Accidental Awesomeness

Posted on May 18, 2015July 13, 2015 by missmobilemama

Our “spot” by the lake.

We had a fun surprise in Atlanta! We weren’t planning to do any touring even though they are known for their amazing aquarium and there are several other fun stops we could have made. I had a team event scheduled and the kids were still tired from touring city after city, so our goal was to let James and the kids rest for a whole day while I went to my speaking gig with our Atlanta team. I did a quick search to find a campground that was not too far from my event. It appeared to be at a State Park that was a quiet wooded campground on a lake sequestered off from the busy city- a perfect place to chill out and rest! What I didn’t know was that the park we were camping at was an amazing sought-after historical attraction.

It’s called Stone Mountain Park. I noticed some pictures online that showed a big domed stone mountain, so I assumed it was just an interesting geological feature. We rolled in late at night, so I stopped in at the camp store to settle up in the morning and took a few minute to look at the post cards. It seemed weird to me that I couldn’t find any that pictured the domed mountain. Instead they all showcased some kind of sculpture of men on horses. Thank goodness we have Google for every question that pops to mind because I suddenly realized that Stone Mountain Park wasn’t just about a mountain. It’s a historical monument that features the largest high relief sculpture in the world!!! Three Confederate Civil war heroes, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, are carved into the side of the mountain.

This sculpture is bigger than a football field! It is truly a spectacular site. We were amazed to learn about the sculptors that created the monument in the early 20th century. In addition to the wonder of the craftsmanship, I have to say that experiencing the history of the Confederacy was quite interesting to our Northern born and bred family. In all honesty, we have never given much thought or attention to the specific history involved in the Confederate side of the Civil War. I have to admit, the tribute to the war history of the south was somewhat perplexing to us. It was interesting to see how our fellow countrymen in the South regard the Confederacy through a different lens than we do. It gave us the opportunity to dialog and try to better understand a part of our country who may view history from a different perspective. Regardless of this, we also talked about the importance of recognizing the events and characters of history regardless of our opinions surrounding those events.

We were there on the off season, although the weather was perfect so I’m not sure what would make it an off season. Never the less, everything but the museum was shut down. They have built an adorable village at the base of the mountain filled with shops and food, but nothing was open. It felt a little bit like strolling through Disneyland if it were closed. We weren’t there for the shops so it actually made our touring quick and easy. The grounds overlooking the sculpture is divided into plots to honor each of the Confederate states. The history of each state’s Confederate history is printed into the cement under their state flag. We enjoyed a perfect morning of strolling and learning with no crowds.

If you find yourself in this part of Georgia, I highly recommend stopping by to see Stone Mountain. We are sure happy that we stumbled onto this awesome site by accident!

In addition to our spontaneous sightseeing, we did have a relaxing stay by the lake. I had a wonderful Mother’s day driving through Alabama and Georgia (and we finally found a restaurant open on a Sunday so I didn’t have to cook!) and the following day I met my life-long friend and business partner, Crystal, who drove down from North Carolina. The two of us had a great Thai dinner and event with some wonderful people from our Atlanta team and the kids enjoyed watching the squirrels (Nolan’s still trying to catch one with his bare hands) and relaxing. The aquarium will have to wait for another day! Thank you for some great R&R Stone Mountain Park Atlanta!

Stone Mountain Carving

The carvers

Chillin’ at the Park

So fun to have a little face to face time with part of our Atlanta team!

Mothers’ Day Lovin’

Selma

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by missmobilemama

No, we didn’t actually visit Selma. But considering the 50 year anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March, we wanted to teach our kids about this specific moment in history. We were planning to drive through Montgomery on our way North to Atlanta so we rented the movie Selma to watch with our oldest two the night before. (If you haven’t seen it go grab it from a Red Box. It’s a must watch).

In my mind, I pictured the bridge to Montgomery AT the entrance point to Montgomery so I told the kids we were going to be driving across THE bridge. It wasn’t until we were actually in Montgomery and I couldn’t find it on the map that I realized that the Bridge was an hour away at Selma and that they had marched across it at the beginning of the march not at the end. (By the way, this is a perfect example of the value of seeing history up close and personal. It just gets all wonky in our imaginations when we learn from books and movies! There’s nothing like seeing the “place”- ya know?)

We were really disappointed to realize that we were this close and we wouldn’t get to see the actual bridge. I did a quick search on my phone to see what kind of historical sites we could see in Montgomery. (Because, lets be honest, all the cities in the South are blurred together in this northern girl’s brain.)

