I had hoped to finish updating posts of our trip by including photos, but I currently don't have access to them. Instead I decided to post our Christmas letter from last year, which gives an overview of the trip. Hopefully I will be able to come back and finish that series of posts at a later date.
December
2012
This
was the year of the great American road trip for our family.
In
April we traveled to Florida with Kanoa's mom. We spent a week in
Pompano Beach enjoying the sun and sand and warm weather. We were
able to take a boat cruise on the Intracoastal Waterway on this trip.
We also visited the Everglades and rode bikes through Everglades
National Park, where we saw more alligators than people. Another
interesting place that we visited was the Henry Flagler Museum.
During
the first half of the year, Preston continued to prepare for his trip
to the BSA high adventure base Philmont in New Mexico. The crew of 7
Scouts and 4 adults took many hikes and backpacking trips in the
local area. At the end of July they flew out to Albuquerque to
become acclimated to the area. They visited Sandia Peak and the
Atomic Museum prior to heading to Philmont. At Philmont they spent
12 days hiking in the wilderness of New Mexico. A highlight of the
trek was hiking to the top of Mount Baldy.
While
Preston was hiking, David, Kanoa, and Ian packed up the van and
headed west. Our first stop was St. Louis, where we visited the
Gateway Arch. Ian found the ride exciting, describing the tram to
the top as a tiny compartment of death. From there we drove through
Missouri and into Kansas, where we stayed in Junction City. Then it
was on to Colorado, where we stayed with David's Aunt Mary just
outside Denver. The following day Preston's Philmont Crew flew home
through Denver, so David was able to pick him up from the airport.
We spent a few days in the Denver area visiting David's relatives and
seeing the sights in Denver. We were able to take the train up Pikes
Peak, eat lunch in the Garden of the Gods, visit the Manitou cliff
dwellings, and tour the Colorado State Railroad Museum in Golden
before David's parents arrived. The following day we drove from
Denver to Wyoming. Our first stop in Wyoming was Riverton where we
visited the Pioneer Museum in Lander, drove out to Sinks Canyon State
Park and Shoshone National Forest to see the Sinks and Rise of the
Popo Agie River, ate lunch at 9000 feet in the Shoshone National
Forest, and found Sacagawea's burial site in Fort Washakie. From
there we visited Grand Teton National Park, where we saw some of the
sights and had a picnic lunch. Then we headed to Yellowstone to check
in at the Lake Lodge Cabins. While there we drove the Grand Loop
around the park and drove out the north entrance into Montana to see
the Roosevelt Arch. After our too brief stay, we drove east out of
Yellowstone to Cody where we toured the Buffalo Bill Museum on our
way to South Dakota. At our first stop in South Dakota we visited
Mount Rushmore and the Museum at Black Hills Institute. On our way
to Huron we took the scenic drive through the Badlands. From Huron
we drove to DeSmet to tour the Ingalls Homestead (from the last five
books in the Little House series). From there we drove across
Minnesota to Wisconsin, where we spent a couple of nights in the
Wisconsin Dells. After driving through Illinois and Indiana, our
last stop was a brief trip to the National Museum of the United
States Air Force in Ohio. Final Tally for Road Trip 2012: 8/5 to
8/22 = 18 days, 5400 miles, 15 states, and a lifetime of memories.
In
other news, Ian is in 6th grade and decided to take an
introduction to French class at CHESS (Centreville Homeschool
Enrichment Support Services) this year to supplement what we are
studying at home. Preston is a junior in high school and is
continuing to take classes at CHESS. He is taking Spanish 2,
pre-calculus, physics, and a writing class. Both boys are continuing
piano lessons. Preston earned another superior rating at the piano
festival last February, and both of them recently performed at
church. Preston filled in for our regular pianist, and Ian shared
special music.
Ian
played soccer last spring, and his team made it to the championship
game for the U-12 division. Preston played softball for our church's
team again this summer, and both boys continued to swim on a summer
swim team (Curtis Park Seahawks), where Kanoa serves on the board.
This fall they also started swimming for a year-round swim team,
Nation's Capital Swim Club.
In
church news, David is finishing his term on the leadership board as
the Fellowship and Recreation coordinator, and Kanoa will begin a
term as the chair of the leadership board in January. Last May
Preston and Ian both participated in the Youth Sunday program, and in
August Preston was selected to be a member of our denomination's
Mid-Atlantic District Youth Cabinet, which is responsible for
planning district-wide events for senior high youth. So far this
year he and other youth from our church have attended a beach retreat
in Delaware and a Christmas lock-in in Maryland.
The
photos featured on our card this year are all from our summer trip.
The center picture was taken at the Colorado State Railroad Museum.
The other photos, counterclockwise from the left, are David, Kanoa,
and Ian at the Gateway Arch, Ian at the Sinks of the Popo Agie River,
an elk in Yellowstone, Preston at the Sinks of the Popo Agie River,
and Preston and Ian at the Colorado State Railroad Museum.
We
wish all of our family and friends a happy and healthy 2013
Sincerely,
The
Ratliffs
David,
Kanoa, Preston, & Ian
