Chevy-Chasesque Road Trip

Let me start by saying that road tripping is in my genetic code. My dad was originally from Kansas but he got to Texas as soon as he could. About twice a year he and mom would bundle the five of us up, put us in the back of the station-wagon and we'd be off to visit "Yankee" relatives in Kansas and Oklahoma. Those trips are ripe for hilarious stories and you'll probably be reading some of them if you stick with me long enough. At any rate, I LOVE road tripping...

In late April, my mom and I went to Houston (about 2.5 hrs from our home), to watch my 9 yr-old niece play softball. We arrived the day before and decided we needed to do something "fun and exciting" on that Friday afternoon in the big city. My sister (the Houstonite), suggested that we visit the King Tut exhibit at the MOFA...away we went. Of course, as luck would have it, the exhibit closed the weekend prior. We were told that the exhibit was moving to Seattle which would be the final stop before it headed back to Egypt. Well, since Seattle is easier to get to than Egypt, (and a heck of a lot cooler), we decided we'd make the trip in July.

The big day came and, as is customary on all road trips, we left at 4:10 AM on Friday 7/20. (Did I mention that my sister only took off work for enough days for us to drive to Seattle and back in 10 days? Under normal circumstances, if a long-haul trucker wanted to make that trip, it would be a breeze. Drive straight to Seattle, stopping only to fuel the car and sleep, then back on the road. We are not long-haul truckers.) We scheduled several stops along the way so my sister and my niece could see some of the wonders our land has to show. 



Sis and niece



First stop: Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM. The caverns are a nice first stop because by this time, we had been in the car for about 6 1/2 hrs. and were only about halfway to where I wanted to be for our first night. I have to brag about my niece, she was AWESOME the entire trip. Never complained about being in the car for hours and never whined about being and bored and wanting to get out (the same cannot be said about the adults in the car). 

    



Lions tails



Stalactites and Stalagmites



So, after a couple of hours break, we were back in the car, headed toward I-40 to Arizona.   

As you'll probably see, (again, if you stick with me long enough), I have done more travelling than average. Some with the hubster and some with girlfriends etc. I suffer from frequent bouts of wanderlust and am always ready for nearly any adventure. In contrast, my sister and niece have done very little travelling so this was a great way to make as many "side trips" as time would permit.  One of the first things that drove home how sheltered my niece (especially) is, was when she spotted the hills of West Texas and wanted to know if those were mountains. Granted, compared to the flat swamps and byous of Houston, they were mountains, it really helped me focus on the fact that this trip was more than a chance to see some artifacts (and copies of artifacts) from some long dead Egyptian boy Pharoah, this was a chance for me to help educate a very bright and gifted young lady.

The next installment on our trip will be here tomorrow so come back "same bat time, same bat channel."

Lois