Keeping Up With Kirbys

Well, we are not actually “lost” mainly because I’m not the one in charge of driving but we are getting lost like leaving and getting out of here.  We are getting lost in our thoughts, lost in nature and wrapped up in our time with each other without any of the distractions of everyday life. ROAD TRIP LIFE HACK: Before we left Josh, Jenna and I each picked 20 songs each and put them on a Spotify summer playlist.  We shuffled the playlist and it was fun to see who’s song was going to play next.  You were guaranteed to know the words of at least every 3rd song.:-)  We had quite the variety….from Metalica to Snoop Dogg to Teen Beach Movie.    Our first stop was Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo, Texas.  It’s amazing to me that places like this are just a few hours from my driveway.  It was beautiful BUT HOT.  Seriously, finding shade was like almost nonexistent.  We actually waited until later in the evening before we did any hikes....

Okay moms, let’s talk about Disney.   I’m going to be real honest with you.   The notebooks you create and the maps you print out, the discounts and packages and clubs and bracelets and t-shirts and rewards make me sweat.   I seriously get overwhelmed and want nothing to do with this place OR maybe I’m just jealous that you’ve figured out the ins and outs of Disney.   I’m simple.   I like simple and we just kept it really simple.   Our plan was to spend ONE day in Disneyland on a tight budget and have the most magical time ever.    We woke up a 4:30 a.m.—we were a little excited and needed about an hour drive time to get through LA traffic. We made it to the gates before they opened and just stood there to take in the excitement of just being at the most magical place earth.   I looked at all the moms with strollers adorned with shoe caddies that held every family member’s drinks for the day.   The basket...

We finally made it to California OR are we in another country?!   So weird, we just went through a customs check at the border.   Border Attendant:   Do you have any fruits or nuts? Josh: (long stare) No. Border Attendant:   Do you have any wood? Josh: (mumbling “Damn, hippie state”) No sir. (again Josh mumbling "Never mind the large amount of drugs or guns in our trailer, I guess".) If you know Josh then you know that we are in California because he LOVES Jenna and this is somewhere she wanted to see and experience. After 8 hours of driving we arrived at the RV park .   I actually thought it was RV storage and I could tell Josh was coming up with a plan on how to park this bad boy.   We usually plan our gas stops based on the difficulty to pull through and no back-ups to exit. Josh:   No lie…..they are going to use a fork lift to put us in our spot. Me: What in the world?!-- as I am looking around at the animals pa...

Well we made it to the Grand Canyon after another looooooonnnng day of driving.   And this was first thing we see when we pull into the park so I’d say it was well worth the drive.   But wait, there’s more…..once we park and walk into the visitor center we find these guys just roaming around. Park Ranger: Ma’am, I’m going to need you to pick up your dog so that he doesn’t upset the animals. Me: {thinking…hmmm, I’m not sure that’s really going to be a problem considering the animals are at the visitor’s center hanging out)   Yessir. Jenna and I weren’t really sure what to expect leading up to seeing the Grand Canyon. Jenna: So dad, is the Grand Canyon basically a hole in the ground?? Josh:   (silently chuckles) I can’t wait for you to see it. Seriously, I DO NOT have words to describe the beauty and magnitude of what we saw.          IN. CRED. I. BLE!!    BREATHTAKING!! ...

Day 1 of Kirbys Go West Well not a lot of excitement unless you’re into lots of driving, and watching dirt devils out the windows.    Seriously, it’s not the prettiest of drives   so it   required a little of this excuse, my 17 relaxed chins. and a lot of that. #lubbock Jenna gets motion sick so she usually takes a Dramamine pill when we first start out.   Jenna:   That was really hard to swallow and it was kind of stuck in my throat. Me:   Honey, it’s dissolvable. Jenna: Yea but I don’t like to do that.   Our first stop was really just to break up the driving but if you know Josh, he researches places before we ever make a stop.   Just a sleepover or quick break becomes a big part of our adventures.   Our first stop was Villanueva State Park but in order to get there we had to drive through the town of Villanueva.   Wow, the rocky cliffs and high plains canyons were gorgeous but w...