The Vacation Gals » road trips

Win $100 in Dining Cash

ColoradoGal — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:37:58 +0000

My seven-state road trip has come to an end, but I’m guessing there are loads of American families who are still planning their vacations this summer. If you’re one of them, consider the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Sizzling Summer Savings promotion, where you get 15 percent off stays of three nights or more. Families who book now also get a $25 Dining Cash redemption card to save money on a meal while they’re staying at a Country Inns & Suites. To redeem them, you can search for participating area restaurants online, enter your card code and print out a voucher for your savings.

The generous folks at Carlson have given me $300 in Dining Cash cards to give to The Vacation Gals readers. All you have to do to enter to win your share — I’ll give three lucky commenters $100 in Dining Cash cards each — is leave a comment below telling me one place I visited on my 1K Country Adventure. It can be a city, state or attraction.

I’ll accept entries through Tuesday, June 22, at 6 p.m. (PDT) and announce winners on Winning Wednesday, June 23. U.S. mailing addresses only; enter no more than once a day. No immediate family members of The Vacation Gals are eligible. Cards expire August 31, 2010. Good luck!

Day 7: 1K Country Adventure Comes to an End

ColoradoGal — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:06:52 +0000

Yesterday, on our last full day of the 1K Country Adventure we found out our mystery final destination was…. College Station, Texas? Believe me, when we headed south from the Dallas area Saturday morning (from the lovely College Inn & Suites Lewisville, with its rock-star shortbread cookies; hi to DaRon & Jose!) we figured for sure we were ending our fun week-long road trip in Austin — and we were super excited. But when we received our final video clue that sent us to College Station, we were… confused.

Then it all became clear… the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson College Station had just opened and it was the brand’s 500th property! A huge milestone for the Carlson family. And this particular brand-spanking-new hotel is absolutely lovely — classy and elegant and cozy all at the same time.

The best part for this road-weary crew? A fabulous outdoor pool! It was the first outdoor pool we’d encountered all week, and we took advantage of it! In fact, since we’d arrived at the property at 3 p.m. — the earliest we’d “finished” our day yet — nearly all of us cooled off and relaxed in the pool before dinner. My son got tossed around not only by his own dad, but by Sharlene Earnshaw’s husband, too!

While we were frankly disappointed to make it to central Texas and not see Austin, the week wrapped-up beautifully. Had we been in a city where we really wanted to sightsee, we likely wouldn’t have kicked back and just relaxed and chatted with the Earnshaws, and played in the pool with our kids. It was by far the most relaxed I was all week!

And, truly, getting to know the Earnshaws, the Svebacks, the social-media team at Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and all of their marketing partners has been an absolute pleasure. The amount of ground we covered (2,000 miles, not 1,000!) the sights we saw (St. Louis’ Gateway Arch tops the list), the amazing countryside we passed (Wisconsin’s green hills, red barns and dome-topped silos are etched in my memory) were all phenomenal, but I think it’s the new friendships we made that really enhanced our trip.

In the courtyard at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

I also learned that my kids are phenomenal road-trippers; we had few meltdowns, even at the fast pace we traveled, unpacking in a new hotel every night. I was so proud of my well-behaved road-warriors! And, as usual on vacation, I fell in love with my husband all over again. When I panic because we’re lost, or I get frustrated and snap because I’m tired, or I’m hot and cranky (oh, Texas is steamy in the summer), he is continually even-keeled and patient with me. Plus, the man drove the bulk of the trip — at least 1,800 of the 2,000 miles we covered! He is a saint.

Would I do this trip again? Absolutely — just not in one week. I’m absolutely thrilled we got to experience so many Country Inns & Suites in such a short amount of time (and, really, the service was excellent at all eight). But I’d have loved to linger longer at each of them — getting to know those areas of the country even better. For our next trip, this family will definitely be stopping to smell the roses a lot more.

Spying on a spider at the Las Colinas flower clock.

We’re so appreciative of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson for hosting us, of Avis for providing our cool Ford Flexes to drive. We had fun using our JVC camcorder and Samsung Moment for Sprint; the Duracell charger came in handy; and the kids loved the Polar Bottles, Travel Kiddy activity kits and Table Topics. Many, many thanks to all who worked so hard to provide the Williams family with a road-trip of a lifetime! We’re forever grateful.

Suite Stops Day 7

Mustangs of Las Colinas
Las Colinas Flower Clock
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington
Country Inns & Suites College Station

Previous posts:

If you’ve had fun following our road-trip adventure, consider planning your own here: www.countryinns.com/1kcountry.

