1. It was a beautiful day to be outside. So glad we postponed the 2nd day of our Colonial Williamsburg visit to avoid trudging through rain, lightning, and mud.
2. We started today with the Capitol and the jail. Trials were held 4 times per year, so accused criminals could be incarcerated for months before their rights to a “speedy trial” were exercised.
3. Dined in a historic Williamsburg tavern for lunch. Fun!
4. Today we learned about the following trades: wigmaker, apothecary, silversmith, milliner, weaver, and wheelwright. We missed the basket maker and some re-enactments, but otherwise successfully covered everything we set out to see.
5. The kids roamed the hedge maze behind the Governor’s Palace before we called it a day. They boys won, with many accusations on both sides of cheating.
6. Noah: “I come in peace, yo.” I have no idea what it means, but he’s been singing it over and over tonight. Silly boy.

1. Cherry blossoms swirling in the wind look like snow. Beautiful!
2. Noah: “If you’re going to throw up, throw up in the bag in front of you.” Said as the kids recreated their own version of Mission Space while we waited to get into the U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center. Well, it’s true that Mission Space is the only ride at Disney with barf bags…
3. At the Capitol they made us throw away every bit of food we had before we could enter, even factory sealed packages. That makes this one of the least family friendly places I’ve ever visited. Wish we could charge them for the kids’ snacks we later had to buy to replace the ones they made us throw away.
4. Most eventful occurrence of the trip so far: We got evacuated from the Capitol just as we were learning about Senate history. Apparently it was a fire alarm, but it’s hard not to think of 9/11 when being evacuated from a federal building. Or maybe someone got caught sneaking in dangerous contraband food.
5. The infrared camera in the spectroscopy exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum confirms what I’ve always known: I’m freezing. My family’s hands were glowing all sorts of warm shades of yellow, orange, and red. Not a spec of a cool color in sight. My hands? Solid, deep blue!
6. I really still wish my family would quit rushing me. There just isn’t enough time to see everything, especially for someone like me who wants to read every sign.
7. At the Jefferson Memorial, I was pleased with the inscriptions that reinforce the faith of our founding fathers.
8. Overheard at the Vietnam Memorial: “It’s just a bunch of names of people who died.” I’m speechless. Tell that to the families of those named on the wall. I was moved to tears by the flowers and personal notes left there, and especially moved by an elderly couple who appeared to be honoring one specific name. A son, perhaps?
9. Other sites we visited: Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the Washington Monument.
10. Yay for empty trolleys!

1. 5:45 am is much too early to be awake on vacation. This should be illegal.
2. Conversation in our car as we enter DC:
   Maia: “There’s the Jefferson Memorial!”
   Me: “You’ve never been here before. How did you know what the Jefferson Memorial looks like?”
   Maia (smugly): “Cause I know some stuff.”
3. It is windy and COLD!
4. First stop, White House. Yup, looks just like the pictures.
5. “Ooh, look, there are businessmen!” says Maia as we pass a trio of men in business suits pulling their suitcases. Hilarious that she thinks that’s a tourist attraction.
6. Constant refrain that the kids (and my sister, who started them on it) will not stop repeating in drawn out voices as we enter every crosswalk: “Does everybody have their exit buddy?” Bonus points if you can name the movie reference.
7. Next stop: Smithsonian. We made it to both the Museum of American History and Museum of Natural History today. Both are more crowded than Disney. Ugh.
8. I’m a little unsettled that the exhibits at the Museum of Natural History give no credit to God.
9. I totally wish my family would quit rushing me. They’re complaining that I’m (gasp!) actually reading the displays, but I’m here to learn stuff.
10. My feet hurt (again). I have no stamina. Tomorrow, I vote for the trolley tour.

1. Rain and thunder and lightning, oh my. Not to mention a tornado watch. This definitely calls for a change in plans.
2. The kind people at Colonial Williamsburg agree to re-issue the 2nd day of our 2-day tickets for later in the week. We spend a few dollars in the gift shop as thanks.
3. Death-defying dash back to the car to avoid the lightning crashing down all around. I’ve never seen my family run so fast.
4. Rainy day backup plan… checking the movie theater to see what’s playing this afternoon.
5. Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D. Awesome! The kids loved it.
6. Heading to spend the rest of the afternoon in Yorktown. I am more directionally challenged than I thought, but we eventually find the place.
7. Interesting couple of hours at the Yorktown Victory Center. My favorite was the soldier’s encampment. Rough life those guys had!

