Family Vacation Exit Interview

We’re home! And even mostly unpacked by tonight. We pulled another all-nighter to get us to Durango this morning and are soooo excited to be back with our toys and friends and beds. We did a fair bit of reflecting on the return journey, and although everyone had different favorites, we all agreed this was a super vacation!

“Where was your favorite place to stay?”

  Maggie: The campground where we could see the beach.

  Tessa: The hotel with the blue slide in the pool. 

  Bill: Cavendish campground which was quiet and had no bugs and was a 2 minute walk to the ocean. 

  Gretchen: Recently renovated hotel on the private beach where we found hermit crabs and everyone was impressed by us. 


“What was your favorite thing to eat?”

  Tessa: Popsicles!

  Maggie: Mint chocolate chip ice cream

  Bill: Lobster chowder

  Gretchen: Egg sandwich at McKays in Boston


“What surprised you about this trip?”

  Maggie: I think cars and trucks should be illegal and everyone should do everything by bicycle and walking. 

  Tessa: Nothing

  Bill: How well-maintained and easy to travel the trail was. Also how few conveniences and services there are around the trail. And how the girls did so much with so little complaining. 

  Gretchen: That it was hard work for the grownups too. I expected the kids to be exhausted but the parents to be frolicking. I was tired at the end of each day!


“What will you say when someone asks ‘how was your trip?’ ”

  Tessa: It was good. I liked being buried in the sand. And Daddy dunked me in the water!

  Maggie: It was fun! I liked making a zoo in the sand on the islands at the beach. Also, googly eyes [a recurring silly thing said over and over and over].

  Gretchen: It was spectacular; the girls were absolute rockstars; and we all had a fabulous time and still like each other!

  Bill: It was one of the best vacations of my life. 


Stats

Miles driven: 6272

States + provinces touched: 17

Pounds gained: 5

Flat tires: 0!

Pictures taken: 258 

World’s Largest Things for the World’s Longest Roadtrip

We stopped just into Illinois for a leg-stretching walk around this little town which has decided it’s niche is big things. We decided that was fitting based on all we have accomplished this trip. 


We are hoping to arrive in Durango tomorrow and excited to be back in our home turf. But we’re still on vacation today, so there will probably still be some treats and special stops. Too bad they didn’t have the world’s largest ice cream scoops at our last stop!

Stats

Miles driven: 5047

States + provinces touched: 16

Hotel pools with lifeguards: 1

Crop dusters seen in action: 2

Old Haunts and the Hospitality of Old Friends

We spent a day in Boston doing a nostalgia tour. We got to revisit some of our regular spots (although the Friendly’s ice cream down the street is now a bank) and show Maggie the important places from her early life (like the gas station where the gentleman predicted I would have a girl – the only person to get it right). 


We stayed with dear and generous friends who we haven’t seen since we left Boston. And who have the best toys, named Fiagro and Lucky! 


Now to push home! Wishing a little bit for a teleporter…

Heading toward Home

Our last thing to do on Prince Edward Island was to visit Green Gables, the house and area that inspired Lucy Maude Montgomery in writing the Anne series. 


Also our last farewell to the ocean at an amazing campground on the north shore. 


But then our actual last thing to do on Prince Edward Island was to get a couple coils replaced in the car in Summerside. It was kind of nice to drive many of the places we’d biked and see them from a different perspective. And it was definitely nice to have the car fixed in an afternoon and be driving over the massive Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick before dinner time. 

Now we are racing toward rush hour in Boston where we’ll spend a few days at some old haunts. Oh boy!

Stats

Miles driven: 3889

States + provinces touched: 13

Moose seen: 0

New swear words made up: 2 (“donair”: disgusting; “tir na nog”: piece of junk)