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.

Day 6, 1K Country Adventure: Oklahoma to Texas

ColoradoGal — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 03:20:27 +0000

Who knew Oklahoma held such appeal? I sure didn’t! From a museum to a vibrant downtown to a nifty recreation site, we found three sightseeing spots that this family would be happy to return to on another road-trip vacation.

Our first Suite Stop this morning: the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, where my favorite area, hands down, was Prosperity Junction. Here, a cattle town in 1900 is recreated, with a saloon, one-room schoolhouse (at right), blacksmith shop, general store and so much more. The attention to detail here is extraordinary. The kids also played with the Earnshaw children in the Children’s Cowboy Corral, trying on a bunch of cowboy and cowgirl dress-up clothes, lassoing a horse and ringing the chuckwagon dinner bell.

Other exhibits at the museum showcase turn-of-the-century military attire, rodeo, Native Americans, western performers and all things cowboy. I was really impressed by the exhibits.

A water taxi ride on the canal in downtown Oklahoma City was great fun; the drivers offer a humorous 30-minute narrative of the history of the area and Oklahoma. Guides also point out popular restaurants along the canal, including Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. I spotted plenty of restaurants on the canal that I’d love to dine at on another visit to Oklahoma City.

Most impressive on the tour was the bronze sculpture that brings to life the famous Oklahoma Land Run that took place in 1889. Anyone interested in homesteading on Oklahoma land took off like a shot just after high noon on April 22 to plant a flag in the ground and claim their property of 160 acres. There are several parts to the sculpture — men on horseback, driving wagons, kids, dogs — and when it’s complete it will be the longest free-standing bronze sculpture in the world, covering more than 300 feet. Again, the attention to detail is amazing — muscles of the horse are sculpted in its legs, and there are hoofprints in the “sand” below the sculpture I photographed above.

We hopped on I-35 South to Chickasaw National Recreation Area, which holds so much appeal for my active family. We just made a short drive through the area, but happened upon some campgrounds and a nifty little swimming hole (at left), where kids were jumping from rocks and playing in a waterfall. I would have loved to explore and hike and let the kids actually swim, but all of this travel in the past week had definitely caught up with us, and we were eager to make it to our hotel for the night!

Last night’s hotel: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Oklahoma City Airport

I know you are likely tired of hearing me say this, but the front desk staff at all of the properties we’ve stayed at on this trip (up to six as of tonight) have been so wonderfully welcoming. But Colette, the general manager at the Oklahoma City airport property, takes the cake! She had written “Welcome, 1K Country Adventure Families” on a white board, and had cut out our little family photos and bios from the 1K Country Adventure webpage and taped them on. We had a one-bedroom suite waiting for us, and inside a bag full of made-in-Oklahoma goodies: chips and salsa, peanut brittle and fudge. Yum! Sweet Colette even gave us some Oklahoma coffee mugs, pointing out to me that I could use them at breakfast instead of the Styrofoam cups I’d disdained in an earlier post. Very thoughtful!

This property is just off a busy commercial strip with loads of other hotels and restaurant chains, so if you’re seeking scenery, this isn’t the place. It’s also close to the airport: we saw some low-flying planes but I didn’t hear any from our hotel room. But, it is new, having opened just a couple of years ago, and the rooms and common spaces are in excellent condition. Like all Country Inns & Suites, the beds are so comfortable, the cookies are warm and the hospitality top-notch.

Gear Spotlight: CD Audiobooks from our Public Library

I know that the hip thing to do these days is download audiobooks onto iPods or use IPhone apps to access digital stories, but we went old school this trip: I checked out three CD books for the kids from our public library at home.

On this trip, the whole family has listened to Judy Blume’s Fudge-a-Mania, Donald J. Sobol’s Encylopedia Brown Finds the Clues. Honestly, I tended to zone out (or start messing around with my Blackberry) during some of the tales, but the kids were and husband were thoroughly entertained, especially during the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, when the driver would hit pause on the CD and they’d try to figure out the solution to the crime. Good, healthy fun!

Today’s Suite Stops

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City
Bricktown Water Taxi, Oklahoma City
Chickasaw National Recreation Site, Sulphur
Tweeting after we crossed into Texas
Historic clock tower and courthouse in Denton, Texas
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Lewisville, Texas

Previous posts:

If you’re having fun following my road-trip adventure, consider planning your own here: www.countryinns.com/1kcountry.

