Traveling with a wee one

A few months back I remember Googling "traveling with a baby" and wasn't really satisfied with what I found. Now that I have a few trips under my belt, I wanted to share what I've learned.

My credentials? One cute baby (see evidence below) who has visited 10 states on 5 trips (which included 21 take-offs and landings) between the ages of 6 and 13 months.


Successful traveling with a baby takes some ingenuity, lots of flexibility, and a laid back vacation style. The biggest challenges in my opinion are the plane ride(s), transporting the little one, and nap time.

The plane ride

First off, how are you going to get from your car to the plane? Do you have an infant carrier? If so, it's worth bringing it. Your baby will be distracted by the sights and you'll have your hands free to cart luggage and check-in. If you have a cloth carrier, you can walk right through security with your baby strapped on. (Did you know babies have to take off their shoes too?)

Take a copy of the birth certificate if she is under 2 - you might have to show proof of age if you didn't buy a seat.

If your baby can move, give him a chance to do so at the airport so he can burn off some energy before you board.


Take your car seat. Advantages: you'll have one for when you arrive and if you are lucky and there is any empty seat on the plane, your baby will have their own secure spot.

Hold on to your car seat until the last minute. Check with the gate agent. Are there any empty seats? If so, your partner can go sit in the free seat, allowing you to bring your car seat on and letting your baby sit in his designated seat. (or vice versa - moms are allowed breaks too!) Another idea is to book the two of you in the window and aisle seat, hoping that the middle seat remains free.

Gate check your car seat - don't let it get sent to baggage claim (who knows how careful the handlers will be.)

Wondering how to get the car seat through the airport? 2 bungee cords and a rolling bag will do the trick.

Transporting the little one

The question in my mind is "Stroller or no stroller?" I never wanted to be "that family" with the large, laden stroller and many bags. (Oh well, we are now.)

For our first few trips we didn't take the stroller and instead took our Ergo carrier. That can be a good option but it really depends on whether you want the stroller on the other end.


When we traveled to New England for 10 days, we knew we wanted our BOB stroller. We gate checked it at each flight and used it in the airport. It was awesome! Now I know why "that family" has the laden stroller - why carry anything when you can just hang it on the stroller?

In one particularly inventive moment we strapped the car seat to the stroller :)


Nap time

I halfway want to advise you to not travel with a baby who still needs two naps. Nap time has definitely been the most difficult part of our travels. Jack doesn't do well in new surroundings. He's stimulated and/or unnerved and has a hard time settling down. There were several 45 minute marathons that were NOT what I consider a good time.

Here are some tricks we learned:

-have a plan for the plane. Your travel day will be a lot calmer if your baby can still get his rest. Try to mimic their normal nap routine as much as possible. And DO NOT forget or lose their paci if they take one. I did and it was very, very bad.

- does your baby nap in your stroller? If so, take it. You can sightsee or get exercise while your baby naps, thus enabling you to still be out and about. We even took Jack to a nice dinner with him in the BOB with a blanket over top.


- take turns on nap duty. One day Jake watched a football game in the room, while I went to the gym. Another day, I read quietly (by the light of a crack in the bathroom door) while Jake hung out in the lobby.

- does your baby need darkness? If so, be creative. In one hotel, we put the crib by the door and then opened the closet door to separate it from the rest of the room. In another hotel, we put the crib by the window and draped the curtains (and jackets) around the crib to give Jack his very own canopy bed.


Our favorite option was the hotel where we were able to fit Jack's crib in the bathroom. This gave him his own room! (And also had both Jake and I making repeat trips to the lobby to pee.)


- bedtime is also hard. It felt like being at camp - quiet time after 8:30. On the flip side, Jake and I get a lot of reading in and our trips felt much more relaxing overall.

I think the hassles are worth it. We've had a great time on all of our trips and are making awesome family memories. The only thing I'd do differently going forward is to try to figure out a way to have one date night on a trip - maybe fly in Grandma?

New England Trip - Day Nine

28 degrees. That should have warned us off, but I always get a little zealous about getting exercise before we start our day. We bundled up and strapped Jack in the Ergo. We then walked along the Cliff Walk near our hotel. This is, as you would expect, a walk along a cliff. On one side is the ocean and on the other side are beautiful homes overlooking the water. We enjoyed this part of the walk, even Jack who worked on his new word "dog" every time one would pass.

We went a little too far and ended up with a LONG, COLD walk back. We ended up walking at least 5 miles. Happily we found a bakery along the way and loaded up with morning sweets for us - bagel for Jack. That bagel worked magic throughout the day.

After 45 minutes to settle down, Jack napped and Jake read and I checked my work email (for the first time on the trip) and did some catching up. We then headed out to the Newport Mansions. Apparently, Newport was the summer resort town for the wealthiest Americans back in the late 1800's, early 1900's. We hadn't bought tickets for anything our whole trip, so we decided to splurge and got passes to tour 3 of the mansions. We weren't thinking that each house had a complimentary audio guide, fun for us, but how would Jack handle it?

