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Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Yahoo Message Number: 89427
Hey Friends, Do you want to hear my new plan?  I was planning to take the kids this summer on our Wild West Adventure 2008, but there just isn't enough time to see it all.  Plus, there is the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October, the Baja and Copper Canyon in January and Februrary. . . so much to see, too little time.

SO!  I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do all we can!

Fortunately, dh (married almost 20 years) is alright with that.
He'll fly out to meet us, hook up daily via webcam, and listen to our numerous calls a day.  Also, we promised to bring him to all the great places as "Daddy-on-a-stick" (see Andy's Fulltime with Gertie site for details on that!
http://www.andybaird.com/travels/fulltime/fulltime08.htm>.

Doesn't that sound exciting?  I'm thinking we go to the Wild West, Alaska, Canada, New England in the Fall, family in NC, Disney, back to Texas for the holidays at the end of November & thru December, then off to Mexico, maybe up the California coast, etc.

Of course, I have been percolating the idea of shipping the RV to Europe and touring there too, but I think I need more time for that (I bought that book, "Take your RV to Europe" and it is FAB!).

Today Ned and I met with the Head of School for our kids and he was going to take a week to discuss it with the various school heads, etc.  Our concern is not being able to get them back in this school after our year away, but hey!  What is life without risk?  I'll be "road-schooling" the kids along the way and they are excited about getting laptops.

I joined that "Families on the Road" yahoo group where there are equally "crazy" and wonderfully encouraging people.
 Life is an adventure and I just cannot wait!  I'm working on setting up a blog and creating business cards to hand out with our email addresses and blog on it, like Andy did with his fulltiming start in Gertie.  http://www.andybaird.com/travels/fulltime/fulltime04.htm>

What do you think?  I'll give you a good Thoreau quote below so hopefully you'll go easy on me.
:) Tessa in TX (p.s. Happy Valentine's Day!  I love this group!)

"Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams. " Henry David Thoreau
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89428
That sounds like quite an undertaking!!!  But with all your energy I'm sure you will be able to pull it off. You may be able to hook up in different LD groups along the way - our SW group will be at Lake Roosevelt in April.

You will have to plan carefully, as I'm sure you know, for the changes in weather.  We are presently at Kartchner Caverns National Park and have been for 4 days.  We planned to stay here 2 days, but weather up ahead has held us here - we are heading into New Mexico.  We are trying to stay in the lower part of the states, because they wouldn't normally have snow this time of year.  But, our weather this year is wacky.

How old are your children?

John and Linda Prescott, AZ
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89430
Quote

SO!  I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do all we can! :) Tessa in TX (p.s. Happy Valentine's Day!  I love this group!)
Tessa, I'm sure your kids will learn and remember more from a year on the road with you than the year in school. Having met your wonderful kids, the rest of US is in for a treat when they arrive. They are confident, inquisitive, intelligent, and mature beyond their years.
I'm sure you and they will remember this as one of the best years of their lives. Now youif only you could figure a way to afford Ned's joining you for this adventure, it would be perfect.  Go for it! And if you get anywhere near the Napa Valley or Sacramento send us an email if you'd like a Model A tour of the surrounding area. We're in Dixon on I-80. Wish we had a parking place, but have LD and can travel! Mary & Ron Tribbett a314ron at aol dot com will usually reach us unless we're also on the road somewhere.
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89433
Dearest Tessa ---

Art and I say go for it!

What an incredible adventure for you and your three wonderful children!  Learning about life while truly living it.  And the lessons you can teach them!  Real life lessons that will bring history and geography and math and science (to name just a few) alive.

You will be creating very special life-long memories for them and a deep and abiding love and respect for this country and its people.

Can we come, too?  ;-D

With big hugs to you and Ned and the kids, Barbara and Art
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89434
"What do you think? "

Tessa

I want to be a kid again and have you for my mom.
 What a great thing to do. Your kids are bright and outgoing and will learn more during the next year than they will in the next two years of school. With home schooling, they will not get far behind academically as long as you enforce a certain amount of school time each day.
My only concern is about your husband. It's not wise to leave a good-looking guy like him alone too much no matter what he says.
You will need to fly him in often for a little R&R.

