Two days ago my family escaped leaving town to take a much anticipated and long awaited road trip to the Fort Wayne Children‘s Zoo. Maybe other families take road trips all the time and it is standard fare for a summer weekend. For me and my family, taking a road trip together is a rare occurrence. My husband spends all but 4 days a month on the road and honestly the last thing on his agenda when he finally finds his way to the house is to hit the road again for a family adventure. This road trip has been thought about, planned, and looked forward to since the snow flew this winter. Actually I have yearned to return to this zoo since before my son was born over 7 years ago. That is how long it has been since I have gone anywhere that even remotely resembled a vacation get away.
We woke early, counted our money once again, checked the internet once more, and reassured ourselves that yes, we not only have earned this escape but we also had the money to cover it. The drive was punctuated with the repeated phrase of “are we there yet?” from the back seat as only two anxious kids can do. I worried as I watched the temperature climb into the 90’s as we continued on our journey. I was honestly scared $hitless that I would end up toe up in a neighboring ER barfing in a wastebasket suffering heat stroke like I did last summer. Still that made little difference when planning this little excursion. The only factor that matters when planning a road trip like this is that my husband is with us. The weather doesn’t always cooperate so you have to do what you have to do to soldier on grabbing life with both hands and experiencing it head on.
Armed with a map of the zoo and my trusty camera we embarked on a journey that took us to the savannahs of Africa, the humid beauty of the rain forests, and finally to the dusty red dirt paths of Australia. It wasn’t long before the map was stuffed deep in my purse and we chose to wander and explore wherever the path took us at our leisure snapping pictures and peering intently into the habitats to see the animals hidden in the shadows trying to keep cool in the sweltering heat.
Wandering through the Fort Wayne Zoo allows you to discover exotic plants and animals around every turn. I was blown away by the African journey where the grounds are carefully landscaped to give you the illusion you are in the heart of an African savannah where seeing zebra and wildebeest roaming freely is commonplace. My favorite highlights of be the sky safari that soared us high into the sky giving us an amazing view of the savannah below and the up close and personal visit with the giraffes from an amazing 14 foot platform.
For a price you can pay to feed the giraffes. The giraffes have it planned too. We didn’t spend the extra dollars to wave a small piece of lettuce at the majestic creatures but two teenagers did and we were awed to watch a giraffe gallop right over and take the lettuce right from their hands. The giraffe was so close I could reach out and pet its neck. With the exuberance of a kid, I did just that.
We checked out a real Land Rover, climbed inside some explorer tents, examined multiple bugs and butterflies under a telescope, and banged on African drums. We road the train, took a lazy river ride, watched the kids beam their approval from a merry go round populated with endangered species, and were inspired by the beautiful fish that swam in the tanks in the Great Barrier Reef aquarium.
It was stifling hot but the zoo had various spots throughout where you could cool off with a mist of refreshing water. We took full advantage of these standing in front of them and getting thoroughly drenched before proceeding on. Even though by the end of the afternoon a migraine had settled in and nausea began to take over, I survived and had a blast at the zoo.
We spent a glorious day exploring and enjoying the animals who except for the giraffes who expected food, looked like they were hot as hell and didn’t give a rat’s a$$ if anyone was looking at them or not. It didn’t matter if the animals looked bored as hell; we were thrilled to be there regardless of the heat and enjoyed every single minute until next time when I give you a glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
With gas prices topping out between OMG and WTF, it would never occur to me to jump in my blazer with no particular place to go and no definite destination in mind. I usually plan it so I hit everywhere I need to go while I am out so I can return home and stay there. I don't usually make unnecessary trips. With money normally scarce, I am pretty content to stick close to home. That wasn't always the case. Once I got my driver's license I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel and didn't need a particular destination to give me a reason to go.
My grandparents were from a bygone era. They used to love to get in their van and take a leisurely Sunday drive. As long as there was gas in the tank, they hit the open road with no particular place to go. One time they stopped at our house on their way and asked me if I wanted to go along for the ride. I eyeballed my mother willing her to say no, and she was nodding her head in agreement and pushing me forward. Oh Lord, that meant that she thought I should go. In the end, I figured what the hell. It could be fun. I took my place inside their van on that warm, sunny day and prayed for ventilation. Grandpa set the radio dial on some golden oldies station and away we went heading north into Michigan.
I honestly believe that my Grandpa loved the sound of his own voice. He made small talk the whole way while my Grandma and I sat in utter silence watching the world pass us by. Every time Grandma tried to get a word in edgewise, Grandpa would literally yell "Huh??? Did you say something??" She would repeat whatever it was she had to say and eventually Grandpa would declare she shouldn't mumble because he couldn't understand a damn word she said. If she wanted to speak, she had best speak up!! Grandma would clamp her lips tightly, roll her eyes in my direction, and continue to gaze out her window. Grandpa had something to say about everything. "There's someone mowing their lawn, look at those willow trees, and see how that barn is painted green? What a dumb a$$! Don't they know barns should be painted red??" He literally had something to say about everything. I was beginning to wish he would shut the hell up when my Grandma literally screamed she had to pee.