1. Caught my kids hugging each other when I woke up this morning. Why can’t they be this nice to each other all the time?
2. Since we missed church for Palm Sunday, we made sure to start the morning by reading and talking about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
3. No matter what time you think you’re going to get started with the day’s activities, when 8 people are involved, things never go according to plan. Vacationing with family can be a bit like herding cats, but in a good way.
4. 4 out of 4 Donahues agree: the good citizens of Williamsburg are obssessed with pancakes and waffles. There are more pancake houses per capita here than we’ve ever seen anywhere.
5. First historical stop: the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg. Maia couldn’t wait, since Felicity got to visit this very same home in one of the American Girl books. Maia says it wasn’t what she expected from the book, and the kids were a little underwhelmed. I don’t think they appreciated how vastly superior such accommodations were for their time.
6. Fortunately, they found everything else fascinating. Today we learned such trades as how to make shoes, how to forge iron tools, how to print and bind books, how to carve wood and build furniture, and how to make bricks. More tomorrow.
7. Maia loves history and has been asking lots of questions. We bought her a notebook to write down all the interesting facts she has been learning.
8. My feet hurt and I have a headache.

1. What the home screen on my phone says: “Messages (0). Calendar: No upcoming appointments. All Day: Vacation.” I wanna live like this every day!
2. My son has a bladder the size of a pea, but only on long car trips. Suspicious.
3. Strange that there are billboards on the interstate advertising for wigs, of all things. Then again, this is the South.
4. So glad I have my new iPod Touch for typing out these notes to add to my blog later.
5. I just got shushed for singing too loud. I guess singing along to my iPod is too much for even my family to bear, when they don’t have the benefit of the radio to drown me out. But who could resist belting along to a tune like He Reigns?
6. Passed a sign in VA for New Kent. I think I’ll keep the one I have, thank you very much. Even if he doesn’t admire my singing voice.
7. Best sign we’ve seen so far: Entering Williamsburg.
8. The kids haven’t bickered once in the car today. This bodes well for the rest of the week.
9. It’s so nice to actually have time to think about writing for my blog!

The front porch of our secluded mountain cabin:

The rear of our mountain cabin:

The view from the back deck:

Our days so far have been filled with leisurely taking in the scenery and attractions of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, breathing the fresh mountain air as we relax in rockers on the front porch with good books and tall glasses of sweet, cold lemonade, and enjoying evening soaks in the hot tub on the back deck, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.

This is a restorative vacation that is truly good for the soul. I want more!

And let me just tell you that getting home in time for this monumental event was no easy task. Wanna know why? Here are my recent travel woes, in all their excrutiating detail. Because once I realized a potential blog post was in the making, I whipped out my trusty pencil and notebook and began chronicling the events as they unfolded.

Tuesday, November 7

1:00 p.m.: I arrived early at the airport, like a good little international traveler, for my scheduled 3:15 p.m. departure. I was advised that the incoming flight was delayed, but they would deplane quickly and chances were good that we’d still leave on time.

3:15 p.m.: My flight is CANCELLED due to a mechanical problem on the arriving plane. Followed by a mad dash to the ticket counter for rebooking. The only problem is, this is the booming metropolis of Saskatoon, hardly a major airline hub. This was the last scheduled flight of the day for this tiny regional airport. I’m unexpectedly stuck here for another night. In what will turn out to be the only piece of good news for the next 24 hours, the first leg of my rebooked flight tomorrow morning has been upgraded to first class.

4:30 p.m.: The hospitable staff at the Radisson Saskatoon are quite delighted to welcome me back again so soon.

Wednesday, November 8

4:30 a.m.: Early wake-up call for a 7:00 a.m. flight. A very nice bonus of my extra night in Canada is that upon checking out, I discover that it is snowing outside—a beautiful and rare sight for this Floridian. But I should have known the snow would mean trouble. I should have known.

7:05 a.m.: We pull away from the gate, and all looks good. Except for the ice. The plane must be de-iced before we can take off, because, hey, this is Canada, where it’s cold.

7:40 a.m.: De-icing is finally completed. Just in time for someone in charge to decide the snow is coming down too hard to keep the runway clear, and our plane is too heavy to take off in such slippery conditions. By about 10,000 pounds. According to the pilot, it’s a toss-up as to whether we’ll wait for the weather to clear or return to the gate and kick a few people and their belongings off so we’re light enough to take off. Great. Either way, there’s no way I’m making that connection to Orlando now. All I can say is, they better not kick off any of the people who had already been rebooked from yesterday! We sit around for a while as they decide what to do.

8:25 a.m.: After a couple of parking attempts in which the pilot cannot see the indicators marked on the ground because of the several inches of snow that have already accumulated, we make it back to the gate. The flight crew decides to deplane all those with only carry on luggage, and no checked bags. Rats. That’s me.

8:40 a.m.: As luck would have it, there is another plane available to take those of us who were left behind on to our next destination (the same plane cancelled yesterday due to mechanical problems). We’re directed to wait in the jetway, even though the aircraft has not made it to the gate yet. At least the jetway is heated.

