miura-adventure.comLife should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "WOW, WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

When we lived in Illinois, we took a two week camping trip around Lake Michigan and Wisconsin during the fall season when most other children were in school. Those days were so simple as Andrew and Nikki were very young and were happy doing anything from playing with rocks to looking out at the water of Lake Michigan. This time, we arrived in Wisconsin with the plan of letting them run wild at “Wisconsin Dells” and one of their famous water parks. It seemed a perfect way to celebrate our ONE YEAR anniversary of being on the road!

We dropped the kids off at “Noah’s Ark”, touted as being the BIGGEST water park in the WORLD!! I have to say, it was pretty darn HUGE with 42 water attractions. WOW!! The kids played at the park from 9AM to 4:30PM and were BEAMING when we picked them up. Lauren said, “This was the GREATEST day of my LIFE!” So cute! We are happy they all enjoyed a fun day together as kids. Now, off to South Dakota!

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When we left California (where Ken and I grew up) and headed east, we started what was to become our “Gypsy Lifestyle” with our move to Naperville. Naperville Illinois was our first move of many (six in total now!) and we grew to LOVE this town. I was pregnant when we moved to Naperville in March 1997 and Nikki arrived a few short months later. Andrew, Nikki and I would spend many days strollering down the river walk to the beautiful downtown (and Starbucks). Very special memories indeed.

While I met many people during our 2 ½ years in Naperville, two people remain my special friends today and both even visited us in South America. My first visit was with Ann Elliott. We walked the tree lined streets of downtown Naperville, had a yummy dinner and then ended a wonderful day with a raspberry mocha at a special chocolate café. The next morning we walked to the downtown via the river walk and just talked and talked.

After my special time with Ann, I visited Leslie. Here I was reunited with Lauren who had spent the night with Leslie’s daughter Audrey (who is also her pen pal!) the night before. We sat out on her beautiful new deck and chatted away, catching up on the happenings of the last couple years! We continued our tradition of dining at Potter’s Place and enjoyed a margarita and a “Christmas Tree” burrito. Leslie’s family drove me back to our campground in Elgin and both families got to hang out and enjoy some delicious desserts picked up by Ken at a local bakery.

On Saturday, we took the metrorail into the great city of Chicago. The day was gray and rainy but it didn’t dampen our desire to see this wonderful city again. We started our adventure at the famous Billy Goat Tavern on Michigan Ave. If you have ever seen any old SNLs, then you are familiar with the“Cheezeburger, Cheezeburger” skit. The tavern is where this originated as that’s about all you can get to eat there. Don’t even try to order a single cheezeburger as they TELL you what you want. Even the four year old in back of us got a double cheezeburger. It was a lot of fun!

When we left the Billy Goat, we headed towards Navy Pier and the Children’s Museum. It was still a bit damp outside so we thought we would let the kids run around inside until it cleared up outside. We have a national museum pass and it allowed us to get into the museum for a fraction of the regular price. The kids had a great time – Nikki and Lauren made skyscrapers while the boys ran around and played with the water exhibits. Time well spent. When we left the museum, the skies had cleared and it was beautiful. We walked the length of the pier and then headed towards Pizzeria Due (the less busy of the famous pizza duo). We had a VERY deep dish pizza and then headed back to the train station for home. Tomorrow, we head towards Wisconsin!

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That evening, we ventured into historical Three Oaks and had amazing pizza at Grazianos. It’s a pizza joint which has been around since the 60s and it was fantastic. Now onto Naperville Illinois where Nikki was born!

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We arrived in Carmel last Thursday and were warmly greeted by the wonderful Keys family.  Our first order of business – parking our rig in their nice long driveway. We had to take apart their elaborate basketball hoop (no easy task) and then back in so the garage was assessable to all vehicles. Within a couple hours, we were set up and ready for fun!

