This Isn't a Vocation....This is a Hol-Tel! Part I: The Drive From Hell

We decided a couple of years ago after taking the trip to Gulf Shores with Andy and Sherry we should try to make this a regular thing. We had planned on going back to Gulf Shores, but good ol BP poo-pooed on that idea. I mean as if it weren't bad enough they ruined the Gulf area, they had to ruin our vacation plans too. The nerve. So our trip to the gulf turned into a trip to....hold your breath....wait for it....it's exciting....Branson, Missouri!

The night before we left, Chad did his most favorite thing in the whole wide world....He cleaned out his car. Here are his assistants, checking out his work and the view from the back.

We were up until nearly 2 a.m. packing for this extravaganza. Packing for a week's trip (even when you have a washer and dryer to use) is ridiculous when you have two small children. I should've taken a picture of the packed car. It was a sight. We took one large suit case, several duffel bags with random themes (snacks, pool stuff, inside entertainment, and one for each of the boys' toys). We also managed to work in Chad's golf clubs, Grant's swing, and his bouncy seat that hangs from a doorway. We were loaded with a capital L.

We left 45 minutes behind schedule...a direct result of being up until 2 a.m. About an hour past St. Louis we hit construction and it didn't stop until we got to Branson. About thirty minutes after hitting construction we also hit the mountains of Missouri and Landon's carsickness threshhold.

I took this picture before we realized he was carsick. He was getting whiny, so we thought he was bored. I suggested a magazine...picked up the top ESPN (which he does enjoying "reading") and handed it to him. I snapped this picture...not even realizing the whole Jennifer Aniston factor. The look on his face says it all. Ten minutes later...we were pulling off at a Burger King so we could all get out, get some air and walk a little bit. This was the first stop of a few....Ugh.

As you can see, Grant wasn't upset in the least. He got to drive AND eat the steering wheel. Win-Win!

Once we finally made it to Branson, it felt like we had driven all the way to the Gulf except there was no ocean. Bummer. Landon declared as we got into the condo, the catch phrase for the entire vacation: "This isn't a vocation, this is a hol-tel." And so began our "vocation."