Wouldn’t you know it, Montgomery is home to the Dexter King Memorial Church! Now, some of you are thinking, “Yeah, tell me something I don’t know.” But some of you might be me as clueless as me, so I’ll explain. This church is the church that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pastored from 1954-1960. Much of Montgomery’s early civil right’s activities, including the 1956 Bus Boycott, were also directed by him from his office in this church.

It was Sunday, so we were not able to tour the inside or visit the museum that sits behind the church. But landing there on a Sunday had it’s advantage too. We were able to drive right up with our RV/minivan train and park along the curb to get a great view. The church also sits just one block in front of the state capital building which is where the court ruled in favor of the civil right’s marchers during this event. It is also the point where Dr. King gave his speech at the end of the march.

Even though we were disappointed about not seeing the bridge, seeing the church was very cool and we were so glad to see a little bit of this important history.

Thank you for a great Sunday drive Alabama!

Day of Redemption

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by missmobilemama

The kids were a little on the cranky side after touring San Antonio and New Orleans in such rapid succession with long drives in between. I was a little annoyed at the level of complaining considering the fact that we’re “doing this all for them” (not exactly true mom) so there was some building tension in the RV to say the least. I have to admit, I didn’t properly consider the level of endurance they had considering all the walking and all the driving and all the “learning about history” involved. We were very much in need of some kid fun.

I’m proud to say that I TOTALLY REDEEMED MYSELF!!! I found a great campground right on the beach for our next stop. But I didn’t bother telling the kids we were going to the beach so that they would be surprised. I told them we were on our way to Alabama, but in reality, we landed just about a half mile across the Florida border at this amazing beach front area called the Perdido Key (Nick named “The Lost Key”). I even impressed myself, if I may say so. This beach was FANTASTIC!!! Glorious white sand, very few people, and bright blue water. The temperature was perfect, the shells were in plenty and the only bad part was when the sun started to set and we had to leave. We had a glorious time relaxing in the water and we all had a new-found love for traveling.

It’s been agreed on. We will find our way back to the Lost Key when we can spend ~~more than one day~~ a few months.

Down in New Orleans

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by missmobilemama

New Orleans was surreal. Really, it was kind of out of this world. I had a certain picture in my mind and it was not what I expected! It is a very unique city that is hard to put into words.

We stayed in the French Quarter RV Park, which is about a block and a half directly behind the French Quarter beside Armstrong Park. It’s most definitely not the safest neighborhood to camp in, but our park was actually very secure- razor wire and all! It was a strange feeling because our park was actually very nice and we roamed about freely and enjoyed the pool and common areas, but right outside our gate there was this strange mix of crime and tourism- prostitution, people strung out or drunk, and then others walking around with their cameras. It was such a strange conglomeration of cultures and activity. New Orleans has such a dynamic history of culture clash and you can almost feel that same tension existing there today.

Cemetery #1 was actually right on the other side of the cement wall bordering our park. I won’t lie- that was a little on the creepy side!

As much as James and I would have loved to take an extensive guided tour to soak in every detail of the French Quarter history, we knew the kids just wouldn’t have the endurance required to walk and listen four hours and hours in the heat. So, instead, I spent some time online the night before and created our own mini tour that made a nice loop through the Quarter and highlighted some very cool history (that was all kid-appropriate history). We saw Burbon Street (but didn’t actually spend time there), St. Peter’s Cathedral, Andrew Jackson Square, Pirate’s Alley, The French Market, St. Ursuline Convent, The old pirate Captain Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, and lots of amazing architecture. We heard that Frenchmen Street was the local favorite- slightly off from the highly toured French Quarter. We veered a couple of blocks off course to see it, but there wasn’t much there to impress. A couple of rowdy bars but nothing much to see. We can say we’ve been there though!

French Quarter memories

Our campground neighbors!

James with St. Peter’s Cathedral and Andrew Jackson. Did you know that this was the first statue

ever created that had more than one horse hoof lifted of the ground?

In front of St. Peter’s Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

We stopped for lunch in the French Market. James was feeling adventurous so he went for a gator burger and all the kids tried a bite too! I chickened out. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but I just can’t stomach the thought of eating a reptile. But, I had my own little foodie adventure. I’m quite sure I stumbled onto the world’s absolute best crab cakes! They boast the best crab cakes in the city, but I’d venture to say they’re the best anywhere. If you ever find yourself in the French Market you must try them! You can find them at this small stand called “Meals from the Heart Cafe”.