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.

Day 5, 1K Country Adventure: Kansas City to Oklahoma City

ColoradoGal — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:37:08 +0000

Before launching into the recap of today’s high-mileage day, you must watch this clip of the news coverage the 1K Country Adventure received from a local station in St. Louis. Don’t blink; you might miss it.

Today was actually a great day, even though we drove 376 miles. Er, that is, my saint of a husband drove 376 miles. I have not been behind the wheel once this trip. Apparently husband is much more comfortable driving 5+ hours than driving in the passenger seat with me manning the steering wheel for 30 minutes. I actually should drive a bit tomorrow — I want to experience the Ford Flex that Avis has so kindly provided us for this adventure!

We were up and out the door early this morning, scooting from the Kansas side of Kansas City to the Missouri side to snap a photo of the JC Nichols Fountain. Kansas City is actually home to more fountains than any other city in the world except Rome.

Then we attempted a visit to Sylas & Maddy’s ice cream shop in the university town of Lawrence, Kansas. Alas, the shop didn’t open until noon and we were eager to get on the road, knowing how many miles we had to cover today. (Don’t worry, we made it up to our kids later in the day with a stop at Braum’s in Wichita.)

In this 1920s plane, the "yoke" was made out of a chopped-off baseball bat!

Also in Wichita, the surprisingly fascinating Kansas Aviation Museum, our main Suite Stop for the day. Honestly, we probably wouldn’t go out of our way to visit this museum, housed in the former Wichita Municipal Airport terminal — but it turned out to be quite interesting. This art deco building now contains all sorts of artifacts from the glory days of Kansas aviation — in the 1940s, it was one of the busiest airports in the nation. The collection of historic planes — including a Laird Swallow form the 1920s — is truly priceless, and all the folks who work there — especially Craig, the knowledgeable docent who showed us around — are passionate about aviation history.

Hanging out underneath a B-52 bomber.

The kids had fun using the computer flight simulator in the lobby, while I most enjoyed seeing the wooden airplanes and propellers nearly a century old. Craig explained that they found an old bi-plane in a salvage yard, and they’ve spent nearly 5 years restoring it for museum display — and they still have 2 years of painstaking work to go. A walk outside, where an authentic B-52 bomber sits — along with other aircraft — was really cool.

Another 2.5-hour drive, and we landed in Oklahoma City, at the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Oklahoma City Airport (more on this property and its phenomenally wonderful general manager tomorrow). After a quick hop in the pool for our kids, we went out to dinner with the Svebacks to a quintessential Oklahoma City institution: Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in the historic Stockyards District of town. Filling food, delightful service and smack-your-lips pies… a great meal with great company.

Last night’s hotel: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Village West

Once again we were greeted by incredibly friendly folks at the front desk at our Country Inn & Suites property for the night. It’s always nice to be welcomed with a smile. The director of sales happened swing by as we were checking in, and she recommended we scoot over to Backfire Barbecue in the Legends shopping mall for dinner. We absolutely loved digging into plates full of pulled pork and brisket, plus baked beans and yummy coleslaw. A little summer sangria to wash it down (me, not the kids) and we were all happy campers last night.

But back to the hotel – we had a standard double-bedded room, which, once again, was plenty spacious for our family of four (though I always appreciate those one-bedroom suites so the kids have their own space on the sofabed in the living room). The hotel is not necessarily in a scenic area of town – close to the Kansas Speedway and parking lots for area fast-food restaurants and the mall – but it’s only a couple minutes from the Schilitterbahn, a massive outdoor waterpark filled with slides, tubing rivers and beach areas.

One aspect of all Country Inns & Suites I’d like to highlight: the curved shower-curtain rods. It’s always a bummer to have a wet shower curtain rub up against you in tight quarters (or worse, stick to your wet legs). But with the curved shower-curtain rods that seem to be standard in Country Inns & Suites rooms, I’ve got plenty of space to suds up without feeling claustrophobic!

Gear Spotlight: Rand McNally Kids’ Road Atlas

I picked up this nifty, cheap ($3.95) road atlas for the kids when I spied it at the Arches National Park visitors’ center last month. It’s been so fun to have in the car during our multi-state road trip this week. My 10-year-old has been marking the highways with a highlighter to show our route, and every time we enter a new state, she does the associated activities – like word scrambles, word searches and hidden pictures. Each is unique to the state – and she’s actually learning a bit of trivia and geography.

