PVT Bear's Graduation Road Trip! (Saturday's Recap)
I know I haven't blogged in a while. We left Tuesday around noon and came home about 7:30 pm Thursday night. (Took Mom even longer to get home, she arrived close to 9:30 pm and was totally exhausted.) On Friday, the bus didn't show up for Petunia so I had to drive her to school, then wait for a call from Sharky to come pick him up and then go to the bank to deposit his pay check. After that, Bug came home and had to do a repeat run for him. Poor Sharky was exhausted and passed out most of the day and night (which he didn't want to do, but was too tired to do anything else) and we ended up with Petunia in bed with us. Ugh, couldn't sleep, not enough room. Yes, there was a cold snap, but still. Definitely won't do that again.
Well, back to the trip. Got Bug off to school and Petunia & I picked up JL at her cousin's house and went straight to Publix to pick up groceries for the trip. Got home, showered and dressed. Mom showed up about 11:30 am. I ran over to Ms. I's next door and told her about what we were doing and introduced her to Mom. Got the car packed up and hit the road a few minutes after 12 noon.
Traveling I-10 was long and boring, but spirits picked up when we hit I-75. We stopped at the Georgia State Welcome Center and had a picnic and used the restrooms. Took the next exit after that and filled up the gas tank. Next major landmark was Tifton, where we left I-75 and turned onto 82/280 to Columbus. Long country road, meandering through little towns, but 4 lanes and very well maintained. In fact, all the roads in GA were better than the ones here at home. Hmm.
Finally got to Columbus and found the hotel right off the bat and we checked in:
Alarm went off initially at 6 but we all got up at 6:30 am. Slept well with the curtains open as a "night light" (we were on the 4th floor, no danger of looky-lous). There was a small storm that rolled in, saw some lightning too. Got up, dressed, and headed down to the continental breakfast. It was good and we were so excited. Ran back upstairs, brushed teeth, and then hit the road.
Found Sand Hill and the barracks with not much problems. The little storm we had was a bit serious on base and had lots of red Georgia clay run off all over the place. No worries though. Since we were there a bit early, we were able to get a good seat on the bleachers that were erected in the space under the barracks. (Thank goodness, because near starting time - 10:00 am - it was standing room only.)
Beautiful ceremony, some awards were given out, and the soldiers' serenaded us with the Army song. Afterwards, most ran back upstairs to their barracks to change out of their berets and into their regular caps. The four of us lined up in a row to see who PVT Bear hugged first when he came down. He was a bit confused so Mom and I got first, then JL and Petunia. LOL Because of a snafu with a fellow soldier having an illegal cellphone that rang in the barracks first thing in the am, Bear and 11 of his fellow soldiers were punished on Family Day and sequestered on Sand Hill - they were NOT allowed off the little piece of base they were on. We told him that we didn't care, we were there to spend time with him, not explore the area.
His bunkmate was included, so his family (gf, mother & sister) and our family stuck together for most of the day. We ended up spending most of the time in a nice little visitor center with large leather comfy couches. Some pool was played, we ate lunch, chatted & gossiped, went to the PX, etc. Soon the day was up and we had to take him back to the barracks and we went back to the hotel. Bear had given us some money (for hotel, gas, food, etc.) so we grabbed some takeout to eat at the hotel.
The graduation was fabulous. Started off with a brass band which was excellent. They played military, jazz, and other things, along with some entertaining dancing and play acting. We were especially thrilled to see the band had a female french horn player (just like Petunia!). Soon after there was a presentation of the 8 major varieties of wartime uniforms from the Revolutionary up to Afghanistan, modeled by fellow graduate soldiers. That was followed by smoke and sounds of automatic machine gun fire, accompanied by the strains of a famous Celtic music score that accompanies a lot of wartime action in movies. Nine soldiers (more fellow graduates) came out of the smoke, in full battle gear, and fanned out in patrol formation and then came up to the front to demonstrate the different elements of their equipment, weapons and uniforms. I had remained dry-eyed so far, but when the music played and the men came out of the smoke, I had tears running down like Niagra Falls. AN's mom, sitting behind me, had the same reaction. Luckily, I was able to control myself after that and remained dry-eyed for the rest of the ceremony.
Soon, all 4 platoons came marching out, in formation, along with a color guard. There was the ceremonial inspections, etc., which lasted a while, but enjoyable to watch. Eventually, they were marched away, off to the side, and released to their families. After oohing and aahing over how handsome he was in his dress blues, we walked over to see his fellow graduates still in historical uniforms and the ones demonstrating the modern gear. Luckily we did then, because they were released soon after to join their families. It took a long time to walk to the museum - much to see and many people to meet and greet. After a lovely time (except for my hip), Bear was ready for lunch. All he could think of was that he wanted Mexican, and luckily, my mom remembered a sign on the way back, so we swung by. Ironically, a few minutes after parking, BC and his family pulled into the parking lot. Those two are so much alike, they picked the same restaurant without even knowing. We ended up all dining together, all 9 of us.
