Author: millerrv

January 8th, 2019, was a monumental milestone in our trip and our lives.  Driving to the SW corner of Key West, Florida, we both arrived at the furthest southern point of the Continental United States, and, possibility more significantly, we drove to the furthest possible point away from home without leaving our country.

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at Fort Zachery Taylor State Park, the furthest southwest point in Key West, we watched the sunset.

I took the below screen shot with my phone while we were there.  According to Google maps: 3,473 driving miles away from home and 50 continuous hours of driving to arrive at our doorstep.

 

As the last rays of sunlight painted across the horizon, the park closed and we needed to go.  Go- Every mile we now go we go closer to home.  Though we still have nearly 5 months left on our trip we are officially travelling back home.  We have reached the limit of the size of our country.  We have gone the distance, we have made it to the furthest point.  As large and vast and rich and deep as our country is- everything in this world has its limits.  Not that we have at all exhausted the limits of places to go in this country- far from it!  But one limit that our family has forever reached is the driving distance limit in our country from our home.  We can never again, in our country, be further away than we were on that day.  What other limits, I wonder, can we reach in life?

So what is next for us?  The rest of the month will be spent in Orlando, Florida.  Now most people might assume that means we will be spending days on end at Walt Disney World, but not so for us.  In fact we will not be gracing the Disney park once on this trip.  So why so much time in one place (expect of course for the sunshine and warm weather)?  The next season of our trip is full of trips within a trip.  What I mean is that for one week, I (Josh) will be traveling to California for both business and pleasure and for one week Mel will be traveling to Guatemala for one week with World Vision.  We felt it best to plan these trips back to back so that we could park the motor home in one place and put our RV driving on a two week hold.

Once back from our trips on Feb. 3rd, we will drive straight to New Orleans where we plan on staying for one week.  We plan on traveling to Texas in mid February and are hoping to visit Mel’s brother, Matt, in Kansas City, some time in March.  Much more fun to come.  Many more adventures to be had.  We love and miss you all.  Our hope and prayer is that you too reach out and touch, no matter what it takes, the outer limits of your lives and live life to its fullest.

 

One of the “challenges” of camping in Florida in the month of December and January is to believe that it is the winter here.  For the last week we have been camped at the Everglades National Park at the Southern tip of Florida, making it one of the warmest camping spots we could be in the entire country.  We are truly grateful, and thankful for the privilege of being in this place at this time.  I never in my life imagined myself wintering in Florida.  Up into this point, our road trip has been busy, characterized by  driving long distances, visiting countless historic locations, land marks, museums, friends and family.  Christmas was the first time on this trip where we parked in one spot for over a week.  Speaking of Christmas, my (Josh) Mom and Dad (Grammy and Grampy) flew into Florida for a week to spend a little time with us for the holiday season.  Thanks Mom and Dad- you helped bring greater joy into our holidays, even as we celebrated Christmas thousands of miles away from home.

 

With all this said, our New Years Celebration in the Everglades may be one of the most memorable New Years of our lives.  On New Years Eve, as we explored the waterways of the Everglades we saw both crocodiles and manatees, for the first time, alive in the wild.  Countless fish jumped out of the water as the sun set into the Florida Bay and birds of all types flew overhead.

As the daylight grew fainter, we rode our bikes back to camp and then suddenly we witnessed the mysterious glowing dance of the fireflies.  Flashing auras of light faded in and out as we peddled alongside our illuminated friends.  For a moment, in our minds, we were no longer on this place we call Earth.  We were in a world of mystery, serendipity and surprise, where only the unexpected occurs, a world of awe and wonder, a place where things we could never dream come true.  Our experience that evening was otherworldly.

When we did make it back to camp, as though we had arrived in a magic floating cloud, we recounted the experience with each other, and prepared for our “normal” new years activities.  We began our celebration with a family card game (“Up & Down the River” for those who know the game).  A camp fire under the brilliant starry night was next on the list to bring in the new year.  As the hour approach we roasted s’mores and at the turn of the hour we toasted with sparkling apple cider.

