Saturday, July 22, 2006
San Diego "the parks" Trip - Day 5
Todays, our last full day, plan was to visit Legoland - California. Fortunately, Legoland is 5 minutes from the hotel and opens at 10:00am. This allowed us a leisurely start to the morning.
Legoland is a Lego themed park located in Carlsbad, California. There are other Legolands around the world, but Legoland - California is the only one in the United States. This large theme park is directed toward younger children, aged 3 to 12. After visiting, I would say that this park is best-suited for children 3 to 6 and parents of these children.
We arrive right at the 10:00am opening. Tickets, like all theme parks, are pricey at approximately $50 per person and $10 parking. We enjoyed the park for a good part of the day. One nice attraction to younger children is that the park has several rides that the child can ride and operate alone. One ride Sophie particularly liked was a helicopter rider where the driver (Sophie) could make the helicopter go up and down as well as turn. The helicopter are on post that rise 15 to 20 feet in the air.
We both also enjoyed the Technic racer roller coaster. This roller coaster is pretty much a adult roller coaster with one large drop. Like all rides in Legoland the ride time is short but fortunately the waiting lines are relatively short. Finally another exceptional attraction was the 4-D movies. We saw the "Racers" movie. This animated 4-D (3-D viewing with additional effects) included wind and snow as well as the a great 3-D viewing experience.
Legoland, although good, is second-tier to the three gems of San Diego, the Wild Animal Park, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo. Given the time it is worthwhile to visit, but only after the other parks. Additionally, Legoland really illustrates how Walt Disney is world class. Legoland is well run and a friendly park, but our previous visit to Disney World (in Orlando) shows how Disney works to make the entire experience memorable. I do not see anyone planning a vacation specifically to visit Legoland (contrary to other internet reviews I read). Regardless, we did enjoy our visit to Legoland.
After spending most of the day, we left the park to have a very late lunch/early dinner at the Karl Strauss Brewery restaurant. The restaurant is a couple of minutes for the park. Rather than eating the overpriced and poor park food we could eat good food for the same price. I had an exceptionally good Buffalo turkey burger.
We then returned to the hotel to freshen up. We quickly left to drive to Sea World so that we could enjoy some evening attractions. The approximately 22 mile drive took over an hour. At Sea World we were able to see the dolphin show (a repeat but worth viewing a second time), different sea lion show, and different Shamu killer whale show. We also attended a 4-D movie of R.L. Stines mystery. In addition we rode two rides we missed the previous day, the Sky Tower and the Travel to Atlantis ride The Travel to Atlantis ride is a good water roller coaster. But beware that you, as we did, will get soaking wet. We left Sea World at the start of the short end-of-night fireworks show.
Finally our drive back to the hotel later in the night was uneventful. Although there was lots of traffic we did not encounter any stop and go traffic as we have earlier in day.
Legoland is a Lego themed park located in Carlsbad, California. There are other Legolands around the world, but Legoland - California is the only one in the United States. This large theme park is directed toward younger children, aged 3 to 12. After visiting, I would say that this park is best-suited for children 3 to 6 and parents of these children.
We arrive right at the 10:00am opening. Tickets, like all theme parks, are pricey at approximately $50 per person and $10 parking. We enjoyed the park for a good part of the day. One nice attraction to younger children is that the park has several rides that the child can ride and operate alone. One ride Sophie particularly liked was a helicopter rider where the driver (Sophie) could make the helicopter go up and down as well as turn. The helicopter are on post that rise 15 to 20 feet in the air.
We both also enjoyed the Technic racer roller coaster. This roller coaster is pretty much a adult roller coaster with one large drop. Like all rides in Legoland the ride time is short but fortunately the waiting lines are relatively short. Finally another exceptional attraction was the 4-D movies. We saw the "Racers" movie. This animated 4-D (3-D viewing with additional effects) included wind and snow as well as the a great 3-D viewing experience.
Legoland, although good, is second-tier to the three gems of San Diego, the Wild Animal Park, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo. Given the time it is worthwhile to visit, but only after the other parks. Additionally, Legoland really illustrates how Walt Disney is world class. Legoland is well run and a friendly park, but our previous visit to Disney World (in Orlando) shows how Disney works to make the entire experience memorable. I do not see anyone planning a vacation specifically to visit Legoland (contrary to other internet reviews I read). Regardless, we did enjoy our visit to Legoland.
After spending most of the day, we left the park to have a very late lunch/early dinner at the Karl Strauss Brewery restaurant. The restaurant is a couple of minutes for the park. Rather than eating the overpriced and poor park food we could eat good food for the same price. I had an exceptionally good Buffalo turkey burger.