With Jack on Jake's back, we went in the first mansion, the Breakers - a Vanderbilt home much like the Biltmore.


I had the last of Jack's bagel in my pocket and kept sneaking him bites to keep him entertained. He liked looking around and was great for the first 45 minutes, but then he demanded out (in rooms that echo). I ended up carrying him the last 15 and wrestling him for the audio guide which looked too much like a phone. (He's not the lightest of babies)



We then went to the second mansion (the Elms)

and this time I wore Jack on my front. He liked this better and continued to snack on his bagel.


Toward the end, he was getting tired and kept pulling the audio guide away and changing the track, so I'd be listening to the bathroom overview in the kitchen, etc.

For the last house, Jake wore him on his front and he was sweet, occasionally resting his head on Jake's chest. We were quite proud of our cultured baby who made it through all 3 mansions (3 hours) with no crying. I think if he'd had his own audio guide, he would have been perfect!

Naptime again. Then dinner on the town where Jack enjoyed some pita bread and hummus. We ended the day playing on the floor with Jack's new toys. We are working hard to teach him "horse" (he is borrowing a horse toy we bought for cousin Wyatt). We say "huh-huh-huh-horse" and Jack laughs "ha-ha" back :)

I'm going to miss all these fun moments that have come from having no agenda and lots of time!

New England Trip - Days Seven & Eight

Our Hotel in Martha's Vineyard


Our luck did turn around. We made it through the night using borrowed diapers and even ran into the cab driver, picking up new passengers, and were able to retrieve Jack's second shoe.

Friday was spent on Martha's Vineyard, amidst breathtaking views.


It was rainy and cold and difficult to get around by bus with Jack + paraphernalia, but we still had a nice day. We accomplished the following: misty morning walk to find diapers, yummy bagel breakfast at one of the few cafes open in the off-season, a Jack nap, a Courtney nap, a hotel bed picnic lunch,


shopping in Edgartown (where Mom and Jack rode on a big wooden horse

and Dad fully broke the no-toy rule buying a cute mamma duck/baby duck wooden puzzle),


a walk around Oak Bluffs and the picturesque gingerbread houses (although we aren't sure we "get" them),


and a dinner at a pub where Jack slowly started to disintegrate. Did I mention a very brief afternoon nap?

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. Jake and I both were a little disappointed to be leaving Martha's Vineyard.






We would have liked to explore it more, but without a car and with Jack and bad weather, we'll just have to try again another trip. We were up, showered, packed, and found a nice breakfast and were on the boat at 9:45 am! Back on the mainland, we happened upon an awesome park where Jack had lots of fun sliding with Mom and Dad, swinging, and crawling around.




We arrived in our final destination, Newport, RI early afternoon. We froze our butts off walking around downtown.

We then had a relaxing afternoon at the hotel. Jake watched the LSU-Arkansas game (sad face), I washed clothes and read my book on the exercise bike (ah, quiet) and Jack took a 2 hour nap (yeah!). We ended the day with dinner out.

New England Trip - Day Six

Wow - we seem to be having lots of bad luck in the last 24 hours! Here is a recap:

-10:45 pm - Jack wakes up burning up. We knew his lingering cold might lead to another ear infection so his pediatrician prescribed him an antibiotic to help ward it off. He's been on it the whole trip, but apparently it didn't do the job! Jack was inconsolable so his wonderful dad went out into the COLD streets of Boston to find an all-night drug store. He came back with Tylenol and a thermometer. 103.8 temp. The poor baby could not get comfortable and pretty much cried straight through until 2am when he finally fell asleep. Mind you we were in a HOTEL room - makes you appreciate being at home when your baby is sick. We changed his diaper, stripped him, redressed him, gave him a bath, rocked him sitting, rocked him standing, put him in his crib, put him in our bed, etc. I kept having the urge to call someone for help (Mom) but then I remembered that I'm the mom and that the buck stopped with me (and Jake).

Luckily, Jack woke up feeling much better (if a little tousled). His doctor called in a new prescription and we're giving that a try tonight.


We left Boston and set off for Woods Hole where we would catch a ferry to Martha's Vineyard. On the way, we made a quick stop in Plymouth, MA.

We saw the "Mayflower II", a replica of the original Mayflower.



We also saw "Plymouth Rock" which may be more mythological than historical, but still, it was neat to see the general area where the Pilgrims landed almost 400 years ago.


So on to more bad luck....

