RAD Road Trip Tip #7: Look for Camp Grounds Close to Main Attractions! RAD owner and graduated driver training students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho lived it at Niagra Falls!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!

Ours took us to a beautiful camp ground after watching fireworks over Niagra Falls!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 4  8/1/2010

KOA Camping, Niagra Falls

• On our way to Niagra Falls, we noticed a KOA next to the highway about 20 minutes from our destination.
• If you chose to camp as we did, you’ll find the KOA just outside of Niagra very nice, with lots to do: recumbent bicycles, paddle boats, fishing pond, trampoline, pool, cabins, tent sites, hot showers, and full hook ups.
• After rolling out of our tents and having hot showers, we enjoyed hot breakfast fresh off the grill adn smoothies, too.  
• For tips on delicious and easy full breakfasts on the road, see post:  Take the Blender and the Grill!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!
Start with RAD!

Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #6 ASK A LOCAL Local Information Boosts Fun! Responsible Alert Driving School owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho lived it at Niagra Falls!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!
Ours took us to a great little ice cream shop and a firework show over Niagra Falls!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 4        8/1/2010

We end up arriving in Niagra at dusk.  Never having been before, we thought we’d missed out opportunity to see the falls.  Then, as I looked up images online, I discovered that the Canadians infuse the falls with colored flood light!  We knew we were in for a treat!

ASK A LOCAL
When you get to a destination, always ask a local about special events, sites, and deals.
When I asked a local--which was easy, since he was at an information counter!--about cheap ice cream and other events, he gave directions to an ice cream stand and pointed out on a map the best vantage points for viewing the FIREWORKS SHOW, scheduled to begin in thirty-five minutes!

NIAGRA FALLS at NIGHT
Using our inside information, we avoided the three-dollar tourist popcicles and headed for the ice cream stand two blocks away.  There we invested the ten dollars saved earlier into ice cream cones for the whole group!  These were so good and fun on our walk through the state park on a warm summer evening.

FIREWORKS
Licking ice cream cones and laughing though the park with water fall mist in the air, we arrived at the falls seven minutes before the fireworks show began!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with Responsible Alert Driving School!

Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #5: FREE PARKING! Free Parking May only Take 5 Minutes! RAD owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho lived it at Niagra Falls!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Ours took us to free parking in Niagra!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 4     8/1/2010

PARK FOR FREE

• Any time guys are flagging you into a parking lot, BEWARE!  
• After getting waved in, we nearly paid ten dollars for parking.  
• Instead, we went around a few blocks and found a great big free space, across the street from our walk in the park!  
• Better!  We still had ten bucks in pocket to put to better use!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!
Start with RAD!

Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #4: Expect the Unexpected! Budget Extra Hours to get to your destination! RAD owner and graduated driver training students, from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho, lived it in America’s Heartland!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 3  7/31/2010

Expect the Unexpected; Budget Extra Time

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!

Ours took us through a maze of corn fields, flooded roads, and family history!

         

• A day earlier, since someone mentioned flooded roads ahead, we budgeted extra hours to get to our destination, even though we never saw a flooded road for an entire day of travel.
• A small side trip to Hurley, South Dakota--16 miles off the state highway--took over an hour and half to accomplish!  Here’s what happened.
• The little town of Hurley is where the daddy of RAD owner, Martha, grew up.  It is also the home of the Arthur Nelson Historical Museum, in honor of Martha’s grandfather.
• With temperatures in the 90’s and clear blue skies, a few miles off the highway, we found ourselves submerged in miles of corn fields, and at our first of many closed roads--with water flowing like a river over the low areas! 
• As we ventured further from our destination, trying to find a passable road we became the proverbial mice in a maze of corn fields, and flooded pastures, and looded roads, and quaint farm houses set as little island hills of flooded acres.  Fence posts peeked above the surface in some places, corn tassels in others!
• Finally, we met some locals surveying the damage done to their father’s land.  They informed us that heavy rains over several days produced the flooding; and that it happens every year!
• They who weren’t sure which roads to direct us to, since many were still under flowing water! 
• So we sought high ground further away, so that we could survey the land and determine a successful course by line of sight.  Joy did a great job navigating us through washed out roads, nearly washed out roads, rebuilt soft dirt roads, pit run gravel road repairs, and--glory be!--pavement to Hurley!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home
Responsible Alert Driving School serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #4 When Mama’s Happy, Everyone’s Happy! RAD owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho lived it in America’s Heartland!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip

DAY 3  7/31/2010

When Mama's Happy, Everyone's Happy!