9:00 a.m.: The plane arrives, the jetway hatch opens, and with no warning that motion is about to occur, the jetway is extended into position against the plane. It’s probably against every FAA regulation for passengers to be in a moving, open jetway, but I suppose the FAA doesn’t have much jurisdiction in Canada.

9:15 a.m.: After I’m safely ensconced in my new first class seat, I learn that the "mechanical problem" which caused yesterday’s flight to be cancelled was just a corner of an overhead panel in the cabin that had come loose, and only needed a dab of glue. Apparently there was no maintenance crew on duty at the time, not even a guy with a gluestick. On the bright side, I’m reassured that there are no worries about major mechanical failures aboard this particular aircraft.

9:35 a.m.: We’re ready to go, but the other plane, the one from which I was kicked off, the one that still has people on it, gets to leave first. We have to wait our turn for push back and de-icing. Those lucky ducks. Almost makes me wish I had checked some luggage.

10:15 a.m.: De-icing, take two.

10:45 a.m.: Finally airborne, only 19 hours and 30 minutes late.

11:05 a.m.: First class—aaaah, this is the life! So THIS is how the other half lives!

12:30 p.m.: Arrival in Minneapolis, exactly 2 hours and 10 minutes after my connecting flight to Orlando has already departed.

12:45 p.m.: The brilliant minds at Northwest kindly rebooked me on another airline, but geniously on a flight that I had no hope of making, given that I had to go through customs, exit the security area, cross to the ticket counter at the opposite end of the airport, re-check in with the new airline, and clear security again. All in just 25 minutes. Of course when I arrived at the ticket counter I learned that it was too late to check in, but that for only $25 I could guarantee a seat on the next available flight. I’m sure you can guess how I felt about THAT. But do not fear for my financial loss, dear readers. I told my sob story and got that $25 fee waived right away.

12:50 p.m.: I arrive at the screening checkpoint only to learn that my airline (which one? Northwest? American?) has selected me for "additional screening." Huh? I’ve flown quite a lot this year and have never experienced this before, but apparently there was a secret code on my boarding card that identified me as a potential terrorist or something. I guess the Canadians aren’t the only ones who think I’m up to no good. Or maybe the American Airlines ticket agent was punishing me for daring to fight the $25 fee. In any case, the TSA agents pulled me aside, searched all my luggage, and patted me down, then, deciding I’m no threat after all, sent me on my way.

10:40 p.m.: Two more delayed flights later (completing my perfect track record for this very long day), I finally make it to home, sweet, home. Almost 24 hours later than originally scheduled. But still in time for my birthday.

Thursday, November 9

12:00 a.m.: Happy birthday to me. I deserve it!

Apparently, the hunting is good around these parts at this time of year. That seems to be what brought several of my fellow travelers to this remote locale. They even had a special greeter to welcome them with details for obtaining their hunting licenses or paying their hunting taxes or some such thing. I don’t know what they are hunting, though, because surely all the smart creatures are tucked in for the winter, all snug and cozy in hibernation, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

I also must note that Canadian customs was the toughest I’ve ever encountered. They didn’t search my luggage for illegal contraband, but they positively grilled me on the reason for my visit, down to the minutest details like who I was doing business with and what exactly I meant by "conducting a training session" and just when I was planning to get out and quit tarnishing their country with my presence. Okay, so they didn’t say that last part exactly like that, but it sure seemed like it was what they were thinking, what with the third degree and all. Cuz I know I look like such a troublemaker with a secret terrorist, or maybe drug smuggling, agenda.

But none of these things are the reasons I set out to write this particular blog post. What I want to tell you about is the interesting cloud formation I witnessed during the plane’s descent through Canadian airspace. As we began our approach into Saskatoon on this gray and dreary day, the plane sliced right through the solid layer of clouds beneath us. Nothing unusual about that; that’s what planes do as they prepare to land. What I found curious is that after we emerged from that layer of clouds, there was ANOTHER parallel layer of clouds further below. A flat layer of clouds above us as far as the eye could see, and an identical flat layer spanning out below us, with our plane gliding through open air sandwiched right in the middle. I’m sure there’s a meteorological explanation for the phenomenon, but I don’t recall ever noticing such a cloud pattern in flight before. I was fascinated.

That’s all. No earth shattering revelations. Just an interesting observation for today, eh?

I’m headed home, for a few days, at least. That’s a good thing. I’ve been gone for nearly a week. It hasn’t all been for work — I’ve had some time to play too, but I miss my family. And I’m off again to Minneapolis on Monday. I’ll blog about my travels soon. Til then, wish me a speedy recovery from the jet lag.