Day 14 - Last Day of GGLT 2011

While this may be the last day of GGLT 2011, our trip and fun was not finished yet. We rolled out of Sandusky, OH by 8:30 a.m., and after our first gas stop, headed towards Indianapolis. ETA for home - 9:21 p.m.

Other than the u-turns, there wasn't much excitement during the first leg of the drive. I could tell Mark had been around David/Luke too long as the first time I called for pit stop, I got a quote from a John Wayne movie.  

We stopped in Cloverdale, IN for lunch where Mark dropped me off at Subway and the rest in the van went to Arby's (across two parking lots and a street). I told them I would walk over - the stretch would be good. The McCoskey's chose Subway too and offered me a ride over to Arby's, so Lisa and I shared the passenger seat, each with one butt-cheek perched on the edge. While we had a tremendous amount of togetherness on this trip, I think this may have been the max. Glad it wasn't a long drive to Arby's!  We took our lunch in to eat with the rest.  Dave commented that this was the first time we had eaten at a fast food place on the trip (other than the 'foreign country' McDonalds in Canada which Molly wanted). If you're planning a trip - definitely use tripadvisor because their recommendations were right-on. We had good food as our clothes, and I'm sure our credit card bill, shows. We finished our lunch with David 'sneaking off' (Nikki's words) to get two turnovers, and Lisa telling Luke  'don't break her' when he was trying to pop Nikki's back. Our travel buddies are great for entertainment!


A few sights seen along the road included two huge crosses (don't know the story behind these), and Lisa may have seen the World's Largest Candle. The arch over the road when leaving Ohio was pretty cool, but I couldn't whip my camera out in time to take a picture, and Mark refused to double-back for it. (Can't believe he wouldn't want to!)

Most of the ride was pretty quiet with everyone taking naps, browsing the internet, reading, etc. I also had to take 'memory' shots...

napping

my view for two weeks of the McCoskey van in my side mirror

Mark's rear view mirror view of two weeks

our inside view of the umbilical cords to technology while driving

We had one last attraction that could not be passed by - the World's Largest Bottle of Catsup. Yes, it exists! Lisa had told her co-workers about it, so there was no option but to stop.

Emily is finished with the attractions; Frankie is now in hiding.

Shot from our 'camera cooler'

We coasted through St Louis, by the arch and football stadium, through Columbia and into KC where we had to do our final group stop.

 

During this trip, Lisa and I had walkie-talkies which are much easier to travel with, so Lisa had to turn it over, and we of course needed a final group picture - now a tradition. After taking the shot with the camera on a timer and propped on our 'camera cooler', a lady in the parking lot offered to take a shot for us.

Our kids and good friends

It was a sad moment to see them driving away - Davids grin and Lisa taking a picture. (Luke was probably thinking about the next time he could tag Molly, and Nikki was probably back in her 'hole' in the back seat where she slept most of the 14 days. Just kidding, Nikki!)

We traveled almost 4,000 miles over 14 days as one family sharing experiences that will never, ever happen again for any of us. (Lisa - I know you're crying here. I have a few tears myself.)


But I can't stop the blog here.

We headed out for our last 30 minutes of driving and to drop Mom off. As we were leaving mom's, the luggage and stuff shifted in the back, and Abby asked her now infamous last question 'Was that the bread?' We cracked up. 

To explain, when we were in Glasgow, MO, exactly two weeks prior, Molly and I went into Charlies Market to buy food for the family reunion (which was a laugh of its own). I hadn't had the time to make anything or the space to bring it anyway. I bought chips, dip, salami, cheese, crackers for the reunion, and bread to go with the PB&J I had packed. That loaf of bread traveled, not only with us, but throughout the van as we unpacked and packed at each stop. During the 14 days, three slices were eaten, but no one even considered throwing it away. It is now our 4,000-mile-loaf. So, to have Abby break the silence and ask with a concerned voice about it, was just hilarious. Plus, I think we were delirious after the 12 hours in the van. We are always talking about how we spend a lot of time in five square feet, even with at 2,600 sq ft house, but this long with six of us within the confines of a van, put us over the top. Of course our laughs didn't stop until we pulled in the driveway - ready to put our feet on the ground at home. Well, Abby actually laid down in the driveway, but she's a nut - what can I say. Needless to say, the dogs were so excited to see us - running from one person to another. It also didn't take long for the girls to head back out to friends houses as Molly and Abby were gone in 30 minutes. Teenagers.


Thanks to all of you who went along for the ride with us - as Marianne calls it -armchair travelers. All I can say is - Woohoo What a Ride!