Keep us posted.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
wacky weather
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89436
On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:06:38 -0800 (PST), Linda Leach wrote these inspiring words:

Quote
We are trying to stay in the lower part of the states, because they wouldn't normally have snow this time of year.  But, our weather this year is wacky.
We have stopped for a few days in Anza-Borrego before completing the first leg of this trip, Atlantic to Pacific. This is a neat place.
 It snowed in the mountains this afternoon! The roads over the mountain to Julian etc. are closed. Only a little rain here. 40 degrees at dusk.

Stay well and warm.

Home is where you roam Don & Dorothy, new to the cult Koko & Pelli

Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89437
[snip] I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do

Quote
all we can!
[snip]
 
Quote
Tessa in TX (p.s. Happy Valentine's Day!  I love this group!)

"Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams. " Henry David Thoreau
Tessa, that truly sounds like an Excellent Adventure!  If the kids attend J.C., in Indian Springs, the school will probably OK the plan and ask you to present a program on your travels when you get back!  I look forward to hearing about the adventure.

Happy Valentine's Day,

Sharon N.
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89440
Quote
Hey Friends, Do you want to hear my new plan?  I was planning to take the kids this summer on our Wild West Adventure 2008, but there just isn't enough time to see it all.  Plus, there is the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October, the Baja and Copper Canyon in January and Februrary. . . so much to see, too little time.

SO!  I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do all we can!
Dear Tessa,
 This sounds like a marvelous plan.  Your kids will learn far more than just reading books in a classroom.  Here their classroom will be the entire country.  '
 You might want to check my daughter's blog: http://www.parenthacks.com

I am not sure what is there, but I know there is a section about traveling with kids.  Oh - and not to brag:  her blog was chosen as one of the three best parenting blogs in the country by "Real Simple" magazine!  Isn't that cool?!

Hope there is something of use to you there.  What lucky kids.  Do they need a grandma to come along for babysitting?

Have fun.

Roz the Wannabe
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89441
On Feb 14, 2008, at 18:50, teresadhill wrote:

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SO!  I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do all we can! Doesn't that sound exciting?
Personally, I think you are NUTS   :)

A year in highly confined quarters with "The Kids?"

Quote
Fortunately, dh (married almost 20 years) is alright with that.
I'll bet he is...   A year WITHOUT "The Kids"...   Sounds like the deal of the century to me!
 Just kidding of course...  But not exactly the first thing *I* would want to do.

-Dave '06 MB, Indianapolis
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89447
Thanks, Friends.  We *really* appreciate your encouragement and Dave made me laugh (you said just what my Best Friend did!).

Lisa, those are great suggestions and I will do so.
 Europe idea:  Now, the people who shipped their RV to Europe did not drive into the major European cities.  They used the public transportation that was available from every campground, so they did fine with their U.S. vehicle (with a few modifications for things like electric).  It would likely run about $3000 to ship the rig RO- RO (roll on-roll off carrier).  They store their RV in an former greenhouse in Amsterdam for repeated use.  You can then either convert it's status (and pay taxes) and sell it there or ship it back.

My understanding is that you have to hold title to the vehicle or have a release from the lienholder AND that the vehicle needs to be under 20 years old to get liability insurance on it.  So Ciao Baby at age 16 has just a few more years to qualify.  Or, I've considered getting a wee bit newer (and maybe a 23.5' Twin/King) for shipping over there and use CB here.  I believe the most expensive part of the deal is flying us all over there (FF miles/AmEx points, etc?).  I think that would be awesome!

In the meantime, I'm researching the first half of our trip.
Anyone been to the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik (Northern Canada)?  http://www.gnaf.org/>  It is July 11-20 which I think we might just be able to make!  How cool would that be to get our "Artic Circle Certificate" and see the Midnight Sun?!

Also, has anyone taken the Alaska Marine Highway from Skagway to Bellingham, WA?  What is the benefit to doing that (scenic?)?  It sounds expensive ($2000?) and long (3 days?) but again, I need to do more research.

Should I hook up with a Caravan in Alaska?  I need to do more reading, but advice is very appreciated.  Linda, I'm going to read your Alaska blog again, and Lola and Herb's.  And I'm going to get Milepost, the required reading.  What else?

Thanks again, Tessa in TX  "We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success."   Henry David Thoreau
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89448
Quote
Anyone been to the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik (Northern Canada)?

