Drama of the Year 2008 (Vacation Gone Wild) – Part 4 b (Final)

There’s a force from underneath the dam that’s pulling me. I felt like jumping.

That’s what the Hoover Dam did to me. Was it acrophobia, the fear of height? Not quite. According to a physician I work for, I was dealing with angst; a German word for fear or anxiety, used in English to describe an intense feeling of strive. Angst normally means a nondirectional emotion. While acrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear of heights.

Done with Hoover Dam, we continued driving on the US Route 93. After about an hour, my ‘bottomless-stomach’ 6 years old son started to complain of being hungry. We saw a jerky store on the side of the road, it’s called freshjerky[dot]com. I thought, if they dare selling online, they must be pretty good, right? We went in and sampled some of their dried meat and fruit. Some of them sounded pretty nasty -ever heard of tuna jerky?- but after we tried it, it was actually edible and quite tasty. My favorite was the teriyaki beef and the dried mango.

Then the road trip continued to reach Williams, AZ. This town was picked as our base camp because it will only take us about half an hour to drive to the entrance of the Grand Canyon. We were debating whether or not to just drive to the South Rim area of the Canyon, which has accommodations too, so we don’t have to drive too far. But they were too pricey for our budget which was already depleted after losing thousand something dollars after the failed SE Asia trip plan (read the previous parts of this post). This small town lies on Route 66, and I haven’t been to any before. I watched the movie ‘Cars’ with the kids and since then always wanted to visit small towns on Route 66.

We booked a room at The Downtowner Motel. Everytime I heard the word ‘motel’, I can’t help but thinking of squeaky beds, smelly carpet, and loud heater/air-con. To my surprise, this one is completely presentable. We got the two bedrooms, one of each with very comfortable queen beds and flat screen TV on the wall. I thought it was going to have either a ‘mountain cabin’ decoration or tacky Route 66 memorabilia. It was not. Instead, the tastefully decorated cabin reminded me of a hip, urban-taste apartment of a big city. Normal motel would have one big undivided area of bedroom, living room, and a small kitchen/eating area altogether; this one was, again, has a big city apartment feeling to it; without a kitchen.

Done checking in, we went out to explore the town on foot in a 40-something degrees temperature. I was freezing my ass off. Hubby and the kids were fine, because they’re Iowans. Decided to go in a bar to warm up, met a very nice fellow who taught my 7 year old daughter, Davi, how to smooth her shuffleboard skill. This guy is everything you’d picture of a prospector. Very very nice. Drunk as heck, but nice. While Davi and I were in a shuffleboard match, Dante took Daddy up for a very intense game of cards: Go Fish.

Where to go for dinner, we wondered. The common American dine-in or hello… is that a Thai restaurant I see? We thought, in the spirit of Thailand, we should try the Thai restaurant, Dara Thai’s Cafe. When we entered the place, we found out that we’re the only customers. An alarm went off at the back of my brain, saying, “Bad choice. Don’t go here.” Of course, I ignored it. Made a small talk to the owner about how surprised I was to find a Thai restaurant in a place like this -small town, on Route 66, out of nowhere. Then she said that they were new, just a couple of months, and that they’re a chainThai restaurant. That alarm on my brain buzzed off again. All chain restaurants are mostly so-so, if not bad. Some people are fond of chain -international- restaurants, like Carlos O’ Kelly’s or Panda Express, or PF Chang. We are not. Our family prefers to go to a smaller but more authentic ones, even though it’s considered as a ‘dive restaurants’ to most Westerners. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I was right. The food was not very good, it was blah. After paying, we went for more walk, stopped at a gift/souvenir store with a scary robotic Santa by the front door.

The next morning, we woke up early and had a hearty American breakfast at the diner. Packed all the necessities to stay warm (hats, mittens, etc), filled up the gas tank, fully charged batteries for camera and video camera were ready to go, full tummy… we’re off to see one of World Heritage Sites! Being the ‘Gateway to the Grand Canyon’, Williams is conveniently located, it only took us 30 min to reach the Grand Canyon entrance.

We visited Grand Canyon’s South Rim instead of North, because it’s ‘friendlier’ to us. The North Rim, which I’m pretty sure has more stunning views, is more remote and only open in mid-May through mid-October. For a first timer like us, experiencing the Grand Canyon from the South Rim (also known as Grand Canyon Village) is not bad at all. It ismore touristy, because they have more lodgings (El Tovar Hotel is amazing!), shops, and easier accessibilities. Planning a visit? Do some research here first. Interested in doing the mule ride? Better be in shape since the shortest one takes about 7 hours!