But this toast was unlike any toast we have ever had.  Yes, we toasted to the end of 2018, a year full of unforgettable memories.  A year of growth, learning, thanksgiving, adventure and family bonding.  Yes, we toasted to the beginning of 2019, a year full of anticipation, expectation and infinite possibilities.  But for our family, January 1st, 2019, marked another milestone in our trip of a lifetime- a halfway point on our trip.

On August 1st, 2018, exactly 5 months to the day of the New Year, we embarked on a 10 month journey to explored our vast and amazing country as a family.  This means that New Years Day marks the exact half way point in our trip.  Every day from now on we will arrive back sooner than the amount of time we have now been away.  Now, instead of looking behind how far we have gone, we can now, more easily look ahead to when we will be reunited with everyone on our return home.  Though there is still so much more to come on this trip, we are half way there.  The journey is possible- the doubt all gone.  We are here, as far away from home as we can be without leaving our country, now every day we can say we are getting closer and closer to home.

With our current plan, we plan to visit Key West Jan. 7-9th and spend the rest of the month on the East coast of Florida, including 2 weeks in Orlando.  January 9th will actually be the official beginning of our return home from a distance perspective, but from a time perspective, we are half way done with our trip.  Thank you everyone who have been supportive, helpful and encouraging as we have embarked on this wild adventure.  May your New Years be as memorable and magical as ours.

Normally, I (Josh) am not the type of person who likes to go to resorts and hang out around the pool.  I like being outdoors in the woods, hiking, backpacking and climbing the mountains.  But certain realities in life (snow, rain & cold) keep me from enjoying these types of actives in the winter.  With this in mind, I find a new appreciation today for being poolside on a warm (82 degrees) Florida day.  Back home, I would be inside looking out the window, wishing for better weather.  Today, I am working on my computer in the sun, going in the pool for a quick swim when I need to cool down.

 Taken Dec. 14th 3:30 pm EST

We made it to Florida on Dec. 4th and I got my birthday wish fulfilled (born Dec. 6th) by being in Florida for my birthday.  I celebrated heartily at the Outback Steak House with a prime rib steak, Cesar salad,  asparagus, baked potato soup, gourmet mac & cheese and mojito (yes, heartily).  We are currently staying in the central Florida city of Wauchula.  This last week we visited Orlando and Yemassee.  We will be staying in Fort Lauderdale for the rest of the month and will have the privilege of having my parents visit us for Christmas (who we have not seen for 4 1/2 months).

This part of our trip (in Florida I mean) has been, by far, the most relaxing part since we launched on August 1st.  Though our goal on this trip is not relaxing (again poolside vacations are not my style), staying out of snow is.  I am determined to keep our RV out of the snow as far as it is in my power to do so, and waiting the winter out in Florida is part of my power.  It has been nice though, staying in one place for more than a couple days.  The first 4 months of our trip were so busy, running from place to place and seeing all that this great country has to offer.  And though we plan on doing much more of that on the second half of this trip (yes our trip is almost half way over already), this time in Florida is a much needed reprieve, especially during the holidays.

As a whole, our family is doing very well.  Six people living in a 240 sq. ft. box has become our new normal.  Though quarters are tight which has lead to times of frustration and conflict, we are learning to live together better.  We are learning that abundant space is not a necessity for family health and that alternative solutions can be found when escape is not an option.  We deeply miss all our friends and relatives back home but have found a new depth of friendship within the six of us.  Making new friends and cherishing brief encounters with those friend we make is a new skill set we are also developing.  If the goal of this trip is growth and maturity, than I believe our family is succeeding.

For me personally I (still Josh) have experienced great joy along side of tremendous frustration.  My greatest disappointment on this trip is that fulfilling a dream (going on this trip) does not guarantee euphoric happiness (duh).  As much as I wish life were “easy,” experiencing a fulfilling life is hard work, regardless of my situation.  Making daily choices to act kindly with my family when I just want to strangle them instead is just as much work in Seattle as it is in Florida.  Said differently, changing my environment does not instantly change my character.  Character development is hard work and never ending.  This is the good news though.  Though I am not instantly changed by this trip, I am being changed everyday on this trip.  I may not see a difference in myself tomorrow, but I am become a better person as I struggle through life and continue to make the day-to-day choices I know are right.

