The Grand Finale!

Fifteen months ago we embarked on our Great Family Adventure and now I am thrilled to report that WE ARE FINALLY BACK HOME!! HOORAY!!!! The renters have moved, so let the dogs run free and the unpacking ensue! We're all excited and I'm more than a little curious to see what sorts of things we'll uncover that I've forgotten about along the way..... 

After returning to our first blog post, I can happily confirm that we've achieved every goal and have come a long way. A VERY long way. In fact, I think the best way to conclude this blog is with a recap of the highlights, so here goes!

 

We:  

- Drove about 45,000 miles. (That's almost double the circumference of the earth!!)

- Are on our third set of tires for a car that is less than 2 years old.

- Had one flat tire (on the loneliest highway in America of all places...)

- Visited all four corners of the American roads system.

- Drove the entire length of both the Alcan and Dalton Highways.

- Drove the full length of the Alaska Pipeline.
- Slept in the barracks of oil workers on The North Slope.

- Drove through six time zones.

- Experienced 24 hour sunlight.
- Visited 43 states and 8 Canadian provinces. 

- Spent the night in 25 states.

- Walked on arctic tundra.

- Walked on Matanuska Glacier.
- Tasted glacial ice in our drinks after it had been fished out of the water in Prince William Sound.

- Waded in the Arctic Ocean. 

- Waded in Chena Hot Springs.

- Our oldest son flew a plane over Knick Glacier.

- Our youngest son drove a boat in the Everglades and rode on a camel.

- Were pulled by an Iditarod sled dog team.

- Witnessed the Aurora Borealis in it's full glory.

- Saw people surfing the Alaska Bore Tides.

- Learned how to use an authentic Eskimo Yo-Yo.

- Saw the tallest mountains in North America.

- Met and learned from Native people all over the continent.

- Visited long-unseen family from all four branches, in both the U.S. and Canada.

- Visited Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and quilters all over North America.

- Visited as many national parks as possible, both American and Canadian, during significant anniversaries.

- Saw the following animals in the wild: Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Deer, Caribou/Reindeer, Moose, Javelina, Alligator, Eagle, Dall Sheep, Bison, Elk, Fox, Rabbit and Hare, Porcupine, Hawk, Squirrel, Coyote, Sandhill Crane, Loon, Bighorn Sheep, Raven, Crow, Seagull, Swan, Canadian Geese, Puffins, Seal, Whale, Cow, Musk Ox, Mountain Goats, Antelope, Ibis, Dolphin, Osprey, Pelican, Iguana, Chicken, Manatee (okay, this one was in a zoo of sorts, but we did see their natural habitat in person!), Peacock, Snake, and so many more!

- Learned about things like geothermal energy first-hand (Chena Hot Springs, Yellowstone...). 

- Visited as many farmers markets as possible and tried many new regional foods (Square ice cream? Honeyberries? Pinon Nuts? Conch?).

- Got library cards and checked out books in each location we stayed (except Maine). 

- Crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through a tree.
- Taught the kids about politics while watching a very controversial presidential election.

- Saw a cattle drive.

- Stood in four states at once.

- Visited cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. 

- Saw a cactus forest.
- Visited an "energy vortex".

- Participated in The Festival of Lights. 

- Experienced snow in Arizona.

- Visited vast canyons, giant rock formations, giant waterfalls, and a giant meteor crater.

- Drove Historic Route 66.

- Took a left at Albuquerque.  

- Slept by a graveyard.

- Ate beignets and drank chicory café au lait at Café du Monde.

- Witnessed a NASA Atlas 5 rocket launch in person. 

- Had a nasty encounter with fire ants.

- Had season passes for Disney World.

- Ate Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys.

- Discovered there's no such place as Kokomo. 

- Swam in the ocean.

- Saw real-life mermaids eating and drinking under water.

- Met an author and drove by Stephen King's house.
- Met an Olympian. 

- Visited lots of cheesy tourist attractions.

- Drove UNDER a body of water.

- Were chased by a snow storm.

- Ate a Boston Cream Donut at Dunkin' Donuts in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Had lunch at the original Wahlburgers location in Hingham, Massachusetts.

- Saw frozen lakes.

- Walked through a covered bridge.

- Watched the process of making both birch and maple syrups.

- Tasted the first candy to be commercially sold in America (No, not the ACTUAL candy!). 

- Visited lighthouses.

- Visited a working Shaker Village where the last two actual Shakers live.