- We arrive at the Martha's Vineyard ferry dock 5 minutes after the 3:45 ferry leaves. Alas, we will take the 5:00 ferry.
- We arrive on Martha's Vineyard on foot ready to take the bus to our hotel only to find that the buses don't run on Thanksgiving. We call a cab.
- Jake and I both agree that there will be no tip for this cabbie. He overcharges and answered his cell phone several times on the ride, swerving out of the lane as he does so. Not the best way to get a tip from a budget conscious dad and a protective mama bear. Unfortunately, he counts his money as we give it to him and walks off grumbling "I guess they don't tip down in New Orleans."
- Our hotel is beautiful! Unfortunately, our room is on the 3rd floor of a building without an elevator. Not ideal with several bags, a large stroller, and a 25-lb baby who never went down for his afternoon nap.
- Uh-oh. That 25 lb grumpy baby is only wearing one shoe. That means the other shoe is in the car of the grumbling cabbie. We'll tackle that one tomorrow.
- Double uh-oh. That 25 lb grumpy one-shoed baby has parents who left the pack of diapers in the car back on the mainland. Are there any in the diaper bag? One. ONE diaper. And it's Thanksgiving night on a dark island and we're staying in a small inn.

Did I mention that baby's new medicine has the side effect of an upset stomach? Wish us luck!!

There is no question we have tons to be thankful for - maybe all these mishaps are intended to remind us that it doesn't really matter if things don't always go your way as long as what is most important remains intact.

Update: Our luck turns. We bathe Jack and put him in the stroller. Within 5 minutes he's asleep. We take the stroller (covered with a blanket) into the hotel restaurant where he snoozes and we enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner. On the way back to the room, a young family overhears our diaper plight and offers to share. We are thankful!

New England Trip - Days Four & Five

Having lots of fun in the cool (make that cold) city of Boston!

We've been covering lots of ground - Mom and Dad on foot, me being strolled/carried around like the little sultan that I am :)


Yesterday, we walked the entire Freedom Trail. The highlight for Mom was seeing The Old North Church of Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere that Grandma Kenney taught Mom when she was little. I'm learning poetry early:

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,

The highlight for me was seeing the ships at the Boston Navy Yard (and the playground there that I got to swing in.)




I also enjoyed the ferry boat back across the Charles River.



I've been doing a good job taking my morning naps in the stroller (we all love the BOB, thanks Meemaw!). I've been doing not so well taking my afternoon naps back at the hotel. (not so well = 30 minutes to settle down on day 1 and never falling asleep even after 1 hour on day 2). Can you blame me though? The Hyatt gave me a very asylum-esque white metal crib.

Last night was fun for all of us. We walked through Boston Common (after running through it in the morning) and then down Commonwealth Avenue Mall through the cozy and upscale Back Bay neighborhood. We found a cute little pizza place and were able to eat outside thanks to upper 50's temps and heat lamps. I flirted with passers-by and this cute 2 year old girl.

Today the temperature dropped and the wind was whipping! I felt like we walked ALL over Boston before Mom and Dad could find a suitable breakfast spot (food snobs). We ended up at a bookstore cafe and I had some of dad's omelet. We read some books and then went back out in the cold, walking over a bridge to Cambridge. We did a quick tour of Harvard and then ate lunch with one of Dad's friends from high school (and fellow TFA alum), Chris Kaleel. I had a banana and some guacamole, which was actually quite good!

Then it was time for me to fight my nap, after which we braved the cold once more to get dinner and refill on snacks at Whole Foods. To get there we summited Beacon Hill - another quaint area. Then we went swimming (which made me deliriously happy) and now I'm in bed and Mom and Dad are working on their second books.

Even though we are having lots of fun, I heard them say something today about no more traveling north during the winter.

New England Trip - Day Three

4:00 - I'm awake and want to eat (yes, I still have that habit)

6:00 - I'm awake and want to snuggle (Daddy puts me in the big bed)

7:00 - I'm awake for good

8:15 - It's oatmeal and bananas for breakfast again

9:00 - I've put in my request for a morning nap

9:45 - I had second thoughts and didn't actually go to sleep until now

11:00 - We finally leave the hotel for the first time - all our stuff comes with us as we prepare to drive south

11:10 - The car turns back toward Portland - mom and dad left my ear medicine at the hotel.

12:30 - We stop in Kennebunk, ME. I get to ride on daddy's back. We get some lunch (me: leftover risotto, applesauce, and daddy's pickle) and stop by a toy store. Dad makes a half-exception to his no toys rule and buys me a new book.




2:15 - I read my new book all the way to New Hampshire.

3:00 - We stop in Portsmouth, NH. Daddy bundles me up in the stroller and I quickly fall asleep. I wake up to find myself in a coffee shop. This is no ordinary coffee shop as there is a play area, so Mom and I go play while Daddy reads.




5:00 - We are back on the road. I have a new habit of pitching a fit whenever I'm put in my car seat or stroller. I'm always fine once I'm in, so Mom and Dad are pretty confused (and sometimes embarrassed) by this new habit.

6:00 - Mom and Dad miss the exit for our hotel but luckily there is a "U-Turn to Boston" sign that lets us try again.

6:30 - Check in at the Hyatt. Pros to this new home: 16th story view, a toilet paper roll I can reach, a rolling footstool. Cons: MUCH smaller than our last digs, not as many drawers to play with

7:15 - Dinner with Amy and Tim, Mom's friends from Hawaii. I gnaw down three rolls, eat some gnocchi and a whole banana. I rip up Tim's placemat and give Amy some high fives. By the end of the meal, I'm on the floor pushing my high chair around.

