Day 68 & 68B-- Sesame Place in PA

Well, Michael and I FINALLY got to Sesame Place today. I lasted about 4 hours. We went back to my cousin's and I actually fell asleep. I feel like a 4 year old- LOL. But, I think mentally I've taken about all I can. We have 2 more stops and I almost jumped into the car today and drove back to Middle Island. But, we are going to finish! I only have to get through the next few days.

Tomorrow we head to upstate New York to my x-roommate Donna and her family. I lived with her for 6 months when I was pregnant, so it's like going home in a way. I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the car. Can you believe that? I think Michael is fine with it too. I don't think he ever said seriously "let's go home". Pretty amazing! Any typical kid probably would have asked 100 times. Autism does have its advantages.

I kind messed up with the days--Wednesday was Michael's Birthday, Thurs. was Sesame Place and Friday we left for upstate. Here is the post for Friday:

Michael and I left the Iversons in PA around 1pm. It rained on and off the whole trip, but thankfully it never got bad. We drove north through Scranton and into New York State. We haven’t seen NYS since June 21st- so it’s been a long time. I have to admit I was happy to cross the border into my home state. There was a welcome center before Binghampton, which I never knew existed. But, it was one of the better ones (of course-lol).

The ride from Binghampton to Donna’s house was very pretty. Right when we got off the Interstate onto the back road I thought I saw a pair of eagles. I couldn’t believe it. I lived in NYS for about 30 years and NEVER saw an eagle. The past two months I’ve seen about 20 of them. So, after about 30 minutes of being in NYS, we see an eagle. Well, I do consider eagles and herons my lucky birds- so it was fitting.

We drove through Ithaca and saw all the college students around Cornell University. I always love driving through Ithaca. Last year I took the same route and got a little lost, but the GPS was perfect this time. When I went to college in Cortland about 20 years ago, we used to visit Ithaca once in a while- so it almost feels like home to me.

I noticed there is a huge difference in my comfort level when I’m driving in a familiar place. I guess that makes sense. But, once I hit the Scranton area- I felt good.

We got to Donna’s house around 8pm. Donna made me the BEST sauce. It had squash and zucchini in it. I don’t even like squash and zucchini, but this tasted sooooo good. I have to really give Donna some props. We hung out and talked until about 1am (as usual). I lived with Donna for about 6 months when I was pregnant. She was also one of my roommates in college. Donna and her husband Ken have 3 kids around Michael’s age. He was excited to be there too.

(pictures to come)

Day 67-- HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY MICHAEL

Well, today wasn't what I expected. Another surprise, but this one not so good. Michael started with a fever last night and right now (it's 3pm) he's laying on the couch, watching the weather channel. I don't think we're going to make it to Sesame Place at all. I don't even know if we'll be able to finish the rest of the trip. We might just go home in a day or two (when he's feeling better). I'm not sure. I'll just have to wait and see how he feels. He's eating and drinking- so that is good. A few minutes ago he said his body hurt all over. He starts school in exactly 1 week- so he needs to be in shape for that. He didn't cry when I told him we weren't meeting our friends at Sesame Place. THAT was a nice surprise.

When he's sick I try not to give him any meds and let his body heal itself. So, it's a lot of wait and see. I try to have him drink as much as possible and take a lukewarm bath if he starts getting bad. If it reaches 104*, then I give him something. My cousin also gave me the phone number to the walk-in clinic, but I hope we won't have to use it. Wish us luck!

Day 66-- Back in PA

Well, we left WV around noon. Michael and I stopped in a small town called Washington, PA for lunch. I had fun chatting with the mother and daughter team working there. The best part was the "New York style pizza". I haven't had that in a while. Getting closer.... getting closer....

It took us about 4-5 hours to drive across PA. Pretty hilly, not too exciting. I did see a couple of hot air balloons. As we headed east, I saw more New York State license plates too.

We got to my cousins in Langhorne around 8pm. It was so nice to be back. We were here the first week of our trip. Tonight I told stories of the trip and then we watched Hillary Clinton at the convention. Michael passed out on the couch- which is a total surprise because the kid has been going to be bed around midnight lately.

Tomorrow is Michael's 9th birthday and we're going to Sesame Place with our friends from Long Island- Kerrie, Paul and Paul. "Little Paul" used to be in Michael's classroom. We've haven't seen them in over 2 months. Kerrie's really been there for me during the trip- emailing, texting and calling. She's pretty much the person I checked in with most days. Tomorrow should be fun and I know Michael is excited.

Day 65-- Triadelphia, WV

This morning Michael woke up to say goodbye to Scott and the kids. It was reported to me that Jordan, age 4, said "goodbye Michael. I love you" -which is probably one of the most sweetest things I've ever heard. I wish I actually heard it, but I was sleeping. LOL. I think it was a great experience for Michael to be around kids his age. The whole trip we've been hanging out with some really cool kids- typical and on the spectrum. I'm really happy that Michael has been able to have those exchanges.

We packed up, had a quick lunch with Scott and headed on the road. Oh wait- couldn't find the cord to the GPS and Blackberry phone. So, we ran into Target to buy one. Then Michael wanted a new Backyardigans DVD. I also picked up an Ohio State t-shirt for him while we were there. I think we got onto the highway around 4:30pm.

The landscape went from flat farmland to hills and then mountains. We crossed into Wheeling, WV- which was very pretty at that time of day. Again, couldn't get a picture while I was driving- but it was nice. We stopped in a town called Triadelphia. It actually took me a few hours to figure out where we were- LOL.

