Road Trip Family

A Little Village Called Avonlea

There’s a little village on Prince Edward Island that has dirt roads and horse-drawn carriages. You can stop at the general store or visit the farm animals at the local farm. You can walk on wooden stilts or play in the sandbox outside the little school or participate in a daily potato sack race. You can learn to play the spoons, step dance or catch a little skit.

Okay, this isn’t a real village on Prince Edward Island, but Avonlea Village is a fun little attraction that puts you right into the Anne of Green Gables books. The moment you step through the train station entrance, you are transported back in time to an era that is captured in the Lucy Maude Montgomery books.

Along the block of red dirt roads are both heritage buildings from around PEI which have been moved and restored, as well as some recreations of buildings.

The three girls enjoyed the little wooden school house with the woodstove and old fashioned desks. All of us spent some time playing with outdoor toys that kids during Anne’s time would play with. Even My Chandler tried to walk on stilts!

The two younger girls enjoyed the building that housed tons of dress up clothes and little settings where photos could be taken like:

a dining area,

a clothesline and outhouse,

even a carriage.

My Chandler thought the general store was fun to explore (he fell in love with this hat!).

I enjoyed the church and the horse and buggy ride.

Sweet Pea’s favorite part of the day were the little skits scattered throughout the day. Favorite scenes from the Anne books were reenacted on a little stage set behind a home.

And when the actors were not performing these scenes, they were walking around the town and interacting with the tourists.

It was like an Anne version of Disney World!

Yes, this was a bit of a tourist trap, but it was also a fun way to spend a day on the island.

The House With the Green Gables

When I was younger, I loved reading the Anne of Green Gables books. And when a tv mini-series came out in the 80s, I was especially thrilled to see the books come to life!

Anne’s world was exactly as I had imagined it would be. Anne, with all of her earnestness, would concoct some plan that would inevitably go awry. She was an orphan with a big imagination and even bigger heart who captured the hearts of those who came into her lives.

Prince Edward Island is birthplace of the author, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and is the setting for her Anne books. So, when we put our deposit down on the cottage and started planning this trip, I knew that I wanted to absorb as much about Anne Shirley and Lucy Maude as possible.

And I was going to drag my poor family around as I did it.

Oh, I tried to interest them in the stories beforehand. Sweet Pea did read the first book in the series and all three girls did sit down to watch the movie. And they were curious to see the setting in person. But, it wasn’t quite the same caliber of interest that I had.

They went along for the ride, though, and by the end of the week, Pumpkin had her Anne Shirley doll, Peanut had a hat with braids and declared that she’d be Anne Shirley for Halloween that year and Sweet Pea knew every line to every song on the CD that we bought from the Anne of Green Gables Musical that we had seen.

And My Chandler?  Well, he did get his Tim Horton's coffee!

Perhaps my most favorite spot that we visited in our Anne tour was the actual Anne of Green Gables house. In reality, this house was originally owned by Lucy Maude’s cousins and was a home that she would visit when she was younger. It had very special memories for her, so she based the fictional Green Gables home of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert on this real-life home.

Most people enter this historical attraction from the main parking lot, through the requisite gift shop, following the paved path to the main house and surrounding farm buildings.

However, we did something a little different.

We started at the Lucy Maude Montgomery homestead in Cavendish. This is the site of the home where Lucy Maude lived with her grandparents and where she would later go on to write the first couple of Anne books.

While the house is no longer standing, we were able to walk around the grounds, taking in the beauty of the fields around us, the beautiful gardens that had been planted and the foundation of the house that used to be there.

And then we walked down a lane that took us to the Haunted Woods. For you Anne fans, this is the woods that Anne and her friends would never dare to enter because they believed it was filled with ghosts. And after walking through this forest, I can understand why Lucy Maude wrote that. It does have a bit of spookiness about it. But, it’s also a very pretty, serene area as well.

When you come out of the woods, you are met by a set of steps and a large hill that says you are now entering the site of the Green Gables home.

