How to Lose Apple as a Sponsor

April 1, 2010!  The beginning of National Donate Life Month.  The day we leave for 365 days to promote organ donation in every state.  A great day.

We can announce that with much more certainty now because the website is done [big sigh] - visit at:   www.BestPlacesInTheUSA.com.  You'll find info about every state, how you can register to be an organ donor, how to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, contests to sign up for, even how YOU can design our trip.

Oh, and you know how there's a million really bad videos out on YouTube?  Now there's 1,000,001.  You can check ours out at YouTube.BestPlacesInTheUSA.com.  Once the trip begins, we'll post videos of all the USA has to offer...well not "all" - just the good stuff in our humble opinions.

One yeah.  We also have an amazon store where you can purchase just about anything amazon offers - just click on the "Our Store" menu item.  Your purchases help fund the trip.

Speaking of stuff.  I didn't get around to helping my friends at Apple in this blog.  This iPad thing will sell ok, but it's got no staying power - no Apple jazz.  I helped them with ideas on the iPhone several years ago so next time I blog I'll point them in the direction they need to be working on instead of an over-sized iPhone you can't make calls on.

iPad?  Seriously?  No one had any objections to the name?

Visit www.BestPlacesInTheUSA.com.

-the dad

Wii, Wii, Wii all the Way Home

This week we asked the kids what "necessities" they will be bringing on the trip...


"Hi Dr. Dorito is in the house. Today I'm talking about the items I plan on bringing along on my trip.

Well one of the most important things is my laptop and computer games.  I can play games, play on the Internet, and (sigh) do school.  Another thing is my army men.  I can't imagine life without them.

I will also need my books.  I can't make it through a day without reading a book.  One other necessity is the Wii and my DS.  I can't play computer games all the time you know.  I think that's every thing I need (besides food).

This is John J Jinglehindershmit (that's my name too) signing off."

- the son
(If you have a question we should ask the kids about taking a year and wandering around the USA, leave a comment and we'll see what they say.)

If Not a Pony, Maybe an RV With a Porch

We all have our own perceptions of what's important.  We asked the boy what he thought was important for an RV traveling around the USA last week.  Now it's time to see what's the 9 year old daughter's dream RV would look like.  Here we go:

"My dream RV is going to have:

• A bunk over the driver where I'm going to sleep.
• Three booths so there's enough room for four of my friends.
• Bunk beds in the back room so my friends don't have to sleep on the floor.
• Three bathrooms because my dad and brother read in the bathroom (remember this is my dream RV - it can have anything).
• A kitchen with an oven, a dishwasher and a lot of drawers - so there's enough drawers for all our food and so we don't have to hand wash our food.
• A pull out porch so we can sit outside in the shade.
• And one master bedroom for my parents."

-the daughter

(We were not aware that we were bringing 4 of her friends along for the year long trip - she doesn't tell us everything...I suppose we should tell their parents.   Her friends may have to hand wash their food, though.)

365 Day Trip Preparation: Chapter 1 - Banking

I hadn’t planned on switching banks already.  I was saving that for closer to the departure date, only because I didn’t want to switch over all those automatic withdrawals (you know:   the utility company, cable, newspaper, garbage, and on and on – all those things we won’t have on the road anyway).  I figured if I waited, I could just cancel them.

We need a bank we can move funds around easily with, that gives reasonable interest, has a monstrous ATM network, and potentially a sizable number branches across the USA.

Sometimes you just have to do something for the principle of it, though.  Today was such a day.  So a month earlier than planned, I bit the bullet and went to a new bank.  Why so early, you ask - so I wouldn’t be chastised by my old local bank. 

It all started last week when the ATM was down.  I needed cash so I drove over to the drive through and asked for some cash from our checking account.  Since I don’t carry around my bank account numbers, my social security number, or even my age and weight,  the teller looked the account up and sent the cash out. 

Little did I know for several days however that they pulled the money out of my husband’s Health Savings Account – a very bad thing that makes the IRS very unhappy.  Even worse, I’m not even on that account!

No big deal, right?  I’ll explain it, they’ll apologize, fix it, and I’ll be off.  Simple.  Right?

Not in today’s messed up customer service world.

The bank teller chastised me for not carrying around my account numbers and blamed  me for the problem!   No apology, not even an “oops.”

In fact, she told me how secure it was to carry around my account numbers.  What?!  I just drove up and got cash from an account I’m not even on, without you even knowing for sure who I was!

So today I guess I can check that item off my to-do list.  Open a national on-line bank account at a new bank we can get cash at from all over the country.  Check! 

At least if an online bank chastises me, it’ll be through email….

-The Mom

A 72” TV in a 68” RV

One of our options traveling around the USA for a year is in an RV.  Neither of us wants to drive a tour bus so it will most likely be a smaller one.  This week we asked the kids what their perfect RV would look like…


“Hi, it's Dr. D and today I'm blogging about my dream RV.  In my dream RV I would have an overhead bunk that's extra soft (tempurpedic mattress), a recliner looking at a 72" plasma screen TV (and a xbox), four bathrooms( mine's the master bath), Jacuzzi, indoor grill (with vent for smoke), and a fifteen foot long pool (I know I'm dreaming, but so what). The color of the RV would be red, with a fold out desk in my bed ( so that I can work and eat in bed), and a unlimited supply of candy and meat.

DD is now signing off.”

- the son

Dance (and Eat) the Funky Chicken

Hi DD here with my favorite subject FOOD!!! :) One of the best foods is meat so as a anti-vegetarian (no offence) I'm going to try every piece of meat on the trip - there is chicken, cow, seafood, and birds ( minus the duck). I especially want to try all types of chicken. One of the foods I won't miss on he trip is BEAN SOUP ( taste like cardboard - no offence mom). I think that about sums it up. This Dr. Dorito singing ( or signing) off


- the son


(We're not sure how many types of chicken he's expecting on the road...do ugly chickens taste different than pretty chickens?  Smart chickens?)

