2 weeks of vacation

For the first time since Andrea and I have known each other, let alone with kids, we took a two week vacation.  We've sorta done that before, but it's been mixed with business trips so 100% of the trip wasn't non-work, family time.  This time, it was a solid 2 weeks and 3 weekends of vacation...with the Airstream.

Originally, this trip was to be just to Disney World and back and we planned to take the Argosy (motor home).  The motor home was bought 1.5 years ago almost specifically for this trip.  But, due to an opportunity afforded to me by my job, it became more beneficial to take the Airstream (trailer).  Also, the more miles that could be driven, the better.  So, our trip went from being to-from Disney World in the motor home to a 3000+ mile round trip including some national parks, a stay in New Orleans, and some beach camping along the Gulf of Mexico.

In the coming days and starting with this post, I'll share mostly pictures of our travels and what the family got to on our vacation with the Airstream.

Our first leg of the trip was to meander our way to New Orleans.  We made no reservations for overnight stays anywhere except for Disney.  Our objective in the first evening of travel was to make it as far as possible and stay overnight in a parking lot somewhere and keep moving the next day.  We did that, and as we continued moving down I-75 through Kentucky, we decided that we could pop in to Mammoth Cave National Park (unplanned).  We figured we'd be back on the road after lunch.  Just before the exit for Mammoth Cave, traffic on I-75 came to a solid stop.  A tanker truck carrying hazardous cargo had been in an accident and spilled.  The highway would be closed for the day.  The state highway patrol was having all vehicles, including semis, motor homes, and cars turn around on the road or back-up until the nearest cross-over and return the other direction to a detour.  So, we too did this and after following the SLOW detour, we ended up at Mammoth Cave at (not before) lunchtime.  We ate lunch, then went on our tour.  Both kids were awesome with the dark and tight spaces.  Surprisingly, neither one got bored or rambunctious.  We had chosen the shortest and most kid-friendly tour.  We wish we would have chosen a longer tour, but didn't have time to do a second tour.

Low clearance ahead.  No problem for the kids, but not so easy for dad.

Going down to view the "Niagara Falls" from the bottom.  It was about 42 steps down at a pretty steep grade.  Half the adults on the tour opted out but the kids charged right down.

 

Our next stop was the Meriwether Lewis National Monument in Tennessee.  The intent here was two-fold.  One, to get a cancellation (rubber stamp) in the kids' National Park passports.  Two, to camp there for free (boondocking) in the campground located within the state park that contains the national monument.  I really wish I would have taken some pictures of the campground because for free, it's an under-utilized diamond in the rough.  Paved roads and pretty level sites, new bath houses, all on top of a hill.  They even have pull-through sites for those staying overnight like me who have no intention of unhitching.  There were a lot of big rig motor homes in there.  There was a communal camp fire, too.  Pretty adventurous for the big-rig full-time crowd.  They said that in the past weekends when the colors were better and the weather a bit warmer, the campground actually was fully filled.  I'm glad to hear it because it's a great place.

There was a cancellation there for the boys' National Park Passports, but we unfortunately found out that the visitor's center is only open on Sat. and Sun. from 9 to 5.  We woke up to a cold trailer about 5:30am (battery ran low and therefore the furnace wouldn't run) so by the time I got up and went out and started the truck, we slept a bit more, and did our morning routine, it was all of about 7:30am.  We saw the monument (forgot to take a picture), skipped the stamp, and hit the road.