Our 2006 Odyssey
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(Click on the Day# to see the pictures from that day.)
Day 1
School’s out! Sheila finished up at 2:00 PM and we left Greenville at 3:20 PM! As is our tradition, the first day is a driving day. We broke our own record covering 6 states in one day ending up in Gettysburg, PA. We’re thankful for God’s protection today. “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalm 91:11
Trip Trivia: Our sense of smell detected 7 pole cats during our drive through Virginia!
We toured Gettysburg National Military Park this morning. On this cool, sunny day, it felt like fall as we walked the battlefields and stood at the very spot where Pickett’s Charge climaxed the Civil War when Union and Confederate forces met. We stood in the cemetery where Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. The statistics shared gave an interesting perspective to the loss of life in wartime: Over 20,000 men lost their lives during the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg ~ Around 2,500 Americans have lost their lives in the whole War on Terrorism. From there, we drove through Lancaster, observing a little of the Amish lifestyle. Then we were off to Philadelphia for a Philly Cheese Steak! Having seen a Travel Channel special on the rival between Jeno’s and Pat’s, we decided to give them the taste test. In our opinion, Pat’s won the taste test, but surprisingly, we all think the Philly Cheese Steak at Firehouse Subs in Greenville is the best yet! There’s just no place like home! We arrived too late to get tickets for Independence Hall, but we were able to tour the new Liberty Bell Center where the original bell is now displayed in the open. It’s truly inspiring to see one of our nation’s symbols in person.
Trip Trivia: CNN and NBC were filming news reports at Jeno’s in response to a sign that said “This is America! Speak English when ordering!” Jeno’s said the sign was posted 6 months ago, but is only now drawing attention due to the current immigration issues in the news. (See the USA Today article.)
“Start spreading the news . . .” New York City – Sunny, windy and in the 60’s, – simply beautiful! Knowing this was going to be a full day, we started early arriving at the Sony WonderTech Lab when it opened. This hands-on technological/electronic lab was so much fun! You logged in digitally by voice and picture. By swiping your card at each adventure, your activities were recorded throughout your stay. Our family created a group music project digitally using different effects! Chelsea and I enjoyed making Morgan, an ultra-soft floppy-eared bunny at the world’s largest Build-a-Bear. Meanwhile, outside Greg and Brandon were chosen as extras in a student movie project for the New York Film Academy! Brandon was such a good-looking kid that they said they could put him to work if he lived in NYC! A Harry Krishna parade entertained us briefly as we walked toward Times Square for lunch took and a Toys R Us ferris wheel ride (you would know we’d get the Barbie car!). We also took in Grand Central Station, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Verrazano Bridge and Coney Island. We were definitely “a part of it – New York, New York!”
Trip Trivia: The sun comes up so early . . . by 5:00 AM, we had full sunshine!
Most expensive gas so far: $3.29 per gallon in Newark, New Jersey.
We boarded Miss Liberty from Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The weather was cool, windy and sunny. The grandeur of the Statue of Liberty was breathtaking! They’ve reopened Liberty Island since 9-11, so we were able to tour Lady Liberty from the inside as well going up to the observatory base which sits just below Lady Liberty’s feet. From there, you can walk outside and view the city. They’ve also inserted a glass ceiling so you can view the framework and design of the statue. Your patriotic pride swells as you’re gazing at the Statue of Liberty making you especially proud to be an American. The long drive today was rewarded with a stay at the John Carver Inn, Plymouth, Massachusetts which will quite possibly be our favorite hotel for this Odyssey. Our accommodations included an elegant room with all the charm of a New England Inn and an indoor waterpark with a tunnel slide winding through a replica of the Mayflower II and hot tub set inside a giant replica of Plymouth Rock!
Trip Trivia: “It is illegal for the driver to use a hand-held cell phone while driving.” Signs posted in Connecticut
Starting early, we walked to Plymouth Harbor to see the Plymouth Rock- a rock enshrined in a guarded monumental setting. (Brandon’s comment summed it up: “Well, there IS something more boring than the Alamo!) The Mayflower II replica sat majestically on the waterfront reminding us of the courage and endurance of the Pilgrims. Our next claim to fame is that we got lost in Boston! We did get to see Trinity Church, the Bunker Hill Monument (being restored), and the USS Constitution better known as Old Ironsides. Traveling on, we were welcomed to Maine with a sign reading “Watch for moose on the thruway!” Unfortunately, we didn’t see any moose, but we did see lighthouses including the Patriarch of Maine lighthouses, the Portland Head Light.
After a quick stop at the L.L.Bean Outlet, we headed into Acadia National Park, first national park east of the Mississippi. We took the scenic loop road stopping at Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Atlantic Coast and the natural phenomenon of Thunder Hole. This park has awesome pink granite cliffs and a rocky shoreline. Sand Beach was very inviting, but the icy water prompted us to be content just to look at rather than really experience the ocean. We ate at the Fish House right on the bay in Bar Harbor having lobster, of course and blueberry ice cream. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse offered magnificent views of the ocean and a bald eagle in flight. We were delayed at the border because we didn’t have an official ID for Chelsea. After searching our car, the immigration officer briefly interviewed Greg, and let us go ---all of us, including Chelsea! J Worse than the delay, was the torment of the black flies which swarmed around us as we waited through the process. Ordering dinner at a McDonalds in Quebec was quite interesting as everything was in French! We arrived in Quebec City at Tim and Sharon’s house around 10:00 PM.
