I typed up this list not long after we had moved to Buffalo.
(you see, I'm goal oriented :)
There was but one last place to cross off, before the list was complete.
That's right, Cedar Point!
I had only vaguely heard of Cedar Point before moving to the east coast, but for those that haven't, it is touted as the best roller coaster amusement park in the country. And ever since I had had Weston, I had the growing desire... no NEED... to ride some serious roller coasters. (I think it had to do with the whole "I can't ride one, and haven't been able to, due to pregnancies and always being tied to my nursing baby, so now, I absolutely MUST ride one!") And what better way to celebrate the end of dental school?!
So we drove away from Buffalo around 8pm, Tuesday night and pulled into the Days Inn in Sandusky, OH around midnight. After chatty Kathy the receptionist talked our ears off about her family name, ('cause I'm sure we didn't look utterly spent/ emotionally drained/ completely exhausted), we finally collapsed for the night.
Cedar Point park is actually on a peninsula off the coast of Ohio and was just a couple miles from our hotel. It didn't open until 10am, so we got to sleep in (seriously, that's a vaca, in and of itself), then head out on our day of fun. I swallowed a couple of preepmtive Dramamine and we got in line for our first coaster. Don't we look excited?!
The first one had a shoulder harness (I LOVE shoulder harnesses... especially when they have the additional seat belt buckle... double the safety!) and so I had a fun time screaming, not worrying of mechanical failure and impending splatter-ific death. The second one, however, was called the Wicked Twister. And wicked it was. First, you're calmed walking past the gorgeous beach front....
Then you spend 40 sec. (was it really only 40 sec.?!) going 72mph, twisting 450 degrees up into the air, then repeating.... backwards. We were going so fast, it was hard to get a scream out. But scream I did. Like a chainsaw was being taken to my limbs.
In the first hour we hit up 4, scary fast roller coasters (it was most assuredly not crowded), before our age caught up to us and we were actually wishing for some lines to wait in. It was then that Trav joined me in the Dramamine regime and I added a few Advil.
We were {so} cool.
Then we found {Millennium Force}. My favorite. It was exhilarating (but not to the point of nauseousness), fast (but not, pee your pants so), and crazy. fun. I actually put my arms in the air a few times and screamed in pure delight, "Yeaaaaaaa, we're done with dental schoooooool!!!" A highlight, for sure. Bonus points for being right next to Panda Express where we grabbed some lunch!
The rest of the day was a blur except for 2, OK 3 rides.
We happened to be on quite a high roller coaster, about to crest the top hill (you know, when you should be the most nervous)... but I wasn't. (It had a shoulder harness... I was all good) But then I caught sight of another coaster across the park... The Top Thrill Dragster.... and my stomach knotted in a thousand ways before plunging to my toes. Even Trav acted apprehensive about tacking {that one}.
But we couldn't be wusses. This was our day! Time to brave the scariest ride. We were kid and care free, right?
Here are the stats.
{Zero to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds. A few seconds later, you’re 420
feet in the air. (Do you know how high that is??!!!) From a standing start you’re
launched forward, then straight up, then straight down and back to the
finish line. The ride may be over in 17 seconds, but it’ll stay with
you forever. }
The scariest part is watching the traffic lights "count down" from yellow to green.
Oh, and also the sign that you see waiting in line that says,
"On occasion, the ride will not crest the apex and will roll back to starting position. This is a normal occurrence and should not be cause for alarm."
Alarm my behind. I would for sure have a heart attack on the spot.
(It wasn't until weeks later that I googled this ride and found out that on three separate occasions, not only did it not make it over the top, but it actually became suspended at the top.)
They should hand out diapers for this ride. It. was. awesome.
Now for a not so awesome one. It was my idea to go on this one. Heavens knows why.
The SkyHawk.
It didn't have a shoulder harness.
Red Flag #1.
We sat down and pulled our lap belts up.
Mine locked before it was snug. I started to panic and dart glances side to side. Where was an employee?! This could not be safe. I started pushing as hard as I could to get it to go snug. No luck. I look at Trav with terror in my eyes. Then a girl walks up and sees the dilemma. She snaps that sucker in place, so nothing is moving. Now it's a little too tight. My hips are definitely going to bruise.
Red Flag#2.
The ride starts swinging. I'm scared, but not petrified. It's still gaining momentum and height.
Now, things are getting out of hand.
I'm freaking out.
I mean, full blown, crazy awful panic attack.
I'm screaming like my life is about to end.
It may as well be.
We are going so high I'm sure I'm going to die.
And then that awful swinging to the next horrifying height.
I was having 0% fun and a 1000000% traumatizing experience.
I could not have felt more terror.
When it was finally over, I felt like I had skirted death.
How does that ride not have a shoulder harness???!!
I think I'm going to file a complaint.
Now for a treat that changed my life.
I had a hankering for something sweet.
{And this awesome icecream came with him. har har har:)}
But seriously, it was called something like a Siberian ice covered custard.
It was amazingly divine.