The sunset from the hotel was beautiful. (pictures to come) We tried to go swimming, but the pool was too cold. It was the first time Michael ever said no to swimming, so the pool must have been REALLY cold.

If you look at a map, we are in a small stretch of West Virginia between Ohio and PA. Come to think of it, WV might be the official last "new state" for Michael. I thought it was ND, but I think it may be WV. I think I was in WV years ago when driving from Niagara Falls to Virginia Beach.

Michael and I are now fighting over the remote control. He wants to watch the weather channel and I want to watch the Democratic Convention.

We're feeling closer to home, I guess because we are. But, part of me is looking forward to not packing and unpacking every few days. The driving part wasn't bad. It's more the stress of keeping us safe and trying not to lose something at every stop. I feel great now that we learned not to stay at the cheapest hotel. It's been a good plan lately.

I talked to my cousin Annette tonight and found out her sister Josephine's dog passed away last month- and I missed it. I called Jo and left a message (her dog was like her baby). But, it got me thinking about Kirby. Kirby's my loyal cat for the last 16 years. He went missing the day we left on the trip. My roommate has not seen him. Some of the neighbors saw him the first couple of weeks- but no word in over a month. He's got a tag and a phone number, but no call.

I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I honestly think he knew we were leaving. It will be interesting to see if he returns when we return. I'll keep you all posted.

Well, tomorrow we'll be in Langhorne, PA again. It was one of the first stops on the trip. Then we head upstate to visit with my x-roommate from college, Donna, and her family. I'm looking forward to the end of our trip, but sad to see it almost over.

Day 64-- Columbus Zoo

I'll write more tomorrow, but we went to the Columbus Zoo today. It was like 93* and we got caught in a storm (Michael freaked out). But, other than that we had fun and saw some really cool animals.

Leaving for PA tomorrow :(


See more pictures from Ohio here

Day 63-- McDonalds

Saturday all I got accomplished was going with Scott and the kids to McDonalds for dinner. They all had fun playing in the play area. We just had to get out of the house. Most of the day I spent in bed. Michael kept coming into my room saying "i hope you feel better". He even made me a get well card. Honestly, I don't ever remember him caring that much. That made it almost worth it. Well, almost.

Day 62-- Friday

Today Michael and I hung out and then we went out for an early dinner at Dave and Busters. Afterwards we went to Target and got Michael some school supplies. Columbus, OH is an interesting area. I never thought much of OH before. But, there is really a lot going on here- between Ohio State and the growing suburbs. It reminds me a lot of Long Island- pretty flat and all. But, of course people are friendlier here. TN still takes the award for friendliest place though.

Anyway, Michael didn't get to bed until after 2am. It was my fault. My friend decided to make some "mixed drinks" and it was just too hot out to say no. I'll write more about it tomorrow. I'm still recovering!

Day 61-- A Hot Day in Ohio

Today it was 91* in Ohio, 70's on Long Island. But, now that I've been to Phoenix, I can't complain about heat in the North East anymore. Michael and I took it easy today. We ran some errands, made dinner and hung out and watched some Olympics.

Then Scott pulled out the Wii and we competed in bowling. It was a lot of fun. My friend Cathy talks about how she gets her exercise from the Wii and after tonight, I can see how. I can also see how you can get addicted to these games. I just wanted to try them all. But, of course at midnight we threw in the towel. I'm falling asleep while writing this-LOL. Sweet dreams everyone.

Day 60-- Waterpark

Ok. Now when I use the term "waterpark" you are probably thinking of Splish Splash or Water Country USA. This "waterpark" was more like a park with water fountains. But, it was really cool. Michael and the kids really loved it. They ran around splashing each other. There was also this HUGE waterfall. I got some really great pictures and even pulled out the videocamera for this one. Of course it will take me 44 years to edit and upload. But, I got some video.

Michael fell asleep at midnight tonight. OMG- what a horrible schedule we are on. I guess he still thinks we are in CA. I hope he gets back on track for school. Less than 2 weeks ago- holy cow. This is the fastest summer in history for me. I guess when you keep busy and all of that.

Again, Michael is talking up a storm. I'm also saying things to him and he totally understands. Like I said to him something like this today, "take the power cord from the DVD player and plug it in. Get out your dvd and put it in the other player. Before you do that, make sure the power is on on the new player. Also make sure the TV is on video mode. Then use the remote to press play". He follows everything I say. It's amazing. I only have to say it once. I almost feel like there is nothing he doesn't understand. OK- if we talked about algebra... wait- that's not a good example, because the reality is he probably understands algebra better than me. If we talked about the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian he might not understand THAT. But, anyway, he's doing great.

A couple of times today he got mad when he had to share his markers, which I thought was weird. One time he stormed upstairs. I guess he's just been using them all the time for 2 months, so it's hard to share. He was ok after that. The whole episodes lasted about 2 minutes each. It wasn't a big deal. But, I wanted to mention it. It's not all great and perfect, we have some trying times on the trip. But, if I had to use one word to describe Michael- AMAZING. For an 8 year old boy with autism to drive for 60 days with his mother around the US. And that mother is ME (LOL). I wonder if he is sick of me. I'm almost sick of me. I'm tired of my driving, I know that. Thankfully when we stay with certain people THEY drive- which is nice. And Michael just loves spending so much time with other kids.


Thanks again for reading our blog and for your love and support. We feel it from across the miles.

Day 59-- Reunion

My friend Scott, who we are staying with, joined Michael and I for lunch. We first go to Howard's house, again just 10 minutes away. I didn't get to meet his wife and two girls- but I hope to before we leave on Sunday. The four of us head over to Ruby Tuesdays.

