Road Trip!

Greetings!

My two youngest boys (ages 12 and 2) and I are planning a road trip in mid-October, and we'd like to ask for a little help from you folks, please...

We're leaving from Kansas City and heading to St. Louis, then going south to New Orleans, then a condo in West Palm Beach, and possibly a few days out to Grand Bahama Island (if things work out, crossing my fingers!).

I don't really have a plan yet for the return trip... but we would definitely like to hit different cities and routes on the way home. I would like to plan no more than 4 hours per day on the road maximum. The tentative plan is to leave KC on Oct 11, and be home by Halloween.

I'm not interested in dumping tons of cash at Disneyworld or other tourist traps. But we are willing to lay down some money for real experiences (like snorkeling in the Bahamas). We would be interested in unique playparks, natural areas (especially with shortish hikes, under 3 miles), cool historical sites, local dining tips, that sort of thing.

We'd prefer to stay in facilities like KOA's "Kamping Kabins."

Any "must-see" spots on this journey? Any route info you're privy to? Any secret discoveries you'd be willing to share? Any wonderful campground hints? Any local unique eating spots, toystores, science museums, aquariums, geocaches, bookstores, beaches, factory tours, etc. you'd recommend? Many thanks!

Katje, Clayton and Lincoln
Team Madventure

Reward = Journey

Cordell found this movie on Google (Kintaro Walks Japan), and we watched it tonight. It's really fired up my wanderlust, although the idea of trekking on foot seems much more daunting with a two-year-old kid in tow. I think I'll stick with the van for now...

It's a lovely little film (67 minutes), about the adventures of a young man who decides to walk the length of Japan in search of his father's birthplace, his lover's admiration, and, in no small part, himself.

We're doing some homework on our own trip... I'm thinking that the braiding classes really aren't going to happen, but I might try to schedule one in West Palm Beach because we'll probably crash there the longest. I do like the idea of earning my way as I go along, but the realities of the road mean that I can't schedule things as tightly as that. Also, I like not having specific deadlines to force us to push on driving even if we're tired and need to stop.

I'm going on the road again, wheee! Thanks, Kintaro, for egging me on...