We have been excited to take Caleb on his 6 year old trip. We talked about a lot of different options, but really wanted to be able to take him to Indiana to visit Matt & Julie since he could play with Luke and Ryan. We've tried to make the 6 year old trip a family visit trip (Lydia- New York to see Bruce, Austin- Colorado Springs to see Bruce). We have not visited Matt and Julie in Indiana since 2014 before Austin was born and thought now would be a great time.
Since we did a lot of sightseeing in Indianapolis in 2014, we decided we wanted to stay in Kentucky and see things there before we went to spend the weekend with Matt and Julie. Here are some things from the trip (with Shantel notes in italics). I'm so grateful that Matt and Julie were able to work it into their schedules for us to come and visit. We had to switch dates on them and were feeling pressure to visit before David's busy season hit because we had flight credit to use before June and knew it would be tricky to visit April-May. We ended up with one weekend that we could do - and just hoped for the best. It all worked out and I'm so grateful it did.
Day 1: Fly to Indiana plus drive to Louisville
We woke up around 4:15 am to get ready for our flight and we woke Caleb up at 5 am so we could get out the door and make it to the airport. He was a champion and was very excited.
We got on the airplane and he liked watching everything going on outside. However, he was also very interested in what was going on inside the plane. You can see from the pictures below he took pictures of his tray table, the airplane wing and his drink menu. His drinks were probably his favorite thing of the whole airplane ride. He was very careful in deciding what he wanted to drink and planning out what he was going to do for all four plane rides (we flew from SLC to Denver and then to Indianapolis). He loved getting to pick Orange Juice, Apple Juice and Hot Chocolate to drink. We also had a bunch of snacks and treats for him to enjoy. He mostly just liked to sit on the plane and did not want to do much else. We spent a few minutes working on his search and find book. On the way home we watched a move for 15 or 20 minutes, but he did not want to watch that too long either.
We liked seeing all the race car themed things in the Indianapolis airport.
Once we got our rental car we got on the rode to drive down to Louisville Kentucky where our Airbnb was located. We wanted to stop and see a few fun places on our way so Shantel googled, "things to see on I-65" and had a few suggestions. We decided to go to Zaharakos in Columbia Indiana. Zaharokos is an old fashioned ice cream parlor and museum that has been in business since 1900. The restaurant had elegant woodwork and had been maintained with that early 1900 feel. More on that in a second.
Once we got parked we found an indoor playground and went in to play. It was so much fun and it had this huge climbing area that we raced around with Caleb.
We got a sandwich for us (we had got Caleb some chicken nuggets on the way) and then ice cream too. I went for a root beer freeze and Shantel had a Sundae. Caleb wanted a Vanilla ice cream cone and was so happy with his choice.
The restaurant also has a museum of historic soda fountains and it was so cool to see all of those. The restaurant had a signed that indicated it would be closed over the weekend because they were going to shoot a movie there. We loved the restaurant and thought it was so cool. The playground was also really really fun.
We did have to figure out how Caleb expresses himself and it was one of the reasons the trip was so good. Let's just say that Caleb was hard to impress. After buying him chicken nuggets from a restaurant, taking him to a cool climbing park and then letting him eat as much ice cream as he could imagine, we assumed he would be on cloud nine. However, right after the restaurant we asked how it was going and he said something like, "not very well." That was pretty much how he reacted most of the trip. It was just part of his way of expressing himself, but he did not get too emotionally high with the fun things we were doing and if we had any lull, and someone asked how he was doing, he'd probably tell him the trip was not very good. We had to figure out that is just part of how he was experiencing things. {In retrospect, he talks so happily about all the things in the trip, just part of his personality would prefer to down play things while we were doing them}. Shantel and I adjusted by just being totally fine if he said he was not having a good time. We worked really hard to listen to him and what he really wanted to do. That meant we took things pretty slow. Lydia and Austin at that age were pushing to see as much as they could. With Caleb it was a more deliberate pace and did not go see as much, but we really enjoyed just being with him and I think that was nice for him. I agree with David's assessment of Caleb's personality on this trip. It was just so funny to hear him talk about the trip in such a deadpan manner. I don't know if it was just not meeting his expectations or if it was his way of managing his expectation - but it definitely made us laugh (with a bit of an eye roll) most of the trip. We were having a good time, so I wasn't worried about how enthusiastically he was reacting - the point of this trip was to connect with him (and put a check mark next to "Caleb's 6 year old trip" so he won't suffer from middle-child-syndrome) and I felt like we were doing that, so that was enough for me.
After our time in Columbus we headed to our Airbnb. It poured rain as we drive down into Louisville and it reminded me of the rainstorms on my mission. It is hard to explain how hard it was raining.
I loved where we stayed. We were right in the heart of Louisville, very near downtown and stayed in a little place right about a brunch place called Fork and Barrel that was also right by the river. Once we got settled we did a search and find book with Caleb and got him in bed. Then Shantel and I found a movie to watch together and watched it with a bowl of popcorn.