- Visited Prince Edward Island and Green Gables. 

- Found Oak Island.

- Visited Civil War battlefields and stayed in a haunted(?) house.

- Toured America's Capitol. 

- Visited the Canadian capital during Canada's 150th Anniversary.

- Were detained at a border crossing.

- Watched a race at Churchill Downs.

- Explored the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

- Ate a Kentucky Hot Brown at the Brown Hotel.

- Ate Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky (It tasted the same).

- Found Col Sanders grave.

- Watched the making of a Louisville Slugger in person.
- Lost 1 credit card and a drivers license.

- Bought boots in Nashville. 

- Attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry (wearing said boots).

- Drove through Rocky Top, Tennessee while singing "Rocky Top Tennessee".
- Ran moonshine across state lines.

- Saw a life-size replica of Noah's Arc.

- Experienced a total solar eclipse.
- Said goodbye to a loved one and celebrated the graduation and wedding of two more. 

- Homeschooled all three of our children for a year....and survived!

- All five of us (plus two dogs) lived in a hotel room for one month...and survived!
- Reached over 30,000 hits on this blog, and saw it through to the end. <3

We'd like to thank to each and every one of you for following along on our Great Family Adventure. May life bring you many wonderful adventures of your own! Who knows? We may be reading about YOU one day!

With much gratitude, this is the Schmidt Family signing off!

The Easternmost Point

It's May! I'm not sure if you know this or not but this is the month that triggered the whole adventure. Allow me to explain. My younger sister has been in nursing school for quite a while and was scheduled to graduate this month. Then in September of 2015, my youngest sister announced her engagement and that they had chosen this same month for the wedding. Back then the events were scheduled far enough apart that we couldn't see a way to do both. After all, we couldn't afford to fly across the country twice in one month, let alone take off the time off from school and work.

That was when we came up with the idea for this year. We asked ourselves why couldn't we homeschool the kids, work remotely, rent out our house, and travel to the East Coast? This would enable us to celebrate both occasions instead of having to choose one over the other and it would give the kids an opportunity to experience our country. Little did we know that later both events would be rescheduled to occur the same week! Still, I'm so thankful we chose to do what we've done and wouldn't trade a single second of all the amazing experiences we've had (well, maybe a few seconds when the kids were arguing...but I digress). And so, we are in the throws of packing up to leave this Friday for Virginia to celebrate one sisters graduation and one sisters wedding with family and friends.

This month has already started out in a whirlwind. Last week we left to visit the Easternmost point of the continental United States and explore the Canadian Maritimes. It was everything I had always dreamed of and more. Even though we were there before the official tourist season and many places were still closed, the beauty of the places we saw were awe inspiring! Get ready, because you're about to get an eyeful!

The first day we headed straight for West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine which is the easternmost point in the continental United States. Almost no one was there because it's still pretty cool here in the Northeast (also known as "Downeast" for maritime reasons). I know it sounds confusing at first- Northeast is downeast? WEST Quoddy is the furthest point EAST? What can I say? I didn't make up the names! Regardless, we had a great time walking the grounds and it was a beautiful lighthouse. According to Wikipedia, West Quoddy Head Light uses a third order Fresnel lens (pronounced fruh-nell) and it's the only third order and one of only eight Fresnel lenses still in use on the Maine Coast. Interesting! Plus, there were no lines to take a picture, so you can't beat that!

We drove to Machias, Maine for lunch at the Rivers Edge Drive In. I don't think a menu could get more "Maine-y" than lobster rolls, haddock burgers, Moxie soda, and Muddy Boots ice cream (although I'm still not sure what it's made of)... Machias claims to be the "Blueberry Capitol of the World". Much of Maine is covered in wild blueberry bushes, so I believe them. We've noticed that the blueberries we've tried here are smaller and more flavorful than the farm raised ones you can buy at the store.

While we waited for our food, we walked by the river and saw chunks of ice floating down it. It was interesting to see evidence of the spring break-up.

After that we crossed over into New Brunswick, Canada and spent our first night in Saint John.

Can I just tell you how much fun Canadians are? For example, take a look at the bathroom signs they use! I think we need more of these. Life is better when you have a sense of humor, eh?  

And then inside the doors before you leave, you'll see this on the door.... Haha! My thoughts exactly.

We also ran across some interesting chip flavors that are pretty popular in Canada but are non-existent here. I don't like ketchup on anything except meatloaf but these were actually pretty decent. They tasted like ketchup but "zestier". I know, I usually promote eating locally and organically when possible but I'm also pretty adventurous and like trying new things....