One thing I am also especially grateful for on this trip is the time and space to think about and reflect on what is most important to me.  What do I really want to do with my life?  What really is important to me?  How can I refocus my life on these important things?  How do I shed those things in my life that are keeping me from what matters most?  These and many other questions take time and deep reflection to think about and even more time to wrestle with in an attempt to answer.  Though I have not “found the answer” to them, I do believe I am closer now than I was before we left on this trip.  And if this pondering is any indication of what is to come out of this trip, then I believe I will be a better person and will have gained a clearer life direction when we arrive back home in Seattle.

A bit overdue, here is our itinerary for Nov. – Dec.  We will be is Florida for most of December and will be celebrating my birthday there too! (Josh- Dec. 6th).  Though the weather has not been unbearably cold recently (25 degrees tonight) I am excited to be in Florida soon.  I have never in my life had the opportunity to spend a winter in the South.

Nov.	Location	City
1-3	Philadelphia	Philadelphia, PA
3-4	Valley Forge	Valley Forge, PA
4-6	Delaware	?
6-9	Wash DC.	Wash DC.
9-13	Aunt Patty & David	Shipensburg, PA
13-14	Mount Vernon	Alexandria, VA
14-16	Williamsburg	Williamsburg, VA
16-17	Jamestown	Jamestown, VA
17-18	Monticello	Charlottesville, VA
18-20	West Virginia	Beckley, WV
20-21	Kentucy	?
21-24	Paula’s House (Thanksgiving)	Nashville, TN
24-28	Ruth’s House	Knoxville, TN
28-30	South Carolina	Greenville, SC
Dec.
1-3	North Carolina	Leland, NC
3-4	South Carolina	Charleston, SC
4-8	Florida	Wildwood, FL
8-12	Florida	Clermont, FL
12-16	Florida	Wauchula, FL
16-26	Florida	?

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family.  We miss you all and look forward to seeing everyone upon our return home (sometime in the middle of next year).  We hope all of you are enjoying your holiday and are able to surround yourself with those you love most.  This Thanksgiving will be the most unique Thanksgiving of our lives, away from both family and home.  We are grateful and thankful for all of you and though you are all far away physically, you are close to us in our hearts.  To our great blessing, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day in Nashville Tennessee with our Child Ambassador friends, Paula and Wendy Hemphill, and for this we are grateful.

We were privileged with the company of some of Mel’s family for an early Thanksgiving Celebration on November 10th.  Mel’s parents flew to Pennsylvania, where we all met up with Mel’s Aunt Patty, Uncle David & Aunt Kathy and Uncle David.  It was such a joy to spend time with family away from our own home.

Our apologies for getting behind on our blog (again) and leaving you all in the dark.  We are still healthy and well and we are still on our projected course of travel.  No different than “normal life” back home, we are busy, busy, busy, trying to balance the demands of our new lifestyle while raising our family.

I will try to give an abridged yet insightful account of our last weeks of travel.

After leaving NYC we headed down the coast of Jew Jersey and took some down time from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.  We spent an afternoon on the board walk and beach of Atlantic City, NJ.  Mel’s favorite movie as a young middle school girl was set in the city of Atlantic City, and she was able to realize a childhood fantasy of visiting this “magical” location.

Next we headed to Philadelphia, a city that I (Josh) liked immediately because of the well developed bike lanes throughout the city and points of interest.  After I toured the city alone on my bike, peddling 30 miles around town in the early morning hours, I rode back to our motor home and convinced Mel and the kids that biking was the best way to travel around the city.  We rode to and from the historic districts of Philadelphia that day together as a family.  We saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin’s former property, and original manuscripts of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation.  And, by my request, we finished off the day with a delicious Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich!