Michael sat great and ate his usual meal while Howard and I caught up on almost 40 years. OMG. I feel so old just writing that. The earliest memory I have of Howard is when he was 4 and I was 5. It's weird because sometimes you see someone from your past and they don't remember anything good. We were able to talk about the good stuff and some not so good stuff. But, it was all fun. He was an important person in my early years and I was REALLY happy to see him doing so well. He just seemed right on track in Ohio, which is about 700 or so miles away from Rocky Point. I guess I'm really proud of him and I was glad that we were all able to get together.

After lunch, we picked up Scott's daughter from daycare and make a quick stop at Whole Foods- god I love that store. Michael hasn't had an Enjoy Life cookie in weeks! He was SO happy.

Then we get the 2 boys and headed "home". We made dinner and hung out. Michael watched the boys play Wii. It was great for Michael to play with some kids his age and great for me to talk to someone without a communication disorder. LOL. After 3 days on the road, I was ready for a conversation that didn't involve "pretend friends". It's also nice to stay in one place for more than a day. The rest of the trip is going to be filled with visiting friends and family- so it's smooth sailing from here.

I didn't take any pictures today.

Day 58-- Ohio (Monday)

After three days of driving a total of 1000 miles, Michael and I arrived in Columbus, Ohio. We are staying with friends who have three kids- Michael is thrilled. They are 4, 6 & 8 and the middle boy was diagnosed with autism a few years back. But, he's not anymore. This is the third recovered kid we are staying with. I'm telling ya, I saw video of this child before and there is NO way anyone would EVER guess he had autism at one time. Amazing.

Anyway, something very interesting happened this day. I was packing up at the hotel and thought about who I knew in Ohio. Well, I remembered that my best friend as a child, Howard, lived here. He was my next store neighbor in Rocky Point and the closest thing I ever had to a brother. We didn't hang out much in high school after he got WAY too cool for me.

I looked him up on anywho.com and found his address and phone number. Not only does he still live in Ohio, he lives in the SAME town as where I am staying-- 2.7 miles away to be exact. Seems like fate huh? I called him up and spoke to his wife. We set up a lunch get together tomorrow! Very excited and hope he's doing well.

Didn't take any pictures of Indiana. It was pretty boring and just farm after farm of corn. That's it.

Day 57-- to Indiana

Well, today we drove from Eau Claire, Wisc to Merrillville, Indiana. The highlight was we stopped at Michael's cousin's house in Woodstock, IL. We got to visit with Chad, Gretchen, Ray, Kevin and Brady.

Then Michael and I visited Chowpatty- a vegetarian restaurant outside of Chicago. I've been there 2 or 3 times before and I really like it. They even had waffle french fries- which Michael never had before- but liked! (thank god). Michael asked for a t-shirt. So the back of his shirt says "I think... therefore I'm a vegetarian". Which I think is great, of course. He also had to put the shirt on during dinner. Good thing he couldn't order any chicken. LOL.



On to Ohio for a few days!

Day 56-- Wisconsin

Well, the plan was to leave Park Rapids around 10-11am. After eating lunch (great salad Joanne) and looking at pictures, I think we left around 1:30pm. The trip was kinda boring. Except for the emergency bathroom stop- not much happened. When we got near St. Paul, MN it started to rain, so we stopped at Red Robin for dinner.

Then we got as far as Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The sunset was so beautiful. I didn't get a picture, but just imagine the sky being all blue and pink. We found a decent hotel in this "city". I was going to drive further, but was afraid of not finding a hotel for miles- just like in Montana. Also, there is this BIG resort area called Wisconsin Dells. I know that the prices for rooms are REALLY high there. So, we stopped about 30-40 miles into the state.

Now I'm glad we stopped when we did, because as I sit on my bed working on the blog the rain is POURING down. There is NO way I would have wanted to drive in this, or even carry my luggage to the building. So- we got a tv (watching Olympics), a fridge, a micro, a bathroom, comfortable beds and wireless--- life is good.

The only thing is I forgot to color my hair tonight. Michael said "do it in the morning". I thought for a second and said, "good idea". Now why didn't I think of that? LOL.

Day 55-- Last full day in MN

We're enjoying our time with family in Minnesota. Michael is very at home- playing on the computer, hanging out outside... We were here 3 or 4 years ago and it's amazing the difference. Back then we had to worry about Michael getting hurt or falling into the lake. This visit went a lot quicker too. Even Michael's Grandpa Bob said the same thing.

Today we took a trip over to Wal-Mart in Park Rapids. It's a new store and really met all of our needs. We got our oil changed and wiper blades replaced. I got a hair cut. I got new pads on my glasses. And we picked up some gifts. I also went across the street and filled up on gas and got a car wash. The dead bugs were STILL on the front of my car afterwards.

I've been eating veggie lasagna for days. I figured out the trick is to heat it to the perfect temperature and put together some garlic bread. It totally hits the spot. The lasagna has gotten better each day. But, sadly I made a little too much.

Grandpa Bob made Michael some grilled chicken that he's been eating for days. It was nice to stay in such a cute cabin, right on the lake and just "hang" for a few days. Joanne, Bob's wife, is so great to talk to. It was a really nice very for everyone all around.

Day 54-- Still in Park Rapids, MN

Michael on the dock

more to come

Day 53-- Another day by the lake

I didn't feel very well and instead of a morning fishing trip, I slept in. Michael hung out with the grandparents and had a great time. Then Joanne and I went shopping and picked up Michael's Great-Grandmother, Frances. We made veggie lasagna and had a yummy dinner. Michael is right at home here at the cabins on the lake.

