The Promised Land

"I may not get there with you but I want you to know that we as a people will get to the promised land."

A sobering visit to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis situated right at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated. Besides a slightly-tacky 10-foot plastic wreathe over

Room 306, there is nothing else that brings attention to the "man" that was Dr. King.

The "dream" that became the legacy of Dr. King, however, was plenty evident: people of all walks of life, of nations, of religious beliefs, strolling through the grounds of this motel-turned-museum, turning what was the site of his death into a playground for those who are in the "promised land."

Walking through the exhibits and browsing through the books that are housed in this location reminds each visitor of what may have been forgotten or taken for granted over the years since we first learned about this man & his dream. Walking out of the exhibit, visitors stand a bit taller, taking bolder steps as they bring forth a refreshed spirit of not taking this "dream" for granted.

For our family, we leave knowing that we live each day in full expectation of equality because of the sacrifices made by simple folks like Dr. King. For this, we are eternally grateful.

There were plenty evidence, however, of tWhat this trip to the museum , this quote in the picture is the only other significant display of the "man" that was Dr. King. . Sure there were pictures and stories displayed throughout the museum; however, the most poignant reflection of King's heart was in the faces of those who took time out of their day to visit this monument.

Singing in the Rain

For two consecutive years, we've purposely included Lake Catherine, Arkansas, as a part of our travel itinerary. The lake is breathtaking - providing a vast playground for our boys (boating, kayaking, fishing) in the day, and an amazing scenic slideshow in the evening as the lake is blanketed with a delicious layer of fog that spritzes a refreshing coolness to all in its way.

More than the scenery, we value the time with our good friends - Johnny & Donna May. Johnny and Johnny met when Johnny Tang was in high school, and Johnny May was involved with a group called YoungLife. Not only is Johnny May still Johnny's mentor, he was also the one who officiated our wedding.

Our boys have also fallen in love with the Mays and their two dogs, Tucker & Sammy, and listen intently to the stories that they share with us.

Nature is a funny thing - spend a few days with her and all your inhibitions go out the window! Don't believe me?! Well, let me show you (this posted with the performer's permission, of course):

American Idols at Last

Purchasing the tickets to the American Idols Concert in Memphis was the turning point to planning our road trip. Before this "investment," we didn't have anything vested in the idea of spending the summer driving cross-country.

The concert was entertaining, and I don't think we've been to a nicer venue. Well, the venue itself was ordinary, but the staff who worked the concert were SOOOOO nice. One of our four seats happened to be behind the camera set up for the concert, so the staff relocated us onto the floor, about 15 rows from the stage, all the while trying to find us aisle seats so the kids can see, and then apologized for the inconvenience!!

The concert was average, taking the form of a countdown, starting with the 10th final contestant and working its way down to THE American Idol. Of course, Adam and all his posing stole the show; however, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta & Matt Giraud were very very fun to watch. The beginning of the concert was mellow; in fact, we looked down about 10 minutes into the concert and saw this (see picture to left):

Luckily, my Sleeping Beauty woke up just in time to gobble up his brother's popcorn and take in the piano-poundin' Matt Giraud.

Now that the show has come and gone, we are heading West more intently than ever. We are excited to visit with our friends, the Mays, in Lake Catherine Arkansas. After this visit, we will be dropping Johnny off in Albuquerque and then the boys and I will head back home, AT LAST!

Baby No More

Jonah is always going to be my baby boy, I know this for certain. Nonetheless, the thought of him losing that first baby tooth has always made me cringe. His baby teeth are tiny, just as he is in stature. It's part of that "cute" package that makes this little man so irresistible.

Deep inside me, not wanting him to lose his baby teeth was all about me trying to hold on to that baby which will inevitably grow up. But knowing this did not stop me from freaking out after he told me that his teeth were wiggly.

Jonah was in the process of biting into a waffle at the Waffle House in Tunica, Mississippi. He was copying Micah and eating the waffle without the use of his hands. He bit down onto the plate and said, "Ow!" I looked up and saw a spot of blood and nothing else where one of his wiggly teeth once occupied his mouth and yelled, "Nobody move!"

After looking on the plate and the table, I got down on my hands and knees to look on the ground. "Oh, there! No, that's just a piece of hash brown! Oh there...no, another bit of hash brown." 8 specks of hash brown, 3 crumbs, and 2 mysterious hairs later, I found the tooth. Tiny. Sharp. Alone.