Valley Forge was our next stop, where we participated in a ranger lead tour through part of the historic landmark on a cold, sunny day.  We walked through tiny shelters in the same location where revolutionary soldiers camped the winter of 1776.  We hid out on the high walls of a redoubt, visited the winter location of the then Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, and ended our day in the Washington Memorial Chapel.  Though we would have liked to stay longer, the one day we had there was well worth the time.

We traveled to Delaware for a short respite as we hung out with Mel’s friend Javy, enjoying a picnic lunch, a clean shower at their house, and an evening of spaghetti and beer.

Almost as busy as NYC, we spent 3 days in Washington D.C.  I could endlessly drone on-and-on about all that we saw- just look at the pictures and you will know that much fun was had and that 3 days is not long enough.

Also, while in D.C. we went out to dinner to celebrate our 100th day on our national road trip (Nov. 8th).  It’s hard to believe that it has already been so long since we have been home.

 

“Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leavin’ today. I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.” Frank Sinatra’s lyrics rang through my (Mel’s) head from the time we arrived to the time we left. Naturally, I played the song, about 20 times, for the kids too. I couldn’t be the only one with the song stuck in my head. 🙂

We spent five very filled days in New York. I’ve only had the chance to visit NYC once before, for a short period of time, right out of college with my roommate. I always knew I wanted to return and I was so excited to be there to share it with my family. In preparation for our arrival, we watched “Elf” and “Enchanted.” The kids loved seeing the places in real life that they recognized from the movies!

On our first day, we took a boat to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I could have spent an entire day at each location. It was surreal standing in the very spot millions of immigrants passed through in the hopes for a better life. As I read their stories in the museums, I quickly realized their experiences were no different than the ones immigrants and refugees face today coming to our country. They were fleeing famine, war, persecution, only to come to a country where people feared them and didn’t want them. Those immigrating from Ireland, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, and other European and Asian countries were looked down upon and discriminated against by many in the USA. It saddens me to think that we, as a country, have not changed from our fear of “other”. While we are now more accepting of Europeans and Asians, we struggle to accept people from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America although their stories of violence, war, and famine are the same as others who have come before. Our arguments to not accept them have not changed over the centuries. At one point, unless already here as a Native American or brought as a slave, each one of our ancestors, starting with the Pilgrims, all came to this country seeking freedom, a chance at a better life, and a place to safely raise their children. It’s what we all want still. We have much more in common with each other than we often like to admit.

Our second day in NYC brought us to the top of the Empire State Building with amazing views of Manhattan; a quick stroll through Bryant Park (where World Vision will be hosting the 2nd annual Give Back Gift Shop over Thanksgiving weekend); a bright, colorful, and character-filled walk through Time Square (Asher fit right in!); past Carnegie Hall; and to the edge of Central Park where we happily munched on large soft-pretzels after all that adventuring.

Our third day brought us to the fun of Rockefeller Center, the grandeur of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the welcoming stairs of the MET (for a much needed rest), and lots of adventuring and playing in Central Park!

Our fourth day found us spending most of our time in one place. Emily, a friend of mine from high school, has lived in NYC for 11 years and has her own jazz band. She is an amazing jazz trombonist (she always has been!). We had the wonderful opportunity to see her and her band, Emily Asher’s Garden Party, play at one of her regular restaurants. I loved getting to introduce the kids to live jazz and have them meet her. It really was a treat. If you love jazz, look her up and take a listen! The really cool thing about the restaurant, Fraunces Tavern, is it is a historical site of the American Revolution. Samuel Fraunces was a friend of George Washington’s. His tavern was a site for people to gather and discuss the politics of the day. In an upstairs room called the Long Room, George Washington gave his farewell speech to his commanding officers at the end of the Revolution. The whole upstairs has now been turned into a museum. I highly recommend going there if you ever get the chance! When we finally left Fraunces Tavern, we paid our respects at the 9-11 Memorial. Even after 17 years, it is still heart-wrenching to think of what happened that day and how it changed our country. We had hard, but good, conversations with the kids about what happened that day. As sad and difficult as it was to recount the memories of September 11, I’m glad we took the opportunity to visit the memorial and pray for those who lost loved ones and pray for our country.