There’s no words to describe how amazing this place is. The way nature just ‘carved’ this georgous place. How the force of water cut deeply through the rock, forming numerous steep-walled canyons. And to think how difficult that time was for the pioneers to explore this wilderness, and survived. I was glad to be able to see this place, and for my kids to experience it too.

With this spirit, we drove back to Vegas feeling better that this family vacation was not a big disappointment after all. So what if we couldn’t go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, and visit the Elephant Nature Park. To be able to go to Los Angeles, roaming the Hollywood Boulevard, watching shows in Las Vegas, and to see one of the world’s wonders Grand Canyon, was not a bad experience at all. So what if we couldn’t be in a 80 degrees weather while sunning at the beach wearing shorts and sandals. To be in a 30 degrees weather, bundled from head to toe with chattering teeth, I guess it’s okay too. All I wanted to do was to be home again.

So there we were, in Vegas again. Last minute reservation to the Desert Rose Resort (I highly recommend this place. Very very nice and close to the Strip) was made via cell phone on our way from Williams, AZ. They had one 2-bedroom suite available, thankfully. I went to bed hoping that tomorrow we’d be able to fly back home with no problems.

Unfortunately, the goddess of drama was not going to let go of us easily. Started with the ‘fine’ of $150 from the rental car place because we didn’t fill the tank up (it was 3/4 full). Then when we checked in at the airline’s desk at McCarran International airport, they told us that hubby was not listed to fly with us! What?! Evidenty, due to shuffling things around, the online booking rep did not book hubby with us. She booked him on a different flight! I couldn’t emphasize more clearly how frustrating that situation was for us. I was about to loose it, because the departure time for the three of us was approaching, but we dind’t have an answer for hubby yet. After a while, somebody with a higher rank stepped in and took care of us. Not only he was able to get hubby in the same flight with us with the same price, we were also able to seat close together. Phew!

This whole ‘drama’ does affect our decission-making capability when it comes to travel internationally. Because it seemed that no matter how we try to make alternative options, they ended up being a bite on the butt. I understand that the military coup in Bangkok was out of our hands, as well as hubby’s sickness. I just can’t help but feeling that we probably should stay put in the US for a while. But we all did have fun, because it’s not the destination or where you are, but who you’re with; and I’m still glad that I share this adventure with hubby and the kids.

Drama of the Year 2008 (Vacation Gone Wild) – Part 4 a

It was already late in the afternoon when we left Los Angeles for Las Vegas. I felt confident in doing this, road trip from LA to IA. We have everything ready for the kids in terms of the car ride: booster seats, something to keep them busy (Nintendo DS with bunch of games, books, an instant digital camera that can also take video, and games), and some snacks. By the time we’re on Interstate 15, the sun was starting to set. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery through the Mojave Desert. The transition between the mountainous area to the desert area were amazing, galloping next to us. I glanced to my side view mirror, there’s this amazing sight of the big orange sun surrounded by silhouettes of the mountain and the clouds, perfectly framed in the mirror. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a picture of it. Carte Blanche thought this picture is sentimental. Awww…

 

leaving sunset behind

 

It was already pushing nine o’clock at night when we entered Vegas. After we check in to our hotel, we went out to the Strip. It was Friday night and the Strip was packed. The kids were wowed by the sea of people, the lights, the gigantic stuctures such as Luxor’s pyramid and the tall Statue of Liberty lady, and the cool cars roaming around especially the Hummer limo. It was hard to find parking in Vegas, the easiest way would be to go to hotels or shopping malls; in one of their ramps.

And so we did, after almost 45 minutes trapped in traffic and driving around the Strip, we ended up at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s parking ramp. We had to walk through the Miracle Mile Shops (inside PH’s Resort & Casino) in order to get out to the Strip. We walked around the Strip a bit, sightseeing, then stumbled upon Dante’s question, “I’m starving. Can we go eat?” Great. Late at night. At the Strip. Car’s parked few blocks away. Where to find a good place to eat? We were standing by the Harley Davidson Cafe at that time and could easily go in to eat like the other tourists do. But our family is pretty adventurous so when I saw the sign for Tamba Lounge for Indian cuisine, wesaid, “Heck yeah, that’s better.”