9:15 Back at the hotel - bath time!

9:30 Read my new book with Mommy - she's trying to teach me to say 'bird'

9:32 It takes Daddy less than a minute to get me down.

Long, full day!

New England Trip - Day Two

I was up and ready to play at 6:30 this morning. Mom says that this is her vacation too, so Dad watched me while she went to the gym. I had my usual oatmeal for breakfast and then just as we were all about ready to leave, I decided that I needed to take an early nap. So Mom and Dad shut the curtains and I napped (sort of) for an hour to rev up for my day out in Portland.

At 10, we finally made it outside. I was bundled up well for the 30 degree temperatures.


We walked around town and along the water.



Then my dad took us to tour the Shipyard Brewery. I tried to pay attention to the 20 minute video, but I was bored. My mom brought this really cool light-up fish that my doctor gave me last week, so I had fun with that instead.

For lunch, I tried some new things: clam chowder and lobster! Combine that with some bread and applesauce and I was a happy guy! My mom let dad pick the lunch spot, so she got to pick out dessert. She got some gingerbread (which she didn't share) but I did get a sample of a pumpkin scone.

My dad then took us to tour a mead maker. Mead is wine made from honey. (You see my dad is a brewer and finds all of this very interesting.) You might think I didn't learn much as I was talking and drooling up a storm while dad was getting the spiel, but I actually was listening and learned that the brewing process used there was cutting edge and could revolutionize the craft beer industry in the next decade, so there.

I then fell asleep in my stroller for a nice 2 hour nap. My parents were cold so they wheeled me back to the hotel and read during my nap. They are both almost done with their first books. We then went to T.J.Maxx, Dad's favorite store and I watched them try on winter hats for 20 minutes. (I don't know why I didn't get to try on hats - I would have looked way cuter than them.)

For dinner, we went to Local 188, a spot my friend Chaya recommended. I made best friends with the waitress, who kept bringing me the ends of baguettes to chew on. I also talked with several other tables - I hit it off best with single women, grandmas and moms. I tried gnocchi, risotto, mussels, and starfish, all of which I liked.

Another great day on vacation!! (Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE this hotel?!)

Hotel in Portland



Checking out my new surroundings

New England Trip - Day One

I woke up at 5:55 this morning, but in a good mood, because I could sense my mom and dad were planning an adventure. It was off to the airport, but I wasn't scared. My mom and dad brought ALL my favorite things - my stroller, my car seat, even my blue bear and my duck. No longer are they the light travelers of their TFA recruiting days.

I had a great time on the first flight. I played with my duck and practiced saying my 3 words: mama, dada, and duck. I had breakfast and got my diaper changed in the airplane bathroom - twice! Climbing on mom and dad was more fun than the idea of napping, so I stayed awake the whole flight.

Our next flight was shorter and I got my own seat. While my mom was nursing me, we found out that the disposable diapers we're using on this trip aren't as trusty as my cloth ones. I accidentally peed all over me and her during this flight - oops. But I did get a nap.

We arrived in Portland and it's a good bit colder than back at home. Even so, on the car ride to the hotel I pulled off my socks and unsnapped my outfit, just because I can.

The coolest part about Portland so far is our hotel! It's a new Residence Inn and I LOVE it! There are lots of drawers to open and nobody tries to stop me! I think my mom and dad wanted me to take a nap, but I was too excited, so I just laid in my new bed and talked to my bear for a while.

We went out in the cold to get some dinner. The restaurant was called Duck Fat. I think mom and dad liked it, but I only thought it was so-so. The tables were tall but the high chairs were normal size, so I didn't have a great view. Dad had a duck confit sandwich, Mom left with a chocolate gelatto milkshake, and I ate the last of the steel cut oats and grapes that Mom packed for me.

After we watched LSU win their big game, we went to the hotel pool. Did I mention I love my hotel? Now I'm finally going to sleep, but have big plans for tomorrow!

Baby Jack's Nose Sucking

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

This is a staple in our family. Takes about 25 minutes, start to finish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Combine by gradually incorporating the flour into the olive oil and water, adding a little extra water if necessary. (Alternatively, combine the mixture in a food processor.)

Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes.

Roll to 1/4-1/2 in. thick. Load up with sauce, veggies and cheese (we prefer pesto to tomato sauce). Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

Stole this from Barefoot Contessa. Easy and delicious!

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
* 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
* 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
* 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups water
* 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

And Baby Will Make 3!

So the last couple of months have brought lots of changes to our lives. After a year recruiting for Teach For America in Seattle, we decided to look for jobs closer to home (i.e. somewhere in the south). Amidst the job search, we found out we were having a baby! Over the past few weeks, the little baby has been growing (I'm 10 weeks along at this point) and I was offered a job with Teach For America as a Program Director in New Orleans.

