Road Trip!

We've lived in Texas for almost a decade and we've really only done San Antonio and sadly, Amarillo. So we decided to tour TX with as a family this summer. The day after Rhys got his cast off, we took off for Houston (by way of Huntsville), Corpus Christi, and Austin (by way of Goliad and Lockhart). 

Huntsville
Texas Prison Museum. Okay, kids let's go learn all about the scum of society! 

See, that murderer's hands didn't just strangle people, they  built toys too!

Giant Statue at Sam Houston Memorial.  Why so big? Because we're Texas.

Shhh! Don't tell!

A stop by the Houston Temple, which is actually in Spring, TX.

So it was pretty stormy but things let up so we got out at the temple and took a few shots.  I gathered the family near the fountain to sing "I Love to See the Temple" and we did not even make it through the first verse when the heavens were opened and we were in a downpour!  We sang as we hurriedly walked and then full on ran to the car, soaking wet. I was hoping that we could invite the Holy Ghost into our hearts as we sang but God just wanted us to have a fun memory of our family squealing and running like crazy through the temple parking lot.

Houston, 1st Full Day
Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Memorial
First, we pulled all our picnic lunch goodies out and headed over the shaded picnic tables between a cemetery on the grounds and the entrance to the battleship. We stepped over some soggy grass, as flooding had occurred in most of Houston a few weeks prior. Bad idea.  As we all gathered around, Neal noted that I had a mosquito on me and then said they were all over me and he was right.  We were being swarmed by large, hungry mosquitos! We were slapping and brushing each other and feeling sad that our bug repellant we had just applied at the car was so ineffective, as we in a panic, grabbed our stuff and hefted it back to the van. Inside we smashed the last few mosquitos and ate inside the van, enjoying the air conditioning. Houston mosquitos got game!

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the top. Battleship Texas on right.

Learned a lot of history and saw lots of artifacts. Also saw a movie about the battle of San Jacinto at the memorial.  The memorial is taller than Washington Monument by 11 feet or so. Because we're Texas.

Houston, Day 2
Children's Museum and Health Museum
Both the kids and we, parents, had the best time at the Children's Museum. Lots of fun together.

 

 

 

 

As tall as Daddy!

Clear!

Almost tall enough!

Constructing and then testing vehicles

A complete success--they were tuckered out!

Houston, Day 3.
Johnson Space Center

Touching the moon rock thousands of germ infested hands have touched before them.

Robonaut - not used yet in space

Mission control - "Houston, we have a problem."

Saturn V Rocket, 1967-1973

I learned we humans have been in space a whole lot more than I realized and what direction NASA and private companies are going. Still not totally clear on how they go potty and shampoo their hair because I was moved along by my children. If I really want to know, I'm sure it's on the internet.

This day was harder for our kids but it was more intended for Neal and I.

Corpus Christi Day 4
USS Lexington

Out front on "the plank" above the water

 

Corpus Christi, Day 5
Padre Island National Seashore
By far my favorite day! So much fun as a family. We spent hours swimming. We also learned that sunscreen lotion is so much more effective than spray on.  And yes, we reapplied. So sunburned!

Enjoying the pelicans flying by as we eat lunch out of the back of the van

Surf Museum

Gordie - downtown Huntington Beach, our hometown!

Corpus Christi, Day 6
Padre Island Turtle Release

Good morning! It's the crack of dawn!

This is what we were yearning to see on this trip--something the size of an Oreo cookie with flippers and a head.

Behold my cuteness!

Nets and poles to deter gulls

The first and the last turtle in got good hurrahs from the crowd

In the 80s they believe there were only 350+/- actively egg laying females in existence.  Although still endangered, they are making their comeback.

Aquarium
Rhys was intent on seeing a great white shark and dolphin when we were ocean side.  He learned about dolphins in kindergarten so he wanted to see them.  The aquarium was the best we could do and a planned stop.

 

This is the aquarium's shark. Rhys was less than thrilled.

Austin bound on Sophie's 8th birthday! Day 7
First stop, Goliad
Mission Espiritu Santo
So upon reading the historical marker, we learned that this was the third site for this Mission and they had moved from the two other sites due to "difficulties." With further inquiry we found out the "difficulties" were the native people communicating their thumbs down to being forced into new religion and ways by, well, killing and raiding.  Thus the church moved on.

A door for entering and being baptized is on the other side of the church, while this "death's door" was reserved for taking the dead out to the cemetery after the viewing/funeral.

