Road School Facts and Figures

Still buddies after all this time!

We had a fantastic time with our Road School adventure and we plan on encouraging everyone we chat with to try it sometime.  Surely there are lots of numbers we could crunch, but here are some fun ones based on questions we’ve gotten about our trip:

• 5 months traveling – from early February through the end of June
• 16,300+ miles
• 35 states
• Lots of fun
• Good memories and ideas for a lifetime
• 5000+ photos plus an odd collection of silly and educational videos
• Lodging:  23 different families visited, 56 nights camping, 81 nights indoors (hotels, houses B&B’s)
• Sights:  42 holdings of the National Park Service including 18 National Parks and lots of National Forests
• 1000+ bathroom stops
• Cliff Bars eaten: hundreds!  (Man I wish we had gotten sponsorship!)
• Longest stretch of camping: 13 nights in a row.
• Hotel nights: 6, which we consider pretty good especially considering that 2 of those nights were in Vegas, 1 helped us avoid a tornado in Virginia, and 1 was due to a deluge in Louisiana.  So ok, 2 were a birthday splurge in Santa Fe, but we did have to do laundry!
• School visits: 5 – with presentations to kids in 1st through 8th grades.  
• Colleges/universities toured: 3
• National Park Jr Ranger badges and patches from National Parks and Monuments earned: 20+ – which they proudly share when answering questions about Road School.
• The Subaru Outback survived and did well with only minor repairs necessary upon return (again, we wish we’d gotten sponsorship from them too!).
• We learned new sports, ate new foods, and learned to roll with whatever came our way.  Would we do it again? You bet!  Would we recommend Road School to others? Certainly!

Addy helps celebrate Acadia National Parks 100th Birthday!

• So until we come up with another wacky and awesome and educational scheme, you can find us at Southwest Harbor in this beautiful house built by family in 1837.  Isa and Addy are the 7th generation to spend time here, and we’re looking out at the Atlantic Ocean from the dining table as I type. Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is off in the distance, and the park trails, history and hidden treasures are just waiting to be explored.  Here’s to the next adventure!  
• We’re at: 374 Seawall Road, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679     207-244-3457 or cell: 508-524-5253   also find us on email at susan_raven@mindspring.com or jud_raven@mindspring.com .  We’d love to hear from you, or let us know if you’re in the area and come by for a visit.  We’re just down the road from the campground and can share our favorite camping tips!

“Helping” load the moving truck

Home sweet home!

The perks of living here!

Southwest Harbor and Vinalhaven

The view from Thurston’s 

Beautiful coastal Maine

Our two days in Southwest Harbor and through parts of Acadia National Park were scenic and spent with my parents as we went to Thurston’s for lobster dinner, checked out wildlife on a deer ride, and soaked up the gorgeous coastal views. The visit also had some extra stress to it as we’d decided back in California to jump into a new adventure and relocate to Mount Desert Island by the start of the next school year. So these two days were filled with networking and interviews. It’s exciting to look forward to but there’s also a lot of work ahead!

Picnic at the ferry terminal in Rockland

Finally driving home to V.H. we met up with Grampy (Jud’s Dad, Ike) and Vicki for picnic lunch then over to the island we went. It was good to be out on the water, to come back to friends, our lovely house, and familiar surroundings. Also it was a little strange as we knew we only have the summer here before our next big family adventure!

Returning to Vinalhaven!

Massachusetts and Maine

Almost Addy’s Birthday!

The gang’s all here!

Back into Massachusetts, Isa and Addy could hardly be understood in their enthusiasm as they tried to relay our every action of the last five months for their uncle Dave, Aunt Hien and cousins Huy and Kha.  Jud and I tried to chat some too but we may have to save that for another visit. We did celebrate Addy’s upcoming 6th birthday which distracted kids with some Lego building fun.  As any adult in such a situation knows, the tricky part is keeping each kid’s Legos separate. Hien sweetly made soy va ( my spelling, not hers) for Isa. It’s a delightful sweet yellow rice that Isa would eat multiple times daily if she could.

Kha and Huy clowning around!

Welcome home!

Kennebunkport moose

The next day we came almost full circle by making it to Maine. Six states over three days -NJ, NY, CT, MA, NH, ME- was making us feel a bit road weary. The reason why it was almost full circle was that we needed to go to Southwest Harbor before Vinalhaven. At the Welcome to Maine sign “The way life should be.”, we hit 16,000 miles!  After a meal in Freeport at Gritty McDuff’s which still beats many restaurants for its decision to have a fenced in play space that’s not made of plastic and is off the road, we went on a mission shop at L.L. Bean. Jud had blown a plastic buckle on this sandals and the folks at beans were impressed by his zip tie fix and rewarded him with new sandals.  Then we were on our way.

Enjoying the fish at L.L. Bean

Back to N.Y.C.!

Our photographer was on the trip too!