When I got the offer, we decided to go for it and quickly made plans to move down to New Orleans. Our movers came today leaving us in a pretty empty apartment. We'll be flying to New Orleans on Sunday and moving into the bottom floor of an adorable, recently remodeled house in the Irish Channel (near the Garden District). It has 2 bedrooms, so in a few months we'll be turning one into a nursery.

Baby Landry is due on December 12th and we are both really excited about this new development. The ultrasound picture is from 9 1/2 weeks and though it's hard to tell in the picture, I was able to see arms, legs, a strong heartbeat, and an active little baby-to-be moving around.

Jake is in the midst of applying and interviewing for jobs in New Orleans and hopes to line something up around the time our recruitment jobs end at the end of this month. We could not be more excited about being closer to family and actually getting to live IN a city, as opposed to traveling all the time, like we did this year.

We definitely welcome all visitors and of course will want to share our little one when he/she gets here!

A Day in the Life

Family Christmas Highlights

Wedding Highlights

Our Apartment in Seattle

I've gotten some feedback from a few friends recently about not updating the blog. As you can probably imagine, our roadtrip this summer did not end in South Dakota! One of these days I'll chronicle the rest. Our new job has been pretty hairy - 80-90 hour weeks were the norm for the past couple of months. Lately we've managed to get them down to about 70, but that leaves little time to write.

I was able to take a video of our place here in Seattle, though. It's pretty grainy - I guess because it was done on my phone. Hope you enjoy!

Day 8 - South Dakota

South Dakota – all I can say is that this place must be pretty depressing in the winter. We actually have a Teach For America corps here. There are about fifty teachers teaching on a Native American reservation just southeast of Badlands National Park, far, far away from any substantial town. What a commitment!

We left Rob’s pretty early so we’d have time to explore a bit once we reached Wall, SD. Most of the drive through northwestern Iowa was more of the same: lots and lots of corn. In South Dakota the landscape changed a bit. The cornfields were interspersed with hayfields and pasture lands. We saw one herd of buffalo and tons of cows.

At lunchtime we stopped in Mitchell, SD, home of the world famous Corn Palace. Supposedly the façade of this basketball gymnasium is made entirely from corn. It was a bit anticlimactic, but one of those necessary places of lore that one must visit when driving through South Dakota. Corn Palace was in downtown Mitchell, away from the fast food restaurants closer to the interstate, so we moseyed on in to Betty’s Café. It was bustling with locals of all ages who’d come right over from church. Our order was brusquely taken by the waitress, and about 10 minutes later a pile of slop was thrown down in front of me.

My experience with cafes and plate lunches has mostly been positive. In Louisiana, a run-down café in a long-forgotten downtown will usually serve up some mean red beans and rice (think Lea’s in Lecompte or Bourbon Street Café at Shop-Rite in Jennings). But that scenario plays out much differently in South Dakota. My turkey slices were accompanied by some peas and carrots straight out of the can and instant mashed potatoes smothered in white gravy.

We made it through the meal unscathed, though, then stopped by Cabela’s for some man-time. Massive sporting goods stores are so much fun! (C just couldn’t figure out why I enjoyed being there).

The drive from Mitchell to Badlands National Park was brutally long and desolate, but the sites awaiting us were spectacular. The Badlands (so named by fur traders in the olden days) are a vast area of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles. The National Park includes the largest protected mixed-grass prairie in the U.S. One theory is that this area was once a huge watering hole that eventually dried up. That might account for the large numbers of prehistoric fossils found in the area.

We hiked some up the rock and through a meadow before making our way to the Days Inn, Wall, SD – our home away from home.

Day 2 of Des Moines

Our second day in Des Moines was fairly low-key. Rob took us to a quaint diner where we had a ridiculously good breakfast. It was the type of place you see politicians schmoozing in during the run-up to the Iowa caucuses. The place was packed on a Saturday morning. I had buttermilk pancakes and Courtney had French toast; we shared a side of hash browns, generously sprinkled with Tobasco 

After breakfast we plopped ourselves down at a downtown Starbucks to get some more prep-work done for our new jobs. I’ve always been a fan of the Starbucks business model, but usually head to smaller, locally-owned coffee shops because of the unique atmosphere and free Wifi. Well, Starbucks now offer free Wifi through AT&T – you just need to use a Starbucks gift card to make your purchase, and set up an account with AT&T. It’s a pretty good deal.

We had two-day tickets to the 80/35 festival, so by noon we were out on the music grounds. We saw Drive-By Truckers, a southern rock band in the modern mold of Lynyrd Skynyrd; ….., and Yonder Mountain String Band – a fantastic bluegrass ensemble. The weather has been incredible all weekend (we even got a little chilly last night). The last act of the evening was The Roots, but by that time C and I were pretty beat, so we headed back to Rob’s place to get a full night of sleep before our drive across South Dakota.

St. Louis to Des Moines - Day 6

No run this morning – C wanted one, but I needed a break. Instead we worked a bit then got on the road for Des Moines. It was a long trip, about 375 miles or 6 hours of driving. The road took us briefly through some pretty rural parts of northern Missouri, then southern Iowa.