No Need to Fear...Enamel Man is Here!

Yes, an unfortunate part of leaving for a year is getting all your doctor and dentist appointments done before you go.  My son and I embarked today for his first experience with a dentist's drill and my 12th under the evil enamel grinder.  He supposedly just had an "enamel defect" while I had a full blown cavity.  My son blamed me for both.

"Not only did you NOT brush enough for your own teeth, but your bad genes caused my enamel defect!" he accused me when we left with our diagnosis last time.

"It's your mom's genes that are the problem, son.  My teeth are as strong as ten normal men's.  If it weren't for my super-enamel genes, you'd have silly-putty for teeth!'  I quipped back.

"What's silly putty?"

Man, I feel old.

There's been a number of questions we're dealing with before we leave.  How do we get mail?  What bank should we use?  How will we make deposits or pay bills?  Will we get enough exercise?  Will we get tired of so much fast/junk food...mmmmmm, junk food.  Is the internet everywhere?  (We're on AT&T, the one with the small 3G network but bigger overall network).  Will I look even cooler in a cowboy hat?  Do we all carry mace?

Of course, now I know how we'll make photocopies on the trip.  I'll have the boy use silly putty...he's got to learn the important things.

- Dad

Sebastion's Safe

What does a nine year old girl think she'll miss the most on our trip around the USA?

"I'm going to miss my  moms famous chocolate chip cookies and the yummy desserts she makes for church.  On the trip I am going to try almost every thing there is to eat except underwater stuff.  Because I don't like underwater stuff at all... especially mussels."

-The Daughter

Snowballs on the Brain...Sometimes Literally.

It’s been one of those perfect days.  You wake up to fresh fallen snow and the delightful sounds of the radio announcer declaring your school (well, in our case since we homeschool, our local school district) is cancelled…SNOW DAY!  Your sole job is to explore and enjoy the outside world of the fresh fallen snow.  It’s rough, yes, but you’re up for the task.

 You are thrilled as you forge new paths down the powdery hill.  You’re amused while building a snowman and making snow angels.  You relish in making a fort and ultimately pummelling each other with snowballs.  You revel in playing King of the Mountain and tackling each other in the bed of snowy softness.  You take pleasure in watching it from the comfort of your couch as you sip a warm drink.  Ahhh, life is good.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not without work.  Climbing up the hill time after time in the bundle of clothes and boots is exercise.   Building the fort is no small job – determination and dedication are required, but after a long day, you are tired, and it feels good.

It’s actually how I picture our upcoming trip around the US.  Every day we’ll wake up to a new day to explore the sights of this great land from the majestic mountains to the shining seas and everything in between.    We’ll be thrilled as we take in the historic sites, revel in playing King of the Mountain on the Rockies and the Great Smokies, take pleasure in the tourist sites, relish in the beaches, forge new paths in the National Parks, okay, maybe we’ll just stick with the designated trails, but it will be one of those perfect days… or years...

-The Mom

A Three Hour Tour

I'm really looking forward to going to Arizona because there are cactuses there and I've never seen a cactus before.  I also learned about cactuses in school.  Cactuses have a sponge like in side so they can collect water.  this has been a lesson from the daughter.

- the daughter (also nicknamed "the professor" while wearing her glasses...Not like "The Professor" from Gilligan's Island - she looks nothing like him, nor has she ever made a radio out of coconuts...)

The Wind Beneath My Wings

The state I am most looking forward to traveling to is Hawaii. Pearl Harbor, beaches, volcanoes, beaches, nature, beaches, surfing, and beaches there are all great ( especially the beaches.) 


One of the other states I am looking forward to is Florida ( again the beaches.) There is also DISNEY! Rides, food, family fun, pools the list is almost endless. 


Thanks for reading this is I M Excited signing off.


-the son 


[We apparently didn't let him play in the sandbox enough when he was younger.]

iPhone Withdrawl

As a child, I used to have to get up, walk to the television, and change the channel.  The knobs would rotate and after a solid wrist muscle workout, you could make it to a new channel with a loud affirmative "click".  Heaven forbid you needed to travel to the other side of the dial for PBS who for some reason had channels up toward the top (#47) unlike the normal channels.

In our car, we had a little spinning compass on the dashboard that told us if we were going in the right direction.  As my dad put it, "as long as you're going in the right direction, you'll get there eventually."  This is also the man that gave me directions by saying, "Drive about ten minutes on the county road and turn left at the bottom of the hill."

"Which hill?" I inquired.

"The one with a left at the bottom."

Today, however, I am completely convinced I need an iPhone to travel around the United States.  I know this because I sent mine in for service a week ago and can't seem to handle it.   What is the point of having a phone if it only answers calls?

I blog, twitter, facebook from my phone...surf the web, read the news, listen to music, find directions, look up restauarnts, and even play solataire.  Now I have to use one of those old fashioned laptops to do most of that.

A few nights ago, I had to get out a Bible made from paper and I no longer looked brilliant going to the right chapter within seconds.  Do you know how hard it is to find the Book of Amos without your iPhone Bible.

The Apple support site just continues to ominously state:  "Product replacement pending."  as I stumble through life waiting and waiting.  We can't leave for the trip without my iPhone.

Has technology really helped us..or just made us seem a bit pathetic?

Don't answer that.  I think I will just wait patiently for my phone.  Perhaps soon there will be an App that can change channels on the TV...

- The Dad

Thanks to all the new friends helping us find the Best Places in the USA at http://helpus.bestplacesintheusa.com/ !  We'll be planning out all the great places to go...as soon as I get my phone back.