We Take Ourselves With Us

Sometime during the winter, CBS Sunday Morning (which we watch every Sunday as a family; Harper expresses great displeasure whenever Charles Osgood deigns to call in sick) ran a feature on the Mammoth Caves.  We watched in awe. "We want to go to there," we thought.  With a bit of time on Google Maps, we realized we could visit the caves in Kentucky and then visit Tennessee: Nashville, Memphis, Dollywood!  And so ... We're on summer vacation in the South.  As my Southern-born and named son Penn observed, "You know you're in the South when the church is selling fireworks as a fundraiser."  Note, he said this just as we pulled into Zaxby's--where fried chicken fingers are an art form. Our trip began in the land of another chicken delicacy: Buffalo.  After getting our Upstate-on at Anchor Bar. Fried pickles, wings, wing dip, wing nuggets, beef on weck? Um, yes. We settled down at the gate, where for the first time in my hundreds of f...

Here's how we got here: When we were at Disney last January, we struck up a conversation with a "Castmember," Richard, about roller coasters.  Richard told us we really needed to go to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio--a mere 5 hour drive from our house.  Why not let a stranger you met while waiting for a bus plan your next summer vacation? So, we bought tickets during a Presidents' Day BOGO sale and planned a massive road trip.  We'd drive 5 hours to Sandusky, then 9 hours to the Wisconsin Dells, then a short hop to Milwaukee (for Summerfest), and then 10 hours to get home in time for the kids to start Brighton Summer Arts.  We don't usually (meaning pretty much never) take road trips, but what the heck ... a couple 10 hour drives, we'll do it!  Then, three days before our trip, it became clear the weather would be horrible. Thunderstorms, 100% chance of rain at Cedar Point, and though I'm certain Sandusky's a lovely town full of charm, it's ...