Almost to the Almost...again?

The summer of 1990 when I had two children and one very much on the way Juliana, Adam, and their dad and I took a road trip to Gatlinburg Tennessee.  It was our first real vacation as a little family unit and we were as nervous as we were excited.  We were going to see the Smoky Mountains and visit Dollywood and just enjoy the scenic location.  I expected the long car ride with a 4 year old and 3 year old might get a little difficult so we tried to plan for the journey as much as the destination.  We drove a compact Dodge Omni so there was no room for escape from any potential drama and of course back then there were no car TVs either (which by the way was the most awesome addition to the family road trip ever…anyway…). We drew maps that stuck to the back of the driver and passenger seats so the kids could each see our route and some general markers along the way, even indicating where we planned to stop for a rest.  The idea was if they knew how close we were they would be able to prepare their patience.  We packed several different bags of toys and activities and planned to rotate them throughout the trip so they didn’t have the whole selection to use at once and get bored too quickly.  We wanted to stay in front of every element of boredom and restlessness that might come up to spoil our family vacation.  Our departure was set for the wee hours of the morning, (to read more go to www.forjuliana.org)