty, and cold are totally foreign concepts to me!

Sounds like you got the much better end of the deal!

No truer words have been spoken.

So much history there!

aw shucks!

Well, it's true.

Or maybe not so subtle....

I was really making you guys work hard.

The TV part I can work with, but sharing bathrooms down the hall is not. Sorry, I'm a bathroom snob. I also bailed on the dorms for an apartment after my freshman year.

I figure there are germs everywhere I go anyway. Or maybe I'm just cheap. Sharing a bathroom is worth an extra $100 to me!

I've been here! It's very cool! We drove the 50 mile 4WD route that you have to camp out 1 or two nights back somewhere around 30 years ago.

Wow! Now that is some hard-core adventure. We, um...won't be doing that part.

I'm sure you will find lots of those in the Midwest, and you'll find plenty of delicious choices that your family will enjoy. Much like how I'm trying to find things I like on my "yummy" new diet plan.

I admire you for having the courage to stick with the diet plan. I think I'd last about 4 hours on that one.

Please post a link here or send out a Bat Signal. I don't frequent the DisDads forum, and I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on the next Oblivious vacation!

I'll do my best to get the word out! These TR's are a lot less fun if nobody reads them.

I am really looking forward to more.....

Thanks for being such a faithful reader!

Well said and I agree.

and also true.

I'll have to try that out sometime.

I did the same thing...... Went back and did better. Still might need some tweaking though...

We need to keep trying in order to get those Disney trips just right.

Mark, I enjoyed the journey, You and Julie are brave and fearless with you itinerary and a baby in tow. You handled it like champs and so did the kids. I look forward to hearing all about Yellowstone.
Fingers still crossed for you about the job.

I don't know about the whole brave and fearless thing, but I'm glad we didn't let it stop us from trying. This was overall a great experience. Thanks for the compliments and well-wishes!

Still nothing on the promotion. Never say never, but...

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Yes, it is! We were there in 2010 over spring break. Had the chance to eat at Duck Donuts and visit the Wright Brothers Memorial.

See, there's a big divide amongst North Carolinians...those who frequent the Northern OBX claim Duck donuts are the best, and those of us who travel to the south claim Britt's Donuts. I'm a Britt's gal through and through. They only have glazed (unlike Duck, where you can get almost any flavor you want) but oh my word are they worth the 3 hour drive!

Europe?? Now that would be a very cool trip. Where to, exactly?

We (it's a group of about 25 travel agents) fly into Lucerne where we'll spend a couple of days, then down to Venice, up to Hopfgarten Austria, and we end in Munich. Highlights include a bike tour in Austria, a visit to the Swarovski museum, and a stop at Dachau.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

And it'd be nice if you helped him back up again afterward

Where's that rim shot smiley?

one I wish more young'ens could experience.

Me too. I wish we could do more, actually.

"FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!"

Don't you hate those? More signs of the apocalypse.

Amen to that

and Amen to that as well

They're certainly on our radar

Well, I hope so. Otherwise I did all this for nothing.

And that's the real trick to it.
A lot of the barriers to new experiences are the ones we put up ourselves.
Well, except for that money thing, that one's fairly real.

I hate that money barrier. It's annoying. Otherwise, I think our desire for comfort often overrules everything else.

Still having nightmares?
You may need to start a support group.

Until we can get out there, I'll have to take your word for these
But I'm not surprised by the list either.

Overall, the experience doesn't rate as "better" or "worse"...just different.

Care to write a chapter listing some of those tips for figuring them out?

No real trick to it, just studying the amenities offered and customer ratings of the places listed. Then going to the Express Deals page and seeing how many of those line up for the "mystery hotels".

Well just saving the money means that there is always an amount of cash sitting aside that can be delved into to solve unrelated and what appear at the time to be immediate needs. Thus ensuring that you'll never actually use it for what was intended. You method does have a - use it or loose it - incentive built in to make sure that the travel does actually take place.

True. I'm pretty conservative--I like to build up my savings, and everybody should have a rainy day fund anyway. But I also know you can't take it with you, so having a reason to save up and then having something valuable to spend it on (and not feeling guilty about it) makes the most sense.

Hints? Subtle?!?
You gave hints?
you wrote something subtle?
Where was I when this happened!

You might not have seen it through all the rim shots and fart jokes.

Say no more

Ok. See ya!

Whoops... glad you said more.
Not an issue to me, convincing thr boss might be a tougher sell.

All of the other hotels in the region were charging through the roof. Just how much are those creature comforts worth? Plus you get to make it up in history and proximity to the geysers.

And a pretty good plan form the looks of it.

I sure hope so!

It's on the internet, so it must be true

Of course it is! Just like every single political article I read these days.

When in Denver, try the brownies...

Honey? What's that haze over Denver? I thought the skies were supposed to be clear out here.