Day 52-- Minnesota

Today was our first day in Minnesota with Michael's Grandparents- Gail, Stu, Bob and Joanne. Michael and I went fishing with Stu on his boat and had a great time. More to come.

Day 51-- North Dakota

Today was SO much better than yesterday. I got more sleep. The weather was nicer. I was able to talk to a few friends while driving. Even though we did 320 miles and 6 hours of driving- it went pretty well.

We stopped really quick to take a few pictures in a town called Terry, Montana and when we got back on the interstate, I saw a charter bus stopped on the side of the road. There were about 5 or 6 men in their 60's and 70's standing by the back. I pulled over and got out.

I walked up to the bus and said, "I'm not a mechanic, but is there anything I can do to help?". The bus had blown a hose. Luckily, the driver lived close by and called a friend who was going to come with a new hose. They were a group from North Dakota and thanked us for stopping. It's all about karma. When I see situations like that, I try to help whenever it's safe, because I know at some point it's going to be me who needs help. Plus, how could you pass a bus load of senior citizens on the side of the road?


Anyway, Eastern Montana was very different than Western Montana. It was a combination of rolling hills, plains, plateaus, rocks, valleys--- it was weird. Some parts reminded me of New Mexico. Again, pretty dry- like most of the west. I took some pictures. Not a lot. I wanted to get to Bismarck before dinner time. Michael wanted to go to Applebees.

We got to the "city" around 6pm. The time changed so we lost an hour. As soon as we got to the restaurant, I went to the bathroom. While I was gone Michael gave the waitress his order. Can you believe it? He's never done that before.

Right now I'm sitting by the hotel pool and Michael is playing with another boy his age. It's amazing how far he has come. We've been on the road for over 50 days! He's doing better now than he was the first week. Tomorrow we'll be visiting Michael grandparents in Minnesota (Bob, Joanne, Gail & Stu). MIchael's great-grandmother Frances also lives there. We'll be there for about 4-5 days. I love going fishing with Stu in the mornings and before sunset. I've been to MN twice before and every trip I find time to be out on the boat.

It will be interesting to see the difference in Michael this year. I have a lot of video footage of Michael in MN when he was 2 and before he was dx with autism. Most of the time he spent eye stimming of the fence and deck. The second trip he kept walking up and down the stairs and switching the lights on and off. (see the pattern there?). I think he was about 5 that time. Now he's almost 9. Each year we went in August- so it's a good comparison. Now that I think about it, I can't believe it's been 4 years since we were here last.

Tomorrow will be about 300 mile day- but should be pretty easy- all flat land. It will be nice to stay in one place for more than a day. I don't think we've done that since we stayed with Carolyn in Buckley, Washington.

Btw- North Dakota was our last "first time" state. The rest of the trip will be through states we've visited in the past.


oh, one more thing... lol.... I saw many fields of sunflowers today and that just made my day. I stopped and took a few quick pictures- but couldn't get up close. North Dakota of all places. I did see one field in CA, but the flowers were drooping. This time they were standing up more. It was really beautiful and for some reason, on my unofficial list of things I wanted to see.

Day 50-- Driving East in MT

When I booked the hotel in Cooke City I didn't realize I would have to take this mountain road to leave heading east. Every time I met someone and said "I'm staying in Cooke City" they would respond "OH, are you taking Beartooth Highway?" I didn't know. Then I looked at a map. Now that I understand what real mountain driving is (especially in the Rockies). So, I decided to drive through Yellowstone on the way out of Cooke City. That meant that a trip that would be 200 miles, was now 300 miles. Plus, the ride through Yellowstone has a 45 mph speed limit. I was going about 35-40 most of the time. There is just so much to see.

So, because we looped around through the park to get to Interstate 90, we drove for 7 hours, but only did about 330. We ended up a little east of Billings, which was WAY west of where I wanted to be. It was a little frustrating, but honestly, the ride through Yellowstone for the last time was nice. AGAIN I saw a buffalo walk down the road. This time he passed inches from our car. I was holding my breath the whole time. Thankfully he kept going. I wondered if it was the same guy as the day before.

Anyway, the weather was kinda crappy- but could have been a lot worse. We got out of Yellowstone and Cooke City just in time. I heard they had hail after we left.

We got into Billings and I said to Michael, "let's look at some hotels here". Well, they were all booked or really expensive because of the Montana State Fair. It also didn't help that it was a Saturday night.

We continued to the next town with a hotel, which was 90 miles away. Can you believe that? Well, I was happy to find this hotel, because the other ones in town were "scary". That is our word for a cheap hotel that started from the TX stay. We unpacked and got right into our pj's. It was not an easy day. I wasn't feeling great and everyone I called was busy or not home. Driving hundreds of miles when you know you have 2 MORE days of solid driving is basically- not fun.

I'm SO SO SO happy that the beginning of the trip wasn't like this. I realize that driving 100-300 miles per day and stopping at least every third day for two nights REALLY saved us for most of the trip. This kind of driving is exhausting.

(pictures to come)

Day 49-- Where the Buffalo Roam

We only spent about 2 hours in the park today, but it was incredible. I didn't want to drive far today because the skies were very dark and I didn't want to be stuck on the side of a mountain in a thunderstorm. So, we went about 15 miles from the Northeast Entrance. It worked out great. Michael and I hiked for about 10 minutes (that's a record) by a stream. Then I drove further west where I saw the buffalo yesterday.

