Finish the Sentence: Children's Review

"The best part of my trip was . . .
Asher  . . . meeting new people and seeing Maggie and Sam and Tara and Rob again."
Greta  . . . being with my family and sucking my thumb."
Salem . . . seeing the three coyotes that I saw and seeing Sam and Maggie and being with my family."
Abram . . . going to Sam Maggie Tara and what was his name?"

"The worst part of my trip was  . . .
Asher . . . the beginning, getting on the road because Judy wasn't the best.  Let's just leave it at that."
Greta . . .  packing clothes and having to use port-o-potties."
Salem . . . carrying my bag and Judy wasn't very nice and daddy yelled at me too much."
Abram . . . when daddy yelled at me."

"The most challenging part of my trip was . . .
Asher . . . finishing it."
Greta . . .  going over the Rockies."
Salem . . . climbing and doing my work and going on the water with Abram pushing me under."
Abram . . . going to the ocean."

"The most exciting thing I did was  . . .
Asher . . .  climbing in the Grand Tetons."
Greta . . .  you'll have to check in with me later about this one."
Salem . . . climbing in the Tetons."
Abram . . . going to the ocean and going to Sam and Maggie."

"The most exciting thing I saw was  . . .
Asher . . . the turkeys."
Greta . . . the pronghorns."
Salem . . . the buffalo herd."
Abram . . . the dock at the beach."

Just as a point of clarification:  Jenna yelled just as much (maybe more) as Rob.  There was not that much yelling. 

Also, not sure what ocean adventure Abram was on as we did not go to any ocean on the trip.

By the Numbers: Part II: Statistics

Number of Mammals:  17
Bison
Pronghorn antelope
Moose
Coyote
Cow
Horse
Mountain goat
Sheep
Goat
Pig
Prairie dog
Badger
Squirrel
Ground Squirrel
Chipmunk
Bat
Marmot

Number of Birds:  12
Bald eagle
Turkey vulture
Osprey
Raven
Crow
Red-tail hawk
Egret
Seagull
Heron
Mourning dove
Pigeon
Swallow

Number of Insects:  7
Firefly
Mosquito
Stink Bug
Ladybug
Cricket
Grasshopper
Roach

Number of Amphibians:  2
Green frog
Lazarus lizard

By the Numbers: Part I: Costs

Total cost to be away from home for twenty-seven days:  $4,149.10

Housesitter expense:  $500.00

Total cost of trip:  $3,649.10
Gas:  $951.62
Seven Nights Accommodations at Hotel/Motel/Cabin:  $646.16
Entertainment/National Park Admissions/Food/Souvenirs/Gifts for Couchsurfing Hosts/Other:  $2,051.32  

Average Daily Cost for Trip:  $135.15
Average Daily Cost per Person for Trip:  $22.53

Estimated Saving in Accommodations Expenses by Couchsurfing:  $1,292.34

Day Twenty-Seven: The Last Hoorah

While Abram skipped the photo, the children had a really terrific trip.  They each have a better understanding for each other, themselves, and their parents.

Day Twenty-Seven: Before Heading Out

Our hosts, Adrienne and Anthony, were such a great way to end our trip.  We stayed up late hearing snippets of their interesting lives.  We hope they decide to come visit with us in Littleton.

Night Twenty-Six: The Last Surf

Day Twenty-Six: In Albany -- Last Couchsurfing of this Trip

Day Twenty-Six: On the Road to Albany

Day Twenty-Six: Aunt Josie's

Day Twenty-Six: Mel and his frog

Greta's Post

This is day twenty-five and I am at the beach having a great time and enjoying my trip.  I can't wait to get back home and see my puppies.  By the way, I might be getting another pet, like a guinea pig or a mouse or maybe even a little dog.  See ya'.

Day Twenty-Five: In Frewsburg, NY with Mel

Mel is our second to last couchsurfing host.  He cooked us a lovely dinner, including silver queen corn-on-the-cob.

Abram liked the fountain and pool where he, and the others, found a frog.

Day Twenty-Five: On the Road, Lake Chautauqua

Day Twenty-Five: The Natural History Museum of Cleveland

After the waterpark, we headed down to the Art Musuem.  The parking garage attendant said that the minivan would not fit into the parking garage -- clearance 7'2" -- and to park at the Natural History Museum.  Once the children saw the dinosaur outside, they decided to bag the art.

While we were there, we took a walk through an outside enclosed area where the "live animals" were kept.

Toward the end of the trail, Salem said, "A bird just fell out of a tree."  He picked up a starling who had obviously been just injured. 

Salem scooped up the bird.

Rob went to look for a staff member of the museum to see if they could care for the bird.

The staff never came.  Salem held the bird and spoke gently to it as it dies in his hands.  Then, he placed it in the woods and covered it with a few leaves.

When we left the museum, Salem said, "I named the bird 'die-ey' because he died."

Day Twenty-Five: Cleveland's Waterpark

Day Twenty-Five: Frequent Sighting

We have seen this sight nearly every morning on the trip.  It had to be included.

Day Twenty-Four: Couchsurfing in Cleveland

We stayed with an interesting couple in Cleveland.  Even more interesting was their house.  Here is the stained glass in the stairwell and front bedroom.

Day Twenty-Four: Bound for Purdue

Rob and Todd were out of the house early and off to the mechanic.  Jenna and the children were left at the breakfast bar with Mojo (top) and Toby (bottom).

Thankfully, the transmission was diagnosed as having a burned-out overdrive.  We were given the green light from a mechanic in Crawfordsville to hit the road, but to leave the overdrive off.  So, we traveled back to Purdue so that Jenna could visit her alma mater.

The children had heard a great deal about the bowling alley in the basement of Purdue's Memorial Union -- not because Jenna ever bowled that much, but more because there's something sort of cool about a 10-pin bowling alley in the basement of a university's union.

Sadly, the children did not get a chance to bowl a string.  Jenna underestimated the popularity of bowling on a Monday morning and the alley -- all eight lanes -- was booked until 3:30.  As we had to get to Cleveland -- 6 and 1/2 hours away from West Lafayette -- we couldn't wait.

They watched some action though . . .

Day Twenty-Three: On the road

We spent the afternoon on the road and have encountered our very first mechanical problem:  There is something wrong (seriously?) with the transmission.

Thankfully, we are couchsurfing with a great guy in in Crawfordsville, Todd, who knows a good mechanic and will introduce us -- and the minivan -- to him in the morning.

This is Todd:

Day Twenty-Three: On the Mississippi

Day Twenty-Three: Corn Meal Pancakes

A delicious breakfast of corn meal pancakes and scrambled eggs was enjoyed prior to heading to the Mississippi.

Day Twenty-Two: And they still like each other . . .

Day Twenty-Two: Couchsurfing in Eldridge, Iowa

We arrived for a terrific dinner with Bev and Ken in Eldridge, Iowa.  The children played outside on the neighbors' swing set, Greta made $1.25 for picking up 110 apples off the lawn, (The deal had been .01 per apple, but Ken gave her a tip.) and the men took the children to the playground for a bit while Jenna and Bev talked in the kitchen.

Bev gave Greta a fancy hair-do before bed.

Ken and Rob chatting about the agri-business of corn farming.  "King Corn" came up as a recommended documentary about this industry.

Tomorrow, Bev and Ken have invited our family to enjoy their pontoon boat on the Mississippi.  Then, it's off to Purdue for bowling in the Memorial Union and couchsurfing in Crawfordsville, IN.  Sunday's shaping up to be another great day of family travel.