Road Trip with a Toddler? Why not!!!!!!!!

As I type this blog posting, I (and the boys) are in our car heading towards to the Canadian border.  Hurricane Irene is heading this way but no hurricane is nearly as scary as taking a toddler on a road trip I say!

Lets go away Rob says…..

Our most loved day care provider goes on vacation for three weeks every summer. Rather than look for alternate arrangements, Rob and I decided to take the time off to spend with the boy.  We did not foresee a gap in my employment so the original intention of going to Mexico or some other exotic locale had to be shelved for the time being.  Instead, we spend quite a bit of time at the family cottage…K playing in the kiddie pool while Rob and I stared at the lake.

Subsequently, we decided to retile the fire place.  Alright, alright I DECIDED to retile the fireplace but I do have Rob’s endorsement that it was a good choice (see previous posting).  After a few days of this exciting and yet oh so frustrating task, Rob proposed that we “get away for a few days”.  I jumped at the chance being a  supportive spouse who fully realized that if he didn’t get the chance to “get away” I would be in the proverbial dog house.  Moving on….Rob suggested Lake George in New York State.  “Sounds great!” said I – not having ever heard of it but …well see previous point.  So, we packed up all the things we needed (re: diapers, diapers, more diapers and hey….diapers!) and headed south.

The sound I will hear while going insane…

The town of Lake George is located in the Adirondack mountains, five hours away from casa Campbell-Renaud.  We didn’t tell K this before strapping him down in his car seat as we know what he sounds like hysterical….it aint pretty.  So I counted. A full hour from the house the whining began … “ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma mamamamamammaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.” (As an aside I couldn’t wait to hear this special word….be careful what you wish for!). For the next three hours to entertain the child we played – and sang along to – Raffi and both CDs of Silly Songs.  Combine the sound of “mamamamamamaaaaaa” and the vocals of Silly Songs together and…..INSANITY!!!!!!


Here is a picture of K before the insanity began...

This drive is HOW long???

Lake George

We finally arrived in Lake George and what a sight! It’s a gorgeous 32 mile long lake smack dab in the middle of a national park.  Added to this natural wonder is my favourite thing in the whole wide world (no, not coffee)  KITSCH!!!!! Wax museums!!! Indoor amusement arcades!!! Tacky souvenirs!!! I LOVE IT ALL!!!!!!  We checked into the EconoLodge (only the best for us!), let K booty scootch around the room for a while and headed out in search of dinner.

What the HELL is that?!?!

After walking the strip in Lake George we decided on the Moose Tooth Grill for dinner.  I admit, I was drawn by the kitsch and the fact that it had ‘grill’ in its name. I have the mistaken belief that anything with ‘grill’ in the name should be good. I was wrong. Oh so very very wrong.

Rob ordered the tenders and tips – chicken tenders and beef tips – with the plan of sharing it with the boy.  I ordered crab cakes and a side salad.  While we waited for our meal we listened to the sounds of loons, owls and wolves on the restaurant sound track. Did I mention the ‘grill’ was a cheap ass version of the Rainforest café?

After a while, our ‘food’ arrived.

Lets start with my meal shall we?  The side salad was iceburg lettuce with a few cherry tomatos (maybe four?) and a few sliced cucumbers on top. No carrots, no nothing.  The crab cakes were more like warmed up tuna salad masquerading as crab. Gag worthy.

And then there was Robs meal…..

We don’t know what it was. We don’t WANT TO KNOW what it was.  Bloody diarrhea anyone?

Good thing they gave K a cute hat to distract us…

Beach anyone?

The next day we headed down to the beach with the boy.  Before we departed we headed across the street for breakfast. It is there we learned that Lake George’s motto should be “come for the Lake, not the food”.  Rob ordered a blueberry muffin.  It was greasy. We are pretty sure it was deep fried. The waitress did offer to grill it for him…but he declined.  On the up side we did get to see what the Jersey Shore cast of characters will be like in about 40 years by observing a table of elderly folks from NY at another table.

But back to the beach…..it was fun!!!!

How to outrun a Hurricane….

Ironically, this is our second trip to the US as a family and the second time that a natural disaster is about to happen in the same area.  The first time was the spring of 2010 when we went to Memphis. I remember sitting in our hotel room watching the water hit the windows while watching tornado warnings on tv and listening to tornado warning sirens going off while Rob noted that perhaps coming to Memphis during tornado season was a bad idea.  Now….Hurricane Irene….she is a-coming!  

Dear Irene is on her way and everyone in Lake George is in a tither.  So we are on our way back to our home and native land with Irene at our tails.  Sounds more exciting than it is.  What it translates into is a drive on a cloudy day – with chance of showers.

K is asleep in the back seat. Sweet sweet silence.  Poor little guy is tuckered out from all the fun he has had and his late night at the BBQ place (Smokey Joe’s – EXCELLENT FOOD!)….and maybe a little gravol to help him out.

Looking forward to family vay cay next year!!