We were in luck that night since they’re doing ‘one night only’ buffet-style dinner. The restaurant was full with Indian families, which was a good sign. The room was warm and smelled so good, I was almost drooling. After we paid at the cashier, we were seated at a booth. The waiter took our drinks’ order, and then we’re off to attack the buffet. So much food, so many choices, and so hard to put everything I like into one plate. The kids’ favorite, of course, was the chicken tandoori; although they did try other vegetarian dish as well with no complain.

yummie chicken tandoori

Clearly satisfied with Tamba, we also experienced Lotus of Siam which was claimed as the best Thai restaurant in North America. Don’t judge a book by its cover is definitely applied to this restaurant. Located at an unassuming strip mall just east of the Strip (feels like in the middle of nowhere), the restaurant itself is just plain simple. Tons of reviews from any kind of magazines were posted on the wall, all praising the chef and owner, Saipin Chutima. Do order from the a la carte menu, skip the buffet, to see why this restaurant is the best there is.

 

    

 

When you’re in Vegas, you must see some shows. My only recommendation  would be to watch any Cirque du Soleil’s shows. This time, we went to see ‘KA‘. I fell in love with this entertainment company ever since I watched ‘Mystere’ (Treasure Island hotel, Vegas) almost 5 years ago, Saltimbanco (Paris) a year after that, then one of their smaller scale of musical shows when they were in Des Moines, IA, just six months after that. The show KA is housed at the MGM Grand, with magnificent stage and settings. The shop next to it was a fun place to look around. They have cool collection of hats and masks, beside other stuff. Walking in to the theatre was like entering a different world. Too bad that picture taking has always been forbidden in their main shows like this one, but I did sneakily took a couple of pics using my iPhone. The show was awesome, from the beginning to the end, with a spectacular ending that still gives me goose bumps everytime I think about it.

hats silliness

The next night, we went to see Nathan Burton Comedy Magic at the Flamingo. The kids seemed to like it, especially our son. I personally think it was kind of lame and pretty boring. I wouldn’t go back for a second time. After watching the show, we walked to the Bellagio to watch the water dance. Now that was cool!

At this time, hubby’s cold and sinus had went down into his lungs and he was suffering from the upper respiratory infection. He had fever on/off and started to cough. We were beginning to get skeptical about our long road trip plan. He’s not feeling well enough to drive, and my name wasn’t on the rental contract so if something bad might happen when I drive, we wouldn’t be covered.

‘Wasted’ 2 full days to wait for him to feel better. Ate out a lot, then went to see ‘Balto’ in 3D. In preparation for the trip to much colder place, we need to get some more warm clothing. Thanks to iPhone, we were able to pinpoint the nearest Target store from our hotel. Surprisingly, they don’t sell anything warmer than a wind breaker. We were planning to go up north to Salt Lake City and were looking for winter coats, mittens, and hats. They don’t have it, probably because they rarely have snow. So we ended up buying layered-clothing; sweaters and lightweight jackets.

Unfortunately, hubby’s not getting any better. From the sound of it, he’s either had bronchitis or pneumonia. He was coughing so hard, he hurt his back. He felt like shit. Impossible to drive long distance. He asked if we’d be upset to cancel the trip and just fly back home from Vegas after we go to see the Grand Canyon. The kids were kind of bummed, but I guess they’re used to it by now. So we booked yet another plane tickets from Vegas to Des Moines. Hubby was doing the bookings late at night again, coughing, and feeling feverish. Later on, this very moment will play a crucial part for yet another near-disaster experience.

On our way to Williams, AZ, we planned to make a stop at the Hoover Dam. What we didn’t plan was to stop at a hotel/casino in Boulder City for a heli ride! Hubby saw a sign for one and decided to ‘what-the-hell-never-done-it-why-not’ .  So we parked our car, register at the booth, hopped on a scale to be weigh, sign a consent form, then wait about 15-20 minutes. A minivan came by to pick us up to the heli pad, which is on top of a hill. Once we’re there, we waited for the pilot sign that it’s safe to approach and board the heli. Then I started to feel like backing up. Stomach felt knotted, legs were heavy. Silly old me agreed to be seated at the front, with Mr. Pilot, while hubby and the kids seat at the back.

davi's hanging on tight to dad

The heli started to leave the ground, then I noticed that I was surrounded by clear glass for the windows and the door. Felt like nothing was holding me but my seat. I found myself holding on so tight to the seat, especially when the heli started to fly up. My heart was pounding so fast, freaking out. The heli went up and down, sideways, and U-turn; it felt like being on a roller coaster on it’s waaay high up in the sky. We flew over the Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, also above the roads. It was so cool to see this little cars underneath us, also the swirly roads. Despite the fact that I was freaking out, I was managed to take some pictures and videos.