Tim gave us a full tour of Old Quebec. We started with a ferry ride across the picturesque St. Lawrence River. Walking streets like those of San Francisco proved to be exhausting but intriguing. Quebec is full of history and amazing architecture. The quaint little shops and street artists have a definite European feel and can easily convince you that you’re in Paris. Lunch at the streetside café Casse-Crepe Breton
gave us a taste of the town. We loved the crepes, especially the strawberry cream dessert crepe! Having Tim as our native French-speaking tour guide made this day especially enjoyable. Melanie arrived late in the afternoon, so we were able to spend the evening with Tim, Sharon and Melanie. Good laughs, good food and good times! Being in a totally French-speaking province was a unique cultural experience.
Trip Trivia: 1004 miles traveled in Canada.
Definitely the most expensive gas - $4.28 !
A driving day from Quebec through Montreal and Toronto, ending up in Niagara Falls. “Safety is of the Lord.” Dinner at the Outback in Niagara Falls was a nice finishing touch to a long day. “No rules . . . just right!”
Sunny and 80 degrees --- a perfect day to view the wonders of God’s handiwork! Niagara Falls, both the American Falls and the Canadian Falls are magnificent! As you stand at the Falls, feel the mist and hear the thunderous rush of water, you can’t help but be reminded of Psalm 93:4 – “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea than the waves of the sea.” We viewed the IMAX in awe as we learned about the many daredevil attempts to go over the Falls. I love the fact that it was a teacher, Annie Taylor who first went over the falls in a barrel and survived! We spent the evening in Niagara Park, eating pizza and awaiting the nightly illumination of the Falls. Spectacular fireworks over the falls ended our day around 10:00PM.
Trip Trivia: The Niagara Falls IMAX is the second most viewed IMAX in the world. We saw the most viewed IMAX 2 years ago at the Grand Canyon.
Three great lakes in one day~Ontario, Huron, and Michigan. We walked out to the sandy beach from our room in Mackinaw City. Mackinac Island is rated as one of the top ten islands in the world, and it’s easy to see why! No cars are allowed so transportation on the island is by foot, bicycle, horse or carriage. We chose bicycles, and Chelsea and Dad ventured to ride a tandem bike! We saw the Grand Hotel (from the movie Somewhere in Time), Fort Mackinac, the Butterfly House, and toured the island in general. Having the most famous fudge in America, it seemed our duty to sample this tasty treat. It was a delightful evening on a beautiful island. This is definitely a place we’d like to come back again. Dinner in Mackinaw City at Nonna Lisa’s was one of our best meals yet. With a rustic northern atmosphere suitable for Yellowstone and the best Italian cuisine we’ve ever had, this dinner was an experience rather than just a meal!
The beauty of Mackinac Island prompted us to “Lift up our eyes and behold who hath created these things.” Isaiah 40:26
Sault St. Marie, Michigan – We toured the Soo Locks today by boat. This is the largest lock waterway traffic system in the world. It was a unique experience to ride the locks as they filled and drained, moving our boat between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. We surprised Nathan Wynn, Rich and Rachel Penix, and Ben Fetterolf with a drop-by visit to Northlands Christian Camp and College.
Trip Trivia: We counted 8 dead deer, 6 dead hedgehogs, 1 dead possum, 1 live turtle and 1 live deer in Wisconsin!
We’re in the land of cheese and the Green Bay Packers. We all enjoyed the AirVenture Museum in OshKosh, Wisconsin. Nearly 200 aircraft are displayed including the “Spirit of St. Louis” (Charles Lindbergh’s famous Atlantic-crossing solo plane from 1927) and the “Voyager” (the first non-stop, un-refueled aircraft to fly around the world in 1986.) We really enjoyed the interactive exhibits and flight simulations.
Through one exhibit, we learned that Brandon has the fastest reaction time for our family. (All those hours playing video games finally proved useful! J) Having spent time in Chicago a few years ago, we only made a brief stop this time to see the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. This magnificent fountain displays its power on the hour.
Trip Trivia: We met Johnny B. Good in Grant Park, a homeless man who said he wanted to be good and do right. He seemed to know the Lord, and asked us to pray with him before we left.
Today we stopped at Cereal City, USA in Battle Creek, Michigan. This is the home of Kellogg's Cereals. We had an interesting production tour and sampled warm Corn Flakes. This would be a great stop for families with young children! J
Day 14
Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio – This amusement park boasts more roller coasters than any other park in the world ---16! Brandon’s favorite one was the Top Thrill Dragster going from 0 mph to 120 mph in 4 seconds! Chelsea’s favorite was the Iron Dragon.
Jon Wynn and Christina Csoka’s wedding in Troy, Michigan. This wedding was definitely a family affair! I helped with the rehearsal dinner, Greg was the photographer, Brandon was the videographer, and Chelsea was a junior bridesmaid. It was so much fun, and the wedding was beautiful! The dinner reception was at Mac and Ray’s Harbor and was a perfect setting for such a joyous occasion. We are so proud of Jon and Christina and their desire to serve the Lord as elementary teachers at Calvary Christian School in Orlando, Florida.
Day 18: Home!
Home at last!
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 24:1, Psalm 34:8