We passed some areas that still had visible signs of the flooding that ravaged the area a few weeks ago. One small lake was still well beyond its normal bounds, and we saw some extensive sandbagging along parts of the highway. All in all, though, it seems to have drained well.

Speaking of farmland…the Midwest has been synonymous with corn for a while now, but wow, corn fields stretch as far as the eye can see! This is the agricultural industrial complex at its finest. It was a little depressing, though, knowing that millions of our tax dollars are being poured into this area via subsidies, feeding the corn-producing machine. I’ve also been reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, which laments the problem, so I’ve been on a bit of a tirade against corn recently.

Soon after entering Iowa we stopped for lunch in the little town of Mount Pleasant. We resisted the urge to pop into the nearest fast food joint, and instead drove to downtown. It was a quintessential Midwestern town with a town square surrounded by run-down shops and restaurants. We picked the most authentic-looking café and went in for a couple of burgers and fries. It was obvious that we were out-of-towners, but our waitress was really nice.

The rest of the drive into Des Moines was pretty long and uneventful. There’s not a whole lot going on in Iowa besides corn. Des Moines, though, was a nice-looking city. In most of the bigger cities we’ve passed through, there’s been a ton of development happening. I’ve read that this has to do with a younger generation coming of age, wanting urban living as portrayed in popular shows like Seinfeld and Friends. It’s also being driven by rising fuel costs – it’s no longer as exciting to live in the suburbs and pay the costs of commuting.

Upon arrival, we met up with my friend Rob for the first annual 80-35 music festival. We caught a few smaller bands, then ended the night with the Flaming Lips. Some magazine has called them one of the top 25 bands to see before you die, and it was certainly a spectacle. The lead singer rolled out into the audience inside of a translucent ball, and the stage backdrop was a continual psychedelic light show. But the scene wasn’t really our style. We were pretty tired from a long day of driving, and hundreds of drunk, smoking hippies and hipsters aren’t our crowd. Needless to say, we slept well that night.

Busch and more Busch - Day 5

This morning's run took us down Market Street to the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River. It was overcast, which gave us a good indication of the weather for the day. We spent a couple of hours after our run playing on our new computers. Last night we received our new work computers via Fedex, and we were both really excited about that. They're sleek little Dell laptops - even lighter than our last ones.

Our first adventure of the day took us to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. We took the $10 stadium tour led by a retired school teacher and HUGE Cards fan. He took us all over the stadium, on four different levels. We visited the high-dollar suites, the press box, then ended in the home team's dugout. It was pretty cool to see such a massive structure completely empty.

After the stadium tour we headed north along the river, back to the Gateway Arch. C was scared to take the pod to the top, so we settled for watching a film about Lewis and Clark on the big screen. It gave us a little perspective on how differently we're traveling today compared to the unimaginable trials they went through as they took a similar course across the country. We also decided to support our national parks by becoming annual pass holders. We'll have to make sure we get our money's worth!

Our grand finale was a tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery. I'm a big beer snob and can't handle too many of their brews, but it was nonetheless a cool visit. The scale at which they produce beer is phenomenal. The size and age of the brewery complex was also impressive. Many of the original buildings were built more than a hundred years ago, and the complex sits on 100 acres of land! We took the tour, then I imbibed in a couple of their more respectable brews.

Tonight we bunked with Neda, an LSU friend in med school at Washington University. She took us to a great Scottish bar for dinner - one of our best of the trip so far.

Day 4 - Nashville to St. Louis

Running is such a great way to explore a city. It's much more efficient than walking, and you're able to see so much more than if you're driving. Biking would be nice, but then you've got to worry about navigating traffic (most U.S. cities aren't very bike-friendly). I guess horse and carriage would be ideal, but of course, that's not usually and option. This morning we went on our usual run and explored Vanderbilt University. It's a gorgeous campus set just outside of downtown Nashville. The campus as a work of art seems a mostly American phenomenon. Europe has its share of beautiful, historic campuses, but not nearly to the degree of America.

After our run we got coffee at Fido, a coffee shop that was the former home of a pet store. If you haven't been able to tell, C and I are big coffee shop fans. Ironically, she doesn't like coffee, or any hot drinks for that matter, but we both like the ambiance. There's usually great music and a quiet atmosphere - both conducive to getting work done.

We hit the road mid-morning heading to St. Louis. We ended up visiting four states today - Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. It was another pleasant drive. Western Kentucky offered miles of pastoral rolling farmland, and we only got turned around a couple of times. Collectively, I think we've lost about an hour of time doing this road trip the old-fashioned way: with a road atlas and a few selected Google Maps printouts. With no GPS device, I think we're doing it pretty close to the way Lewis and Clark explored the West.

Downtown St. Louis is a beautiful place. The architecture was remarkable, and the preservation of older buildings was really commendable. C got a fantastic deal on Priceline.com for our first night there. We paid $60 for the Hyatt in the old Union Station. The entrance of the station served as the hotel's main lobby, and the rest of the station has been converted into a shopping mall. Whomever designed this place deserves awards! It is a model of historic preservation.