Day 12 - What Do We Do Now

The consensus after spending yesterday at Cedar Point, was that we could do without the second day. Bummer - we bought two day passes. Oh well, we'll try to sell them and get some of our money back. (Anyone planning a trip to CP - call me - I have a great deal for you on five tickets to be used by October!) Lisa and I did sell four in the parking lot to a family from Sedalia, MO - small world!


After deciding our stops for the day during breakfast, we loaded up and headed out. Our first stop was Nickle Plate Beach to put our feet in Lake Erie.

The city of Huron's proud sign

Shot of Nickle Plate Beach

Putting our feet in Lake Erie

Sand waves about a foot deep - Abby thought they were cool

Lisa getting water to throw on Luke

Souvenir that Luke wanted to take home

Dave said Smithville would never look the same.

Leaving our last lake

I experienced a melancholy moment watching everyone leave the water. The Goulding Great Lakes Tour 2011 was coming to an end after having been to Niagara Falls, riding the coasters at Cedar Point and putting our feet in the last lake.


We headed back to the Christmas Story house for a tour but after getting there and seeing that the tickets were $8 each, opted for a tour of the gift shop instead....everything Ralphie and the CS people that you can imagine including the pink bunny suit. I didn't take additional pictures after yesterday's stop other than the traffic. There were quite a few people there and cars lined the street.

We then headed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and while looking for parking, found the USS Cod submarine that had been retired and opened for tours. The group decided to split temporarily with the McCoskeys going to the RRHF and us to the Cod for a quick stop then to meet the McCoskeys. Only Mark and I were interested in the sub, so mom and the girls hung out in the van. Mark asked a family coming out if it was worth the $7 ticket price and the girl said that if we were interested in WWII, it was. I'm not an avid WWII buff, but it was pretty cool anyway. The first step was to get into the sub which was a close fit for Mark. Once inside, it was pretty small with miniature-sized 'rooms'. The kitchen was smaller than our master bathroom and the cook prepared food all day long for 90 men. What a nightmare job! The beds looked like a 10-year-old could fit comfortably and there would definitely be some shimmy-ing to get past each other in the hallway. Plus, we only saw two 'heads'...washrooms....I mean, bathrooms. (We did go on only one level though.) I can't imagine how they could live in it.

Tight fit for Mark

I kept wanting to say 'Man the torpedoes!' here.

Instructions - direct and simple. We could use some of that in the govt!

Kitchen - galley?

up top

There were strips of wood on top that looked like 3x3s and a wire 'railing'. I couldn't figure out why there would be wood on something that is submerged or remember if the railing was there in movies that I had seen, so I had to call my sister, Julie and B-I-L Adam with questions as former navy dudette and dude.Wood is for traction (at least it was when this ship was made) and yes, there is a cable railing. It's not just to keep current tourists from falling into the lake. Now I have to watch Operation Petticoat again because being in a sub puts a whole new perspective on it. And, well, I love that movie anyway!


I must backtrack just a moment to note that before our G/M split to the two places, Mark planted the seed of going home a day early. I know that everyone reading this is saying 'NO, say it isn't true!' but yes, the GGLT is coming to an abrupt halt tomorrow (actually today as I am writing this on Saturday a.m.) Here is Frankie and my responses to that decision.

 So to continue on...
We decided to head back to Sandusky, grab some lunch and decide what to do from there. Lisa and I wanted to hit the t-shirt shop and Mark wanted to go to Best Buy. We ran in to massive traffic on the way back. But not to let that stop us, the GGLT vans went over the median and onto the highway next door.

Before

After

We stopped at Friendly's restaurant which is #5 of 56 on tripadvisor and well known for the ice cream and their 'fribbles'. Molly and Emily were separated from us in a booth, so we took it upon ourselves to move our tables next to them. Then the waitress came out to say it was a fire hazard so we had to move them back. The GGLT group can cause a stir wherever we go!

My awesome ice cream consisted of a a lava cake, two scoops of black raspberry, one scoop of fudge, hot fudge topping, pound cake and marshmallows topped by whipped cream and a cherry. (I did share a small portion of it with Lisa and somehow got chocolate syrup on my ear while eating it. Not sure how, but Mark said it was my eating frenzy. Ha!

my dessert

Lisa in tears over someones comment

Fountains outside our hotel - loved them!

We did get to the t-shirt shop and Best Buy, and I took a stop at Borders for their sale. Anyone knowing me - I can spend a lot of time there - but managed to walk out without anything. Lisa and I had a return trip to trade everyone's t-shirts for the next size up. The night ended with everyone (but me - I was sleeping) having pizza in the McCoskeys room.