We then returned to the hotel to freshen up. We quickly left to drive to Sea World so that we could enjoy some evening attractions. The approximately 22 mile drive took over an hour. At Sea World we were able to see the dolphin show (a repeat but worth viewing a second time), different sea lion show, and different Shamu killer whale show. We also attended a 4-D movie of R.L. Stines mystery. In addition we rode two rides we missed the previous day, the Sky Tower and the Travel to Atlantis ride The Travel to Atlantis ride is a good water roller coaster. But beware that you, as we did, will get soaking wet. We left Sea World at the start of the short end-of-night fireworks show.
Finally our drive back to the hotel later in the night was uneventful. Although there was lots of traffic we did not encounter any stop and go traffic as we have earlier in day.
Friday, July 21, 2006
San Diego Trip - Day 4
Today's plan was the San Diego Zoo. We awoke and had our usual continental breakfast at the hotel. Then after a short while, we drove to the Zoo. My Garmin GPS directions were a little different today. I am not sure how it came up with its suggested route. At any rate, we did make it to the zoo after a couple of wrong turns (my fault) and recalculations by the GPS. As we got near it was easier to follow the street signs than the GPS.
The San Diego Zoo is billed as world-class and does not disappoint. The zoo is very large and requires a significant amount of walking. In addition, the zoo is very hilly so there is a lot of up and down walking. Sophie, as usual, did wonderful and walked the entire way.
While many of the animals were sleeping, we were still able to view many. We saw lions, tapirs, koala bears, elephants, rhinoceros, monkeys, birds, jaguars, wart pigs, lions, etc. Easily our favorite was the Pandas. These, a mother and her 1 year old cub, are shown in a special, narrated exhibit. There are now windows between you and the pandas and you can easily view them. Unfortunately, the polar bears (one of my favorites) were not on exhibit. I think they were being fed. Additionally, the zoo has many species I have never heard of. There are a great number of animals in the San Diego Zoo and it is probably the best I have ever visited.
Sophie chose to eat lunch at the zoo. The food was way overpriced and not good. I would suggest you pack your own picnic lunch if you visit. A nice plus is that zoo parking is free.
After spending most of the day at the zoo, we left to drive back to the hotel. On the way back we stopped and toured the Mission Beach area. Mission Beach is what many envision when they think of a California beach town. The beaches are large and crowded as are the streets around the beach.
After some naps and exercise we went to dinner. For some reason, Sophie was impressed with the Karl Strauss Brewery restaurant that we ate at two days earlier. She insisted that we return. Dinner once again was good.
It was still relatively early so we headed back to the hotel. While there, a false fire alarm went off. It took a while for them to shut of the room alarms. It was good to see that the guest were safety conscious and left their rooms, as we did. Just before eight o'clock we drove to the beach to see the sunset. The skies were pretty cloudy, but the sunset was nice. We then walked along the coastal area (we were on a bluff above the beach) before returning to the hotel.
I should note that everyone we have met or dealt with in California has been friendly and pleasant. This has been very nice. I wish everyone in other regions would be the same.
The San Diego Zoo is billed as world-class and does not disappoint. The zoo is very large and requires a significant amount of walking. In addition, the zoo is very hilly so there is a lot of up and down walking. Sophie, as usual, did wonderful and walked the entire way.
While many of the animals were sleeping, we were still able to view many. We saw lions, tapirs, koala bears, elephants, rhinoceros, monkeys, birds, jaguars, wart pigs, lions, etc. Easily our favorite was the Pandas. These, a mother and her 1 year old cub, are shown in a special, narrated exhibit. There are now windows between you and the pandas and you can easily view them. Unfortunately, the polar bears (one of my favorites) were not on exhibit. I think they were being fed. Additionally, the zoo has many species I have never heard of. There are a great number of animals in the San Diego Zoo and it is probably the best I have ever visited.
Sophie chose to eat lunch at the zoo. The food was way overpriced and not good. I would suggest you pack your own picnic lunch if you visit. A nice plus is that zoo parking is free.
After spending most of the day at the zoo, we left to drive back to the hotel. On the way back we stopped and toured the Mission Beach area. Mission Beach is what many envision when they think of a California beach town. The beaches are large and crowded as are the streets around the beach.
After some naps and exercise we went to dinner. For some reason, Sophie was impressed with the Karl Strauss Brewery restaurant that we ate at two days earlier. She insisted that we return. Dinner once again was good.
It was still relatively early so we headed back to the hotel. While there, a false fire alarm went off. It took a while for them to shut of the room alarms. It was good to see that the guest were safety conscious and left their rooms, as we did. Just before eight o'clock we drove to the beach to see the sunset. The skies were pretty cloudy, but the sunset was nice. We then walked along the coastal area (we were on a bluff above the beach) before returning to the hotel.
