You know those childhood memories that come up around the Thanksgiving table? The ones that have everyone laughing till they practically cry? Like when the van door fell off in Bar Harbor, Maine or when the Taurus broke down on the way to Chicago and the entire family had to squeeze into the tow truck cab, (both are one of many of my childhood travel memories). Well, we made one of those for our kiddos this past weekend. It was the classic tale of two vehicles going somewhere and only one returning home.
It all started Friday afterschool. Kiddos and I packed up the Yukon with the road trip essentials: LEGO bricks, dolls, Floam, music, snacks, etc. and we headed to Troy, Ohio to meet up with my husband who had been there for work. It was going to be a blast, kiddos could swim, we could relax, spend the night, then the next morning, (which just so happened to be our eldest birthday), we would head into Columbus for the LEGO Creativity Tour!! The drive down was so smooth; my 2001 Yukon drove like a champ that day! We arrived, had dinner, swam, watched cable (our house is cable free, so this is an added hotel perk), went to bed, and the next morning the REAL adventure began!
My husband and I both had to drive from Troy to Columbus because we would be going home after the LEGO Creativity Tour. So we headed out, it was a gorgeous day, sun was shining, a few clouds in the sky, traffic wasn’t too bad especially considering Ohio State played that day. On our way into town the car made a weird noise, right around Plain City, Ohio, then it seemed fine. We got into Columbus and suddenly the dash flashed the low fuel sign & anti-lock brake sign pair that with the fact that I had no idea where any gas stations were & no access online and I became one slightly nervous momma. So I did the only logical thing, prayed & we got our LEGO on! Woot! Woot!!
LEGO Creativity Tour!!!
As we walked in we were greeted by these awesome Lego bricks sculptures! They we absolutely fascinating! The time, energy, effort, and creativity that went into those was inspiring!
Then our eldest wanted to check out the YouthDigital booth that offered kiddos aged 8-14 the opportunity to make their own sword and then use it in the Minecraft world, it was kinda the coolest!!
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Our next stop, LEGO Friends!!! The girls absolutely adore LEGO friends, they know all the girls names and have practically all the sets.
They were quite eager to build a house for Heartlake City. The coolest part was once they turned in their house to the LEGO person in charge in return they received a small LEGO kit. I was extremely thankful for that since I know our preschool has a tough time parting with her creations.
They literally had something for everyone, including video games. All 3 of the kiddos lost their minds when we boarded a truck that was filled with huge screens, video game consoles and sweet games. They had the option of playing Minecraft or LEGO and they chose LEGO. Even our youngest got in on the fun, and she has not stopped talking about it since, lol!
We stopped by the Art Gallery…..
Built more SWEET things with LEGO bricks…
Became LEGO Club members….join today, it is free, get FREE magazines, and other fun activities for kiddos! CLICK HERE TO JOIN!
Sadly, we did not get to everything, our time expired. But no worries, just means we will have to go checkout LEGO KidsFest 2016 in Cleveland!! For tour dates and cities, CLICK HERE for info.
We headed out of the parking garage and with every turn the Yukon seemed to get worse and worse, the grinding, loss of anti-lock brakes, eventually it felt like the wheel was literally going to fall off…pair that with the inclement weather and semis and this mommas was a nervous wreck!! We made it as far as Waldo, Ohio. I officially know where Waldo is, lol! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!). We stopped for dinner at an adorable little spot known for their bologna sandwiches, G & R Tavern and then called AAA. The Tavern had huge pieces of pie and since it was our daughter’s 10th birthday and I just so happened to have candles in my purse we made certain we sang Happy Birthday….this is one birthday she will never forget.
This will be one of those stories that comes up at the Thanksgiving table for years to come and I am certain we will laugh till we cry (perhaps not this Thanksgiving, the wounds are still fresh, but next year for sure).
FYI-AAA is another MUST HAVE membership for ALL families on the go! They came to our rescue within 45 minutes and towed us back to Toledo (100 miles!…covered under the Gold Membership). AAA membership makes a great Christmas Gift…CLICK HERE for more info.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 
Amazing!