Getting There

We went to Arkansas to visit Grandpa Don over the 4th of July weekend. Camryn thought she was really lucky since we switched her carseat to forward facing for the first time. Boy, it sure does help a child to ride in a car better when he/she can actually seen outside the window!
I do have to say her and Toro did amazingly well. Scott wanted to break up the 9 - 10 hour trip down in two days (I tried to convince him otherwise. I really cannot remember in all my trips to Arkansas taking two days to travel . . . I am sure it happened).
So we stayed the night at a Quality Inn Motel. And yes I mean a motel. It has been ages since I have stayed in a motel. A motel, for those who need a refresher course) is the building that all the doors are on the outside. Now I should mention that it was okay; however, if by chance a torrential downpour should occur I am pretty sure our room would have been flooded (or our front entrance just really wet).
Now a little aside. The only other motel I really have a memory of is when Mom, Aunti Lou and all of us kids went down to FL to visit Aunti Lou's mom and we stayed in a motel. My mom frosted, yes frosted Aunti Lou's hair in the motel and this part gets a little fuzzy but I think we thought someone was trying to get in the room and decided that we would send out Aunti Lou and maybe her hair would scare them away. (I was definitely under 10 but not sure exactly how old I was so this memory is shaky).

I think the reason I have such a poor impression of the place is neither Camryn or Toro really enjoyed the place. We pulled in a little before 11 pm Thursday night and just before we get to the room, Camryn actually woke up. When we entered the room (after waiting forever for Toro to do his business) Camryn would NOT let me put her down. Every time I tried she just started screaming/crying etc. I didn't want to get kicked out so I picked her up. Once we were settled (well past midnight) I thought I could just lay Camryn in her pack and play and be done with it . . . WRONG!!! Long story short she spent the night in bed with mom and dad and tossed and turned and cried until finally falling asleep around 2 AM. Not to mention the dog pacing and whining the whole night. I think Scott had either a foot on his head or her head laying on top of his when we woke up the next morning. The next morning Camryn and Toro didn't really seem to mind the room.
We made a little detour at St. James Winery. It was a self-serve wine tasting and grape juice tasting. They had over 12 wines to taste and I think about 6 grape juices. The wines were in true midwest tradition and a little sweet. I would highly recommend the stop. There were other wineries in the area as well.
This was Toro pretty much the entire trip!