Marcilynn is one of my very favorite people and it was so easy to “camp” in front of her house for 19 days! Her daughter, Rebecca, has known Nikki since they were both 4 years old and it’s been great to watch them grow up together. They seem to be growing closer as the years go by which is wonderful. Jessica is 14 years old and she and Andrew got along SO well, just hanging out and talking about life for hours. Jessica is quite the pianist and Andrew would ask her to play Pachel Bel’s Canon over and over. Seems he enjoys classical music!  (Or simply the blond playing the music!)   Benjamin is 7 years old and OH SO CUTE and he and Lauren had fun together too.  Completing the mix-, David (Marcilynn’s husband) and Ken got along great too so we all had someone to play with!!

On our last full day in Carmel, one of Andrew’s best buddies, Austen Browne, arrived from Arizona. We picked him up at the airport and we have seen little of Andrew ever since. Austen fits right in with our bunch and we look forward to having him with us for the next 2 ½ weeks until we reach Montana.

Some of the highlights of our trip to Carmel include:

-Long bike rides down the Monon Trail to Broad Ripple and along the beautiful bike paths in Carmel

-Daily morning walks with Marcilynn followed by a latte outside (weather permitting)

-Dinner with Dave and Jeanette Tonne and enjoying Ken’s yummy smoked brisket! Great conversations with them as well as some other good  friends including Brian and Paula Maier and Rick and Sharon Balak.  What wonderful neighbors we had in Avian Glen! 

-Visiting Connor Prairie and seeing Jessica and Rebecca at work in their costumes from the mid 1800s

-Dinner with the adults in Broad Ripple at Mama Carollas followed by a walk across the street to an amazing farm market

-Dinner date with Ken at our favorite sushi place followed by a stroll down Main Street and a drink at the “Library”.

-Drinking lemon drop martinis, drinknig  margaritas made from the agave liquor we brought from Mexico, drinking period!

-Seeing Amy Fryberger again and enjoying her company and yummy cookies!  She is one of the nicest people ever! 

-Meeting friends of the Keys (Christine and Brian) who also dream of taking a long term RV trip one day

-Andrew’s friend, Austen, arrival from Arizona

-Watching Nikki and Rebecca emerge from their tents in the backyard in the morning

-Watching the kids play silly games down in the basement

While we spent a great deal of time in this one location, we never grew tired of the Keys company. It was a treat for all of us. We found the secret for a successful long visit is to bring your own HOUSE!! We had our own place and they had theirs and none of us ever felt like we were intruding upon one another’s “space” . Great set up and we highly recommended it! We look forward to seeing their whole family again next summer along the east coast. And Marcilynn will be coming to Melaque Mexico next January so that’s something to look forward to as well!!

Thank you Keys family for everything!

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We arrived in Kentucky knowing it would be the last time we would be with the Canadians during their RV trip. They are set to return home to Ontario on June 10th. We enjoyed each minute and had a wonderful “last supper” together under the campground gazebo. Our time with the Canadians was so special and it was very hard to say good bye. We know we will spend time with them again as they are special new friends. Rarely does one find people whose company is so treasured and enjoyed and this family is one of the best we have met.

During our stay in Kentucky, we reunited with some dear old friends, Karen and Lee Cox, both of whom I worked with many years ago. They now live in  beautiful Evansville Indiana, just across the river from our campground.  Karen is a big wig over at the Evansville Children’s Museum and she opened up the museum for us to check out after hours. It is an amazing combination of education, art and beauty and is housed in a cool old library. This Children’s Museum is a great accomplishment for the people of Evansville. Karen and Lee are such a neat couple and both will forever be an inspiration to me. I am so happy we got to spend time with them and they got to see our children at this stage in their lives.

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Now we are off to Carmel Indiana where we lived for two years.  We will be spending several  weeks in the long driveway of our great friends, the Keys’ family. 

