Spring Break trip

Our trip by the numbers:

Days: 9
Miles: 3,130
People in the minivan: 6
Hours in the minivan: 47 (not counting local travel while visiting)
Longest travel day, in hours: 14
Total hours of music and audiobooks available to kids: 124
Families visited: 3
Places visited: 4 (Tuscaloosa, AL; Austin, TX; Texarkana, TX; Champaign/Urbana, IL)
Hotel nights: 2
Typical gas price, per gallon: $3.70

Trip Memories:

We did something a little bit different this year for Calvin's Spring Break. Some years we stay home, and catch up on work. Some years, we take a local trip for a few days. This year, we decided to go someplace warm, for the whole week!

Our good friends from Calvin (David and Trish, and 3 kids) are currently on sabbatical at UT-Austin (January through August). Since our kids and their kids are good friends, as are the adults, it seemed like a good excuse to sight-see a bit in Texas, and catch up with our friends mid-sabbatical. A quick check of airfares ($500) made it clear that we would be driving.

As we checked the route to Austin on the map, we decided that it would be a good time to visit Jeremy's cousin Curt and family, in Tuscaloosa, AL. It was only a few hours out of the way, and was close to halfway, so it seemed a logical stopping point.

After work and school on Friday afternoon, we finished up packing and managed to be on the road by 6 PM (only 2 hours behind the plan - pretty good for us). I had reserved a hotel through Priceline.com, which gave us a pretty good deal, but meant we couldn't get a refund for a cancellation, so we were locked into the first night's distance. Still, we made it before midnight to Columbus, IN (south of Indianapolis). In the morning, the kids were up early so we stayed around to let them swim in the pool and eat the hotel breakfast. (In the first of many serendipitous events, the hotel breakfast turned out to be free even though it usually wasn't, because they didn't have a server working and had to make it buffet-style. Still, it was a full, hot breakfast. After feeding 6 of us, I don't think the hotel made any money based on our discounted room price.) By 10:15 AM we were on the road for our first long driving day, to Tuscaloosa. Actually, we arrived by 6:30 PM, so it wasn't too long of a day.

We stayed two nights (and one day) with Curt and Bo and their 3 kids. We enjoyed  about 3 days worth of activities in that time. We had pizza dinner in front of "Ninja Warriors" on the big screen TV (see more about this show, including video clips, here). The kids found this fascinating - a Japanese TV game show in which an insanely difficult obstacle course is erected, and people compete to complete it through feats of athletic prowess. They spent much of the next day building their own obstacle courses in the backyard with Curt's boys. They also jumped on the trampoline in the backyard. Curt's house is, perhaps not surprisingly, a fun place for kids. We went to church, then ate at Taco Casa for lunch. We played many board/strategy games (Pandemic, 25 Words or Less, Last Night On Earth). We watched Curt perform some magic tricks. Curt's brother Wray and family, and father Danny and Miranda, came over for dinner Sunday night. A very full and fun visit - thanks to Curt and Bo for their hospitality!

Kids on the trampoline at Curt's and Bo's house.

Monday was our longest driving day - we were in the van by 7:30 AM and barely got out again before we arrived in Austin at nearly 10:00 PM. We didn't stop for long, eating most meals in the car and running the kids through bathroom breaks as quickly as possible. We did take an unintended detour of about 30 miles while in eastern Texas. It was not highly educational, other than to extend our growing conclusion that whereas every small town in rural Michigan has a gas station and a church, in Texas it is a Subway. If there was at least one building that wasn't a house, then it contained a Subway. Hmm. After it got dark, we had a long haul on the interstate south from Waco to Austin. We recalled that drive from 2009, when Jeremy and I had done the reverse trip in a rental car as we moved between conferences. Not a very inspiring view, actually, so we didn't mind the dark. In this case, we actually appreciated it, because we got quite a spectacular lights show in the sky far to the west where thunderstorms were raging.

Tuesday was our get acquainted with Austin day. Our friends allowed their kids to play hooky from school and they all took us to tour the capitol building - quite impressive. Texas is proud to have the largest capitol building in the USA - and it was big. There is a large wing built entirely underground, to allow for expansion without marring the view of the original building. The kids seemed to have a great time just being together - they traveled in pairs as if twinned. Later that afternoon, we walked along the ridgeline of Mount Bonnell, which afforded a lovely view of the outer city. Then, Dave took us to Barton Springs to view the famous natural spring swimming hole in Zilker Park. It was just as well that the 65-degree day didn't invite a dip, since recent rains had brought the creek to a muddy, debris-strewn flood stage. Still, David explained the concept to us. A diversion and dams have been constructed so that normally, the creek is diverted around the swim area, which fills continually with fresh spring water. Today, though, the flood waters had overwhelmed the upstream dam and the spring was filled with the river debris, closing the swimming area. Still, there was a nice playground in Zilker park, and a small (kid-sized) train (called the Zilker Zephyr) that we rode (about a 20-minute circle through part of the park), much to John's delight. We finished up a good day with dinner at a classic Texas BBQ restaurant, The Salt Lick. Finally, we tried to politely visit with our hosts, but I, at least, could not keep my eyes open - a problem that proved persistent throughout the trip.