At first all you can see is the hill and just a bit of the roof of the house. We started to climb these steps and as we crested the top, we were met with an amazing site.

There was the home in all its glory!

All of my Anne giddiness came out at that point as I giggled and practically skipped to the house. Peanut and Pumpkin ran with me, My Chandler just shook his head and Sweet Pea tried to pretend she was not related to me!

The inside of the house was fascinating to tour because of all the antique furniture. And fans of the books will especially enjoy seeing “Anne’s Room” and see items throughout that have featured roles in the books like Anne’s worn carpetbag with the finicky handles. Or the raspberry cordial that was supposed to be on the second shelf of the pantry.

And outside, you can check out the barns, pose for pictures in the carriage or walk along Lover’s Lane, a beautiful area that was another inspiration in Lucy Maude’s writing.

It may not be quite as fascinating for those not familiar with the literary pieces, but it is a beautiful little home on a beautiful piece of property. And for dorky fans like me, it was a chance to feel like I had stepped into one of my favorite literary pieces!

Red Roads and Red Hair

For the Road Trip Family, our year has been a crazy and exhausting year, with constant on the go activities, work, and school. My Chandler and I have felt that we’re on one of those hamster wheels running and trying to keep up with our kids and the world around us!

So, it makes perfect sense that I would want to crank my blog back up after a (not-so-brief) hiatus with some memories of a relaxing and quiet vacation our family had last summer in Prince Edward Island.

For a number of years now, as we’ve thought about where to plan our next vacations, both friends and family members have suggested Prince Edward Island as a destination. I’d hear about it and would think, “oh, that’s nice.” But, I never really entertained the idea of spending a vacation further north.

I guess my brain was stuck in the notion that in order to have a vacation, you needed to travel south?

Anyway, when we started making a list of places to visit, My Chandler brought PEI up. So, we looked online at our favorite home rental website to see what the cost would be. When I discovered that we could rent a beautiful little A-frame house for a very reasonable price and that it was within walking distance of one of the best private beaches on PEI, I was sold.

I mean, an A-frame house! Remember that Fisher Price little people A-frame house with the green roof? Ever since I had played with that as a kid, I had been enamored with the idea and have always wanted to stay in a home like that.

The house was available for a week and after inquiring, we were penciled in and had our destination. Now it was time to start planning the vacation.

Because we were going to another country for vacation, there were some new details to take care of that we don’t normally need to deal with, such as passports/birth certificates and what you can and cannot bring over the border.

A lot of time was also spent pouring over tourist websites and checking out all the attractions centered around the books “Anne of Green Gables.”

I have always been a fan of Anne. I have read the books numerous times and loved the movie with Megan Follows. So, I was excited to see “all things Anne.”

I’m not sure My Chandler was.

Or Sweet Pea, Peanut and Pumpkin.

But, that’s okay. Because I had enough excitement for all of us.

We started out on a Thursday and took our time getting to PEI, by way of the Maine coast and LL Bean outlet.

We stopped for taffy in York, ice cream at Brown's near Nubble Light, rode the trolley in Ogunquit and dipped our toes (or whole bodies) in the cold Atlantic Ocean!

But, Saturday afternoon, we crossed the Confederation bridge and entered a whole other world.

Prince Edward Island world.

I’m not sure words can even explain the feeling that washes over you on this island. There’s a slower, more laid back pace on the island. The people we encountered on our trip seemed to be relaxed and stress-free and happy. There was a feeling of peacefulness surrounded by a beautiful landscape. All the worries and daily stresses seemed to just lift right off our shoulders from the moment we stopped at the Gateway Village welcoming us to PEI. (More on that place later!)

We spent time every day at the beach, playing and relaxing and being a family. We did “all things Anne” and drove around the island taking in the beauty of the blue skies and green grass and red/pink sand. We moved slower and were relaxed.

You know it’s a good vacation when no one wants to leave. In fact, Peanut burst into tears as we were packing the car and said that she "didn't want to ever leave!”

But, leave we must and we did, dragging our heels all the way back to the Confederation Bridge.