We arrived in the land of country music, anxious to slip on our cowboy boots.  Well, not really but we would have fit in better had we had boots and a cowboy hat on!  We are still teamed up with our Canadian friends, much to the complete happiness of the girls (and all of us!)  We had a pot luck dinner in their outdoor tent the first night which is always a good idea as lots of great food and half the work.  We spent Friday taking a walking town of Nashville, checking out forts, the amazing TN State Museum and a stop at the State Capitol.  Nashville is a great city and worth spending some time discovering.  We enjoyed our day in the city (even though we were caught in a big thunderstorm) and ended it with a visit to the Grand Ole’ Opry.  The girls were excited to see Carrie Underwood on a banner as they feel they know her since voting for her on American Idol.

On May 15th, we reached our 11th month “”anniversary” of being on the road.  Boy how time flies!  We still have 13 months left on our adventure and if it had to end today, we would be happy as can be with all the wonderful memories we have as a family.  It has been the best time of our lives! 

On Sunday, we celebrated Roc’s birthday.  Ken made his famous cinnamon buns (Roc’s weakness) and we delivered a batch to their RV at 8AM.  We ended the day with Ken’s even more famous smoked brisket.  The best brisket he has ever made (so far!) thus ending the day full of food and fun!  We vowed to meet up with our new Canadian friends once a year and we really hope to make this happen.

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A visit to Huntsville Alabama was really an afterthought as we had a couple nights free before our reservation in Nashville.  We stayed at Monte Santo State Park and it was one of the most beautiful parks we have visited in our last 11 months.  It was tucked up 1600′ and had amazing views of the valleys and hills.  There were great areas to bike (something I am completely addicted to now) and a great covered picnic area with a huge fireplace.  One night, we got together with our Canadian friends and had an amazing BBQ, complete with a roaring fire.  It was such fun and we wished we were booked for a whole week.  The historical town of Huntsville is very quaint.  It used to house many some shops and cafes but  is now home to mostly law firms.  The shops and cafes have made their way to the malls which is a shame as the town has so much potential.  Now off to the sound of country music – Nashville!  Better put on our cowboy boots!  (Darn!  Think we packed them in storage!)

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We departed our campground during a wild storm. Ken  and I got caught in it during our morning walk and got soaked!  We were especially excited to reach Memphis as we were looking forward to our reunion with our friends, The Canadians!  It was great to be with them all again and we stayed up late, catching up on the last few months.

The next day, we took off for the city of Memphis, tour map in hand.  We stopped first at the famous Peabody Hotel.  We have never heard of it but it seems it’s an internationally renowned hotel.  Why?  Because of the ducks.  Yes, ducks.  Twice a day, they take six ducks from their home up on the roof of the hotel, bring them down the elevator and walk them along the red carpet to the hotel’s fountain in the lobby.  We can say we have seen the famous ducks and feel more complete now!  After our duck experience, we walked across the street to the Rendezvous Rib Joint.  This restaurant has been an institution in Memphis for more than 50 years and many of the waiters have been with the restaurant for more than 30 years.  The pork ribs were super yummy and almost as good as Ken’s ribs!

On Saturday afternoon, we headed over to Collierville to visit the Bassett family.  We knew Julie and her family since our days in Carmel Indiana.  In kindergarten, Julie’s son Blake had a crush on Nikki, even professing to buy her a Corvette when they eventually got married.  It was fun to see him again (six years later!) and see if the spark was still there!   Blake and Nikki would have adorable kids so Julie and I will keep them in touch to see what happens. 

That evening, we adults made our way to Beale Street which is THE street for blues, beer and partying.  They block off about 3 streets and people roam around, alcohol in hand.  Helen and I even got tattoos, much to the horror of our offspring.  The kids actually thought we got REAL tattoos.  Did they really think we would subject ourselves to that kind of pain?  I guess so!

What better way to spend Mother’s Day then to visit the home of the KING – Graceland!  What a production!  We bought tickets on one side of “Elvis Presley Blvd.” and then were shuttled across the street to his mansion.  The house was not huge (by today’s standards) but it felt like a home and the grounds were spacious and beautiful.  The house was just how he left it, shag carpet and all.  We learned more than just the glitzy part of the man.  We learned he was a very generous man and a loyal friend to many.  If anyone came to him that fell upon hard times, he was quick to help them out.  He also donated to over 50 charities and continues to do so through his estate.  He would be a mere 74 years old if he was still alive and it sure would be great to have him with us still. 

