Good night from Milford State Park in Milford, Kansas, where we were not planning to sleep tonight.
 
We started the day in Oklahoma and loafed a while before driving north to Tanganyika, an interactive wildlife park in Goddard, Kansas. We fed romaine to giraffes, tortoises, and guinea pigs, little tubs of milky fluid to lorikeets, and craisins to lemurs. We pet kangaroos (who were surprisingly chill). Kato fell in love with the lorikeets and Augie with the guinea pigs. I’m guessing there will be another power point presentation in my future.  
 
Afterward, we drove to Wichita and found a grocery store. The kids stayed in the bus to do their homework, and Robbi and I spent a few minutes strolling the aisles, totally alone except for the other hundred or so people in the store. It was the closest thing we’ve had to a date in a while. We were hungry and probably bought more food than we needed, including an inadvisable box of Peeps-flavored cereal.
 
Then we drove two hours to our next campsite, a lovely spot on the banks of a lake, where we parked and set up camp only to discover the bathrooms were locked for the “off season.” The “off season” ends in two days, but Robbi couldn’t wait that long. She scowled profoundly by the lakeside as I packed up the bus for departure. She consulted the Google and found a new park an hour down the road.
 
On this drive, I made a terrible error, opening my driver window at the wrong moment and creating a draft that blew my favorite lei from Hawaii out the window. I despaired, but Robbi did not. We turned around, found my lei, and rejoiced as the sun set.
 
Then we drove another hour to a new park where we poked around in the dark for a bathroom that worked. The first set of bathrooms we found was also locked, but we persisted and finally found a set with doors that actually opened. More rejoicing transpired.
 
Now we are parked and Dumbles is getting his frisk on. Robbi is making a salad, and soon we will all pile onto the mattress on the back and watch TV.
 
It’s good to be back in Kansas, where I lived from sixth grade through the end of high school. Stay tuned for blasts from my past.
 
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Good night from Coon Creek Cove in Newkirk, Oklahoma. Some days we wake up with a clear sense of what’s going to happen and other days we’re utterly surprised as weather shifts or opportunities present themselves.   
 
Today was some of both. We spent much of the day at Olive Elementary, hosted by librarian Barbara Smythe. It’s a day we’ve been anticipating for 18 months, and it was just as fun as we’d hoped. We’ll tell you all about it soon.
 
What surprised us was what Barbara said as we were leaving. In addition to being a librarian, STEM teacher, and mother of four, she’s a volunteer firefighter and wondered if we might want to tour the fire station on our way out of town.
 
We nodded enthusiastically and Barbara called the chief to set up a tour. As it turns out, the chief was her husband Tim, who has recently taken over for his dad who had been chief for forty years prior.
 
Tim couldn’t have been more gracious or warm. He spent almost two hours showing us the various trucks, opening every compartment, demonstrating where the various hoses, ladders, tanks, and tools are stored and how they’re used. He let us sit in the cab, turned on the sirens, and gave us a demo of the heat sensors the firefighters use to find people or animals during a search and rescue.
 
All of the vehicles are customized to the specific needs of Tim’s community. In addition to two decommissioned military trucks Tim has converted into 2,500-gallon tankers, there’s a fleet of pickups set up to combat brush fires, which are the most common call for the Freedom Hill Station.
 
Tim showed us the office, the classroom where he runs trainings for firefighters from other towns, and the bank of lockers where the firefighters have their coats, pants, and boots carefully hung and folded for easy access at a moment’s notice.  
 
I’d never known how much goes into setting up and running a fire station. It was incredible to hear someone so knowledgeable walk us through how everything works. Thank goodness there are people like Tim and Barbara willing to devote so much time and energy for the good of their communities. It was an honor to meet them both today.
 
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Good night from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where our day began by sitting on our friend Cathy’s couch as Augie delivered a thrilling and persuasive power point in which he argued the merits of allowing him to have a YouTube channel on which to feature his gaming exploits. Perhaps the most compelling slide featured an chameleon. Not because chameleons were germane to his argument but because “they are awesome.”

Later in the morning, we drove down to The Gathering Place, a 70-acre riverfront park that features trails, gardens, eateries, a water park, and a series of incredible playgrounds. Beautiful and imaginative, the play structures take the shapes of animals, castles, and boats. There are cranes, an elephant, a bear, and a banana. There’s a section of outdoor instruments and a maze of mirrors. The eventual plan is to expand it to 100 acres.

This evening, we went over to visit Cathy’s dad Bill, who also lives in Tulsa. He’s retired now but once owned a charter bus company. Over the course of his career, he owned 120 busses, but now his fleet is down to one, a 1981 bus that has since been converted into a mobile home. Bill gave us a tour of his rig and then took a peek at ours. He asked various questions about our engine that I did not know how to answer. I may drive a bus, but I’m not a bus guy. Bill is the real deal. It was an honor to meet him.