 No, but you might want to rethink driving your LD up to Inuvik.  It's 400-some miles of gravel road (and sharp gravel, at that) and it's called the Haul Road for a reason: the big trucks haul a$$ and don't stop or slow down for anything or anyone.

Quote
Also, has anyone taken the Alaska Marine Highway from Skagway to Bellingham, WA?

 You might want to compare the cost from Skagway to Bellingham vs Skagway to Prince Rupert, BC.  I think you'll find the latter port of call quite a bit less expensive than going on to Bellingham, even considering the gas it would take to drive back to the U.S.

Quote
Should I hook up with a Caravan in Alaska?

 That would depend on how structured you like to travel.  With a caravan, you'll not have any time to stop and explore an area that might be of interest to you.  Personally, we wouldn't do a caravan to Alaska...we like to travel when and where WE want to travel and we don't like to be on a schedule.  You might, however, peruse some of the caravan websites to get an idea of the places they go and the things they do...it might give you some good ideas that you may not have thought about on your own.

Besides the Milepost and the Church's book on traveling in Alaska, http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?m=2&p=196, also consider purchasing the Great Alaskan Tour Saver, www.toursaver.com, which has many two-for-one tours.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Linda Hylton
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89450
Quote
Also, has anyone taken the Alaska Marine Highway from Skagway to Bellingham, WA?  What is the benefit to doing that (scenic?)?  It sounds expensive ($2000?) and long (3 days?) but again, I need to do more research.
Tessa, Ron and I took the Marine Highway from Bellingham to Skagway last year on a Model A caravan. We really liked the ferry ride. Of course we had our own private cabin and bathroom cause we're old folks. You and the kids would probably love camping out on the decks or sleeping inside if it rains. There are bath, shower and laundry facilities on board for campers. One of our ferries had a dining room and a small snack shop and two had a cafeteria. We much preferred the cafeteria due to varied menu and price. You can access any car or RV about three times a day, but you cannot have the propane on in the RV so you'll need to empty the frig. You can bring your own food and ice chest onto the ferry.
There were naturalists on board to give talks about the flora and fauna. Also a movie theater. The trip north was lovely. The trip south involved two ferries and five days due to leaving from Whittier. The timing of that return didn't seem to give us such a scenic trip. But then we slept through a good part of it even during the day. You can plan on exiting the ferry for a few days and reboarding later, but I think that needs to be planned in advance. We just got off and wandered the little towns during the short stops made for loading and unloading the cars, truck and people. I can't tell you what it cost us because we paid onelarge sum for the entire trip. But the cost for vehicles is determined by length and did seem costly for RV's over 16 feet. Don't caravan if you go. There are only so many paved and partially paved roads to travel and I doubt you'd want to go to far on the non paved roads due to flying rocks and speeding trucks. One of our drivers was glad his window was rolled down when a flying rock hit his head. He figured a band aid for his head was easier than replacing his window.
That was the only incident we had with regard to flying objects. I will say the roads in Alaska were better than those in the Yukon. It's a lovely scenic state and the folks are friendly. Be sure to take the shuttle bus ride into Denali to see the local wildlife. You can take a tour bus, the shuttle is cheaper and though they drivers say they are not tour guides, they will tell you to holler when you see animals and they will stop to show anything you want from the bus. It is long day and again many slept on the way back! I hope some of this info helps.
Mary Tribbett
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89451
tessa,

I've been wondering for a long time what it would take to get me to finally step out of lurk mode here and your adventure is it! Congratulations - you win the prize.

Quote
Anyone been to the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik (Northern Canada)?  http://www.gnaf.org/>  It is July 11-20 which I think we might just be able to make!  How cool would that be to get our "Artic Circle Certificate" and see the Midnight Sun?!
Yes, indeed, on a motorcycle back when Ciao Baby was just a young pup.
It was an adventure I'll never forget.
 The things you need to be aware of and ready for - things like Linda's description of the Dempster Highway as a dirt haul road with high speed trucks throwing rocks your way, the 260 miles (if memory serves) to the first gas at Eagle Plains, the possibility of ice and snow in the mountains, which campgrounds to avoid at Inuvik because of the hoards of mosquitos, and so on - make all the planning and preparations an integral part of a fantastic and never to be forgotten adventure to lands most people never get to experience. Not to be overlooked is the pride the whole family can share in having taken on and overcome whatever obstacles there might be.

