Maybe it was the plush hotel room we sprawled out in for a couple of days, or maybe it’s the four family-filled days we had in Kansas City, MO, or maybe it was the TV show I stayed up too late to watch last night where a lead character has to say goodbye to her best good dog, but I’m finding myself in tears of gratitude as I reflect on this last week.
First, let’s back it up to our glorious stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kansas. Oh wow were we spoiled! Our visit there was definitely a splurge of the pocketbook, but we all really soaked in the luxury living of a hotel. For starters, it was TORENTIAL downpours the entire time. Almost record-breaking amounts of rain falling within each day for the three days we stayed. As we watched in wonderment at the wide rivers of water winding through the parking lot, we look to the edge of the lot where our motorhome is parked and smile at the fact that we don’t have to be in it. Every single drop of rain can be heard when we’re inside our RV, but not when you’re in a two-room suite of a massive lodge. Also, it was stupidly cold outside. And the outside comes inside our 22-plus year-old Allegro Bay motorhome, (affectionately known as “Bae”) too easily. More smiling as we conveniently click the thermostat up another degree inside our cozy hotel room.
Each of the boys had their own real bed. Not a fold out couch, not a table and benches with cushions on the top of them – but true mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillows. Simple staples for many families are a welcome extravagance for us as we travel. Do I even need to mention the running water and BATHTUB in the bathroom?! Temperatures in the high 30’s with flooding rains outside, but with a private bathtub at my disposal to which I escaped to frequently, left me one very happy momma.
Great Wolf Lodge is known for all the family-friendly options they offer. There’s laser tag, Build-A-Bear, indoor waterpark, shopping, and unique to their name: MagiQuests. Our first stop upon arrival was the Quest Store to pick up some magi wands and questbooks. That was the beginning of three days full of running around and questing for the boys. Objects, screens, faux movie-like sets are set up throughout the four floors of the lodge, and if you choose to accept it from the Enchanted Trees, the quests send you all over the place to wave your wand. If you collect enough gems, coins, characters, books, items, and potions, you become a Master Magi – which was the boys’ goal. It’s only at Great Wolf Lodge where “Can we go questing again?” is asked more than “Can I have a snack?”
After slaying dragons as Master Magis, conquering the log run and waterslides at the pool, bathing in endless running water, and stretching out in full-sized beds, we hit the road for the most heart-filling stop on our journey so far: Family.
Our next RV stop was at the Smith’s Forks Park Campground in Missouri for five days. The camp host sent Jason a message the day before our arrival that they have shut down the restrooms and showers due to sub-freezing temperatures at night. Rough way to start life back in the RV after our warm stay in a hotel. Oh, also, the message continues to say ALL WATER will be turned off on our fourth day there. Apparently, due to the abnormally low temperatures, they’ve decided to shut down for the season early. We were given the option of a refund and find somewhere else, but truly, we weren’t planning on being at Bae for much of our time there. Our plan was to soak up all the time they would allow us with family from Jason’s side. Lucky for us, they are truly wonderful people and welcomed us each day with hugs, conversations, and warm meals.
Brent and Jennifer recently moved into their beautiful home and their massive, unfinished basement is being renovated into a gorgeous 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom suite for Brent’s parents, Keith and Clara, to live in. The tour of their house and walk-through of the construction zone had my mind racing with ideas for our next home renovation. If my parents, or Jason’s parents, would ever allow it, I would LOVE to have a setup like Brent, Jennifer, Clara, and Keith. Plenty of room for everyone, but still close so we can all get some help with just a shout down or up the stairwell. The peace of mind that would bring is priceless.