Meals from the Heart Cafe

We didn’t have time to tour any other areas in the city, unfortunately. I very much wanted to tour the Laura Plantation (a Creole Sugar Cane Plantation that has been incredibly preserved) but we realized that our GPS was predicting our arrival 15 min. after the last tour so we missed out. (Mom may have been a little cranky about not moving a long fast enough to leave in time. Not my finest moment I’ll admit). The next time we’re in LA, it’s going to be at the top of my list.

James and I decided that we’d like to return to New Orleans sometime without kids so that we can truly soak up the history. But it was an eye opening experience for us all and even the kids were amazed at the level of historical preservation that New Orleans offers.

San Antonio Love

Posted on May 13, 2015May 14, 2015 by missmobilemama

I have nothing but awesome reviews for the city of San Antonio! We LOVED it! This was our first time visiting and I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. The city center was a fantastic mix of modern urban design and historic spanish influenced architecture and the River Walk is absolutely gorgeous! I could have strolled along the river all day if it weren’t for some grumpy kids who couldn’t figure out “where” we were going. Walking for the sake of walking must be a developmental stage that hasn’t kicked in yet.

strolling along the river walk.

We dove into some amazing southern food the first chance we had!

Speaking of food… I have to give a shout out to one of our favorite discoveries thus far. We rolled into San Antonio late at night without any decent groceries stocked so we turned to our phones to search for any kind of family restaurant that was open late. Our GPS lead us across the city to a tiny little pizza joint that turned out to be a total gem! The pizza crust was amazing and the kids won’t stop talking about how good Gallo’s pizza was. (Actually, it’s kind of ruined all other pizza for us now.) I think our total meal for six was $28 total which was unbelievable. We had a nice chat with the owner while we ate and it turned out that his parents live full time in the RV park we were staying at clear across the city. He was so nice and is considering hitting the road in a 5th wheel with his own family one of these days. We left with the phone number of his dad who would be happy to be a resource for us if we should ever come back to spend more time in San Antonio. We loved the shady RV park there so much, we might just do that! (There were big trees, frogs, and fireflies so we were enthralled). It’s nice to know that Fred’s around if we need him!

Gallo Pizzaria on the west side. Yum!

As for sightseeing, we couldn’t be in San Antonio without seeing the Alamo. Wow, it is amazing to see in person! The building is so old and the history is fascinating. Our two youngest learned a little about Davy Crocket in school this year so it was fun to see him on the memorial and to learn the history of him and his men at the Alamo.

Standing under Davy.

We don’t have trees like this in Montana!

We spent quit a bit of time in the evening waiting for the famous bats to fly out from under the bridge. Apparently 89 degrees is a little chilly for Mexican Bats to come out so we went home a little disappointed when they didn’t fly. Seeing the bats will have to remain on our bucket list for now.

Waiting for the bats who stood us up.

San Antonio- You won us over! We will be back!!!

RVing: Not for the Faint of Heart

Posted on May 13, 2015May 14, 2015 by missmobilemama

Midland Texas- My cousin Cherith moved here from Bozeman with her husband and daughter a few years back so we made a point to stop and visit. They treated us to some amazing Mexican food and we spent the evening sipping wine in their enormous built in hot tub. (Total treat!)

The kids have great memories of hanging out with their older cousin

so it’s always a lot of fun to watch them reconnect.

There were tornado watches all across the area all evening. However, when we went home to our RV late at night the weather alerts took a turn for the worse. Our weather alert system was notifying us of several tornado warnings in the area and there was quite a storm brewing right over head. By the time we were getting ready for bed, it seemed too risky to go to sleep with continual warnings and watches that were going to be active until at least 2 am. So we decided to bail. We loaded the kids up in the mini van in the middle of the night and drove through the torrential rain to the first hotel we could find! Thankfully they had a room and it was a quick transfer from camping to hotel room! The storm really hit hard at about 1:30 and I was a little worried about our doggie in the van. Of course mom didn’t get much sleep that night. Thankfully, the night came and went without any disaster and when we returned to the RV park the next day the only damage was some down satellite dishes.

Notice the blue dot.

That would be our RV location right about the time we made a run for shelter!

Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones in the series of tornadoes that hit less than one week later. For our fellow RVers, here’s a great read about “what to do if you’re in an RV during a tornado warning”. Stay safe out there!

This is the seemingly friendly Western Black Diamond Rattler we stumbled upon at a rest stop! The kids like to say, “We almost died twice that day. Once from a tornado and once from a snake bite”. It makes for an exciting story anyway!

And of course there were these as far as the eye could see.

Fair well West Texas! Thanks for the great food and the great company!