What suffer?
A lot of it I'll never see.
Good that someone got to.

Never say never! Whoops, I guess I just did.

Ummm...
Actually, I may have done so once or twice.
Should I feel bad about it?

Nah, nobody's counting anyway.

I might also recommend that you ask the elephant how he got into your pajamas before you shot him
or you'll never know how he did it.

Now we need a Groucho smiley. I like the old school reference, though.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Too late to wish you good luck on the interview but please keep us updated. I hope it went well.

Thank you! At this point, hope is dwindling and history is against me. We'll see.

Thanks again for sharing your adventures with us. I look forward to this summer's report. Yellowstone is on my bucket list for sure!

Thanks for reading along! I've always loved Yellowstone, so I hope this visit is just as memorable.

Loved the report Captain. I hope that I'll have a trip in the works someday that will cause me to come back here and brush up on your list of favorites.

Thanks Glenn! I have no doubt you and Judy have many trips ahead of you. Just maybe not while paying college bills.

Best of luck on the potential new assignment/promotion!

Thank you! At this point, I'd say the chances are more like one in a million.

So I'm telling you there's a chance...

Hi Mark, thank you very much for going on vacation and writing trip reports for us!

It's a rough job, but somebody has to do it!

As I've been to the Southwest in July/August I'm definitely in aw about how much you accomplished on your trip. Although I want to see and discover things as well while on vacation, the climate there just slowed me down quite often. I really enjoyed re-visiting some places with you and also noting down new places for another trip there.

Yeah, that heat can be really intense. I remember being in Phoenix on a previous trip when a thunderstorm was building up, and the humidity added to that heat was just unbearable. Thankfully it's not like that most of the time.

Thank you for reading and chiming in, Katharina!

 

[afwdwfan]

So I'm either on Andy's Tr, or he's on mine... whichever. Doesn't matter.
And he says something like. "Just like Captain Oblivious."

Sure, I got that (whatever "that" was).
I mean, I've seen you around on a few TRs we follow in common.

And then I wondered... and, stupid of me really, I have no idea why I never wondered this before.
I mean it's obvious, right?

You know... as many TR's as I follow, I always have a hard time keeping track of who the other followers are. I know I follow several TR's that each of you 2 follow and for some reason I really thought you both already followed each other. I guess I was wrong. But you both have similar senses of humor so it just seemed like it was completely obvious that you must already read each others' writing. I should have looked back before I posted that comment.

Anyway, I remember exactly what the reference to Captain Oblivious was. You were talking about your um... dislike for the elevator drop in ToT. Mark is a chicken too.

 

[Flossbolna]

8:42 a.m.—We pack the suitcases and drag our feet a bit in loading up the rental van. Once again, the game of Tetris begins as I try to fit our suitcases, golf clubs, stroller, groceries, and carry-on bags into the space between the rear seat and tailgate. If you recall, I’ve had to get everything loaded in just so, and then slam the rear door shut quickly before the pile shifts. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 slams to get it to close tightly.


I’m already in a bad mood because there’s no more Disney and we have to leave. I get all of the bags in just the right place. Then I slam the door. There’s a loud thunk and it fails to close. Grrrr. I thought I had everything in just right. Well, I know how to fix this.


Slam harder.


THUNK.


Slam harder.


THUNK.


WHY WON’T (SLAM) THIS @#$% (SLAM) DOOR CLOSE?!?! (SLAM)


Maybe it’s because I put my video camera down on the ledge, right where the door is supposed to close. The same video camera that used to have a flat top, and is now concave.

What a way to end your visit at Disneyland!!! I once witnessed my father doing the same thing with his favorite leather jacket. He was nearly in tears, while my mother was restraining herself to not show her happiness over this jacket's end.

9:12 a.m.—The first stop is Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express for breakfast. I believe it was Cynthia who had recommended the beignets here, and that sounded much more appealing than Pop Tarts. It’s also a good medication to help treat DDP.

They look delicious!!

Somehow, in this picture Scotty looks like a younger version of yourself!

Worse, we’ve hit L.A. traffic on the interstate.

Slater’s is known for its “50/50” burger patty. This is a burger made up of 50% ground beef and…


Hang on, I’m giggling. I can never talk about this with a straight face.


…50% ground bacon.

This sounds delicious! And I can tell you that I found something similar in Orlando on my last trip... But you will have to wait until my last lunch of that trip!

Behold the “Blue Hen Bacon Burger”: 50/50 patty, bacon-pretzel roll, cheddar cheese, grilled pineapple, beer-battered onion rings, more thick-cut bacon, and bacon ketchup.

Sound choice! I like the idea of the bacon-pretzel roll (being the resident self-proclaimed pretzel expert on this thread). And we already agreed on pineapple on a burger being one of the best things ever!

So, yes, this seems the appropriate rating!

