Summer Roadtrip: Rainy Days and Tough Decisions

The sound of small kernels of popcorn being popped in a small saucepan on the stove hovers above my head as I work. The rain has been dripping from the sky with increased intensity since the day before. I have work to do so I’m not upset that we can’t be outside today.

The kids are in the movie theater that we created in the back “bedroom,” consisting of a queen-sized bed with a single bunk above. A princess sheet hangs over the bunk, creating a fort below. The kids sit propped on my old body pillow that I used when I was pregnant with each of them, and their own superhero pillows leaning against it – as theater cushions. My husband’s laptop serves as the movie screen and a DVD they’ve seen a million times becomes something new. I take a break from work to make popcorn in the microwave to complete the movie theater experience, and perhaps take my mind off the popping sounds on top of the camper.

This is the worst of our vacation so far. Last week we didn’t have hot water, but that was fixed with a stop to Camping World on our way to our new destination. So, we have hot water, but the rain has prevented us from doing anything fun. But fun is relative on a trip like this. Part of the journey is slowing down, doing different things. Even if it means being in a 200 square foot space for two days with three other people with nothing other than our books, a laptop, and some old DVDs.

The rain finally let up enough the next day to allow us to drive into Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics. Beautiful town with scenic mountain views as a backdrop to the lake. We only got one day here before heading on through Vermont and New Hampshire where we faced our toughest decision yet: Do we spend $75 to take the ferry (truck, trailer, and all) across picturesque Lake Champlain or do we stop at the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory?

Read Part I and Part II of our family summer roadtrip series.