Desert Fun

Posted on May 11, 2015July 13, 2015 by missmobilemama

We’ve spent time in Arizona several other times, but this was our first time visiting Tucson. Wow! I was surprised by the beauty of this desert city! We loved seeing all the Saguaro Cactus and they were just beginning to bloom.

We visited the Sanora Desert Museum which sits just on the edge of Saguaro National Park. I HIGHLY recommend this museum if you are ever in the area. Most of the museum is outdoors and it’s really a botanical garden, zoo, aquarium, and museum all rolled into one. There’s a fantastic hummingbird aviary and another aviary with all kinds of exotic native birds. We saw beavers, big horned sheep, a bear, bobcats, cougars, and many other desert animals. In addition to the exhibits, there trails are situated on a hill that boasts breathtaking views of the valley below. It started out as a very hot excursion, but we we were visited by a little rain storm midway through so the temperature was perfect for our sightseeing.

Our afternoon at the Sanora Desert Museum

The kids loved our RV Park because it was covered in fruit trees ready for harvest! Of course they are happy any time we have a great pool too.

I had the privilege of having brunch and offering a business training for five lovely Tucson ladies! (One didn’t make it into the photo). Lynn (far left) was a fantastic hostess and we have her to thank for the museum recommendation. We had a great time in Tucson and we plan to go back sometime and take in more of the city and the desert beauty!!

My Mobile Office

Posted on May 10, 2015July 13, 2015 by missmobilemama

While it may feel like our trip is no work and all play, we do work as we ramble down the road. I get most of my “office” work in the passenger seat of the RV while James keeps us moving across the US. We also get the privilege of meeting new people and introducing them to essential oils and meeting up with our team members from state to state. I have several speaking and training events on the travel calender but one of my favorite things about traveling is getting the opportunity to spend some face to face time with the business builders on our team. I do love working with everyone online, but nothing beats getting to know people over a cup of coffee!

I am so grateful to have these three ladies on our team! We had a great time working together on our last night in Anaheim. Erin, Dawn, and Sara are doing a great job sharing the power of essential oils with Southern Cal and beyond!!!

The Pacific!

Posted on May 10, 2015May 13, 2015 by missmobilemama

We couldn’t leave California without dipping our toes in the Pacific Ocean. (After all, we are going to see the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico twice all in one trip. How cool is that?!)

We didn’t have a lot of time, but we did sneak in a quick trip to Newport Beach. After a long Montana winter, nothing feels better than salt water on the toes!

Disney Treasures

Posted on May 10, 2015May 13, 2015 by missmobilemama

If you’re going to travel across America, why not start all the way West and travel all the way East, right? With that in mind, we kicked off our big trip with a few days in Disneyland. We had a great time in the park and even had the perk of watching the closed firework rehearsal for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary from the comfort of the hot tub in our park. Now that’s the way to watch the show!

I won’t bore you with details of our Disneyland days because, let’s face it, everyone pretty much has the same experience at Disney. It’s awesome, but it’s not unique by any means. Instead, I thought I’d share a few “hidden treasures” that probably go unnoticed by most.

Next time you’re in Disneyland, make time to visit “Great Moments with Abraham Lincoln”. Aside from being a great history lesson, the theater is filled with some fantastic Disneyland memorabilia. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

The Snow Queen Exhibit

Did you know that the idea for a movie based on “The Snow Queen” has been floating around Disney for a really long time? Many artists of the past and present have contributed renderings of their visions for a snowy fairy tale that eventually evolved into the Frozen we all know.

I also loved seeing some of the original designs and animation from some of my favorite Disney classics.

I have to include this on because my first crush was on Robin Hood the fox when I was eight years old. Oh to be Maid Marian!

Who knew they had an animator working on site?

And of course, there’s the subtle spirit of Walt Disney that has been carefully preserved in his beloved park. We always love to look for the lamp in the window of his office above the fire station. The light never goes out in memory of Walt.

And don’t forget to go to the train station in New Orleans. Listen for the clicking of the telegraph overhead. It’s the speech given by Walt Disney on the opening day of Disneyland in 1955 continually looped in morris code. Have you heard it? We have!

Thanks for another great Disney experience Walt! Until next time…

Miss Mobile Mama

Loving life here, there, and everywhere.

Month: May 2015

Accidental Awesomeness

Selma

Day of Redemption

Down in New Orleans

San Antonio Love

RVing: Not for the Faint of Heart

Desert Fun

My Mobile Office

The Pacific!

Disney Treasures