After being back in CO for a week now since Spring Break ended, I have one thing to say: "I miss my mommy and daddy!!" =) We're already looking forward to their visit next month (migration season, of course). So now I'll back-track....We'd planned for several months to spend Nikolas' spring break in Texas with my parents. We've been so busy settling into our new house and new routine that we were all looking forward to a break from it all. The break came in the form of a 2300+ mile road-trip to Texas. Break? Yeah...that sounds an awful lot like the move, doesn't it.....except we drove even FURTHER!! We enjoyed the comfort of Sven's new truck and REALLY broke in the engine! Not wanting to leave our new kitten, Abby, alone or in a kennel, and not wanting to burden the neighbors with looking after Rascal, we loaded up EVERYONE and headed south.
Day 1 excitement......
A rest stop in Oklahoma. I remember seeing the Oklahoma City bombing memorial back in 2005 when dad was helping Nikolas and I move to WA. Here is a plaque at a nearby rest stop.
After three million times hearing "Can we stop and take a break?!?", Nikolas finally got his request.
Day 2 drowsiness!
We were eager to see for ourselves what this "Texas lot" was all about. Mom and dad couldn't have a better view. We loved watching the ships go by (and apparently missed seeing the dolphins that can normally be seen out playing). It is so peaceful there. I miss the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.
We did a little sight-seeing in the town of Indianola which had been the busiest port in America back in the 1800s. Our imaginations weren't quite creative enough to envision what this desolate town used to be.
I got the biggest kick out of this. The smallest of the signs reads: HONK FOR SERVICE.
You just don't get any more country than that!! We enjoyed a lengthy rendition of the scene from Forest Gump after that...."gumbo shrimp....coconut shrimp....". =)
Abby was such a good little traveler. Since she's not the dog that Sven wanted her to be (but he adores her nonetheless!), the least we can do is get her used to going camping with us while she's young. Thank goodness for the air conditioner in the trailer though....it was in the 80s all week.....and so VERY humid! Isn't she just the cutest?!
Really, Dad, I think this boat is better used as a lawn ornament than a survival craft.
Just sayin'......
A whole lot of fishing going on.
Even Rascal got to enjoy the ocean view.....
Always time for a game of cowboy golf.
Quite a view mom and dad have!
And then, just like that, it was all over. Time to pack up our new trailer, free up some parking space at mom and dad's lot, and head home. We're so excited for all of the camping excursions we plan on taking! Thanks for taking such great care of the trailer, mom and dad!! We'll do the same!
I think this trip tuckered Abby out!
We passed through some really small towns in Texas on our way home. I couldn't resist trying to get a snapshot of the "Cowboy Church". Look closely and you can see the reflection of our trailer in the windows.
Our first night going solo with our trailer. We stayed at Goodfellow AFB. It was a great base facility! Too bad we only had time for just the one night. $10...can't beat that.....well, maybe.....
Lubbock, TX, and the home of Buddy Holly. Thank you, Sven, for your patience while the GPS directed us to the wrong part of the city and then we got rerouted through all of the construction detours....with the trailer in tow. I really wanted to go see Buddy Holly's gravesite and you persevered!
No hoopla- just a small stone to mark his grave in the city cemetery. Definitely a far cry from Elvis' resting place at Graceland. (Yes, I have a thing for those old rockers....thanks, mom and dad. hee hee)
We've crossed to the other side and become one of 'them'. Apparently you CAN beat $10....Walmart's free....with the exception of how much you spend inside because there's nothing else to do but shop. =) I must say, sleeping in the Walmart parking lot is one of the stranger experiences I've had....and I've had some pretty strange ones!
This volcano is on our list of things to go back and see for a camping weekend. Pretty cool.
No matter how good a trip is, it's always nice to get home and sleep in your own bed. This was especially true of this trip. We had quite the scare when we found out (before leaving TX) that our neighborhood had been evacuated because of a 1600 acre wildfire less than a mile from our house. There's nothing quite like the scare of losing your home and all your worldly possessions when you're 1000 miles away.....other than the thankfulness you feel knowing that you're safe with your family and loved ones. Thank goodness this story had a happy ending!!
Thanks for a great vacation, mom and dad! We really enjoyed spending the week with you and seeing a little bit of what your TX life is like! Come visit us soon!