Tomorrow we’ll get up early and drive an hour west to Drumwright, where we’ll visit Olive Elementary School. It was so nice to spend a few days here with Cathy and her husband Neil.

I don’t see Neil often, but I love him very much. In part because he’s British and always introduces me to fantastic new food things, such as Branston Pickle, which is to be enjoyed with cheddar cheese. He is also funny and smart and wry and kind. Neil is a chemistry and technology teacher, an app developer, and a professional online rowing coach. If you’ve always wanted to give rowing a try but don’t know where to start, check out his site or his YouTube channel. I can’t think of a person I’d rather learn from.

https://www.coachbergenroth.com
https://youtube.com/@Neil_Bergenroth_Rowing_Coach

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Good night from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we’re spending the night with Robbi’s college roommate Cathy Rose and her family.
 
We spent the morning walking the woods in Natural Falls State Park. The hike was short but the falls were tall. At 77 feet, they were the most spectacular we’ve seen so far on the tour. We viewed them from various angles, first down below, then from either side up top. No matter the vantage, they were nice to look at.
 
The day was just right. Sunny and crisp. We felt good and glad to be out in the open. We balanced on logs and admired the wildflowers and even saw some sort of four-legged slithering thing. Kato claimed it was a skink, but I’m not convinced. Please feel free to weigh in if you have knowledge of such things.
 
The drive from there to Tulsa wasn’t long. The highway signs said 80mph and I was inspired. On a long, straight downhill stretch, the bus reached 82. Please don’t tell the authorities.
 
It was good to see Cathy and her husband Neil and their daughter Emily. We ate pizza and looked at old photos and determined that our dogs will not be friends. Fortunately, our children get along beautifully.
 
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One of the great pleasures of writing a book is getting the opportunity to dedicate it to people who helped it get made. Or to people whose stories echo the themes of its creation.
 
One of the central ideas of the Cookies of Chaos is that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. That there’s always an even better version of your life if you’re willing to look beyond your comfort zone, find a new vision, and work like heck to bring it into focus.
 
Cookie Chronicles five is dedicated to four friends of ours who discovered new passions and channeled them into personal success and good for the world.
 
Our friend Jodi Bortz quit her job at Dunn and Broadstreet and reinvented herself as a printmaker, student advocate, elementary music teacher, and founder of Blue Canary Letterpress. Among her many other contributions to the world, she creates gorgeous, highest-quality broadsides, cards, and labels for other Chestertown businesses.
 
Our friend (and long-time communications consultant) Greg Waddell founded Lodestone Candles, a thriving high-end candle company that now sells 19 fragrances in 85 boutiques across the country and a few in Europe. (With letterpress labels printed by Jodi!)
 
Our friend Beth Proffitt channeled a personal interest in special ed advocacy to a job as the parent coordinator for Kent County Public Schools Support Resource Center. Now she spends every day helping fellow parents with children who need extra support.
 
And you all know our friend Brian Thompson, a gifted carpenter and contractor who combined his love of vintage vehicles with a builder’s vision and an interest in electronics to imagine, design, and create the ultimate rolling home for our year on the road.
 
We admire these people for being able and willing to see life’s rich possibility, for doing and creating in ways that fill their hearts while making life better for the rest of us.
 
As Ben Yokoyama would say, we applaud them for daring to bake a better cake.
 
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Good night from Natural Falls State Park in Colcord, Oklahoma. It was a day of celebrating and appreciating art. Which is to say, it was a very good day.
 
We had breakfast with Robbi’s old mentor and OM coach Iris Feutz, her husband Rick, and Rick’s sister Elise. These three have taken such good care of us for the past few days—giving us a comfortable place to stay, treating us to delicious meals, and welcoming us into their amazing little town.
 
We said a tearful goodbye. Iris and Rick have meant so much to Robbi’s creative development, sending her off into adulthood with a mind trained to see possibilities, solve problems, and imagine beyond the expected. I’m so glad we got to spend some time with them.
 
On our way out of Eureka Springs, we visited Thorncrown Chapel, a gorgeous glass-and-wood structure designed by Arkansas native E. Fay Jones, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. As we walked into the chapel, a couple was getting engaged. She burst into tears. He smiled like the sun. It was a privilege to witness.
 
Then we drove to Bentonville to visit Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. The museum’s galleries are surrounded by two creek-fed ponds and are themselves surrounded by woods and trails all lined with sculpture.
 
We roamed the galleries for as long as Jasper could stand it, and then we went outside, walking the trails, hugging bronze animals, and visiting an installation by James Turrell, one of our favorite artists.
 
The Way of Color (or “Skyspace”) is a cylindrical room with a round hole in the center of its ceiling. As the sun moves, the light cast through the skylight moves and changes. At night, the interior is lit in a cycle of LED colors. I wish we could have seen it, but we had to keep moving.
 
We ate too much ramen before driving an hour to Natural Falls State Park, where we took Dumbles for a walk, did a card-based escape room game, and gave bus tours to curious folks. It’s fun to welcome people into our rolling home. We get to live inside a piece of art, and art is meant to be shared.  
 