Needless to say, the Tooth Fairy made her way into our hotel room;. Jonah's note to TF included a request for TF to leave the tooth for his grandma, and to leave an extra dollar for his brother. Well, after reading this very well-composed note, TF left Jonah with $5, PLUS an extra $1 for his brother.

Oh, she also left the tooth from G-Ma.

Day 25 - Heading East

We travel eastward on Highway 64 towards the shores of Virginia. In fact, we just dipped into Chesapeake Bay via a lengthy tunnel that allows the Navy subs and battleships to cross into Norfolk at their leisure.

Hundreds of gulls frolick above the blue waters of the bay as twilight welcomes the Tangs into their final leg of their road trip before heading back home.

We will spend a night in Chesapeak Bay, and drive the 10 minutes into Norfolk tomorrow to see which Navy vessels just happen to be in port. We shall then head to Virginia Beach where we will spend three days just getting to know the Atlantic Ocean and celebrate Johnny's birthday. Having grown up with the Pacific Ocean as our neighbor, and having walked upon the fine sands of the Gulf of Mexico, we eagerly await the opportunity to impress our footprints on the sandy shores of the Atlantic.

Although we will begin our journey westward in a few days, our road trip adventures will hardly cease. On our list of stops will be Durham, NC (made famous by the Kevin Costner-Susan Sarandon movie Bull Durham (yes, we'll stop off at the ballpark), Nashville, Tunica (Mississippi), and Memphis, TN, for the American Idols concert.

If you know of places we "MUST" stop at, please feel free to email me at mrsarcadia@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook!

Perfect timing, our exit's coming up! Have a good night y'all!

The Price of Baseball!

Tickets to see the Yankees play at the new Yankee Stadium: $100.

Souvenior for the family: $125.

Getting a ball tossed by Mariano Rivera (#42 in pix): Priceless.

Tickets to see the Red Sox play at the historical Fenway Park (home of Green Monster): $160.

Sausage dogs with onions and peppers, soda & ice cream: $40.

Catching a baseball tossed to me by pitcher Takashi Saito (below): Priceless.

Baseball is part of our family. My boys play baseball, collect baseball cards, plan to play in the Major Leagues (right after they win American Idol), and know the stats of many, MANY professional baseball players.

P.S. - The "curse" of the Tangs: home teams lose when we attend. We could not be happier! Go Angels!

THE Banner!

A middle-aged woman, her nieces, daughter, and servant girl sew a flag that outgrows her home and is assembled in a nearby barn. The result: a 30'x42' garrison flag for Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The year: 1813.

A Major and his men defend their fort against the powerful British military; the underdog Americans refuse surrender and, determined to hold the fort, successfully force the withdrawal of British forces the next morning. The Major orders the garrison flag to be raised for all to see. The result, a symbol of resolve visible for miles around. The year: 1814.

A Georgetown lawyer, negotiating the release of his friend from the British military, is detained on a "Truce Ship" overnight. He is 8-miles away, anxiously looking for a sign that the Americans proved successful in defending Baltimore from the British. The result, by the "dawn's early light," he sees an American flag proudly waving against all odds, and is inspired to compose what has become our beloved National Anthem. The year: 1814.

A curious tourist leads her family into the American History Museum of the Smithsonian, promising them a glimpse of a huge flag hanging on the wall, but is unable to recall why that flag is significant. Walking into the great hall, she is met instead with a modern "interpretation" of the flag, comprised of metal rectangles pieced together to form the idea of a flag. The year: 2009.

Confused and doubting her memories, she and her family turn to leave when a small sign catches their attention. They follow the arrows through an entry. Rounding the corner, they are greeted by a blue glow eminating from a glass display case large enough to rival the best window displays Macy's has to offer. As they look beyond the reflections of the crowd, they realize that laid out before them, in absolute attention, in all the glory and prestige she deserves, was THE very flag, THE star-spangled banner which Frances Scott Key saw "by the dawn's early light" on the morning of September 14, 1814, hanging gloriously outside Fort McHenry in Baltimore.

Despite the ominous glow of the temperature & lighting-controlled lab that is now her residence, it is still breathtaking to be in her company.

The moments we spend in this exhibit encapsulates the very reason Johnny and I decided to take this road trip. To be in the presence of such a profound moment in history - to understand the story behind a motion we practice (or in this case, sing) almost every day - is truly priceless!

