More flight lessons...

We found the perfect place to stop for the night just outside of Dayton, Ohio.  One thing I am realizing is that 99% of the time reservations are not necessary (for hotels, not talking about more specialty lodging...definitely get reservations if you can for those).  Anyway, after our scary hotel situation in Asheville, I simply stopped reserving ahead of time.  Two reasons...obviously to avoid scary hotel situations and also because more often than not we change our minds at the last minute on where we want to stop for the night.  With reservations you have no choice, you have to go there.  Without them, you go wherever you feel like.  This time we felt like going to Dayton :).

**I just thought of a third reason...we have found that it's cheaper to just walk-in and request a hotel room rather than reserve online or even call.  Crazy but true!  And definitely welcome :).**

Great nights sleep, free laundry at the hotel (wondermous!), and a Tim Horton's right up the street.  Yes indeed, we were off to a great start to our next day ;).  It's the little things, ya'll :).

Any of ya'll that are familiar with the Dayton area can probably guess why we wanted to stop there for the night.  They have NPS sites!  These really are great for the kids and their schooling.  I don't know how many times they have been doing their regular school books and called out in excitement because there is a picture or a passage describing one of these places that we have visited.  Touched, seen with our own two eyes...there just is no comparison :).

With our box of Timbits in hand, we set off to find the Wright Cycle Company Complex...one part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.  We found it, parked, and as we were walking across the grounds to go into the visitor center we noticed a Ranger just outside the door to the Wright Cycle Company Building.  This building stays locked and is opened up when a Ranger is available to accompany you inside.  He was available, so we went in there first :)...

This building is one of four that the Wright brothers worked on their bicycles in and the only one that remains today.  It still has their tools laid out and everything...

After some good conversation with the Ranger on the contents and history of the cycle shop, we thanked him and headed on over to the VC.  Jr. Ranger books were acquired and then we descended upon the museum.  I say descended because we each got so involved with our reading and looking that we were spread out all over the place.  That's ok, I love seeing the kids so interested in learning :)..(we were practically the only ones there, so I was cool with the spreading out situation).

these old menus intrigue me...and kind of appall...sliced tongue???  :P...

...apparently they thought it was wonderful...

We saw the print shop where the brothers printed their newspaper and life-long friend Paul Laurence Dunbar printed his many poems, novels, plays, etc...

With books complete, we went down to the Ranger desk to finish up.  The Rangers rotate their posts throughout the day and it just so happened that the same guy who showed us around the cycle shop was now at the VC desk.  I liked his style...he challenged the kids to do more/learn more in a way that they thought was just fun and games :).  There was a red line outside marking how far the first flight flew and a sign telling how fast.  He challenged the kids to each run the distance of the line while being timed to see if they could outrun an airplane.  They thought that was big fun :)!  Challenge accepted and conquered (and they learned some great historical facts in the process)...

Jr. Rangering :)

We spent a long time there, but there was another part of the park that we really wanted to visit.  With just enough time left in the day, we headed over to the Huffman Prairie Flying Field.  Here we saw the Wright Memorial...

...and visited the adjacent Interpretive Center.  This place was all about the planes!  The kids had so much fun here and once again the Rangers were awesome.  The man running the desk when we got there was a real jokester and had all the kids laughing (and learning, love it!).  I have to say, though, that their very favorite part was in the back corner of the museum. There they found a 1911 Wright Model B Flight Simulator and one of the sweetest ladies that we have ever met stationed back there to help the kiddos...

This lady (i wish i could remember her name!!!) stayed past closing to let each of the kids have a turn on the simulator.  I never expected that :)!  I had already told the kids that most likely only the littlest ones would get a chance to try it because it was nearing closing time.  Well, she made sure that they all got to do it and let them keep trying until they had successful flights (they are awarded certificates).  Warms my heart right up :).

The VC had closed for the day, we were locked in :), but she also went over the kids books with them and awarded them their badges.  You just don't come across that level of niceness every day :).

more Jr. Rangering

It was time to go, so we left to find some food and decide where we wanted to head off to next.  I asked the kids to vote between visiting the Gateway Arch in Missouri or Lake Michigan in Indiana and Michigan (two states we had never been to).  Their decision?  The lake!  We only made it a few hours in that direction before it was time to stop for the night.  A cozy room in Fort Wayne, Indiana, worked out great...

Good night :)!