Imagine a cherry icee over vanilla custard, but more delicious.
I've since tried to concoct imitations... Sonic slushee over soft serve... softened otter pop over icecream.
Nothing does the trick quite like this number.
Looks like I'll have to go back to Cedar point in the near future.
Thankfully, we got in a bunch of fun rides before making a very bad mistake.
The Magnum XL-200.
It was a roller coaster without a line. (By now, most rides had a least a small line.)
This should have clued us in.
After sitting down and locking up the announcer says it was made in 1989. Ummm, is this thing safe?
We were soon to find out, it indeed WAS NOT.
It takes off on the track and the first turn about throws out my back. I look at Trav. What is wrong with this thing?? For the next 2 minutes we are jerked vengefully around like we had crossed it in the preexistence. We were crying out in pain like someone who is taking a beating on the street.
With each bump, turn and twist we are just begging for it to end.
It worse than being in a car accident. Actually, that's exactly what it felt like. A two minute car accident. But at least car accidents are over in a few seconds!
I hobbled away. Seriously, hobbled. Then found the nearest bench to lay down on and recover.
It had to have taken 3 years off my life. I really wondered if I had done any permanent damage to myself.
After about 10 min. I gingerly got to my feet, determined to stop acting like an 80 year old invalid.
We did maybe a couple more rides after that before deciding we should probably hit the road.
But as we were walking out, I was scanning for just one more thrill.
And I saw it.
The Windseeker.
(The tall pole with swings around it in the picture.)
I pointed it out to Trav and grabbed his hand to pull him over to it.
As we walked up, we weren't sure if it was even working because it was sliding down the pole without any people on it. But a crowd was getting in line so we shrugged our shoulders and joined in. As we got to the gate I casually asked the worker, "So why weren't people on it before?" Looking to the next person going through, he just as casually answered, "They were testing it because of mechanical failures."
OH.
Sure, no biggie.
We found our swings and pulled the bar down. I was feeling butterflies, but it didn't help when Trav teased, "Are you sure you want to go on it".
"Of course!" I scolded. "Stop trying to make me nervous!"
(Assuming, naturally, that he was cool as a cucumber.)
It wasn't until we got to the top... (And it was a very, very tall top. I started glancing around for airplanes)... that I realized Trav looked fairly green.
"You're SCARED??!!" (I was surprised)
That got me the look of death.
I kind of had the giggles later about it. Here I thought I was the only one that got nervous about heights. It seems he got some of his mother's genes after all!
(Have to admit, I was just a teensy bit happy about it.)
Yay for Cedar Point!! It exceeded my expectations! Nothing like screaming your heart out all day to make you feel like a kid.
We drove away around 5pm from a very fun day. Not a bad way to celebrate being done with school!
We realized on our way out that we needed some dinner and remembered a site someone had told us about called Roadfood. It's basically a book turned into a website where you can type any city in, and it will tell you all the best {local} places to eat. Well, Woody's Drive Inn was only 15 min. off course for us, so we stopped in for a rootbeer, onion chips and burgers. They bring you your rootbeer in a frosty, glass mug. Pretty good stuff!
Then we drove until after 11pm before finding a room at the Red Roof Inn in Merriville, Indiana! (I have to say, we never booked a room for over $50 a night... I know, sketchy... but they were all totally decent! Surprise, surprise!)
The next morning we were off to Nauvoo, IL. It was another 5 hours of driving to get there. That's when I saw this....
We thought it was pretty funny. There's no way it could have been our stuff, but we still joked it was.
And then for a little torture...
There was at least an hour of driving with signs all over directing us to Chicago.
Ahhh! Rip my heart out. I had no idea we'd be so close. It was so tempting, yet such a tease. You'd need at least a couple of days to make a decent trip of Chicago, and that was not time we had. But oh did it still call my name!!
We got to Nauvoo around 1 or 2pm.
It was so surreal. I hadn't been to Nauvoo since I was 14, and only had vague memories of it. But driving into town brought it all back. And then the temple popped into view. Talk about gorgeous!! It took my breath away. Only the cornerstone was in place the last time I was here.
And then we kept driving into the historic part of town. I was like a kid in a candy store, looking out the window at all the little houses and shops. I was soooo excited. We eventually got ourselves to the visitors center when lookie who we ran into! Trav's classmate, Jared, from UB. He and his brother were doing the road trip thing too, going back to Utah, and had stopped into Nauvoo just for the afternoon, like us.
We didn't have a lot of time, but the missionaries told us the most worthwhile places to visit were the prophet's homes. So we watched a quick video in the visitor's center (wish we had skipped it), then went over to Wilford Woodruff's home for a tour.
Then another quick tour at Brigham Young's home.
The sister missionary told us that there was a cellar in the back of the house that must have ended up being used as a garbage, because when they were renovating the area, they found broken pieces of stoneware and china, so this set was completely original and glued together from what they found underground.