We made it to the hotel in just enough time to drop our bags then walk to Busch Stadium to catch the Cardinals vs. the Mets. The rain came down hard for about an hour during the third inning, so the game was delayed. When it stopped, it was getting late so we headed back to the hotel before the next wave of thunderstorms moved in. Troy Glaus hit his second homer of the game in the bottom of the ninth to win it for St. Louis.

Day 3

When we stepped out for our run this morning we were met by some chilliness. The temperature up in the mountains was an unseasonably crisp 65 degrees. In back of the inn was a nature trail that went by a small pond covered with morning fog. A couple of swans were nesting on its bank, and we steered clear of them as we've heard they can be mean. Some parts of the run were on pretty steep hills, but I guess we can just consider that preparation for Seattle.

Breakfast consisted of banana's foster French toast and bacon, with a couple of sourdough biscuits on the side. It was heavenly! It made up for our below average dinner the night before. After breakfast we sat in rocking chairs on the inn's back porch, doing work on our laptops and watching birds eat at the feeders.

We got on the road mid-morning and headed toward Nashville. The first part of the drive was the prettiest, as we passed through a couple of small rural towns. We rolled into Nashville around 2 p.m. and were able to catch lunch with a buddy of mine in med school at Vanderbilt. After that we found the place we were staying. Another friend from LSU let us stay at his place for a night - he was back home visiting his family.

The main event of the day was a trip to the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry started in 1925 as a weekly radio broadcast, and hasn't missed a week since. Today they do three broadcasts a week, and we were lucky to be in town for one of them. This was my second time visiting, Courtney's first, and we both loved it. We saw Pam Tillis, Terri Clark, and a great young songwriter named Eric Church (see video below).

After the Opry we drove to the airport to pick up our second car of the trip - a Chevy HHR. Then we dropped our red Suzuki off at its new home. Unfortunately, we didn't take many photos today.

Day 2: Smoky Mountains!

Miles driven today: 115
Total miles driven: about 350
Miles per gallon on the first tank: 28.08
Number of times Courtney has gone to sleep in the car: 0

We got up early (6:30) for a run about Asheville. It's a beautiful city. I think what's most remarkable is the gorgeous architecture. It just seems like cities aren't as adventurous today with their buildings. Or, if they are, they end up looking like that ugly 1970s cement stuff. Anyway, the weather was wonderful - a little north of 70 degrees.

After our run we hit the hotel gym for a few minutes, then got ready to go. At around 9 we got to the Dripolator, a cozy coffee shop just south of downtown. We did a couple hours of work for our new jobs before they kicked us out (not literally, but we got kicked off of their free wifi after two hours). We got some solid work done.

For lunch we went back to the Grove Park Inn. Courtney begged me to go to the Sunset Terrace restaurant, and I'm glad we did. We shared a salmon BLT and a mixed greens salad. Both were delicious, and the view couldn't be beat.

The driving today wasn't all that far, but it was on windy mountain roads, so we took our time. Passing through the small towns on the way to Smoky Mountains National Park was exciting. They were littered with kitschy campgrounds and small-time theme parks. It was America at it's best, and a primer for our eventual destination, Gatlinburg. Some people are turned off by the tourist traps, but it kind of refreshes me. I think it's testament to the freedom and diversity we have in America. Sure, it's kind of ugly, but beautiful on a non-aesthetic level. You sure don't come across this kind of stuff in France. It's remarkable that there's a market for it all.

We gave some serious thought to visiting the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, NC, but we decided to get on into the National Park instead. At the entrance of the park was a well-done replication of a mountain farm village. All of the buildings were original and were relocated to that spot. It was neat seeing how many different crops can be grown in this temperate climate.

Driving through the park was relaxing. The nature of the mountain highway only allows you to go about 40 mph, so we cruised along leisurely. The temperature varied from 64 degrees to about 75, depending on our elevation. The views were really unique. There's a haze that hangs over the mountains (hence the "Smokies" moniker) that Wikipedia tells me is from the hydrocarbons released by the vegetation. The deep green of the trees next to the blue skies also give the mountains a blue aura - which is why the neighboring range is called the Blue Ridge.

Popping out of the park to the north ran us right through Gatlinburg. Wow, what a site! It was like a one-mile stretch straight out of Pinocchio's Pleasure Island (minus the drunk kids). There's a fun park on every corner, with everything imaginable in between - wax museums, Ripley's Believe-it-or-not, an aquarium, you name it. It was once again a celebration of America - a paradoxical example both of all that is wonderful and all that is wrong with this country. A veritable feast for the senses!

We hurried through town (well, as fast as traffic would allow), to get to the Buckhorn Inn, our first bed and breakfast of the trip. What a contrast it was to the glitz of town. The inn is situated in the foothills of the Smokies, surrounded by pine and hemlock. It has an incredible view from the back porch and is as tranquil as can be. I give it a five stars.