          

1. Let Mom sleep in, while you get fresh ice for the cooler and refill all the water bottles!
2. Put venison tenderloin and bacon on the grill as Mom emerges from her beauty sleep!
3. Surprise her by pulling the blender out of the box you sneaked under the stuff she packed!
4. As she eats the most tender of tenderloins hot off the grill, present her with a fresh smoothie:  pineapple, banana, nectarine, and North Idaho huckleberries!
5. While she’s gone to change clothes for the day, have the graduated driver ed students clean and pack the van!
6. Let her know how beautiful she is; and tell her you love her!
7. You will notice that your entire road trippin’ crew is smilin by now!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #3: Honesty Pays! RAD owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho lived it in America’s Heartland!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 3  7/31/2010

Honesty Pays!

• Last night, we pulled into the Oasis Campground just before midnight with the office closed, set up the tent, and took deliciously long hot showers!
• The next morning, at the camp office, I was surprised to receive a discount!
• The manager said, “I always give a 10% discount as a way of saying thanks when people are honest to pay for their late night arrival.” 
• On the way out, I picked up a bag of ice for $1--best price I’ve seen in a long time!--to surprise the family with fresh smoothies, since I hid the blender under the other packed items!
• See the post, When Mama’s Happy; Everyone’s Happy, to see how well the surprise turns out!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

Responsible Alert Driving School Road Trip Tip #2: Make your Mom Happy; Make the Sweet Memories! RAD owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho did!

Responsible Alert Driving School Road Trip Tip #2:
Make your Mom Happy; Make the Sweet Memories!
RAD owner and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho did!

1st RAD TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 2  7/30/2010

Mom goes down Memory Lane!

Martha, RAD owner, has fond childhood memories of road trips from Kirkland, Washington through Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Hurley, South Dakota to visit her grand parents.  Along the way, they would visit many of the tourist attractions.  Actually, they stopped at ALL of them!  So, Mommy had a very special day on memory lane, as quoted below.

• Reptile Gardens--”Look!  This is the bench my mom used to sit on while she waited for us to tour the building where all the snakes and lizards are loose!”
• Mount Rushmore--”Let’s make sure to watch the movie, so the kids can appreciate how Mt. Rushmore was created.”
• Wall Drug--”Woo hooo!  We’re going to have ice cream for dinner!”
• “Could we pleeeeese camp tonight for a good night’s rest?”
• Day 2 ended at the Oasis Camp Ground, Oacoma, South Dakota, with luciously gushing hot showers and a pool just like when Martha was a little girl!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!
Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

Responsible Alert Driving School serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD Road Trip Tip #1 Make the Side Trips; Make the Sweet Memories! Driver Training Instructor and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho did at Helena, Montana!

1st RAD  TART

Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip
DAY 1  7/29/2010

Private Tour of Carroll College!

Without an appointment, without any forewarning, with summer classes completed, we popped in on Carroll College in hopes of making sweet memories with Joy, who is looking forward to attending Carroll, in a few weeks.

• When we drove onto campus, it appeared uninhabited.  But, since Joy really needed to use a restroom, we drove up to the doorway of a building hoping against hope for a human to come to her aid.
• A kindly custodian did appear!
• Welcomed in, we discovered a gifted children’s camp!
• One of the college students leading the camp offered to give us a tour and treated us like he was our personal ambassador--for the next hour and a half!
• Since we hadn’t ever seen the campus, we’re delighted to see so much and to receive such an enthusiastic tour with a very involved student who loves Jesus!
• We celebrated by grilling burgers on the hibachi, behind Carroll’s library.

Returning to Interstate 90 from state highway 12, former driver education student, Josh, to co-pilot, Robbie, announced:  “When you cross a cattle guard to get on the freeway, you know you’re in MONTANA!” 