 These beautiful grasshoppers were freakin' big--because we're Texas, and they were not a few!

 Yep, that's my fickle but fearless son, grabbing a freakin' big grasshopper with his bare hands.  He'd pretty much be my hero if I could count on him.  At home he is either smashing spiders with his fingers or shrieking like a girl. Make up you mind son! No really, please be my hero. You will bless your wife someday with this manliness.

 Sophie shielding her brain waves from aliens.

Sophie, on her 8th birthday, in front of the baptistry. We decided to wait until her upcoming baptismal date because we're big believers of immersion.

These fast, colorful lizards were found throughout our exploration of the grounds. Rhys would have you know that the best and most important part about the whole mission stop was that we found 8 lizards and Sophie is 8! The significance of this cannot be ignored--especially if you are a 6-year-old little brother.

 On our way out, we noticed several exoskeletons of cicadas.  The mission was a fun, sort of creepy-crawly place to visit for us.

Then we visited the Memorial for Fannin's men that were massacred. It really a bummer of a story. Thank goodness for the Angel of Goliad who saved several men.

Then off to Gonzalez
So Gonzalez is where Texans told Mexico to stick it. It started everything up and after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, ended in Texas' independence. So to really sum up they fought over this cannon that Mexico wanted to take back from them.

And the first generation Texans in our family demonstrate their respect for TX history with bunny ears. To each their own, right?!

We also saw little gems like these in the museum...
Check out what happened to the guys who donated these arrowheads found in the surrounding area.

 See, don't be donating this to museums, people!

 Yep, human hair jewelry. Nothing says I love you like hair.

So to wrap up all the battles and Texas' fight for independence, it started here in Gonzalez, which was sort of at the end of our trip and ended in San Jacinto, which we remember from the beginning of our trip.  Oh, just follow the guideline below, for Pete's sake!

 And then off to Lockhart for a late lunch.  Lockhart, apparently my dear Neal knew this was the BBQ mecca of Texas but communicated that with, "We'll stop in Lockhart. There's a BBQ place I want to try."  So nearly every corner had BBQ with a line out the door but he chose this place, Kreuz.  Talked to the locals inside and they are best for their pork chops but we got a whole lot of dead animal to sample after waiting 30 minutes in a hall with no air conditioning and the smell of yummy smoked animals.

 We were indulged with amazing "art" as we eat like these beauties.
 Look Ma!, the whole state of Texas done up in snake rattlers!--Because we're Texas!

 And posted on the framed snake skin this little tidbit of information...

 Oh, pardon me as I barf up your BBQ...really people!  What a lovely tale!

Here's Sophie getting drunk on animal flesh and root beer for her birthday.  There was a lot of taken in on this vacation for a nearly vegetarian family.

We did finally make it into Austin and went out for ice cream at Amy's to celebrate Sophie. 

 This lookout point is behind the ice cream shop and mall and it turns out that this is the spot that our friend, Tyler, proposed to his now wife, Anjuli.  We picked the same Amy's and there are quite a few in Austin.  

Then we went to brave the crowds to view the bats under the Congress Avenue bridge.

It was a wonderful day. And then Sophie sat up out of her sleep and vomited on the bed.  She felt fine and didn't have anymore incidents after we called up for new linens and made up the bed. Happy Birthday, Pumpkin!

Austin, Day 8
LBJ Library with Beatles exhibit
What do you do when you are 8 years old and see a whole lot of pens...count them of course.  I wish I could remember but it was over 200.

Stamp Out the Beatles

And on to the State Capitol Building, which is taller than our nation's capitol, and not by mistake, because why?  Yes, we're Texas.

Getting their groove on

Original San Jacinto Battle Flag

The Six Flag theme parks are named for the six flags Texas has flown under--France, Spain, Mexico, Confederate, United States

What do the above light fixtures spell?  That's right and you know why.

Heading home and Neal's Birthday- Day 9
Longhorn Caverns

Nothing like hanging out in a cavern that used to serve as storage for gun powder during the civil war and later a speak easy.

We made one last stop at Check Stop in West to eat up the most amazing kolaches - a delicious pastry. Lemon cream cheese was to die for.  This is as close as we got to celebrating Neal's birthday and he always gets overlooked with Sophie's birthday so close. He made up for it later with fun online purchases to increase his camping gear, including a desired hammock.

Made it home by evening.  Great trip and great memories of our Tour of Texas.