I say go for it!

John Custodian of LD, a 1992 Mid-Bath
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89458
Knowing Tessa (as we all do) I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Tessa's year-on-the-road-with-the-kids-in-a-23.5-LazyDaze turned into a full- length movie that won the Oscar in the year it was shown.

Go, get'um, Tessa!

Anne Johnson

Lovely La Verne, CA
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89466
Tessa, you rock!   By all means, if you are eager to travel with the children for a year, go for it.   School shouldn't be a problem, you ought to be able to work that out with their current school.   I am retired from 40 years of public school teaching and if any parent came to me and asked if a year of travel around the U.S. would make educational sense you can bet I would encourage it.
 Seeing and learning on the road instead of X-Box and TV?   No contest!

Gary (and Julie) Estep, Chico CA

The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music.
 (http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89471
Hi Tessa I just wanted to comment on your upcoming adventure with your kids.
I have been a hospice nurse for 15 years and have seen way too many people wait too long to live their dream. Your kids will remember this adventure their whole lives and tell their children and grandchildren.. you go girl.
Lenore and Gary 23.5 FL Silver Lining
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89473
Wow!! What a neat idea, full of wonderful adventures and challenges!  As a dreaming wanna-be sure enjoy this site, full of knowledge, dreams, ideas, great resources and even learning to use links.  Wish you the best in your endevours, travels, adventures, etc!! Brigitte
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89493
Quote
Hey Friends, Do you want to hear my new plan?
...snip...

Quote
SO! I decided to take the kids out of school for a year and go do all we can!
, snip...
 What a wonderful thing you are doing for your kids and for yourself.
 We hope you have a wonderful and productive year.  And most of all --

Safe Travels

Dave N 2000RB Albuquerque
Dave

2017 TK
Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89514
How did I ever miss this thread?  I just skim the forum lately and somehow I missed this.  So, I'm late to the party but here's a resounding "Go For It" from south of the border.  What a fantastic thing to do for your children and what great memories you will build.  Plus, it sounds like a lot of fun.

So, when you head south of the border, why not consider coming all the way down here?  It's very cold at the top of the Copper Canyon in January, it snows even (¡qué horror!).  But, a trip down the east coast of Mexico with stops at ancient ruins and beautiful beaches and more ruins and lots of music and good food?  You can hit the C.C. on your way north later in spring when it is warmer there and hot here.  We have friends down here with 4 kids who live in their trailer with a palapa built over it on a gorgeous Caribbean beach.  They are at the RV park here, Paamul.  Check out her blog, http://www.hopalog.com/  Mimi and I would love to show you Mérida and the Yucatan peninsula.  Lots to learn and see and lots of water sports and fish and turtles.  Can't beat a reef for instant biology lessons, right?  We have one right outside our door and it is safe for kids of all ages, even old ones.
 You have to write a blog you know?  Believe me, it is a lot easier to blog than to write the same stuff to everyone who wants to know where you are and what you are doing.  Plus, we want pictures!
 Best of luck with this, it sounds like you are doing a great job of planning and that you will get the most out of this for your kids and for you.

-- Jonna in Tortuga, 2001 Teal RB 'Tortuga' Find us MAPhttp://map.datastormusers.com/user2.cfm?user=1013> Follow the BLOG herehttp://www.baddog.com/blog/blog.html>

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Re: Ciao Baby's upcoming Adventure!
Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89517
While I feel bad about hogging our yahoo list with this adventure, I have to respond and say that your wonderful offer, Jonna, gave me chillbumps!  That sounds like a wonderful idea and what a brilliant plan.
 I will definitely read your friends blog - I agree with Lisa and you that a blog is a great idea.  I started a blog, then forgot what I named it after our summer trip, so I might have to start over. (Lisa, ideas are welcome!  "Ditching school" was a fav)

Coming to Mexico and swinging by to visit Mimi and you and getting your wonderful guidance would be such a gift!  Our passports are ready!  I told Ned not an hour ago, "You know, it is not like we're riding out into nowhere, really there are friends all over."  What a great group we have!  Thank you,

Tessa (ordered 2 of the 4 laptops for homeschooling!  Jazy's schoolbooks ordered online.  Alaska book checked out from the library)