Kickin' It on Route 66 ~ Arizona Chapter 7 - 5
Title: Kickin’ It On Route 66
State: Arizona ~ Chapter 7-5
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real. Imaginary character created for part of this trip.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
Time for an Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia.
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 44:
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
The family met up with George Dayton and Debbie for breakfast one more time before going on their way. Adam had hobbled to the car and picked up their pottery gifts. When he got back, he stopped at their suite to wrap the items in pretty paper before joining the group.
After eating, the kids did the honors.
“Mr. Dayton, this is a thank you gift for being nice to us and helping the children,” Joshie declared shyly, holding out the box.
George was momentarily speechless before reaching out and accepting it. He looked at the gift with a big smile on his face.
‘Well aren’t you gonna open it?”
“Of course I’m going to open it.” Setting it on the table, he did just that, lifting the platter out carefully and gazing at it.
“You made this yourself?”
“Yup and everyone helped. See, that’s my hand and that’s Hannah’s and that’s Daddy’s and that’s Papa. We printed ‘thank you’ and Mrs. Willowby did the hearts.”
“It’s beautiful; I’ll treasure it always.” He set it down. “Can I give you a thank you hug?”
Joshie looked to his parents who nodded their approval and then he gave the older man a hug.
George looked at Kris. “It wasn’t necessary but thank you.”
“It was the kids’ idea.”
On cue, Hannah then stepped forward and handed Debbie her gift. Mr. Dayton’s assistant opened the box and her eyes glossed over with tears at the vase.
“We wanted to thank you too for all your help.”
Hannah and Debbie hugged and Hannah asked if it was okay if she emailed the young woman sometime.
“Your Dad has all my contact info. You can talk to me anytime.”
Reluctantly, the group separated and Debbie drove the family back to the RV Park to get Winnie and start their four hour drive north to the Grand Canyon.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
DAY 1
Check-in time at the Grand Canyon Camper Village was noon and the family had called two days ago to ask the head office to keep their spot free if they were late. They called again twice on their way just to make sure. Luckily, the Village accommodated them, for an extra fee, and when they arrived at 2 pm, their campsite was still waiting for them.
Located in Tusayan AZ, the privately owned campground was one mile south of the park entrance. It was a natural, simple location within walking distance of an Imax Theatre, a general store, restaurants and shopping. They got Winnie settled, hooked up what needed hooking up and went in search of lunch.
Adam had been moving okay earlier that morning but after basically sitting still for four hours, it was hurting all over again and he was limping badly. The bruise hadn’t gotten any bigger but it was darker.
“I can get take-out and we can eat here,” Kris offered.
“No way; I just need to get moving. I’ll be fine.”
Kris took hold of his left hand and Joshie claimed his right. Normally, the little guy had to almost jog to keep up with his Papa’s stride but they were moving at Joshie speed right now.
After a quick lunch, they headed to a shuttle stop that would bus them to Grand Canyon Village on the brink of the natural wonder. When they got off the shuttle, the first thing they did was head to a railing nearby and take their first look. Attracting five million tourists a year, it stretched out before them 227 river miles long and 18 miles wide. Native Americans have lived within the canyon walls for thousands of years; it is still considered a holy place and pilgrimages are often made. The first European to see this wonder came upon it in 1540.
“What a view. It almost doesn’t seem real,” Mrs. Willowby observed.
Framed through crooked pine trees, the hot sun had created a haze in the distance, giving it an artistic appearance beyond the multicolored layers of earth that were exposed by the cliffs, a vertical version of the horizontal Painted Desert.
“I didn’t think it could be bigger than Meteor Crater,” Joshie commented.
He tried pulling himself up on the railing to look down and was promptly brought back to earth.
“Feet on the ground buddy.”
“Sorry Daddy. What’s that blue squiggly line down there?”
“That’s the Colorado River.”
“That tiny thing? Looks like a string.”
“That’s because we’re a mile above it. When you’re close to it, it’s a mighty rush of water,” Adam explained
“That ‘string’, Joshie, carved out this entire canyon.”
The boy laughed, “That’s funny.”
“It’s not funny, it’s true.”
“How?”
“Erosion. Over many, many years, the running water wore away at the rock and carved what you see. Same thing happened with Niagara Falls.”