Suite Stops

JC Nichols Fountain, Kansas City, Missouri
Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream, Lawrence
Kansas Aviation Museum, Wichita
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Oklahoma City Airport

Previous posts:

If you’re having fun following my road-trip adventure, consider planning your own here: www.countryinns.com/1kcountry.

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.

Day 4, 1K Country Adventure: St. Louis to Kansas City

ColoradoGal — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:23:10 +0000

Yesterday, my daughter lost her tooth while in the backseat of our Ford Flex. She asked, “Where are we? What state are we in?” Reminiscent of that movie poking fun at fast-paced European bus tours, If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium, this whirlwind trip has left me wondering, “What day is it?” or “How many days have we been traveling?” And, indeed, “Where are we?”

But we didn’t need to wonder about our whereabouts on our first Suite Stop this morning, as it was an iconic U.S. landmark. We were thrilled to wake up to find this video clue in our smart-phone mailbox:

Visiting the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, home to the Gateway Arch, at 9 a.m. on a weekday is brilliant. We faced no crowds as we made our way to the underground entrance to the tram that would bring us 630 feet to the top of the Arch.

Space-like pod takes us up to the top of the Arch.

I’d heard that the tram “pods” were slightly claustrophobic, but the ride is so short, the enclosed space – in a Jetsons-like capsule – didn’t bother me at all. I think it helped that each of the 16 pods – eight on each leg – seat five people. Since we were four, and two of us were under five feet tall, we had plenty of room to breathe. I think mechanics and engineering involved to keep the pod level as we made our way underground and up the arch is pretty amazing!

I pictured a much bigger “top” to the Arch – but it’s actually quite narrow. We peeked out and down through the little window slits at the St. Louis skyline and famous Old Courthouse (site of the Dred Scott case) on one side and the wide Mississippi river on the other. Very, very cool.

Leaning over a carpeted ledge to get the best view directly below the Arch.

In addition to going to the top of the arch, my 10-year-old daughter filled out an activity book, answering questions about exhibits she saw in the underground Museum of Western Expansion to earn her Junior Ranger badge. This is a tradition we’ve carried on through at least eight and maybe 10 national parks we’ve visited with her since she was a preschooler. (My eight-year-old son is not nearly as enamored of filling out the activity books!)

The museum contains exhibits and artifacts that help describe what it was like to live in the West during the time of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark Expedition in the early 19^th century. Of particular interest to me? The display of peace medals, made specific to each president and given to the Native Americans as a sign of friendship.

We were so happy to be at the top of the Arch -- what a nifty view and fabulous experience.

"I feel the need for speed!"

After our two-hour visit to the Arch, a definite highlight of our road trip so far, we headed west to stretch our legs and drive go-karts at the Perche Creek Golf Center in Columbia, Missouri. For $5.50 you zoom around the smallest courses I’ve ever seen (just one little loop) on a “slick track,” which was especially entertaining because you can fishtail when you take the corners too fast! Also on site is mini-golf and batting cages – a good pitstop for anyone traversing the state on I-70 with kids!

And that’s exactly what we did today, as we’re ended our official Day 4 itinerary in Kansas City, Kansas, at the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson at Village West. We arrived at 5:30 p.m. Whooo hooo! Plenty of time for kids to play in the pool and for us to enjoy a lovely sit-down dinner together at Backfire Barbecue in the shopping mall within walking distance of the hotel.

Last night’s hotel: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson St. Charles

Stately entrance at the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, St. Charles

This property just outside of St. Louis proper is my favorite so far. Housed in a red-brick building, the hotel offers the same cozy feel we’ve experienced at the other Country Inns & Suites, with a more sophisticated vibe. I think it’s the entrance with two big stately doors and the dark-wood accents inside that give it an upscale feel. We stayed in a standard room with big windows and a high-vaulted ceiling. This time, the kids were so tired they fell asleep even with the lights on so I could work!

Its location is incredible, too, just a few blocks from the most darling historic Main Street I’ve ever seen. The streets and sidewalks are paved with red bricks, and cute shops and restaurants are housed in 19^th-century buildings – also from brick and stone. This is truly a “walk back in time” type of place; St. Charles is actually Missouri’s first State Capitol, so it’s rich in history. I would absolutely recommend this St. Louis suburb as a destination in itself or side trip during a stay in the city known as the Gateway to the West.

The brick-paved streets and historic buildings in St. Charles harken back to yesteryear.

