At 7:45 AM, the Torpedo is headed for Illinois, soon to resume her identity as the mild-mannered HildeVan. So too will the members of the Crazy Owl Tribe - Thunder Talker, Black Kettle, Bean Gatherer, Li'l Pot, and Seeks Pie - soon reclaim our identities as wives, mothers, significant others, employers, and employees. We have breakfast eaten and the van loaded in record time. It's much quieter on the drive east than it was going west; there's some chitchat about the trip, but a lot of the conversation centers around the lives we're headed back to.
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| Mount Rushmore the way Grandma saw it in 1932, with Jefferson on Washington's right. |
We pass from sunflowers, sorghum, and hay to corn and soybeans; from endless open sky and distant horizons to fields that bang into the sky within shouting distance; from Ponderosa Pines and quaking Aspens to stately Oaks and Maples; from a dusty palette of russet, sand, and olive to the rich verdure of late summer. By the time we stop for a picnic lunch in the windmills' shadows at the Adair, Iowa rest stop, the countryside looks like home.
We're all tired of sitting, tired of the late-season flies that swarm into the van at every stop, where we flail at them like demented marionettes, and just physically tired in general. It's been a full and busy week - we're going to need a vacation to recover from our vacation! When we cross the Mississippi River, it's bittersweet. Though we're happy to be almost home, our adventure is nearly at an end.
Gin's husband Tim is waiting at her house, and laughs at the disheveled bunch that tumbles out of the van. He helps us unload; the pile we amass on the driveway is so large we agree that it's a good thing we never saw it all accumulated in one spot like this or we would never have dreamed it possible to fit it all into the Torpedo. The pile is quickly dispersed into individual cars, and with hugs all around, the Crazy Owl tribe scatters to the four winds.
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| Yep, all of this in one mini-van! |
If you recall my first blog about this vacation, I described the different parts of a trip. We have now reached the final part - the recap. Part of the fun of a trip is reliving it, reminiscing about the good times, looking at pictures, and telling friends and family all about it. It is also the time where the planners among us ask questions and take notes, so that next time it can be even better. Will there be a next time? You'd better believe it! For those of you who think it might be fun to take a trip like this yourselves, I'll try to answer some questions you might have.
Q: Would I enjoy a girls' trip? A: Absolutely!! That's a no-brainer! Couples' and/or family vacations are great, but a girls' trip is special. There are no men to please, and no kids calling, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" at every turn. If someone wants to stop at a cemetery, you stop, no questions asked. If a quilt or antique shop beckons, the van immediately pulls over. No whining, no bitching, no arguing, no drama! At least, that's how it worked in our group. I figure by the time you're as old as we are, you already know who you can stand for a week or two. The workload is shared, decisions are made quickly and unanimously, and laughter eases any situation.
Q: Are age differences an issue? A: Just the contrary - that only makes it more fun! Having two or more generations together provides new perspectives for all age groups. Trust me, you can learn as much from the youngsters as they can learn from you. And in this busy world we live in, any time you can spend with your children is a gift to be treasured.
Q: How can I afford to travel? A: How can you afford not to?! Travel opens your eyes and gives you broader perspectives; it compels you to try new things and develop skills you may not even know you had; it strengthens old relationships and forges new ones. From a strictly financial standpoint though, inexpensive travel is quite possible. In our case, we stayed in cabins so we spent approximately $120 per person on lodging. Gas and incidentals like firewood, ice, entry fees, and tips for our guides cost about $150 per person. We cooked at the cabin and ate picnic lunches most of the time, so food expenses were $50 per person. Yes, these prices are for the entire week! We ate a couple lunches at restaurants, and paid for our own souvenirs and optional tours, but all in all, we had a blast for very little money!
Q: How much advance planning should I do? A: A lot! For 5 women (all with very strong personalities) to spend a peaceful week together, planning was essential. It was also a necessity to help save money. Early on, Deb planned a rough itinerary and everyone had the opportunity to review it and request changes if desired. Since we all approved the final schedule, no one could bitch about it. My job was the menu. I wanted meals that were easy, tasty, and fast, and I didn't want to waste precious vacation time in grocery stores trying to decide what we were in the mood for. Our cooking options would be a campfire or crock pot - a crock pot because none of us planned to spend a great deal of time sitting around camp waiting for food to cook. Anything that could be prepared ahead of time was, and those ingredients we had previously canned and were on our pantry shelves (i.e. jelly, sauerkraut, beans, tomatoes, pizza sauce) were utilized. As an example, we needed potatoes and bacon for Hot German Potato Salad. Both were cooked in advance and sealed in either a Ziploc or vacuum bag. When it was time to prepare the salad, it took only a matter of minutes to stir up the dressing and toss in the prepared taters and bacon. To sum it up, planning ahead will save you tons of time, aggravation, and money in the long run.
Q: How do you handle shared expenses, like gas? A: Before you leave, everyone puts equal amounts of money into a 'kitty'. Funds are withdrawn as needed, and more added if necessary. Any balance is refunded after the trip. Easy peasy!
I hope you've enjoyed following along with the Crazy Owls on our wild west adventure. You can check out Deb's blog for her perspective - we never read each other's blogs until we write our own so each one reflects our own distinct personalities. You'll be hearing from me again when I save up enough money to get back on the road. Until then, happy trails to you!
Links you might find interesting:
Deb's Blog: http://fromdebsdesk.blogspot.com/
Recipes From The Trip:
Coconut Pecan Cookies:
http://bakingbetter.com/2012/06/07/coconut-pecan-cookies/
Cranberry Walnut Cookies (substitute walnuts for pecans):
http://www.food.com/recipe/chewy-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies-56744
Monster Cookies:
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/wq46090w/monster-cookies.html
Chocolate Chip Cookies:
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/original-nestle-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Crock Pot French Toast (add 1 pint fresh blueberries):
https://thecakeeccentric.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/brunch-crock-pot-french-toast/
Crock Pot Breakfast Scramble:
https://damandalynn.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/crock-pot-breakfast-scramble/
Crock Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal: http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal
Crock Pot Jambalaya:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/forgotten-jambalaya
Hot German Potato Salad:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14411/german-potato-salad
Hawaiian Barbecue Beans (delicious with Hawaiian Brats):
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hawaiian-barbecue-beans
Campfire Pizza (we used pita pockets so these were more like calzones):
http://www.dirtygourmet.com/campfire-flatbread-pizza/
Campfire Brie (we skipped the booze):
http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/boozy-campfire-cheese-10935
Dragon's Breath Salad:
http://www.grouprecipes.com/2976/broccoli-cauliflower-salad.html
Ham & Potato Soup:
2 cans Cream of Potato Soup
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup +
1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup OR
2 cans Cheese and Broccoli Soup
1 16 oz. canned ham, cubed
1 can potatoes, cubed
1 can Evaporated Milk
2 - 4 cans water
Mix together and heat over the fire, or in a crock pot.
This is my own recipe, invented specifically to use all non-perishable foods. If you have some shredded cheddar cheese though, toss it in. I recently discovered that you can buy Velveeta cheese in pouches (the same stuff that is in Velveeta Shells and Cheese). I think it would work great in this recipe.
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