We were able to make it to a 4pm temple session. If the temple is gorgeous on the outside, the inside is exquisite. There are spiral staircases on either side that go up 5 stories. You climb to the second story for the dressing rooms, then climb to the 3rd to start your session. And 4 times during the session we got up to move rooms. The dressing room alone had such beautiful, dark wood for the stalls that my mouth had to have been hanging open. I was told it was imported Asian mahogany. I was so grateful we had the opportunity to be inside and do a session. There was a special spirit there. I was in awe of it's beauty and the feeling of reverence that accompanied it.
The only bummer was that all the shops closed at 5 so when we left the temple at 6pm, we had an hour until the show. (Oh, didn't I mention... I was totally talked into getting tickets for a show the missionaries put on every night in the summer. Not like we had time for it, but I'm a sucker for a show.)
But it turned out to be perfect for grabbing a bite to eat at the Hotel Nauvoo. One memory from my trip 13 years ago was eating at this place. I'll never forget how good the food was. And seeing the sign brought me drooling at the door.
They have an absolutely delicious buffet. And what's even better, the tree of knowledge sprouts from the middle of the room!! Yessss. You can even see the gleaming {evil} fruit hanging behind Trav. What more could you ask for?
Um, that's right, amazing food. Check!
Then it was on to our show!
I'll admit, it was not at all what I expected. I thought all the missionaries, not just the senior ones, would be performing. And for some reason, I thought they would be the "performing missionaries" that I had heard so much about.
Nope, it was just the old folks. And it was a little quirky. Some funny songs, some over the top acting.
But then I started to relax my expectations and enjoy it a bit.
There was a tender scene about leaving Nauvoo...
... and a completely hysterical old lady that climbed a pole. What's not to love about old people acting their hearts out? OK, well maybe a lot. Thankfully, I have a very understanding husband that allowed this indulgence that took an hour away from our drive that night.
The sun was setting as we drove down the "Trail of Hope" and stopped on the bank of the Mississippi River. We read some of the plaques and admired the gumption and faith it would take to load up one of those wagons and head to an unknown land. We also stopped at the cemetery where Joseph, Hyrum and Emma's head stones are. There is something about the pioneers that always gets me. I feel like I have an added interest and fascination in the early saints than the average person. I wonder if we were able to watch from heaven? I wonder why I feel so connected to it? Or maybe that's how everyone feels. Regardless, I was so humbled and grateful to be able to spend even a few hours there. I'm already itching to get a mission call there in 30 years!!
We left after dark and had to stop in Keokuk for gas. I was contemplating whether this little place had a Dairy Queen, when Trav pulled in to get gas and we suddenly realized we were being bombarded by bugs. I mean, seriously, our car was COVERED in these little, long flying insects. And they weren't just taking a breather. They were in pairs.... doing, well.... you know.
Awesome. Now our stationary car was their sleazy motel. This picture really doesn't do it justice.
That night we probably drove until midnight, and I have no idea what state we slept in. All I know is the next day was H. E. double hockey sticks. We drove through windy, boring, stupid Kansas for what felt like our entire life. It was undivided highway with semis whipping past our car, going 75 mph, causing our car to sway to the shoulder, then Trav re-correcting back into our lane. I've never seen so many miles of flat nothing, interspersed with patches of silos, marked with decreased speed limits that annoyingly make you get off your cruise control for a mile before repeating the process.
We made it into New Mexico before dusk and I was finally starting to feel like I was nearing home. The terrain turned to desert spotted with prickly shrubs. No more wheat fields!! We searched in vain for a restaurant called {Unburritable} that we found on the I-phone, before grabbing some KFC and making a mad dash for Albuquerque. Creed and Tiff were so hospitably waiting up for us. We pulled into their driveway at 11:30pm and was greeted by Creed in an ape costume trying to scare us. Good ol' Creed. :) Tiff called Crescent over and we had a great time catching up around the kitchen table eating Krispy Kremes. And even better, this guy watched over us while we slept. :) Now I know how Bella feels. haha
We were on a mission to relieve our parents of our kiddos, so we left early the next morning. Thanks Cardon's for putting us up for a night! It was great seeing you!
6 hours later, we were driving into Mesa.
Let's hear it for the driver of the trip.... Travis!!! :) I'm so glad my husband likes to drive, because I sure don't! (Out of 32 hours on the road... I drove 2 1/2.)
Another round of applause for our VIP, the I-phone!!! (Seriously, what would we have done without it??!! It gave us maps, games, hotels, restaurants, and Facebook. A serious lifesaver. I cannot imagine traveling without one.)
And last but not least, our amazing families for watching our kids while we hauled our car across the country.!! Besides our last 13 hour day drive, I loved it. It was so fun hanging out with Travis and spending time together we don't usually get. It was an adventure. And we never would have done Nauvoo if my mom hadn't encouraged us to do so. (I was too worried about being gone any longer.) Thanks, Mom!!
We are incredibly lucky to have so much support from our parents and families. Thanks to everyone that helped with Collin and Weston while we were gone. They had so much fun, I'm surprised they wanted anything to do with us when we got back.
But we were pretty darn excited to be back in Arizona!