I passed the heli ride without peeing my pants. We then drove to the Hoover Dam to check it out. The four of us did the tour, which was very interesting and informative. We even took the elevator to go underneath the earth, exploring the tunnels and check out the cofferdam and the power plant. Done with the touring, we went outside to see the dam and oh my… the concrete work was impressive. To avoid cracking and crumbling, the dam was built in a series of interlocking trapezoidal columns. We also noticed that there was a construction going on over the dam, to built the Hoover Dam Bypass to provide much more highway capasity. See the pics here.

Done with the dam, we continued our journey to Williams, AZ to pay a visit to the Grand Canyon.

{To avoid a long and boring post, I decided to break this last part in half: Part 4 a for Vegas’ story and Part 4 b for Grand Canyon and closings}

Drama of the Year 2008 (Vacation Gone Wild) – Part 3

“WHY ARE YOU CURSING?”
“You’re not going to believe it. Come sit and watch this.”

At first I don’t understand, not going to believe what? As he turned the TV volume up,  I noticed that CNN was reporting live from Bangkok’s international airport, Suvarnabhumi. Apparently the political unrest was getting worse and the protesters shut down the airport. SHIT. We’re supposed to fly there tomorrow morning. I felt my knees were weakened by the news, I plopped down to the bed. The camera then panned left and right to show people (visitors) who were sitting on the floor of the airport with their luggages on their side. Stranded. Couldn’t get in or out of the airport. I bet they felt like Viktor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks) in the movie ‘The Terminal’. I let out a long, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“You know what this means, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“We have to cancel out trip tomorrow.”
“All of them?”
“Diny…”
“Sorry.”

Then it’s the same nightmare all over again. Frantic calls to the airline people. Was put on hold for ages. Argumentation with the rep about getting some money back because this was not our fault. Adviced to file a ‘dispute’ which will take time to be resolved; in the mean time we just have to say goodbye to some thousand dollars (airline tickets, hotel reservation, tour groups, etc) and hopefully will get a little portion of it back. Long distance call to Indonesia to tell my mom and brother that the trip was cancelled. Again.

An emergency family meeting was called in. Hubby explained what happened to the kids, that we’re not going to Asia thus not able to see grandma Rose and uncle Putra. The kids were not too disappointed at this point. Probably due to the fact that they’re not at home in Iowa anymore, therefore having flew in an airplane twice yesterday and to be physically in a hotel in LA was already like ‘the’ vacation for them. Besides, my daughter was not feeling very well. She was too congested to process this information.

So now, the question was: should we go back home to Iowa like a bunch of losers just because our major trip just got cancelled? Or should we raise up and make the best of it like an adventurous family that we are? I was broken hearted for the second time, and hubby felt so bad about it. He was trying to make it out for me. Keep in mind, later on, with what’s going to happen even more, I wish he hadn’t.

Some options he gave us: (1) Fly back to Iowa the next morning for USD 1,600, (2) Stay for another 10 days in LA or around and then fly home to Iowa for only USD 600, or (3) rent a car and take a road trip from Los Angeles to Iowa; stopping at big cities or main tourist attraction such as national parks.

At first, the kids and I opted for option #2. We would like to go to Disneyland, but hubby didn’t. “Could you guys go some other time without me?” After further discussion, we all agreed to take option #3. After all, we’re an adventorous family *snicker; look where it got us now* Plus, we’ve never taken a road trip across USA as a family. My husband and I did it eight years ago, driving from Iowa to Colorado. But this time, it’ll be longer thus more places to see. We looked on the map and planned the route. From LA, we were going to drive to the state of Nevada to visit Las Vegas and check out Hoover Dam. From there, we’d hop to the state of Arizona to witness the awesomeness of Grand Canyon, then drive up north to Salt Lake City, UT. Working our way east,  we’d continue our road trip to the state of Wyoming to meet the Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park. Continued to South Dakota state to be amazed by the Badlands National Park, then to good ol’ Iowa.

Of course, I have to be concern about a number of things for this road trip to success. Firstly, what kind of car should we rent that would fit into our budget yet will do the job? Dollar Rent A Car gave us a sweet deal. We originally purchased the package for the mid-size SUV which comes with Jeep Liberty. But when the agent realize we’d be travelling long distance with a possibility of driving up to the mountains/national parks, she told us to go to a certain part of the big the parking area where the rental cars were parked, and pick a better car. Besides, our luggage won’t fit in that card.