Joshie chewed his lip thoughtfully then looked at his nanny.
“No wonder you don’t want us to leave water dripping. Who wants a big hole in the bathroom.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that Joshua; it took two billion years for this to happen. Needless to say, I still don’t want taps dripping.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Are we rafting on the river later?”
“Afraid not Sweetpea,” Adam replied. “The shortest excursion is three days and we aren’t going to be here that long.”
As they strolled around, they noticed signs saying ‘Park Ranger Audio Tours’. If they dialed 289-225-2907 and the stop number for a particular attraction, they could hear a two minute presentation about it. Eventually they arrived at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and enjoyed the a/c as they watched ‘Grand Canyon: A Journey of Wonders’. For 20 minutes, they toured the canyon from rim to river, from dawn to dusk, and from then to now and beyond.
The community on the edge of the South Rim was located in the most accessible area for tourists; the North Rim had a higher elevation and was harder to get to so it made sense that an oasis for tourists would be constructed here. The entire area was designated a National Historic Site with buildings still in use dating from 1897 to 1935.
At one point, Adam found a place in the shade to rest his leg while the family went into a museum. He looked down at his leg, the bruise a tie-dyed monstrosity, glaringly obvious against his pale skin. He’d kick himself for getting so close to that mallet if it hadn’t kicked him already. Adam really hoped it wouldn’t interfere with their plans for the next day.
Half an hour later, Kris found his husband and sat in the shade beside him, handing over a cold drink. Adam slurped enough so it wouldn’t spill when tilted then rested the icy container against his leg.
“Bad huh?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say ‘bad’ but its felt better. Where are the kids and Mrs. Willowby?”
“After we got drinks, they decided to go look over the rim again.” Adam opened his mouth but Kris anticipated his comment. “Yes, I reminded the monkey to keep his feet on the ground. Do you want to head back to the campground when they get back?”
“No, it feels better after a rest.” Adam removed the drink and enjoyed it before the melted ice watered it down. “Let’s walk around some more, find a bite of dinner, then we can head back.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
When they got back to Tusayan, the kids wanted to hurry so they could shoot some baskets before the sun set. Kris went ahead with them and Mrs. Willowby stayed behind with Adam, keeping him company.
“I can’t believe I haven’t asked this yet,” he began, “but how’s the trip been for you. I mean, we’ve crammed so much into nearly two months with little rest, I was just wondering if you regretted coming. After all, we offered to fly you home to England for the summer.”
They walked a bit before she answered.
“While it’s true this has been a whirlwind trip, it’s also been an adventure. I lived in this country for nearly 20 years before being hired by you and Mr. Allen and in all the time, I hardly saw any of it in person with my own eyes. I don’t regret coming at all.”
“So if we asked you to do it again?”
No hesitation here.
“Not on your life.”
Kris was lifting Joshie up to throw the ball when the other two reached the court. Taking a seat on a bench, they cheered everyone equally. One time the ball bounced off the backboard and headed in Adam’s direction. Reaching out with a long arm, he caught the ball.
“Papa! Papa!”
“Papa, pass it to me!”
“Noooooo … pass it to me!”
“No … me!”
Kris stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the exchange between the kids. He wasn’t really paying attention to Adam.
“Baby … think fast!”
He turned just in time to untangle his arms and catch the big orange ball before it hit him square in the chest.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
“Daddy, pass it to me!”
“Noooo … pass it to me!”
“No … me!”
Kris tossed it back to Adam who raised it above his head and aimed for the hoop. It caught the rim and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled … and rolled right off instead of going in. The kids were under the hoop clamoring to catch it, arms raised. It ricocheted off Hannah’s fingertips into her brother’s waiting grasp.
“Ha! It’s mine!”
While he gloated, she smacked it out of his grip, caught it and made a basket.
“No fair!”
“Yes fair.”
“Daddy, was that fair?”
“Afraid so Joshie Bear.”
The boy nodded then smacked the ball out of his sister’s hands and dribbled it down the court to the other hoop.
“No fair!”
The verbal battle continued for another half hour until the sun started setting and the park lights came on. The kids joined the adults on the bench and watched the sun sink below the horizon. Joshie rested a hand on Papa’s knee, and Adam kissed his head.