So, over the next couple of weeks, I’m devoting my entries to Prince Edward Island world. I will do my best to try to share what this island has to offer and hopefully I can share just a little of how special this island is. A friend of mine said it perfectly when she remarked the other day that “it’s hard to fully understand the impact this place has on people until you have actually visited the island.”

Grab your red braids and straw hat and get ready for a week with Anne Shirley.

A Journey's End

My Chandler and I are coming to the end of a journey that we've been on for 8 years. Our last child is finishing Kindergarten today.

I can still remember standing with Sweet Pea, our oldest, outside the building of the elementary school on that first day of Kindergarten. She had her new outfit on, her hair nicely combed, her new backpack on her back, and sporting a big smile.

Me, I was fighting back tears that my Sweet Pea was old enough to enter the public school system.

I remember walking into the classroom with her after the bell rang (we were allowed to do that at the time). We hung up her backpack, found her name at a table, took her picture at her spot, gave her a (teary) hug and walked out the door. I was nervous for her, worried that she'd not know where to go or what to do. Worried that others wouldn't know how to take care of her the way I knew how to take care of her.

But, I soon learned that she was in good hands with the most wonderful Kindergarten teacher there ever was (aside from my own teacher!).

Then, just a few short years later, Peanut ventured into that same classroom with that same great Kindergarten teacher. She was excited to be going to her sister's school, excited to be able to play on the playground every day, excited to try out hot lunches, excited to sing her heart out in music and get creative in art.

I remember that parts of this transition were easier for me. I knew Sweet Pea was in the building with Peanut and they would see each other in the halls. I knew the teacher, I knew the school structure. I didn't have those anxieties this time, but it was still hard to let go and it was hard to believe that my little Peanut was old enough to be in that big building.

And then we had to do this all over again with Pumpkin just a few short months ago - okay over 9 months ago, but it really feels like just yesterday. Pumpkin counted down days that summer until she was going to get to be a student. She was ready, willing and able to become a Kindergarten student and learn great things.

Of course the same worries and anxieties hit this mommy as the big day approached. But, this time there was an added emotion to this. It was that pang that it was my last child to enter Kindergarten.

Fortunately, we got lucky a third time and Pumpkin was assigned the same teacher that the other two girls had been fortunate to have as well. We were familiar with her and she with our family. It was like a family reunion with her!

Today, Peanut and Pumpkin will parade out of the building with their classmates as a new 5th grader and a new 1st grader. And I will fight back the tears that we are closing the door on our Kindergarten journey.

I guess it is like road trips, though. You have the memories of past trips and the excitement of trips yet to come!

Grand Central Fun

My Chandler, the girls and I love finding the time to take a trip to New York City. Whether it’s to take in a baseball game, celebrate a birthday at the American Girl Store or the Museum of Natural History, take in a Broadway show, or to simply do a little sightseeing, we just love it when we can make that trek to the Big Apple.

For the last couple of trips to the city, I have found that our time in the city has been beginning and ending at a train station. And not just any train station. No, THE train station of train stations – Grand Central Station.

With it’s constellations etched into the ceiling, it’s trademark gold clock in the center of the building and the flurry of activity as people head to or from a destination, it’s a site to behold.

There are shops for those last minute souvenirs or gifts for loved ones. There are restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat as you wait for your train to arrive or depart. There are huge billboards announcing arrivals and departure times for trains.

On more than one occasion, we have even witnessed a bride and groom posing for formal shots. 

This station has also been a frequent backdrop in movies and television shows (most recently “Smash”). It’s fun to see the station on the big (or little) screen and look for the entryway that leads to a nice bathroom, or the doors that we always walk out of, or the clock that we’ve taken our kids’ pictures in front of numerous times.

One of my favorite scenes is the commercial with the flash mob that appears in Grand Central Station. Anytime I’m in this station, I drag my feet, procrastinate leaving the building as long as possible, do everything I can think of to try to expand my time in the building, hoping that at some point in my future, I’ll be able to witness a flash mob.