BTW - Molly and Luke are now known as the 'cooler people' - in charge of handing out drinks from the traveling coolers in each van.


More tonight....

Day 11 - Cedar Point Here We Come!

As we were getting ready to head to Cedar Point (CP), Mark was watching the news, and a story came on about Walter Reed closing. Molly asked who the president was whose name sounded like Einstein and died in that hospital after having a heart attack. They showed a picture of Eisenhower - Molly said that's him - he died in Woodie Reed hospital. She's such a blond sometimes! (No offense to my blond family and friends.) She's also pretty proud that she's used her eduction a couple of times on this trip.


Our motel is about six miles from CP, so it didn't take long to get there. We headed for the Top Thrill Dragster (TTD) but it was shut down for mechanical problems, which apparently happens often. So we started with the Corkscrew. The ride was the first coaster to feature three inversions and to span a midway. We hit Power Tower to be dropped 240 feet then headed to other rollercoasters:
Iron Dragon - cars that swings and sways and is suspended under the track
Millennium Force - so big and tall, it is called a the Giga Coaster
Millennium Force - the park's star attraction, standing 310 feet above the Earth. It broke 10 world records when it opened in 2000. It dives at an 80-degree angle and reach speeds of 93 mph
Mantis - a stand-up roller coaster that climbs 145 feet into the air before diving into a 119-foot-tall giant loop, followed by a 103-foot-tall dive loop, an inclined loop and a flat spin maneuver.


Lunch was at the Red Garter Saloon. Ah, air conditioning! And, only to eat enough to not throw up on the next rollercoaster.


We headed to the Blue Streak, a classic which opened in 1964, and is the oldest operating coaster at the park. With Lisa and Luke in the front car, we are flying over hills, when a seagull came up off the track and about became Luke's dinner. (But, hey, it would have been a free one...if you didn't count a hospital visit). It was CLOSE! Luke and Nikki (in the next row) had to do a quick duck to miss it. (Pun?)




The day was very cloudy, but the really humid peel-your-clothes-off-to-pee type so it wasn't too surprising that threatening weather came in. CP temporarily closed all rides, but we took the time to get a frozen lemonade which was a good break.


The kids and Lisa went to the Maverick which had an hour and a half wait time. Lisa came off the ride almost crying because it was so wild and unexpected. All, but Lisa and David, went on the wooden rollercoaster - Mean Streak. For someone who had sworn off of wooden rollercoasters after the Worlds of Fun Timberwolf mega-headache I had, there I was on the ride. I don't think this one was as bad, but it was still wooden. Nikki and Emily were the only ones to hit the other wooden coaster - the Gemini. The Magnum, which in addition to the Maverick, was the coaster that finally did Lisa in.  As the saying goes - a picture is worth a thousand words!

Various groups of us also went on Wind Seeker, Raptor, Disaster Transport and others during the day


At this point, it was 9 pm, and we had been there more than 11sweat-filled hours, so we were headed to the last ride of the day - Top Thrill Dragster. It's one of the tallest and fastest coasters in the world that goes up and down 420 feet at speeds of 120 mph and is so fast, it only lasts 17 seconds. It's the world's first 'Strata Coaster' and is amazing.
 

TDD

 Our fans took their seats in the grand stand to watch the ride and capture some pictures.

Although the Corkscrew and 90% humidity got to Dave, knocking him out of the rollercoaster challenge for the rest of the day- he wanted to go on this one, so our teams: Nikki and Emily, Mark and Molly, and Dave and I, waited in line. As we're getting ready to board, Molly decides she has to go to the restroom...not happening at that point! When we were buckling in, Dave couldn't connect the buckle without forcing it. Knowing that he was told not to put too much pressure on his relatively new kidney, he opted out, so I was going it alone. We were all SO disappointed for him. After buckling, Molly looked like she was ready to cry, and Emily was a little pale, but we were ready to master the coaster. Our fan caught this picture - the green shirts in the back.

Nikki and Mark visible in the shot.

This ride takes off at such an incredible speed, that when Lisa tried to take the picture, there was nothing but track left for the frame.

Other park pictures...

Heading in

Frankie at the Power Tower

Em ready to roll

The Bird (or a relative)

Didn't know any of these kiddos, but they were too cute.

Luke's listening to the call about his interview with the KCMO fire department

 Go, Luke!

getting to the park

Lake Erie along the road