They were still there, but today there were a few strays around. I saw one about 1000 ft from the road and took a few pictures. That was a lot closer than the herd yesterday. Then I walk towards the car and see some traffic. I wonder what it is and walk towards the front of the car. I see a HUGE buffalo literally walking down the center of the road- right on the yellow line. He's coming towards our car. HOLY COW. Do I walk closer and take a picture or run to the car for cover? I got a few quick shots and then he turned to my left. There were a few cars between us. He starts to make his way over to that other buffalo I saw.





They both stand up and slowly walk towards each other. The second guy who was walking down the street starts making huffing sounds. I know that's not good. Either they are going to fight or he is going to charge, or both. I'm about 100-200 feet away at this point, standing right next to my car. I yell at Michael to get in the front seat so he can see.

Number 2 falls to the ground and starts rolling in the dirt. Then they get really close to each other. Of course I left the videocamera in the hotel room. It was such an amazing thing to see and seems like it happened in slow motion. The two buffalo are standing about 10 feet from each other.

Then Number 2 turns his head, looks at me and starts huffing again. Oh crap. I jump in the car and drive away. I'm not worried about myself, but my 1 year old car.

We get back to the hotel and it starts thundering- perfect timing. After about an hour the sun comes out and light fills the room. I say to Michael "i bet there is a rainbow". We run over to the window and open the curtains- a double rainbow! It was awesome.

Also, before we drove to the park today Michael and I had lunch at the Beartooth Cafe. I had an artichoke! It was a nice surprise on this trip. In the middle of nowhere of all places.

We we started walking towards the stores, Michael said "It's nice here". It sounded so natural. His speech is getting better and better. He's starting conversations with strangers. He's ordering his own food. He's answering questions from other people. He's helping with the luggage. Such an improvement from the first week of the trip.

I've got to go work on the photos. Tomorrow is a long day of driving- but look forward to seeing more of Montana.

BTW- part of Yellowstone is in Wyoming. So, add another state to the list.

One last thing- when we got here my throat started to hurt and guess what? There is a forrest fire about 100 miles from here. This is the third place where we found smoke. I'm SO happy we don't have these on Long Island. It's very irritating.

see more photos here:
http://homepage.mac.com/lighthousestudios/PhotoAlbum77.html

Day 48-- Yellowstone

Today was just what I needed. Montana is unbelievable! I can't wait to download the pictures. We drove from Deer Lodge, MT to Cooke City, through Yellowstone National Park. I was so excited driving and pulled over probably 10 times to take pictures. I kept thinking to myself "this is god's country". Just like one would imagine- mountains, valleys, streams, fly fishing, etc. I thought Montana would be greener, but I guess it's just doesn't rain as much as I thought it did. Some areas reminded me of New Mexico. Speaking of NM, I would have to say that NM is my favorite state so far. But, MT is a close second. Now I understand why movie stars buy ranches here.

We took a "scenic route" today and it wasn't THAT bad. I was actually glad I took a chance and got off the interstate. We drove to West Yellowstone, which is a nice, little town if you are looking for a place to stay. It has everything you would need while on vacation. We entered the park from there and drove north and east.

Parts of it were boring- looking at sticks where trees used to be. Other parts take your breath away. Some parts make your heart stop- like the hairpin turns with NO guardrails. Come on Bush- could we bring our troops home and buy some guard rails with that money? Thankfully the speed limit was about 25-30, so no one was expecting me to go very fast. But, I was very grateful that it wasn't dark or raining. Again, I thought to myself "thank GOD I have a 4-wheel drive".

A few times people in cars pulled over to see an animal. The first one we saw pretty quickly. I asked a guy "what is everyone looking at?". He said an eagle. I actually laughed. The guy probably thought I was some crazy New Yorker. But, we had seen about 20 eagles in the last few weeks.

The next "traffic jam" a guy yells from his car "mountain lion!". I couldn't see a thing. I think the thing was like 2 miles away.

After about 20 minutes, the traffic stops again and people are getting out of their cars. This time- a bear! I don't see it at first, but then the bear comes closer to our car. Michael is kind of excited. Especially since he has a list from the park with animals. They make it for kids. He was checking off animals as we saw them.

It was a black bear- not THAT big. But, maybe they aren't THAT big to begin with. Also, he was about 500 ft from me. So maybe close up he's bigger. Not that I would want to test that theory. But, it was exciting. He was hanging out on the side of the road eating things. It was funny how he couldn't care less than 50 people were looking at him.

Bears were on my short list of animals I REALLY wanted to see. The other were buffalo. I said to Michael "let's do the buffalo chant". So, we started chanting "we love buffalo. we want to see some buffalo." Then about 15 minutes we come to this beautiful valley with a river running through it. There are about 100 or so buffalo grazing below. I pull the car over and get a couple of pictures- but they are pretty far away. One nice man lets me look through his scope. It was really cool. Michael stayed in the car- he couldn't care less at this point. Plus, the skies were getting dark and it started to rain. Michael not only hates rain, but is scared of lightening.

Anyway, we pull into the little (and I mean little) town of Cooke City, MT and check into our hotel. It's pretty cool- except for no elevator and we're on the top floor. It starts raining pretty hard and we unpack. I'm glad we'll be here for 2 days- so we can relax tomorrow. I'm going to work on some pictures and maybe the boat video. It just takes a lot of time because I have to connect the external hard drive.

Well, we are all comfy in our room. No AC, but it's cool here and they have a ceiling fan. I'm looking forward to checking out the town tomorrow. It should take me about 15 minutes :) It looks like one of those old towns from the 1800's. Just wait until you see the photos.