Welcome to Ellis Island

Immigrant processing room Ellis Island

There she is!

It was great to see Kerrie Delaney Swingle her folks, hubby and kids again here at the end of the trip after spending good times with them months ago when this journey was only beginning. It had the strange feeling that no time had passed at all, only that we had been magically transported into a different season.

The Addy of Liberty!

Isa enjoying a perfect day

We didn’t get much time to hang with the family and there were loads of NYC  things we wanted to still get to but decided to prioritize and leave the rest for another visit.  And so we spent a wonderful day of ferry boats and islands learning about the Statue of Liberty, Ellis island, exploring the immigration museum and getting our reintroduction to the Atlantic. It felt on some small scale that we were mirroring the immigrant experience by having our boarding passes checked, waiting in lines, packing into and flowing out of boats, being jostled, being overwhelmed by noise and smells and by the variety of languages surrounding us. We had wonderful discussions and the day left us smarter, more contemplative, and exhausted. It was definitely time to take all this knowledge and head for New England.

The train station in NJ – immigrants’ point of departure

Another view!

Denison University

Off to college!

A lesson in planetary scale!

Touring the observatory

At Denison University we had a great campus tour given by Dan and Becky with assistance from Nate and Maddy who surely know the campus almost as well as their folks after all these years. Dan is an astrophysicist so we talked about the sizes and relative distances of planets, checked out the planetarium and the observatory with its old telescope tower, saw deer on campus and checked out Becky’s office and labs nearby too.

Examining lab specimens 

Becky studies spotted salamanders and is also a professor at Dennison, so she showed us specimens and field work equipment. This was our third campus tour on this trip and the kids seem to be enjoying sliding into desks in classrooms, seeing huge whiteboards and asking about college life. Back at the house after great conversations and one more overnight, all too soon it was time to pack up and say goodbye.

As we drove off, it was Father’s Day so we celebrated with Jud by having him drive 7+ hours through Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and into New Jersey. We also gave him a few gifts and cards; one at each rest stop to keep things interesting.

Comparative anatomy lesson

Welcome to office hours!

Granville, Ohio

S’mores!

It took us about six hours to drive to Granville, Ohio, home of Denison University and Jud’s longtime friend Dan Homan and his wife Becky and their kids Nate and Maddy. Thankfully we’ve kept up with them over the years as they come to visit Maine from time to time.  So both Isa and Addy had met the family.  The last time we were in Granville though, I was pregnant with Isa, so it had been a while.  On our drive to get there we had plenty of time and a couple time zones to enjoy studying up on random topics which included: astronomy, muscles, Latin, Greek, Ohio history and facts, algebra, subtraction, multiplication and more. We also had time for me to work on sewing projects and all of us to listen to audio recordings of The Boxcar Children mysteries.  Upon arrival we instantly reconnected, had a great dinner and enjoyed stories and s’mores by the fire pit.

Hot glass!

The desert in Ohio

Oooh… bonsai

Oooh…Dan taking a picture!

Our first full day in Granville we all explored Columbus’s Franklin Park Observatory, an amazing botanical garden with multiple glass houses, a glass blower on premises who was doing a demonstration that we were all riveted by, desert areas, a bonsai garden and more.  A special exhibit was all about origami with small pieces and in-garden installations larger than the kids.  It was a delight for the senses, and for photographer Dan. We took a break mid-exploration to go the Spaghetti Warehouse downtown with it’s eclectic interior of stained glass windows and a trolley car and viewed the green spaces and city improvements along the river. It was beautifully green and well laid out and I’d like to explore more of Columbus someday.

Addy and Maddy explore at Franklin Park

Origami bison

Addy and Origami

Spaghetti Warehouse lunch break

The kids played well together and I wish we had a picture of our evening out watching the Drum Corps International (DCI) practice of the Bluecoats at Denison University.  Having been in marching band in high school and been to DCI competitions, it was a treat to see a corps in practice and hear the chilling beauty of a horn line as it comes together perfectly on a chord. Photography was forbidden, but if you don’t know about DCI, you’re missing out, so research it online and you’re in for a treat.

Chihuley glass at Franklin Park

Chicago!

Chicago!

Ah, Chicago! A city full of history and sights but also crazy driving, confusing traffic patterns and high priced parking garages. I’d only walked this city and only a few parts and only alone, so this visit was quite different. We got turned around map-wise a couple times making me realize that my city stamina was running low. Once we got our bearings though, we had a nice time exploring Navy Pier with lunch at Giordano for stuffed pizza and a walk through the Crystal Palace of palms and jumping fountains.

Crystal Palace fountains

We watched the ferris wheel and  learned about the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair/ Columbian Exposition. Architect Daniel Burnham was a big name in Chicago at that time and being a Burnham (maiden name), I’ve always enjoyed learning about his role in the city. The new fountain at the head of the pier was great for playtime followed by a complimentary Navy Pier trolley ride which got us closer to Millennium Park where I was determined to have us all see Cloud Gate. It was shiny and mobbed and picturesque. I admire cities that reserve so much space for beautiful objects and public space. The Geary-designed performance space at the great lawn was picture perfect in the sunshine as the crowds and the Grant Park Orchestra started preparing for the first evening of the free summer concert series.