After circling the area around, we didn’t think that the other cars were better than Jeep Liberty. Then a big SUV approached, and a guy in a nice suit asked if we’d need a help. We explained what’s going on and he said, “Wait here, I’ll see what I can do.” Ten minutes after that, he came back driving a Chevy Aspen. “I think this is the best one for your trip. It’s new and was just under inspection recently.” I looked at the midnight blue-colored big ass SUV and I could’ve sworn I heard an angelic choir with a light shined through the cludy clouds. All four of us got in and instantly a unison “Whoaaaa…” was heard. It was like riding in a living room. Mind you, I drive a clown car, a Scion XA; while hubby drives a hybrid Toyota Highlander. As much as we hate to ride on this gigantic gas guzzler, it’s probably good for the safety. Thus, a trip to a nearby Walmart to purchase two car seat boosters.

I worry too much. After I worried about the type of car we should be driving, I also worry about what the kids are going to do in that long car ride. We didn’t bring a lot of books or games. Hubby came up with an idea to get them ‘the ultimate entertainment system’ for a long car ride. Books? Heck no!  Those are so yesterday, though I would personally like it. I’m talking about the portable game. We Google’d a nerby game store (thanks to the iPhone map system) and bought two Nintendo DS with the chargers and some used games. We got a, “Thanks, Mom and Dad! You guys are the best parents in the whole wide world!” from the kids. Even after we told them that it’s part of their Holiday present, they were still excited.

Then I got all fidgety about the fact that we’d be traveling north to a colder area, Salt Lake City. Since all I packed was short sleeve shirts, shorts, and sandals (well d’uh, I thought we were going to Thailand and Indonesia), with only a pair of jeans and sweater we were wearing when we left Iowa, I told hubby that we’d need to get more warmer clothes. But he said we should wait until we got to Las Vegas.

Done with the planning, we finally decide to relax and really act like we’re on vacation. We drove to the Hollywood Boulevard that second night (Nov 27th) we’re in Los Angeles. I’ve always thought that Hollywood Boulevard would be so extravagant and glamorousI was almost disappointed when I got there. Just a long road (boulevard) with pretty lights and neons on, with some cool buildings like the Mann’s Chinese Theatre. This place is well known for the hand/foot prints of big names in Hollywood. Along the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard, you could also see celebrities’ stars. I guess the Disney’s Studio Store and Soda Fountain was pretty neat as well. The ceiling of the Studio Store, the front area (above the ticket booth) was intricately red. We were ‘lured’ to go in to the Soda Fountain, to try the ice cream which recipe was dated back to 100 years ago. Sure was yummie!

We saw a lot of people in costumes. My daughter asked why those people were doing that, it’s not even Halloween. I told her that they’re dressing up as characters from Hollywood movies to attract people to take pictures with them, by paying a couple of bucks. We then went to see the Hollywood Wax Museum, the Guinness World Record Museum, and the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. The Wax Museum has a scarry section which I wouldn’t recommend for kids under 12 years old. I almost crapped my pants myself! Scarry displays from a various horror movies were shown, and also scarry characters from the horror movie. I like to watch horror and scarry movies, but not too fancy about getting to close to the wax version of Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) or Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th).

See more photos here.

Sure started to feel like a vacation. As I was starting to feel relax, hubby’s cold had turned into an upper respiratory infection. He started to complain his chest’s hurting. Is this s a sign for another vacation disaster? Find out in ‘Vacation Gone Wild part 4′, the final part.

… to be continued…

Flood Season?

Felt like we just got done with Winter. Snowstorm, snow and sleet, snow this, and snow that. We were bombarded with the snow, it made the transition from Winter to Spring rather unnoticeable. I honestly felt like Spring was not going to happen at all.

And now, while Spring is finally here [and almost gone], it was not behaving nicely either. Apparently Lady Spring thought, “Well, if Father Winter could do it, I can too!” And swoosh… came down the rain. Lots and lots of them. Four to even seven days straight full water/hail pouring down from the sky. Our county has gone from thunderstorm watch, thunderstorm warning, flood watch, flood warning, flash flood watch, flash flood warning, tornado watch, and tornado warning. Because of the thunderstorms at night, the kids have been sleeping with me (including Max, our pet) while Dad evacuated himself to the basement. The four of us on my bed curled up like shrimps, close to each other, with our heads under the pillows; attempted to reduce the boom! noise and the bright lightning. 