Maggie trying on the local fashions at the Texas Capitol Building Visitors Center.

Helen and Mom enjoying the view from the top of Mount. Bonnell

John, high above the mansions on the waterway below, takes a moment to show us how strong he is.

The kids loved being together.

The Zilker (Park) Zephyr (train ride), with our friend David.

Wednesday was walking tours day. We helped Trish take their big dog, Lily, for a walk around the neighborhood, which allowed us to see lots of interesting houses. Architecture in the area is eclectic - there might be a New England colonial, next to a Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style home, next to a modern concrete and glass box structure. The one consistent thing is architecture, though. While there are still some smallish houses that look original to their sites, with a very 1950s traditional style (all the same), many houses have clearly been designed one-of-a-kind by an architect. It certainly lends a rakish (and expensive) air to the neighborhoods.

John was a bit unsure about the vegetation on our neighborhood walk.

More local flora.

A neighborhood playground was a hit with Helen, who is definitely a fan of slides.

James and Helen seem to share a common love of getting dirty.

Helen was grateful to big sis Maggie for pushes on the swing.

 After lunch, we were joined by Bob and Brenda (another Calvin couple who happened to be vacationing in San Antonio this week and drove up to visit for the day). All of us toured the campus of UT-Austin where David is doing his sabbatical work. It was fun to see a big university campus again - the hustle and bustle, the crowds, the crazy-looking people, the long distances to walk. We finished up with an hour or so at the University museum, where the kids particularly enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit. Finally, Dave and Trish grilled burgers in their backyard for us, so it felt like summer in March. (Never mind that it was chilly enough to require a jacket, whereas this week was so unseasonable in Michigan that it was warmer at home.) Trish even obliged us with fabulous homemade brownies topped with Amy's Ice Cream, which is apparently an Austin institution (check another tourist activity off our list) and certainly delicious.

Turtle pond at the UT-Austin campus. Unbelievable turtle density.

Picnic in the backyard of our friends' house.

 

The weather cooperated beautifully for us - the nicest day for our hike.

Our final day in Austin, we started with a quick trip over to the LBJ Presidential Museum. It is hard to absorb much from museum exhibits while racing after John and holding onto Helen, but I picked up enough to learn that President Johnson was probably quite a bit more interesting and influential than I have ever given him credit for in the past. After lunch, we set out for a local hike - completely within the city limits, and yet, it felt like a trail in Colorado (except, maybe, for the constant crowds). The Barton Creek Greenbelt runs 8 miles along a pretty river, similarly sized to the Red Cedar or Grand River, I think, except that the terrain is much steeper so it feels more like a mountain stream. I found myself thinking that if I lived in Austin, I might walk there every day. Which, apparently, is not a unique thought, since the trail, and sunning spots in the adjacent river, were in fairly heavy use for a Thursday afternoon. (Doesn't anybody in that town have a job to go to?)

We hadn't know to bring swim suits on the walk, for which oversight the kids scolded us mercilessly. We agreed to let them wade a bit, instead.

Of course, wading didn't last long. They were all of them soaked through. But, it was a warm day.

We finished up our last day with a trip to watch the bats come out at dusk from the Congress Street bridge. This is a famous enough event to make the tourist guidebooks for the city. While I wouldn't necessarily rank it on a bucket list, it was an impressive sight to see a thick stream of bats pour out from under the bridge in a thick swath for over 15 minutes (at which point we got bored and left). It was growing dark and it seemed like it would be a better plan to go in search of dessert at an old-fashioned candy store down the street.

Waiting for the bats to appear.

Had a beautiful view of the Austin skyline at dusk while we waited.

Just a few of the bats (and people watching them). 

The candy store was unfortunately closed, but we got to see a trendy and happening strip of stores, restaurants, and people, with lots of funky Austin style. We found another Austin institution, "Hey, Cupcake," which sold (yes, you guessed it) cupcakes, out of an old silver Airstream trailer.

Friday morning, we were up bright and early and on the road by about 8:30. We pushed hard through Waco and Dallas. We had discovered baby food in pouches, which Helen could suck down like a smoothie while safely buckled in her carseat. It seemed like a great plan - feed the baby without needing to stop. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, these pouches seemed to have a laxative effect. We stopped at every barren highway exit ramp in eastern Texas, I think, to change a diaper.