I should note that everyone we have met or dealt with in California has been friendly and pleasant. This has been very nice. I wish everyone in other regions would be the same.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
San Diego Trip - Day 3
we started the day a little more leisurely than earlier in the week. After a light breakfast, we headed to Sea World - San Diego.
Once again, we printed tickets out after ordering online. Consistently we have found lower prices this way. Unfortunately, Sea World, like most attractions is relatively expensive. It was over $100 for tickets for both of us. This does not include the $10 fee they charge for automobile parking.
The drive from Carlsbad confirmed that San Diego traffic is plain bad. A 25 mile trip took an hour. As a motorcyclist, I noted a number of motorcycles "lane splitting". This tactic (I believe legal in California) has motorcyclist going between two lanes of cars on the highway. This is just crazy. I wonder if they think about the fact that many of the travelers are tourist and may not be used to this. I know the first motorcycle that passed me caught my attention. It would be very easy to get sideswiped. This is not a practice I will take up soon on my bike.
We arrived at Sea World safely. After the aforementioned $10 parking we entered the park. Sea World is a very good attraction. We viewed four shows: Dolphin, Shamu, Cirque de mer, and the Sea Lion show. All are good. We also saw several animals in other attractions. This included: sharks, manatees, polar bears, Beluga whales, and walruses.
At lunchtime we visited the "Anheuser Busch Hospitality Deli" near the A-B beer tasting kiosk. A-B owns Sea World. Since I don't drink alcohol, the beer tasting was of no use. But I figured that the food at the hospitality deli would be the best in the park. I was not disappointed. While somewhat expensive, as all park food is, Sophie and I shared a excellent lunch of hand-carved turkey sandwich and potato salad. Even the iced tea was excellent.
We enjoyed the park for most of the afternoon before leaving. From Sea World we drove south and across the bay to Coronado to check out the area and the beaches. Shortly after getting there, Sophie said she was hungry and wanted dinner. The area is pretty crowded and we could not find a suitable place to eat. Unfortunately, besides our beloved Chipotle, Sophie does not care for Mexican restaurants. I popped up the GPS and got directions to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Years ago this was an okay restaurant chain I would visit when traveling to California. The location was in the Gas-lamp entertainment district in San Diego.
When we arrived, I realized that a baseball game had ended recently and the start of a large convention (ComicCon) was taking place. The area was crowded. We finally found a place to park ($8 for 2 hours). We then walked to the restaurant address to find out it was gone. We then walked to a Rock Bottom Brewery we had spied when looking for parking. At Rock Bottom we had a memorable dinner.
After dinner we drove back to the hotel. Traffic was still bad and it took a little while to get there. After cleaning up and changing for bed, Sophie (as is our norm) read a book. I am very proud of Sophie's advanced reading and we read every night (rather than just watching TV). Currently Sophie is reading The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo.
Once again, we printed tickets out after ordering online. Consistently we have found lower prices this way. Unfortunately, Sea World, like most attractions is relatively expensive. It was over $100 for tickets for both of us. This does not include the $10 fee they charge for automobile parking.
The drive from Carlsbad confirmed that San Diego traffic is plain bad. A 25 mile trip took an hour. As a motorcyclist, I noted a number of motorcycles "lane splitting". This tactic (I believe legal in California) has motorcyclist going between two lanes of cars on the highway. This is just crazy. I wonder if they think about the fact that many of the travelers are tourist and may not be used to this. I know the first motorcycle that passed me caught my attention. It would be very easy to get sideswiped. This is not a practice I will take up soon on my bike.
We arrived at Sea World safely. After the aforementioned $10 parking we entered the park. Sea World is a very good attraction. We viewed four shows: Dolphin, Shamu, Cirque de mer, and the Sea Lion show. All are good. We also saw several animals in other attractions. This included: sharks, manatees, polar bears, Beluga whales, and walruses.
At lunchtime we visited the "Anheuser Busch Hospitality Deli" near the A-B beer tasting kiosk. A-B owns Sea World. Since I don't drink alcohol, the beer tasting was of no use. But I figured that the food at the hospitality deli would be the best in the park. I was not disappointed. While somewhat expensive, as all park food is, Sophie and I shared a excellent lunch of hand-carved turkey sandwich and potato salad. Even the iced tea was excellent.
We enjoyed the park for most of the afternoon before leaving. From Sea World we drove south and across the bay to Coronado to check out the area and the beaches. Shortly after getting there, Sophie said she was hungry and wanted dinner. The area is pretty crowded and we could not find a suitable place to eat. Unfortunately, besides our beloved Chipotle, Sophie does not care for Mexican restaurants. I popped up the GPS and got directions to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Years ago this was an okay restaurant chain I would visit when traveling to California. The location was in the Gas-lamp entertainment district in San Diego.