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Good night from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where Alden is fifteen today.
 
Of all the acts of generosity and grace that have made this trip possible, Alden’s willingness to give up her freshman year of high school and sleep on a mattress with three brothers and not see her friends for a year sits near the top of the list. She’s been the perfect traveling companion. Present, curious, engaged, eager, fun, patient, and game for whatever we throw her way. She’s given so many hugs to so many kids. She’s gone into second-grade classes to answer questions. She’s cheerfully served as trip photographer whenever Robbi and I need a photo. It has been a joy to travel with her and see the country through her eyes.
 
The day was rainy, so we mostly stayed inside. We visited the Serendipity Gallery and were mesmerized by the spinning glass globes. We made several trips to the afternoon sundae bar. We finished season one of Friday Night Lights and launched into season two. And this evening, we went to Sparky’s, where our server Ora was a K-3 special ed teacher. She brought Alden a slice of key lime pie with a candle on top and joined us in singing Happy Birthday.
 
Now we’re heading downstairs for the 9pm ghost tour. I’m looking forward to learning all about this haunted hotel. So far, our visit has been without supernatural incident.
 
But Alden being suddenly 15 is more shocking than anything the ghosts can throw our way.
 
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Good night from Eurkeka Springs, Arkansas, where we spent the day exploring and shopping and meeting an extraordinary rabbit.
 
We’re staying in a hotel atop the tallest hill in town. The road we took to get downtown this morning would have created many problems for the bus. But our legs did just fine.
 
The main commercial stretch hugs the base of the hill, the namesake springs available for viewing. The water is said to have medicinal qualities. We visited one that once helped a blind woman see. Or so claimed the plaque.
 
We popped into galleries and shops. Our favorite was Adventure Art, a store run by a couple who had left their corporate jobs to follow their dreams. They make their own watercolor pigments and sell customized sets. Because Alden turns fifteen tomorrow, we gifted her an art supply shopping spree. She got a set of paints, a brush, and some books on drawing and painting. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.
 
We also visited East and West, a souvenir shop famous for its “working bunnies.” The woman who runs the place, Yume, suggested we pay with cash. She wouldn’t say why but swore we wouldn’t regret it.
 
As she rang us up, her rabbit Mochi was sitting on the counter. Instead of handing us our change, Yume handed each bill and coin to Mochi, who took it in his teeth, turned his head, placeed it in Robbi’s hand. It was pure delight.
 
We visited the art gallery curated and run by Robbi’s old OM coach Iris Feutz and her husband Rick. We perused a gem shop and bought a gorgeous piece of malachite. We browsed a game shop and picked up an escape room in a box. It is easy to spend your money in Eureka Springs.
 
We had dinner with Iris and Rick and Rick’s sister Elise at Café Amore, where we enjoyed the best pizza in the galaxy. And some lovely conversation with old friends.
 
We finished our day by being interviewed by our friend Lauren, who is a college freshman taking a class on The American Dream. We discussed the many barriers that can stand in the way of prosperity. That playing field is far from equal. That sometimes hard work and persistence is not enough to realize dreams.
 
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Good night from Eurkea Springs, Arkansas, where we’re spending the night atop the highest hill in town in the historic Crescent Hotel.
 
Growing up, Robbi was on the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) creative problem solving team. I’ve heard for years about her wonderful coach Iris Feutz, one of those dedicated people who spends their time, energy, and money to create opportunities for public school kids. Robbi credits Iris and OM for giving her space and encouragement to embrace her inner weirdo. Fast forward thirty years, and Iris now lives with her husband Rick in the charming town of Eureka Springs, with its Victorian architecture, artsy vibe, and abundant natural beauty. Rick’s sister Elise owns two historic hotels here—the Crescent and the Basin Park Hotel. We are lucky to be their guests for the next few days.
 
This afternoon, they took us to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, one of eleven officially certified big cat rescues in the United States. Their mission is to take in lions, tigers, and bears that have been abused or exploited. There has long been big business breeding big cat cubs, charging top dollar for photos with them, and then disposing of the animals when they get too big. To create a steady stream of cubs, adult lions and tigers are aggressively bred, leading to deformities, bone density issues, and other health challenges. Places like Turpentine Creek rehabilitate these animals and give them a home.
 
We spent a long time talking with Emily McCormack, who came to Turpentine Creek as an intern 25 years ago and is now the Animal Curator. Caring for big cats has been her lifelong passion. These animals are lucky to have her as caretaker, advocate, and friend.
 
Perhaps my favorite moment of the day was meeting Bam Bam the grizzly bear. We spend so much time trying to avoid grizzlies in Alaska. It was fun to stand near and safely observe Bam Bam as he played, ran, and scratched his back.
 
Once again, a day has surprised us with unanticipated moments, discoveries, and connections. I’ve given up trying to predict what will be. I’m never right, thank goodness.
 
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