Or, even better, get dragged into pulled into invited to participate in a flash mob on the spot! Who knows - it could happen!

 

On Broadway!

It’s been kind of quiet on the Road Trip blog these last few weeks. Mainly, it’s because I’ve found myself in the middle of what feels like a tornado.

You see, it’s theater season for the Road Trip family.

For some reason – and if you know my family, it’s not an unknown reason – my children have been bitten with a bug. The acting bug. 

It started out small. A preschool nursery rhyme play here. A church pageant there.

But, then grade school happened and – with the help of a local children’s theater company – the plays became bigger and more involved.

 And, like any organization with not a lot of money to spare for the arts, there’s a lot of donations and volunteering from the parents.

And once they discover you can sew a – fairly – straight line, well, let’s just say that my little sewing machine has had quite the workout over the years.

Despite all of the tiring hours and weeks of rehearsals and meetings and organizing, it is nice to see my kids be interested in something that I have had an interest in for years. A love that I definitely inherited from my parents. A love of being on the stage.

And a love of watching plays.

I’ve been reminiscing over these past few weeks about my theater experiences. I've thought back to my earliest memory of theater. I was about 4 or 5 and I saw a dress rehearsal for a local production of "Oklahoma" that my dad was in. I remember being enthralled with Ado Annie as she sang right in front of me about not being a girl who can't say no. I wanted to be up on that stage, too, singing my heart out!

My earliest experience on a stage that I can remember is playing Old Mother Hubbard in my Kindergarten play. I dove into the role with relish, immersing myself into the role of a woman with a dog who found her cupboards were bare and so she had no bone to give to her dog. There was tenderness, there was intense drama, there was mystery!

My first big speaking role was as the ghost of a young child in "Blithe Spirit," a production that my Dad was directing. Of course it was a recording of my voice, but I brought a lot of life to that dead character!

And then there was the first time I saw a show on Broadway. I was in 8^th grade when my family went to New York to see "Big River." Everything is etched with such clarity in my mind  - from the marquis outside to our seats off to the left of the stage, to the spittle flying from Huck Finn’s Pappy’s mouth, to the cute, cute, cute actor who play Tom Sawyer.

Over the years, theater has been a big part in my life. There were usually a couple of musicals thrown into the music mix on our car trips. There were school productions where there was as much drama going on backstage as there was onstage. There were road trips to small town theaters and to big city productions. There have been local productions with hardly any sets and big traveling shows with amazingly big sets.

And now in two weeks, I’ll be able to sit back and enjoy two great productions. We’ll get to see Peanut in a slightly rewritten production of "Narnia" (complete with some familiar tunes from the 1960s). And then the following week Sweet Pea will put on her least favorite color in the world to become a Pink Lady in a very G-rated version of "Grease."

I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Disney World, Take Me Away!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks. On top of the normal day-to-day activities – work, school, taekwondo classes, ballet classes, church, homework, household chores – I have found myself swamped with “extras.”

We had a 10^th birthday to plan, which also included a trip into NYC – but that’s for another blog.

Two of the three girls are involved in their school plays, thus My Chandler and I have become involved in them, as well, with costume making and transportation.

There was a taekwondo tournament that Peanut participated in the morning of her birthday party. Talk about a busy day!

Planning for this summer’s Vacation Bible School has started up with a bang. Didn’t I just finish last year’s school?

Throw in some field trips, unscheduled illnesses and a Mardi Gras party and what’s a Mom to do?

How about a trip to Disney World?

Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards right now, but I did discover something this past weekend that is almost as nice.

The Disney Store in New York City.

Two stories of pure Disney!

With a castle!

Yes, it’s a store with merchandise to buy, but there’s something about the atmosphere that just brings a person’s stress level way down. Just like that Happiest Place on Earth in Florida.

Maybe it’s the greeter at the front door who welcomes you with a great big smile and chipper attitude. Or maybe it’s the music that’s playing as you walk around the store. Or maybe it’s the “electronic” fireworks that go off on the walls of the store.  Or maybe it’s just that this girl is always so happy to see her crush, Mickey Mouse!