Jennifer’s 9-year-old nephew, Levi, was also visiting and the boys were thrilled to have another kid to play with. While the boys played, we adults had soul-filling conversations, catching up on the big and little things. I met this part of Jason’s family almost exactly two years ago when we were taking our first RV trip across the U.S. and met up with them on the Alabama Shores for a family wedding. Between then and now, Brent (Jason’s cousin) and his complex medical case had a positive turn and allowed living liver donors. Jason and I both put in to be tested. The Mayo Clinic liked my blood type better, and we were invited to come to the institution for a week of testing back in January. A highly emotional trip that ended with me being a positive match and setting a surgery date, then the rug getting ripped out from all of us with a follow-up call from the Clinic stating the surgery wouldn’t be happening. Brent’s case is complex, complicated, and record-breaking. He continues to win against the odds. So coming to visit this God-trusting, warm and loving family hit hard. We witnessed, asked questions, and learned just a sliver of what Brent has overcome and they, as a family, live through day-to-day. That family has every right to be angry, frustrated, pessimistic Eeyores in life. But instead, they celebrate our visit, they laugh and play games, they invite us to trick-or-treating and church, and most importantly, they opened their home and their lives for a full four days to us. After being “alone” on the road for over a month, swapping stories and breaking bread with devoted family was exactly what our wolfpack of five needed. Not to mention, they had four dogs, and we all soaked up some much-missed puppy snuggles.
Filled with fresh gratitude and family’s love, we got out of the horribly cold Smith’s Forks campground and moved to another dreadfully cold campground in Branson, Missouri called Shenanigans. Local folks keep telling us that it’s just a cold front coming through, and it will warm up again, but sheesh, enough already! A high of 35 degrees? A HIGH of 35 degrees?? That’s a HIGH?!? Get outta here with that business. Get me back to the 90’s so I can thaw a bit.
Branson is totally wild. It’s like Nashville meets Vegas meets Universal Studios. If you had to pick one thing that you would love to see or experience, Branson has it. And it probably has your top TEN things, too. We only had one full day in Branson, but easily, we could spend a month there and still not do everything we wanted. Well, one full SUMMER month, not this 25-degree junk.
After finishing up their schoolwork, we took the boys to the Titanic Museum that came highly recommended. I can see why. That place is a sober, heartbreaking experience. They have laid out the tour so well from the build of the massive ship all the way through the iceberg collision and the rescue ship returning with the survivors. The tour is interactive as well. You are assigned a real passenger of the Titanic along with a personal recorder that speaks to you throughout the walk-through. You learn the history, class, possible job, and the fate of your passenger as well as their families by the end of the museum. The boys experienced hands-on attempts at staying on the ship’s deck as it tipped and sunk to the ocean’s floor.
There was a vat of arctic water to submerge your hand and feel the same water temperatures the passengers felt as they slowly succumbed to hypothermia and swallowed by the seas. Jason was assigned one of the musicians of the ship. Talented beyond his 26 years with nine instruments, and he played “Nearer My God To Thee” until the ocean waters muted him forever. Ryan was assigned the crew member that was sent to assess the initial damage but didn’t see any. He also sent up the first distress signals to another ship in the distance, but it was thought to be a light show for the travlers – not a desperate alarm for help. Amazingly, he was a survivor. Bear worked in the boiler room for 10 hours a day – he didn’t stand a chance as the boiler rooms were the first to submerge after impact with the iceberg. Cord was a sweet, little two-year-old 2nd class passenger. His whole family survived. I was assigned a two-year-old as well, but my life ended on that ship because my mom and I refused to leave our room when my uncle tried to persuade us onto a lifeboat.
Walking through the halls of items from the ship and passengers, ascending an exact replica of the grand staircase between first and second class, hearing the voices of passengers as they recall their lives that night, and seeing all the passengers’ names divided into survivors and deceased was an unforgettable history lesson for all of us.
Immersing ourselves in the solemn lives of Titanic passengers gave me a need to do something a lot more lighthearted and uplifting. Escape Room it is! We were SO CLOSE to getting out – like “Give us two more minutes!” close. Unfortunately, the evil scientist won, and all the town’s water was poisoned. Sorry about that. We tried. Condolences to the townsfolk. To console our wounded pride, Jason found an ice cream shop down the street where we discussed our shortfalls in the room over creamy, sugary goodness.
Our full day in Branson was yesterday. Today, we’re on the road to Little Rock, Arkansas. Cue the impromptu singing of Collin Raye’s song ‘Little Rock’ for the next three days.
Jason’s lined up a lot of stops between now and mid-November. We’re at each campground only 2-3 days before packing up again. We hit the farthest part of our loop when we were with family in Missouri. Dipping farther south (come on sunshine!) for the trek back where, hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see more of our family and friends to fill our cups until we’re back home for an Oregon Christmas.
So here’s to luxury linens, to the fulfillment only family can give, and to finding some daggum warm temperatures!
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