Midwest has been hit the worst by the rain. Iowa, mostly. Many places were either flooded or hit by a tornado. Late May, a tornado hit Parkersburg, IA; killed 7 people and injured at least 50 people. Parkersburg is about 83 miles from Ames -the town we live in- and only 30 miles away from where my in-laws live: Denver, IA. One of my husband’s cousins live there and her house was flattened by the tornado and is now homeless. Looking at the aerial picture of Parkersburg after being hit (or video)was like looking at a demolished war zone. No buildings remain, just piles of debris. One could not tell where downtown was anymore, or location of houses. Can’t quite tell where one used to live, because the street name was blown away and other landmarks were destroyed.

About a couple of weeks later, a twister hit Little Sioux Scout Ranch (advanced Boys Scout camp) in western Iowa, near Nebraska state line. The twister struck as Iowa, like other midwestern states, was dealing with severe flooding along the upper Mississippi River. Four children were killed, while 40 were injured. From what I read, there was a group of scouts who were out hiking at the time of disaster. Seriously, weren’t they aware that bad weather is approaching? Don’t they have some kind of weather alert system, radio, or TV? But I guess there’s no point in questioning all this. Don’t cry over spilt milk, they said. 

The overflow Cedar River forced Cedar Rapids, IA, to evacuate the Mercy Medical Center hospital. Isn’t that crazy? How’d you able to evacuate hundreds of patients in a hurry? Post op patients, elderly patients, patients on wheelchairs, not to mention complicated ones; what a frantic situation I bet it was. The engorged river flowed through Cedar Rapids’ downtown. Hundreds of city blocks were under water, and in some neighborhoods the water was 8 feet high.

Des Moines, Iowa’s capital city, was also flooded. Many of its resident left after a voluntary evacuation request issued on Friday, June 13. So was Burlington, Coralville, Davenport, Iowa City, and more.

The town we live in, Ames, was not flooded as bad as those towns. ‘Just’ a golf course and a couple of streets/parks were flooded. I was actually driving on one of the main road one day, going from work to downtown. I was amazed when I drove back for the same route, the road was closed because it was flooded. I was just driving on it 35 minutes ago and it was fine! The raging South Skunk River was just overflowing so fast, the officials weren’t anticipating it at all, I guess. Judging from the last minute road closed and traffic detour. What usually takes 15 minutes ended up being a 45 minutes deal due to traffic.

   

Last Saturday we went on road trip ’to see the flood’. I know it sounded sad, but we were just intrigued. We heard that the U.S. Highway 30 between Boone and Ogden had to be closed because of the flood. We usually drove on that road to go to a state park, and the scenery around it is so pretty. Not boring flat or corn field-y like most of Central Iowa’s scenery, but hilly and curvy. We weren’t the only ones who were touristing the sites, others too. They were just watching… being a curious human being. Some were taking pictures/videos, and some went kanoeing! I couldn’t believe it… some people were actually took their canoe, loaded it up on top of their vehicles, took their kids along with them, drove there, and went kanoeing! That’s pretty risky, I thought.

Now that the rain had stopped pouring like crazy, the flood had decreased little by little. Everybody’s question is now, “What’s in the water?” Other than mud, there’s some scary shit stuff in it like naxious brew of sewage, farm chemicals and fuel. I read somewhere in the paper that the water just reeked of pig feces and diesel fuel in Oakville. Ugh, I couldn’t even imagine how horrible that is.

What about the stress level? Your belongings are destroyed or long gone, you have to live in a shelter (mostly a high school gym) with strangers, the worn out volunteer and Iowa National Guard who was working on the levees, you either still have to clean up your super messy house or find a way to rebuild your house, your medications were swept away by the flood, questionable of safe water to drink, tetanus from the nasty water if they got a cut/laceration, and not to mention mosquitos.

How stressful. It’s probably not as bad as The Great Midwest Flood 1993, but still…

PS: Thanks to the writer, for your concerned comment in my ‘Saya’ page. We’re safe and fine. Our part of Iowa is on a higher ground. 

Carroll’s Pumpkin Farm

Day 2 of laryngitis. Not working today, I have a date with my son. His daycare is going to a field trip and needed extra help with transportation. The two daycare vans were too small for the children from two classrooms (plus extra teachers). Other than ours, there were 5 other car of parents/grandparents who also chaperoning their little ones. We’re going to Carroll’s Pumpkin Farm in Grinnell, IA, today.

