Alright were to start and end...its about 1am on friday night/ saturday morning... We had a fun day at Six Flags over Texas today... Woke up a little late for park opening but it was a good thing since it was raining... when we went to bed the night before it was 80% chance of rain and lighting but when we woke up it was 40% chance and only in the morning... so it worked out great cause by the time we got to the park around 10:45am the rain had stopped... the park was empty and enjoyed it till lunch where we went back to the bus made some sandwiches and changed the pants and sweaters out for shorts and tank tops... needless to say Magic Mtn. in Valencia is still the best but we enjoyed our time at the park.... Chris was able to get me on the "bobsled" ride, which really made the night, it was at Magic Mtn. a very long time ago but they took it out, so seeing an old ride at a different park and being able to ride it was even better.... Mr. Freeze was a 0-70mph ride that shoots you out and then straight up, does a couple of loops and then sends you back going backwards... all in all those two rides stuck out the most.... as the night came to an end we headed back in the bus and headed to an old high school friend of Janet's(chris's Mom) in Richardson, TX just outside of Dallas(ps, "Dallas 7" interchange, NUTS.... controlled chaos)... the hospitality is amazing and enjoyed our short little chat before she went to bed...We will be getting up in the morning and making another 9ish hour dive to New Orleans... hoping for great weather for our travels tomorrow... the next couple of days are filled with lots of Friends and Family... Cant wait....
Good night Y'all (as the Texans would say in the GREAT state of Texas)- Amanda
Friday, April 2, 2010
Days 5/6/7
So we made it to Marks house in Gilbert, Az around midnight on Monday night…. It was a nice but not long enough visit with Chris’s brother… We were able to watch him play slow pitch softball on Tuesday night which was fun… I haven’t been to a ball park in such a long time… it a good little pit stop for us and Nancy… We were able to clean her out and give her a bath, do some laundry and charge every electronic device we had before we head out on another long trip before we get to Florida Sunday night (which is Easter)….We cleaned her up and hit the road for a very long trip to Carlsbad… Chris was amazing and drove the whole night while I slept… next thing I knew it was daylight and we were 30minutes to the Cavers... he did wake me up in El Paso so I was able to see the Border of Texas and Mexico… Now I know why my Dad and Courtney are so jealous of me for being able to visit them… but I do have to say if it wasn’t for Chris watching Price’s Right we would have missed seeing an amazing site… We were 700feet below the earth and was able to witness something amazing… Chris and I were talking as we walked into the caves and couldn’t imagine being the one who came across these and had to explore the tunnels/caves without light and having bats fly all around you… there was very little light as it was for us and it still seemed scary, but well worth it… the formations that were formed and crated by water was unbelievable… so if you are ever in the Carlsbad area it’s a must see…
After a 2 ½ hour walk around the caves we got back in our car and headed to our next destination…. Arlington, TX for our first of 5 amusement parks… I drove the first 6ish hours of our drive and Chris is now finishing up the last 2 hours… he was able to sleep and catch up on blogging…
Here is just a little FYI for all of those that might drive in the town of Seminole, TX (middle of nowhere), that even if you are driving a vehicle that was built before the seat belt law, you can still get pulled over for wearing your seatbelt WRONG… I was lucky enough to have that happen to me, I was wearing my seat belt (like a good little girl), but earlier on the day was messing with something on the dash board and couldn’t reach it so I took the shoulder strap and tucked it under my arm, stilling having the lap belt on… lets just say Chris tried to tell him about the laws (in California) about how it was built before seatbelts and all that stuff but Sargent James came back with “well in the GREAT state of TEXAS you have to have your seat belt on”… personally so far, Texas NOT so great
All in all he gave me a warning and told us to have a good trip…
After a 2 ½ hour walk around the caves we got back in our car and headed to our next destination…. Arlington, TX for our first of 5 amusement parks… I drove the first 6ish hours of our drive and Chris is now finishing up the last 2 hours… he was able to sleep and catch up on blogging…
Here is just a little FYI for all of those that might drive in the town of Seminole, TX (middle of nowhere), that even if you are driving a vehicle that was built before the seat belt law, you can still get pulled over for wearing your seatbelt WRONG… I was lucky enough to have that happen to me, I was wearing my seat belt (like a good little girl), but earlier on the day was messing with something on the dash board and couldn’t reach it so I took the shoulder strap and tucked it under my arm, stilling having the lap belt on… lets just say Chris tried to tell him about the laws (in California) about how it was built before seatbelts and all that stuff but Sargent James came back with “well in the GREAT state of TEXAS you have to have your seat belt on”… personally so far, Texas NOT so great
All in all he gave me a warning and told us to have a good trip…
the week in review from chris
Day 7- The week in review
Since I have been doing the majority of the driving and Amanda, most of the blogging, we decided to let me do a weekly blog. Well contrary to popular belief, we are still getting along and have been right on schedule the whole trip.