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

1st RAD TART ~ DAY 1 ~ Inventing a Road Trip Game! with Driver Training Instructor and graduated Driver Ed Students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho.

1st RAD TART
Responsible Alert Driving ~ Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip

DAY 1  7/29/2010

•  12:20  on I-90 from Cd’A 820 Beautiful Blue Skies, Striking White Cumulus Clouds, our Prayed up Pilot, Cruising Speed 65 mph, Full Cargo Hold, Full Seats, Full Hearts, Prayerful with High Expectations of great moments with Christ, the people He’ll use to teach us, and the people we’ll get to touch with His great love!
•  1:21  Lookout Pass, MONTANA, elevation 1480

 1:32  First Fresh Fruit Stop!  Montana CHERRIES!  Becomes a Road Trip Contest! 

• Martha got a mix of varieties picked in Flathead, Montana. 
• The five of us lined up on the fog line of the roadway next to the fruit stand, for a pit spitting contest, to see who could clear the double yellow, the opposite fog line, and eject a pit onto the far gravel road shoulder.  Predictions?! 
• Those of you who have spit with us before guessed it right:  Joy can not be beat for her prodigious spit projectile launching abilities.
• Dad propelling a close second. 
• Josh decided that the cherry pit spitting contest was deliciously PITiful!  What a puny wit!

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!
What road trip games will you play?

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

FAQ 4 1st RAD Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip (RAD TART) began on July 29, with RAD owners, driver education instructor, and graduated driver education students from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho.

FAQ 4   Have RAD owners or RAD grads taken similar road trips?

YES!

1. RAD Owner, Martha Nelson-McKibbin, is a third generation road tripper!  Her great-grandparents traveled by train and model T, from Hurley, South Dakota to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Seattle, Yosemite, Sacramento, and New Mexico.
2. As a child, Martha took several family road trips to her daddy’s home town of Hurley, South Dakota.   So, the RAD TART is allowing her to relive her childhood!  Good stuff at mid-life!
3. Michael has been trippin’ up and down the West Coast for decades.  Some of the most memorable trips being:  camping the Sierra’s from Mexico to Yosemite, going with his brother to get an engagement ring in California, taking his bride to California for seminary, bringing their first baby home to Cd’A, and three separate teen-and-daddy trips after each McKid graduated from driver education.
4. As newly weds, Michael and Martha traveled from Seattle to Hurley, to Pennsylvania to Fort Lauderdale, to Americus to Seattle, to Pasadena, California for seminary.  So, M & M get to relive a bit of their newly wed journeys.  More good stuff for mid-lifers to share with their teens! 

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!
Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves driver education students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:  Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD is on it's 1st Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip! Owners and graduated driver training students are from Coeur d’Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho.

On tour:

• RAD grad driver training student, Joshua McKibbin, former North Idaho Christian School student, headed to North Idaho College!

• RAD owner, Martha McKibbin, retired from Lighthouse Christian Academy, seeking to serve Christ in public schools!

• RAD cheerleader, Joy McKibbin, Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy grad, headed to Carroll College!

• RAD owner, Michael McKibbin, retired from Lakeland School District, seeking to serve Christ through RAD School and the Modern Abolition Movement.

• RAD friend, Robby Delorto, North Idaho Christian School grad '07, returning for his senior year at University of Idaho.

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves driver training students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho:   Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

RAD's learning to Drive out slavery with T-shirts. Graduated driving students from Cd'A, Idaho and RAD owners, Rathdrum, Idaho, drive to learn about anti-human trafficking strategies.

Where will your adventure take you?!

• Our adventure has taken us across the country to learn about modern slavery abolition!
• 
  
• RAD drove 3,275.1 miles to attend a three-day school about abolishing modern slavery!

• Some of you have been in Mr. McKibbin's junior high history classes over the years, where we learned about slavery and the historical struggle for freedom throughout the world. 

• Now, we're here at SoulFest, in Gilford, New Hampshire--and yes!--we're learning about how to actually prevent, document, and stop slavery today!