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Continuing our adventure in the South, we are now off to Huntsville Alabama.

The drive to New Orleans was a bit too long for one day  so we made an overnight stop at  a woodsy state park with just a few other campers .  We could really feel the difference of  being in the deep south as the air was thick and fragrant and the landscape was green and marshy.  

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On our way to New Orleans, we took a detour and visited Avery Island, the birthplace of Tabasco  (our very favorite condiment).  Avery Island is a beautiful place and you can see they have created a nice balance between man and the environment.  We took a tour of the Tabasco plant and couldn’t believe they produce over 700,000 bottles of the spice concoction each and every day.  After they pick the peppers at their peak (using a stick painted the correct shade of red (or a “baton rouge”) ), the peppers are crushed and salt is added.  The peppers are then placed in barrels for three years!  Very impressive!  We each received teeny sample bottles and got to taste Tabasco ice cream and other yummy sauces.  We feel more complete in life now that we have visited Tabasco’s birthplace!

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The campground near New Orleans is a mere 30 minute drive to the ferry which, in 15 minutes, takes you FREE to the other side of the Mississippi River and the French Quarter.  We arrived and walked down the Riverwalk towards the famous Cafe Du Monde.  Here we enjoyed world famous beignets (french donuts) and cafe au lait.   Cafe Du Monde has been a New Orleans landmark since 1862!  We then make the trek towards Bourbon street.   The New Orleans Jazz Fest was the same weekend and I would imagine it’s quite a bit busier in town than normal.  (Although they seem to have festivals of some sort every weekend!)  Bourbon Street was packed full of bars, bars and more bars.  And people roaming the streets with beer or a daiquiris in hand!  An adult Spring Break of sorts!  We had dinner at an historic landmark, a former house which was given to Napoleon at one time!  He died before he could move into his “house in the New World” but the history is still compelling!

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Now we are en route for Memphis for some blues, famous pork ribs and the land of Elvis!

Our first stop in Texas was the “Hill Country” area and the small town of Fredericksburg.  What a beautiful area.  We were told that when there is sufficient rain, the hills come alive with blue bell flowers.  Well, Texas didn’t get much rain this season so the flowers were sparse but it was still really beautiful.  Our state campground was right on Canyon Lake.  We  love state campgrounds as they allow so much space between each site.  It makes the camping experience  nice and peaceful.

We took a day trip into San Antonio and spent an hour on a boat tour down the famous Riverwalk.  This city is a must see as it is clean, beautiful and the people are very friendly.   We also took of tour of the famous Alamo and got to learn about what made David (Davy) Crockett so famous back in 1835 during the big battle of the Alamo.  Neat to visit a place where the kids can see history come alive. 

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The following day we ventured into Austin and visited the Texas State Capitol.  Austin is a metropolitan city, full of cool shops, great restaurants and neat little apartments dotting the tree lined streets.  After a tour of the capitol, we walked around the city en route for a great BBQ spot.  Ken has visited Austin before and wanted to return to the same BBQ place as it was one of his favorites.  We found it and boy was it good!!  We ordered beef ribs, brisket and chicken and sat outside, overlooking a small creek.  We were virtually silent throughout our whole meal as it was so darn yummy and who needs to converse with food like this in your mouth!

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Our next Texan stop was near Houston.  We’ve never seen so many oil refineries and see why Texas is oil country!    We endured a HUGE storm during our stay which included some tornado warnings.    We sat inside with the lights out, just watching the lightening strikes every 3 seconds.  Really something!  Happy we didn’t take off into the air like the cow in “Twister!” 

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Our next stop is Lousiana and  we are shifting our appetites to visions crawfish and jambalaya!