Grandpa proclaimed that the only place fit to pee when you were on a road trip was at McDonald's because they had clean bathrooms with big spacious stalls. Not only that, Grandma loved the paper liners they provided for the toilet seats. Finally the golden arches rolled into view, and mercifully the van rolled to a stop. It was up to me to help Grandma into the bathroom. I was rewarded with a Happy Meal. Not exactly cool when you are a teenager, but easier to take it and say thank you than communicate what I really wanted.
Before long we were back on the road listening to Grandpa's monologue about all the sights. Eventually we pulled up at one of the many outdoor fruit stands and my Grandparents selected several choice specimens to purchase. The coolest part of the whole trip was when we finally reached Lake Michigan and Grandpa stopped so we could take in the picturesque scenery of a small beach town. There was a harbor where several large boats were docked and a cool lighthouse. Grandma and I posed for pictures as Grandpa happily snapped away. We headed back home without a care in the world.
Once I got my driver's license, I used every opportunity to hit the road myself. Gasoline was a lot cheaper in those days and I loved to go places whether it was to the local shopping mall or a drive to Lake Michigan for a day at the beach. I don't remember ever getting behind the wheel where I didn't have a destination in mind. The radio blared my favorite tunes as I bopped along to the beat. I was always singing along having the time of my life until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker's wife.
I am a person who never goes looking for adventure. I don’t bungee jump, hang glide, or strap on a parachute and hurl myself out of airplanes. I just drift through life doing what I have to do when I have to do it, all cool, calm, and collected. Whether I like it or not, adventure finds me. I am always oblivious, and adventure usually sneaks up and grabs me right in the a$$ taking me by surprise.
When I was a college freshmen at Belmont University, I decided on the spur of the moment that I wanted to go home. Let’s forget the fact that home happened to be an 8 hour drive away. Even though I had told my mom that I intended to spend the weekend on campus, as soon as my last class was over I was overcome with the need, determination, and insanity to drive home.
I threw some clothes and books into the back of my car, cranked the radio’s volume to full blast and pointed my car north. I was 18, had the world by the a$$, and wanted to go home, so away I went. I checked no weather reports because the sun was shining. I notified no one that I was on my way. I just got in my car and moved it right along.
Somewhere along the way the sun retreated behind the clouds. The threatening skies made little difference to me. I had my tunes cranked and at that moment I was singing along to Bon Jovi. I had my mojo working, my head was banging to the beat, and I was really getting into the music when all of a sudden a newscaster broke into the middle of the song. “If you are in Brown County, take shelter immediately! A tornado has touched down near I-65 and is traveling north. Repeat, if you are in the path of this storm, take cover NOW!” It took me a minute for this piece of information to register. “Oh hells bells, I am on I-65!” I then passed a sign welcoming me to Brown County. Brown County!! I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and looked around. I looked over to my left and just about $hit my pants. There was a huge tornado blowing up a barn right alongside of me!! I freaked out. I didn’t know whether to cuss or pray so I did a little bit of both.
Instead of pulling off to the side of the road and taking cover, I slammed my foot to the gas pedal and floored it. All the other vehicles around me had the same reaction because everyone seemed to move in a pack like a bat out of hell. Rain poured down in sheets. I couldn’t see where I was going. All I could see was the tail lights of the semi truck in front of me. I knew if that semi truck went off the road, I would follow it. If the tornado changed course, it would hit me. Either way I sliced it, I was probably going to be having tea and cakes with Je$u$ in short order. So I buried the gas pedal, said a prayer, and hauled a$$ all the way to Indianapolis.
By the time I reached Indianapolis, I had to pee BAD. Honestly it is a wonder I didn’t pee myself on the way. My brain was frazzled and if I wasn’t three sandwiches short of a picnic before, I was definitely a little closer to needing a straight jacket by the time I guided my Dodge Shelby Charger through the construction barricades that surrounded the gas station.
Evidently I drove through the wrong barriers because the next thing I knew my car was nose down in a deep ditch. I lost it with a capital L. I managed to climb out of my car and rushed up to the station to demand they get my car out of their little moat NOW. I was going to pee, use the phone, and then I wanted to head on down the highway. It didn’t matter if it was my fault for having my head up my a$$ and driving through the wrong barriers. It was their barriers, their moat, and their job to get it un-f***** immediately before I completely lost my mind right there in their lovely establishment. Before long I was back on the road with only a scratch on the spoiler.
I finally did make it home and lived to tell the tale. I never go looking for adventure, but I always manage to find it no matter how much I try to avoid it until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