Thanks again everyone for reading our blog. We're having a great time!

See photos here: http://homepage.mac.com/lighthousestudios/PhotoAlbum76.html

Day 47-- Idaho to Montana

This afternoon we ran some errands- had lunch, got gas, drove through the car wash, picked up juice and snacks at the store, etc. Then we FINALLY got on the road around 2pm.

We stopped a few times. Once was at this mission in Idaho. It was REALLY cool. I've seen old missions on the side of the road a few times on the trip, but every time we stopped- they were closed. This time it was open. I had no idea what to expect. As I opened the heavy, wooden doors this wave of energy came over me. The mission is the oldest building in the state and built in 1889 (thanks to Michael who remembered the year). There was just 1 row of seats in the front. But, the alter was totally decorated. I look forward to posting the photos. It was just really cool and I'm glad we stopped.

The mission was also next to this river. Just like one would imagine, with the mountains in the background. Again, I just wanted to pull out a fishing pole and spend the day. Of course we don't have any fishing poles and Michael would last about 5 minutes. But, that's still what I wanted to do.

As we drove south in Montana the scenery got better and better, IMO. We ended up in a town called Deer Valley right around sunset. In the west were the Bitterroot mountains and the sunset seemed to never end. Of course Hwy 90 runs along a river, so I was in my glory.

There was very little traffic and the speed limit was 75 most of the way. Of course I go about 60 on the curves and 65-70 when it's straight. I just don't know how people do it. My ears also kept popping all day- which kinda led to a headache. The liquid in my ears was really bothering me. I think the mountain driving would be a lot easier if I didn't have my ear problems. But, at least I'm not in any pain. As long as I drink some coffee in the morning, the migraines don't pop up later in the day.

It's weird, but as soon as we started heading east, I began to get tired of driving. I have to force myself to keep going sometimes. It's like when you take a trip and the ride there is a lot more exciting. I've never been to this area of the US and I'm excited about Yellowstone tomorrow. But, once I get to Park Rapids, MN I won't be anywhere new anymore. Does that make sense? A few years ago I drove from MN to NY and I also drove from Chicago to NY.

I don't know why being somewhere new is so important. I guess because there are a lot of things I can't experience driving alone with Michael. I can't go horseback riding, river rafting... can't go to a casino, etc. Michael won't sit through a baseball game or a museum that isn't for children. We can't go to a non-child movie (I first wrote "adult movie" but then realized that might be misleading).

We have done some cool things- like the whale watch boat trip. But, between driving so much, packing and unpacking, carrying things back and forth, finding safe hotels, keeping Michael away from food that makes him sick, making sure we have everything we need at every moment- I have so much on my mind. I think how different the trip would be if we had another adult with us, helping. But, then I think about how then I'd have to worry about THAT person's wants and needs and attitude. Ok. We're better off just the two of us :)

I'm not complaining- the trip is going great. I'm just trying to recharge my batteries in the final stretch. I hope there is a bus tour at Yellowstone. That way I can be with a group and just enjoy the scenery (and not have to worry about driving).

Oh, one of the things I'm excited about- Michael's birthday is August 27th and we'll be staying with my cousins in PA again (they were the first stop). We're also going to Sesame Place and meeting our friends there. So, it should be a nice celebration and fun way to end the trip.

We really are lucky to be able to go on this trip and share the experience. Michael is already talking about next summer's trip. :)

Day 46-- Almost to Idaho

Well, tonight we are sitting in a hotel a few miles from Idaho. Michael and I had kind of a boring day. Lunch was crappy. The ride was boring at times. I felt like we stopped every 30 minutes. I don't know if I'm getting bored of driving or what. I downloaded some new music for my ipod, so hopefully that will help. The east part of Washington State is pretty. It surprised me that parts of it look like Oklahoma. It's very dry. We even saw dust devils or dirt devils- whatever they call them. But, they look like tornadoes, but are whirlwinds of dust. Pretty cool. I tried to take a few pictures.

We got to the hotel around 4:30pm. Michael went for a swim. I did two loads of laundry. I downloaded pictures, as usual. Nothing exciting.

Here are some recent pictures:

http://homepage.mac.com/lighthousestudios/PhotoAlbum75.html

Day 45-- Back to Washington State

Sadly, we left Canada and headed back to the US. We took the Sky to Sea Highway. Or is it Sea to Sky? Don't remember. Anyway, it was beautiful. It took us about 2 hours to get over the border. Holy Cow. And what made it even more difficult was I couldn't just leave the car and walk around, like other people did, because there was just one adult in the car (me). I did take a bunch of pictures though, so the time wasn't totally wasted. I have to download the pictures, edit them and then upload. As usual, it will take me some time to do.

We got to the Seattle area and then started going east on Hwy 90. You know what that means????? We are heading home. It's kinda sad. I could probably stay on the road for a few more months. Crazy huh? But, I just love seeing new places. Michael is doing so well. Tonight, while I worked on the blog, Michael said "I can't believe we are so far away from home?". I said "I can't believe you just said that". You would think an eight year old with autism would be tired of this already, but we are still excited and enjoying the journey. Michael helps me a lot. Like he tells me when I'm driving too fast or too slow. He repeats what the GPS says (doesn't everyone need to hear "turn left at 500 ft" three times?)

It's supposed to be in the 90's tomorrow here in Central Washington. Wow, we've been spoiled with the 60's and 70's this past week. At least we aren't in Chicago, they had BAD storms tonight.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back in the US and back to watching American TV. The Canadian Weather Channel really sucked. My college tv station had better graphics and that was 1988.