If you are curious about this star-spangled banner, or would like to share this story with your children, check out the following link:

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_Si/nmah/starflag.htm

The Baseball Hall of Fame

A town straight out of Norman Rockwell's paintings, Cooperstown is the quintessential Small Town USA!

Strolling down Main Street, fathers and sons (and ocassionally, daughters) oooh and ahhh at the display of bats, autographed balls, and rare baseball cards. They do not say "Hello" or "Hi" when greeting passers-by; instead, the salutations shared are slight nods toward the direction of the persons and the words uttered are "Hey, nice shirt," or "Great team!"

Although no memos were issued to any of the visitors of Cooperstown, everyone knows to show up to town wearing their favorite team's jersey and cap.

Spanning only three blocks, everything in this town seems a bit smaller than what I'd imagined. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a lovely brick building that contains the history of America as seen through the eyes of the game of baseball. Still, I always thought this place would be bigger.

Perhaps it was the grandeur Hollywood films add to the hallowed ground of baseball that is Cooperstown, but I for one was a bit disappointed in the end.

Definitely visit Cooperstown if you, your husband, and/or child love baseball; just make sure that you have other destinations on your itinerary to fill in the rest of your trip!

For more pictures, please click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5GLHqvAOaRADEm8bMeobZg?authkey=Gv1sRgCJq09LfTkP_1RQ&feat=directlink

Happy Birthday America!

There really is no better way to celebrate the Nation's birthday than being here in the East Coast. Maybe because this is where "it" all started or maybe as the Country moved westward, a bit of the pomp and circumstance was lost?

About 15 years ago, my sister and I came to NY for the 4th of July and stayed with what was, back then, my ONLY set of married friends. We navigated our way with the rest of New York through overpacked Subways and overstuffed streets. We sat under the FDR (a major highway here in the City) and watched the Macy's Fireworks and felt like we were six-years-old again, giddy with pride and "ooh-ing and ahh-ing" at the amazing display of explosions in the air.

Today, I revisit the City, with 2 kids and a husband in tow, missing my sister and the memories of yester-year. Still, for the men in my life, this is a first. To be in the center of freedom, with the void of the Twin Towers and the presence of the Umpire (as insisted by my 6-year-old) State Building returning our curious gaze, we consider ourselves blessed beyond words.

Passing through Indiana a few days back, we stopped into the local Cracker Barrel Country Store for some country fried chicken and camp fire beef. As we passed through the store portion of the establishment, a 2'x2' plaque with a cutout of a Marine and the words "freedom isn't free" commanded my attention.

Indeed, it is the sacrifice of the men & women throughout the 233 years of this country that affords me and my family the luxury of being an American.

So no matter how we define freedom today, let us say an extra prayer for the individuals and their families of dedicated Americans serving the rest of this country, and make it a point to appreciate their sacrifice.

In closing, at this very moment, I am thankful that I can be chomping on a freshly toasted, authentic Hoboken bagel with fresh, soft, oozing cream cheese and sweetly smoked lox, I exercise my freedom of speech by blogging my own thoughts and posting it for you all to read in real time. Now THAT is freedom.

(Left: M&J at Rockefeller Plaza, celebrating America with hundreds of Old Glory!)

Sparkly Windshield

My legs are propped up on the collapsible passenger front seat. My laptop staring at me, wondering what my mind to conjure up in this next blog entry. I stare ahead at the row of 18-wheelers ahead zooming up Highway 76 going WAY too fast, when the light beams from the oncoming traffic reveal little sparkles on our windshield.


The sparklies are tiny drops of rain splattering against the window. Yep, it's rainy and 60-degrees en route to Harrisburg, PA! In fact, July in the Midwest has begun with unseasonably cool and wet weather.


I packed for everyone in our family, and going with the humid & hot forecast of summers past, packed exactly ONE pair of jeans for each person, and one water-resistant windbreaker.


Last night, we leaned our jeans up against the closet wall, as the three-consecutive days of wearing the same pants have molded them to the very shape of our bodies. Given that the cool weather will last for at least one more day, my forecast is that our jeans will be the ones leading us down the streets of Hershey, PA, as we explore the home of Hershey's chocolate.

Will post pictures as soon as Johnny can remember where he put the camera.

Night-night!

The Kindness of Strangers

The Tazmanian Devil - that wolf-looking, whirlwind-spinning, jibberish-speaking character in Bugs Bunny - has got nothing on us. We are blowing in and out of towns at warp speed!