Gear Spotlight: Polar Bottles & Norchill Cooler

Keep road-trip food and drink cold with a Norchill cooler and Polar Bottles.

Water bottles and a soft-sided cooler are two staples in our road-trip gear arsenal, and for this week-long trip we’ve been sampling some new-to-us products. Polar Bottles are insulated to help keep drinks cold longer — and, man, do they work. Even when we’ve left them sitting in the car while making a Suite Stop, our water has remained chilly. I like the colorful and patterned foil liners — we have four different designs, and that’s how we’re telling them apart from one another in the car. (Mine’s bright pink, but I’m coveting my daughter’s royal blue and turquoise pattern.)

Every morning this week we’ve packed our Polar Bottles filled with ice water into our insulated Norchill cooler. The style we have is the “24-pack cooler,” and it’s large and thickly insulated, measuring about 10 by 18 by 12 inches. Through the trip, the bag has also stored the marvelous local microbrews and cheese that the Country Inns & Suites Madison West had waiting for us in our room the other night. And we used it keep cool our yummy Giordano’s pizza in a take-out box, too (which we ate for dinner last night while the kids had Subway). It has definitely come in handy this trip!

Suite Stops

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
I-70 Rest Area, Wright City
Perche Creek Golf Center, Columbia
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Village West, Kansas City, Kansas

Previous posts:

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.

Day 2, 1K Country Adventure: Wisconsin to Illinois

ColoradoGal — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:32:23 +0000

The second day of our multi-state road trip was slightly slower paced than yesterday – only in that we had fewer Suite Stops to complete; it was still very, very full of activity and driving. But it was a good thing we didn’t have to hit so many stops, since we didn’t get on the road until 10:30 a.m. That’s what happens when you arrive at your hotel at 10:30 p.m. the night prior and you’ve promised the kids they can swim in the hotel pool. Not to mention, this mama desperately needed some exercise and time alone.

Awesome recreation path near Country Inn & Suites Madison West.

While my husband ran on the treadmill and rode the bike at the small fitness room at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Madison West, I saw sun shining this morning and knew I had to be out in decent weather. Friendly Rob at the front desk explained there was a recreation path just a stone’s throw from the front door of the hotel. I followed it northeast to find an oasis of green in the middle of suburban Madison – and I loved it! And it appears so many local residents do, as well: I saw loads of cyclists, runners, inline skaters and birdwatchers along the trail.

In front of Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin

Our first Suite Stop brought us to downtown Madison, Wisconsin, which I found absolutely charming. We parked close to the State Capitol and walked to either side of the isthmus to snap photos of the “twin lakes” on either side of this slim piece of land. We found pretty tree-lined streets and big old houses –- some used as fraternities for the University of Wisconsin, also nearby.

Next up, a drive to Milwaukee, which I also found surprisingly cool – I wish we hard more time to spend in this cosmopolitan city on Lake Michigan (the kids spied some paddleboats at one local, grassy park). But they did get to run around a bit with Sharlene Earnshaw’s kids – in a park next to the Northern Lighthouse. Yep, we ran into our fellow 1K Country Adventure participant here, and that was great fun and a true highlight of our day.

North Point Lighthouse, Milwaukee

After snapping a photo of both families in front of the lighthouse, we explored a bit – Sharlene’s husband actually pointed out this great trail with wooden steps leading down into the woods – of course we had to explore it. After all, that’s how my family rolls. First, we love to be out in nature. Second, we like to see where the unknown path leads!

The kids led the way through all sorts of lush foliage down to the shore of Lake Michigan, where we found loads of sunbathers in bikinis – though it was only about 66 degrees! I get it, though. We’re all happy for summer-like weather, even if it’s not truly steamy.

Cute kids making their way down slippery steps.

And that’s been another highlight of our day – the fabulous sunny, dry weather and moderate temperatures we encountered. Delightful!

Our next stop: the Windy City of Chicago, where we were told to photograph the Cloud Gate mirrored sculpture in Millennium Park. Unfortunately, I screwed up and put the wrong address in our Avis rental car’s GPS, so that took us about 10 miles out of the way. And late-afternoon traffic was awful; finding a parking spot was a pain. Once we finally found the incredible sculpture, we snapped a quick photo and high-tailed it to dinner – Giordanos for some oh-so-good “famous Chicago-style stuffed pizza.” Loved the flaky crust!

Can you see me in the reflection, taking the photo?