When we arrived, I realized that a baseball game had ended recently and the start of a large convention (ComicCon) was taking place. The area was crowded. We finally found a place to park ($8 for 2 hours). We then walked to the restaurant address to find out it was gone. We then walked to a Rock Bottom Brewery we had spied when looking for parking. At Rock Bottom we had a memorable dinner.
After dinner we drove back to the hotel. Traffic was still bad and it took a little while to get there. After cleaning up and changing for bed, Sophie (as is our norm) read a book. I am very proud of Sophie's advanced reading and we read every night (rather than just watching TV). Currently Sophie is reading The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
San Diego Trip - Day 2
Day 2 started early as we both awoke early. The two hour time difference (CST to PST) has our bodies accustomed to rising earlier. Sophie woke up very early (to go to the bathroom) with a yelp of
"daddy". From across the room she was not sure where I was. It feels good to be "daddy" even when it's just to be reassuring.
The continental breakfast at the hotel was just okay. I figure that these breakfast make up in quantity over quality. Basically I have small portions of lots of foods. Sophie, who is a natural and light eater, does better. Breakfast for her generally consists of some fruits and juices.
Our big plan for the day was to visit the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. After some gyrations to print out online ticket we left for the park. Note: it is cheaper to buy tickets online than to purchase them at the park. The drive to the park while short on mileage took 45 minutes to one hour. The traffic her in San Diego/Carlsbad is heavy and bad. We arrived at the park exactly at the 9:00am opening time.
The Wild Animal Park is really a gem of a zoo. The park is laid out with the animals in large, natural spaces rather than pens or cages like traditional zoos. The best part is taking the park train. This guided trip through all the areas of the park lets you view the animals in the natural settings. The trip is approximately 45 minutes long. After the train, Sophie and I walked the park for a short time. Unfortunately, Sophie's tolerance for the walking today was rather short. We cut the park time short accordingly. The park is probably better for someone a little older. To really enjoy this park you need to do quite a bit of walking. While the viewing is awesome, it can be a little distance from point to point. Regardless we did get to see Rhinoceros, Giraffes, Wild Horses, many birds, pelicans, ducks, wild deer, and a lion. An area we missed was the tigers.
Sophie slept on the drive home. My Garmin GPS has worked wonderfully in California making driving directions very easy. As noted previously, the GPS sometimes gives you slightly different driving directions when returning from a location than going. In this case it allowed me the opportunity to see more of the area. Driving directions given by the GPS were fine in both directions.
We had a safe lunch at Chilis. Then we drove back to the hotel. Sophie was still tired, so we each enjoyed naps. Sophie's last much longer than mine, so I took the opportunity for a light workout. Upon waking up from a very long sleep, Sophie wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool. Thus, we went for a swim.
After cleaning up, we went to Karl Strauss Brewing Company (a local chain) for dinner. We shared a good dinner. After dinner we drove to the beach and watched the surf for a short time. Upon getting to the hotel, Sophie is working on her math book after getting ready for bed while I write this. That ends our enjoyable day.
"daddy". From across the room she was not sure where I was. It feels good to be "daddy" even when it's just to be reassuring.
The continental breakfast at the hotel was just okay. I figure that these breakfast make up in quantity over quality. Basically I have small portions of lots of foods. Sophie, who is a natural and light eater, does better. Breakfast for her generally consists of some fruits and juices.
Our big plan for the day was to visit the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. After some gyrations to print out online ticket we left for the park. Note: it is cheaper to buy tickets online than to purchase them at the park. The drive to the park while short on mileage took 45 minutes to one hour. The traffic her in San Diego/Carlsbad is heavy and bad. We arrived at the park exactly at the 9:00am opening time.
The Wild Animal Park is really a gem of a zoo. The park is laid out with the animals in large, natural spaces rather than pens or cages like traditional zoos. The best part is taking the park train. This guided trip through all the areas of the park lets you view the animals in the natural settings. The trip is approximately 45 minutes long. After the train, Sophie and I walked the park for a short time. Unfortunately, Sophie's tolerance for the walking today was rather short. We cut the park time short accordingly. The park is probably better for someone a little older. To really enjoy this park you need to do quite a bit of walking. While the viewing is awesome, it can be a little distance from point to point. Regardless we did get to see Rhinoceros, Giraffes, Wild Horses, many birds, pelicans, ducks, wild deer, and a lion. An area we missed was the tigers.