On our fifth and final day, we got to do what I’ve been wanting to do in New York almost my entire life…see a Broadway show! We chose Aladdin as it would be great for the whole family and it was also Josh’s favorite Disney movie growing up. It was SPECTACULAR! We enjoyed every single minute of it. The stage adaptation was fun and just as magical as the movie, the acting was superb (there was even a Seattle actor, who played Iago, that we recognized from Seattle Children’s Theatre and the 5th Ave!), the sets and costumes were stunning, and the energy was electrifying. We all walked away with wide-eyes and huge smiles. It was definitely a highlight of our trip! With that high, we wandered to the final sites we had yet to visit but still wanted to; the New York Public Library, with it’s incredible architectural design and beautiful artwork, and the massive Grand Central Terminal. We finished out our time by heading to Emily’s apartment in Brooklyn which was built sometime in the mid-1800’s. She so graciously invited us over for making pizzas and cookies. It was lovely catching up with her and the kids absolutely adored her and her cat, Dixie. She is now “Aunt Emily.” It was the perfect ending to our very fun and very full time in New York, New York.

Much like my knowledge of Rhode Island, I (Josh) was ignorant to the history and beauty of Connecticut.  We hadn’t much time to explore the state, much larger than RI, yet still small, by comparison, to most others.  Without much reason, we chose New London as our first destination on our quick journey through this once colonial state.  We parked near the waterfront and toured around the city, looking at the aged buildings and points of interest.

Among them were the Shaw Mansion, a destination that was once also visited by George Washington,  Marquis de Lafayette, and other notable Revolutionary War heroes.

Another site to mention was the Nathan Hale School house in New London.  Much history and attention is given to Nathan Hale, a school teacher turned spy for George Washington, in the state of Connecticut, the location of his birth place.  Even in Seattle we have paid tribute to this man by naming a high school after him.

Our next stop, just south of New London, was Harkness Memorial State Park, complete with a 1906 mansion with lawns & landscaped gardens, plus views of Long Island Sound.  The sun was out, the weather was warm, and we stayed there the rest of the day.  We left only after sunset, as the park rangers ushered us away so they could lock the gate.

The following day, we visited a town named Essex, a small port city on the Connecticut River.  We journeyed to the Connecticut River Museum, home of a replica “Bushnell Turtle,” the world’s first operational combat submarine.  (We watched a revolutionary history cartoon, “Liberty’s Kids,” that depicted the Turtle in action and Eva had her heart set on seeing it in real life.)

We learned much about the history and significance of the Connecticut River- early exploration, trade routes, immigration, and war efforts.  In fact, the port that the museum was on was the location that the colonial army in Connecticut build it’s war ship during the Revolutionary War.

In studying the great Connecticut River, we discovered the location of a castle built overlooking the river not far north of Essex.  I was compelled to visit and it become our final stop of the day.

I desired to stay and watch the sunset, but the frigid winds forced our family to seek refuge back to our traveling home.  Two days in Connecticut proved to be fruitful.  History, beauty and sunshine will always be among the new memories I now hold of this place.

When we got to Rhode Island we had no specific plans in mind, other than visiting the capital city- Providence.  Honestly, I (Josh) can’t say that I have ever heard of anything noteworthy about Rhode Island.  Turns out, there are actually a few interesting things about the state.  The first major thing I learned was about a dude named Roger Williams.  He was the original founder of the Rhode Island colony back in 1636.  He left Britain several years earlier to escape the strict grip the Church of England held within the government.  He traveled to the Massachusetts Bay colony so he could exercise the religious freedom that was promised to those who migrated to America.  Unfortunately for him, the boys in Boston didn’t get along with Roger’s progressive religious ideals either.  He was kicked out of Boston and found himself alone in the wilderness in the harsh winter months.  Luckily for him, he was saved by the native folk in the (present day) Rhode Island territory.  He founded a colony there, giving religious freedom to all.  It was the first true example in western history of separation of church and state- on which our county is today founded upon.  He was the original champion of our first amendment rights as we know them to be.  Who knew that such a monumental leader of personal freedom would come out of RI.  Obviously I didn’t.  He was such a significant part of our nations history that the National Parks Department created a Historical Memorial in downtown Providence just for him- The Roger Williams National Historical Memorial.

