Mama Caravan Tour #3 (My favorite!) ~ Back Across the Northern USA

Miami, Florida >> New Jersey >> Cape Cod, Massachusetts >> Ithaca, New York >> Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio >> Indiana >> Chicago >> Michigan >> Wisconsin >> Minnesota >> the Badlands, South Dakota >> Montana >> Yellowstone >> Grand Tetons >> Jackson Hole >> Idaho >> Oregon >> down the 1 and 101 >> van needed servicing again around Labor Day, we camped for a week outside of Eureka, California >> we journeyed down the central coast and the 1 and 101 back into San Diego County. We left Ecuador in early June as Cee was feeling very done with his little school enviornment and some of the politics of 'friendship.' We arrrived into Miami, Florida for a few days before flying north back to New Jersey to collect the Rainbow Shooter Mobile and spend time with family again. We stayed at both Grandma Beth's, having time with her sister Helen and Uncle Albert, and we enjoyed a trip up to Cape Cod with Aunt Patt. We visited with my cousin Jason by walking to dinner and then to a faire near his home in the Atlantic Highlands, as well as with Red in NYC. We also visited with my Uncle Danny and Debbie before leaving New Jersey and heading towards Becca and Joe's 80-acre family farm outside of Ithaca, New York. It was a season of flash flooding so we nervous system was affected by driving in torrential downpour upon our arrival. Still, we enjoyed celebrating July 4th at their home and our two boys, Cee and Owen, connected in a lovely, easy way. From New York we continued to drive up towards the Great Lakes and east into Ohio. The flash flooding continued as I was awed by the Amish buggy and carts that were bravely confronting the rain. We rolled up to Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio, I got down our bikes and off we rode along 14 miles of the flat, river trail. Surrounded by lush greenery, we had to peddle hard to make it to the train for the ride back. We camped in both Ohio and Indiana where I was impressed by campsite ammenities. In Indiana however we were met by a large black cloud of mosquitoes. We rode our bikes and generally enjoyed being out doors. We made a trip to Chicago and visiting with an old high school buddy of mine there, Beth Capua, who was also a widow but to three kids. We had fun kid time with them and friends of theirs. The friends even invited us to stay with them in their luxury highrise as I was gifted a day pass into a gym for a swim and hot tub time. I also had Burt's computer's operating system updated there and it felt like losing Burt some more. More grief and tears needed to be felt. From Chicago, we double backed into Michigan where Cee really started to get his fishing on. In mid-state, we visited with Heather, a woman I had met in our San Diego dance community who has three older children. We camped outside their home. We drive up and around the lake of Michigan and into Wisconison and Minnesota. I was awed by the natural beauty of these states. We began seeing bison here. Before we headed into a dryer stretch of driving that took us into the Badlands of South Dakota. The topography of the Badlands are mesmerizing with their sandy peaks that are curve into fascinating silhouettes on the horizon. We also visited the Black Hills where we rode a steam train into the lush green hills as well as Mt. Rushmore. From South Dakota, we drove into Montana. We were back! To visit Yellowstone where we met up with Mama Dana and Donovan again. It was everything I knew it would be - having elk traipising through our campsite; driving by bison with their massive size and weird bleating; seeing Yellowstone Falls; fishing in Lake Yellowstone; watching Old Faithful blow - repeatedly; camping and swimming in the Snake River just outside of Teton National Park; and then witnessing a black bear swimming in the wild. It was fabulous!!!!!!!! From there, we headed south into Jackson Hole and the west through Idaho. This is when the reality of wild fires became apparent as we were confronted with smoke in the air as we drove into Boise. We also had to stay east in Oregon and skirt the massive chain of wild fires that seem to be breaking out there every summer now. We went to the Portland area to meet baby Itzli for the first time. We also did some wonderful camping around that region that included blueberry picking at a pick-yourself farm as well as a visit to a Salmon farm where we watched baby salmon "jumping." We met a family while fishing off of a pier and ended up camping with them in a shared outdoor site. I continued to drive west and we took the highways 1 and the 101 south along the coast. Southern Oregon is also a mesmerizing location with its sand dunes at the beach and pristine nature just inland. We met up again with Mama Alex and Raya for some camping there as well. I felt emotional when Cee and I entered back into California, especially as we came into HUmboldt County. As we neared Labor Day, the van did what it does which was to need servicing - this time though a whole new transmission! Yikes. We spent a week camped outside of Eureka at a developed campground that had a pool and outdoor play area, it was lovely although there was very little outside of it that was accessible via walking. (I think we were able to walk to Wal-Mart, however.) Once the van was ready, we hopped back in it and kept driving down along the California Coast. In Mendocino County, we stopped to ride the skunk train and then we headed inland. We dropped in for a visit with Celosia in Sebastopol as well as my brother and his family in Clear Lake before heading to my parent's home in Sacramento. There, we went to the train museum and Mom gifted Cee with a few train items. We then went to visit with Burt's cousin Hannah in Oakland whom we were able to celebrate Burt's 56th with. We were back at Jenelle's Lagunitas compound where we camped outside of her and Amy's home. Jenelle and I had some adventures with surf and electric biking before Cee and I hit the road for San Diego via highways 1 and 101 again. in Cambria, we stopped to dig through the glass pebbles on the beach. We camped outside of Santa Barbara and then we rolled up and into Mema's (Devi Kirn's) Valley Center home, which we camped out of and began preparing for Cee's 7th birthday celebration. We were in and out of there for the next month leading up to my 45th birthday. It was an active visit in San Diego County with gifts to receive - that included a visit to Legoland as well as the Navy Carrier on the Bay; driving a little motorboat and sailing with Uncle Stu in San Diego Bay. For Cee's 7th beeday, we homemade a pinata for his birthday party at Glen Park in Cardiff. Cee also had a pizza making session at Sarah's place of work in Vista. For my birthday, we celebrated with a picnic at San Dieguito Park after Dance Church on Sunday. I had decided, when we were camped outside of the Grand Tetons and beside Snake River, that we would be moving to San Cristobal de las Casas in the fall. The time had come.