Category Archives: United States

Travel Home; Day 3

One of the things about long road trips, where you are in the car for 8+ hours is the need for a variety of activities for the passengers. In our car today, the kids watched 2 movies (Lion King and Zootopia), listened to parts of 2 audiobooks and played a rousing game of DnD withContinue reading “Travel Home; Day 3”

Travel Home; Day 2

About 10 years ago, Brian and Tiffany read a magazine article about a new museum focused on American Art that had a huge endowment 4 times that of the Whitney. Unlike most museums, it would not be housed in an old palace or renaissance/marble equivalent. This was to be in a new facility nestled inContinue reading “Travel Home; Day 2”

Travel Home; Day 1

It feels like we’ve been slowly making our way home since we left London at the end of June. We’ve been creeping westward with each of our destinations but the main focus of our New York, Leesburg and Union Pier stops were fun and family. Today was different. Today was all about making rapid progressContinue reading “Travel Home; Day 1”

Union Pier, Michigan; Day 4

Today the Adventurers gave themselves a challenge – the ‘PentAquaPalooza’. This was a challenge to get in five different sources of water today. The last one was the easiest – a shower – so it was the first four that we set off in search of under sunny summer skies. Our first stop is anContinue reading “Union Pier, Michigan; Day 4”

Union Pier, Michigan; Day 3

We enjoyed some favorable weather and spent time down at the pool. Brian’s mom had thought to bring some items of interest for the kids. One of which was the set of bubble wands which produced some amazing bubbles – CreeperKitty used the technique with a rope he’d seen in Geneva and made some goodContinue reading “Union Pier, Michigan; Day 3”

Union Pier, Michigan; Day 2

Today was a very pleasant SW Michigan summer day full of small Adventures for these travelers. We enjoyed a pancake breakfast with Busha and Grandpa Mike and then some time playing in the pool. After pool we headed to the local steakhouse for a tasty dinner – we were joined for desert by Brian’s sisterContinue reading “Union Pier, Michigan; Day 2”

Union Pier, Michigan; Day 1

We had one final breakfast at Mamoh’s house, finished packing the family van and departed for Michigan. Brian’s mom (Busha) rented a large house in Southwest Michigan to host the 5 Adventurers as we make our way back home. We arrived before dinner and had just enough time for a quick game of billiards (actuallyContinue reading “Union Pier, Michigan; Day 1”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 5

We have begun to sort our affairs here at Mamoh’s house and are starting to consider all of the stuff which needs to come to California with us. As you may remember, we drove from home last summer with camping gear and items which would sustain us through the North American part of the WorldContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 5”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 3

Here in Leesburg there are a number of things that have changed since we were last in town. One of these changes is the addition of a new cafe on Main Street. It’s notable because Leesburg only has 2 restaurants and we visited the second one (and latest addition) today. We were able to enjoyContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 3”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 2

Today, like many people across the United States, we gathered with those we love to enjoy food and each others’ company. For us it was at the Bailey House hosted by Nancy and Stan Purdy. It was great to be back there, particularly since Pa has had some health issues over the past few months.Continue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 2”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 1

We had one last Adventure this morning in New York to visit an old President. Then we went to see a new building, flew on an old airplane, and drove a new car to a familiar destination. Tiffany lived in Ulysses S. Grant’s boyhood hometown of Georgetown, Ohio. Her father Stan (Pa) is the PresidentContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 4; Day 1”

New York, New York; Day 4

Today didn’t have a particular agenda but we had some things we wanted to do. They were all somewhat in the 40s and 50s street-wise so we’ll call this our Midtown day. When we arrived on Wednesday the forecast said that today would be rainy and this morning was warm but a bit grey andContinue reading “New York, New York; Day 4”

New York, New York; Day 3

Yesterday was our downtown day. Today was our Central Park day and was another 8 miles of walking. We didn’t awaken at 4:30a as we had on Thursday morning but we were still up early as our European body clock timings dissipate slowly. We are staying a few blocks off of the park so weContinue reading “New York, New York; Day 3”

New York, New York; Day 2

We were all awake much earlier than usual thanks to our 6 hour time change so our day started unusually early. We had a quick breakfast at a nearby cafe and then hit the subway. Brian pointed out that in the last month we’ve ridden 3 of the oldest subway systems in the world –Continue reading “New York, New York; Day 2”

New York, New York; Day 1

Today our Adventurers took their last long flight and departed Europe after nearly 13 weeks travelling from one bucket list destination to another. We were last in NY (and the US) late on December 6th as we ran through New York’s Kennedy Airport to catch a flight to Thailand (via Qatar). Our total time hereContinue reading “New York, New York; Day 1”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Final Day