Sophie slept on the drive home. My Garmin GPS has worked wonderfully in California making driving directions very easy. As noted previously, the GPS sometimes gives you slightly different driving directions when returning from a location than going. In this case it allowed me the opportunity to see more of the area. Driving directions given by the GPS were fine in both directions.
We had a safe lunch at Chilis. Then we drove back to the hotel. Sophie was still tired, so we each enjoyed naps. Sophie's last much longer than mine, so I took the opportunity for a light workout. Upon waking up from a very long sleep, Sophie wanted to go swimming in the hotel pool. Thus, we went for a swim.
After cleaning up, we went to Karl Strauss Brewing Company (a local chain) for dinner. We shared a good dinner. After dinner we drove to the beach and watched the surf for a short time. Upon getting to the hotel, Sophie is working on her math book after getting ready for bed while I write this. That ends our enjoyable day.
Monday, July 17, 2006
San Diego Trip - Day 1
Today was the first day of Sophie and my trip to San Diego. We arrived for our flight with plenty of time this morning. As usual, since we had plenty of time, the check in/security check process went without a hitch. It seems that the delays in the process are proportionate with how little time you have to catch your flight. Of course, it may just be that I have a beautiful, young, girl traveling with me. Everyone just bends over backwards when they meet Sophie.
Our flight was on Midwest Airlines. What a pleasant surprise. It has been a long time since I have experienced friendly airline employees. I wish that American Airlines could be like this. The only drag was that our seats were in the back of the plane right next to the engine. Overall the flight was uneventful and fine.
On arriving in San Diego, we picked up our rental car. Then we drove to the Seaport Village to look at boats and have lunch. Lunch was at a typical tourist trap, Busters. Overpriced and mediocre food. We walked on the boardwalk for a short time.
Our hotel is actually in Carlsbad, California. Carlsbad is 25 miles north of San Diego. Basically I was able to use some of my many hotel points for this. Since we plan to visit several area attractions that will require driving, the location is not that important.
After checking into the hotel and getting a short yoga workout in, we went exploring along the main road along the coast. We stopped and walked on the beach. This was Sophie's first experience with beach. The beach is medium-nice around here. White sand but not pristine. The waves are up and there were plenty of surfers. As we walked along the beach and surf we both got wet (twice) as unexpectantly high waves came in. Sophie also experienced how the tide and pull you towards the sea. I was holding on, so Sophie did not actually fall in. We were wearing street clothes and our shorts got soaked though.
After returning to the hotel to clean up, we went to a nearby mall for dinner. Sophie and I have found that we enjoy sharing Subway sandwiches and Starbucks tea. It is great to have such a cheap, agreeable date. I couldn't ask for a better travel companion.
Tomorrow is a big day. Way different than the Colorado trip. Including the trip to the airport (100 miles total including picking Sophia up) plus travel in California, total driving was 145 miles.
Our flight was on Midwest Airlines. What a pleasant surprise. It has been a long time since I have experienced friendly airline employees. I wish that American Airlines could be like this. The only drag was that our seats were in the back of the plane right next to the engine. Overall the flight was uneventful and fine.
On arriving in San Diego, we picked up our rental car. Then we drove to the Seaport Village to look at boats and have lunch. Lunch was at a typical tourist trap, Busters. Overpriced and mediocre food. We walked on the boardwalk for a short time.
Our hotel is actually in Carlsbad, California. Carlsbad is 25 miles north of San Diego. Basically I was able to use some of my many hotel points for this. Since we plan to visit several area attractions that will require driving, the location is not that important.
After checking into the hotel and getting a short yoga workout in, we went exploring along the main road along the coast. We stopped and walked on the beach. This was Sophie's first experience with beach. The beach is medium-nice around here. White sand but not pristine. The waves are up and there were plenty of surfers. As we walked along the beach and surf we both got wet (twice) as unexpectantly high waves came in. Sophie also experienced how the tide and pull you towards the sea. I was holding on, so Sophie did not actually fall in. We were wearing street clothes and our shorts got soaked though.
After returning to the hotel to clean up, we went to a nearby mall for dinner. Sophie and I have found that we enjoy sharing Subway sandwiches and Starbucks tea. It is great to have such a cheap, agreeable date. I couldn't ask for a better travel companion.
Tomorrow is a big day. Way different than the Colorado trip. Including the trip to the airport (100 miles total including picking Sophia up) plus travel in California, total driving was 145 miles.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Colorado "Shared Apple" Mountain Adventure - Final Thoughts
Sorry the delay in posting. I have been busy since returning from Sophie and my wonderful vacation. The trip was a memorable trip that will be great memory for both us.
