h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Two adults, two tweens and a toddler, all in one mini-van for a week. I'm pretty sure there had to be some point at which I thought this might be a good idea. And I was probably right .

We got a late start on Friday, which wasn't really late since we planned it that way, so we didn't get to Hypatia's until 6:30 or so. It was great to see her again, and the kids loved dinner. broe jr raved about it even after we had left. Hyp had gotten a birthday cake for Mr B's 40th birthday, but we were all so full we couldn't eat it, so we left her several pieces and took the rest with us for Saturday.

It was after nine when we left Hyp's, only to discover that there was some kind of festival in Joplin and all the hotels were booked. We drove into Kansas and found a motel just across the state line in Galena - a real old-fashioned place that was kind of cute in it's quaintness. Classic brown and orange decor, but very clean and reasonably priced. There wasn't even a front desk clerk on duty, we had to call a phone number and have the owners meet us to rent the room.

Saturday morning we drove back into Joplin so broe jr could get his hair cut in an old Route 66 barber shop. I think we found the right one, the sign was certainly old. He looks much less scary now that all that hair is gone! I'll have to find some before and after pics.

Back into Kansas we drove through Galena and into Riverton, where we stopped at the Eisler Brothers Store, bought a couple of souvenirs and ate our cake (It was delicious, Hyp, thanks!) At the same time we were there, a motorcycle tour had stopped for lunch. The bikers were all from Sweden, and were going west to east. (We're going east to west).

Into Oklahoma after that, we stopped lots of places for pictures. We stopped at Afton Station, a visitor's center and replica Packard showroom, but the sign said they had irregular hours, and were only open regularly on Sundays. Maybe we'll catch them next trip. We stopped for awhile in Catoosa and saw the big blue whale that used to be a swimming hole. Next stop was Tulsa where we stayed for the night and the kids were very happy to see a swimming pool.

Today, Sunday, we drove around Tulsa for awhile in the morning, seeing the things we wanted to see, old store fronts, old highway alignments, an art-deco bridge that's out of use - and sandwiched in between the freeway and a newer alignment of 66 and nearly impossible to get a picture of. At noon we were going to meet Emee and her family for lunch at a classic 50s diner, only to discover that it's been yet another victim of "progress". We decided to go to another diner up the road and met them there instead. It was a lot of fun, even if I was a little embarassed that her Peanut was a perfectly well-behaved young lady while SuperChunk ran amok like he'd been raised by wolves. But on a car trip like this one there's little enough chance for him to burn his energy, so I left him to it for the most part. (The nice part was afterwards, when he took a two-plus hour nap in the car seat.)

Tonight we're in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, and this is the first place we've stopped with wireless internet so I figured I'd write some of this up. In true vacation fashion, though, the minute I've booted everything up all hell breaks loose. The tweens were chasing each other through the room when Sissy (our neice) fell and got rug burn on her knee and toes which involved much crying; while I was tending to that SuperChunk bounced himself right off the bed and clocked his forehead on the edge of the nightstand. I think they'll both live, but just to be sure I'll have to cover Tulsa to Oklahoma City next time.

Til then...

Family vacations are so much fun! You just took me back about 30 years! Maybe I should write a journal entry on one of ours.

broe, it was a pleasure having you stop by. I hope the rest of your vacation is great fun.

Peanut came down with pneumonia again later on Sunday night so I think that may have something to do with how quiet she was. She usually warms up to people and joins in whatever fun is going.

I thought she was very sweet. Sorry to hear she wasn't feeling well. I hope she's better by now!

It was great meeting all of you! If you're ever up my way give me a call and we can do it again!