Adventures in Getting Home: Listen to your GPS

So we headed out of town around 9am - about 2 hours later than I wanted to.

The Boy just would not get up!
I was up at 5am showering and packing the last of everything
in anticipation of the kids getting up at 6:15
like they had every other FREAKIN' day of the trip.
Nope.
Not the day I actually want them to get up.
I finally woke The Boy up at 8:40.
Come on.
Seriously?
Srsly.

We stopped in St. George because
I wanted to stop at The Sweet Tooth Fairy to bring a surprise back for my friend Jaime.

I had toyed with the idea of stopping Primm for some outlet shopping.
I even had my Children's Place coupon.
I decided in St. George I definitely didn't wan to stop again just for shopping.
So we hit up the outlets in St. George.
They were lamespice at best.
Old Navy was ok. Children's Place - lame.
Then I just wanted to get out of there, so I gave up stopping at the quilt store :(

So we were back on the road again.
We're all smiles about hitting up the Retro Bakery
when we stop in Las Vegas for gas and lunch,
but they didn't last long.About Mesquite The Boy starts to get anxious.
He doesn't want to drive anymore.
His legs hurt.
He's hungry.
But I don't want to stop in Mesquite.
I only want to stop one more time and I want that to be Las Vegas.,
so I press on.

I've never been to Retro, so I'm not exactly sure where in relation
to coming into Las Vegas from the North side it is.
I know I want to stop at the Pilot with the cheap gas in North Las Vegas.
(We're talking $.30 cheaper than home cheap.)
However, I'm not sure if it's better to hit up Retro first and then get gas or what.

Hmmmm . . . what does the Magic GPS say?
It says to go to Retro first and then get gas.
No, no, that can't be right. We're definitely going to hit the gas first.
Definitely.
So I disregard the advice to take the 215 because I know Retro is off the 95
and I remember passing that about 1/2 way into Vegas when
we were coming from the Cali side.
So we get to the cheap Pilot gas and we get gas
and The Boy is starting to freak out because he is SO hungry.
There is no McDonald's in sight, so I'm tempted to do Jack in the Crack,
but I don't really want to.
Where's a ChickfilA when you need one?

Now, how do I get to Retro?
What does the Magic GPS say?
It says to head West on Craig Road - the very road I am on.
No way. I'm not driving 8 miles on a road with traffic lights.
No way.

Where is that 95?
So, back onto the 15 South to get to the 95.
Then, I think - hey, there's a McDonald's off of Cheyenne.
Holla!
(Why McDonald's? The kids love it. It's not too messy.)
So it's off the 15 because the traffic is backing up
and we're still 5 miles from the 95 and I'm thinking - hmm,
maybe I should have listened to the Magic GPS.

We swing through the McDonald's drive-thru.
The Boy wants out, but I don't want to waste anymore time.
I just want to get on the road and get home - after Retro, of course.

His legs hurt!
He needs to walk around!
So I promise that when we get to Retro he'll get to walk around.

What does magic GPS say now?
Take Cheyenne to the 95.
Ok, I'm going to bite the bullet and drive 8 miles on a
street with traffic lights.
Ugghh.
Oh, did I mention it's HOT?Like 108 degrees hot.
I haven't seen temps like in YEARS!
I notice that the engine temp is rising above the 1/2 way mark.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
So, we turn the A/C off.
And continue on.
We last 15 seconds - as we turn onto Rancho - like the Magic GPS tells me to.
So, I just turn the A/C temp from 65 to 80 and we hold steady on the engine temp.

Then Magic GPS tells me to turn left on Craig Road.
What?
Are you kidding me.
For the love!We just a whole round-a-bout, not necessary loopish thing.
And we drive by Rainbow road and I think of my Nana and Grandpa
and swimming in the pool in the summer.
And playing Tubin' on te Nintendo.

And then we're on the 95.
FINALLY!
Then I see the exit/entrance for the 215.
Seriously?
Srsly.

And then finally we are exiting at Durango.
Retro here we come!
And what is across the street from Retro?
None other than our friend McDonald's.
Seriously?
Srsly!
Why did The Magic GPS not tell me that when I searched
for McDonald's near Retro Bakery????
GPS FAIL.
Then I could have just made one stop in one area
and the kids could have played.

We get out of the car and my darling sister informs
me that The Girl is ALL WET.
Great. She's dumped her sippy cup all over her?
Nope. She's consumed so much Propel
that she has thoroughly wet through her diaper in the time
it's taken us to get from St. George to the Northwest 40 of Las Vegas.
Luckily, I had a spare outfit ready.So we changed her out of her cute cupcake outfit
that I had specially put her in for the occasion of going STF and Retro in the same day.
::sigh::

And we slug through the 108 temp and get inside the Retro Bakery.

And we're happy again!
(well, some of us are)

We get our custom order
(that Kari herself took! as I was driving down the 70 earlier in the day)
and we also get a sugar cookie with cinnamon buttercream
for The Girl . . .

(So we have Pucker Up, Creamsicle, Red Carpet, Hopscotch, Pink Lemonade,
Cinnamon Toast, and hidden under the card - 9th Island)

snap a few farewell pictures . . .

. . . and we're back to the car.
Where The Boy announces he has to go to the bathroom BAD!
So we load into the car,
where The Girl starts yelling,
"I want a tup-tate!"
I try to hand her a piece of the cookie I got her
and she refuses it and yells,
"I want a tup-tate!"

So, I forget about winning this battle right now
and drive across the street to McDonald's to use the bathroom.
We unload and go to the bathroom
and we load back into the car.
And we bust into the tup-tates to make us feel happy again.

My sister chooses the Red Carpet.

And I go for my Hopscotch.
Ahhhh!

Happiness!

P.S. I am not driving during these pictures.

And we're back on the road!
Hallelujah.
I decide to listen to The Magic GPS, so that if anything does go wrong,
I can blame it on The Magic GPS instead of having to admit I'm insane.(Here's just a little idea of the insanity and probably wasted 20 minutes)

If I was thinking that maybe we'd pop into the Primm Outlets,
I am completely opposed to the idea now.
So we drive, drive, drive!

Ahhh, good old Zzyyxx Road.
Did anyone else notice that Brandon Mull named
the demon prison after this place?
How fitting.

Finally.
Finally we roll into our little garage at 8:12pm.
Finally.
Finally.
What a crazy 12 hour adventure.
The kids were super good and we only hit road construction a handful of times.

The next morning we enjoy some more cupcakes.
Will had the Cinnamon Toast the night before.
It was SO TASTY!
Oh! They use the same frosting on the sugar cookies
and it is divine.
DIVINE.
It's all about the buttercream, baby!

Raspberry Lime from Sweet Tooth Fairy
Strawberry from Sweet Tooth Fairy

Creamsicle and Pink Lemonade from Retro

Partially eaten Pucker Up from Retro :)

VaNIElla Squared from Sweet Tooth Fairy for Jaime.

Those are our adventures in getting home
and the quick stop for the very worth it Hopscotch and friends.