One of the cast members at the store learned that we were celebrating Peanut’s birthday that weekend, along with her cousin’s birthday. She quickly ushered us to a gazebo on the second floor where, in typical Disney fashion, had a celebration shout out to the birthday girls.

The "peppiness" of the employees (or cast members as they are called in Disney land), the Disney themed music and the fact that I was surrounded by lots of Disney love – and Mickey – helped me have a “Calgon” moment!

Start Your Engines

My Chandler and I have been on a couple of road trips where our children have been behind the driver’s seat.

And let me tell you, that makes for some very wild rides!

In Walt Disney World, there’s a race car track that’s designed in the style of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Tomorrowland Indy Speedway is one of the original rides from the beginnings of Disney and is still a very popular ride.

 

Like all Disney attractions, the story doesn’t start with the ride, but with the line leading up to the main event.  All along the way, you can view photos from actual races at different famous tracks around the country as well as replicas of Indianapolis race cars.

Once you arrive on the loading dock, you are directed to a numbered area where you stand and wait for your ride to arrive. Peanut and I were very excited that our vehicle ended up to be our favorite color!

If you are over 54 inches, you can ride alone. However, since all three of our kids have been under that height requirement at some point in their lives, My Chandler and I have braved the passenger seat of their race cars.

The cars are guided by a track on the ground, so that no matter the amount of steering, the car can only go so far to one side.

All three of our kids have tested those limits.

Back and forth, back and forth.

And back and forth.

I think I might still have whiplash a year and a half after our last trip to Disney!

Photo Spot

There's a spot in the Germany area in EPCOT that has become a must when it comes to us taking a posed photo.

I'm not sure how it got started. There's nothing really special about the spot. It just happens to be a spot where My Chandler and I had our picture taken together as a couple on our honeymoon.

And then we came back with our first born. And as we walked by that spot, My Chandler suggested we get our photo taken again.

So, when we returned to Disney World after our second child was born, it made sense for us to get our photo taken at this spot, to show our growing family.

And we just had to get our photo taken there when we returned in 2010 with our three children.

Tradition.

It's a good thing.

You've Got a Friend in Me

One of the most rootinest, tootinest rides at Disney World is the new Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios. From the moment you enter the queue for the ride until you exit, you become immersed in a world of toys! This interactive game combines carnival games with the loveable characters from the Toy Story movies all wrapped up in a 3D experience.

When you enter the queue, you find yourself in what feels like a life-size toy box.

There’s a huge Candyland game on the wall, tall crayons propped up next to checkers, the monkeys from the Barrel of Monkeys toy strung like garland across the ceiling, human-sized Tinker Toys and Viewmaster reels that are so big that you can view them without the Viewmaster. 

You really feel like a little toy yourself as you wind around the room.

Just before you exit this room to enter the main portion of the attraction, you encounter a 5-foot tall Mr. Potato Head.

This animatronic creation not only moves and talks to guests, but will follow you with his eyes, pick out people from the crowd and talk directly to them and even remove one of his ears. It’s certainly a sight to behold and it had all of us mesmerized!

Finally, you get your 3D glasses and enter the room where you will board these carnival styled vehicles. This room looks like Andy’s room blown up in size. I began to feel like I was one of the toys! Especially when we were waiting for my mom to exit the ride and the girls decided to sit in between the pages of a Golden Book.

It’s actually kind of funny that all of this isn’t even the main part of the attraction! When it is your turn, you get into one of these vehicles, pull down the lap bar, grab your string pull shooter attached to the front of the vehicle and get ready to play some carnival style game.

Each game is introduced by some of the Toy Story characters and lasts about 30 seconds each. During this time you try to throw as many virtual pies at targets as possible or pop as many balloons as you can with virtual darts or toss rings over aliens.

The games can bring out the competitiveness in people (like Sweet Pea), but are a lot of fun for every one of all ages. From my parents to Peanut and Pumpkin, everyone had a great time. It’s definitely a ride we’ll visit again!