Day 2: The Big 4 Bridge and Mammoth Cave
Day 2 was my favorite day. We started off by driving over to the Big 4 Bridge which is a walking bridge and walked to the top to look at over the river and see all the other bridges in the distance.
Then we drove south to Mammoth Cave National Park. I loved driving south because all the signs said we were on I-65 to Nashville.
We picked up some food and then Caleb worked on his Jr. Ranger book while we ate.
Then we went on the Historic Cave tour. It was interesting because this cave was created differently than many others and it had so many huge caverns and spaces. It also does not really have any stalactites or stalagmites. At one point we were more than 300 feet under the ground.
After the hike we spent some time in the visitor center. Then drove back to Louisville. Caleb was patient and happy on our drives (about 2 hours there and 2 hours back) and was happy to have his treats and watch out the window while we drove.
As soon as we got back to the airbnb Shantel got ready and went to the Louisville Temple. Meanwhile Caleb and I ate dinner, played hide and seek and then played games (uno) and had such a fun time.
I loved being able to sneak away to attend this temple. When I pulled up I was amazed at how tiny it was! I love being able to attend temples in other states while we travel and this was just a really nice, peaceful part of our trip for me. I felt bad leaving Caleb and David, but it was so nice for them to have some one-on-one time and this was really important to me, so I'm grateful David encouraged me to go.
Day 3: Churchhill Downs, Candy Store and Newsies
On day 3 we started by grabbing breakfast from the restaurant (the Morning Fork) that was right below our Airbnb. Then played some more hide and seek with all three of us. (Can you believe Shantel squeezed into that cabinet under the sink!).
We drove over to Churchill that morning. We did not want to do the museum but we poked our heads in and looked around and then they asked us if we wanted to go see their retired racehorse (and minihorse companion horse). It was really cool to go back and see those horses and walk around the building.
Next on our list was a candy store tour. The cool part is that the store was on the Indianapolis side of the river and was right next to the other side of the Big 4 Bridge, so Shantel and I went and got a picture from that side of the Big 4 Bridge.
It was pouring rain when we got to the candy store and we ran over to it and got to the door and it was locked. The owner poked his head out and told us that they had to close the store for the day because of the big rain/wind storm that was coming in. We were so sad, they had called to cancel the tour but we had missed the call. He asked if we could come another day and we could not, but then he told us to come in and he would show us around. He and his wife must live upstairs above the store. He could not demonstrate the candy making process, but he showed us around his store and gave us some samples. It was really cool and we had a good time.
After we started driving back to Indianapolis and on the way stopped in Columbia again and ate a little pizza place. When we got there the rain was coming down so hard and we ran as fast as we could to the restaurant and were still soaked through by the time we got inside.
We got to Indianapolis that afternoon and Caleb and Luke became friends and started playing right away. They just disappeared and were running around having fun. That night we went to watch Olivia who was in her school play which was Newsies. We had a really good time.
Day 4: Hanging out at Matt & Julie's, Trampoline Park and Slurpees
The next day we spent the day hanging out with Matt and Julie and it was really nice to see them and spend time with them. They have a dice that has everyone's names on it and use it to pick who will say the prayer. Caleb loved it and Matt was nice enough to use his 3D printer to make a few for us with our kids names on them.
The boys played games.
Shantel hanging out with Ryan for a little bit.
That afternoon we took the boys to a trampoline jump park.
Then took them to get giant slurpees.
Day 5: Church and Travel Home
The last day we went to church and then drove by the Indianapolis temple. It was really fun because when we came to Indiana in 2014, this temple was under construction but wasn't finished. It was fun to come back and get a picture in the same place now that the temple was finished.
Caleb loved pushing luggage through the airport and we had a good time riding on the airplane.
The trip was really fun and so good to be with Caleb. I feel like it did really help to build a stronger relationship with Caleb especially because there are not very many times that (have we had any?) Shantel and I can both spend one on one time with Caleb with all three of us. Also, Louisville and Kentucky were so fun and there were a million things we saw signs for and wanted to stop and see and could not see. We also could have spent way more time at Mammoth Caves. I'm grateful we could go with Caleb on the trip.
It's funny because the tradition of a six year old trip really just kind of happened to us, we hadn't planned it - but I can't express how much I love them. Six years old is such a special age and it's so fun for them to have an entire trip for just them and mom and dad. I love that they each can say that they've been to a place that none of their siblings have been to. Of course, I don't think that you need to fly in an airplane by the time you're 6 (I didn't fly in an airplane until I was 17, and then my next flight was when I was 20!). But I do think that this is something that we can do, and that we enjoy doing, and something that has turned into a special tradition for us. Highlighting that child, helping them feel special and loved, spending the time, effort, money, energy on them. Plus, David and I love to travel together, so it's a bonus to us to be able to travel together and be able to connect with our children at the same time. Now Lucy is talking nonstop about her "six-yeaw-owd-twip"!
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