These are a few of my mom's and my fav-o-rite things...mountains and chocolate!!!

When I got to Shenandoah National Park, there were deer everywhere!! I saw lots of mamas with her fawns.  We also saw a bear!! We went on a four-mile hike and saw lots of waterfalls. They were really pretty. I made a new friend named Loren from Tennessee. We are going to be pen pals!

Trevor's thoughts- we went to the lodge and a guy was playing a guitar, singing and playing a harmonica.  At first I was afraid to dance, but then there was a good beat so I got up and danced and clapped to the beat. Everyone in the bar cheered and clapped along. It was fun!!.

We stayed at a campsite in the Catoctin Mountains. We learned from the camp host that we were just a few miles from Camp David. (that’s the place the president goes for vacation). We also heard that he was here celebrating his daughter’s birthday. They had blocked off a big area so no one was allowed near them, but it was awesome to be miles from the president!!



We went to Hershey, Pennsylvania and saw many cool sights. We visited Hershey Chocolate World and took a tour of the chocolate factory. We went on a ride and learned about the life of a cocoa bean and how it becomes chocolate. There were singing cows too!! We also saw the worlds largest Hershey bar!

 




We visited Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It's Amish Country!  It is cool to see all the people dressed as the olden days.  They didn't drive cars, they rode in horse and buggies.  Even their bikes were way different than ours. The kids worked in the fields and sold fruit at stands at the side of the road.

Ashley's thoughts- it was cool to see them all dressed that way. I wish I could drive in a buggy. We went to a farm and saw baby goats that looked like little puppies. I wanted to get one, but mommy and daddy said no!

Mom's thoughts--

1 month down!! I love this pace of life!! Here’s what I’ve learned from one month of road-tripping/car camping with the family.
1.  Jim and I can set up a tent in 7.5 minutes
2.  Fireflies are magical
3.  I really do have an accent
4.  It’s important to slow down and take in the sights 
5.  The simplest things make kids happy—water, dirt, bugs!!!
6.  .Jim is really good (lucky) at Yahtzee
7.  All you really need to live can fit in a minivan
8.  Wal-mart is taking over America
9.  There’s a lot to see in our own backyard
10.  That humidity really is sticky!!
11.  To really see a city/town/state/country you need to get off the Interstate and take the back roads (the road less travelled!!)
12.  No matter what time they go to bed, it’s hard to wake a pre-teen before 9AM
13.  Email and facebook don’t need to be checked daily!!
14.  I can live without my daily cup of tea
15.  Hangin’ with the family is priceless!!!