“Does it still hurt?”
“A little but not as much as it did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that sweetie, I know you are and it’s okay … really.”
When the dark settled over them, the family made their way back to Winnie. The kids took out a board game and set it up before heading to their rooms to change into their pajamas. Meanwhile, Kris checked their emails and Adam checked for phone messages.
“Anything interesting?” Kris asked.
“My parents called, wanting to know if we were on schedule. I texted them back. Anything on your end?”
“Debbie sent Hannah an email; she read it in the morning. And George sent one, thanking us again and asked if we could send autographed pictures to his office for his family.”
“Oh yeah, we promised to do that. He’ll have to wait til we get home though.”
“Already emailed that back.”
The competitive spirit in the kids hadn’t waned as the night drew on. They paired up against their parents in Pictionary while Mrs. Willowby ‘hosted’ the game. In the end, the kids headed off to bed victorious.
As the men cleaned up, Adam asked, “It was nice of you to let them win.”
“Who let them win? I was sure we’d clobber them. Did you let the win?”
“Of course not! You think I want people to know we got beaten by rugrats?”
“No … unless they’re our rugrats.”
“Well … maybe.” They cleaned up in silence and Adam muttered under his breath. “Who puts rabbit ears on a dog?”
“It was rabbit ears on a RABBIT!” Kris declared, “and as long as we’re talking about artistic ability … who draws a dragon on stilts?”
“I do! You’ve seen Cassidy in his busking costume lots of times. I can’t believe you didn’t get it.”
“I can’t believe you drew it! And another thing ….”
Back in their bedrooms, the kids lay in their beds, giggling into their pillows at how competitive their parents were.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Grand Canyon South Rim ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcBERu2EplI
State: Arizona ~ Chapter 7-5
Rating: PG
Pairing: adam/kris, OMCs
Summary: The Allen-Lamberts take a road trip along Historic Route 66
Disclaimer: I don’t own Adam or Kris. This story is fiction. Other major characters are fictional; the places they visit in this story are real. Imaginary character created for part of this trip.
Dedicated to adamluvr36_fic ~ just because ♥
Time for an Allen-Lambert universe mini series. Hannah is 12 years old, Josh is 7 years old. Mrs. Willowby comes along too! Get ready for Americana and nostalgia.
Overview map of The Mother Road ~ http://www.historic66.com/description/map.html
Retrace the trip ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/45756.html#cutid1
Masterlist of Allen-Lambert universe ~ http://cunningdeb.livejournal.com/21722.html#cutid1
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
ROAD TRIP DAY 44:
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
The family met up with George Dayton and Debbie for breakfast one more time before going on their way. Adam had hobbled to the car and picked up their pottery gifts. When he got back, he stopped at their suite to wrap the items in pretty paper before joining the group.
After eating, the kids did the honors.
“Mr. Dayton, this is a thank you gift for being nice to us and helping the children,” Joshie declared shyly, holding out the box.
George was momentarily speechless before reaching out and accepting it. He looked at the gift with a big smile on his face.
‘Well aren’t you gonna open it?”
“Of course I’m going to open it.” Setting it on the table, he did just that, lifting the platter out carefully and gazing at it.
“You made this yourself?”
“Yup and everyone helped. See, that’s my hand and that’s Hannah’s and that’s Daddy’s and that’s Papa. We printed ‘thank you’ and Mrs. Willowby did the hearts.”
“It’s beautiful; I’ll treasure it always.” He set it down. “Can I give you a thank you hug?”
Joshie looked to his parents who nodded their approval and then he gave the older man a hug.
George looked at Kris. “It wasn’t necessary but thank you.”
“It was the kids’ idea.”
On cue, Hannah then stepped forward and handed Debbie her gift. Mr. Dayton’s assistant opened the box and her eyes glossed over with tears at the vase.
“We wanted to thank you too for all your help.”
Hannah and Debbie hugged and Hannah asked if it was okay if she emailed the young woman sometime.
“Your Dad has all my contact info. You can talk to me anytime.”