In spite of the swiftness of our journey Eastward, one constant has welcomed us into each town; that is, the kindness of strangers. Whether it's opening a door, pointing the way to where the Locals hang, or upgrading our reservations to a better room, we are embraced daily by the empirical "goodness" of those we've encountered. Kindness so genuine that my six-year-old recognizes just how "nice everyone is."

Perhaps this exposure to goodness is contagious, as I find myself smiling more to strangers and helping old ladies across the street. I do resolve to smile more when I get back to LA, so if you see me with a silly grin, just smile back, and pay it forward!

Meet Us in St. Louis!

Did you know: The St. Louis Arch is comprised of, simply put, stacks of equilateral triangles ranging from 54 feet at the base to 17 feet (each side) at the top.

The Arch, built to commemorate the great Thomas Jefferson in a memorial expansion project, is truly breathtaking. The best view of the Arch is if you lie down in the grassy explanade underneath the Arch and stare up.

Under the actual ground level of the Arch area is another "world" filled with diaramas and life-size replicas of life in the pioneer times.

8 circular pods make up a tram which takes passengers up to the top of the Arch, which although short and uneventful, is kind of an opportunity no visitor can pass up. Neither did we.

We waited in the ticket sales line for 10 minutes to pay $30 for the 4 of us to wait another 90 minutes to get in another queue to wait another 20 minutes to board a pod which elevated us 600 feet northward.

When the ride was over, the pod's doors opened and we walked up a flight of stairs to the actual top arc of the Arch. The 30-step walk from end to end led us to another line to board the pods so we can ride down the Arch and back to the lobby of the museum.

Like any attraction, the actual ride was not very memorable. The 12 adjacent 1'x3' viewing windows does not make it easy to see the view of the city below. However, the memories were made during the wait, as we wandered through the exhibit, and waiting in another 20-minute line to buy bread and sausage slices to silence our grumbling tummies. Making Jonah Dogs and Micah Rolls with the bread and meat, and seeing Johnny make up yet another Baseball Trivia game to entertain the boys is what has made this price tag...priceless.

Drive, Drive, Eat, Drive, Drive, Eat, Drive, Drive, Eat,Drive, Get Lost, Drive, Arrive!

Revelation of the day: the Rocky Mountains were named because there are indeed A LOT of rocks on those mountains!

The title precisely summarizes our longest day of driving thus far on our journey to the East Coast.

We knew when we left at 10AM MDT that 6/27 would be a day when we would need to "power through" some miles across what we were told were the "flattest, boring-est part of the road trip." Still, no matter how much we knew, how much we psyched ourselves out, it was still a very, very, VERY long drive!

The landscape rapidly evolved from the textured topography of rolling hills and rapid rivers, to what seemed like a never-ending facade of amber stubs of grain. As if driving along a 500-mile backdrop from Universal Studios, I would at times shift my rear view mirror lower so that my line of vision would be upon my boys watching Tom & Jerry.

There is something to be said about watching a 6-year-old watch Tom & Jerry. Jonah would often break out in a cripy, hearty laugh that testify to just how awesome these simple cartoons of yester-year truly are! Compared to the present-day noise of Jimmy Neutron, Fairly Odd Godparents, and a miriad of blah-blah-blah whiney cartoon characters randomly drifting in and out of our kids' TV time, Tom & Jerry brings laughter through the simple and absolutely insane concept of cat vs. mouse, cat gets decapitated, cat's body runs around the tree and connects to the head of cat and starts chasing mouse again! See? Simple & timeless!

(photo courtesy of Jonah Tang, bored child with camera)

In total, we logged over 12 hours of driving time, but Johnny did take me to a great dinner at Whiskey Creek along our route to celebrate my birthday. Micah bought me a Kansas magnet which I picked out to commemorate our day of driving.

Our day ended at our arriving at the Sheraton in Kansas City, Missouri, the clock read 2:30AM. We put our boys on the valet cart (the ones that the luggage service would use during 'regular' hours), along with minimal luggage, and headed to our room.

Pull Over, Ma'am

Buena Vista, Colorado, is a town of maybe 2,500 people. There is one stop light in town. 

After rafting, we had lunch at a hoagies joint called Biggies.  Behind our table were a few police officers, one of which I initiated a conversation who was very interested in our road trip. After our casual conversation, we parted ways. 

About an hour later, I left Johnny and the boys at the rental unit and headed towards our 2 loads of laundry washing at the nearby laundromat.  I was on the road for 2 minutes when I spotted flashing lights behind me. It took me awhile a realize that the attention was meant for little 'ole me, so of course, I pulled over and waited for the officer to tell me what I did. And really, I had NO idea what I'd done.  