Finally, we arrived at Texarkana, TX in late afternoon. Here, we met up with our friends from MSU days, Doug and Kay (and their 1-year-old, Davis, whom we hadn't met before). I kept an eye on the kids while Jeremy enjoyed a tour of the paper plant where Doug works. Then we all gathered for pizza dinner before bed. I was very sad to be too tired to stay awake (again!) and visit properly with Doug after he returned from the plant with Jeremy, but I did enjoy catching up on their lives by talking to Kay. (Kay reported that the tour usually takes less than an hour but Jeremy kept Doug busy for over two so I guess he had plenty of questions.)

Saturday morning, we were on the road bright and early again (8 AM). We planned to get as far as we could so that our Sunday return wouldn't be too late. The kids did great with another long day in the car. On the way south, they had mostly listened to their individual audiobooks with headphones, but seemed to be tired of that by now. Instead, Jeremy and I spent a lot of time reading to them from Watership Down.

As evening approached, we realized that we would make it to Champaign-Urbana, IL about 7:30 PM. We decided that would be a fun place to stop overnight, so that we could revisit some places from our grad school days. We started with dinner at Jarling's Custard Cup. (No, they still don't serve dinner, but we were on vacation. Just once, having ice cream for dinner won't kill us, right?) The lines were longer than ever, so the kids were more than ready to eat by the time we finally got our order. We drove around the (now dark) town for a while, looking for what was new, the same, or we couldn't recall. Finally, we found a motel and fell asleep right away.

In the morning, we swam in the hotel pool, made an absolute disaster area of the breakfast room (I blame Helen completely), then spent an hour or so walking around campus. We attended worship at our former church, TCBC, which was fun although few people that we knew 15 years ago are still there. Jeremy indulged me by sticking around for a real sit-down meal at the Courier Cafe instead of one more fast-food lunch in the car. The Cafe was pretty much as we remembered it, except that when I asked the young college student at the register, "Do you still only take cash?" he gave me a bewildered look and said, "We take credit cards." So, apparently, they started taking credit cards sometime in the last 15 years, which makes it news to me, but "the way it has always been" to this young guy, who might have been in diapers when last we ate there.

And so, by mid-afternoon, we were on the final leg of our trip - just 4.5 hours of driving to home. We made it in time for a late supper and bed. Not feeling at all rested for a week of school, work, and everything else, but definitely glad that we made the trip.

A baby no more

Well, I knew this day was bound to come. But it is still a bit startling. For 14 months, Helen has been truly the most mild-mannered, good-natured baby I have ever met. She has been even-tempered and unconcerned with John's frequent over-enthusiastic attention. She has been cheerful in all circumstances. She has been quiet to the point of eerie, and content to self-entertain for remarkably long periods of time. But no more. Tonight, she declared herself a toddler, and there will be nothing quiet or content about her from now on.

It started at the park. Jeremy was teaching lab tonight so I took all four kids around the corner to burn some energy before bed. It's a little Lutheran elementary school with a playground. It also has a smaller, fenced yard with a collection of Little Tikes climbing equipment for the preschoolers. We decided to start by taking Helen there, and she adored the slides! She giggled every time she came down and started trying to get back up. Eventually, the older kids got bored so we marcher over to the larger playground equipment for a while, then headed home.

We walk across a big grassy field to go home, so I had set Helen down to let her walk a bit on her own. That was how I first discovered the problem. She turned a 180 and headed straight for the Little Tikes slides. Each time I turned her around to head home, she spun and made a steady, deliberate beeline for the slides. Well, it really was time to go home, so I picked her up and carried her. And she threw a tantrum!  I kid you not, her first tantrum. Okay, so it wasn't a very impressive tantrum. After all, she doesn't practice using her voice enough to be very loud, and she is so tiny that even with her proportionally large strength, she couldn't kick very hard and get down.

By the time we reached home, she had thankfully forgotten and forgiven. The kids wanted a snack, and (as kids will do) they remembered some snack tubes of yogurt in the freezer that I had forgotten we had. As the 3 older ones bustled about helping themselves, Helen stood in the middle squawking and pointing. John, who is actually quite solicitous of Helen, tossed her a tube, to her great delight. (Thank goodness she couldn't open it on her own.) I got her buckled in the high chair with a bib, then tried to take her tube to tear it open for her. Wow. Parting with that frozen plastic tube was not high on her list, apparently. I actually had to pry it out of her hands, while she continually shrieked bloody murder. I quickly opened it and handed it back to her, and she actually kind of shocked me with the silence as she stopped screaming long enough to grab the yogurt, hug it to her body with both hands, then cast a baleful eye in my direction and state defiantly, "MINE." Well, if a toddler is going to have just one or two words, I guess that one is a good choice.

Welcome to the "terrible ones," honey. Don't feel obligated to anticipate the terrible twos too much.

No more Mr. Nice Guy. From here on out, I am feeding myself.

This morning, as I was filling her bathtub, I turned around and found this. Perhaps I should have known what today was going to be like right from this start.