Reluctantly, the group separated and Debbie drove the family back to the RV Park to get Winnie and start their four hour drive north to the Grand Canyon.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
DAY 1
Check-in time at the Grand Canyon Camper Village was noon and the family had called two days ago to ask the head office to keep their spot free if they were late. They called again twice on their way just to make sure. Luckily, the Village accommodated them, for an extra fee, and when they arrived at 2 pm, their campsite was still waiting for them.
Located in Tusayan AZ, the privately owned campground was one mile south of the park entrance. It was a natural, simple location within walking distance of an Imax Theatre, a general store, restaurants and shopping. They got Winnie settled, hooked up what needed hooking up and went in search of lunch.
Adam had been moving okay earlier that morning but after basically sitting still for four hours, it was hurting all over again and he was limping badly. The bruise hadn’t gotten any bigger but it was darker.
“I can get take-out and we can eat here,” Kris offered.
“No way; I just need to get moving. I’ll be fine.”
Kris took hold of his left hand and Joshie claimed his right. Normally, the little guy had to almost jog to keep up with his Papa’s stride but they were moving at Joshie speed right now.
After a quick lunch, they headed to a shuttle stop that would bus them to Grand Canyon Village on the brink of the natural wonder. When they got off the shuttle, the first thing they did was head to a railing nearby and take their first look. Attracting five million tourists a year, it stretched out before them 227 river miles long and 18 miles wide. Native Americans have lived within the canyon walls for thousands of years; it is still considered a holy place and pilgrimages are often made. The first European to see this wonder came upon it in 1540.
“What a view. It almost doesn’t seem real,” Mrs. Willowby observed.
Framed through crooked pine trees, the hot sun had created a haze in the distance, giving it an artistic appearance beyond the multicolored layers of earth that were exposed by the cliffs, a vertical version of the horizontal Painted Desert.
“I didn’t think it could be bigger than Meteor Crater,” Joshie commented.
He tried pulling himself up on the railing to look down and was promptly brought back to earth.
“Feet on the ground buddy.”
“Sorry Daddy. What’s that blue squiggly line down there?”
“That’s the Colorado River.”
“That tiny thing? Looks like a string.”
“That’s because we’re a mile above it. When you’re close to it, it’s a mighty rush of water,” Adam explained
“That ‘string’, Joshie, carved out this entire canyon.”
The boy laughed, “That’s funny.”
“It’s not funny, it’s true.”
“How?”
“Erosion. Over many, many years, the running water wore away at the rock and carved what you see. Same thing happened with Niagara Falls.”
Joshie chewed his lip thoughtfully then looked at his nanny.
“No wonder you don’t want us to leave water dripping. Who wants a big hole in the bathroom.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that Joshua; it took two billion years for this to happen. Needless to say, I still don’t want taps dripping.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Are we rafting on the river later?”
“Afraid not Sweetpea,” Adam replied. “The shortest excursion is three days and we aren’t going to be here that long.”
As they strolled around, they noticed signs saying ‘Park Ranger Audio Tours’. If they dialed 289-225-2907 and the stop number for a particular attraction, they could hear a two minute presentation about it. Eventually they arrived at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and enjoyed the a/c as they watched ‘Grand Canyon: A Journey of Wonders’. For 20 minutes, they toured the canyon from rim to river, from dawn to dusk, and from then to now and beyond.
The community on the edge of the South Rim was located in the most accessible area for tourists; the North Rim had a higher elevation and was harder to get to so it made sense that an oasis for tourists would be constructed here. The entire area was designated a National Historic Site with buildings still in use dating from 1897 to 1935.
At one point, Adam found a place in the shade to rest his leg while the family went into a museum. He looked down at his leg, the bruise a tie-dyed monstrosity, glaringly obvious against his pale skin. He’d kick himself for getting so close to that mallet if it hadn’t kicked him already. Adam really hoped it wouldn’t interfere with their plans for the next day.
Half an hour later, Kris found his husband and sat in the shade beside him, handing over a cold drink. Adam slurped enough so it wouldn’t spill when tilted then rested the icy container against his leg.
“Bad huh?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say ‘bad’ but its felt better. Where are the kids and Mrs. Willowby?”
“After we got drinks, they decided to go look over the rim again.” Adam opened his mouth but Kris anticipated his comment. “Yes, I reminded the monkey to keep his feet on the ground. Do you want to head back to the campground when they get back?”