The Fries'n Gravy tastes like Poutine, a popular Canadian recipe that consists of fries, cheese curds and gravy. Think mashed potatoes as a finger food.

Also, many gas stations have a tea area, which is a switch from the coffee-centric American places (Don't get me wrong, I like both!). They offered a wide variety of teas to choose from which was fun- except when I didn't secure the lid tightly and scalded my hand. Ouch! 

We also noticed that most everything in New Brunswick is in both French and English. At dinner we were able to listen to the table next to us speak Canadian French, or Quebecoise (pronounced kay-bec-kwoz), which sounds different from classic French. It's almost English sounding with a different  R sound produced near the throat.

We had dinner at the Saint John Ale House, which was phenomenal! If you ever visit, I highly recommend it.

One of the things we tried that you don't see every day were the periwinkles, which are small snails. They were delicious and delicately seasoned with herbs and lemon zest, so they had a fresh, clean taste. I ordered the Stinging Nettle Gnocchi (pronounced nee-yoki), which were mixed with a poached egg, tomatoes and a sauce. They were delicious and light and not "gluey" at all...

Here are a few more pictures we took in Saint John to give you an idea. It's a seaport town on the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides on Earth. I'd love to go back and spend more time there one day.

The next day we headed for Nova Scotia and stopped in Oxford for gas. I think this area of the world must be covered in blueberries during the summer because Oxford claims to be "The Blueberry Capitol of Canada", so now we can check off two blueberry capitols. Or maybe three...?

Nova Scotia reminded me a lot of the Pacific Northwest.

Our mission once we were in Nova Scotia was to visit Mahone Bay and Oak Island, the setting of much speculation, mystery, and possible treasure. Sadly, we were there before tourist season and the island is private property so we only got as close as the road leading up to it. We were able to see the Lagina brothers "War Room" from the road, though. The surrounding area and towns are lovely! I'd like to experience their music festivals!

 The War Room is the building at the end of this road. 

And this is a taste of Mahone Bay.

Canada is celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year and all kinds of events are going on around the country. As I mentioned in the last post, one of these things is that they are allowing free access to the National Parks with the Discovery Pass. We picked ours up in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the MEC sporting goods store (Which is a lot like REI for us Americans).

Here are some other pictures from Halifax. We weren't there long. I hope one day we'll return!

See what I mean about Canadians being fun? That rock in the middle of nowhere is painted like a Rubik's Cube.  

Now the next day was my absolute favorite day of all. I was giddy the whole time and just wanted to soak everything in. I'm talking about, of course, Prince Edward Island, home of L.M. Montgomery and the setting for Anne of Green Gables!!! I don't even care that it rained the whole time and almost everything was still closed for the season. It was magical and I'm still in disbelief that we were able to visit. Seeing PEI with my own eyes has been a dream since childhood and I'm happy to report that it is every bit as gorgeous as described in the books and shown in the movies. Even in the off-season. And yes, the roads and fields ARE red!!

Square lights!

We drove through farm land and small villages to get to the north shore. There we found Cavendish and Green Gables Heritage Site, which was free with our Discovery Pass!

It was pouring buckets and the boys opted to stay in the car, so my daughter and I went into the house. It's the actual house that inspired the books. L.M. Montgomery's cousins lived in it and she would travel through the "Haunted Woods" from her grandparents house to visit and play on the farm. She never lived in this house but to this day "Anne" does! She even has a room all laid out for her upstairs!

The Haunted Woods

Anne's Room

Can't you just see Matthew bringing Anne home from the train station in this?

Of course, I had to visit the café and try some Raspberry Cordial! It was like a raspberry cream soda.

We stayed the night at the Dundee Arms Inn in Charlottetown, which is like a bed and breakfast. Our room was at the top of three flights of stairs and it was spacious and comfortable. We walked around old Charlottetown and then ate in the restaurant in the hotel. There we watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs and drank tea with everyone else. It was fantastic!

The Eckhart in the City Scavenger Hunt around the old part of town is fun. You have to find these little statues to learn about the geography and history of Charlottetown.

See! I love their signs! They have personality.

The next day we drove home and the wind and rain were as persistent as ever. I loved every second!

I'll try to post next week but we may be caught up in a frenzy of family and fun. Also, we've rented a place in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, for part of the week which is the setting for a lot of Civil War history. We can't wait to check it out!!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

- Jen