Nancy: With great respect to our friends Joey and Rachel who were an inspiration for the trip, we decided to stick with tradition and name the bus, just for the trip. Nancy came about because she was the true first owner of the bus and without her story, the trip for us would not be possible. Plus Amanda thought it sounded more Hippie. Nancy is a well maintained tortuous, who proves that the hare does not always win. You will get passed by 98% of the vehicles on the road, but its nice seeing a vehicle pass you at 90 MPH and yet you still bet them when you pass them and the cop. Nancy has her quarks, like the speedometer is anywhere from 5 to 9 MPH over what you are actually doing, the left hand turn signal will work on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays only, the gas tank is now only filling up ¾ tank when you top it off and will run on below empty for 100+ miles, the temperature gage will have moments of sporadic bouncing and despite all efforts to modernize her with the latest and greatest Ipod’s and Iphone’s , all the music sounds like it is playing on a record player. We love the experience and wouldn’t want it any other way.
The sites have been incredibly awesome. In the first 7 days we have knocked off 3 national parks (Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Carlsbad Caverns) and 1 of mans greatest achievements, the Hoover Dam. I had seen 3 of the 4 before as a child, but was still blown away by each. I remember thinking those places were cool as a kid, but the appreciation and respect you have for it as an adult is almost too much to comprehend. Carlsbad was astounding. To witness the beauty forming in front of you and to think about time from a different aspect, gives you an appreciation for natures elegance on our planet. The 3 national parks are a must see for all in your life, up close and personal. We both wanted more time at each place, but had enough time to have a wonderful experience. One things for sure, we will be camping at Yosemite for a week in the future, with it being right in our backyard in Cali. People travel the world to see Yosemite, so if you live in Cali and have not been there……..well?
The Driving has been easy going. The long drives actually have been flying by. Probably because we don’t take the same way we came, back. We are now on uncharted territory for both of us, driving through Texas. Amanda drove the entire 10 hour leg today while I blog and catch up on sleep. I had to pull an all nighter from Arizona to Carlsbad, because we were having too much fun with Mark. Actually, I was wide awake for the entire drive and we got into Carlsbad 30 mins after park opening. It might have been the coffee I had at 4am or it might have been the high wind that blew us around the highway like a limp ragdoll for the first 7 hours of the drive. Ohh…and the part about Amanda driving the 10 hours….make that seven, cause the winds picked up and I had to take over driving the last 3 right after I typed that. We did get our first peace sign from a fellow VW bug who pulled up next to us on the drive to Vegas. Haven’t see many other Vdubs on the road. Guess there becoming more classic. But, Amanda’s still punching me in the arm every time she sees a “red one”. 7 flawless days in the book. This week has been so much fun. We have finalized the reservations for the rest of the trip and have some pretty cool stuff comin. Next week….2 amusement parks, hangin with friends and family, and a shuttle launch. Keep checkin in. Miss Yall’. (we’re in “the great state of Texas”)
-Chris
Since I have been doing the majority of the driving and Amanda, most of the blogging, we decided to let me do a weekly blog. Well contrary to popular belief, we are still getting along and have been right on schedule the whole trip.
Nancy: With great respect to our friends Joey and Rachel who were an inspiration for the trip, we decided to stick with tradition and name the bus, just for the trip. Nancy came about because she was the true first owner of the bus and without her story, the trip for us would not be possible. Plus Amanda thought it sounded more Hippie. Nancy is a well maintained tortuous, who proves that the hare does not always win. You will get passed by 98% of the vehicles on the road, but its nice seeing a vehicle pass you at 90 MPH and yet you still bet them when you pass them and the cop. Nancy has her quarks, like the speedometer is anywhere from 5 to 9 MPH over what you are actually doing, the left hand turn signal will work on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays only, the gas tank is now only filling up ¾ tank when you top it off and will run on below empty for 100+ miles, the temperature gage will have moments of sporadic bouncing and despite all efforts to modernize her with the latest and greatest Ipod’s and Iphone’s , all the music sounds like it is playing on a record player. We love the experience and wouldn’t want it any other way.
The sites have been incredibly awesome. In the first 7 days we have knocked off 3 national parks (Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Carlsbad Caverns) and 1 of mans greatest achievements, the Hoover Dam. I had seen 3 of the 4 before as a child, but was still blown away by each. I remember thinking those places were cool as a kid, but the appreciation and respect you have for it as an adult is almost too much to comprehend. Carlsbad was astounding. To witness the beauty forming in front of you and to think about time from a different aspect, gives you an appreciation for natures elegance on our planet. The 3 national parks are a must see for all in your life, up close and personal. We both wanted more time at each place, but had enough time to have a wonderful experience. One things for sure, we will be camping at Yosemite for a week in the future, with it being right in our backyard in Cali. People travel the world to see Yosemite, so if you live in Cali and have not been there……..well?
