Blogs from Birmingham, Michigan, United States, North America

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham August 12th 2017

Here it is in numbers. Pretty neat to look at. 15 days 4162 miles 78 hours 55 minutes in the car 4 new states 13 states total 4 Big Cities 7 State Capitals 12 different attractions (historic, natural or amusement) 15 different restaurants. 2 picnics 1 cat 4 whales 6 antelopes 1 seal Lots of birds Millions of tiny flies 100s of squashed bugs 5 friends gallons of gas. 9 different beds per persons 6 Marriott 1 uncle brick 1 aunt Marne 3 cousins 4 ski resorts 1 condo 1 houseboat 3 hikes 1 active volcano 2 lava tubes 7 home cooked meals 5 pool 2 Lakes 2 boats 1 ocean 4 movies 4 by on tape 140 bottle of water 5 minute rainy drives 2 farmers markets 2 pizzas 30 pairs of dirty underwear 1 ... read more

The Day Before Departure

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham July 27th 2017

Housey5

Well, we are 18 hours from departure. My usual plan for one week before our trip is to clean the car and start packing it with essentials. I have everyone start packing their clothes for the drawers in the car and pack their backpacks with sleepwear ("Jammie's" is not an acceptable terms these days particularly because underwear is the sleepwear of choice.), socks, underwear and bathing suits which we need every night in the hotel. I figure out what food we need to pack for the road and for our first major stop. I also clean the house so we come home to a nice house. This year is a little different. Last week, we took our van into the shop for an oil change and to check a noise we heard. They have had our ... read more

De-brief

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham August 6th 2016

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155Poop glovesNews paperHot mittsTentCrap flip-flopsSpicesBattery lanternsMake pancakes and waffles in hobo pie makerFishing pole marshmallow cookerHooks for towelsBikesKitchen equipmentFire pan for cookingCooking greatCinch sack backpacksLots of garbage bagsSmore equipFishing polesHobo pie makersWater shoesLots of beach towelsOur own pillows and blankets and sleeping bagsHeadlampsFishing polesCamp chairsOutdoor tableclothPaper towelKitchen garbage can... read more

Aug 05, 2016

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham August 5th 2016

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155... read more

What Have We Done?

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham July 30th 2016

Woo hoo!

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155The Houseys are on a new adventure. We are RVing! I will admit that I had difficulty sleeping last night. I was going through checklists and trying to figure out what will fit in the vehicle..or not. I suppose it's similar to our first US roadtrip. You don't know what to expect so you try to be proactive. What if this happens, what if I need that, what if that happens...etc. But, we are only traveling in Michigan which close enough to home that we can come home if we need to. So this morning, Paul and I drove out to General RV in Wixom to pick up our "rig" with much apprehension. This is not a cheap venture if I might say. I think it will be more expensive than our 16 day ... read more

Spring Break

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham March 18th 2016

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155We are about to embark on our 4th roadtrip tour of the USA. Once again we are very excited. Even the kids LOVE the roadtrips. They never complain about going. It is one of the greatest things we are doing as a family. This year will be a little different. We are going down south to and through Ohio, Tennesee, Kentucky (stop), Alabama (stop), Mississippi, Louisiana (stop), Florida (stop), Georgia (stop) and then home. We are going during Spring Break this year because we thought it would be too hot and steamy in the summer. We have a little longer Spring Break so we thought it would be a good time to go (and get to some warm weather). To make up for our summer trip, we have (insanely) rented an RV to do ... read more

It's All Numbers

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham August 17th 2014

Chicago

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155Here it is in numbers. Pretty neat to look at. 16 days 4200 miles 10 new states 3 Big Cities 5 State Capitals 4 Small (western) towns 11 or more different attractions (historic, natural or amusement) 25 plus different restaurants. 237 gallons of gas. 12 different beds per persons 8 Marriotts 1 Americinn Lodge 3 cabins 7 entertainment (sanity) movies 10 states videos 3 educational videos 50 lottery tickets (dad's fun secret) 2 hours of "24" 6 bodies of water (including lakes, rivers, creeks) put feet in112 bottles of water 25 flies in the car 2 bees 3 moose 54 bison 20 bears 2 river horse flies 23 elk 2 mountain goats 412 prairie dogs 1 t-rex 1 Boiling River 1 tornado 3 zoos/aquariums 13 different waterslides 15 morning gas bomb alarms with an ... read more

Van-is-a-Gogh

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham August 1st 2014

Roadies

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155Weather: 75*Location: On the Road To ChicagoHighlights: Left before noon. No fighting in car so far.Lowlights: Left the doggies at home. Thanks mom and dad. Left butterflies. Thanks Angela. Hole in tire?#of Swearwords: 1 before we leftPeople we met:Activities: Pack, drive, drive, drive.Hotel: Courtyard Marriott Downtown/RiverFunnies:Teeth lost (by nature or otherwise): 1 (Ben)We have loaded up the car with room to spare. Anxiety and excitement have been swirling since bedtime yesterday. We put the kiddles to bed with hugs and kisses and secret intentions. Paul and I have been on a "24" marathon since last weekend. Season 1. We watched 6 hours straight last Sunday. We were absent parents for 6 hours. It's so good. Jack is crack. When you think you are in control and can say no, you can't. Just one more. ... read more

Our Covered Vagon

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham July 29th 2014

Packing Drawers

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.21554000 miles in a car with three kids may seem daunting but with a little planning and prepping, it can be a fun trip. I've spent the last week finalizing and confirming hotels and activities. 11 hotels/accommodations on the itinerary. I've confirmed them, checked their parking situation and whether they have breakfast in the morning. Saves money and time trying to find a restaurant in a strange city. I bring cereal and rice milk (no refrigeration) if we need a quick breakfast. Eating out can become monotonous. 16 days living out of a suitcase sounds overwhelming. it doesn't have to be. We choose to live out of drawers in our car. No suitcases. I've started packing rubbermaid drawers with outfits for the everyone. I roll outfits together for easy grabbing. You don't need 16 ... read more

Iowanna go to the State Fair

North America » United States » Michigan » Birmingham July 13th 2014

Housey5

Geo: 42.5459, -83.2155By George, I think I've got it! We have been trying to make the last leg of our trip through Nebraska and Iowa more tolerable. While watching Bizarre Food America, I got it. Iowa's State Fair is going on on our way home in Des Moine. Right on our route. The kids have never been to one. A little learning experience and a little fun. We will be coming from Omaha, Nebraska. It is only 2 hours from there. My thought is leave Omaha early, get to Des Moine in the morning and eat at the fair. We can either have lunch there or travel on to Davenport for a late lunch which is another 2 hours +. That's four hours knocked off. We can either drive and stop one more night or cruise ... read more

Brief history of United States

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the origina...more history

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