• Last night, after the Switchfoot concert--by the way, they are very big fans of Not For Sale and the movement to re-abolish slavery!--we hung out in the back stage after-party to discuss how to be effective abolitionists.  

Here's one way! T-shirts!

• We're learning how to develop accountability in supply chains--that's right!--the stuff some of you students and I discussed years ago about t-shirts being made in third-world country slave sweat shops; then hiked, shipped, and trucked for you to buy at the store.
• Bad news, most cotton throughout the world is picked by hand, most of that by children, who do not get to go to school.
• Good news, there are companies that can prove they do not use any slave labor in their t-shirts, from the cotton farmers and pickers to the manufacturers!
• So, graduated driving school students are discussing with us strategies for being smart in how we buy the products we need, so that we help rather than hurt others.
• More good news, RAD is working to make those shirts available to you!
• We'll keep you posted!

So what about DRIVING?

• RAD is committed to your success!
• Success in being Responsible people!
• Success in being Alert people!
• Success in your Responsible Alert Driving!   
• Success in your journey through life, to a positive future!

• RAD is committed to the success of other young people, too!
• Success in being free to play, just like you!
• Success in being free to rock, just like you!
• Success in being free to drive, just like you!

•  So, RAD is committed to driving out slavery!

• When you enroll in RAD School, you're part of something much bigger!
• Part of your fees go to help prevent slavery, rescue slaves, and provide them new futures!
•  

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

Responsible Alert Driving School serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

Learning how to Drive out Slavery in our Lifetime: Switchfoot, RAD owners and graduated student drivers (Coeur d'Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho).

Where will your adventure take you?!

• Our adventure has taken us across the country to learn about modern slavery abolition!
• 
  
• RAD drove 3,275.1 miles to attend a three-day school about abolishing modern slavery!
• We're here at SoulFest, in Gilford, New Hampshire--and yes!--we're learning about how to actually help slaves!
•  
• Graduated student drivers from Coeur d'Alene and Rathdrum, Idaho are learning how to drive out slavery in their lifetime at SoulFest, in New Hampshire. 
• Tonight, RAD owners, Michael and Martha McKibbin, will be hanging out with Switchfoot--abolitionists and very big fans of Not For Sale!--at the main concert after party to discuss how to be more effective abolitionists.
•  

• We'll have lots to share with you, after attending the Not For Sale Academy!
• When you enroll in RAD School, part of your fees go to help victims of slavery!
•  

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You and Your Family?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students--residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.

1st RAD Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip FAQs with former driver education student from Rathdrum, Idaho and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

1st 

RAD TART!

R A D 

Transcontinental Abolitionist Road Trip!

Most FAQ’s

1.  Why is the driver education instructor driving across the country with a former driver education student?

• We’re headed to Gilford, New Hampshire.

2.  What’s in New Hampshire?

• Soul Fest, one of the largest Christian music festivals on the planet, takes place in Gilford, NH.

3.  Why drive all the way from Rathdrum, Idaho to New Hampshire for a music festival?

• Good question! 
• Michael has been trying to learn the truth about modern day slavery and how to be a part of the solution.
• The Not for Sale Campaign, a group dedicated to ending slavery in our lifetime, is providing a three-day course at Soul Fest.
• Martha, the McKids, and friend Robbie, were not able to attend Creation (another festival), as they usually do each year.
• Joy is going off to college in Montana.
• Josh is going of to college in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
• Of course, driving school owners love having their own kids get lots and lots and lots of supervised driving; transcontinental and back is a lot!
• So, Martha and Michael agreed this was a great way to bring all the people and pieces together:  spend lots of time together before the kids go off to college, attend a music festival and praise our lungs out together, and begin learning how to set slaves free--together! 

Where will Your driving Adventure lead You?!

Start with RAD!  Request your Reservation at  www.RADschool.net!

Save Money on Driver Ed!  Win a full course!  Get Reimbursed for Driver Training!

Find out how at www.RADschool.net!

RAD Blog Home

RAD serves students--home school, private school, public school students

residing in Kootenai and Bonner counties, Idaho: 
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hauser Lake, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, 

Blanchard, Priest River, Athol, and Hayden, Idaho.