Google Maps shows that the driving distance from Ames to this place is about 1 hour and 22 minutes. But since we’re convoying and the lead van is going 60 mph on a 70 mph Interstate, plus the potty stop, it took 2 hours and something minutes to get there. Dante was getting antsy but managed to maintain his good manners. He didn’t even ask “Are we there yet?”  question once. We were just talking about what we see while we’re driving and play ‘20 questions’. The only thing I dislike was driving on the crazy I-80. Four lanes, a lot of semis, Nascar-racer-wannabes; they’re all added to my phobia of this particular interstate. And I got a ‘bonus’ that particular morning: it was raining! Eek, I don’t like driving in the rain either.

If the field happened to be too muddy in the farm like it was when we were there, they wouldn’t take us on the wagon ride to the field to pick the pie pumpkins. Instead, they’d have the pumpkins ready on the wagon for us at the parking area. Shucks… where’s the fun then? No worries… there are tons of fun thing to do. Carroll’s had created a number of ’sites’ for the children to play. Kids can swing or slide into piles of straw at the Straw Barn, play with the shelled corn  or bury your friend at the Grain Barn (formerly a corn crib), or ride the most awesomest bike in the whole wide world! (according to my son) -which is actually John Deere’s TMX trike- around the barnyard course in the indoor TMX Trike Barn. 

I really appreciate the work these guys had done. I’ve been to other pumpkin/apple farm around Iowa, and so far, this one is the most organized and well planned. For school/daycare trip, they’ve created a special program which work so well for the little ones who need. Instead of just hauling people to the field to pick pumpkins, Carroll’s Pumpkin Farm actually do have an age appropriate lesson/talk about growing pumpkins. Meaning it’s explained [and showed] in a way that a kid would understand. The talk takes place in the loft of their restored 70 year old barn, and only takes about 15 minutes. Gosh, they must now that little ones wouldn’t sit tight for over 15 minutes…

I think we spent at least 3 hours there (including eating lunch prepared by the daycare) and at the end of the day, we got to pick a pie pumpkin for each. Since by then I knew my way back to Ames, I didn’t wait for the school vans. Dante was tired, he fell asleep in the car on our way back to Ames. Glad I spent some time with him today despite my lack of voice.

Oktoberfest at the Amana Colonies

Was? Oktoberfest im Iowa, USA?
Ja! Warum nicht?!

Yea… why the heck not? If Jakarta, Indonesia, has Oktoberfest and religiously celebrate it; a small town in the Midwest, USA, could too. A very thorough writings about how the Amana Colonies started can be found here. Oktoberfest in Amana is celebrated 28 – 30 September this year with a theme ‘A little bit of Bavaria in Iowa’.

Amana Colonies is a touristy place itself. Adding Oktoberfest doubles the fun. It’s a neat place with downtown full of cute little shops [with cute names] like ‘Chocolate Haus Dessert and Coffee Cafe’ and ‘Olde World Lace Shoppe’. When walking into the chocolate house, it smells soooo good. The smell of hot chocolate and fudge, fine roasted coffee and chocolate chip cookies; all the goodness in the air.

We had Max on a leash, so Doug and I had to take turns going in to a shop. He said he didn’t care so much about the chocolate store, but he definitely want to go in to the Amana General Store for their bakery stuff. The kids loved the toy store, Little Red Wagon. They have lots of cool vintage toys made out of tin.

A website about Oktoberfest in Amana is here.

Diny/Amana Colonies, IA/Sep 30 ‘07

… See my Tabblo>

Hobby Turns Into Museum

Found this place accidentally. We were just driving on the country road (wasn’t even aware we’re in Colfax -name of the little town) when we notice the sign of Trainland USA. Very interesting.

… See my Tabblo>

Pufferbilly Days 2006

What: Pufferbilly Days 30th Anniversary.

When: September 7-10, 2006.

Where: Boone, IA.

Whatelse: Craft Fair, Carnival, Entertainment, Food, Drink, etc.

More: A pufferbilly is a small steam engine used to tunnel deep into coalmines. And while the days of the steam engine may be in the past, Boone keeps its memory alive for a few days every year during its Pufferbilly Days event, a four-day celebration of everything trains. And it’s only fitting, considering some 70 trains pass through town on a daily basis and the railroad industry remains the city’s largest employer. The event starts on Thursday and runs through Sunday, and by its end, participants will have seen a spike-driving contest, a parade, a lip-sync contest, a 5K run, train rides and more. In addition, a variety of music will be performed, including Tami Jo Platter with country western and Bob and the Beachcombers with a Beach Boys/Jimmy Buffett tribute. And if none of these things sound appealing, there’s always the beer garden. Beer can make anything worthwhile.