Downtown Providence was actually very cool.  A river runs right through the middle of the city which leads straight to the ocean and divides the state into the eastern and western halves of RI.

Like much of the old East Coast, Providence is filled with historical buildings and structures.

Naturally we visited the ocean and saw the brilliant colors of an East Coast sunset.

Roger Williams was so liked by the people of RI that not only did he have a national memorial in his name, but they named a large park and zoo after him too.  Since we had not yet been to a zoo on our trip, and Mel read that it was one of the oldest zoos in the country, we visited on a pleasant sunny day.

Two days are not nearly long enough to explore an entire state (even if it’s the smallest sate in the U.S.).  Nevertheless, we were glad to learn things we had never learned before and see things we had never seen before.  Obviously this state possesses both rich history and uncompromising beauty.  A delight to visit to say the least.  We are humbly grateful to include Rhode Island as a traveled destination on the Miller’s Motor Home Adventure.

After spending four historically packed days in Boston, we thought we had a good grasp on the reasons for the beginnings of the Revolutionary War.  But something still seemed void.  We understood the unrest of the early settlers towards Britain, we read detailed accounts of Paul Revere racing through the country side warning the Massachusetts Bay Colony about the coming of the “Regulars” (aka Redcoats),  and then the battle of Bunker Hill.  Bunker Hill, we found out, was 2 months after Paul Revere’s ride, two months after….”The shot heard round the world.”  That was the missing link.  Though our itinerary had us going to Rhode Island the day after Boston, we made a one day deviation in our plans to find the last piece of the puzzle- Lexington & Concord.

Our first stop in Lexington was the house Paul Revere rode to the night of his famous ride.  His mission was to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the British’s plan to capture them (they were the leaders of the Continental Congress, an illegal governing body in the eyes of the King) and destroy colonial war provisions stored at Lexington.

Next, we visited the battle green in Lexington, the location where colonial militia lost 8 lives and found 10 wounded as the British forces marched past in their efforts to travel to Concord.

We drove the 5 mile stretch between Lexington and Concord, the very route the British Redcoats traveled as they prepared their assault on Concord.  The U.S. Parks Department has actually created a National Park for this stretch of land called the “Minute Man National Memorial.”  Then we found the missing link.  The “Shot Heard Round the World”, the location that began the Revolutionary War but would eventually lead to our lasting establishment as a Nation.

After the British marched part way through Concord, and succeeded in destroying approximately 30% of the colonial war provisions, they were met by the “Minute Men” of the surrounding area- Men who had all committed themselves, on a minutes notice, to be ready for such an invasion.  These men lined the North side of “North Bridge” as they waited for the coming army.  This battle was the first time in history the colonial forces were ordered to fire on the British Army.  The Minute Men succeeded in holding the British men from crossing the bridge and the enemy raid was forced to turn back and retreat.  At the end of the day, the casualties added up to about 80 dead on the American side and 60 dead on the British.

Our mission (the Miller family’s I mean) had been complete.  The missing link between Paul Revere and Bunker Hill had been bridged.  The detour was well worth it.  Mission accomplished.  On to Rhode Island.

Ever since Mel got back from her conference on the 7th, life has been a whirlwind of colors and history.  Over the last week and a half we have driven through the multi colored hills of New Hampshire,

Visited the northern most beaches of Cape Cod,

Landed at Plymouth Rock,

Seen America’s Oldest Cemetery (1632),

And spent 4 days in Boston, including:

Riding the Subway;

Walking The Boston “Freedom Trail”;

Standing on the site of the Boston Massacre;

Wandering through Paul Revere’s House,

Touring the Boston Harbor, site of the Boston Tea Party;

Climbing the Bunker Hill Monument;

Soaking up the Views of Downtown;

Visiting Churches;

Riding the ducks at the Boston Public Gardens;

Marveling at historic buildings.

And oh so much more, we could write and share pictures all day long.  But as is the nature of our journey we must hurry along to our next destination.