Old Fashion Family Road Trip - Part 1

Rental car...$62 a day.
120 gallons of gas...$276.
Hotel rooms...$120 per night.
Flying home on a direct, non-stop flight after a nine day, 11-state, 2400 mile road trip...PRICELESS!
My parents decided our family needed a good, ol' fashion family road trip. They both get giddy when they talk about their own childhood memories of family road trips, so we decided to create some memories of our own. I don't think any parenting book recommends strapping in two small children, locking the doors, and driving off into the unknown as a positive bonding experience - or even one you might survive - but why start listening to those books now? So away we went, & it was awesome.

First stop - Pittsburgh. We stayed in a really funky hotel that was formerly a monastery. My mom may have read a few reviews online after she booked it that said the place was haunted. She also may not have shared that info with us until now as she is typing this blog for me. After checking in, we tried to use our key card on our door and it wouldn't open. It would light up green but remain locked. The bellman watched us and said, "That is odd. Do it again." He then tried and again, the door would not open. Finally it just magically opened. My mom looked a bit nervous and didn't get the best night sleep...I now know why. Thanks mom. Can you not book haunted hotel rooms anymore for our family vacations?
Then it was onto Indiana. We stopped in Shipshawana to visit an Amish town and take part in their annual corn festival. This town does not mess around when it comes to corn mazes. We chose the "Kid Maze" at 1/2 mile long and got ridiculously lost and only by a total miracle found our way out before the sun set. Of note, they offer other mazes, one of which is nearly FIVE MILES long. We noticed several Amish employees with ear pieces and radios. We were told the devises were essential because so many people get lost in that maze. Um, no thanks, we'll pass.

And while their corn mazes were intense, their fall activities were over-the-top. We shot corn from an air gun, launched pumpkins via slingshot, traveled in barrel carts, took a hayride, and did human hamster racing.

By the way, my mom was MUCH better than my dad in the hamster race.

 
From Indiana we headed to Ohio and stayed just south of South Bend for the night. In the morning, we made a stop at the Studabaker Museum to check out the classic cars. While there, we got to work on a car our size. I poured the antifreeze and tested the battery. Bodie changed the tires and got UNDERNEATH the car to change the oil. It was pretty cool.

After Indiana we were on to Illinois. Bodie's best buddy Poppy just moved there, so I'll pass the pen and he'll update you on that leg of trip. Check back soon to read about the rest of our adventures.