We are just going to head east, through Idaho. On Thursday we should end up in Cooke City, Montana which is right near the entrance of Yellowstone. I CANNOT wait to see more wild animals. So far we have seen: Killer Whales, Eagles (about 10), Harbor Seals, Herons, Pelicans, Deer, Elk, Armadilla (dead)... I feel like we've seen more, but the science museums and aquariums don't really count. LOL.

We just missed the bear in Squamish, who was walking down the road near our hotel (so I was told by the worker).

Day 44-- Surprise Squamish!

So- here is a picture of the rock slide.

Saturday night my good friend Kerrie emailed me that they opened the road. I wasn't sure what to do for Sunday, because I didn't want to drive all the way there and drive back in one day, especially if the traffic was bad. So, I made a few calls and pushed back some hotel reservations. (AFTER CLEAN UP)

Sunday Michael and I arrived in Squamish. It's a small town about an hour north of Vancouver. The reason why I wanted to go there in the first place was because that is where they filmed one of my favorite shows, Men in Trees. Of course ABC killed the show, so we couldn't see any actual filming. But, I did see some locations from the show- like downtown in front of the Chieftan hotel and the docks.

Squamish was more updated that I expected. They are having the 2010 Olympics in the area, so there was a lot of construction and new buildings. It was a cute, little town. Michael and I walked around, which of course was boring as hell for him, but I was enjoying taking pictures. We stayed at this hostel type inn right on the river. It was nice and relaxing. Whenever I'm in area like this I just want to go off in the woods and sit near a river by myself or something. I look forward to Park Rapids, MN.

Anyway, Michael and I drove over to the Squamish Days event- where they have a logging competition. But, it was over. We should have went earlier in the day. It looked pretty cool and basically nothing else was going on. I didn't realize that everyone was on vacation because the next day was BC Day- a holiday in British Columbia.

Oh and the drive to Squamish was AMAZING!!!!! The road is called the Sea to Sky Highway. The winding road (the only road) runs along the bay. One side HUGE mountains, some with snow caps. Other side, the water. Some parts had 2 lanes and they had cement barriers, so I felt pretty safe compared to some roads. It was a most beautiful ride I've taken in the last three weeks for sure.


SEE CANADA PHOTOS HERE: (click on top for all 4 pages)

Day 43-- Vancouver, BC

Today was a great day. The weather was perfect. I thought it would be really cold, especially on the water. But, it was nice. We headed to Richmond, BC around noon for our 2pm boat trip. We checked in around 1pm and headed over to a restaurant on the docks. The area reminded me of Port Jefferson Harbor, for those of you on Long Island.

I did my usually check "do you have grilled chicken and french fries?". The place said they would make it special (gotta love it). The whole restaurant was on a dock over looking the harbor. It was so pretty and somewhat familiar. Probably because I've spent a lot of time in Port Jeff. I got some type of lemon pasta without the prawns (shrimp) and was a little scared, but it was perfect and very satisfying. Anything with pesto in it and I'm happy. I also got the sweet potato fries. Michael's meal was perfect too and so the day was off to a great start.

The boat we were going out on seated about 30 people. The back was open, but the front was covered. We sat near the front and opened the big windows- so it was perfect. Not too much wind, but you could see everything. Our tour guide, Alex (a girl from England) started with a speech about getting seasick. Oh no. I'm thinking about that wonderful lunch I had and what a weak stomach I have. But, I was determined to not get sick.

We start off seeing a pair of bald eagles. I've seen a few eagles before, but not this close up. Then there were some seals in the water fighting. Excellent so far- can't wait to see the whales.

The boat left about 40 minutes late because the cruise before had to go really far to find the whales. But, the good news was that we now knew exactly where they were. I didn't care how long we were on the boat. It cost me about $200 for both of us, so the longer the better.

I was doing my usual thing and shooting both photos and video. I downloaded the video, but haven't edited it yet. But, I will try to get that up soon. Michael was pretty excited, as were all of us. We saw probably 10 whales. Alex said that we were spoiled, because usually you don't see that much action. It was really incredible. I've never seen a whale in my life.


One whale kept jumping. He would always jump twice in a row. It was great for getting pictures. What a show off.

I'm going to post a few pictures here and the rest you can find on my Mac account. Once I upload those, I'll put the link here.

After the 4 hour boat trip we drove through the city of Vancouver during sunset. It was stunning. I couldn't get all the photos I wanted (of course) because I was driving. But, the sky was pink and orange. Vancouver is hard to describe. It's very unique. Beautiful water (rivers, harbors, lakes, streams, etc) hills like San Francisco and snow capped mountains. It was a lot larger than I thought it was be. We also drove through Granville Island- which seemed like a scene from Blade Runner. There were odd characters everywhere- homeless, drug users, it even smelled weird. I thought to myself, "Well, now I saw the bad part of Vancouver".

By the time Michael and I got back to the hotel we were wiped. It was a long day- but really good. One of the best days of the trip so far.

Day 42-- CANADA!

Well, we are in Canada now. It's the first time for Michael being in another country. We got through the border crossing ok. I was a little worried. When you are traveling with your child alone they may think you are trying to kidnap him. Little do they know- LOL. Anyway, the woman working the booth was asking me all these questions like "why did you drive here all the way from NY to see Vancouver for a few days?". I said "well, we are on a two month cross country trip". She then said, "well, doesn't Brent have to be back when school starts?". I said "school doesn't start until Sept. 3rd."