So sad we had to leave him, but on the other hand, we were glad we left when we did because we barely missed a very large storm. It felt easier going home, but that last stretch on I-10 was horrible. It was dark and my poor mom was so tired. I tried to get her to rest (she never let me drive, too controlling) but she insisted that since she was so close to home she had to go. We got home about 7:30 pm and then I drove JL home. Mom got home close to 9:30 pm and called to let us know when she arrived.
Went to bed soon after and had to get up at 5 am to get Petunia off to school. Of course, the bus driver didn't show up so I had to drive her to the actual school. Thank goodness, she wasn't late. Bug had been getting rides from TB so he made it to school on time all week. Sharky didn't call until almost 10:30 am for a ride home. He goes back Sunday. *sigh*
Bug has to work this morning and I have some errands to do...
Well, back to the trip. Got Bug off to school and Petunia & I picked up JL at her cousin's house and went straight to Publix to pick up groceries for the trip. Got home, showered and dressed. Mom showed up about 11:30 am. I ran over to Ms. I's next door and told her about what we were doing and introduced her to Mom. Got the car packed up and hit the road a few minutes after 12 noon.
Traveling I-10 was long and boring, but spirits picked up when we hit I-75. We stopped at the Georgia State Welcome Center and had a picnic and used the restrooms. Took the next exit after that and filled up the gas tank. Next major landmark was Tifton, where we left I-75 and turned onto 82/280 to Columbus. Long country road, meandering through little towns, but 4 lanes and very well maintained. In fact, all the roads in GA were better than the ones here at home. Hmm.
Finally got to Columbus and found the hotel right off the bat and we checked in:
Microtel Inn & Suites - I have to give this place 5 stars because it was above and beyond my expectations and needs for the price I paid. Instead of reserving rooms online, I called directly and actually got a better price on the room (two doubles, no-smoking). It was very easy to get to, literally 3 miles from our destination (Sand Hill at Fort Benning) and located immediately off I-185 (you can't miss it). Don't be surprised by the small size outside, it is a lot larger than it appears. The room was compact, but smart - no space was wasted. We had a mini-fridge, a microwave, coffee pot, ironing board w/iron, and a safe. The flat screen tv was mounted on the wall in perfect view of both beds. The beds were like the pillow-top kind, soft but supportive. The bathroom was clean and roomy. The window looked out over the interstate but the view at night was pretty with all the lights. There was even a cushioned window seat to relax on. The complimentary continental breakfast was very nice, with quite a few choices, both cold and warm (grits, bagels, waffles, etc.). The second morning we were surprised with sausage gravy for the biscuits. The lady who took care of it was on top of everything, making sure it was kept clean and well stocked. There was also a pool, fitness room, and a coin-op laundry, along with a little business station and free Wi-Fi. The manager told me the hotel was 3 years old - could have fooled us, it still looks brand new. I highly recommend this place to anyone coming to the Columbus GA area, especially families traveling for basic training graduation. It is definitely more than worth the price and convenience.Changed into our jammies and ate our salads for dinner. Watched a bit of tv and set the alarm early. Bear texted us, and then was able to call us and chat for a few minutes. I talked to Bug back home and everything was going well. We turned in early.
Alarm went off initially at 6 but we all got up at 6:30 am. Slept well with the curtains open as a "night light" (we were on the 4th floor, no danger of looky-lous). There was a small storm that rolled in, saw some lightning too. Got up, dressed, and headed down to the continental breakfast. It was good and we were so excited. Ran back upstairs, brushed teeth, and then hit the road.
Found Sand Hill and the barracks with not much problems. The little storm we had was a bit serious on base and had lots of red Georgia clay run off all over the place. No worries though. Since we were there a bit early, we were able to get a good seat on the bleachers that were erected in the space under the barracks. (Thank goodness, because near starting time - 10:00 am - it was standing room only.)
Beautiful ceremony, some awards were given out, and the soldiers' serenaded us with the Army song. Afterwards, most ran back upstairs to their barracks to change out of their berets and into their regular caps. The four of us lined up in a row to see who PVT Bear hugged first when he came down. He was a bit confused so Mom and I got first, then JL and Petunia. LOL Because of a snafu with a fellow soldier having an illegal cellphone that rang in the barracks first thing in the am, Bear and 11 of his fellow soldiers were punished on Family Day and sequestered on Sand Hill - they were NOT allowed off the little piece of base they were on. We told him that we didn't care, we were there to spend time with him, not explore the area.
His bunkmate was included, so his family (gf, mother & sister) and our family stuck together for most of the day. We ended up spending most of the time in a nice little visitor center with large leather comfy couches. Some pool was played, we ate lunch, chatted & gossiped, went to the PX, etc. Soon the day was up and we had to take him back to the barracks and we went back to the hotel. Bear had given us some money (for hotel, gas, food, etc.) so we grabbed some takeout to eat at the hotel.
