Water covers 70% of the Earth's surface and will it will be a constant theme of the 2008 Olen summer roadtrip. Another little known water factoid is that human brains are 75% water. My wife thinks mine is contains closer to 90% for believing traveling 3,000 miles in a car over 3 weeks is a good idea. Here is the outline of my ideas and timeline for the adventure.
Day 1 (Friday, July 11th). The plan is to leave by 7am (current Vegas odds are at 5 to 1 against us actually leaving that early). The first day is the longest travel day of the first leg (close to 8 hours of driving time) as we truck our way from Natick to Niagara Falls. Our first contact with water will be a break in Albany after about 2.5 hours Six Mile Water Rec Area - letting kids stretch their legs at a playground. We are going to try to keep focused on the road but I am not sure I will be able to resist getting off I-90 to hit Krispy Kreme in Rochester. The goal is to get to the birthplace of the buffalo wing (The Anchor Bar) in Buffalo by 4:30pm.
After dinner at the Anchor Bar we will zip up over the border to Niagara Falls (lots of falling water!). There are plenty of lodging options but my plan is to stay at the Niagara Hilton that features not only good views of the falls but yes - a water slide. There are fireworks over the falls on Friday nights at 10pm.
Day 2 (Saturday, July 12th)
Day 2 will spent exploring the falls area. Plenty to see and do around the area. My feeling is that one day will be enough to see what we needs to be seen at the Falls. Sometime in the early evening I would head north towards Toronto (it is about 1.5 hours to Toronto). I am debating whether to spend the night at someplace outside Toronto (cheaper) or at the hotel at the Skydome (cooler).
Day 3 (Sunday, July 13th)
My hope is the Blue Jays will have a day game on Sunday that we can attend. If the Blue Jays are not home - I may rethink going to Toronto at all- because it is not exactly 'on the way'. Although there are plenty of thing to do in Toronto (besides contracting SARS). Options include the Toronto Zoo ("one of the largest zoos in the world"), Hockey Hall of Fame or if we want to maintain the water theme we can hit the largest water park in Canada . Of course we could actually relax and spend another day in the Niagara area but I have to remind everybody that this is not about relaxing.
Optimally I would like to head out of Toronto around dinner and head West and stay right on the Canadian/American border at the Harbourfront Inn in Sarnia (it is about a 3 hour drive from Toronto). In true Olen fashion I am hoping to sneak in a quick visit to friends from church that recently moved up to Ontario.
Day 4 (Monday, July 14th)
We wake up at the foot of the Bluewater Bridge spanning the St. Clair river and make our way back to the US and across Michigan. Is a stop at Krispy Kreme in Flint Michigan out of the question ? No. Although there are plenty of places that I want to stop as we cross Michigan (Gerald Ford Museum - Watergate!) we want to make good time and reach the Best Western SplashPark Inn in Ludington Michigan with enough time to enjoy the waterslide and hit the House of Flavor for dinner and ice cream. The drive to Ludington is 4.5 hours of driving time.
Day 5 (Tuesday, July 15th)
We wake up early to get the ferry across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger Ferry. The ferry leaves at 8am and it takes 4 hours to cross Lake Michigan and lands in Manitowoc Wisconsin. After getting off the ferry - we will drive the 3 hours to the Dells area of Wisconsin. This is the water park capital of the world and there are a variety of options for waterparks and resorts. I am leaning towards the Kalahari Resort mainly because its logo is an elephant.
After the Ferry and drive we should arrive in the Dells in mid to late afternoon. My plan is to stay two nights in the Dells - so the kids get one full day at a water park.
Day 6 (Wednesday, July 16th)
Hang out at the water parks or hit the various other attractions. Maybe a trip to the nearby Circus World Museum in Baraboo Wisconsin ?
Day 7 (Thursday, July 17th)
Leave WI in the afternoon and head to MN - only a 3.5 hour drive.
Days 8 (Friday July 18th) to Day 15 (Thursday July 24th)
In MN. Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Day 15 ( Friday July 25th)
Head south out of Minnesota - stop for lunch in Ames Iowa and make it to Kansas City by evening ( hopefully for a Royals game). Sticking with the theme Kaufmann Stadium contains the largest privately funded fountain in the world. Stay in KC for the night. A 7 hour drive from MN to KC.
Day 16 (Saturday July 26th)
A just over 5 hour drive from Kansas City to Oklahoma to visit the Cox family outpost in Norman.
Day 17 (Sunday July 27th) to Day 19 (Tuesday July 29th)
Hit all the Oklahoma hot spots
Day 20 (Wednesday) - Day 23 (Saturday)
Drive back to Boston (most likely solo and the rest of the clan will fly home from OK). I have not thought about what I might try and see along the way back to Boston but it will be a pretty quick trip back East.
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