Then she asked me why we lived in NY and Michael's dad lived in San Diego. Oh lord. My quick answer was "because my son has autism and he needs the special services in NY". She didn't even ask me about carrying fruit (which is what I expected).

I did some research and everyone said to keep your answers short and simple and don't explain too much. Also, don't joke around. It was hard for me to do that. But, we got through. The sun was setting at the border crossing and it was really pretty. We're staying about 15 miles east of Vancouver for 2 nights. The wireless works great- so I'm happy.

The TV here is a mix of US and Canadian stations. The weather channel is different. Even the internet is different. When I clicked on Yahoo it defaulted to the Canadian Yahoo and News.

Anyway, tomorrow we're going to sight see in Vancouver. I got a bunch of brochures from the lobby. We might go on a whale watching trip or sightseeing tour. I can't wait to see the city- I hear it's really beautiful. Hopefully I won't feel bad about missing Squamish, BC. The road is closed for days. I had to cancel our reservations there. Who would have seen that coming? Falling rocks that blocked the road.

Day 41-- Seattle (Thurs)

The last day of July. Wow- what a month! I can't believe we have been on the road for 41 days. It is really going quickly. Thanks for reading our blog everyone.

Today we got up at 9am (yahoo) and drove up to Seattle. I just love it when someone else drives and I can enjoy the scenery and take pictures (thanks Carolyn). It was Carolyn, Me, Michael and the girls- Mackenzie and Regan. The first place (after lunch) we stopped at was Pike's Market. Probably next to the space needle, the most famous landmark in Seattle. I thought it was going to be a real tourist trap with crappy stuff being sold. But, I was wrong.

There were about 100 booths, inside and out. They sold everything from live crawfish to t-shirts. I was very impressed by the produce and the flowers. Carolyn picked up the most beautiful bunch of sunflowers, which sold for $5. In NY, I would have easily paid twice that much. The quality of the flowers was outstanding.

The fruit and veggies, just as good. I had these cherries- don't remember the name, but they were SO amazing. They looked half ripe, but were so sweet. Then I had a regular cherry and it tasted a lot more bitter than the first one. I could have stayed there all day sampling, but Michael kind of had enough. Boy, he can only take about 20 minutes of places like this. We were able to pick up some t-shirts and see the first Starbucks.

After the market we drove over to Alki Beach in West Seattle where Sleepless in Seattle was filmed. I knew right away when we drove down the road that it was from the movie. I called my friend Kerrie in NY and she confirmed it for me after checking on the IMDB website.

I liked this area. It reminded me of Virginia Beach. There was a boardwalk, shops & restaurants, small homes, people playing volleyball on the beach. It seemed like a very cool place to live or even hang out. And of course it has the best views of downtown Seattle. I will post some pictures as soon as possible.

When we see the pictures and video of the city of Seattle, it's usually shot from Alki Beach. But, when you are in the city itself, it's feels kind of cramped. It was very hilly. Lots of homeless people (just like SF). And there is this grassy area right by the market, which is very pretty, but runs along the highway. So, the traffic noise really kills any beauty of the spot.

I'm glad Carolyn drove, because it seems like a hard place to get around (by the market area). There are many levels and the parking was kind of hidden. You can't just look out and see the area. I bet if the city could, they would restructure that whole area. I'm still glad we went. It's a very pretty area. There are so many hills, neighborhoods and islands. A lot going on.

At 6:30pm we went to this place called "The Bouncy Place". They have the blowup slides and jumpers seen at carnivals. It costs $5 for about 90 minutes. We met some of Carolyn's friends there and it was also "disability day", which is the last thursday of each month. I saw about 5 kids with autism there. Michael had fun, but it wasn't very crowded, so I could tell he was a little bored. Plus, this was the 3rd place like this we had gone to in the last month.

After the Bouncy Place we stopped at this mexican fast food place- Baja Express or something like that. They don't have them in NY. It was fast food, but pretty good. Michael was able to get chicken- so all was good with the world.

We got home late (9:30pm) and Michael ran around with the girls for a while. He just feel asleep at 12:30am. Holy cow we are going to have a long day tomorrow. Oh yes, guess what? We were planning on driving to Squamish tomorrow. It's a small town about an hour north of Vancouver, BC (Canada). But now I don't know if we can go because there was a landslide and the road is closed. We would have to drive like 10 hours out of our way to get there. I emailed the inn where we had reservations to see if they have any ideas. But, we may spend a few days in Vancouver instead. This really stinks because I wanted to see where "Men in Trees" was filmed. Plus, I heard the area is beautiful. Hopefully I'll hear from the Inn on the way up there.

Wish us luck going over the border. I pray that they don't make me unload the car. It will take me an hour! We never made it to Mexico because some unnamed person didn't want to wait inline at the border crossing. But, we did see Mexico from the beach in south San Diego. So, this will be our first trip over the border.

I can't believe I'm finally caught up with the blog- except for the photos and video. But, the posts are up to date. We have 1 month left on the trip. From Vancouver to MN will all be knew for me. Once we get to Park Rapids, every place east of there I have already been to. So, I'm enjoying every step of the way. I'm not really tired of driving, but I am kinda tired of packing and unpacking. And putting $50 of gas in my car every few days isn't much fun. I'm glad gas prices are going down. We saw $3.99 per gallon today. But, overall, we are both doing great and enjoying the trip. Michael's behavior has been pretty good the last 2 weeks. I think it has helped staying with friends. We won't see anyone we know until MN- so it will be another long stretch- but I know we can do it!