After that, though it was about 8 p.m. and all we wanted to do was get to our hotel room – the Country Inn & Suites Naperville – I couldn’t leave Chicago without stopping by Mario’s Italian Lemonade in the University of Chicago neighborhood. I actually wrote about the eatery, sight unseen, for an Every Day with Rachael Ray article last year. I’m so glad we made the detour to go to this institution,in business since the 1950s. The slushy Italian ices, created in and served out of a little green, white and red shack, were so yummy – with finely crushed ice and real chunks of fruit. Of the four flavors we got, pina colada was my favorite!

Mario's Italian Lemonade stand, a Chicago institution for more than 50 years.

And now we’re settled into the Country Inn & Suites Naiperville, hoping for a great night’s sleep, because I’m pretty sure tomorrow’s agenda will be filled with more Suite Stops than today. Which way will we go? I’m guessing at least one stop will have something to do with Abraham Lincoln. Ultimately, though, where we’ll end up is anyone’s guess! And I do hope you’ll chime in with your opinion – make a guess and if you’re right, you’ll earn bragging rights and a cookbook I’ve picked up along the way during this wild road-trip adventure!

Last night’s hotel: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Madison West

I wish I could tell you how comfortable the beds were in our double-queen suite at this property, but I took the sofabed in the living room last night, since I was up ridiculously late blogging and answering emails (a freelance writer’s work is never done). Still, I sure appreciated the space and the ability to work without resorting to sitting in the floor in the bathroom, so as not to disturb the rest of my family. (Thank you, too, Country Inns & Suites for always providing free wi-fi at all of your hotels! Why the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and other “fancy” hotel brands don’t jump on this bandwagon, I don’t understand.)

The hotel has the same lovely, cozy feel as our hotel did in Minneapolis. It’s much smaller than the Mall of America hotel in Bloomington, but with fewer guests, I liked not having to jostle for food and cutlery in the breakfast room this morning (of course, that could be because we got down to breakfast right at 9:30 a.m., as it was supposed to shut down). Alas, more Styrofoam at this hotel, but I’ll give props to the yummy raisin bran muffins!

Day 2 Suite Stops:

Lake Mendota and Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin
North Point Lighthouse, Milwaukee
Cloud Gate sculpture, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Naperville

Gear Spotlight: Children’s Travel Journal

This travel journal just for kids by Ann Banks makes it easy for them to record their trip, with pages like “First Impressions” “Food and Restaurants” and “Best Day/Worst Day.” Plenty of blank pages for “free writing,” too. I like the sturdy cardstock pages and the clear plastic cover that helps preserve vacation memories. It has an international bent — one page covers exchanging money — but it surely can be adapted to just about any trip. My daughter is keeping track of the names of the hotels and our itinerary for the 1K Country Adventure. It’s cute!

Previous posts:

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites by Carlson.

Where Will the 1K Country Adventure End? Guess & Win!

ColoradoGal — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:17:07 +0000

I’m in the midst of a multi-state road trip with my family. We have no idea where we’re going each day, and we really don’t know where we’ll end up at the end of the week. Do you?

If you want to hazard a guess regarding where we’ll end our “mystery road trip” on Saturday, June 12 (then we’ll overnight at a Country Inn & Suites and fly home Sunday), please leave a comment below!

Your only clues are the information I know myself: Right now I’m in West Madison (Middleton), Wisconsin. We’ve traveled here from Minneapolis yesterday. We’re hitting the road later today (I was told we’ll cover is 225 miles today). We are overnighting at a new hotel each evening. We won’t drive more than 5 hours a day (yesterday we drove 300 miles, if that helps).

Check out these previous posts to see if you can glean any information, and then I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below to share your thoughts!

The commenter who guesses our final destination on the nose (I can’t deal with “who’s closest”) will win a) bragging rights and b) a cookbook I’ll pick up along the way during this trip. If more than one person chooses the correct city, I’ll use Random.org to determine one winner to receive the cookbook. If nobody chooses the correct city, I’ll put all those who guessed the correct state into a random drawing!

This time, unlike our typical giveaways here, I’d love it if my family would chime in! And I think it would be best if no employees of Axiom Communications or Country Inns & Suites share their guesses — you all are definitely out of the running! Or if you’re a family member or friend of someone from Axiom or CIS, please don’t spoil the surprise for us here either!

But everyone else (with U.S. mailing addresses if you want the regional cookbook), please share your thoughts! Please list your answer only once. I’ll close comments on Tuesday afternoon, June 8, so get your guess in soon!

Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for my family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.