The Driving has been easy going. The long drives actually have been flying by. Probably because we don’t take the same way we came, back. We are now on uncharted territory for both of us, driving through Texas. Amanda drove the entire 10 hour leg today while I blog and catch up on sleep. I had to pull an all nighter from Arizona to Carlsbad, because we were having too much fun with Mark. Actually, I was wide awake for the entire drive and we got into Carlsbad 30 mins after park opening. It might have been the coffee I had at 4am or it might have been the high wind that blew us around the highway like a limp ragdoll for the first 7 hours of the drive. Ohh…and the part about Amanda driving the 10 hours….make that seven, cause the winds picked up and I had to take over driving the last 3 right after I typed that. We did get our first peace sign from a fellow VW bug who pulled up next to us on the drive to Vegas. Haven’t see many other Vdubs on the road. Guess there becoming more classic. But, Amanda’s still punching me in the arm every time she sees a “red one”. 7 flawless days in the book. This week has been so much fun. We have finalized the reservations for the rest of the trip and have some pretty cool stuff comin. Next week….2 amusement parks, hangin with friends and family, and a shuttle launch. Keep checkin in. Miss Yall’. (we’re in “the great state of Texas”)
-Chris
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Back to real time
Alright so im finally back to real life time... we have made it to marks house(chris's brothers house) in Gilbert, AZ.... spent the night talking and catching up on life... woke up this morning and was able to take my first shower in 4 days... it felt sooooooooooo nice.... the trip is going great and we are looking forward to heading on the road tomorrow to see Carlsbad Caverns ..... life is good and will hopefully post more soon... Love Amanda .... ps chris has been driving alot so hasnt been able to post much will have more time on our drive to texas so you will be able to get his side of the trip too.... amanda
Well We made it to the grand canyon around 9pm on Sunday and decided to see if we could walk to the rim and see it at night… so we set up for the night and headed out … Oh ya u would think Arizona would be hot but no not at the grand canyon it was freakin cold… so after I put layers of clothes on we head out on what we think is the trail to the rim but it wasn’t… we ended up at a village/hotel where Chris decides to take a short cut through the woods (where I hear wolves howling at the moon) we finally come across a road and find our way to a visitor station find a map and finally find the rim trail and make it out to the edge… OMG it was the coolest thing ever… very windy but worth the hour walk (which should have only taken us maybe 20minutes) seeing the canyon at night and then waking up the next morning and seeing in daylight was amazing…
Grand Canyon is beautiful …. Words cannot describe it…. It is a MUST see in your life time …. I am so lucky to be able to see this amazing site… We walked almost the entire Canyon Rim and was a little sore after but well worth it…. We made spaghetti for dinner and then walked out to see the Sunset which was amazing to see all the different colors in the canyon… it really is a must see….
So far the trip has gone so far without any major problems… keep praying for us
Grand Canyon is beautiful …. Words cannot describe it…. It is a MUST see in your life time …. I am so lucky to be able to see this amazing site… We walked almost the entire Canyon Rim and was a little sore after but well worth it…. We made spaghetti for dinner and then walked out to see the Sunset which was amazing to see all the different colors in the canyon… it really is a must see….
Well what a great way to end day 2 is at the Grand Canyon… we are about 30minutes out side and while Chris is driving I’m writing :) …. Las Vegas was Las Vegas, did some gambling… won some money and got to see Fremont Street light show… which was pretty cool… Chris went up and beyond and made reservations at Treasure Island. Not only did we get on the 3rd floor but we had a view of a tree and every 20ish minute’s we had a vibrating bed :) … needless to say is we didn’t win enough money to stay AT Treasure Island but only in the parking lot. We also thought it would be fun to drive the bus down Las Vegas blvd (which was fun for me because I wasn’t driving), Chris had a blast though… cause really when do you ever get to drive a 70’s VW bus down the strip…
After a wonderful night it was onto the Hoover Dam, which I thought wasn’t going to be as cool, but OMG it’s HUGE…. And the new bridge they are building is Amazing… I will hopefully be able to post pictures soon (we have been having a hard time finding internet service, but I will try). Chris and I really did enjoy our visit and now can’t wait to wake up at the Grand Canyon… Last year this time for the first time I was able to see it from our flight home from Florida, so to be able to see it from the ground just gives me Goosebumps thinking about it… I really wanna do the sky walk but we will see if I’m brave enough :) … Hope everyone is doing good back home… Can’t wait to see what day 3 holds :) ... Amanda
Yosemite
What a great way to start the trip by heading to Yosemite… What an amazing park Half dome makes you feel so small to the world…..the small hike to Mirror lake was worth every second, God did a great job in creating Yosemite….this was my second time to Yosemite and just being able to see it again was worth it… after spending most of the day in Yosemite and being able to see Bridal falls, El Capitan, 3 brothers Mtn., Yosemite falls, Mirror Lake & Half dome it was time to venture on south to Bakersfield where we spent the night… what an amazing first day… Amanda
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