College Dreams & Other Things (or Summer Road Trip 2014- Part 1)

This summer we wanted to take a road trip that consisted of touring colleges that my daughter is considering next year, with some fun thrown in.
The plan was to make a giant loop and hit every school from here (central Arkansas) to DC and back with good dance programs- BUT of course with only one week to do it, we ended up with a MUCH smaller loop… (only 1300 miles… so glad we opted for the small trip!)
Day 1:
We made it to Memphis by lunchtime and stopped by the Memphis Zoo.
Goofing off with the Panda bears at the zoo

 

Boys +5 years at the zoo
Next we headed a few blocks over for a quick tour of the beautiful
Rhodes College in Memphis, TN
“Rhodes looks like Hogwarts!”

 

We pushed on and got to Nashville for the night.  (I’d made reservations as we drove in the car on hotels.com.  We stayed across the street from Vanderbilt.
Vandy @ night
Day 2:
We’d made arrangements to tour Vanderbilt after lunch, so we visited the Parthenon in nearby Centennial Park.  My kids are huge Rick Riordan fans (author of the Percy Jackson series) and we like to make “Percy Jackson” stops when we travel.  In Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,  Percy and the gang stop by the Parthenon to obtain a magical pearl.  The museum inside the Parthenon even has some notes from the movie and props, which the boys loved.
Parthenon Fun

After a quick lunch at a quaint old diner (place was cuter than the food was) then headed to Vanderbilt for the tour.

Elliston’s Diner
Wow.
What a gorgeous campus.  No wonder it’s so expensive!  
The tour was fantastic in itself.

 

This is a DORM @ Vanderbilt

 

After the tour we hit the road.  Emily’s Butler tour was Thursday morning and we had to make it to Indianapolis!

On Playin’ Hooky

My kids just finished their second week of school!
The first week we missed two days because we were in St. Louis on a 
last minute family vacation.   
(In all honesty, my honey was there for work so he didn’t get to play as much as we did…)

A fun, fast, last minute summer trip…

On Fun in the Sun- Wordless Wednesdays

Yes,  It’s really HOT!
Spoonbill at the Zoo (They NEVER come down this low!)

Elephant Showing Off at the Circus Pre-Show

Clowning Around at the Circus

Boys Ready for the AR Miracle Chasers Kids’ Triathalon

Hot and Tired Boy

In the Good-ole Summer Time

Summertime…
Yes, It’s HOT in Arkansas!
Watermelon! (My grandpa on Father’s day)
Emily- not sharing
Ready for the Hunger Games?

Tap Camp (My dancing queen on left)

Cute (Uninvited) Dinner Guest on our Date Night and yes, he did jump in my lap

Sundays in My City

New Murals On the River Trail

Max on the “Secret Trail” He Found- We met the artist that designed the mural above while exploring!

One of The Many Monsters in Town

You Never Know Who’s Looking

Rock Monster

Pretty Cliffs

Mimosa In Bloom (They remind me of Panama)

My Guys By the Arkansas River