Hardee's Restaurant - We swung through the drive-thru here on Wednesday evening and the young lady manning it was very sweet and professional. We ordered food for 4 and everything was well packed and when we asked for extra (like salt and mayo packets) she made sure we had enough. When we got to our hotel to eat, everything was hot and fresh, with the exception of the chicken sandwich which was on the side of being slightly overcooked. The only other complaint was the bizarre positioning of the restaurant, but we know, with GA DOT on-ramps, etc., most likely was not their fault.Again, we were up to about 9:30 pm and then crashed. No storm that night, I think we all slept harder than ever. The alarm got us back up and we had breakfast downstairs and then got ready to go. Mom and the girls took the bags (via luggage cart) out to the car while I paid and checked out of the hotel. Luckily, I had looked up where the graduation ceremony was the night before on Iago, so it was able to get us there easily.
National Infantry Musuem - This is a wonderful museum. We briefly visited it after my son's graduation from basic training at Fort Benning. The graduation was held here and was beautiful, framed by the WW II era "base" erected behind the museum. There is so much to see and do here, we just didn't have enough time to explore it all. We are hoping to come back soon and have more time to check it all out. If you are in the area and have an interest in the military, this is definitely worth your while.My hip was bothering me horrible when we got there. Luckily, there was a docent with a trolley picking people up and shuttling them to the back of the museum where the graduation was held. Again, we were early and were able to save seats for both BC's family and AN's family.
The graduation was fabulous. Started off with a brass band which was excellent. They played military, jazz, and other things, along with some entertaining dancing and play acting. We were especially thrilled to see the band had a female french horn player (just like Petunia!). Soon after there was a presentation of the 8 major varieties of wartime uniforms from the Revolutionary up to Afghanistan, modeled by fellow graduate soldiers. That was followed by smoke and sounds of automatic machine gun fire, accompanied by the strains of a famous Celtic music score that accompanies a lot of wartime action in movies. Nine soldiers (more fellow graduates) came out of the smoke, in full battle gear, and fanned out in patrol formation and then came up to the front to demonstrate the different elements of their equipment, weapons and uniforms. I had remained dry-eyed so far, but when the music played and the men came out of the smoke, I had tears running down like Niagra Falls. AN's mom, sitting behind me, had the same reaction. Luckily, I was able to control myself after that and remained dry-eyed for the rest of the ceremony.
Soon, all 4 platoons came marching out, in formation, along with a color guard. There was the ceremonial inspections, etc., which lasted a while, but enjoyable to watch. Eventually, they were marched away, off to the side, and released to their families. After oohing and aahing over how handsome he was in his dress blues, we walked over to see his fellow graduates still in historical uniforms and the ones demonstrating the modern gear. Luckily we did then, because they were released soon after to join their families. It took a long time to walk to the museum - much to see and many people to meet and greet. After a lovely time (except for my hip), Bear was ready for lunch. All he could think of was that he wanted Mexican, and luckily, my mom remembered a sign on the way back, so we swung by. Ironically, a few minutes after parking, BC and his family pulled into the parking lot. Those two are so much alike, they picked the same restaurant without even knowing. We ended up all dining together, all 9 of us.
Vallarta Mexican Restaurant - This restaurant is a great little treasure that we found after my son's graduation from Fort Benning basic training. He wanted to take us out to eat after the ceremony and he wanted Mexican. My mom remembered passing this place on the way to the National Infantry Museum, so we thought we check it out. Turns out, this is quite the popular place with the military and civilians in Columbus. LOL I had the chicken chimichangas - all white meat, tender and juicy. My mother had a quesadilla with chicken, steak & shrimp - tons of meat, cooked to perfection (she said it was so delicious she was tempted to lick the plate). The beans and rice were fresh and tasty and the guacamole was as good as homemade (not a puree, but fresh and chunky). Daughters had the enchiladas - no complaints, they were very happy, and my son had a California burrito which was huge. He said he was completely satisfied and that's good enough for me. My daughters were unable to finish their dinners, but the waiter had no problem boxing up the leftovers and packed them nicely in a bag with forks (!) so we could eat them on the way home. If we are ever in Columbus GA again, we are absolutely coming back. Definitely will recommend this place to others in the area!Too soon, it was time to take him back to the barracks and for us to hit the road. Long goodbyes. Sadly, the one picture taken of me with him had my eyes closed. *sigh* What luck. We made it out in one piece and started back home. A little while later, I saw JL was having a really hard time, so I passed her some tissues. When we stopped for gas, she took Petunia to the bathroom and lost it. When she came back out, I hugged her and told her we loved her and that everything was going to be ok.
So sad we had to leave him, but on the other hand, we were glad we left when we did because we barely missed a very large storm. It felt easier going home, but that last stretch on I-10 was horrible. It was dark and my poor mom was so tired. I tried to get her to rest (she never let me drive, too controlling) but she insisted that since she was so close to home she had to go. We got home about 7:30 pm and then I drove JL home. Mom got home close to 9:30 pm and called to let us know when she arrived.
Went to bed soon after and had to get up at 5 am to get Petunia off to school. Of course, the bus driver didn't show up so I had to drive her to the actual school. Thank goodness, she wasn't late. Bug had been getting rides from TB so he made it to school on time all week. Sharky didn't call until almost 10:30 am for a ride home. He goes back Sunday. *sigh*
Bug has to work this morning and I have some errands to do...
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