MN: From Fairy to Fairs

Finally… family vacation! It’s been a while since we took the kids on a vacation. Our last one was a year ago in April-May when we visited Europe. Kids have been behaving pretty good lately, so this time, it will be about them. They like rides, games, knights, fairy tales, and swimming. The destination should have all of those requirements. Minnesota was chosen. It’s only 3 and a half hour away, has Valleyfair, and the Renaissance Festival is scheduled when we’re there. Kids made a list ahead of time of things they wanted to do in MN, and sure enough the list contains ‘amusement park’, ‘rides’, ‘cotton candies’, ‘fun swimming pool’, ‘festivals’, ‘horses’, ‘pizza’, ‘zoo’, ‘games’, and ‘movies’.

Finding a hotel. It’s not an easy one because we wanted to make sure the hotel has a swimming pool, not too far from the fun places, has spacey rooms, but not too expensive. Since the Renaissance Festival takes place in Shakopee, MN, we focused our search around this area. And what do you know… Shakopee has Valleyfair! Found a decent hotel in Eden Prairie (just 15 minutes drive to the Valleyfair and probably 20 minutes to the Renaissance Festival) and it has its own pool… yiipee!

Day 1, Friday Sep 18: Up and at ‘Em!

After a long drive (for the kids) last night from Ames, IA to Eden Prairie, MN, today we visited the Valleyfair. Got there a little too early *gee… I wonder why* It’s a nice size for an amusement park, not so small yet not too big. They have a good number of rides for our kids (ages 5 and 3) to participate. Unfortunately, the 80++ bucks we pay for all of us isn’t enough to ride all the rides. There are some cool rides that required extra payment inside.

Good thing is, there are free shows scheduled throughout the day for us to see, like the ‘Extreme Canines Stunt Dog Show’, ‘Movie Magic: Lights, Camera, Action and You!’ (for this one, Davi got to be on stage and volunteered as the SuperGirl), ‘Rhythms of the World’, etc. KidWorks -a special area for kids under 5 years old- has a performance every couple of hours where they play music and dance. Just check the information board or get a brochure which is available all over the park.

When it comes to rides, I’m kind of picky. I can do coasters, but spinning motion makes me dizzy. Davi’s case is similar, she was not very happy after The Wave (a water flume ride), while Dante went for a second ride with dad. A visit to an amusement park won’t be the same if you don’t try the games, right? Kids tried 4 of them and they came back with three stuffed animals. Not so bad, eh?

Left the park around 3:30-4:00 pm with painful feet and bodyache. Stopped at this horse track for a couple of hours before we head back to the hotel. Bid a little… won a little.

Day 2, Saturday Sep 19: When Grownups Play ‘Make Believe’

Renaissance Festival or Renaissance Faire or the Faire. Always wanted to go to one. What’s it like? Curious, I checked this out. It actually warns me: “If you’ve never been to a Faire, then it’s hard to convey a sense of it. Most people when they go for the first time are overcome by the sheer number of things to see”. And they’re right. After we bought the admission tickets for $8 per person and paid $10 per car to park in a woodsy area of Shakopee, we found ourselves walking towards what appear to be a castle from the front (it’s just a prop). As we entered the gate, I was overcome by the sights of people dresses in costumes: bodises, corsets, chemises, dresses, gowns, crowns, and swords. Wow… these people are really serious about their make believe game.

As we engaged with the activities, I noticed they’re calling the visitor by ‘my lady‘ or ‘my lord‘ and introduced themselves as Lady this or Sir that. They also talk to you in Elizabethan. Done with kids activities, we went exploring the place a little further. Hm… a show. Gypsy-like men with percussion, belly dancing, fire-eater, that was cool. But what’s with this Xena-like mass yelling every now and then?

Food was OK, a bit pricey, though. Love the pickles. The Fairy Godmother and Mother Goose were fun, and the games were interesting. Make sure you bring enough small bills to pay for the rides, games, and activities, nothing is free here.

More pics here>

Day 3, Saturday Sep 20: Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

Obviously, the kids felt a day in Valleyfair isn’t enough. On our way home, we visited a cute little neighborhood in St. Paul to see the Como Park and Zoo. No charge for the zoo, but they’d appreciate donations. The size isn’t too big, which is perfect to us to walk around without having to kill our feet. With a very close distance, we went to the really nice park. Como Park has some neat features; although nothing compared to Valleyfair, I’m sure we’ll come to this park again when we’re visiting the Twin Cities.