Vacation Summary:

We traveled almost 1,300 miles through three states, two lakes and four lodgings. We had one sunny day, less sleep and exercise than normal but more food. We were able to visit several friends and reconnected as if we had just seen each other yesterday. We are blessed to have such dear friends, and for them to all be on the same roads! I was a very good traveler, especially fantastic in the car. The van is a wonderful automobile and absolutely necessary for road trips like this. We loved our adventure, especially seeing our friends, but it will be good to be home.

We learned some valuable lessons;
1. Almost 2-year olds like routine and much whining ensures without said routine.
2. Sleep is more important than any other activity and should be valued as such. Separate rooms for parents and children are a luxury and one worthy of paying for.
3. Rain, while it will not ruin a good time, does make an “outdoor” vacation more challenging.
4. Sharing is a challenge no matter where or who is involved.
5. The maximum number of lodgings should be three. The packing and unpacking for four locations was probably too much.
6. Live performances, especially with Elmo, are big wins. There is nothing quite like being “there” so we will look for more opportunities to do this in the future.