General Observations and Thoughts
Learning from our children: Since becoming a father I have tried and benefited from watching and learning from Sophie as she grows and learns. Two big items learned are that children are not inhibited and will try many things as well as look at things in different ways. We would do well to emulate them. Thus my favorite word "wonderful". Children are full of wonder. The second thing is that children are continually learning and growing. I do not know why we lose this insatiable curiosity as we grow older. I continually try to rekindle it.
Loosening the schedule: I am, by nature, schedule oriented. As always, in learning from my 5 year old companion, sometimes it is good to let go of the schedule and let things come as they may.
Traveling with my daughter: While there are several downsides to divorce, I try to look at the positive side. One of these is the opportunity to travel solo with Sophie. This allow me to focus on Sophie. We have had many great times.
Shared apple: As reported earlier, one of the great things during the trip was sharing apples as snacks with Sophie during our road trip. There are many other simple, small pleasure that it is worthwhile to stop and enjoy.
Traveling with a 5 year old: Reasonably, a child prefers many smaller attractions rather than one attraction repeated. Thus, while a week long rafting trip may be great adventure for adults, it is probably too much for a child. It worked out great that we had many, smaller, adventures. This included, mountain driving, rafting, the train, hiking, and camping.
The hotel key and hotel pool: I found it interesting that to Sophie some of the small pleasures included operating the hotel room door with the key. Another item was the desire to swim in the hotel/motel pool despite the fact we have a pool at our home!
Equipment Report
GMC Yukon XL: The behemoth, while being an absolute gas hog, is a great traveling vehicle. Tons of space, plenty of power, quiet, and capable of all request. Sometime I get fed up with American car bashers, when I think of my experience with this vehicle. While acknowledging the quality of some Japanese vehicles, I doubt they make a SUV any better than this (besides not even making large SUVs like this). At least in my experience the tag "professional grade" used by GMC is upheld by this car. I have never been let down by my truck in over four and half years. I note that at the end of the trip (last day), I noticed that the battery was a little slow to start the car. It never let me down and I replaced it as soon as we returned home. This is very reasonable after four and half years.
Valentine 1 radar detector: While not a necessity, this was a very nice to have. I generally try to avoid driving more than 10 mph faster than the speed limit (although I generally do take this cushion). The radar detector many times alerted me to radar from police vehicles.
Garmin Quest 2 GPS: This is a great to have item that makes a difference on long road trips such as ours. Previously I have had very little trouble with my Quest in the six months I have owned it. On this trip I had many "lost satellite" timed, especially while driving through Kansas. IT generally worked fine in Colorado with some expected drop outs in the mountain. The GPS was great in some instances. One of which is finding specific places (such as Starbucks) while traveling. As an aside, Starbucks has become the new McDonalds as a reliable place for a clean bathroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon returning to Kansas City, I took my unit to Garmin (a KC company) to have their product support team try to resolve my GPS issues. They determined that there was a hardware problem. I received a new, warranty replacement unit two days later. Garmin has commendable customer service.
iPod: Sophia and I made great use of our iPod and a cassette adapter. We had a blast listening to many songs along the way. This was especially nice to have during the long drive from Kansas to Colorado.
I am sure I am leaving many things out. The bottom line is that I had a wonderful trip with my daughter. It really brought back the joys of the "family road trip" that many of us remember from our youth. I was very fortunate that all equipment, luggage, camping items, worked well. Most importantly, I am blessed to have such as wonderful travelling companion in my daughter.
General Observations and Thoughts
Learning from our children: Since becoming a father I have tried and benefited from watching and learning from Sophie as she grows and learns. Two big items learned are that children are not inhibited and will try many things as well as look at things in different ways. We would do well to emulate them. Thus my favorite word "wonderful". Children are full of wonder. The second thing is that children are continually learning and growing. I do not know why we lose this insatiable curiosity as we grow older. I continually try to rekindle it.
Loosening the schedule: I am, by nature, schedule oriented. As always, in learning from my 5 year old companion, sometimes it is good to let go of the schedule and let things come as they may.
Traveling with my daughter: While there are several downsides to divorce, I try to look at the positive side. One of these is the opportunity to travel solo with Sophie. This allow me to focus on Sophie. We have had many great times.
Shared apple: As reported earlier, one of the great things during the trip was sharing apples as snacks with Sophie during our road trip. There are many other simple, small pleasure that it is worthwhile to stop and enjoy.
Traveling with a 5 year old: Reasonably, a child prefers many smaller attractions rather than one attraction repeated. Thus, while a week long rafting trip may be great adventure for adults, it is probably too much for a child. It worked out great that we had many, smaller, adventures. This included, mountain driving, rafting, the train, hiking, and camping.
