We finally bit the bullet and attempted a family road trip to Michigan this Thanksgiving. We had contemplated driving before but weren’t sure how the kids would handle the 12+ hour trip. Faced with steep airfares and limited time off, we decided to give it a try. Our original plan was to depart Tuesday evening and drive to Pittsburgh, and thus break up the trip. However, an early winter storm delayed our departure until Wednesday, and we drove the entire 555 miles in one day! Overall, the kids did fantastic. We rigged up a portable DVD player for the back seat and bought some lap desks for coloring. Despite everyone being in the car all day, there was remarkably little whining or squabbling. The last hour proved to be the most challenging, but the “Guess What Animal I’m Thinking Of” game saved the day. Once in Michigan, the kids had fun playing in the snow and checking out the Labrador puppies. On Thanksgiving Day, Mimi Pauline made a delicious roast turkey with all the fixings. The next day we picked out Mimi’s Christmas tree and stopped in downtown Howell for hot chocolate (see photo below). Later that night, we all went to see Frozen at the movie theater. This quickly became Vivian’s new favorite movie, and she has been singing the Elsa song (“Let It Go”) ever since! Before heading back on Saturday, we let the kids burn off some energy at the nearby Castaway Play Cafe. As we sat in the leather recliners watching the kids climb, slide and moon bounce, we couldn’t help wondering why there wasn’t a place like this in Alexandria! After dinner, we packed up the car and headed home. We made it as far as Akron, Ohio and then completed the return trip on Sunday. We managed to just avoid the worst of the post-holiday traffic but still felt plenty tired by the time we arrived home. Overall, our first long haul drive was an unqualified success, and of course, it was great to spend the holiday with Mimi Pauline and the puppies!
1 comment:
love that picture of Pauline. Tina
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