The SECOND he walked out of the squad car, I recognized the officer as the one with whom I had the chat with at Biggies. The moment he saw me, he chuckled and shook his head.  Taking off his spectacles, he said to me, "You're lucky you were nice to me at lunch." 

After taking FOREVER running my license, he walks up beside me, laughed and said, "Add this to your Great American history lesson."  "Drive slowly," he added.

OK, now that he's not here, let me share with you that this would be impossible! It is IMPOSSIBLE to drive 15MPH! My van's fuel injection pushes the car faster than 15MPH! The entire surrounding area of this town has a 35MPH speed limit except for this block where I was driving. Still, for the rest of the day, I had my foot on the brakes and managed to drive 10MPH, just in case!

BTW - I did not get a ticket!

Sledgehammer, Widow Maker, Last Chance, Oh My!

What I Learned Today from Rafting the Arkansas River:

1. 8 hours ago, the water was snow up in the local mountains.
2. Melted snow is cold - the water is around 38-degrees.
3. Do rent wet suits, don't rent booties...cuz you never know whether the previous feet in those booties were...um...fungus-free.
4. River guides sound like surfer dudes, live nomadic lives, and don't necessarily wash their hair everyday.
5. A dude named "Fat Bob" isn't necessarily fat.

Touching the Clouds...

We've been on the road since 4PM Mountain time; it's been 5 hours of traveling down a two-lane highway, rocking out at times to Black Eye Pea's Boom Boom Pow, and then to the deafening beats of the traveling summer thunder showers.

At times there were two simultaneous rainbows justifying the words of the Rainbow Song my boys have been singing since Kindergarten. Then, when these colorful arches faded, we would see the vastness of the open land, dotted by the meandering cattle roaming as if homeless and wild.

The ever-shifting clouds kept the boys entertained, but it was the electric lightning show flashing in distance that brought the most excitement. We would see the bright skies ahead interrupted by a veil of ominous clouds and columns of pouring rain, only to drive right into this fantastic storm that pounded our windshields and silences all other noise.

Jutting out of the great plains were mesas freckled with what seemed like millions of thistle brush plants whose name I could not stop to get.

As we rounded a bend in the highway, open fields morphed into mountain ranges with such mystery that even the clouds drifted close to the land to get a better look.

We felt compelled to stop the car at the beckoning of the "Welcome to Colorado" sign, and a native mosquito personally greeted me and left a souvenir on my right thigh.

Grey clouds prematurely darkened the early evening skies, and the darkness is now our lone companion...well, except for the glow of my trusty laptop.

Nothing much to see as we enter into the town of Buena Vista, but I hope that tomorrow's rafting trip will provide an amusing tale or two.

4 Tangs in a van...good night.

Days 1-3

Tummies full of Taco Bell, heartburn's a brewin'.
Kids watching Sponge Bob, hubby's a drivin'.
Thought this a good time to catch up on writin'
And to distract my nostrils from burning from his fartin'!

The Phoenician in Scottsdale, day one and day two,
Boys out all day frolicked in temp one-oh-two.
Mom had a migraine that floored her by four,
But was as-good-as-new by the next morn.


Continuing the next day at good ole Albuquerque,
John's off to work and the kids are busy blogging.
Colorado's a-coming up when work is completed here,
Another 6 hours drive ahead so I'll keep my computer near.

Where's Our Office? Wherever the Van Takes Us!

There's an 18-wheeler going 12 mph trying to pass up two other 18-wheelers that are going 10-miles an hour. If we are stuck behind the faster of the three trucks, how long before we get to Albuquerque?



As we cruise up the 2-laned Hwy 17, I am the pivotal role model for the 21st Century entrepreneur. My Tom Tom GPS informs me that we are still 322 miles from our destination, while I update real estate forms and send them off to clients on my overheating Sony laptop. I don't worry about my battery running out of juice, as long as I have my trusty power inverter (just learned that word) which allows my computer adapter to plug into an index-card unit that is plugged into the cigarette lighter.



Our Verizon wireless card allows us to access the Internet from wherever we are, and I'm just learning from friends about other amazing services that encourage us to leave the 6-by-6 cubicles and work from our homes, cars, and other more interesting destinations.



Well, gotta go read through a loan document now. I'll send this off now, and hope my wireless card does its job.



