What I did on summer vacation...

We have been spending the past week on the road with dad. Here's a recap:



Tuesday July 3
We spent the day in St. Louis with auntie L who lives nearby. We visited the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, the courthouse where the awful Dred Scott decision was made, and the Cahokia Indian Mounds in Collinsville, IL. We took the Metro Link into the city.








Wednesday, July 4
We checked out of our hotel and visited Grant's Farm (previously owned by Ulysses S. Grant). We then trekked to Kansas City, checked into the hotel, and went in search of fireworks. We found good ones at Shawnee Mission County Park.








Thursday, July 5
While dad was working, we headed into Kansas City to the Crown Hallmark headquarters. We toured the visitor's center, and then went to Kaleidoscope. This is a free activity sponsored by Hallmark Cards. The kids went into a room where they were able to enjoy a card-making craft frenzy. Dad finished early so we hopped into the van and headed down to our next stop - Springfield, MO. On the way, we stopped at a farm to replenish our milk supply. What a treat! We got delicious fresh milk from grassfed jersey cows. In Springfield, we had dinner out, at the Outback Steakhouse.

Friday, July 6
We got up and headed to Mansfield, MO so mom could achieve a childhood dream of visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder home at Rocky Ridge. (Natalie was a bit grouchy as you can see in the photo on Laura's porch). On the way back to Springfield to pick up dad, we drove off the beaten track in search of farm fresh eggs. We found ourselves in the heart of Amish country. We stopped at one home that advertised produce for sale, and met kind Mrs. Zook and bought some of her goodies. Then on to Branson, where we checked into the hotel and swam for awhile. We drove downtown and visited Dicks 5 and 10, then attempted to drive to the Titanic Museum. We eventually reached our destination although the traffic in Branson is horrendous! Ick! People LIKE this? I felt like a giant rat trapped in a giant tourist trap. Give me a nice, quiet cabin on a lake any day. Oh well, it's Saturday morning and breakfast is over, so it's out into the trap we go!