We hope we don’t jinx ourselves by posting that this is our last full day in Leesburg/North America for a while. Travel restrictions are pretty fluid so we’re not planning very far ahead. Tomorrow we head to Thailand until at least mid January and after that who knows. We’ll be a few different places inContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Final Day”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 3

The extended visit(s) at Mamoh’s house in 2021 are nearing their terminus as the Adventurers have begun packing for the next legs of the World Tour. Brian and Tiffany took some time in the garage considering the assorted bins and items which were so vital during the Summer portion of the Tour but may notContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 3”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 2

Preparations continue for our departure on Monday. Tiffany’s second polio vaccine and travel required Covid 19 tests were the highlights as well as getting in a school day. But our thoughts are more and more turning to what’s coming next – warm weather, beaches, new adventures. We thought we’d share this Friday flashback to aContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 2”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 1

We arrived yesterday for part 3 of our Leesburg, Ohio adventure at Tiffany’s Mom’s house. She’s been a patient and generous host for a much longer stay than any of us had planned. Part of the reason for returning to the Cincinnati area was so that Brian could have his two week follow-up with hisContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 3; Day 1”

Driving Day to Leesburg, Ohio

Before we left our friends Lynn & Troy and left for Ohio again, the kids were able to try something new and still fairly novel (for them and Brian & Tiffany). We may not have planned to have a virtual adventure before 9a today but CreeperKitty caught Brian getting a VR lesson from Troy lastContinue reading “Driving Day to Leesburg, Ohio”

Raleigh, North Carolina; Day 2

Field trip day at the 5 Adventurers Academy. Today our road school visited the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. First off, we visited Benchwarmer Bagels for some morning nourishment by CreeperKitty’s choice (seriously, that kid lives for bagels). Dad chose an everything bagel with lox, deviled egg spread and shaved onions.Continue reading “Raleigh, North Carolina; Day 2”

Raleigh, North Carolina; Day 1

We satisfied ourselves with the state of our timber farm in Chapin, South Carolina (everything is growing fine) and moved on to see friends and relatives in Raleigh, North Carolina. As part of his post-surgery process, Brian needs to exercise each day. Today he walked downtown Columbia, South Carolina which is a very pleasant cityContinue reading “Raleigh, North Carolina; Day 1”

Chapin, South Carolina

We had a few reasons for doing a southern road trip this week. One was to get to warmer weather. Our drive through the Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina mountains today was sunny and 60°s and still showing some autumn color. We finished our drive to Chapin, South Carolina which is a small townContinue reading “Chapin, South Carolina”

Driving Day to Knoxville, Tennessee

Our 5 Adventurers left Leesburg, Ohio for a southern road trip today. Before leaving Ohio, we stopped in Georgetown to watch the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game. Some of you may know that Tiffany’s parents are Ohio State University graduates and remain staunch Buckeye fans. Some of you may also know that in theContinue reading “Driving Day to Knoxville, Tennessee”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 7

Our day yesterday was pretty typical by Thanksgiving standards and today we did the quintessential Black Friday activity – we went to a major retailer!! But first we had a school day and continued diagnosing the dishwasher issue (latest thinking is the control panel). Then all 5 Adventurers piled into Jeremy Picklepants and headed toContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 7”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 6 (Thanksgiving ’21)

Mamoh’s house was the destination for Thanksgiving dinner for Tiffany, her sisters, her parents and their families. Mamoh was responsible for the turkey, dressing and hosting. Nearly everything else came through the door in the arms of one of her loved ones. This made for a collaboration of old favorites and new discoveries. We allContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 6 (Thanksgiving ’21)”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 5

Some of our adventures today were likely the same as many families in the US, preparations for our Thanksgiving festivities on Thursday. The first activity was grinding cranberries, apples and oranges for Mamoh’s cranberry relish. It’s always fun for the kids to use kitchen machinery and the Kitchen Aid grinder attachment was no exception. SuaramContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 5”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 4

Brian had said several times in the past month that “walking to the barber” was his most aspirational goal. Not just because he needed a haircut (though he did). It should be noted that the barber is a kilometer away from Mamoh’s house and that until Saturday Brian couldn’t walk to the bathroom without excruciatingContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 4”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 3

A quiet day with limited adventures here in Southern Ohio. Brian was able to test his newfound mobility by walking with the rest of the family to the Leesburg Library. At the library the kids were given a short book mark themed scavenger hunt. Upon completion the librarians awarded each of them a small bagContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 3”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 2

A chilly, rainy, November day kept us mostly in the house finding our own fun today. Brian continues his recovery and walked his longest distance in a month. He and Tiffany took a stroll around the block – no cane, no pain. All good. CreeperPuppy had his favorite cuddle head to space – or atContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 2”

Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 1

After Brian’s surgery, we returned to Mamoh’s house for recovery and to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday week. Brian is doing much better and was able to stand long enough to help with the dishes which he hadn’t taken on for weeks. We also got to see Tara and her son Blake who leaves for ColombiaContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio Part 2; Day 1”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 6 (Back Surgery)