The hotel key and hotel pool: I found it interesting that to Sophie some of the small pleasures included operating the hotel room door with the key. Another item was the desire to swim in the hotel/motel pool despite the fact we have a pool at our home!
Equipment Report
GMC Yukon XL: The behemoth, while being an absolute gas hog, is a great traveling vehicle. Tons of space, plenty of power, quiet, and capable of all request. Sometime I get fed up with American car bashers, when I think of my experience with this vehicle. While acknowledging the quality of some Japanese vehicles, I doubt they make a SUV any better than this (besides not even making large SUVs like this). At least in my experience the tag "professional grade" used by GMC is upheld by this car. I have never been let down by my truck in over four and half years. I note that at the end of the trip (last day), I noticed that the battery was a little slow to start the car. It never let me down and I replaced it as soon as we returned home. This is very reasonable after four and half years.
Valentine 1 radar detector: While not a necessity, this was a very nice to have. I generally try to avoid driving more than 10 mph faster than the speed limit (although I generally do take this cushion). The radar detector many times alerted me to radar from police vehicles.
Garmin Quest 2 GPS: This is a great to have item that makes a difference on long road trips such as ours. Previously I have had very little trouble with my Quest in the six months I have owned it. On this trip I had many "lost satellite" timed, especially while driving through Kansas. IT generally worked fine in Colorado with some expected drop outs in the mountain. The GPS was great in some instances. One of which is finding specific places (such as Starbucks) while traveling. As an aside, Starbucks has become the new McDonalds as a reliable place for a clean bathroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon returning to Kansas City, I took my unit to Garmin (a KC company) to have their product support team try to resolve my GPS issues. They determined that there was a hardware problem. I received a new, warranty replacement unit two days later. Garmin has commendable customer service.
iPod: Sophia and I made great use of our iPod and a cassette adapter. We had a blast listening to many songs along the way. This was especially nice to have during the long drive from Kansas to Colorado.
I am sure I am leaving many things out. The bottom line is that I had a wonderful trip with my daughter. It really brought back the joys of the "family road trip" that many of us remember from our youth. I was very fortunate that all equipment, luggage, camping items, worked well. Most importantly, I am blessed to have such as wonderful travelling companion in my daughter.
Colorado "Shared Apple" Mountain Adventure - Final Thoughts
Sorry the delay in posting. I have been busy since returning from Sophie and my wonderful vacation. The trip was a memorable trip that will be great memory for both us.
General Observations and Thoughts
Learning from our children: Since becoming a father I have tried and benefited from watching and learning from Sophie as she grows and learns. Two big items learned are that children are not inhibited and will try many things as well as look at things in different ways. We would do well to emulate them. Thus my favorite word "wonderful". Children are full of wonder. The second thing is that children are continually learning and growing. I do not know why we lose this insatiable curiosity as we grow older. I continually try to rekindle it.
Loosening the schedule: I am, by nature, schedule oriented. As always, in learning from my 5 year old companion, sometimes it is good to let go of the schedule and let things come as they may.
Traveling with my daughter: While there are several downsides to divorce, I try to look at the positive side. One of these is the opportunity to travel solo with Sophie. This allow me to focus on Sophie. We have had many great times.
Shared apple: As reported earlier, one of the great things during the trip was sharing apples as snacks with Sophie during our road trip. There are many other simple, small pleasure that it is worthwhile to stop and enjoy.
Traveling with a 5 year old: Reasonably, a child prefers many smaller attractions rather than one attraction repeated. Thus, while a week long rafting trip may be great adventure for adults, it is probably too much for a child. It worked out great that we had many, smaller, adventures. This included, mountain driving, rafting, the train, hiking, and camping.
The hotel key and hotel pool: I found it interesting that to Sophie some of the small pleasures included operating the hotel room door with the key. Another item was the desire to swim in the hotel/motel pool despite the fact we have a pool at our home!
Equipment Report
GMC Yukon XL: The behemoth, while being an absolute gas hog, is a great traveling vehicle. Tons of space, plenty of power, quiet, and capable of all request. Sometime I get fed up with American car bashers, when I think of my experience with this vehicle. While acknowledging the quality of some Japanese vehicles, I doubt they make a SUV any better than this (besides not even making large SUVs like this). At least in my experience the tag "professional grade" used by GMC is upheld by this car. I have never been let down by my truck in over four and half years. I note that at the end of the trip (last day), I noticed that the battery was a little slow to start the car. It never let me down and I replaced it as soon as we returned home. This is very reasonable after four and half years.
Valentine 1 radar detector: While not a necessity, this was a very nice to have. I generally try to avoid driving more than 10 mph faster than the speed limit (although I generally do take this cushion). The radar detector many times alerted me to radar from police vehicles.
