May 21, 2025-Following the Hogs!

(click for today's pictures) 

The working girl was the first one to leave the house this morning. She made her peanut butter and jelly sandwich before she left-Robby and I tried to ask her what she would like for lunch instead of a pbj. Maybe we can find her a few more fun lunch items, because I bet that she is already looking forward to going back to school just for the cafeteria.

The rest of us headed out a bit after Reagan. We have taken trips in the camper without everyone, but this trip I was a bit sad leaving with out Reagan. She didn't mind at all though! And maybe I missed her more on this trip because we were not in the camper too.

We haven't gone on a road trip in the big white van in a good long while. The van had been at the shop until yesterday-they had been working on the air in the back. It works well now, and before the oven broke, Robby dropped off the mini van for some brake work. After he had to order a new oven last night, he regretted dropping off the van-maybe brakes could wait?

Even though it has been a long time since we have traveled in the white van, I can still tell you where every single bin of ours would go-ice chest between seats, drawers with food on the front row, and then bins of clothes under each row with sleeping bags stuffed everywhere. Those were good days but a lot harder!

The Wilson's pulled up at 9, and we were already getting in the car. We followed them on towards Memphis where we took a different detour than them plus we had to stop for a quick bathroom stop. We met back up with each other in Holly Springs at our lunch spot at Phillips Grocery. It probably would have been a great stop, but it was closed up.

We found a plan B-Mexican, and it was pretty good, but we had hamburgers on our mind so it kind of wasn't as exciting. After eating, we were soon back on the road headed towards Shiloh National Battlefield-of course we needed to stop and get some stamps for our National Passport books. 

Robby went to Shiloh when he was in Scouts and camped here. He remembers coming on a yellow school bus with no air conditioning. Thankfully, the air conditioning is fixed well in the van on this trip. We walked around the visitor center and opted to skip the 45 minute movie! (I could help these National Park sites-a long movie is fine, but also have a 12 minute movie to give an overview. Same thing with the Jr. Ranger book. I asked for one thinking that we could complete it at home, but it would take a whole day at the park to finish that thing. They need a simple version where you are able to learn a few things, but not one where you have to become a Civil War historian to complete.)

After Shiloh, we headed towards our hotel in Huntsville. We found it and unloaded into our two rooms. Campbell asked if we were going to have to sneak in like we did in the olden days. Since Robby had two rooms for us, there didn't have to be any sneaking in. 

We were at the hotel for a bit, but then we left again. Tonight's bit activity, and the highlight of the trip for Whitman, was an escape room. Keaton was the only one in our group that had ever been to an escape room. The rest of us didn't have a clue!

We divided into two teams-the adults and Whitman and then everyone else. Our room was about a man that escaped from the psych ward and was going to poison the water supply. We were able to escape with only 2 minutes left-we did have to ask for 2 or 3 clues. It was all very interesting-Robby and I were just talking about if we could have even solved it by ourselves and how incredibly long it would have taken us. Whitman loved it! His mind just works differently, and he was pretty good it this. From here on out, I know that he will be asking for Escape room visits for all of his birthday and Christmas gifts. 

The other group did have a harder room than we did-the worker told us this. They weren't able to escape, but they were working on their last clue when their timer went off. For them to even be on the last clue was great. 

It was after nine when we were done, and since we hadn't eaten supper, we headed to Zaxbys for some chicken. Robby bought a huge family box for all of us, and everyone had plenty. Then it was back to the hotel. It is almost 11 now, and our room is fairly quiet-I'm going to take my shower, and Robby is working on some work.


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