Today’s post will be a little different. Typically our posts will use “we” and “our” despite being primarily written by Brian or Tiffany and then edited by the other. This post will use “I”, “me”, and “my” because of the nature of today’s adventure. I (Brian) had back surgery performed today. Specifically, a Micro LumbarContinue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 6 (Back Surgery)”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 5

During school today, we had the kids choose between read-to-self (from parent-curated list), math facts online, or write an original piece meant for this blog. CreeperPuppy was brave enough to continue work on his opus The Hamburger Story, so check it out in the Kids Corner. He has started Book 2 of the story soContinue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 5”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 4

We had a fun day today with Busha and Grandpa Mike. The kids have been enjoying their morning waffle and cereal in the hotel lobby. We have learned to create limits on the toppings for said waffles. On the first morning of our complimentary hotel breakfast, Suaram came back from the waffle maker with aContinue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 4”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 3

Today the Adventurers took things on the road including school. We went on a field trip to a unique Cincinnati museum but made a few stops first. Our first stop was to a Cincinnati institution Suders Art Store. It’s been around since 1924 and in its current location for 90 years. Suaram’s eyes popped atContinue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 3”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 2

We had a full day of adventures with two grandparents who drove down from Michigan to spend time with us. Grandpa Mike and Busha came bearing presents for all of the Adventurers (even those that did not recently have birthdays). Suaram was particularly pleased with the sketch pads, pencils and guide books that she hasContinue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 2”

Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 1

We moved to a new base camp for adventures! We traveled about an hour up the road to the northern suburbs of Cincinnati. We’ll be here for a few days enjoying the city, having school of course and spending time with Brian’s mom and stepdad who drove down from Michigan. But before we left Leesburg,Continue reading “Cincinnati, Ohio; Day 1”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 23

Upon waking this morning, we were greeted with a bit of white on the front lawn of Mamoh’s house. This strange substance is apparently called “frost” and can occur in climates which may feel intolerable to those of our species that normally reside in Southern California. (Mamoh was not amused by our professed ignorance atContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 23”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 22

During school today, CreeperPuppy read an I Survived! book involving a bear attack in Glacier National Park. Reading that story reminded him that these 5 Adventurers had our own black bear encounter in Glacier this summer so we chose that post for a flashback Friday to July 3rd. Thankfully, our bear encounter was much lessContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 22”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 21

Today is predicted to be the last good weather for a while so we took advantage at the local Leesburg playground. The kids had fun exploring all the equipment but demonstrated they are getting close to aging out of parks like these. On the spring riders they almost touched the ground and had knees practicallyContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 21”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 20

Today’s adventure was small but sweet…literally. We went to the local Leesburg bakery for a mid morning snack. It’s called Batter Up Bakery and it’s slogan is ‘If we bake it, it’s a hit!’ We have to agree. Suaram tried a cream horn for the first time (Mamoh was already a fan) and the restContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 20”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 19

Today was a school day for the 5 Adventurers. The kids studied Language Arts, Math and spent time finishing up their chapter 4 worksheets for the class book we are reading together (Call It Courage). During recess, CreeperPuppy found a very cool crawling thing and Saurum spent the time outside training it to jump fromContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 19”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 18

Normally a blog post about a fast food restaurant would not qualify as an adventure by our standards. Perhaps we will make an exception in June/ July when we return to SoCal and get some In-n-Out burgers. In Southern Ohio the local fast food must-have is sweet chili and the best version of this isContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 18”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 17

Today started cold, in the twenties, but quickly warmed to a sunny sixties kind of day. We took advantage of the weather and headed to a very neat park nearby in Wilmington, Ohio. It had all the things the kids like. A picturesque setting, lots of playground equipment, and a music studio. This park evenContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 17”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 16

In most of the US later tonight, the clocks will be adjusted from Daylight Saving Time to Standard time. The 5 Adventurers tend to feel impacted by this change on Monday morning rather than on Sunday. Typically for the ‘fall back’ change everyone wakes up early/easy so we have lots of extra time before weContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 16”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 15

We welcomed back our guest lecturer Mamoh for cooking science adventures today. CreeperKitty was her student and helped make bread in the bread machine. He picked a basic white bread with a light crust. Together they read the recipe, measured, poured and programmed the settings on the machine. Once it was mixing they retired toContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 15”

Leesburg, Ohio; Day 14

Today was an Adventure in waiting that finally got us a big step forward. What are we waiting for? – COVID-19 vaccine shots for the kids so they could be protected and we could better manage travel requirements. First we waited for months for the vaccine to be tested and approved, that waiting ended TuesdayContinue reading “Leesburg, Ohio; Day 14”