Day 17: “Flagstaff or Bust!”

We’re still in Utah. We’re heading to Flagstaff today. It would be 8 hours to get home, so we’ve deceided to make it one more day. Otherwise, Mom might have a nervous breakdown.

We’ve driven through some strange towns along the way. Anyone want to stay in a quaint little B & B next to the junkyard? We aren’t sure how some of these people sustain themselves so far out in the middle of nowhere.

Eventually, we see it: the Welcome to Arizona sign. We hoot and holler- Hooray! We pass Lake Powell, cross the Glen Canyon Bridge and Dam and stop off at Page. We dock at the park and walk to “R.D.’s Drive In” for burgers and onion rings. I figure this is the last hurrah, so I order a fresh banana shake. Good choice. Afterwards, we go back to the park and play on the teeter totter. When it is my turn, Tatum asks if I’ll fit in the seat? Guess I should have skipped the shake? She claims its because of my legs being too long, yeah, right. I give the rest of my shake to the kids...it doesn't taste so great now.

Carter climbs up the steps and gets a ride down the slide. Big smiles. Jack climbs on Daddy and then the girls have a hanging contest on the pole. First Hannah, who hangs gallantly. Then Tate breaks her record. Then a rematch. I gaze across the grassy park at the nice group of gentlemen having their lunch together. One stands up, mid conversation with the group and pees just to the side of the table. Gross, gross, gross! Time to go- Tatum has set a record of hanging for 3 minutes and 4 seconds and I fear what these nice “gentlemen” will do next. Let's hit the road, Jack!

We pull out of Page with our sites set on Flagstaff. So far, the generator has been able to run for a full hour. Hopefully we will arrive home tomorrow with the AC whipping in our hair. Or dripping with sweat. We’re slowly re-acclimating to the dryer weather. I’ve used about a tube of chapstick and poor Carter, his legs are molting. We’re surrounded by a desert of mesas. It’s hard to believe we are north of Flag.

We end up in Flag at a KOA with an awesome playground. It doesn't take much to impress us anymore. It has an old broken down merry go round, but there is a chain link fence around it and we can watch the kids walk there. Jack thinks he's all that when he gets to walk by himself.

I call Cindy and check in on Chelsea, our dog. They've been awesome to take care of her. They've saved us hundreds of dollars and poor Chelsea the misery of lock up. We have such great friends. Cindy informs me that the high should be about 108 tomorrow when we roll in. We're hot in Flagstaff. Maybe about 5 more days out wouldn't be so bad?

Carter shuffles around the campsite while I make dinner. By the time dinner is served, Carter is unrecongnizable. This filthy little animal joins us for dinner from the portals of his stroller.

I make a big pan of fried onions and potatoes (my Arkansas roots- Mom, you'd be proud), pan fried (of course) pork chops, applesauce and steamed snap peas. Then somehow, a water fight ensues. Dave, as always, is the ringleader. Hannah, dripping with water, pretends to be horrified, but she is ringleader number 2. Next thing I know, they're all on the roof of the motorhome. I call out that I do not approve, and return to sipping my glass of vino.

I’ve learned a lot about myself, my guy and my kids. We keep seeing a lot of stickers on motorhomes that say “Roughing it, Smoothly”. That’s so true. It has been a fun trip. It’s time to return to reality. I haven’t exercised in over 2 weeks and I’m hoping all the bills got paid online. Regardless…I think we take life a bit too seriously. We’ll have to vacation real soon to remember that! Hee-hee!