Garmin Quest 2 GPS: This is a great to have item that makes a difference on long road trips such as ours. Previously I have had very little trouble with my Quest in the six months I have owned it. On this trip I had many "lost satellite" timed, especially while driving through Kansas. IT generally worked fine in Colorado with some expected drop outs in the mountain. The GPS was great in some instances. One of which is finding specific places (such as Starbucks) while traveling. As an aside, Starbucks has become the new McDonalds as a reliable place for a clean bathroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon returning to Kansas City, I took my unit to Garmin (a KC company) to have their product support team try to resolve my GPS issues. They determined that there was a hardware problem. I received a new, warranty replacement unit two days later. Garmin has commendable customer service.
iPod: Sophia and I made great use of our iPod and a cassette adapter. We had a blast listening to many songs along the way. This was especially nice to have during the long drive from Kansas to Colorado.
I am sure I am leaving many things out. The bottom line is that I had a wonderful trip with my daughter. It really brought back the joys of the "family road trip" that many of us remember from our youth. I was very fortunate that all equipment, luggage, camping items, worked well. Most importantly, I am blessed to have such as wonderful travelling companion in my daughter.
General Observations and Thoughts
Learning from our children: Since becoming a father I have tried and benefited from watching and learning from Sophie as she grows and learns. Two big items learned are that children are not inhibited and will try many things as well as look at things in different ways. We would do well to emulate them. Thus my favorite word "wonderful". Children are full of wonder. The second thing is that children are continually learning and growing. I do not know why we lose this insatiable curiosity as we grow older. I continually try to rekindle it.
Loosening the schedule: I am, by nature, schedule oriented. As always, in learning from my 5 year old companion, sometimes it is good to let go of the schedule and let things come as they may.
Traveling with my daughter: While there are several downsides to divorce, I try to look at the positive side. One of these is the opportunity to travel solo with Sophie. This allow me to focus on Sophie. We have had many great times.
Shared apple: As reported earlier, one of the great things during the trip was sharing apples as snacks with Sophie during our road trip. There are many other simple, small pleasure that it is worthwhile to stop and enjoy.
Traveling with a 5 year old: Reasonably, a child prefers many smaller attractions rather than one attraction repeated. Thus, while a week long rafting trip may be great adventure for adults, it is probably too much for a child. It worked out great that we had many, smaller, adventures. This included, mountain driving, rafting, the train, hiking, and camping.
The hotel key and hotel pool: I found it interesting that to Sophie some of the small pleasures included operating the hotel room door with the key. Another item was the desire to swim in the hotel/motel pool despite the fact we have a pool at our home!
Equipment Report
GMC Yukon XL: The behemoth, while being an absolute gas hog, is a great traveling vehicle. Tons of space, plenty of power, quiet, and capable of all request. Sometime I get fed up with American car bashers, when I think of my experience with this vehicle. While acknowledging the quality of some Japanese vehicles, I doubt they make a SUV any better than this (besides not even making large SUVs like this). At least in my experience the tag "professional grade" used by GMC is upheld by this car. I have never been let down by my truck in over four and half years. I note that at the end of the trip (last day), I noticed that the battery was a little slow to start the car. It never let me down and I replaced it as soon as we returned home. This is very reasonable after four and half years.
Valentine 1 radar detector: While not a necessity, this was a very nice to have. I generally try to avoid driving more than 10 mph faster than the speed limit (although I generally do take this cushion). The radar detector many times alerted me to radar from police vehicles.
Garmin Quest 2 GPS: This is a great to have item that makes a difference on long road trips such as ours. Previously I have had very little trouble with my Quest in the six months I have owned it. On this trip I had many "lost satellite" timed, especially while driving through Kansas. IT generally worked fine in Colorado with some expected drop outs in the mountain. The GPS was great in some instances. One of which is finding specific places (such as Starbucks) while traveling. As an aside, Starbucks has become the new McDonalds as a reliable place for a clean bathroom. IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon returning to Kansas City, I took my unit to Garmin (a KC company) to have their product support team try to resolve my GPS issues. They determined that there was a hardware problem. I received a new, warranty replacement unit two days later. Garmin has commendable customer service.
iPod: Sophia and I made great use of our iPod and a cassette adapter. We had a blast listening to many songs along the way. This was especially nice to have during the long drive from Kansas to Colorado.
I am sure I am leaving many things out. The bottom line is that I had a wonderful trip with my daughter. It really brought back the joys of the "family road trip" that many of us remember from our youth. I was very fortunate that all equipment, luggage, camping items, worked well. Most importantly, I am blessed to have such as wonderful travelling companion in my daughter.