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel

Family photo!

Enjoying the fountains!

Cloud Gate or The Bean

Reflections

Grant Park Orchestra

Other art included reclaimed tire art photo frames and a fantastic fountain of multicultural spitting people called Crown Fountain that needs to be witnessed to be understood (or you could look it up on YouTube). We listened to the orchestra play the National Anthem then made our way back to the parking garage in the softening evening light.  It cast a romantic glow on the buildings as we navigated out of the city and out of Illinois to camp in Indiana at Michigan City Campground.

A great use for old tires!

Giant spitting fountain!

Cool bus stop salamander!

 

 

Madison

Welcome to Wisconsin!

Steamers! Yum!

Wisconsin State House

Inside the State House

We explored Madison, Wisconsin for the day, witnessing the construction of the growing city. This was the first place I had a steamer at a coffee shop so it was fun for old times sake to have one and introduce the idea to Isa and Addy.  Isa, who doesn’t like milk, was in love with the idea of sweet warm steamers. We’re certainly enjoying new food discoveries on the trip. We wandered through the State Capitol building which is beautifully done with lots of gorgeous stone work and the engraved names of Wisconsin towns around the walls.

Inside of Monona Terrace

Deciding to join Tai Chi

Channeling our inner Frank Loyd Wright

Then we walked towards Monona Terrace for a look at the lake and the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. Addy and I joined in on an open Tai Chi class on the roof with the sun pounding down and Jud and Isa watching from the safety of an umbrella covered table. Inside the building there were various Frank Lloyd Wright-related displays including photos of houses he designed, early drawings of Monona Terrace, and photos of Wright explaining his art. The girls had the most fun with the photos of Wright, trying to mirror his actions.

Exploring a cake shop

Enno had suggested we catch lunch at the food cart village on the UW campus which took us window shopping past many interesting shops and into the thick of more construction.  Despite the constant volume of progress it was a good day around the city and we decided we were foot weary enough to skip the Olbrich Botanical Gardens and head back to the house to read and re-organize for the next day’s drive.

Say “Cheese!”

Leaving Wisconsin we decided we needed to stop at a cheese shop to savor some fresh cheese curds which I should have taken a picture of.  The counter of the shop was covered with bags of cheddar in yellow and white, with chives or without.  The cheese was yummy and the shop was painted like a cow.  Ah, America’s Dairyland! We even saw a cow staring at us from the back of a truck. We’re thinking it was plastic.  Thanks Wisconsin for the fun quick visit!

Only in Wisconsin?!

International Crane Foundation

It’s bigger than me!

Wisconsin was next on the list and we drove southeast through the touristy town of the Wisconsin Dells, where we could see a few glimpses of the nice rock formations where I’d been canoeing years ago, towards Baraboo. Baraboo is the home of the International Crane Foundation (ICF) where I worked as an Aviculture Intern in 97/98. I loved it there and learned so much and have told Jud and the girls many stories about that time.  I wanted to share the place with them and it was great to see how much ICF has grown and how it’s facility has improved.  Their mission worldwide to preserve crane habitat, educate the public and improve populations is inspiring and the people are wonderful. Check them out at http://www.icf.org . From there it was a short jaunt to Madison, WI to stay at Enno and Min’s new house that they would be moving into in a couple weeks.  A gorgeous live-in lesson on Frank Lloyd Wright architecture for the girls and a generous way for friends to put us up as we explored the town for a day before moving on.

Wisconsin or Africa? Here Isa and Addy go on a mokoro ride in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

Another great mural!

Full of great ideas at ICF!

Visiting the Siemsen Family

Addy and Thalia reconnect!

Our friendship with Enno and Min and their kids Oskar and Thalia is a fun one that we value highly.  From back when we were all in Carrboro, NC to their wedding at the Elvis Chapel in Vegas, to their visits to Vinalhaven here in Maine, we try to get together every couple of years. It’s such fun to see their kids grow and this time we were able to attend Thalia’s 5th birthday party at The Little Gym (a local gymnastics studio), a wonderful idea I wish we could find near us.

There is nothing like a huge bin of Legos!

Pajama princesses

The kids played so well together that us grownups even got to carry on a couple of conversations around the edges.  There was an impromptu dress up from the Pajama Princesses, joke telling by Oskar, Lego constructions by all the kids, playground time and a walk along the lake.  Listening to four kids talk non-stop at supper, enjoying great food and talking in the evening about jobs, kids, travel and more made this a blast of a visit.  We so wish these folks lived closer by!!!

Visiting the lake

Auf Wiedersehen!