Threading the Needle

The best laid plans… our leave date was very fluid this year. So much so that at 2pm on Thursday we just made our decision to leave, and less than 24 hours later we were on the road- threading the needle of storms as we made our way south!

Our first stop was a Corbin, Kentucky for an overnight in the mountains. A beautiful little campground near the freeway and a night hike to see the moon was the highlight of our day.

Our second stop was in Hahira, Georgia. The highlight of our day was different depending on who you asked- it was not the stop at the world famous Buc-ee’s for lunch (not nearly as fantastic as everyone says, crazy-crowded and just okay food but great gas prices), but we did enjoy an earlier arrival at our campground so we got to explore a little before it got dark and started raining. First, we checked to see if there are fire ants here (yes) and then we played soccer in the street (see above comment about fire ants) by moonlight. It was a lovely end to the day and reminded me of why we love traveling: seeing new places together and adventuring together as family.

Our highs for the day:

Nora’s high: seeing her first palm tree

Ben’s high: Georgia soccer

Hope’s high: singing happy birthday to cousin Mayra while driving

Aaron: playing soccer

Shari: racing (and cheating) with Hope to the chair swings in Kentucky before we left the campground

Our third and final drive day started late so the massive thunder storms ripping across Florida would push off before we got there. I am constantly amazed at how well these children do driving long stretches. It was an uneventful drive after lots of anxiety about terrible storms and high winds!

After backing our 36 foot fifth wheel into the tightest spot we’ve ever attempted (No photos of this one! We were too busy trying not to get the truck stuck in mud or hit the palm trees dangerously close to the road or the power box on the other side dangerously close to the road, asking neighbors to move their cars/trucks so they wouldn’t get hit and looking for fire ant nests as we wiggled that baby into her berth for the week), we finally took a sigh of relief and took a deep breath of soggy Florida air.

Our week in Fort Lauderdale has begun!