3:24 p.m.—Hey, look. Joshua trees. More than you can count, all over the side of the highway.

Those might be Joshua trees, but there are prettier ones inside the park! I have seen them with my own eyes and took pictures of them - ok, and now that I uploaded them I realize that those are pictures of cacti, not Joshua trees. I guess they are not really that spectacular... There is a tiny one behind me though. So, I guess you are right about them. I will leave the pictures in the post, just because I made myself laugh out loud and maybe you can find it funny as well!

This is when it finally catches up with me. I’m drifting. I cannot physically keep my eyes open any longer.

I am glad that you noticed it in time!! Otherwise this would not only have been three scary guys...

This is a western chain that Julie and I had found on our last trip to Arizona in 2008. We liked the food there very much, but there was one above all that we came back for: a side dish called the three-cheese potatocake. Because we just haven’t had enough artery-cloggers today.

Sounds delicious. I will need to see whether they are anywhere where we might be on our next California trip!

7:10 a.m.—I have the X-ray system down to a science at airports now. Rather than trying to empty my pockets into the bins along with my belt, shoes, hat, etc., I just put everything into my carry-on bag: wallet, keys, iPod, loose change, etc. That way I don’t waste as much time getting myself put together after going through the line.

I do that, too. I once spent half a flight totally annoyed that I forgot to bring my favorite watch until I found it in my handbag. I had been so organized to put it in there the evening before to not have to bother taking it off for the security check.

4:20:23 p.m.—My keys are still in my carry-on bag.

5:04 p.m.—We all climb aboard the shuttle, lugging all of our bags with us. As luck would have it, we get the SAME DRIVER, just making his loop now.

I am so sorry that the trip ended on such a low note. I am sure being all tired out from the long day in Disneyland contributed to that to some degree. But you really managed to collect a lot of bad luck there...

 

[Flossbolna]

Going into the vacation, we were anxious about how well Baby Drew would hold up, and how difficult he would make life for us while we traveled. Overall, I think Julie and I were pleasantly surprised. Yes, he was up at least twice a night, which was not fun. But he would have done the same thing at home. So we could have been tired at home or tired at the Grand Canyon. I’ll take the latter, thanks. He also got fussy from time to time in the van. But again, this is not unexpected. Eventually, he would fall asleep. Overall, we felt like our fears were largely unfounded. Yes, you have to adjust when traveling with a baby—less hiking, more rests and downtime, and the parents usually have to switch off between activities with the big kids and watching the baby. But I think the larger point is that it can be done. You don’t have to put your life on hold when you have a baby in tow.

Here in Germany we have a very flexible system for parents to take time off from work when they have a baby. A lot of families choose to have both mother and father take off two months at the same time (while still receiving a certain percentage of their salary) and go and travel. I have the impression that this has led to more and more people being more adventures with their travel with small children as there are more examples of others doing it, too.

We decided to take another fairly long flight this year in order to take advantage of the last year in which Baby Drew flies for free. That way, I only have to pay for 5 tickets. I’m also getting better at using Priceline and Hotwire to get better deals on hotel rooms. They don’t typically tell you the name of the hotel where you are getting the deal until you book it, but if you read through the ratings and features carefully you can usually figure it out.

We have used priceline quite a bit for hotel rooms, but mainly the bidding side. Michael has used it lots and introduced me to it. We managed to get a 4 star hotel in Paris for under 100 € per night that way. Do you know www.betterbidding.com? They have a hotwire and a priceline section where they help you identify the hotel that is being offered and collect historic data of which hotel is described which way.

The Old Faithful Inn is the building that served as the primary inspiration for the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World, so you can imagine why I was drawn to it. If you’re willing to “rough it” a bit, it’s also one of the best deals you can find. If you get a room in the historic wing, there’s no air-conditioning, no TV, and you have to share a bathroom with other guests. For being willing to do that, you can stay right next to the Old Faithful geyser for a little over $100 a night. Looking at temperatures, it doesn’t appear that we need air-conditioning. Who needs a TV when you can see geysers? And Julie and I both survived living in college dorms, so the shared bathroom thing doesn’t faze us. Much better than shelling out $200 or $300/night in the rest of the area.

I think that sounds like a great adventure!!

However, it appears this program will not be available until the next school year, so, like most recent government initiatives, it really won’t do me any good.

finding organic/health-conscious/vegan restaurants

Yes, with vegan bacon!!

Once again, thank you for being such faithful readers and being willing to suffer along as I relate our family’s misadventures. I really enjoy telling the stories, and I especially enjoy the conversations that follow.

Thank you very much for that wonderful trip report! Not only are your trip reports always entertaining, filled with beautiful pictures and informative (I love all the links you provide in your text!), this one especially was really inspiring me to get back into more sightseeing based travels! My next trip with Michael will be a road trip through California, not another cruise!