“No, it feels better after a rest.” Adam removed the drink and enjoyed it before the melted ice watered it down. “Let’s walk around some more, find a bite of dinner, then we can head back.”
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
When they got back to Tusayan, the kids wanted to hurry so they could shoot some baskets before the sun set. Kris went ahead with them and Mrs. Willowby stayed behind with Adam, keeping him company.
“I can’t believe I haven’t asked this yet,” he began, “but how’s the trip been for you. I mean, we’ve crammed so much into nearly two months with little rest, I was just wondering if you regretted coming. After all, we offered to fly you home to England for the summer.”
They walked a bit before she answered.
“While it’s true this has been a whirlwind trip, it’s also been an adventure. I lived in this country for nearly 20 years before being hired by you and Mr. Allen and in all the time, I hardly saw any of it in person with my own eyes. I don’t regret coming at all.”
“So if we asked you to do it again?”
No hesitation here.
“Not on your life.”
Kris was lifting Joshie up to throw the ball when the other two reached the court. Taking a seat on a bench, they cheered everyone equally. One time the ball bounced off the backboard and headed in Adam’s direction. Reaching out with a long arm, he caught the ball.
“Papa! Papa!”
“Papa, pass it to me!”
“Noooooo … pass it to me!”
“No … me!”
Kris stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the exchange between the kids. He wasn’t really paying attention to Adam.
“Baby … think fast!”
He turned just in time to untangle his arms and catch the big orange ball before it hit him square in the chest.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
“Daddy, pass it to me!”
“Noooo … pass it to me!”
“No … me!”
Kris tossed it back to Adam who raised it above his head and aimed for the hoop. It caught the rim and rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled … and rolled right off instead of going in. The kids were under the hoop clamoring to catch it, arms raised. It ricocheted off Hannah’s fingertips into her brother’s waiting grasp.
“Ha! It’s mine!”
While he gloated, she smacked it out of his grip, caught it and made a basket.
“No fair!”
“Yes fair.”
“Daddy, was that fair?”
“Afraid so Joshie Bear.”
The boy nodded then smacked the ball out of his sister’s hands and dribbled it down the court to the other hoop.
“No fair!”
The verbal battle continued for another half hour until the sun started setting and the park lights came on. The kids joined the adults on the bench and watched the sun sink below the horizon. Joshie rested a hand on Papa’s knee, and Adam kissed his head.
“Does it still hurt?”
“A little but not as much as it did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that sweetie, I know you are and it’s okay … really.”
When the dark settled over them, the family made their way back to Winnie. The kids took out a board game and set it up before heading to their rooms to change into their pajamas. Meanwhile, Kris checked their emails and Adam checked for phone messages.
“Anything interesting?” Kris asked.
“My parents called, wanting to know if we were on schedule. I texted them back. Anything on your end?”
“Debbie sent Hannah an email; she read it in the morning. And George sent one, thanking us again and asked if we could send autographed pictures to his office for his family.”
“Oh yeah, we promised to do that. He’ll have to wait til we get home though.”
“Already emailed that back.”
The competitive spirit in the kids hadn’t waned as the night drew on. They paired up against their parents in Pictionary while Mrs. Willowby ‘hosted’ the game. In the end, the kids headed off to bed victorious.
As the men cleaned up, Adam asked, “It was nice of you to let them win.”
“Who let them win? I was sure we’d clobber them. Did you let the win?”
“Of course not! You think I want people to know we got beaten by rugrats?”
“No … unless they’re our rugrats.”
“Well … maybe.” They cleaned up in silence and Adam muttered under his breath. “Who puts rabbit ears on a dog?”
“It was rabbit ears on a RABBIT!” Kris declared, “and as long as we’re talking about artistic ability … who draws a dragon on stilts?”
“I do! You’ve seen Cassidy in his busking costume lots of times. I can’t believe you didn’t get it.”
“I can’t believe you drew it! And another thing ….”
Back in their bedrooms, the kids lay in their beds, giggling into their pillows at how competitive their parents were.
~~~~ ☼ ~~~~
Grand Canyon South Rim ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcBERu2EplI