Oh, if you're wondering how this multi-tasker is doing all this and driving, she's not. Johnny's behind the wheel and he's talking to himself. Guess it beats the radio!

C U Later, Procrastinator!

Is procrastination part of the Nature vs. Nurture debate? Can procrastination be cured? Should it be cured?

37 days ago, I happily posted my "resolve" to pace myself and pack my house just in time for my summer tenants arrival on the 17th.  Somewhere along the way, I "miscommunicated" with my husband on the date of their arrival (he said 19th, I said 17th, he talked to the tenants, I said 19th).

37 hours ago, just as I was (procrastinating yet again) updating my Facebook profile to reflect my "resolve" to finish up the clothes portion of my packing, I received a call from my tenant.  "Hey Jennie, just wanted to let you know we'll be there around 3PM tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?!"

Folding nicely became throw everything into the Space Bags (see photo above). Sorting through paperwork quickly morphed into dump everything into a large bin. By the way, did I mention that my husband was still in Texas while all this is happening?!

I shall spare everyone the details of the hours that led up to now. 

What's now? Now is returning from meeting 2 of the 4 guys renting my home for the summer. Now is seeing my garage door close with me on the outside for the first time. Now is lounging in the large massage chair at my mom's house blogging and feeling very, very relieved.

This is the Procrastinator...good night!

No U-Turn

Just received the summer tenants' completed applications and email stating that they are transferring money to our account! 

No turning back now.

Guess I should get going cleaning this house.

Tomorrow!

It'll be a present to me for Mother's Day...and Happy M Day to all you amazing mamas out there!

Looking Ahead - the Plan

Summer 2009 officially begins at 2:35:00 PDT on Friday, 6/12, and its arrival will be announced by the familiar hoarse ring of our sons' school bell.  Once rung, we will have 10 days to get everything ready and embark on our road trip.

This gives me 40 days to prepare.  Prepare for what you ask?

1. Pack all of our private possessions into organized, well-labeled boxes so they can be transferred to my parents' home for storage.
2. Pack all of my sons' clothes into storage so their closets will lay bare.
3. Pack 85% of my home, including all personal wall-hangings, into our storage room.
4. Re-arrange my house so that I have a bed in each of my 4 bedrooms. We currently have two rooms serving at media room and office.
5. Pack for our 45-day road trip.

WHY #1-#5 you ask? Because we have found 4 students from Standfurd (mis-spelled in the most loving way possible by a Cal alum) who will be interning at JPL and will be renting our home fully furnished from mid-June through Labor Day!

Yes, it's A LOT of work. But hey, our mortgage and utilities and such will be covered by their rent, we'll have house sitters while we're gone, and it is the fulfillment of my husband's much-awaited, 9-year-in-the-making answered prayer for his wife to purge all their accumulation and finally really clean the house!

I have 45 days.  Ready, set...

Wait, wait... did I tell you that the river "de-Nile" runs long and strong in my life?  At the banks of denial is where I go to water my roots of procrastination.

Well, as long as we have an understanding. 

Ready, set...GO!

Glance in the Rearview - Some Background

Someone really wise once said that if we drive just looking in the rearview mirror, we'd eventually crash into something in front of us. But who am I to follow what I say? Sometimes you just gotta look back!

It all began in the Summer of 2008 when 4 Tangs set out to "use up" some mileage from our SUV which was leased and due back in April 2009. 4 Tangs packed up the SUV, strapped a two-screen travel DVD player to the back of the headrests, charged up their Nintendo DS's, and headed east.  Destination: Lake Jackson, Texas.  Route: LA-Vegas-Flagstaff-Albuquerque-OK City-Lake Catherine (Arkansas)-New Orleans-Lake Jackson-San Antonio-Scottsdale-LA.

We were gone three weeks but would be changed forever. 

It's hard to explain how a good time can be had by a daily routine of being in a car for more than 6 hours a day, not sleeping in our own beds, and the constant packing and unpacking. But what a good time we had!

Hotels were graded by the kids on the size and condition of the swimming pools, we experienced people and foods that we'd never sampled before, and best of all, we ended our trip hungry for more.

So here we are, 4 Tangs a year later, ready to explore the country again.

Some of our friends, you know who you are (Janet), asked us to update our experience hitting the road this Summer. I've never been quite the consistent do-er, but there's a first time for everything.

So buckle up, we've got the Tangs, the Van, and a tank of gas...let's run through our checklists and get ready to raise some...dirt!

Vroom, vroom!