Italy Road Trip...First Stop, Venice!

For our big summer trip we decided to take a trip to Italy. We started our drive to Venice on Sunday morning around 9 and arrived in Venice at around 8 that night. It was a long day of driving and being in the car but thankfully we arrived safely. The kids did great and had plenty to do to keep them busy. I tried to get some new things and new games for them to play on the road trip. We drove through the Swiss Alps, which were absolutely beautiful to see. It sure didn't make the drive that bad! Jackson and Grace were excited to drive through the long (17 km?) tunnel. It was a little unnerving to be in a tunnel for that long, but amazing they could build that.

We could definitely tell we were in Italy...the drivers are crazy! I am so thankful it wasn't me driving. I think I would of wrecked out of nerves. After almost 12 hours of driving, we arrived at our "campsite" across the ocean from Venice. Our friend Lon recommended it and it turned out to be a great location/place to stay. The only down part of it was that they didn't have a big camper to sleep in, so we were nice and cozy on two single beds for a couple of nights. The kids thought it was a lot of fun to sleep in such a small bed together. Their was a big area around us that they could run around and play soccer. We enjoyed some yummy pizza our first night there and yes of course, a nice big beer to celebrate our arrival!

We were able to catch a water taxi right from the campground straight into Venice. It was so convenient! Jackson was so excited to go on a boat...who cares about seeing Venice, right?Venice is a beautiful place; full of unique waterways and of course the gondolas. We didn't take a tour because they were a steep 100 euro per couple for an hour. Yikes! So we decided to just stroll around the city and get lost in the side streets. It was a great day trip for us. The kids were beat by the end of the day. With the temperatures in the high 80's (yes, that is hot for us now ;-) we were ready to get back to the campsite and relax before our next road trip to Pisa/Camp Darby the next day.

Our camper
Jackson so excited on the boat over to Venice.
Venice!
Piazza San Marco

Venice is famous for the masks.
The roads of Venice
I had to add in a cheesy Grace smile.
Fruit/Veggie market

We enjoyed a huge slice of watermelon, blueberries, blackberries and johannes berries for an afternoon snack.
Getting a drink of water from the unique water fountains of Italy.
What would Italy be without a gelato treat?
AJ climbing a tree at the campsite. So thankful they had and area to get some energy out. It's amazing the energy these two kids have!
We had a great time in Venice! Our next stop on the trip is to Camp Darby where we stayed for the next week.