Dinner, on the other hand, wasn't as inspiring, but you can't win em' all. It being Monday night, we retired to our room to watch the second-to-last episode of The Bachelorette.

From Josiah (former student)

From: Josiah Kelii
To: Jacob Landry
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 7:42:26 PM
Subject: where are you

So hows it going with the trip.I'm wondering if you could tell me about the sites.Keep me up to date. =)

Day 1: 230 miles

We left Courtney's parents' house in Florence at around 8:15 a.m. We're driving her sister Kristen's red Suzuki to Nashville where she's moving later this month. It's loaded down with clothes, two lamps, a set of pots and a a set of golf clubs for C's brother Chris. You can cram a lot of stuff in a hatchback.

Today's driving was pretty reasonable - we're just getting warmed up. Florence to Asheville, NC, is only about 230 miles. At mile 120 we stopped to use the restroom and C took the wheel. She lasted about 60 miles, then I took over again. We station-hopped for most of it, catching the entirety of A Prairie Home Companion on NPR.

There's not much to see across the mid-section of South Carolina, but as we got closer to the border of NC, we were in the midst of rolling hills and verdant forests - the foothills of the Appalachians. We caught a brief glimpse of the Blue Ridge Parkway as we crossed a couple of trickling rivers and valleys.

When we arrived in Asheville, our first stop was the Grove Park Inn. C wanted to stay here in celebration of our anniversary, but we couldn't quite swing the price of a night's lodging. Instead, we settled on a day at their spa - the first spa visit ever for each of us. We ended up spending 5.5 hours there. I felt a little self-absorbed, pampering myself for that long, but it sure was enjoyable. I spent my time bouncing between the eucalyptus-infused steam room, the 140-degree sauna, the mineral pool and the various hot tubs. When I needed a break, I relaxed in the fireside lounge with my book. All of this lazing about was broken up by a 50-minute deep tissue massage.

Bye the end of the afternoon, we were exhausted! Who'd have thought that being lazy would be so draining. We left the Grove Park Inn and checked into the Renaissance downtown Asheville. C got this for $80 on Priceline.com - a fraction of what a night at Grove Park would've cost us.

We rounded out the evening with dinner at Bistro 1896, a sidewalk cafe downtown. The mountain air was a welcome respite from the humidity of lowcountry South Carolina. Dessert at Marble Slab topped it off, then we headed back to hit the sack.

MOART - Mother of all Road Trips

Our career as teachers is over! Courtney and I left the classroom and Hawaii with bittersweet emotions. Saying goodbye to our students was a tear-jerking experience, and leaving our friends in Hawaii was also pretty tough. But embarking on a new adventure is always exciting, as is our extended vacation between jobs.

Soon we'll begin our new jobs recruiting for Teach For America in the Pacific Northwest, but in the meantime, we've got to get there. So, in celebration of this transition, as well as our first anniversary, we are embarking on the Mother of all Road Trips! A 3,000 mile journey across North America that will ultimately include three different cars and 10 days of driving.

Seattle, here we come!

Final Remodeling Project

Whew, after a few long days, bruised knees and a really sore back, our final remodeling project is complete! We overhauled our two bathrooms last spring, and this past weekend we (and I use "we" very generously ;) completed the kitchen. We'd put a new fridge and stove in place last year, but it was time to lay down the same ceramic tile that we used for the bathrooms. Our countertops were marked and stained, so we replaced those too. A new faucet, a dishwasher and floor molding made it all complete. See the before and after shots below.





P.S. Courtney helped a lot more this time than last :)

Leadership Lessons

Courtney and I have officially decided to leave the classroom after this year. It's a decision we made a couple of months ago, but we're making it official this week by telling our respective principals.

I can't possibly list all of the things I've learned from this experience, and this won't be my farewell, reflective post. But I have definitely learned some things about management. The morale among teachers at my school is generally low, and this can be attributed to a couple of specific factors controlled by my principal. Another glaring gap in the leadership at both of our schools is extremely unfortunate. At the beginning of the school year, Courtney and I were very open to staying in the classroom a third year. It's been a series of instances where we've been treated as something less than professionals, along with many instances where our input wasn't listened to nor valued, that has led to this decision.

The final frustrating piece was that about two months ago we were asked by our principals whether we'd be returning next year. We were fairly sure of our answer, but didn't want to rule anything out just yet, so we said "not sure." During the following two months, our principals never once approached us to talk to us about our decision, or encourage us to stay. Knowing the impact we've had on our students, we're confident that we've done a great job. This, however, left us feeling unwanted and little-valued.

We've seen countless problems and inefficiencies that are contributing to the failure of schools like ours to provide a relevant, meaningful and sufficient education. The most glaring problem, however, is school leadership. The job of principal is a difficult and multi-faceted leadership position, and we must have competent and capable people leading these schools.

Leadership/management lessons learned:

1. Encourage open lines of communication, and consider all perspectives and opinions
2. Do everything in your power to retain your highest performing and highest quality employees